The Good Friend

There was political fallout from Lt. Tragg arresting Hector Lamas and falsely charging him with murder...A murder that was quickly proven to be the work of another man...The Latino community accused the police department of bias and a rush to judgement...  The Mayor and The new Police Commissioner, an African-American woman...a first, rushed to quell the fire... The NAACP, LA RAZA Unita, The Innocence Project and the ACLU all called for Lt. Tragg's head.....  The fact that he'd tried to get Hazel fired and had locked me up wasn't lost on them either.....

Lt. Tragg had to admit that he got a tip from an informant...A Heroin addict ,named Crazy Dee, who he had once busted...A further review proved that Lt. Tragg's informant wasn't even at the scene of the shooting..He was 10 blocks away at the time...Now Crazy Dee was missing!

Such sloppy police work and the bad publicity that came with it , was all the Commissioner and the Mayor could take...They demanded Lt. Tragg be taken off the case..The Deputy Of Operations couldn't save him this time..

The Deputy Of Operations called Captain Cantrell

Captain Cantrell put Lt. Tragg on Paid Administrative leave...Meaning he had to sit at his desk and was officially off the case...He was off the streets period until further notice...

It was good that Lt. Tragg was out of the way...but the murder was now a week old and nothing had come up...It looked like the Philadelphia Police had given up...Luckily...I hadn't...I was still working on it..

I snapped photos of George Washburn , out and about the neighborhood...

His neighborhood..

Queen Village, where his neighbors were a mix of  Attorneys, Doctors, Politicians and Hipsters..

He went about his day to day as if nothing happened...As free as a bird...

He was even careless enough to ride his bike with the same Biker shirt he wore the day of the race and the day of the murder...

This time I got clear photos of him without his helmut and dark sunglasses....It was definitely him....It was a match...that and his fingerprints on the shell casings...made me 100 percent sure...He was the killer of Mike Pratt Jr..

Before I turned my final findings over to the police...I needed to first talk to my client...



II-

I met with Dr. Micheal Pratt Sr. I showed him my findings...

 The actual video of the shooting and all of my photos..

"The Medical Examiners office found his fingerprints on the shell casings...All I have to do is talk with you and I'm turning my findings in and they can make an arrest."I said..

"You were worth every penny I paid you...I knew you'd get to the bottom of this...Sorry about the trouble that jackass Tragg put you through...Arrested the wrong man, while my son's killer is walking around as free as a bird.." he said..

"Do you know this guy?" I asked..

Dr. Pratt sighed and took off his glasses...

"Yesssssssss...I know George....He was my son's best friend....They grew up together....They played Little Leauge Baseball, Pop Warner Football and later, in High School they were on the Wrestling Team...They did everything together...but I always thought and so did Mike's Mother that deep down inside...George was jealous of Mike...Everything was a competition with him....

They both went to Princeton...That was my alma -mater and then they both went to  PENN Medicine....My Alma-Mater Also.

"WOW! "I said..

"Georgie fell in love with another graduate of PENN, A Marsha something or other...Marsha Fenton..

She was beautiful....Attended Wharton Business School...I believe she's some kind of Financial Analyst now...

Georgie brought her around a lot....He was enthralled...I thought they made a nice couple...but after about a month,I began seeing her around my son's loft....A lot....I asked him about it...

He assured me they were just friends....but I found a bra and a pair of her panties on the floor of his place one morning when I dropped by to visit him....

He was so embarrassed...He confessed to me that they had been sleeping together...That they were just drawn to each other... I told him that wasn't good...I told him.."All of the women out here and you have to sleep with your best friend's girl..."

Mikey told me he had already broken it off with her...And they both mutually agreed to stop and to keep what they did, their little secret.." said Dr. Pratt..

"But you can never keep something like that a secret for long." I said.

"I know......I know....I couldn't imagine Georgie doing something like this...I just couldn't...but now that you show me these photographs and have told me what you've told me...ugh...geeez...Now it all makes sense..."said Dr. Pratt.

III-

Marsha Fenton lived in a very nice loft in Queen Village....

She greeted me with a smile and offered me a tumbler of coffee when I came to visit...

"I knew you ,someone like you or the police would be coming to see me soon.." she said..

"You did?" I said..

"Yes....I suspected that George might have done this from the time I heard about it..."she said..

''Did he know about you and Mike?" I asked..

"He knew... He asked me and I confessed....I told him the truth ,that I was never really that attracted to him...He always seemed a little needy...Mike was cool, light, breezy, self confident...I liked that, that turned me on and Mike liked me.. and after weeks of looking at each other..

We wound up  in bed...Not just once...but a whole weekend...Non-Stop sex and it was off the rails....I shouldn't even be telling you this, but I just couldn't get enough...Neither could Mike..We tried to stop, we tried to break it off,

 but we just couldn't..It was an immediate attraction...I told George and I broke it off with him...Just three weeks ago...and now this... After Mikey died...George seemed different...Cooler, more relaxed,like he didn't have a care in the world..

I can't believe how cool he's been about this...He even took me to the funeral....Acted like nothing had happened...I asked him if he killed Mike..He seemed hurt that I would accuse him of such a thing...He wanted to spend the night with me..but I told him no....I mean my god...It was right after the funeral...." she said..

I showed her my photos and video footage...

"That's him...Yes, that's definitely Georgie.." she said...

IV-

I saw George Washburn coming out of his walk up in Queen Village...

"Mr. Washburn!" I said..

He looked at me and smiled...

"I don't know you and you don't live around here...You must be a cop!" he said..

"No , I'm not....I'm a private investigator....I came to ask you some questions.." I said..

"Let's cut the crap...You're here about Mike Pratt.. I'm surprised you're just getting here...When that cop arrested that Latin guy a few nights ago,I thought I was home free..." he said, laughing...He looked like a huge burden was being lifted from his chest...

"Home free about what sir?" I said..

"I killed my best friend...I shot my best friend, Mike Pratt Jr. over some bitch, who wasn't even worth it....I,let that whore, Marsha Fenton come between a lifetime of friendship....I should've shot her...but Mikey shouldn't have slept with her...He violated Man code man, You know that don't you?" he said..

Lt. Sissy Van Buren walked up just then....She had four uniformed officers with her...

I was wearing a wire...

"You got that Siss?" I asked..

"I got all of it.." she said...

He laughed..

"Oh it doesn't matter....You don't think I'd confess to all that without a plan B." he said and laughed...

He pulled out a pistol....The officers pulled their guns...but Sissy ordered them to stand down...

"Heyyyyy wait a minute...Don't do something you'll regret." said Sissy...who pulled her glock.

"I already have done something I regret..."he said and laughed and before we could stop him, he placed the pistol to his head and pulled the trigger...blowing his brains out!!!!

"Oh My god!" I said..

"Ohhh Good Lord!" said Sissy....

It had been a simple murder with a very simple motive....Jealousy.....and it had ended in a suicide..A Tragedy all around...Two men were dead...Two good friends....One murdered and another a suicide...All over a woman....It was kind of Shakespaerean in a way....

***************************************************************************

The body of George Wasburn was placed in a body bag and carted off...

CSI people snapped photos of the scene...

Hazel held Sissy...

"This is the second suicide we've seen in weeks.." she said..

"I know...I think I may need therapy...How about you Kevin?" asked Sissy...

"You find a good therapist....and let me know...I'll join you.." I said to Sissy with a smile...

Sissy and I appeared before the Press,

announcing that the killer during the Bike Race of Mike Pratt Jr. had been identified and had committed suicide rather than turn himself in...We showed them film footage, photos and the cartridges from the murder weapon, which had his prints...We played his taped confession...

 Mike Pratt's father

and Marsha Fenton were interviewed and talked about George Washburn and his troubled psyche....

The Mayor , The Police Commissioner and The Deputy of Operations were satisfied...A Murder was solved and tensions over the arrest of Hector Lamas, an innocent  man were quelled.

and meanwhile...Lt. Tragg sat in a bar in Manyunk,

knocking back drinks and slamming his fists down angrilly on the table..

"Geeeeeeeeeeeeez...Sissy Van Buren and that Kevin Morris get credit for cracking my murder case...I don't believe it...IT WAS MY CASE!!!   I just can't catch a break....I can't catch a break!, DAMN IT!!!  DAMN IT!" he shouted.....

People were staring at him and getting up and moving...

EPILOUGE-

Sepia and I sat quietly in our living room....

''Well another case cracked...You got your man..." she said..

"And hopefully, my next few cases will be for the Attorneys...I'll be working for quite a few now...Hopefully I won't have to be out on the streets..I prefer the courtrooms and boardrooms now of days..."I said, smiling..

"Yeah,I imagine you might want to keep your distance from Old Lieutenant Tragg....I imagine he's pretty steamed....He arrested the wrong man....Caused an uproar...Got taken off the case and You and Sissy got credit for getting the real killer..."said Sepia..

"Yeah....I imagine he's heated....Know who else is heated..?" I asked..and rubbed her legs softly...

Sepia smiled wryly...

"Who? You? Do you just get horny upon seeing me in the morning?" she asked......She was wearing a new shirt dress that came to her thighs and showed off her shapely legs...

"In the morning, the afternoon, at night...You name a time.." I said...

"Seriously?" she asked and laughed...

I kissed her passionately....

"Seriously.." I said in between hot smouldering kisses..

"It's a good thing Kimmie is  with Josie..."she said...pretending to be angry...but then laughing....Soon we were kissing passionately...

In no time, our clothes were off and we found ourselves making love on our living room couch...

I  entered her softly,gently...She was wet and warm...I was losing my mind...as I began to move up and down slowly at first and then gradually faster...

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu HUSBAND..Ohhhhhhhhh my godddd!!" she moaned...

 "Yesss baby yes...." I moaned..

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" she moaned loudly.

The living room couch was squeaking pretty loud ,almost as loud as our bed.... This couch was far noisier this afternoon than it had been before.......

  Sepia was feeling so good,she slapped me across the face...

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu KEVIN MORRIS...OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" she cried out....

  The couch squeaked even louder..

Yess...Yessssssssssssssssssss...YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! Ouuuuuuuu YESSSSS!" Sepia screamed....

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu ...oh my god...ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"I moaned...

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu lawd...ohhhhhhhh KEVIN...You are just showing off...You just showing off...ohhhhhhhhhh" she wailed..

She moaned softly as the couch began to squeak louder...
''Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu...Ohhh baby, give it to meeeeee....ummmmmmph...GIVE IT TO ME, GIVE IT TO ME STRONG!!!"

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.... SEPIA......ouuuuuuuuuu, more, more... ohhhhhh..."

"YES BABY YES...CALL MY NAME.....ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...You can have all you want!!"she moaned.

 "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh gooooddddddd lawdd it's soooo goood...ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh girl...ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh sweeeeet jesusssssssssss ...arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.."I cried ...out!!"Morrre...Morreee....morrre...ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.. "

"Kevin, We are going to break this couch....Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.." Sepia cried out..

 FIVE to SIX hours of lovemaking continued..  Ummmmmmmm Husband, ouuuuuuuuuuuuu...give it to me...Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu"Sepia moaned..

She was having an intense orgasm, shaking and trembling and crying a little...

"Yesss baby yes...." I moaned..I was cumming myself...

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" she moaned loudly...

Finally we stopped...She lie in between my legs ,while I played in her hair...

"That was....That was amazing.." she said...

"It wassssssss..." I moaned...

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


"Wow...that was amazing....Why don't we got to that bar...The one we were at during the race..?" she asked..

"Seriously Sepia? You want to go back there...?" I asked..

She smiled..


"I know right? We need to give that place a break too.Let's just go to Josie's." she said and we both laughed..


FOR L. CHANTAY