Sissy had us meet on the third floor, belonging to the FBI and ATF , she gave all police personell strict orders to tell Lt. Tragg that she and her detectives were not in..She knew he'd make his way to our headquartes once he learned we had left Sam Mother's Diner and she wanted to be free to run her investigation without having to argue with him and have him argue with her detectives...
Sharon gave her people orders that Lt. Tragg was not allowed on their floor at all... They were to tell him that there was a Classified Federal Investigation in progress.
An so I, along with Carlotta, Jimmy, Tyriq, Hop, Sirena, Duke and Angie headed two floors up to the stylish dining room shared by us and the Feds..
It was perfect for this meeting...
"Duke, Sirena, Read the profiles of our first two victims....." said Sissy...
"Our first victim, Greta Aldrenon, 28, discovered by you Sirena and Hop..
Last Week at the Zoo, Near the Cat House.... Cause of Death, Manual Strangulation... No Fingerprits or DNA..Killer used Latex Gloves...
Born and Raised in Philadelphia PA. Educated in Philadelphia Public and Private Schools, Bachelors and Master degree in Political Science from Georgetown University.. An Additional degree from University of Pennsylvania, Wharton Business School.
A Political Consultant and Fund Raiser ,specializes in fundraising for candidates and provided a full range of campaign fundraising and financial management services. Maintained a small client roster in order to give each campaign the best service possible. She also did work with corporations and their work to support candidate outreach as well as consult with Political Action Committees. She had a great deal of experience in fundraising. Her team had built relationships across various sectors in Philadelphia and the tri state area including business, energy, financial services, agriculture, pharmaceutical, technology, transportation, labor and health care industries. She have worked on a variety of races from endorsed candidates to grass roots upstarts and for both freshmen and senior members. She worked on a variety of races rather than getting herself pigeon-holed into one type of campaign which enabled her to use different strategies based on each campaign’s unique needs." said Duke.
"You just read us her resume...She's obviously not looking for a job now.." said Jimmy...
Carlotta, Sirena and I and Sharon cracked up...
Duke smiled...
"Okay, here's the good part... Ms.Alderon got pregnant , a year and a half ago and gave birth to a boy....The boy was put up for adoption..."" said Duke...
"That's it?" said Tyriq....
"No...Sirena...Tell them about the second victim..." said Sissy...
"Just before we went on vacation....Duke and Angie found a body..." said Sirena.
''We had an almost unblemished clearence rate didn't we Angie Girl?" said Duke.
"I know right?" said Angie with a slight smile..
Sirena continued-
" Kalinda Callaway, Age 25, found near the Morris Arberetum , cause of death, manual strangulation,like the first girl, no prints, no DNA..Killer more than likely used Latex gloves and I should mention, like the first victim..no sign of sexual intercourse, no semen or saliva.. Both of these young ladies were clothed..
Born in India...Her parents brought her to the United States when she was 3, They became American Citizens shortly there after and she got her citizenship at the age of 12.
The Family lived in Washington D.C. She was educated in Private and Charter schools there...She attended Georgetown, getting a Bachelors and Masters Degree There and a J.D. She passed the Bar in Washington.D.C. , Virginia and Pennsylvania...
She came here to live and she immediately got set up at a nice Tony Law Practice downtown...She was said to be a pretty decent litigator...
Here is where it gets cute...A year and a half ago , she got pregnant and gave birth to a girl...The girl was put up for adoption..." said Sirena.
"Hmm, both women attended Georgetown, though a few years apart...both highly intelligent, successful women, both had babies and put them up for adoption...That's a lot of co-incidences...Did they know each other?" I asked.
"No Not at all.I checked..I talked to relatives, business associates, former classmates of both women..Get this, none of them knew about the pregnancies or the adoptions.. Duke, Rico, Jimmy and Hop
interviewed the boyfriends of both women...They denied impregnating either woman." said Sissy.
''Which brings us to the body of the woman you guys found yesterday on our day off.."said Carlotta.
Looking at Jimmy, Tyriq, Hop and Duke...
"Despite the simularities in the two murders...I wanted to wait before I used the word serial killer here.."said Sissy...
II-
Hazel was just coming in...She had been at The Medical Examiner's Office all morning..
"Our Victim, Helen Gillis, Caucasion, Age 27 was born and raised in Washington, D.C. Educated in Washington , D,C. Public Schools, Attended Georgetown University....Got a Bachelors Degree ,Master degree and a J.D. Passed the bar in Virginia, D.C. and Pennsylvania.. She moved to Philadelphia a few years ago and worked for a very tony law firm, then became the special counsel for Barton Phillips.." said Hazel..
"The BARTON PHILLIPS, the Federal Judge and one time Assistant U.S. ATTORNEY of the Southern region of Pennsylvania? asked Carlotta..
''Wow Lotta, you really keep up with your AUSA's" said Sirena, hugging her good friend..
"That's him!" said Deputy FBI Special Agent in Charge, Sharon Hopkins ,
who entered our meeting with coffee for all of us..
"He lectured us when we were in law school...Remember honey bunny?" she said to her husband Hop..
"I do remember and then shortly before you Olivia and Yvette graduated..He left for Georgetown, where he taught law for a number of years before returning to Philadelphia and being appointed a Federal Judgeship..." said Hop..
"So our last victim was his private attorney....We need to talk to him..." said Angie..
''I finished the autopsy on here Sis, Just like the other two..Death by manual strangulation...She gave birth to a girl, a year ago that was put up for adoption..."said Hazel...
"This is too much of a co-incidnce...All three women attended Georgetown at one time or another, All were up and coming professional women, unmarried..all gave birth to babies and they were put up for adoption...and all worked around the Philadelphia area...Hmmm."I said.
"Chica...I need you and Sirena to check all three girl's financials, bank accounts, credit cards, debit cards, find out where they shopped, where they drank and or partied and if there were other men in their lives we don't know about.."said Sissy...
"On it Boss Lady."said Carlotta.
"We like that kind of work." said Sirena..
"Duke, you and Rico are going on a Day trip to Georgetown...Find out everything you can about the three women's stay there, Talk to professors, friends, associates, family members...Find a connection."said Sissy..
"Gettin my traveling clothes ready."said Tyriq.
"It's just a day trip." said Sirena..
"Me too buddy..Let's get some hoagies, steaks and beers.." laughed Duke..
"Look at these two frat boys." joked Angie.
"I'm going...I know that area..."said Sharon...
"Keep them straight Sharon." said Sissy.
''Hop, put a team on the street and traffic cameras around all three murder scenes..and dial back, we want to see any and everybody who entered those drop sights...Get help from the FBI and ATF if you need it as well as some of the other uniforms around here."said Sissy.
"I'm on it boss lady." said Hop.
"Jimmy, you and I are going to find out which adoption agencies handled the adoptions and what lawyers if any represented those girls...""said Sissy.
"On it Boss Lady."said Jimmy..
"I'll get court orders to find out the identity of the fathers.." I said.
III-
At Sam Mothers diner...
ADA Karen Page finishes her meal and is drinking her second cup of coffee...Her hangover is gone now..
Lt. Tragg is finishing his second cup of coffee and his meal..
He smiles sheepishly at Karen as he plunks down a few dollars to pay for both of their meals..
"Thank you for breakfast and coffee Lt. Tragg…" said ADA Karen Page..
"Come on Now Karen, you can call me Arthur....Artie if you like.." he said..
"I prefer to uh keep things professional..." said Karen...
"Baby why? we shared a moment..We Kissed...In Curly's Bar.....I felt something and I KNOW YOU FELT SOMETHING TOO!" said Lt. Tragg softly...
"I felt like I was about to vomit....I was sloppy drunk Arthur...I am very, very sorry if I led you on...but I'm dating someone now and you know that....Goodbye Lt. Tragg, Thank you again for the coffee and the breakfast." said Karen Page as she got up and quietly walked out of the Diner..
Sam Mother heard her "I felt like I was about to vomit remark....He and one of his waitresses ,who also heard the remark walked back into the kitchen and laughed so hard, tears were streaming down their cheeks...
Lt. Tragg didn't see or hear them....He thought it odd that another waitress rang him up and gave him his change...
He was once again livid...and stomped his foot in disgust...Storming out of the diner...His anger was once again set on Sissy Van Buren and her detectives...
IV-
As expected, he made a bee line to CID Headquarters.....
He hated everything about the fact that they had a brand spanking new building, with rooms, a fancy cafeteria and vetted uniform and plain clothes police officers...
He hated that the City and the Federal Government paid for it and that it was shared with the FBI and ATF...
But mostly he hated that Lt. Sissy Van Buren and her detectives were in it.
When he arrived , He saw my wife, Detective Carlotta Rodriguez-Wallace and Detective Sirena Pile
Looking at Credit Card, debit Card and Bank records of all three victims and triangulating them on computers, trying to find any links between the women..Whether they shopped the same places, drank at the same bars , bought groceries, lingerie, anything at the same time...Whether their paths crossed...
So far , they were finding nothing...
Detective Tony Hopkins had a team of Uniform Officers with special computer skills and FBI and ATF Agents helping him scan Street Cam, Traffic Cam and Business Cam footage of all three areas where the bodies were dropped..
Angie was looking up State and City Adoption records for the past three years and triangulating them, trying to locate the three women...
and simultaneously going over the autopsy reports with Dr. Hazel Baylor..
''Where is Lt. Sissy Van Buren ?" he asked.
"She and Detective Barlow are on the street...
We don't know where?" said Carlotta.. She knew, but wasn't about to tell him.
"Where is Duke and Rico?" he asked.
"They're on the street with Agent Hopkins.."said Angie.
Not wanting him to know they had left for D.C. Georgetown University to be exact.
''And I suppose you are looking up financial records and scanning street cam footage ." he said..
"Yes and looking at the Autopsy reports among other things.."said Carlotta..
"You should all be on the street, knocking on doors, talking to people..." he bellowed..
''That's what they're doing...Interviewing Next of Kin, Associates, Friends, lovers...Sissy ,I mean Lt. Van Buren, split us into two separate groups.."said Angie..
''Well I want a full report on my desk of your progress if any by close of business tomorrow."said Lt. Tragg.
"Why? It's not your case...None of these three murders belong to you and you have no business inquiring about them..."said Hazel...
"You know...I've had it up to here with you Dr. Baylor..."said Lt. Tragg.
"And I've had it up to here with you!!" said Hazel, who was livid..
"Whoaaa...Take it easy...Take it Easy....We'll tell Lt. Van Buren of your request when she returns.."said Carlotta. ''Was there anything else you wanted Lieutenant?" she asked softly...
"Uh no..no..not at all.." said Lt. Tragg...
Sirena whispered in his ear...
''A word Lieutenant?" she said..
They stepped to the side...
"I couldn't help but notice the other day in Sam Mother's Diner that you appear to uh have a thing for ADA Karen Page....I happen to know that Gladiolas are ADA Page's favorite flowers
and her favorite perfume is Chanel-Chance...She was in law school with my partner, Detective Hopkins
and uh his room-mate used to have a thing for her
...That's how I uh know...If you want to impress a woman...It's nice when she knows that YOU KNOW what she likes without having to be asked..Feel me Lieutenant?" said Sirena , who winked..
For the first time this day, Lt. Tragg smiled..He actually giggled...
"Why thank you Detective Pile..Good Pull.." he said and left quietly....
"Sirena were you B.S. ing him?" asked Hazel , who had calmed down....
''Well not completely...Tony said he roomed with this guy named Greg Garland...
He's a big time attorney now...We were in court a few weeks ago and we ran into him...Hop told me Greg had a thing for ADA Karen Page when they were in law school and he bought her fresh Gladiolas and Chanel-Chance perfume...She loved it and that and a few drinks earned him a weekend of passionate lovemaking
...."said Sirena..
"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu...You think it will make her leave B.L. for Lt. Tragg?"asked Carlotta..
"Heck No...
Greg Garland is 6'6, 220 pounds of finnnneeee to boot...and smooth...Everything our GREAT DETECTIVE is not...but it calmed him down and got him off our case.."laughed Sirena..
"Ouuuuuu girl." said Hazel..
"I'd love to see how this all plays out.."laughed Angie..
I walked in just then to find all four women laughing...
''What's so funny? Let me in on the joke." I said.
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