The Woman in The Wall

They say great minds think alike..

and I believe they do.... In the basement headquarters of Morris Communications at my agency, Morris Investigations...

The hard work my guys did scraping and cross referencing Street and Traffic cameras paid off...

Using the GPS tracking system of Lamecia Womack's phone...They followed her car from her apartment complex across the Be Franklin bridge to Camden, New Jersey...

"We found her car Kevin...That's it and it's following the same path her phone is laying out..."said one of my investigators..

"I wish we could zero in on the face, but I'm certain Lamecia is not driving.."I said..

''She could already be dead.." said Lockpick Johnson..

A grim but true fact...

 My wife Sepia

and Bonnie Shay were fast asleep on sectional couches nearby...I covered both of them with a blanket and took their sandals off...

My administrative staff was long gone...

It was just Me, Peeping Tom, Lockpick Johnson and my five new investigators...

"Look Kevin, We've caught the car coming back to Philly..."said one investigator excitedly....

"He's parking the car in front of her apartment..."said another one...

"And Kevin look at this!" said Lockpick Johnson...

Getting out of the car, Lamecia's car ,dressed in a Black turtle neck and black slacks and black shoes was Brad Ruland...

We got him!!! We had a nice photo of him getting out of her car and walking right across the street, getting in another car....

A Black Nissann Altima...

 ''We got him...He lied about not seeing her and he has no business being in her car and driving to Camden...We got him..This proves he murdered Lamecia.."I said jubilant...

"More good news Kevin...That car's license plate is from a rental car place and we checked...It's rented to Brad Ruland...And here is where it get's interesting..

We clocked that same rental in back of his business -"The House of Pure Joy" on the night that Mindy Reagon vanished...There it is following her Uber..."said Peeping Tom...

Now look...

 There is her Uber in the alleyway....There is the driver going inside...and then!!! "said another investigator..

"Then what?" I said..

"Somebody DISABLED the street cam..."said another investigator...

But we have that car speeding down the street, just minutes later.....

And look, we have that same car returning to his business....and look..."said another investigator..

"He's taking something out of the trunk....That's a mighty big bag..."said Sepia, who had awakened...

"That's a body...That's Mindy Reagon.."said Bonnie...

"Look at this guy...He's taking Dry wall, paint and a saw out of that truck across from him...I can't believe he's this sloppy.."I said..

''We got him...We got him for killing Mindy.."said Bonnie..

''We got him for killing Lamecia too! Though it's sketchy....Time to call Sissy.."I said..

"Looks like she's calling you boss.."said Lockpick Johnson...

II-

We weren't the only ones up tonight... Sissy and her dedicated detectives, Carlotta Rodriugez-Wallace, Tyriq Pile, Jimmy Barlow, Sirena Pile, Tony Hopkins,Duke Baylor and Angie Belton-Barlow aided by Deputy FBI special Agent in charge, Sharon Hopkins

were busy scraping Traffic and Street Cam footage in both Camden and Philadelphia

 and coming to the same conclusions...

The Ben Franklin Bridge....So beautiful at night..

"We found her car Siss...That's it and it's following the same path her phone is laying out.." said Jimmy, Hop and Sharon, who had been following the GPS path like we had and who had caught the car...

 "The Camden PD gave us some additional footage.." said Carlotta..

"Yeah look at this...It's kind of grainy...but look...That's our boy dumping what looks like a body into the river...The Camden Riverfront.."said Tyriq..

I didn't have that footage..

 "And this is where it gets cute.."said Sirena...

We tracked the car, Lamecia's car coming back across the bridge..." she said..

''And parking in front of her apartment complex"said Angie..

They all looked with incredulousness...

"Is this guy that stupid?  That's him getting out of the car and crossing the street to get in that rental..."said Duke..

"We pulled prints off of that car that didn't match the victim....Wanna bet they are his?" asked Sissy..

"You guys got him....That's enough to swear out a warrant for Murder one...Let me call Judge Stevens, He can email the warrant to me.."said ADA Keith Wallace...

"I think I need to call Kevin..."said Sissy...




III-

Clerow ,Owen Todd and Sean Jackson sat in a car outside of The House Of Pure Joy...They called me and let me know that Brad Ruland was inside...

"You uh might want to wait boss."said Clerow,laughing..

"He's uh got company of the female kind.." laughed Owen Todd..

"She's a stunner.."said Sean Jackson ,who was laughing..

"You guys are having too much fun.."I said..

 Walter "Kool Kat " Jones sat next to me...

"You know Kev, I always say you take me to the nicest places....but THIS place...I like.."said Kool Kat..

As we pulled up in front of the House Of Pure Joy...

I looked in the window....There was one cashier working...We entered..

Kool Kat was carrying a crowbar....

I walked up to the cashier...

"Is your manager here?" I asked..

She  grimaced...

"He's busy.."she said..

 "Tell him to get un busy..." said Kool Kat menacingly...

 She looked nervous...

"You're alright baby...This is not a robbery...and we are not here to see you...We want to see him...Tell him to get out here.."I said..

She did as she was told...

Brad Ruland came out...He saw me and he grabbed his phone.. He was busy fixing his trousers..and buttoning his shirt..

A young woman ran out with just her skirt on...She was struggling to snap her bra in place...She had her shoes in her hands and her blouse...Her hair was a mess and her lipstick was smeared... She feverishly put her shoes on and then her blouse....She then hastily ran out the door!

Brad Ruland was beyond furious....

"I'm calling my lawyer...I told you not to come back!!!.." he said.

 "You're going to need a lawyer!!!...You murdered Mindy Reagon and You Murdered Lamecia Womack you bastard.."I screamed..

"You can't prove a thing..." he snarled..

 Bonnie Shay and my wife Sepia were down the street...They dialed the number I gave them...

A loud Beeping noise began to sound..

BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!!!  BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!

BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!   BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!\\

It was coming from the back wall..

"Mr. Jones...Will you do the honors?" I said..

Kool Kat smiled..

"WITH  PLEASURE!!!!" he said..He walked to where the sound was coming from and took his crowbar and began smashing the wall..

"HEYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY WHAT ARE YOU DOING?? I'M GONNA SUE YOUR ASS! YOU'VE LOST YOUR MIND!! STOPPP!" screamed Brad, but it was too late...

A plastic bag carrying the now mummified remains of Mindy Reagon fell out of the wall...

The Cashier screamed and ran out of the store...upon seeing the dead body falling out of the wall...

"ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Mindy was still wearing the Gold Smartwatch and it was beeping like crazy...

"BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!   BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!
BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!  

"You son of a bitch...You killed her and buried her in the wall!!....She was here all along!!!..."I said..

He pulled out a .44 Mag...

"Neither of you will live to talk about this..." he snarled..

"DROP IT RULAND....IT'S ALL OVER!!"came the voice of Sissy Van Buren...

He turned...

Sissy, Carlotta,Tyriq,Jimmy,Sirena,Hop, Duke, Angie and a squad of armed Tactical squad officers invaded the lingerie store..

"He killed her too Siss...I have proof...Plus I found the body buried in the wall.."I said..

Hazel unzipped the bag...The smell was deafening...

''Whoooo....She's been dead for close to a month....Looks like she was shot in the back of the head with a 44....Oh My God!" she said..

I took his gun and passed it to an officer who bagged and tagged it...

"Probably this weapon.." I said..

Keith Wallace walked in...

"Wow....Two murders huh? " was all he could say....

I watched solemnly as they wheeled Mindy's corpse out....We'd never met....but I felt like she had been with me, almost guiding me.....I certainly felt that Lamecia was guiding me...I was glad I was able to get justice for both of them..

"Kevin...Thank you once again...."said Sissy...

"Thank You guys..." I said..

They handcuffed Brad Ruland and marched him out.....

Kool Kat was talking to the Cashier ,who had come back when she saw the police go in..

"So look baby...Your boss is on his way to jail and uh I know you don't  you want to work here now that all this has happened...How bout I just take a couple of these panties and bras?...My wife would look good in these..I mean..This place is closed right?" he said..

She smiled..

"Youse a trip. Knock yourself out... I'm taking a few things myself..How do you think I'd look in these?"she said..and displayed a pair of purple sheer panties and a matching bra..

"Ouuuuuuuuuu you know purple looks good on your skin and those panties are so sheer...Hey we got time, you want to model them for me?" asked Kool Kat...

"Nice Try playa...Didn't you say you're married?" asked the cashier..

Kool Kat shrugged..."I had to try.." he said..

The cashier laughed....

"You almost had me too..I was almost getting ready to do it.." she said..

"Yeah?" said Kool Kat..

"Yeah, I was..." she said softly...

"Girrrrrrrrrrrl hush yo mouth.."laughed Kool Kat.

I looked at both of them and just shook my head...

EPILOUGE-

Brad Ruland was convicted of two counts of First Degree Murder and sentenced to two life sentences..with no chance for parole...

Sepia and I and Bonnie Shay met with Bridget Jones at the fashionable Bistro we had had lunch with Lamecia in the last time we saw her alive...

 "Kevin!  I love this place..."said My wife Sepia..

 "Lamecia brought Bonnie and Me here...On the Last day we saw her alive." I said.

"Yeah, I almost feel her presence in here.."said Bonnie..

"Kevin, Bonnie ,I can't thank you enough for at least finding out what happened to Mindy Reagon...I'm truly sorry about your friend Lamecia..  At least you put that crumb Brad behind bars.."said Bridget...

''So what happens to her company now?" I asked.

"I purchased all of her inventory last week.....That location is closed...I rehired all of her cashiers They're working in both of my stores now..."said Bridget...

"That makes you Queen of Panties!"I joked..

"I think you just like saying that."laughed Bridget...

''Yes.." laughed Sepia as our second round of drinks arrived..

We each took a glass..

"Let's make a toast....To Lamecia.." said Bonnie..

"May she rest in peace and thanks for breaking this case wide open..." I said..

And somewhere in the great beyond...Lamecia and Mindy smiled at each other and walked into the light..

FOR SLC