Detecting Envy: An Erotic Detective Novel: Sin Book 2

by Mikey Lee

  “Absolutely, for you anything man. Do you have a round about time and date for me?” Phil said jumping up from his chair, walking over to the monitors.

  Seth gave him the time and date he was looking for. After scrolling though footage and catching up on some old times with Phil, Seth smacked down on the pause button. “That’s her.” He said, quickly taking note of the cab company and the car number. “Thanks a million brotha.”

  “Like I said, I owe you bigger than you’ll ever know. Anything, anytime man.” Phil said. “Go get’em bro.”

  As Seth and Ashley started out the door, Phil stopped them. “You know what… I know how you work. I tell you what I’m going to do. I’m going to make a you a copy of the surveillance of that night. I’ll start it from when she first arrives at the hotel onward. I’ll have it sent over to your office in a couple of hours.”

  “That’ll be fantastic, thanks again.” Seth said.

  Back in the car, Ashley finished up with her notes. Jotting down the cab company information, she looked over at Seth.

  After a short pause of silence, Ashley’s curiosity was killing her. “What did you do for Phil that makes him owe you so much? I… I mean, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want too. I’m just wondering.” Seth’s eyebrows raised up over his sunglasses.

  “That goes back a couple of years ago. That was one of my first cases I worked on with SVU.” Seth said quietly.

  “Was that the one where you almost lost your badge?” Ashley asked looking down, trying to keep his face in the corner of her eye so she could see his reaction.

  “You know about that?” Seth said looking over at her.

  “Well, kinda… they touched briefly on it while I was in the academy. I don’t really know too much about what actually happened.” Ashley raised her head, staring right at him. “I’m sorry, you don’t have to tell me.”

  “Nah… its ok. If we’re going to be workin’ together, I guess you should know all about me, huh.” Seth took a deep breath in and exhaled at the driver’s side window. “Well, long story short, Phil’s sister was my victim. I knew her, we went to school together and we were really good friends. Phil was a grade or two behind us and he used to get picked on quite a bit. Gertie, Phil’s sister, she liked me because I would protect Phil. And she would help me with homework and whatnot.” Seth continued to talk about the high school years and reminisced over some stories about Phil getting picked on. Ashley couldn’t believe that the Phil she just met was the same one he was describing.

  “Hmmm, well, Phil really filled out that body, and damn that boy grew up hot as hell.” Ashley said. “Oh, God… that slipped out, I’m sorry.”

  Seth busted out laughing, “No no, that’s fine. It’s good to see that you have a sense of humor. In this business you’re going to need one.”

  Clearing his throat, Seth continued on. “So anyway, one day, Gertie walked into my office and told me what had happened to her. I… well, lets just say I let my emotions over power my judgment and I went after this guy. I worked non-stop on that case until I knew exactly who it was. He was a little rich kid, living on mommy and daddy’s money. I had a feeling that daddy’s money was going to buy his freedom and he wouldn’t spend one second in prison for what he did to Gertie. The night I went out to arrest him, he had this smile on his face. A smile that screamed he would get out of this with no problem. I really just wanted to wipe that smile off his face, and well… I guess the soles my shoes felt the same way.” Silence fell over the car and Seth meekly smiled at Ashley before turning back to the road.

  The rest of the drive over to the cab company Seth started to reflect on why he became a cop in the first place. After high school all I ever wanted to do was become a cop. Actually help people. I didn’t want to be that asshole cop that just passes out speeding and traffic tickets all the damn time. I wanted to be the guy that all the neighborhood kids looked up too. Joining the Marine Corps was the first step in getting to where I wanted to be. Still, who would have thought after joining the corps they would make me a scout sniper. That was all fine and dandy until the Gulf War broke out. Before I knew it I was standing at attention at the police academy. Of all the things I’ve done, and all the places I’ve been; the best thing that has ever fell in my lap was Zee. That night at the bar where she grabbed my ass… Seth, very slightly shook his head. Ashley sat next to him and could see the gears spinning in his head. She knew he was thinking about something but figured she would just stay quiet and let him work it out. When I first became a cop, all I could think about was my next shift. Getting back out on the streets, finding that next person to help and hopefully help change their lives for the better. Now, now I all think about is getting home and spending time with my swiss-army wife. God damn she beautiful. Sometimes I just feel like I don’t show her just how much I appreciate her. Without Zee, I wouldn’t be where I am today. That’s for shit sure.

  Just then, Seth’s cell phone chimed and buzzed. Seth knew by the sound a text message came in. Speaking of the devil. All I have to do is think about her and its like she just knows, or something.

  [hey baby, why don’t we meet for dinner tonight at 6:00 at our favorite spot. Bring your new partner. Love you.]

  “Who’s that? Was that Phil?” Ashley asked.

  “You have plans for dinner tonight?” Seth replied.

  “Hmmm. Not really, I was just going to order a pizza or something.” Said Ashley.

  Seth turned into the cab company parking lot and turned the squad car off. “Looks like you’ve got other plans then.”

  10

  “Hello, Detective. What can I do for you?” In the door way of what looked like the dispatch office stood a balding, short chubby guy.

  “Detective? How did you know? I didn’t even get fully out of the car yet.” Seth said.

  “C’mon, I’ve owned this taxi business for thirty years. I know whatcha’ll look like. Besides who else would pull in here in an all black crown vic? Only cops. You’re not an officer… you’re in a suit. You’ve gotta be a Detective.”

  “Fair enough. You should start doing investigations.” Seth said jokingly.

  “Ha, I’m too smart for all that.” The chubby guy said back. “So, which one of my guys did what?”

  Fluffing his suit jacket in the breeze, Seth answered. “That’s actually what I’m here to find out. You have some time to chat?”

  “Sure, sure… C’mon on in.”

  Seth rounded the front of the car and glances at Ashley, “Keep your ears open while we’re in here.”

  Holding the door open for Ashley, Seth entered the makeshift office. “You look like a cut to the chase kind of guy.” Seth said to Mr. Chubby.

  “Ahhh… I would appreciate it. This meatball sub isn’t going to eat itself, ya know.”

  Seth looked around the office, taking a mental note of the driver’s board written in chalk. “You guys have a bunch of interesting technology here.” Seth noticed four computer screens with GPS locators, marking each location of a cab out on the road.

  “Yeah, it helps with call in fairs. So, what’s up? What’s the reason you bless my office with your appearance?”

  “Oh wow, you are a straight forward dude, huh?” Seth said.

  The chubby guy shrugged his shoulders and pointed down at his sub. “She’s getting cold, what can I say?”

  “Okay then, last night one of your fairs was attacked and sexually assaulted. The pick up time was 11:15 pm from the Majestic Hotel. Cab number 55. Who’s the driver?” Seth said firmly.

  “Oh, wow…” The chubby guy stood up. “Hey, I’m sorry to hear all this. Listen I do a full background check on all my drivers before I hire them. There’s too many people looking for work for me to hire some dead beat, you know what I mean. Listen pal, I’m sorry for being so short with you before… ya feel me?”

  “The driver?” Seth demanded again.

  “Yeah, yeah… his name is Brad, but, hey! I can actually do you one bett
er. Not only do we have GPS in all the cars, we also record all locations for about a week back. Plus, we have surveillance cameras in all the cars. The video is all saved on a hard drive in the trunks and each driver turns it in at the end of their shifts. Let me pull up all this information for ya. Brad is a good guy… but I’ll tell ya, he’s easily replaceable. Ya feel me?” The cab company owner said, searching around for the hard drives.

  Without hesitation, he pulled up the GPS locator log and it showed that the cab picked up Kathy at the hotel. It drove the most direct route to her house and stopped for roughly five minutes. The record showed that it then drove off and headed back to the hotel. Reviewing the surveillance footage of that night showed Kathy getting into the cab, the driver appeared to be looking back at her with his head turned to the passenger side window. Their mouths were moving, but with no audio there’s no telling what they were saying. On the way to Kathy’s house she appeared to have fallen into a drunken slumber. Once at the house, Brad reached back and shook her knee. Kathy then appeared to stumble and trip her way to her front door. Brad exited the cab and ran to Kathy. He helped her to her feet and grabbed the door key from the ground.

  This is it, I’ve got his ass. Seth thought to himself.

  Continuing the video, in the corner of the screen, Brad opened the front door and helped Kathy inside. But then he stopped. He never broke the threshold of the door. He tossed the keys inside and closed the door behind him. The video then showed Brad, back in the cab driving away.

  Fuck! Ok then, its not the taxi driver. Now we’re back to square one.

  Seth stood up, “Thank you so much for your time sir.” Seth said, shaking the cab company owner’s hand. “Hey, really quick. On the GPS, does he ever go back to the house later on in the night?”

  “Mummy….” He scanned the GPS locator, “Nope… it doesn’t seem so.”

  “Thanks again.” Seth said adjusting his jacket.

  “Anytime… and hey, I’m really sorry to hear this about that girl. Anything I can do to help you find this dirt bag, you just let me know. Ya feel me?”

  Back in the car Seth let out a massive sigh.

  “What now?” Ashley said mirroring his sigh.

  “What now?” Seth looked down at his watch. “Now we go to dinner. There’s someone I want you to meet.”

  11

  “Who are we meeting here?” Ashley asked as she stepped out of the car. “Is Phil going to be here?”

  A chuckle slipped out, “You like Phil, huh?” Seth said smiling.

  “I mean, well, he is pretty.” Ashley responded. “So, is he here?”

  “No no, it’s not Phil. But I think it’s about time for you to actually meet someone else.” Seth said, still speaking in riddles.

  Seth and Ashley made their way through the front doors to the restaurant and the host quickly took notice.

  “Ahhh. Mr. Lane, what a pleasure. Your party is waiting, right this way, Sir.”

  They’re led to the table where Zee was sitting. She was dressed casually in her yoga pants and the studio’s logo tee shirt. Seth approached her, leaning down to kiss Zee on the cheek.

  “Hey, baby cakes.” He said, giving her another quick kiss, this time on the mouth. “This is Officer Hart.”

  Zee looked up to see Ashley for the first time, “I’m Zee, Seth’s wife. Very nice to meet you.” Zee stood up and reached out her hand. “Wow! Aren’t you gorgeous.”

  Ashley was almost speechless, but instinctively took Zee’s hand to return the handshake. “Oh my God… you’re beautiful. And, um. I’m sorry did you say… Ummm… you’re Lane’s wife?” Ashley was incredulous. He never mentioned having a significant other and he certainly never mentioned a wife.

  Laughing, Zee flicked her hair over her shoulder, “Yeah…” She said, still giggling, “Yeah I know, I snatched this sexy beast up a couple years back in a bar.”

  A flash of memories of all the times Ashley imagined being with Seth shot through her brain causing heat to creep into her cheeks. “I’m sorry. Lane… well, he doesn’t wear a ring, and he never talks about you at the precinct. I… “

  “Oh, its ok… trust me, If I had the opportunity to stare at that fine ass all day, I’d day dream too.” Zee said still chuckling.

  Taking his seat, Seth flattened his suit jacket to his body. “I don’t wear a wedding ring because I don’t want an assailant to have any tools to use against me while I’m interviewing them. Even still, if I did wear one and I took it off during the interviews, there would still be a tan line. Kind of a dead give away there.”

  “Yeah, but… you…does anyone know at the precinct that you’re married?” Ashley was still very much confused.

  Seth glanced over at Zee like she was going to give him the answer to that. “You know, I don’t think so.” He looked back at Ashley. “This is actually good. This is good the way that we’re meeting. I keep my private life, private. The less people know about you, the more powerful you become to suspects. It’s the mystery, the unknown, they don’t know what kind of cards you’re holding and that’s what freaks them out.”

  “When Seth first told me that he had a partner…ish, what ever….I have to tell you, I imagined a fifty-year-old guy that was balding and kinda chubby.” Zee laughed, a smile racing across her face. “I’m going to have to fix that mental image. But seriously, it’s so nice to finally meet you.”

  Finally, a smile appeared on Ashley, “Thank you. Thank you so much for saying that. I’m sorry, I’m just still kinda blown away that Lane here is a married man.” She started to blush thinking about all of the times that she had thought about Seth naked. “He’s a stubborn one, that husband of yours.”

  Both Ashley and Zee shared a laugh at that and Seth leaned back watching them with an amused expression on his face. “How long have you two been married?”

  Zee glanced at Seth, her eyes softening. “It’s been…a few years now.”

  “I can’t sit here and lie to you, I can’t help but to feel a bit envious of what you two have.” Ashley said, grabbing the napkin from the table placing it in her lap.

  “Oh, don’t be. You’ll find your prince charming…unless you already have?” Zee questioned.

  Ashley sighed. “No. No, I haven’t. I don’t even know if it’s in the cards for me.” Her defenses started to rise. Here she was at dinner with her partner’s wife, a concept she had yet to accept, and of course his wife was beautiful. Of course she was nice. Of course she was. But once again—what felt like the for the thousandth time—Ashley had been looking for something that wasn’t there. She didn’t even realize it but her whole body had gone rigid.

  “I tell ya what girl… I think all that time you spent in one of those bullet proof vests has got you all stiff. You need to relax and loosen up. Hey, I know… why don’t you come down to the studio sometime and sit in on one of my sessions.”

  “Studio?” Ashley asked, forcing her muscles to relax. It wasn’t Zee’s fault she was in this situation. She had been nothing but nice to her.

  Putting the water glass down Seth responded, “Oh yeah, Zee owns a yoga studio. She’s one of the instructors there.” Seth said.

  Leaning over the table Zee chimed in, “Yeah, come on down sometime. We’ll get you loosened up.”

  The waiter arrives with the tray of food at that moment, which could not have come sooner in Ashley’s opinion. “One Caesar salad for you, miss. One roasted chicken for you, miss. And one extra large bacon cheeseburger for you, sir. Please… enjoy.”

  Zee shook her head, “You and those burgers. It’s a damn ground up half of a cow, wrapped in a bun. I really wish you would start eating better, babe.”

  Engulfing a quarter of the burger in one bite Seth nodded his head, “Mmmhmm. Its not just cow, there’s pig in here too. You know, bacon…”

  Zee looked back at Ashley, “So what’s going on with the case? Did you guys catch the guy yet?”

  “Mmm – oh.” Ashley pulled the fork out of her
mouth.

  In between bites, Seth took over. “Not yet. My idea didn’t really pan out.” Shoving some fries in his mouth he continued, “I was kinda hoping this was going to be an easy one. But, I guess that’s what I get for hoping, huh.”

  “What were you hoping for?” Zee said cutting nice bite sized squares out of her chicken breast.

  “I was hoping not to have to deal with the freakin’ heavy weight champion of the damn boxing world. That’s kinda what I was hoping for.” Seth said staring down at his plate.

  “What’s it really matter? At the end of the day he’s just another piece of shit you’re going to put behind bars… right?” Zee said.

  “The problem here is, well, one the press is going to have a field day if they catch wind of it. I’ve gotta think of a way to try do this quietly.” Seth said before returning his attention back into his burger.

  “You? Don’t you mean you and Ashley, now?” Zee said dropping a little wink towards Ashley.

  “Yeah, that’s what I meant, we… we need to figure a way.” Seth said with a small piece of cheese hanging from the corner of his mouth.

  Ashley softly spoke up. “What about that time line? Didn’t you say we need to establish a time line of events.”

  “Yup, good point, Ashley. Once we get the rape kit back we’ll have more to go off of for sure.”

  “I’ll call the hospital first thing in the morning.” Ashley said.

  Seth pulled his cell phone out of his jacket pocket and tapped the screen taking note of the time. “Oh shit. Its 7:30 already. I tell ya what, I’m going to take Ashley back to the precinct and I’ll meet you at home.” Seth said.

  Zee took another bite of chicken and swallowed, “Yeah, that works. I’m going to make a quick pit stop at the studio, then I’ll be heading home. Meet you there, yobo.”