An Unraveling Spool

It was Saturday, The end of a particularly long week....Sepia and I

were at our favorite brunch spot with some of our favorite people,

 Attorney Olivia Bennett-Alexander, Her Husband and fellow Private Investigator, Donnie Ray Alexander,

 her Niece, Attorney Beverly West-East and her husband, Attorney Nelson East.

Their Para-legal and my adopted daughter, Ms. Josie Boyd..

 It was nice to see Josie again, after so many weeks.

..and Liv and Bev's cousin, who I was currently working for, Attorney Kayla Bennett...

Sepia thought it was a particularly good idea for one reason because she and Olivia had been talking about hanging out for the longest....And no time was better than the present and two, Kayla needed a little cheering up after the time she had been having...Tossed in Jail for contempt of court, then defending and getting an acquittal for the very Judge who had tossed her in jail, only to find out he was actually guilty of the crime...and then nearly falling for Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Richardson, only to have him arrested and charged with murder...A naked prostitute was found dead in his hotel bed...She had drank a beer that had been laced with Cyanide..His finger prints were all over the bottle....

"Cheer up Kayla...Enjoy this good food, like your cousin, who's about to fall asleep over there.."joked Sepia..

Olivia laughed...

"I sure am....Girl,I'm full...I need to get back to the gym...Some Swimming, Some Kick boxing...Remember when you and I used to do that every Saturday Sepia , when I first moved around here ?" asked Olivia..

''Girrrl yes...I need to start back again...I could if somebody would leave me alone on Saturday Morning.."she said giving me the side eye...

''Who? Me?" I laughed..

Josie ,who was quietly eating...Smiled and laughed to herself.

"Yeah You Kevin...My husband is the same way...And don't let it rain on a Saturday Morning...I can't make it out the house.." said Olivia, laughing and playfully swatting Donnie Ray...

"Kevin, If you're smart you'll plead the fifth.."laughed Donnie Ray...

Beverly was surprisingly quiet....She sat in Nelson's lap and playfully fed him his breakfast...

Nelson was as happy as a lark...

"They're so cute....Newlyweds.." said Sepia..

"I know.." laughed Olivia...

"See that's what I want...What you guys have...I want a guy that looks at me with pure love the way Kevin looks at Ms. Sepia, the way Uncle Donnie Ray looks at Cousin Olivia and the way Nelson looks at Bev.." said Kayla..

''Ray loves you Kayla.."said Beverly..

"Of course he does...He's just a workaholic that's all.."added Josie...

''Yeah Jo, that's the problem...He's always gone and he's so cool...I mean I think he likes me...but I'm never sure if he LOVES me fiercely like you guys are in love.."said Kayla..

"Is that what's really bothering you Kayla?" asked Olivia..

Kayla sighed...

"It's part of it...I just had a lousy couple of weeks.."she said.

"You won your case.."said Beverly...

"I did but I let a guilty man go...And thing is...I know he was guilty...Just a month ago, I went out with him for drinks...He became very touchy feely and even snuck a kiss...I got up right then and there and left...He begged me to go back to his apartment...His cool out spot ,he called it...If I had of...he'd of roofied my drink like he did that girl and I'd of woke up naked and raped...That's why he held me in contempt and tossed me in jail....because he was still mad a month later that I didn't give him none..." said Kayla..

''I heard he got arrested the same night he tossed you in the cooler." said Nelson..

"It's like I say...Karma is a bitch.."I said..

"I never liked Slappy Sanderson...He is a pig....He used to pinch my butt ,when I was a young attorney..."said Olivia..

"Ummm I can't fault him for that..."joked Donnie Ray..

"Oh Hush up Freshie.."said Olivia.

"He's Asked me out for drinks before... I took Josie with me and we both left together...I had already heard he was a snake.."said Beverly...

 ''Yeah,I remember when he asked you out for drinks.."said Josie.

''So you're representing Tony Richardson now huh Kayla?" asked Sepia..

"Yeah, he swears he never saw that woman in his room before and he said that he never asked for any girl from any escort service.."said Kayla..

"His credit card was used...Somebody must have cloned his number somehow and ordered the girl...Same person that drugged her..and murdered her."I said.

"I really believe he's innocent.."said Kayla..

''So is he out of jail?" asked Sepia.

''We bailed him out yesterday...I told him to sit tight.."I said..

''Wowww My Little Cousin has hit the big time...Major case...Defending a Judge, Now An Assistant U.S. Attorney.."said Olivia..

"You go girl!" said Beverly smiling..

"I saw on the news last night that his wife arrived in town and was with him.."said Nelson..

''HIS WIFE??He's married??" asked Kayla...

"Yes, You didn't know that? Ahhh, you didn't and he's not one to offer that information up.Especially not to a pretty lady!" I said..

 "Oh Kayla, you didn't...."asked Olivia.

"Oh Kayla..."said Beverly...

"Nooooo, I didn't sleep with him, but he was saying some really nice and sweet things to me and I uh did find him kind of attractive and I almost went to his hotel room with him...BUT I DIDN'T...Lieutenant Tragg and his men arrested him just as we were leaving Minks." said Kayla..

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuu he took you to Mink's" said Sepia,Olivia , Beverly and Josie in Unison...

Donnie Ray looked at me..

"Women!" he said..

"I know right?" I said..

Nelson chuckled...

"No you guys are right...He's a skunk too...Not much better than Slappy Sanderson...He just hides his odor better.." said Kayla.....

We continued to enjoy our brunch!



II-

I decided to do a little more digging into this case...

So I went back to my office....It being Saturday...It was closed for the most part...Only a few essential people were working...

In the sub-basement at Morris Investigations...the scene was different...

"What's this, a boys club?" I asked as I entered the room...In addition to Peeping Tom and Lockpick John son who I swear were living here...Sean Jackson, Clerow and Owen Todd were also hanging out ,along with my five new investigators...They had Hoagies and chips spread out on a large table and sodas...

''Heyyyyyyyy boss man, this is where we guys come to hang out on Saturdays...We watch the game on these big monitors, talk , we are away from the woman folk for awhile.." said Sean..

"Sheila and Cora Beth are at the hair dressers and Owen's wife is at the spa...So is Lockpick's girl..." said Clerow..

"I didn't know you had a girl.." I said to Lockpick Johnson...

We all busted out in laughter...

''Well guys...I got some work for you to do." I said and showed them a glossy of the dead hooker found in Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Richardson's room...

Within an hour...My guys got me the info I needed...

Apparently he hadn't been completely honest with us...He had contacted this escort service a week before when he arrived in Philadelphia and has asked for this girl, Marsha Cahill by name...She had spent a night with him when he first arrived...But that was a week before...Which was where the agency got his credit card number.

Of course this agency doesn't give out numbers like that to just anybody, so somebody hacked into their system and retrieved it...

It didn't take us long to find out who had done it...a Harry Ackerman, probably not his real name...The agency received a call from what turned out to be a burner phone a week later requesting this girl...

She was instructed to go to his room and wait for him... Only he wasn't there...

By hacking into Street and Traffic Cam, we tracked his movements...He was at breakfast, then Court,practically all day, Took

Kayla to lunch , was at a meeting in the federal Building, back in court....with Kayla and I

and then out for drinks with Kayla......

We hacked into the camera footage from the Hotel he was staying in...A dark shadowy figure walked in and walked up to Richardson's suite...

This man, This Harry Ackerman was able to get into his room...

"Now look Kevin" said Sean Jackson.."There's the hooker...going up and knocking on his door.." he said..

"Only it's Ackerman in the room..."said Peeping Tom.

"She goes in and never comes out...but there he is ,leaving sometime later down the back steps...I guess he offered her that Cyanide laced beer..she died and he stripped her nude and placed her in the bed.."I said..

"Got a copy of the police report.."said one investigator..

'How did you do that?" I asked.

"We hacked into their system...It's quite primitive as systems go." he said.

Peeping Tom smiled.. His five guys and he himself were all once CIA and KGB operatives..Now retired ,they viewed my little agency as a way to keep their skills sharp and make money..Easy money..

"What does the report say? I swear you guys scare me.." I said.

"Cops found only Richardson's and the girls prints and DNA , no one else..Ackerman probably wore latex gloves and bleached the place down...He's good ,almost like one of us.." said another one of my men...

"Got an address for him?" I asked...

"Yeah, he's staying at this dump here...." said another guy who gave me an  address...

'Who is paying him?" I asked..

"Well first off, his name isn't really Ackerman...His name is Neil Monroe, he's an ex Marine, was a police officer in Denver,Colorado and like you , a P.I. He has an off shore account in the Cayman Islands and he's been getting payments from this cool cat..." said another man...

"Hmmmm, he's worth looking into too, but later..."

"Kevin, you might want to look at this.."said Peeping Tom...

It was a photo of the young female lawyer,Helen Lockett ....and Harry Ackerman...

"That's the young lady who accused Judge Sanderson of assaulting her..."I said. "What's she doing with Ackerman?" I asked..

"Indeed...She got a huge payment wired to her bank account weeks before she went out with him...That's how she bought a new car...Which is fully paid for...Hard to purchase on Clerking salary..You Attorney, just out of law school...  " said one of my men.."We didn't notice it at first because we only looked at her main bank account, apparently she has two and they're both here in Philly...Look, she's got payoffs up the wazoo and from several different people...All on that committee that Sanderson and Richardson are on...She's in this up to her eyeballs."said Peeping Tom.

"The Judge for his part had been salivating over her for weeks...So she agreed to go out with him and back to his apartment.."said Clerow..

''We looked into her after the trial..She has set up a couple of Judges...The sex was consensual..He didn't roofie her drink...He is kind of kinky though but I don't think he dressed up like a cowboy..."laughed Owen Todd...

"So he actually was innocent...at least of sexual assault, That's why she waited a whole two weeks before reporting this to the police...She was told to..."I said.

"But who is paying for all of this? Why is it so important to frame these two guys? asked Sean Jackson..

"They're investigating the murder of a Federal Judge here in Philly last month...The Killer is in custody, but he claims he was paid...by some shadowy figure...and supplied with a gun... Popular opinion is the killer is a paranoid schizophrenic...but Richardson and Sanderson are hold outs, they want a further investigation."I said.

"So first they frame Sanderson and now Richardson to shut this thing down.."said Clerow.

''Exactly...It's time me and my friend Mr. Jones pay this Ackerman guy a visit.." I said.

III-

"I swear Kevin, you take me to the nicest places.." said Kool Kat, as we stood outside a cheap motel..

"They payin this cat to do all of these odd jobs and this is the best they can do?" he asked..."Don't seem like I'd want to work with them.."he said.

''When you think about it, what they or whoever is doing is brilliant...He's out of the way...He's behind the scenes..."I said.

"Yeah,literally..."laughed Kool Kat.

We went inside....Not surprisingly there was no Harry Ackerman or Neil Monroe registered to any room....but there was a Micheal Sanderson registered here..

"You know him?" asked Kool Kat...

"I do...and I know he's not here and probably never was here....You take the back....I'll take the front.." I said..

I grabbed the manager...

"You got a key to that room...?" I asked him..

"Yeah?" he said..

"Come on let's go." I said.

We walked up the stairs, just as we were entering the hallway.. The Man Known as Harry Ackerman aka as Neil Monroe was leaving the room...

"Mr. Ackerman I presume or are you Neil Monroe  today?" I said..

He looked incredulous...

''Who are you? How do you know my name..??" he said, Then he turned and dashed down the hallway..

Kool Kat was waiting for him and hit him with a football block that knocked him off his feet and knocked him out cold...

I smiled....but not for long..

"Hey look who's in his room....It's a woman and she's dead!!" said the manager...

Inside the room registered to Micheal Sanderson was the body of Helen Lockett, the young female attorney who was clerking for another judge and who was honey trapping and blackmailing a number of other Judges and Attorneys...

She was very, very dead!!! Apparently, she too had drank a beer ,laced with Cyanide...

I turned to the manager...

"Call the police...Ask for Lt. Sissy Van Buren, Criminal Investigation Division.." I said.

IV-

The Body of Helen Lockett was removed from the sleazy Hotel...

Dr. Hazel Baylor and her CSI team and Police Photographers took photos of the room...and dusted for prints.....

I spoke to Sissy and her guys...

"If you check...You'll see she was poisoned with the same high grade Cyanide that was used on the prostitute found in Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Richardson's room.." I said..

"This is the young lady that recently accused Judge Micheal Sanderson of drugging her and raping her.."said Sissy...

''So why would she be back here in his room?" asked Carlotta.

"This isn't his room...He has an apartment in a nicer part of time...Why would he bring her here?" said Kool Kat...

"I'm certain Judge Sanderson was never here....The Hotel Manager said this cool guy here registered as Sanderson..."I said pointing to the now handcuffed Harry Ackerman AKA as Neil Monroe...

"He murdered her to keep her mouth shut about what she had been paid to do..."I said and passed Tyriq and Duke  some files I had.

They both smiled at the photos..

 'She's been Honey Trapping and Blackmailing some pretty heavy hitters.." said Tyriq..

''And she seemed like such a sweet girl.." said Duke sarcastically...

I pulled out more files...

"These are street cam photos of Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Richardson on the day of the murder he's accused of...He was In court and with Attorney Kayla Bennett all day long , he wasn't in his hotel room...but here are camera photos of our guy right there in his hotel room and the dead hooker." I said..

"But his credit card was used to pay for her services." said Jimmy...

"This guy is good, Ex Marine, Ex Detective...Now a P.I... He hacked into the agency's system and got Richardson's credit card information...Richardson had been with the girl a week before.."I said..

''Wow, a nice little frame.."said Sirena..

"I'll say.."said Angie..

''So who is paying for this? Somebody reached out for this guy's services...He's obviously hired help.."said Hop

"That I don't know...I'm still looking into that...But Richardson told me that he and Sanderson are on a commission investigating the murder of a Federal Judge here last Month..and that he felt they were being framed because they wanted to further the investigation and not write it off as a lone gunman.." I said.

''What is your stake in all of this Kevin?"asked Sissy..

"I'm working for the Attorney who represented Sanderson Successfully and is now representing Tony Richardson...Kayla Bennett.."I said.

"Isn't she related to Olivia Bennett-Alexander?" asked Sissy..

"Her cousin."I said.

''A family of lawyers.."said Carlotta...

"Can I keep these files and photos Kevin?" asked Sissy..

''Sure I have copies at my office."I said.

''This makes our two murder cases against this guy...Okay guys let's book our silent friend on two counts of first degree murder and conspiracy....Call the Federal lock up and tell them to release Tony Richardson..."said Sissy...

"He was already released on bail...His wife came up this morning.."I said..

 "WIFE?? HE'S MARRIED?" said Angie..

 "THE WAY HE WAS SHAMELESSLY FLIRTING WITH ME LAST TIME HE WAS HERE?"said an angry Sirena..

''AYE MIOS DIOS, ME TOO...HE SLIPPED ME HIS NUMBER, TOLD ME TO CALL HIM...I THREW IT AWAY!!"said Carlotta...

"I TOLD HIM I WAS MARRIED AND HE TOLD ME HE WAS DISCREET...WHAT A DOG!"said Hazel...

 ''Well,looks like the cat is out of the bag."said Jimmy...

 "Yeah, how bout that..?" laughed Tyriq...

 "Pretty Boy has been exposed..." said Hop..

Duke just grinned..."Let's get this mope out of here..Thanks Kev.."

"Thanks again friend...We closed a murder easy and closed Lt. Tragg's murder for him...He won't be too happy, but who cares.?" said Sissy , who kissed me on the cheek....

Just as they were leaving, Lt. Tragg drove up...

"And speak of the devil.." I said.

 ''What's going on here?" he demanded..

''A murder Lieutenant...A young woman was poisoned in this room.." said Sissy...

''Poisoned?" he said.. He saw a suspect in handcuffs being taken out...

"He did it?" asked Lieutenant Tragg..

"That's what it looks like and...we have evidence to prove he also poisoned your dead hooker, found in Ast. US Attorney Tony Richardson's room yesterday...Kevin here captured him and called us..He's working for the Attorney who is defending Richardson."said Carlotta..

He sneered at me angrilly...

"Morris, you always seem to be around when there has been a murder.." he said..

''Which is more than I can say for you!....You're Welcome Lieutenant." I said.

 Sissy cracked up laughing...

"Cheer up Lieutenant Tragg ,you got a clearence....So do we..."said Carlotta smiling cheerfully...

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuu.." he said and stomped his foot...He got back in his car and sped off...

Sissy smiled..

"Thanks again Kevin." she said.

Kool Kat and I stood outside and watched them as they left...

''Well looks like you wrapped up another one huh?" said Kool Kat..

"No...Not even close...We know Little Ms. Lockett and Mr. Ackerman or Monroe, whatever his real name is were Honey trapping and blackmailing a number of people to buy their silence...Then they elevated the game to murder...Then she was shut up...but somebody paid Ackerman...and that is the key to this whole Mystery....So it's back to work for me.." I said.

V-

Juanita Richardson, the wife of Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Richardson and an Attorney herself smiled...

"Ohhhh baby, I'm so glad all the charges were dropped against you..." she said..

 ''So am I..I'm very relieved...They have the guy in custody who set me up and Judge Sanderson.." he said..

''So he really was innocent?"she asked..

''He really was innocent...At first we thought he was guilty, but it turns out , the girl who accused him was in league with the guy they caught today..They were blackmailing and setting up the other people, when the two of us wouldn't budge, they escalated it to murder..."he said.

"Oh My God, you're into something deep..." she said..

"That's why they pay me the big bucks....Now, enough about that...I'm ready to get into something deep....Your panties..." he said slyly...

''Ouuuuuuuuuuuuu, you are sooo nasty..." said Juanita Richardson...

She slipped her dress off....He slipped her panties down and off and unbuckled his trousers....

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuu lawwwwwwwwwd...I can see you've been missing me.." she said.

''Somebody has been missing meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.." she cooed..

"YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!! YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!" Tony yelled...

He took her in his arms and kissed her passionately.....

"YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS....I was so lonely,sleeping alone and horny as hell...."he said..

''Awwww that's why I came to Philly, to take care of you..."she said..

They ripped each other's clothes off hurriedly...

"Let's not talk Tony....Just take me...I need you.." she pleaded..As they stood in the middle of the floor naked, kissing and fondling each other to death...

"I need you...." he said...

"I need you inside of me NOWWWWW!" she said..

Within minutes they were both in bed...

making sweet passionate love...

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu Tony...Oh My god..."swooned Juanita..

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Juanita, you are driving me crazy...this is sooooooooooooo damn good.." he moaned..

SEVEN TO EIGHT HOURS OF UNBRIDLED PASSION SEEMED TO SLIP BY!

"Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Tony..Give it to me..Give it to me daddy..Give it to meeeee...Wooooooooooooooou... " she cooed...

''Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww lawd girl.." howled Tony Reynolds..

"You are showing off in this bed...Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu you are showing the hell off....GIVE IT TO ME, GIVE IT TO ME!!!!! GIVE IT TO ME STRONG!!! YESSSSSS!"

The massive bed was squeaking up a storm and the headboard was slamming hard against the wall..

VI-

 I met with Attorney Kayla Bennett later on that afternoon at the apartment she was sharing with Attorney Ray St. Jacques... He was presently out of town on business.

 "I heard that Tony was released from jail and all charges against him dropped." said Kayla.. who passed me a Corona...she already had one...

''Yeah and it looks like your boy Slappy Sanderson was innocent...He was so drunk that night that he didn't remember if he drugged her drink or not...The Cowboy suit and the photos....Lockett and Ackerman drugged him and dressed him up...He actually was innocent...and Tony was innocent too!" I said.

''You caught the guy who did all of this...Hooray.."said Kayla...

"You liked Tony huh?" I asked..

"I was starting to... I thought he was different...Turns out he was just as much a snake as Sanderson...I'm glad to be done with both of them...We did good too, We both got 150 large out of this...I got a nice commission....I'm thinking about buying a house..Tell your wife I'll be calling her soon.."said Kayla..

"I may need your help....I'll let you know later...but this isn't over..I need to know who was paying this guy and why..."I said..

"I'll help you ,but I don't want anything to do with Sanderson or Richardson..."said Kayla..

''Deal...By the way...When does Ray come back?"I asked.

"In a day or two...I suppose I don't have it so bad...At least he's not cheating on me, but you never know...Still ,now I can buy a house ..I won't be living or shacking with him anymore...If he wants me, he'll have to earn me.." said Kayla triumphantly...

"That's my girl." I said and hugged her as we both quaffed down our beers...

(CONCLUSION NEXT)