by Red Snapper
Briscoe smiled and then he quickly strolled back over toward Decker and Dorena while he responded, “Look Decker…I’ve been reassigned…I will ensure that you get the information you need for your investigation.”
Decker knew something was going on underhanded while he responded to Briscoe’s statement, “You knew all along about this didn’t you Briscoe…I’m gonna get you fired…I’m gonna get you both fired…for tampering with a federal case…”
They both began to leave the building while Briscoe asked, “What do you know so far about his case?”
I have several elements that will help us with this investigation…but first…I’ve got to find out if you’re really gonna look out for the best interest of the precinct as well as for this case.”
Briscoe eyeballed her, while they strolled out of the building while he uttered, “What’s this… you’re putting me through some fuckin’ test to see if I’m loyal to the cause?”
Arceneaux sneered while she slowly shook her head in the affirmative. Briscoe sighed and then smiled while he replied, “So what is it that you want me to do to prove that I’m all about solving this case?”
She smiled back at him and then she responded, “I don’t know…but I’ll tell you later…right now we have a lead…apparently our Vic had an extremely close friend who nobody knew about but Dorena knew because this friend would sometimes answer the phone when she called for Caramel.”
Excited about the news Briscoe responded, “That’s good…who and where is this person…we need to talk to them like yesterday!”
“Detective Arceneaux sighed as she motioned for Detective Briscoe to move away from Dorena to speak privately. The strolled over a few feet from Dorena and she continued to converse, “Detective…I have to make a confession to you before I tell you this information…is that okay?”
Confused Briscoe shook his head in the affirmative.
“The name of Caramel’s close friend is Renita Arceneaux she’s a hermaphrodite and she’s my first cousin. She and Caramel have been living together off and on for at least four years now. When I heard about Caramel’s demise, I immediately knew I had to get on this case. I went to the Captain and requested that I become your partner so I could at least find out what happened and why I haven’t heard from my cousin since this took place. She’s missing and I’m hoping that she wasn’t murdered as well…I do have an address for her right here.”
Briscoe sighed while he asked, “When was you gonna tell me about this? Do you have a car…because I left mine at the precinct?”
“Yes…I have a car…let’s go…oh I almost forgot…I was able to get a sample of the semen that was found in the Vic’s anus before those FBI pukes took over the case…we should have results in a few hours.”
Detective Briscoe couldn’t believe all the details that Detective Arceneaux was demonstrating. He just smiled as he responded, “Look…your secret is safe for now, but we’ll need to find your cousin A.S.A.P. before the Feds or the killers track her down…for some reason I feel she’s got the answers that will shade some light on this whole ordeal.”
Meanwhile several miles away, Renita Arceneaux was sitting in an inconsequential little diner in Mount Vernon Square trying to decipher what she was experiencing. She was extremely jumpy and of course, she couldn’t trust anyone after what she has just confronted. After all her lover was just murdered and she was assailed too. Therefore, she tried to think of someone she could trust to help her to impede all the madness. She sighed while she thought, “I know if I get in touch with Samerra…she won’t help me, but I’ve got to get out of this damn town before whoever is after me finds me…wait a minute…if I could reach that Asian Congresswoman…what’s her name…Watanabe…yeah Congresswoman Watanabe…I could tell her everything and she’ll help me to get out of this fuckin’ mess…but how…how do I get close enough to her without getting in trouble?”
She finished her soft drink, laid down a five dollar tip for the waitress and then slowly strolled toward the restrooms to freshen up. As she stepped into the restroom, there were several women in the room. After a few minutes, the room emptied. She stepped over toward the sinks to wash her hands. When she leaned down to get some soap to lather her hands to wash them she glanced at the mirror at her own reflection. Several seconds later when she rose up and glanced at the again, an unknown assailant was now standing behind her with a knife while her whispered, “You thought you got a way didn’t you?”
She immediately hollered out a slight scream while she elbowed the assailant in the face, making him fold and fall to the restroom floor. Renita quickly turned around and commenced to kicking the assailant while he tried to cut her ankles with the knife. After several kicks, she finally ran out of the restroom, heading toward the kitchen area of the restaurant. While she was running for her life toward the back of the establishment, two more aggressors came running behind her. She looked back while she panicked when she finally made to the back alley of the restaurant, looking in both directions, she immediately began running down the alley toward the main street. While she ran at a high speed, the two aggressors were on pursuit. One of them pulled out a revolver and instantaneously started shooting rounds in her direction.
While the bullets were flying in her direction, ricocheting off objects in her immediate range, she was careful to make sure she was dodging them. When she glanced back to ascertain if the unknown aggressors were still in pursuit, she came upon an open man-hole that lead under the city into the sewerage system. She had to make a judicious decision and she had to do it right now, while the aggressors were gaining on her. She closed her eyes and covered her nose while she just leaped into the open man-hole, unawares to whom or what may have been in the murky and foul-smelling shaft. The darkness consumed her as she fell about three feet into the shaft and then tumbled for a few seconds. When she finally reached the bottom, the ground was moist with wastewater and human feces all around the soil, with an intense odor that just lingered all around the entire shaft. She glanced up and now noticing that there was a ladder that she could have used as she stood and continued to make her escape.
While she was forging her way through the clammy poorly lit tunnel, about five feet from where she entered into the shaft, she immediately heard footsteps of someone climbing down the ladder in pursuit. The tunnel was chilly and extremely moist while Renita continued to waddle through the malodourous sewage that now covered her feet. She was desperately trying to find a way to escape the possibility of being captured or possibly murdered as she tried to stay unruffled.
As she continued to scuttle through the water, she could constantly hear the footsteps of her assailants while they trapped through the dirty water on her trail. She continued to be petrified, while she tried to come up with an idea to get them off her tail. As she continued to go forth on her getaway, she soon spotted what literarily seemed to light at the end of the tunnel, which made her extremely ecstatic.
While continuing to go toward that light she thought, “If I could just get there to that opening…I think I can get away from them…”
She right away realized that the only way for her to truly stop their pursuit was to set up some type of diversion and she had to only one chance to make it work. As she continued going in the direction of the light she noticed that there were several crates and supplies on the side of tunnel where some construction was taking place near where another open manhole was located. She ran up to one of the crates, looking and searching for something to use to deter their pursuit.
She immediately noticed a heavy rope that was just sitting on one of the crates. She smiled while she grabbed it and then she noticed that on the other side of the crates was a deep opening that possibly leads to a system of underground piping in the ground.
Seeing this gave her an idea. She hurriedly began to tie one end of the long rope around one of the crates on the side of the tunnel and then wrapped the other end of the rope around a column that was in the middle of t
he small tunnel. She extended the rope around a column that was seated on the opposite side of the tunnel to an area where she could hide behind several more crates while she waited for her aggressors to come in her direction. Now the trap was set while suddenly the two assailants came rushing down the corridor unawares that the rope was in their path. Abruptly they both tripped over the rope, which made one of the assailant falls into the hole over the crate, but the other one fell just short of the opening. While the aggressor was still trying to hold on not fall into the hole, Renita immediately made her way over toward the assailant and commenced to kicking him with all her might. She kicked him in his side several times, making him fold himself into a ball. While she continued to kick him, he was able to grab her foot but it made him slip into the hole while dragging her with him. While she slid into the hole, she quickly grabbed the rope, which held her but unfortunately for him because he fell in after her but still tried to hold onto her foot.
She was now struggling to hold up their weight while the assailant spoke in a quite tone, “I’m not gonna let you get away so you should just let go…”
She frowned while she looked at him when she responded, “You gonna let go…let go NOW!”
She kicked the assailant square in his face, which caused him to release his grip of her foot making him fall into the extremely deep-rooted abyss. She shrieked slightly while it took every bit of all her strength to pull herself up out of the hole with the rope. When she got out of the hole, she just laid there in the entire human gunk that was scattered all over the ground. After a few minutes, she finally stood and immediately began to climb up the ladder that led to the street. While she made her way up the ladder she thought, “I’ve got to get to Watanabe…I’ve got to tell her what’s going on…she’ll understand…she has too.”
21
Congressman Whetstone had just concluded briefing the media during his special press conference when Jake Towson strolled into the room. He waited diligently while Whetstone slowly came down from the podium and strolled through the many reporters and photojournalist that sought more answers to their questions. Finally Whetstone approached Towson when he immediately began to speak with him, “Thom…there is something that I think you should consider…now before you make a drastic decision…listen to me okay.”
The Congressman shook his head in the affirmative while they continued to amble out of the pressroom toward the exit of the building. While they made their way out of the building, Mrs. Whetstone was standing by his waiting limousine. Thom was in complete shock while he hurriedly made his way toward his wife. When he finally reached her, he immediately tried to hug her. Instead of her receiving his hug, she stepped to the left with a frown on her face and slapped him as hard as she could on the right side of his face. As soon as she did that, the media went into an uncontrollable frenzy, instantaneously snapping several photos the Whetstones. She screamed while she strolled away with several paparazzi in pursuit.
The remaining reporters and photojournalist commenced to soliciting several more questions concerning the recent incident while Jake just shoved Whetstone into the waiting limousine. Immediately the vehicle began to roll out of the parking lot while Whetstone now furious spoke, “Why did she have to do that…why did she have to do that shit now in the public?”
Jake Immediately responded, “She’s using this to get out…she’s always wanted out Thom.”
Thom sighed while he answered, “Well…this is gonna really make my re-election bid go away fast…”
“Not necessarily…I know a way you can get this behind you…but you’ve got to listen to me…we can get through this.”
“How can you recuperate my political career from this… there was a murder in my villa and my wife wants a divorce…I’m ruin.”
Jake smiled while he looked out the window of the limousine and then he turned and faced him while he responded, “Meet with her…”
Thom looked dumbfounded when he responded, “Meet with whom…oh I get it…you want me to meet with Lucas…are you fuckin’ serious man?”
“She’s the only one who can fix this shit for you Thom…you’ve got to let your pride go away on this one…all you have to do is vote her way on a few issues, maybe cut her in on some of the Middle-Eastern scam and you’ll home free.”
Thom frowned while he responded to Jake’s statement, “What are you saying man…you want me to give up a lot here…you fuckin’ her or something?”
Jake grinned while he responded, “That’s not the point here…the point is you’ll in desperate need and she’s got the power to get you out of this predicament…what’s more important…you giving up a little paper or you losing everything you’ve worked for and end up with nothing?”
Thom sighed while he sat there contemplating whether he should go through with it or not. He looked out the window of the vehicle while the automobile was now passing the United States Capital building. He gazed at the edifice as if something unadulterated had been taken from his experience working in those chambers than he turned to Jake while he responded, “Set it up…I’ll meet with her on one condition…that she starts this on a clean slate…not to bring up that one business we did back in the early 90s.”
Jake smiled while he responded, “Fine…I’ll let her know right away…trust me you’re making the right choice on this one Thom…if anybody can clean this up Congresswoman Lucas can.”
♣♣♣
In the meantime, across the metropolis, Detectives Briscoe and Arceneaux finally pulled up in front of Renita Arceneaux’s apartment complex. While they get out of their vehicle, just down the street a black Malibu sedan pulls up and parks. Decker, sitting on the passenger side of the Malibu gazes out of the automobile with set of a high-powered binoculars while he spoke to his driver, “You see…I knew they had a lead on something…I need you to find out who lives in this apartment complex and I need a list of names now.”
“Yes Sir…I’m on it right now…”
He continued to observe from a distance while he thought, “I knew the police was trying to keep their nose in this…I’d better make sure I keep Briscoe from finding out what’s up before he fucks everything up!”
While Briscoe and Arceneaux strolled up toward the building he asked, “So what made the Captain change his mind and then put you on this case?”
She grinned while she responded, “I really think that the Mayor and the Police Chief want to solve this case because it will put a feather in both their caps and well expose some of the political cover ups that happen on a regular here in this city. As far as me being on this case…I wanted to get my experience from one of the best…you have an impeccable service record Detective, which means you are the best that this precinct has to offer…”
Briscoe just smiled while the entered the building, making their way toward the elevators. After about two minutes, the elevator doors finally opened, allowing them to enter. Briscoe tried to keep his composure but he couldn’t while observing a full view of Detective Arceneaux’s athletic physique. She was built with her near perfect bootylicious ass and firm medium breast. Although she was wearing a business suit, her clothes fit her extremely well. With her long twisted tresses that lay on her shoulders and her flawless make-up, which was subtle, not overpowering her natural beauty she was an extremely alluring woman.
Slowly stepping out of the elevator, the detectives unhurriedly paced their way down the hall toward the apartment. Briscoe, still preoccupied by the exquisiteness of his partner, reached up to knock on the door but before he could do so, Detective Arceneaux precipitously glanced over toward the door, immediately noticing that it had been forced open. She glimpsed over toward Detective Briscoe gesturing for him to pull out his revolver while she acquired her own. She counted to three before she instantaneously kicked the door open, allowing it to just swing inward while cautiously waited to observe if any wayward intruders would come rushing out at them. Seeing none, she glanced over toward Briscoe who nodded his
head alerting her that he would enter the apartment initially. She nodded her head in the affirmative while she waited for his next movement. Briscoe crept into the apartment gradually, Arceneaux cautiously entered in behind him. After entering in the foyer area of the apartment, slowly making their way toward the middle of the hall, Briscoe sluggishly turned around and signaled for Arceneaux to go toward the kitchen area while he decided to check out the bedroom area down the hall. When Detective Briscoe slowly made his approach toward the bedroom rooms, looking in the first one on the left, he noticed that nothing had been altered. Suddenly, he happened to glance down on the carpeted hall floor and quickly noticed a trail of blood that seemed to be coming from or going into the master bedroom.
When he entered into the master bedroom, he immediately noticed the king size mattress on the bed had been shifted slightly, but what immediately caught his attention was the trail of blood that came from under the bed out toward the hall. He immediately got down on the floor searching under the bed, which he found more blood, but no body. While he continued to search the room, suddenly Arceneaux yelled out for him, “Briscoe…come down here I’ve got something here…”
Briscoe instantaneously exited the master bedroom and immediately rushed toward the kitchen area of the apartment.
When he entered the kitchen area, Arceneaux was inspecting the open window and the shattered glass. A chef’s knife was on the floor next to the window and another small pool of blood was visible just below the window seal. Arceneaux looked at Briscoe while she spoke, “There’s been some type of a struggle or she was being chased out of the apartment. The way the window had been broken it was done from the inside so she must have been on the run from someone…”