An Instinct For These Things

"Kevin, do you know what you're saying?" said Bonita...

"Honey Bunny are you sure?" asked Sepia..

"Look, I know it sounds crazy...but we've got three missing people, possibly four now and our living eyewitness and three of the people all gave the description of a a tall well dressed man with graying hair on his side burns.... Cruising the bar...trying to pick up guys...three of who never returned...and a big swarthy guy with a beard helping him make them vanish..." I said.. "Look..Look at these pictures a police sketch artist drew from a description of an eyewitness.." I said..

"Oh My God...That looks like that guy who was digging that hole the other day.." said Sepia..

''He had a black eye and a swollen lip like he had been fighting..And even you said the smell around those properties is ungodly.." I said..

"Yeah ,but baby that's all..all..."said Sepia..

"I know...Circumstantial, co-incidental..but it bares looking at..."I said.

''Kevin doesn't just come out of his head with stuff.."said Bonita..

''Look, just be careful around those two...Make sure Clerow and Owen Todd are with you at all times.."I said.

And a few blocks away at the bar...

"Yeah ,I remember Rocco was talkin to you and a Black guy a few days ago...Haven't seen him since...Not like him to miss work....Especially since he was saving up for a new ride..."said the new bartender...

''You ever see either one of these guys?" said Detective Sgt.Sam Smith ,who now had two glossies I provided him..

of the swarthy work man and Lincoln Todd..

"Not the bearded guy...but the second one...He's always in here...Not every night..but a lot...Always trying to pick up one of the young guys...He's a little old for the crowd that comes in here..but he flashes a lot of cash..."said the bartender..

''Any of em leave with him?" asked Sam..

"Yeah , a few.." said the bartender..

"You ever see em again?" asked Sam..

"Some of em ,yeah..."said the bartender..

Sam showed him photos of Ronald Tucker, Barry Howard and Maceo Deal...."

"They come back?" he asked.

"Nah, I haven't seen them in about a week..Two weeks for Ronnie and Barry..They both had drinks with him and left with him...He wasn't interested in Maceo, but Maceo was with Ronnie and all three of them had drinks."said the bartender..

"Let me know if you hear from Rocco..Tell him to call me at this number."said Sam Smith.

"Rocco is dead! So is Maceo, Barry and Ronnie and I think I know where they are Sam.." I said.

''We need a court order and a warrant to search those properties and if we are wrong...You're blowing a major business deal for your wife..We gotta be sure.."said Sam..

"At any rate, we gotta take this higher."I said.

''Yeah, you're right."said Sam Smith.

II-

Sam and I went over to the headquarters of the Criminal Investigation Division....

''So you see guys..This started out as a simple missing persons case...A Gay guy...His sister and his room-mate were concerned that they hadn't seen him in three days...Next thing I know, the room-mate vanishes..Then a witness I had who had been drinking with both men vanishes also...That's when I called Kevin in to give me some help..The bartender gives me a description of the man who had drinks with all three..this guy...Lincoln Todd..

said Sam showing ADA Keith Wallace and Lt. Sissy Van Buren a photo of him..And the next night, before I can get him down town to give a sketch to the police artist...he's gone!"said Sam Smith..

"It's two guys...We have an eyewitness and a lot of blood from the bartender's disapearence..."I said.

A guy who I have hidden away for his own safety positively identified this guy...

Ralph Welch as the guy he saw fighting with the bartender and beating him up...and this guy..

Lincoln Todd as the one who put the body in the car and drove off.." I said..

''And he's a developer? This Todd person?" asked Keith Wallace.

''Yeah..He is about to sign a deal with my wife's company making them agents for all three of his new Triplexes...."I said,.

''What do you know about these two guys?" asked Sissy.

"Plenty now..."I said.

"Lincoln Todd was born and raised here in Philadelphia..Graduated from Friends Central..Attended St. Joes University and later got an MBA from Wharton...He's a major area real estate developer..Has several properties in the area..long green...

He was married briefly, no children...Then divorced...he has a few  arrests..Minor things..Indecent exposure..Charges dropped , Soliciting a male prostitute, charges dropped, Driving under the influence, he paid a fine and after two years the matter was dropped and corrupting the morals of a minor...He was caught with an underage boy a few years back...Charges were dropped.." I said.

Ralph Welsh is another story..

"He's a day laborer and landscaper by trade and an ex-con...He did a nickel at Stanga for assault with intent to kill, paroled..Did another three for assault and battery, released and just recently paroled from a ten year sentence for attempted murder. A real hard luck case.." said Sam Smith.

"And you think these two are serial killers?.."said Sissy.

"I'm certain of it.."said Sam Smith...

"Siss, I was out there looking at one of the properties with my wife...The smell is ungodly...He's digging holes and throwing pete moss in the holes and between that smell, there is the smell of rotting flesh.."I said..

"It's not that I don't believe you Kev, but I need more evidence...Get me a little more and you'll get your warrant." said Keith Wallace..

"I'll do what I can.."I said.

 That night...Ralph Welch parked his car down the street from his favorite watering hole..

It was the only parking spot he could get...

He walked into the dive bar..

Clerow and Owen Todd were already in the bar....They texted me to let me know he was in and drinking heavily...

Lockpick Johnson and I broke into the car...There were no street cameras around and no business cameras across the street from us..

I snapped photos of what I found in the trunk...

Brass Knuckles with blood stains on them...

A gorote, used for choking someone out...

but more telling, 75k in 50's and 100 dollar bills...

I photographed all of it..

We closed the car back up...

"You got everything boss?" he asked..

''Everything..."I said ,smiling..

"I aint no lawyer but uh, you can't use this...You broke into the man's car and took photos of this..You aint no cop and you got no warrant.."said Lockpick Johnson..

"You're right...but at least I know beyond a shadow of a doubt who I'm looking for..Least I know.."I said..

I sent Clerow and Owen Todd a text that I was finished...They Joined me outside and got in the car with Lockpick Johnson and pulled off.

I walked down the street, where my wife Sepia was waiting for me in her car..

She looked worried..

"You get what you need?" she asked..

"I think so...Let's get out of here.."I said..

We pulled off into the night....

III-

Sepia and Bonita were out by one of the properties..

"Jeeeeeeeeeesuzzz...Kevin wasn't lying...It smells horrible out here..We are not going to be able to rent these unless we do something about that smell.."said Bonita..

''Whooooooo weeeee.."said Sepia..

''Don't worry..Once the flowers start growing...the smell will go away.." said Ralph Welch..

"HOW MANY?" I asked..

''How many what?" asked Ralph..

"How many bodies have you buried out here? How long have you been killing and hiding his bad dates?" I asked.

''I don't know what you're talkin about.."said Ralph..

"You two were seen the other night....Rocco Cianfrantes, The bartender. He gave you that busted lip and that black eye didn't he? He was pretty good with his hands...Even after you hit him with brass knuckles..But your boy, Lincoln Todd hit him with a sap didn't he? Which one of you finished him off?" I asked..

Ralph Welch looked murderously angry...

"Is that him in the fresh grave you were digging the other day?" I asked.

"WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" he screamed and lunged at me..

He grabbed me around the neck...He was strong as hell..He was squeezing the breath out of me and practically lifting me off of the ground...

'Get Off my husband!!"screamed Sepia ,who charged him...

"Get off him "screamed Bonita..

He took his free hand and pushed them both out of the way....

I took what strength I had left and kicked him in his groin as hard as I could...He grunted, but he loosened up his hold just enough for me to elbow him in his jaw, snapping his head back and sending him flying...

I didn't have the time to catch my breath before he was heading toward me....He,  didn't waste a lot of time talking..I liked that.

I landed some good lefts and rights to his body, but he was equally good with his hands...he landed some good lefts and rights to mine...I countered and landed some lefts and rights to his face, but he equaled me with some well placed lefts and rights to mine...

What I had in my favor was that he was older and out of shape..Terribly out of shape and he didn't have any brass knuckles. and I could feel him getting winded...I cracked him hard in his jaw and saw blood trickle from his mouth...I cracked him again and saw the sweat fly off of his face...I hit him in his stomach and he bent down in obvious pain..I landed some more lefts and rights to his jaw which sent him into the wall of the Triplex...

and down to the ground...He lay there for a minute...still conscious and  breathing heavy...I was holding my neck and still gasping for air...

 "KEVIN LOOK OUT!!!"screamed Bonita..

 "HE'S GETTING UP!" screamed Sepia..

 "I'm gonna rip you to shreds.."said Ralph Welch, who was a bloody mess and purely in pain...

"I don't think you got it in you.."I said..

"YOU'LL SEE!" he moaned...

He got up and swung, missing horribly...I backed him up with more lefts and rights to his body and additional lefts and rights to his face..Blood was flying off of him profusely....

I finished him off with a well placed kick to his solor plexus..


"Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh,ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.." he moaned and fell to the ground..

Both of his eyes were now swollen shut..His mouth was bleeding profusely and his nose was bleeding too..he was in pain and in no mood to fight any longer...He was gasping for breath....

Sam Smith drove up with his gun drawn...

"WELCH!!!!! DON'T MOVE!!!  YOU MOVE AND I'LL BLOW YOUR NOSE OFF!" he screamed...

''Don't shoot..don't shoot...I'll tell you what you want to know... I'll tell you what you want to know...There is four bodies here..I only killed one..The bartender..Lincoln Todd killed the rest...He used a garotte...I just buried em...He had a problem with impotence...He couldn't get it up with them and ..and he strangled them and had me bury em....He killed the Black guy cause he was talkin to you...He'd seen him..That's why he had me kill the bartender...They're all around here.." he said..

Sam Handcuffed him, read him his rights and sat him in his car..

"You okay?" he asked.

''I'm fine...Call Sissy and Keith Wallace." I said..

''Oh My God!" said Sepia, hugging me...

''Oh Lord, they were monsters.." said Bonita.

IV-

"Detectives...We found a body over here.."said one of the men in the excavation crew...

 "Ayeee Mios Dios..."said Carlotta.

 "The Smell is ungodly...Who would have rented these places anyway?" said Tyriq.

 ''They seem like nice spots.."said Jimmy..

 ''They are..Shame the dead bodies of murdered men are beneath them.."said Hazel.

Carlotta, Tyriq, Jimmy and Hazel found the decaying body of  Maceo Deal..The Black Body Builder...

"Detectives...Yo...We got one right here.."said another member of the crew...

 "Another one!!Wow!"said Sirena..

 "This guy is in real bad shape." said Hop..

"He's been dead about two weeks, judging from decay.."said Hazel.

Sirena ,Hop and Hazel found the mummified body of Barry Howard...

"We got one over here Lieutenant.."said another guy...

 "Oh My God!  These grounds were a cemetary."said Sissy..

 "How sick was this?"said Hazel.

 ''Pretty Sick and he was going to sell these Triplexes to people..He had a lot of gaul."said Angie.

Sissy, Hazel and Angie found the badly decayed body of Ronnie Tucker...The person who started this investigation in the first place...

"We got one over here guys..."said another member of the crew..

 "Damn, I hope this is the last one.."said Duke.

 ''I believe it is.." said Sam Smith

Duke, Sam Smith, Hazel and I discovered the freshly dead boy of Rocco Cianfrantes, The bartender....

 ''This one is recent..Like a day or two.."said Hazel.

I walked over to the police car..I looked at Ralph Welch..

"Any More?" I asked..

''No...That's it.." he said.He was bleeding all over the back seat of the car...

ADA Keith Wallace walked over to me..

"Once again you were on the money Kev...Two monsters among us...and nobody was even aware..."he said.

 "Just the fact that we were so close to both of them is frightening." I said..

''It's like I told him...He has an instinct for these things.."said Sam Smith..

We watched somberly as the bodies of Ronnie Tucker

Barry Howard

Maceo Deal

and Rocco Cianfrantes

were bagged and carted to the Medical Examiner's wagon....

''Well that ends that." said Bonita.

''We can't sell these..Not now..Not with this history...Four murder victims on the property.."said Sepia.

''Good Work you two.."said Sissy to me and Sam..

"What about Lincoln Todd...Anybody see him?I asked..

"I put out an all points bulletin on him...He's fled...but we'll get him.."said Sissy...

Lt. Tragg showed up just then..

"What's going on? What is this?" he asked..

"The aftermath of a quadruple homicide.."said Sissy..

''Looks like we've got a serial killer on the loose.The Deputy of Operations is going to want a report immediately."said Lt. Tragg..

''Pump your breaks Lieutenant...We got our man....He's over there in my car...We got him...And his partner will be picked up soon..This case is closed.."said Sam Smith...

''Started out as a missing persons case turned into a serial killer case." I said..

''WHY WAS I NOT BROUGHT UP TO SPEED ON THIS? THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN MY CASE!!" asked Lt. Tragg.

''Because we wanted to solve the case Lieutenant."said Sam Smith drolly as he got in his car and drove Robert Welch downtown to central booking..

Keith Wallace, Sissy,Carlotta,Rico,Jimmy, Sirena, Hop, Duke and Angie all snickered silently....and got in their cars and pulled off..

Hazel was laughing outwardly and pulled off with her Medical examiner's team, which left me and the girls..

''Come on...I'll take you girls out for Ice Cream.."I said.

 "That sounds good.."said Sepia.

"Yes.Let's get out of here...This place gives me the creeps."said Bonita...

We drove off...

Lt. Tragg inhaled...

"Geeeeeeeeeez, this place smells like hell." he exclaimed.

EPILOUGE-

Lincoln Todd fled to Atlantic City...

 But Sharon Ferrell-Hopkins ,FBI Deputy Special Agent in Charge

and the FBI captured him and brought him back to Philadelphia ,where he and Robert Welch stood trial for four counts of First Degree Murder and were convicted and sentenced to die by lethal injection...

 It was nice to spend a nice quiet evening at home with the family....

 "Wow , that would have been a hell of a commission..Those were some nice units...but that smell would have ran most of our clients away..."said Sepia.

''Oh I don't know..We didn't notice it the afternoon we spent out there.."I said.

''Kevin!!! Not in front of the baby! Later though!" said Sepia, blushing at the thought of our afternoon at the Triplex...