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2021-08-08 17:24:27He walked into the alley to relieve himself on the way to the car.
No way was he going back to that restaurant. As he zipped his pants up, turned, and walked back to the alleyway opening, he felt a searing pain on his body. Turning, he saw a flash and stumbled backward out of the alley. A faint scream was heard by him before death claimed him.
He died before he hit the ground. Not many people were around to see him die except for the set of friends out for a walk. Those two would and could always find trouble even if they were sleeping on a trip for vacation-and have. Both Steve and Abdul thought their respective wife and significant other would be safe-they had just had babies. What could happen when out for a walk with their daughters?
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Murder in the Alley Chapter One-Early Evening
Marisol and Leisia were out doing their early evening walk with their daughters, Mayra and Reyna. It was a nightly occurrence in late spring and all throughout summer. It stopped when the weather got cold in the fall. This would be their last evening walk into downtown. The two women were talking quietly to each other. Dressed identically in flare blue jeans and sweaters with tennis shoes, the two carried diaper bags and purses. Each had an infant asleep in a stroller. Marisol said, "Thank God Mayra finally dozed off." Leisia laughed, "Reyna too. I think they are on the same timetable. I told Nikki that. You know what she said, 'In seven months-time that be me'. " Marisol smirked," I told you she was preggers, but did you listen…No!" "Well," I said, "it's ten times harder now school, work, and a baby. Nikki said I know but I can handle it. I told her I hope so." "Leisia, you worry too much." Then, they walked in silence as they passed
Murder in the Alley Chapter Two-Gathering Information
Beautiful sunny day, not a cloud in sight as Marisol and Mayra gazed outside their window seat in the living room. Mayra's personality was showing more. Mayra smiled when she heard Mommy or Daddy, Abdul. She smiled when she heard you say Grandma and frown if she doesn't see Grandma. As Marisol held Mayra up so she could look out the window, the phone rang. She sat her daughter down on the sofa and went to answer the telephone. On the third ring, she answered. "Hello?" "Hey, girl. It's Nikki and I want to come over. We, Leisia and I, have the day off because the boss man hired someone new. Is it okay?" "Sure girl. Mayra and I would love company. We could sit out on the porch and have tea and scones." Says Marisol. Leisia jumped into the conversation and said, "Good. Listen, Nikki has been reading up on the murder. She wanted to tell you some information-think she told the police or Steve." "Oh well okay okay." They both said goodbye and hung up
Murder in the Alley Chapter Three-Investigatory Hubris
Abdul comes home and he's angry at John because John didn't pay him his royalties for the song, they had released a year ago. He was on the phone yelling when he walked into the house. He said, "Look John I am home, and Marisol is waiting for dinner." “Hey, sweet pea”, says Abdul as he picks up Mayra. She bounces up and down as he holds her. Today she found his nose. Daddy said, "Don't pick my nose, Mayra." Marisol, said, "She's too young. Keep repeating it.” "You fed her?" asked Abdul. "Yes," said Marisol. As they sat down to eat, Abdul observed Marisol. She looked drained. He knew she was worried about how they were going to make it. He'd lost another job and no royalties had been paid. Bills were piling up. He looked down as his eyes filled with tears. All his hard work was for nothing. His mother would have been proud of him. Bought a house for his family which he paid for without too much assistance. Maintained for a year but now his past
Murder in the Alley Chapter Four-the Lodger
The three women met up after Nikki’s ultrasound that morning for Starbucks, in Linden at Aviation Plaza. Nikki ordered a venti Vanilla Crème hot. Leisia ordered a venti Café Americano hot. And Marisol ordered venti Vanilla Chai tea. The babies were with the babysitter. After paying for their order, they decided to sit at an inside table until their orders were filled; then go outside to sit at their favorite spot. They had to drive to it but today the girls changed their mind and went to sit on the car top. Leisia spoke up saying, “A couple of months back in the end of November, the lodger, as Mr. Sessions was called, had a package delivered right before he left. When asked if he wanted it stored, Mr. Sessions said no. But a strange thing happened before it was delivered. I told him, ‘A call came through to verify his location. The man on the phone said needed to verify the room number but he wouldn’t give the company information.’ So,
Murder in the Alley Chapter Five-Forensics
The next morning Leisia had let the police complete a forensics investigation in the room. The lodger, Mr. Sessions, lived with a woman and a child. She had come a few months prior to his death to live with him bringing a child. No one knew who she was. Plus no one asked as well. When the police came to his hotel room after identifying his body she wasn’t there. The front desk had seen her leave the room prior with the baby. She had called a cab and it was waiting for her outside the front of the hotel. There was a baby bag, her purse, and an older woman. All got into the vehicle and drove off.The hotel management was not happy to let them in. The manager said to the officer, “I run a clean establishment now. Too many cops after the last one. That girl we got working here- not one lick of trouble out of her. She is in school and finished. Going to night school but virtually. Says she knows to
Murder in the Alley Chapter Six: M.E. Office
The body of the lodger as he was called was brought in and placed in the morgue waiting to be autopsied. The police gave Sandy the bag which carried his personal effects. She shook her head and sighed, saying to the dead man, “Not sure why you were murdered but we are definitely going to find out what happened.” Quickly going over the notes from the crime scene, she notes that in the bag was his wallet. Spying his driver’s license, she got his full name: Mr. Leonard Sessions. He was 45 years old and not in bad shape. Inside his wallet, she found money in the amount of $1,000.00. His credit cards were also intact. Also contained in the plastic evidence bag were a cellular phone-the latest model Samsung S-series and an awfully expensive coat. Prior to moving on, she attempted to take fingerprints off the coat, wallet, driver’s license, credit card, and cellular phone. She would match them with the fingerprints if any were on the corpse. The process was slow and painstaking as she want
Murder in the Alley Chapter Seven-Storage Locker
Sitting in the police station, Steve got a phone call from one of the investigators on the scene. He had been going through the papers and receipts found in the hotel room. The man kept meticulous records-no one could deny that. His receipts were ordered by date into separate folders for mileage and gas, credit cards, dinners for business, dinners for pleasure, baby clothes, doctor's visits, telephone, and cellular bills, internet, and hotspot fees, plus hotel room charges and extras. Listening to the other officer explain why he called he found that there was a storage facility that Mr. Sessions used might have some property there. Asking with curiosity, “Why is it that the storage facility is that much of interest?” of the officer on the phone Steve was given this response, “Because of his family being left at the hotel with no means of support. So, get on out there. “Shaking his head and muttering to himself who’s the detective here? Since Steve ha
Murder in the Alley Chapter Eight-Red Herring
After he left, Steve went back to the precinct and sat down at his desk. His partner was out on sick leave. Thinking to himself Steve couldn’t believe it- that man was sick all the time with the newborn baby. They kept swapping the cold. But he was a single dad. So, Steve cut him some slack. Hell of a way to start a new life- lost his wife in childbirth but gained a strapping baby boy. He didn’t like anybody but his Daddy, since his mother died in childbirth. Leaning back, he went over what he had mentally to do in his head and decided to tackle two items first. Picking up the telephone, he called Leisia. Drumming his pen on the desktop he waited impatiently for her to pick up the phone and reflexively checked his watch. Then he breathed a sigh of relief, Reyna would be deep in her slumber for her nap. Still waiting and getting impatient, he started to paw through his notes until he hit on the one, he had written prio
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Chapter Twenty-Nine: Closing In
Finally, they got the killer of the Lodger. It was in the evidence and in the footage surrounding the convenience store. No one could find a reason for the murder. No robbery, no fight and no immediate phone call that caused him to do something rash before the murder. His wife stated that he was gone on business a lot. So, nothing stood out.Steve found it after Leisia showed him a receipt. It was the day of the murder. But not at the usual place. He actually had just bought food at the restaurant that Marisol breastfed her baby on the date the body was found in the alley. It was enough for two. He had planned to go to his wife.So, Steven and another officer went back to the restaurant to speak to the owner. He said they had an employee let go that day. He was let go for stealing guests’ personal and banking information. He had apparently been running a scam using their credit cards that he got from when they paid their bill. But as far as he knew the guy hadn&r
- Murder in the Alley
Chapter Twenty-Seven Mind-bending Run Down
Only one person stood out besides Noorhan, the owner of the Shell/7Eleven Gas Convenience store stop. Only one not Indian owned, The Lodger always went to that Shell for gas, food and to stock up on junk food. None of the other stores had seen him. All his receipts were from that store. The owner never knew where he came from either. Just that one time he came in and was distracted, upset. But he didn’t remember what the cause was. However, he was kind enough to let them look through the old footage of security for the week of the murder. The police also had that and now Leisia and Steve were looking through it. Since the two weren’t at the police station, Steve was more relaxed both in dress and in manner. Laughing to himself, he couldn’t believe what they thought of him at the station, considering he was the more relaxed of the two. At least he thought so. When needed he would wear a tie, but it was not his idea of comfortability. Not only could he wear sweatpants and swea
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Chapter Twenty-Six Clue 4 Me
Leisia said “notice everything is set in fours. Four days on three days off. Four days on the computer, phones, running down any lead. Three days outside surveillance.” She shows receipts for the corresponding dates. Leisia gets a paper and records down the date and time on the paper. She says to Steve, “Hey look. If we follow those, trace his steps then maybe we find the killer.”Steve laughs and said, “I knew I dated you for a reason. You see what we have been looking at for weeks. We had thought the same thing, but our captain told us to look at it from a different angle until we had to. Without robbery or a motive, he was going to rule it a murder that was an opportunity. And then put it in the unsolved box.” Stopping he indicated the box of reports and investigations they were also going through.“Don’t let him, Steve. There is an answer here. I feel it.” Says Leisia. The two continued looking but t
- Murder in the Alley
Chapter Twenty-five: Helping Her Man
Rushing into the exam room she caught her daughter who upon seeing her mother forgot she was trying to get down off the table. She caught her just in time. Scolding her now happy and teary daughter she said to her in soft tones that mommy was right there. And why did she feel the need to get off the table? Does not she know bot mommy and daddy would be devastated if something happened to her? Her daughter just smiled a watery smile and settled into her mom’s arms. Turning around the doctor started to laugh. “I didn’t hear her this time. I think she caught on to the fact I was listening to her get off the table.” He spoke. “Now, let us all get to the exam. Please fill out this questionnaire for me. I will wait.” And he left the room to allow her time to do so. When he returned both were sitting quietly waiting. Reyna put her pacifier in her mouth. Reading it over he said good. Pulling up his computer screen he asked her a few more questions and then explained to
- Murder in the Alley
Chapter Twenty-Four- Another Dead End
Talking to the family was his least favorite part of being a cop. He would much rather do something other than talk to the family. But it is his job.Sitting at the office will not help. So, he went to talk to Leisia about the case and he fed Reyna. He took his file home with him. At midnight he had to go back to the precinct. He had a night shift. Leisia got asked by Steve, “Are you going to the precinct?”She responded, “Not really planning on it. Unless you want me to?”Steve said, “No. Well, come then with coffee at seven in the morning. Oh, and breakfast. I can eat with you and Reyna.”“No Steve. I have plans with Reyna. We are doing a doctor’s visit, aren’t we?” Reyna passed gas and smiled. A toothless grin. “So, I say goodbye until later.” After Steve left, Reyna got fussy. So, she laid her down to sleep and knocked out herself right after.Leisia starts to dream a
- Murder in the Alley
Chapter Twenty-Three Baby why don’t you sleep?
Abdul and Marisol were watching television when the telephone call came. Ring, ring went the telephone. After several rings, Marisol got to the telephone and answered,“Hello. Who is this?”The unknown voice on the telephone said, “Is this the residence of Marisol?”Hesitating because the caller didn’t say her last night, she finally responded realizing he wasn’t going to give her the last name by saying, “Yes this is she. May I ask who is calling?”The unknown caller responded, “Who it is doesn’t matter. What I say does matter. Do not go looking too deep into the death by the restaurant downtown. You will be hurt and so will your friends and loved ones. Do not go looking any further.” Then the phone hung up.Looking shaken she walked back to where Abdul was. Sitting down rubbing her arms, she then wrapped them around him and held very tight.
- Murder in the Alley
Chapter Twenty-two Dinner dates
Mike got to the hotel before Steve did. He didn’t drive home. He just wanted to get Nikki to pick her up and take her to his home. Since the cleaning lady’s day was the date of their actual sleep in as their dates were called, he had a beautifully clean house with a gourmet cooked meal designed to last him two to three days. With a pregnant Nikki, it should last one day and a half. Driving up into the parking lot he parked and jumped out excited to see Nikki and feel their baby bump. But when he got to the front desk, his pregnant girlfriend was absent. Deciding to wait for her, he picked up a new magazine from behind the counter from her stash and sat on the ugly hotel chair to wait. After half an hour passed, he got concerned. Checking his watch, he knew quitting time for her was about an hour away. Sighing he went to knock on her door and heard someone retching inside. Shouldering the door open he looked ar
- Murder in the Alley
Chapter Twenty-One-Murder on my Mind
Wait. The Lodger moved into the hotel after he left the residency at the hospital. No one saw the wife or the son. They had a house in the suburb. Checking out the house, Steve finds it's still in the family. The house itself was an imposing structure. Three stories tall with three entrances. None of the entrances shaped exactly the same. Steve finally recognized it as one of the homes featured in Homes and Gardens Magazine. The issue was dedicated to beautiful houses made by famous architects. The Sessions house fit the bill. As he drove up, he noticed the two gargoyle dogs guarding the entrance. He cracked a smile as he drove through. But his partner didn’t even blink. He thought she, Amy, was scared out of her wits. Sparing a glance for her as they waited at the entrance after using the knocker that looked suspiciously like tits and ass (note to self-Leisia and him haven’t had sex in a while. Time to find a babysitter.) Not wan
- Murder in the Alley
Chapter Twenty-Back to the scene of the crime with Mommy on my mind
After returning to the station the two sat in morose silence sipping the nasty station coffee, they got on the way into their desk. Sipping his coffee Mike finally just said under his breath, “Dammit!” Standing up and quickly walking away he went to the front of the station to have a smoke. Startled at his friend’s and coworker’s abrupt departure, Steve looked up and watched with concern as Mike’s legs ate up the distance to the front door. Then he slammed it on his way out to have his smoke. Something was bothering him even he knew that. Mike only went to smoke when he was bothered by a problem.Yep, they had a problem- because when he came back in- he quickly said to Steve, “don’t ask.”Shrugging then Steve said, “All right, I won’t ask. But can we go over what we were told at lunch in light of what we know?”“Aaagh. All right. Here is my pro