Odor Of Suspicion

I stood in the alley looking around.....

"Is this number Three Sam?" I asked.

 "I'm afraid it is..."said Detective Sgt. Sam Smith of Missing Persons... "Third person to come out here and just vanish into thin air.." he said.

"And you are looking for two brothers...?" I asked..

"They aren't biological brothers..They were room-mates...The sister of one of them called me in...about two weeks ago..We went to their apartment and found both missing...I traced them both to this bar around the corner...both were last seen laughing and talking with an unknown male..They left alone and vanished into thin air..Then the guy who lived down the street from me who was supposed to come in and give an artist a drawing or sketch of the man has now vanished in this area here.."said Sam Smith...

"And you don't have enough detectives you can call in on this?" I asked..

"Not with your instincts...I heard you found that Sui Chef..." he said..

"He was dead."I said.

"But you found him."laughed Sam Smith.."You found Sissy's Dad, who she hadn't seen in years and you found Bonnie Shay's nephew when the underworld couldn't find him...No..you have good instincts..."said Sam Smith...

''Tell me...Do you like working Missing Persons?"I asked..

''Wasn't my ideal spot...but there was a Sergeant's position open...I aced the Sergeant's test and got promoted..Plus it's not so bad...Most days it's pretty boring or routine stuff..This aint routine..."said Sam Smith.. "I didn't want to bother Sissy with this just yet...They work major crimes...I don't know if this even is Major Crimes or just a lovers spat.."said Sam Smith...

"What about Homicide?" I asked..

"Lieutenant Tragg?? Helllllllll no..Mister Television..Uh uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.."said Sam Smith..

"I understand...It's just not everyday that a Detective asks a Private Investigator for help..."I laughed..

"Like I said...You got good Instincts for this type of thing..."said Sam Smith..

"Three Gay men have vanished seemingly into thin air , right around here...wowwww!"I said..

"Look around you Kevin..."said Sam Smith..

"No street cams, no street lights hardly except the ones at the end of the alley......These residents are all empty...recently developed...No tenents......Thus no witnesses....It's the perfect place to vanish or make somebody vanish..."said Detective Sgt. Sam Smith..

I looked around...He was right..

I got a cold chill looking around and thinking about it...

II-

 My wife, Sepia , a Realtor and her Partner, Bonita were just a few blocks away from us...

"Bonita...When Kevin and I first started living together, before we got married...We used to come out here..There was nothing out here but glass and trash and a field with grass up to my thighs...Now look, it's all been developed...Triplexes...Apartments..Wowww."said Sepia..

"I remember...Now look at this ..About to be a neighborhood..Girl, we are in the fastest growing part of the city...And we are getting good commission on renting all of these new Triplexes

and maybe selling some homes...

In time, We may be bigger than Chris and Chess's operation.."gushed Bonita...

"Ouuu girl I know...I just got a Text from Clerow...He is showing an apartment to a married couple today and Owen Todd is talking to a young Attorney who is looking for an apartment....We are about to blow up girl."laughed Sepia..

A Handsome, well dressed white man with hair that was just starting to gray on the sides walked over to the two Black women...

"You two are the realtors...Mrs. Morris and Mrs. Foxworth is that right?" he asked..

"Yes and you're the Developer...Todd Lincoln.." said Sepia..

"Yes, my construction company built these three Triplexes....I understand your company has rented and sold quite a few properties in the area just outside of here.." he said.

"Yes, we have and we'd love to option these properties when they are completed..."said Bonita..

''Well I did my research and your company seems solid...Set up a meeting...I know where your office is..we'll go over the particulars..." he said..

"I love the grass around all three of these properties...It gives them a suburban feel..."said Sepia..

"Yes it does.."said Bonita.

An unshaven, slovenly white man was finishing up and planting manure around the area he had just finished.

Todd Lincoln winced....

"Come on Ladies...it's going to smell pretty bad around here soon...Let's go grab some lunch..I know a nice place not far from here.." he said..




III-

Around the corner from where we were...Detective Sgt. Sam Smith and I entered the bar, peopled by men only...Not a woman in sight and approached the bar tender...

He looked at me and smiled...

Sam Smith flashed his badge...

"Oh, you guys are cops.."said the bartender whose name was Rocco...

Sam showed him two photos of the missing men...

''Ronnie Tucker and Barry Howard....I knew them...They live a few blocks away in an apartment...They were room-mates, but not involved with each other.." he said..

"They have any boyfriends?" I asked..

"Ronnie does, I don't think Barry was seeing anybody..."said Rocco... "They in trouble?" asked the bartender...

"No...but Ronnie's sister is worried about him...She hasn't heard from him in a week...This was his last known destination.."said Sam Smith..

''He was here uh last Tuesday night...with a gentlemen...an older gentlemen.. "said the bartender.

"Can you describe this gentleman?" I asked.

''Yeah, he was uh older...Handsome, well dressed white guy with hair that was just starting to gray on the sides..He looked like he came from money...Had on a pair of shoes I know most have cost a grand...Italian cut tailored suit....Nails manicured...Hair cut just right...Real High brow type..He was trying to pick Ronnie up...I heard Ronnie tell him he had a boyfriend..but dude wouldn't take no for an answer...But it never got rough or out of hand...Just talk.." said Rocco..

"They leave together?" I asked.

"No...as a matter of fact..they didn't...Ronnie looked a little frightened..He asked me if there was a back way out of here...I turned the alarm off and he went that way...Funny thing...I never saw the other guy, the guy he was talkin to leave...I looked up and he left cash on the bar and a big tip and was gone.."said the bartender.

''And that was that?"asked Sam..

Ronnie left out the back and I haven't seen or heard from him since."said the Bartender...

''What about his room-mate? Barry" asked Sam Smith..

"Now that I think of it...He was in here the next night...and was talking to the same guy...They left together...This was around 6:30 pm in the afternoon...and they came back in here around midnight and had drinks...Then they both left around 1:00 am..An hour before closing...They seemed okay...Like the best of friends..."said the bartender...

Sam put a photo of the third man, the man we were now looking for on the counter...This man was Black...

''What about him?"I asked.

"Maceo? Maceo was here both nights...he knew the man...He uh did light construction for this guy...I think this guy was some kind of contractor...I'm not sure...I remember you coming in and talking to Maceo.."said the Bartender to Sam Smith..

''Yeah and now I can't find him...Haven't seen or heard from him in two days..I went by his apartment..Car was outside , but no sign of him and nobody has seen or heard from him.."said Sam Smith..

''Maceo will turn up..He always does."said the Bartender.

"You got a security camera in this place?" I asked...

"Not yet...but I will have one next week...I just hired a guy to install it.."said the Bartender..

This did us no good...

"You think this guy will be back in here? He sounds like a regular.." I said..

"Nah, he just started coming in here about a month ago..He tries to hook up...He likes younger guys...He strikes me as someone who is in the closet...But I'd know him if I saw him again.."said Rocco..

 ''Well we may be back..If you're here..You can point him out to us.."said Sam..

"Give me what you have Sam...I'll do work ups on all three guys.." I said..

"Thanks Kevin.."said Sam...

We left the bar...

IV-

Sam left... I met Sepia and Bonita near where they were looking at one of their potential new properties..

"WOWWW! This looks nice.." I said..

"Heyyy baby.."said Sepia ,who planted a soft, wet kiss on my lips..

"Ummmmm, how are you?" she said..

"I'm fine.."I said..

Sepia blushed...

"Oh excuse me..Mr. Lincoln...This is my husband, Kevin Morris.." she said..

Todd Lincoln smiled..

"Well after a kiss like that, I certainly hope so....Todd Lincoln , I'm a Real Estate Developer."he said..

"Kevin Morris, CEO Morris Communications and Investigations."I said.

"I've heard of your company...You have music streaming and video streaming services in a lot of the businesses in this area.." said Todd Lincoln..."And I'm about to do business with your wife and her friend here...Small world.."he said..

"Mr. Lincoln developed these three Triplexes said Bonita..

They looked great...and they all had nice grass around or near them....

A swarthy unshaven white man walked over to Todd..."I'm all finished for today boss.."he said..

"Good, Good.." said Todd, patting him on the back...

''So we'll meet tomorrow morning at our office right?" said Bonita..

"Yes..we'll draw up the contracts..." he said..

The smell around here was ungodly, even in the late winter...It wasn't the manure used to fertilized the soil..It was something else..Something I couldn't put my finger on, but it made me nauseous almost..

"Well..I'll see you guys tomorrow "said Bonita, who got in her car and pulled off..

"Goodbye..Nice meeting you.."said Sepia..

"Nice meeting you guys too."said Todd Lincoln.

Sepia and I got in my car and we drove off...I don't know what it was, but something about Todd Lincoln gave me the creeps..

 "Those are great looking properties...but if you intend to rent or sell them ,you're going to have to do something about the smell in this area...It stinks around here.."I said.

"That's just the manure...when the landscaper finishes and things begin to grow, that smell will disapate.."said Sepia..

I laughed..

"You'd better hope it does.."I said..

"Oh Hush Up.."laughed Sepia....

Meanwhile back at one of the Triplexes...

Todd Lincoln looked at the swarthy unshaven landscaper...

''Everything alright?" he asked.

"Yeah, everything is fine..but no more for awhile...That was a pretty deep hole you had me dig." he said..

Todd peeled off six hundred dollar bills and placed them in the man's pocket..

"That's just fine...It was well worth it...I'll try my best not to give you anymore holes to dig..Heh heh, heh." laughed Todd Lincoln...

(TO BE CONTINUED)