The Kiss Of Death

Arthur Trout sat in the interrogation room at Police Headquarters....He had been there for three hours..He downed a second cup of coffee and stared Lieutenant Tragg in the face..

"Look Tragg...I'm not some kid or some hardened criminal you got in the box...You know I'm an Attorney and All I'm gonna tell you is what I told you before...I didn't do it..I didn't kill Micheal Stratton." said Arthur Trout..

"Look, make it easy on yourself...I got you cold...and you know it!" said Lieutenant Tragg...

"I got no more to say to you...You'll speak to my Attorneys..." said Arthur Trout...

"Listen, everybody knows you hated the guy...several people told me...He tried to make a play for your girl...He was supposed to be at an important meeting and he blew you off...You dispised him, now come on..You know you want to confess...You know you want to get this off your chest.."said Lieutenant Tragg..

Arthur Trout looked at him...and laughed.....

"LAWYER!" was all he would say...

"NOW LOOK!!" said a now angry and seemingly desperate Lt. Tragg..

"He asked for his lawyer twice Lieutenant and you keep questioning him..Correct me if I'm wrong...but once a man asks for his attorney ,isn't that the end of any interview?? Plus ,he does have a right to remain silent!" said Olivia softly...

I was standing behind her....

Beverly was yawning...So was Nelson...

 "Arthur, it's too late at night for you to be getting in trouble.." said Beverly, trying to bring a little lightness to the subject matter..

Nelson smiled weakly..
"Hey Art..." he said..

"Thanks for coming guys....I'll tell you like I told him...I didn't kill Mike Stratton." said Arthur Trout...

"I believe you did.."said Lt. Tragg.

II-

"They were all at the Olde City Sheraton....The Wedding party

was having their final rehearsal....Things were breaking up , when you came rushing in...

''Stratton, it's one thing to blow me off...but you blew off my two good friends, Olivia Bennett-Alexander and Beverly West....They were doing you a favor

''They were doing you a favor...and you didn't have the courtesy to show up..." said an angry Arthur Trout..

''I had a court appointment and some important business to take care of..and besides...We worked out a deal..I face timed Olivia and Beverly.....Kathy was there with them..

"Yes Arthur...I was...We worked it out...Thank you for your help...I'll see that you get paid...There wasn't any time to call you.." said States Attorney Peters, who walked away...Called by one of the Bridesmaids..

''You're still pissed about your white girl...I didn't know you were that into her..Sorry..but she was kinda checkin me out..."said Micheal..

"Yeah...Everybody is just bowled over by you....Stratton, you're going to get yours one day...I swear..." said Arthur Trout..

"Okay,maybe I will...We are done here..."said Micheal Stratton..who walked away...

''Everything alright baby?"asked States Attorney Peters...

''Yeah, Everything is just fine...Like you...Come here...Give Daddy some Sugar?"said Micheal Stratton..

''Mikkkkkkkkkkkeyyyyyyyyyy..In front of everybody?/ You're not even supposed to be here...You know it's bad luck for the groom to see the bride a week before the wedding?" said Kathryn...

"I don't believe in that old silly tradition...Come here...give me some damn sugar..." he said..

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuu Mikeyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.." she giggled...

The two kissed each other passionately for a few minutes in the corner...

''Mikey!!!! You've got an erection!" she whispered..

''Damn sure do...Wanna see it?" he giggled. 

"You are soooo nasty!" she said...

Shortly afterword....Micheal Stratton began to go into convulsions and he fell to the ground...

"Oh My God...Oh My God...Micheal...what's wrong?/ What's Wrong??" shouted States Attorney Peters...

"My allergies...Something set me off...Get my epi pin...arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" he moaned..

''Where is it? Where is it?" asked Kathryn Peters....

''In my briefcase....Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"he moaned..

Someone gave him a shot from his epi pin...His eyes rolled into the back of his head..He shook furiously, his head turned from side to side and then..he didn't move any more...He was dead..." said Lt. Tragg..

He smiled....

"That's a fantastic story...I felt like I was there!!!You tell a story good Lieutenant, you know, you really do have a future in broadcasting.."said Beverly...

Lt. Tragg looked at her and smirked...He knew she was being sarcastic..

''What I want to know is why is my client here ? How come States Attorney Peters is not here?"Not to throw anybody under the bus."said Olivia..

"You're not serious Liv...Me? Arrest States Attorney Peters for the murder of her fiance? yeah right!"said Lt. Tragg..

"Do you know if he was even murdered?" I asked..

"Oh Yes...See Mr. Stratton is a vegan, eats a strictly regimented diet..Is highly allergic to Walnut Oil...

The walnut oil was in States Attorney Peters Lipstick..Guess who purchased it? Your client..She didn't even know!" said Lt. Tragg..

''She gave me money a day ago and told me to purchase some lipstick for her...I didn't know what it had in it and I didn't know about his allergies..."protested Arthur Trout..

''The epi pin in his briefcase was filled with...Wait for it...Walnut oil...which is why a second dosage killed him...and guess where we found his actual epi pin??

In your briefcase counselor!!!" said Lt. Tragg....

''Somebody placed that there...I never saw that epi pin in my life...I'm being set up.."said Arthur Trout..

"By who? and why?" asked Lt. Tragg...Laughing and shaking his head!

"Are you going to charge my client? This is all circumstantial... If Not, we are walking out of here.."said Olivia, who was tired..

''Sorry Liv, you may be walking out of here, but not with him!..On your feet counselor...''said Lt. Tragg...

An Officer walked in....and handcuffed Arthur Trout..

He read him his rights...

"Book him, Murder one.."said Lt. Tragg...

''Hang tight..We'll be here tomorrow morning with bail money.." said Olivia..

"Liv, I didn't do this...You know me...I'm no killer....I didn't like the man, but I didn't kill him...I swear.."said Arthur Trout..as he was walked out..

''We know you didn't..."said Beverly..."Just hang tight and say nothing else...but you know that.."said Beverly as he was walked away...

"Good Night folks..."said Lt. Tragg...Smiling broadly!

I yawned...I tossed the keys to Nelson..

''Can you drive us back?  I'm beat.."I said.

''Yeah, I got this .."said Nelson..

He and Beverly sat up front...Beverly leaned her head on his shoulders...

Olivia and I sat in the back...She leaned her head on my shoulders and was soon asleep..

 We were both knocked out as was Beverly, within minutes...Nelson rolled the windows down so the wind would blow on him..and he turned the radio up loud...He got us home safely...

When we got home, the four of us were exhausted....

Nelson called his job and called out....

Olivia called Josie

and told her she could come in two hours late tomorrow and She and I

went straight to bed and to sleep...as did Beverly and Nelson..

III-

Several Hours later...Olivia, Beverly,Nelson,Josie,Samantha and I met Arthur at the gates of CFC...The correctional facility better known as the city jail..

 ''Hi Arthur, we had no problem getting a judge to set bail..."said Olivia..

 ''You're a respected attorney with no priors...The judge actually believes that you aren't a flight risk!"laughed Beverly...

 ''Don't mind her...We were lucky to get reasonable bail..."said Nelson...

 "Someone's here to see you Arthur..." said Josie..

 ''Heyy baby." said Samantha..

"Smile man, she paid your bail.."I said..

''Thank you Mandy.."said Arthur Trout..who grabbed her and kissed her passionately...

"Ummmmmmm girl, I'm glad to see you.." he moaned..

"I'm glad to see you too."said Mandy in between hot smouldering kisses..."Liv, Beverly, Donnie Ray,Nelson and Josie...Thank you so much!" said Mandy...

"Just doing our jobs." said Olivia..

"Never thought you'd be our client did you Arthur..?" said Beverly,smiling...

"No I didn't...but I always knew if I ever got in trouble...You two are the ones I'd want by my side.."said Arthur..

''We are going to get you out of this.."said Olivia.

"I'll help in any way I can.."said Samantha...

"Good...The more eyes the better...I'm going to have to go through Mr. Stratton's life with a fine tuned comb..." I said..

"Liv, Bev, you guys hiring me?" asked Nelson..

"You want this job?" asked Olivia..

"You know he does Auntay...He wants to be with me...That's all."said Beverly...

''Then you're hired..."said Olivia...

Nelson smiled..

"Josie, get some coffee brewing...We've got our work cut out for us.." I said..

"I'm on it.."said Josie...

IV-

Back at home...

Olivia, Beverly and Nelson were attorneys , who would begin to work on the legal aspects of the case,with help from Josie, our para-legal...

But my area of expertise was the streets...I felt like a homicide detective back in New Orleans...Running down leads, exploring someone's life and motives...

I had to tear down Mike Stratton's life...recreate his final day and look at all of the people in his orbit...Just like I was investigating a homicide in New Orleans...Only I was in Philadelphia...I was no longer a cop, No longer had powers of arrest or back up for that matter..

All I had was my wits and resourcefullness and my licensed .38 smokeless, which I rarely if ever had to use..

Other than that...I was alone out on these streets...I liked it that way...

Arthur and Samantha were standing in the doorway of his Apartment complex...

They were kissing passionately....

''Ummmmmmmmmmmmmm....girl, I missed you sooo much..."moaned Arthur..

Samantha unzippered his trousers, they dropped to the ground...he continued kissing her...His boxers stood out like a circus tent...

''Ouuuuuuuuuuuuu..Oh my god!  I see.." she exclaimed..

''Arthur let's go inside...We are all out here in the hallway.." she said..

"Ummmmmmmmmmph..." he moaned...

They continued kissing and stepped inside his apartment and slammed the door.....She fondled his engorged penis...

''My goodness...Arthurrrr...ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.." she moaned..

Within minutes they were in bed, making sweet love...

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu thank you baby, for everything.." he moaned...

"You're welcome baby..." she whispered..

as the bed squeaked out of control and the headboard rattled...

They deserved their afternoon together...Meanwhile...My investigation was just beginning...

(TO BE CONTINUED)