The Love Of His Life

THREE WEEKS BEFORE!

A nice surprisingly warm day in Philadelphia....Considering it was the week after Thanksgiving...My wife Sepia and I sat in the playground ,watching our daughter Kimberly play...

Kimberly and the other children were having a great time...She ran back to us, out of breath..

"You hungry sugar?" asked Sepia...

Kimmy smiled and shook her head...

I smiled...

"I'm a little hungry too. ...I see you packed a picnic basket." I said.

The past few weeks had been calm... Business at Morris Communications had been great...Meek Rollins and I's new recording studio was up and running and there was talk about Meek starting an independent label to record his newer acts...

My other business, Morris Investigations was quiet...No cases with the Attorneys I worked for and no other types of cases....

I spent my days at work , then at home  with Sepia and Kimmy...I loved calm times like this...but my history proved that calm ties like this were usually short lived..

Take today...

The three of us were enjoying a nice day in the playground.

Sepia had packed a nice lunch for us all, Fried Chicken, Bread and Butter sandwiches....deviled eggs, Chips and Apple Juice...

"Isn't this nice husband? A Picnic in Winter?" asked Sepia..

 "Yes...I commend you on your creativity." I laughed.

You would have thought it was spring time , rather than Winter , despite the balmy 68 degrees...Well, Balmy for Philadelphia this time of year....

We had spent the better half of the day in the playground ,when we decided to go home...As we were stepping out of the playground we saw a crowd of people and the all too familiar police tape.

I saw a body lying on the sidewalk.....and men snapping photos, uniformed officers keeping the crowd back and a few others looking for shells or other clues...

"I didn't hear any gunshots or a ruckus....When did this happen?" asked Sepia..

"I can't imagine....There is Hazel and Sissy and the guys." I said.

Dr. Hazel Hunter -Baylor, Forensic Investigator and Deputy County Coroner was directing CSI officials and uniforms around the crime scene....

''Hi Kevin.." she said upon seeing me.."Hi Sepia...Hellllllo cutey pie.." she said to Sepia and Kimmy..

''Heyyy Hazel...We 've been in the park all day and we didn't hear any kind of ruckus....or see anything.."said Sepia..

''That's what everybody is saying.."said Hazel...

Sissy walked over...

"Hey Guys.." she said, smiling at us...

"Hey Siss...We were in the playground all day...We uh had a little winter picnic....We didn't hear or see anything.."I said..

'That's what all the neighbors and people we have interviewed said.." she said..

''So somebody must have just dropped this body here..." said Sissy...

"That's what it looks like....I'm hoping one of these Street Cams shows us something..." said Sissy.

Detective Carlotta Rodriguez-Wallace was observing the body...

"It is sooo cold....Rigor Mortis is already setting in..." she said..

Her partner, Detective Tyriq Pile was also observing the body...

"You're right Top....Cold as hell and stiff as a board...He didn't die here...Somebody brought him here..." he said..

Detective James Barlow mused....

''Even so...He shouldn't be this cold..It's like he was in cold storage..."

Detective Tony Hopkins weighed  in-

"No signs of trauma...No broken bones and no gunshot wounds or stab wounds that I can find..." he said..

Detective Sirena Pile turned the body over...

''I know who this is."she said.

''You do?" said Sissy..

''Yeah, I do too...He's the principal of the Elementary school a few blocks away...Our kids aren't school age yet...but we have talked about enrolling them in his school when they are..We've spoken to him a couple of times...A real nice guy.."said Tyriq..

''Principal of an Elementary School huh? Who would want to hurt somebody like him?" asked Duke..

''We are Murder police...It's our job to find that out.." joked Carlotta..

Detective Angie Belton walked up with two uniformed police officers...

"Nobody saw anything...Nobody in the park, Nobody on the street....Our only hope is that Street Cam and at best, we'll get a blurry picture considering the distance..." she said.

"I won't know his cause of death until we get hm to the morgue..." said Hazel...

''Well release the body..Let's get out of here...You know who (Lt. Tragg) just got off suspension...We don't want him all over our crime scene..."said Sissy...

I stood with Sepia and Kimmy and watched as the cold and stiff body of the man, who looked to be in his early 60's was put in a body bag and put on a stretcher and carted off..

It was becoming a normal sight in my life...

II-

 Just then, Detective Sgt Sam Smith....a good friend of all of us walked up..

"Hey Sissy, Rico, Carlotta, Jimmy, Duke,Angie, Sirena, Hop, Hazel....Did I miss anybody? Oh yeah, Hello Kevin and the missus and little cutie pie...Can I see the body?" he asked..

 ''Sam,Don't tell me this is one of your missing persons?" said Sissy.

 "You know it is Siss, or he wouldn't be here.." said Tyriq,smiling..."Hey Sam" he said.

 "Hiiiiiiiiiiiiii Sam!" said Carlotta...

 ''We gotta stop meeting like this Sammy...People will talk." said Jimmy.

 "Hey Sam...This keeps up, you may have to join our unit..."said Duke..

 Angie giggled...

"I thought he was in our unit.."she said.

 "I did too.." said Sirena..

 Hop smiled...but said nothing..

"Hold it guys..."said Hazel, who unzippered the body bag...

Sam looked at the body....

"Yup, that's him.... Principal Daniel Crandal.....been missing for about a week...You guys found him in the playground huh?" said Sam Smith...

"Yes..."said Carlotta..

"That's funny, because that's the last place he was seen alive!" said Detective Sgt. Sam Smith.

They wheeled the body away....

The detectives began to talk...

Sepia, Kimmy and I headed for our car...

''Looks like Sissy and the guys have a big murder case..." I said.

Sepia looked at me..

"You don't wish to get involved? Not at all?" she said..

"I'm not a cop Sepia...I'm a Private Investigator....I work for paying customers...That's not my affair...and actually...I'm glad...Let's go home..."I said..

I didn't realize it...but within three weeks....I'd be drawn into this case....In a way I never imagined..

III-

THREE WEEKS LATER! 

 It was the day after Christmas....We had had a great holiday....Gifts exchanged at home.. and after that a huge dinner with all of our friends at the new social hall, Chris and Chess had purchased...With Food catered by Mabel Jenkins and her staff at the Soul food Joint and Ralph Scallion and the staff at Bottom of the C..Plenty of Food ,Plenty of Good Cheer...We looked forward to New Years Eve and the big gala at Josie's Bar and Grill...Gus told me he had 10 D.J.'s spinning and a new band playing at the intermission....plus half off drinks...Everybody was going to be there..

Sepia and I were at her empty office...of The UNITY Group, Realtors, Home Sales,Rentals...Storage..Condos, Lofts and Apartments....

"This is a beautiful office Sepia...Where is everybody?" I asked.

 ''They're off....It's the day after Christmas..Clerow is home with Cora Beth and the children and Owen and his wife are together...and Bonita and Robert took a day trip out of town...

I just came by here to pick up a few things..." she said..

I was checking her out...She was saying a taste in her tight jeans...

"If you stare at me any harder your eyes are going to get locked in place..." she said...

 I pulled her to me...

"Can I help it if I'm an admirer of beauty?" I asked.. I unbuckled her jeans...

 "You are so nasty...Do you think of anything else when you're alone with me?" she asked....laughing..

 ''Of course I do..."I said laughing...

We started kissing.....Sepia unzippered my trousers and ran her soft fingers inside my boxers....

"Ummmmmmmmmmmmm...I don't think you are." she said softly in between soft slow kisses..

 We continued kissing passionately.....

"Hold that thought playa...." said Sepia , who broke our embrace and walked over to the door and locked it ...Then she turned down the Suite Lights...

"Don't want anybody thinking we are here and surprising us.."she said softly...

We continued kissing softly, slowly, passionately... Sepia shimmied out of those tight jeans and took her top off...

I unhooked her bra...

She slipped out of her panties and I lifted her up...

I entered her slowly....She was good and wet....smelled like a new born baby....with skin so soft...

I was losing my mind...

"Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Lover, ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu you feel soooo good!" she moaned..

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu, so do you!  So do youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!" I moaned in kind...

Soon we were on one of the couches making sweet love...

THREE TO FOUR HOURS seemed to drift by aimlessly......

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu Kevin....Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu...Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh my goddd!" she moaned..

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh girllllllllllllllll!" I moaned...

Sepia began to cum so hard, tears were just flowing down the side of her face like a stream....and I was now cumming hard myself....

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!" I moaned...

Eventually, we got up and got dressed....

"I like being married to you." I said..

''I see...I'm glad you do....I like being married to you too.."said Sepia...

We kissed again...

Sepia checked her watch....

"It's almost 3:30 pm...Wanna go get a Pizza?" she said..

"Sounds Good to me.." I said as we headed out..

IV-

Kimmy was with Eva Corona for the day.....

So we held hands and walked down the street....It was there that we ran into our good friend, Bonnie Shay..

"Heyyyyyyyyyyyy Kevin, Sepia...Happy Holidays..." she said...

"Heyyy Bonnie Girl, Where is Hubby?" asked Sepia...

"Home....It's a boys club over there...He's got Chance Howard, Cole and Ray over there, watching football..."said Bonnie..

''Awwwwwww, you want to hang with us?  We are going to get some Pizza?" said Sepia..

"Yeah, come on hang with us..."I said..

"I actually came out to clear my head...I could use your help Kevin...."said Bonnie..

''Oh yeah...Well let's go get some Pizza and talk about it.."I said.

The three of us walked over to a local Pizzeria and ordered a large Pizza

with Pepperoni's and some Cokes..

Sepia smiled at Bonnie..

''Feel better now Bon-Bon.?" she asked.

"What's Up?" I asked...

To tell the truth,I was eager to get involved in a lightweight case....after so many weeks of nothing..

"One of My Co-Workers has vanished into thin air and frankly....I'm worried." said Bonnie..

''An Attorney?" I asked.

''Yes...He's like me, an Attorney and Insurance Investigator...His name is Yogan Slyde..." she said..

''Yogan Slyde...Wow, that's one hell of a name..Not one you forget anytime soon."I said.

"I'll say."said Sepia..

"I don't know if you know about this...but three weeks ago a body was found outside of the playground....A man named Crandle, Daniel Crandle...He was the Principal of the local school!" said Bonnie..

''Yeah, Three weeks ago....Sepia and I were there..We saw the body....Sissy and her detectives were on it...I forgot all about that case...."I said.

"If Sissy and her detectives were still on it...It might have been solved by now..."said Bonnie..

''What Happened?" I asked.

"This Guy, Lieutenant Tragg

went to some big wig, The Deputy Of Operations, crying about the homicide was in his jurisdiction and he was tired of Sissy Van Buren and her Detectives riding rough shod over him....The Deputy Of Operations asked them to work together...Sissy said he could have the case...And so they gave it to him...

''Which explains why it's still not solved.." I said.

''Kevin Stop it!"said Sepia, laughing...

"I talked to Hazel....Hazel said the cause of death was poisoning...He was given a drug that made his heart stop...sent him into cardiac arrest...and whoever killed him kept him in some place where his body was kept very cold...I suppose to keep time of death from being established.."said Bonnie..

''So what does this have to do with your co-worker?" I asked.

''Mr. Crandle was the "Love of His Life" he said... They were lovers for close to 20 years....and then they broke up and went their seperate ways...Neither one of them ever found another one quite like the other who complimented them."said Bonnie..

"Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!" said Sepia..

''I know a detective, Sgt. Sam Smith, Missing Persons..He's really good.."I said.

"I've worked with him a few times.." I said.

"I spoke with him...He despises Lt. Tragg so much that he didn't want to get involved...He didn't like the fact that Lt. Tragg went to the Deputy of Operations and got Sissy and her detectives taken off of the case...I don't have time to deal with police politics.  Lt. Tragg seems like a butthead."said Bonnie.

I understood... It was easier for Sissy when Lt. Tragg was on a boat ,out at sea...

''Yeah that seems to be the growing opinion when it comes to Lt. Tragg...I know that Sissy and her team would have gotten to the bottom of this by now..

Lt. Tragg couldn't crack a case if the suspect confessed."I said.

''Kevin stopppppppppppppp!"said Sepia, laughing again...

Bonnie laughed too....and continued..

"Yogen was just sick about his friend being murdered...He and I both went to Lt. Tragg and offered our assistance in the investigation...He just blew us off and said he was in charge of the case and he'd crack it...and that he didn't need any outside help..." said Bonnie..

"And it's been three weeks and nothing.." I said.

I knew that Sissy and her detectives would have cracked this in about 72hours....She let Lt. Tragg have this case without a fight because it was so minor...or at least it appeared to be and she wanted her detectives free for the Christmas Holidays...Which they were...

"Yogen couldn't let this go...He had no faith in the police solving this case...Especially if Lieutenant Tragg was in charge...He started doing an investigation himself.. He found out that Daniel Crandle was using a Gay dating site called "Humpin Around" and had accepted a date with an unknown  man...They met at the playground....and that was the last place Crandle was seen alive...Yogen went on the site ,posing as a potential date...He made contact, went out about two days after Crandle's body was found and hasn't been to work, hasn't been seen or answered his phone yet...I told him not to do it ,when he told me he was going to do it...He didn't listen..."said Bonnie..

"It's been three weeks...That is suspicious...Okay...Tomorrow, we'll begin our search...See if we can get to the bottom of this." I said..

"Thank You Kevin.."said Bonnie..

She passed me an envelope...I passed it back..

"Your money is no good with me..Keep it.. Merry Christmas Bon-Bon.."I said..

''You're family, girl.."said Sepia, who hugged her..

"Thanks guys...."said Bonnie..

We had some more pizza....

Here I was involved in another case....Well,it was what I wanted wasn't it?


(TO BE CONTINUED)