The Swap

The order of my stories to read is:

Todd & Melina series, Interludes 1-5, Sperm Wars series, Russian Roulette series, Case of the Murdered Lovers series, Case of the Murdered Chessplayer series, Case of the Executed Evangelist series.

The Swap series.

Feedback and

constructive

criticism is very much appreciated, and I encourage feedback for ideas.

This story contains graphic scenes, language and actions that might be extremely offensive to some people. These scenes, words and actions are used only for the literary purposes of this story. The author does not condone murder, racial language, violence, rape or violence against women, and any depictions of any of these in this story should not be construed as acceptance of the above.

Part 16 - Burners

At 10:00am Saturday morning I entered the I.T. "Dungeon" in the basement of Police Headquarters. Myron Milton was there, and sitting next to him... very close to him... was Mary Mahoney, the Goth girl that had been in Vice but now was in I.T.

"Did you have a good night last night?" Mary asked, smiling, her eyes boring into mine.

"I sure did." I said. "And it's obvious you two did, also."

"You bet we did." Mary said, her hand caressing Myron's back as he typed. Good! I thought, I'm glad the nerd man Myron's getting laid, and Mary was not a bad looking girl by any means.

"This girl is good." Myron said, obviously impressed with Mary, his comment meaning she was good in more than one way. "She's been writing algorithms I never dreamed about." he added, fooling no one present.

"Well, Mary," I said, "You must be good if you've impressed Myron, here."

"He's impressed me, too, haven't you Miltie?" Mary said, slanting her eyes towards Myron, who was blushing furiously.

Mary looked like a wild and crazy goth girl, but I knew she'd been a good undercover officer in Midtown's Vice department -- despite her efforts to stand out, she seemed to just blend in. I also knew she was fearless, and did not mind saying inappropriate things in the presence of the ol' MCD Lieutenant.

"I call him 'Miltie' because he's equipped like Milton Berle. You know about him, Lieutenant?" she said.

"Yes, I do." I said, smiling. I knew that the late comedian Milton Berle was reputed to have an eleven inch penis; Tanya Perlman had made sure to gift me with that information. Apparently our resident I.T. geek Myron had a surprisingly considerable package, as well. But we needed to get down to the brass tacks of police business, so I said "But I'm more interested in any data that you've found."

"Nothing yet." Myron said. "I've expanded the two names to the seven you gave me, and just can't make any strong connection anywhere. We did find one thing, though... a car was rented in Katherine Wilson's name on the afternoon of the murder." Mary handed me the sheet of paper with that information. "Do you think it means anything?"

"I'll ask the questions, here." I said. I didn't mind Myron asking some questions, but I didn't want him to get

too

nosy and thus be biased in his information searches. "I don't want you to get biased in your information searches." I told him.

"Roger that." Myron said. "The in-law ladies were at the Ladies Auxiliary dinner at the time of Mr. Warner's murder, and that's a pretty good distance from River Valley Country Club. Furthermore, no rental cars entered or left the Country Club, according to their records. So we don't see any connection there."

"I called the auto shop near that rental place." Mary said. "Karla Warner took her car in for service that afternoon, so it's likely she rented the car. When I asked the desk person if she had come in alone, he said 'yes', then got suspicious as to who I was. So she rented it in her sister's name, but I don't know why."

"Me neither. I'll ask them about it." I said. "Good work. Keep at it." I got up to go, but had a sudden insight and whirled around to them.

"Oh--" I said, "I'm sure you've checked the phone records?"

"First thing." Myron said. "No calls between your persons of interest, no calls to the same places at all."

"I'm not surprised." I said. "But I want you to check on something, to the extent you're able. Can you identify if a phone is a 'burner' phone?"

"Uh yes," Myron said, "but we might have to cross a few lines to do it."

Burner phones were the name of phones that were pre-paid or under phony names. Drug dealers and organized crime figures often used them to conduct their illegal businesses. I recalled how the hit on Anthony Warner was made to look 'professional'.

And Myron's reference to crossing a few lines meant that he'd might have to hack into some computers to get the codes. The Federal Government's NSA was known to be able to tell which phones were which, but they were reluctant to share their information unless a Federal government agency was involved in the investigation... and that wasn't the case here.

"Do it." I told Myron. "My responsibility. Check for burner phones being used at the nearest cell towers of the victims' homes, the victims' places of work, and also the people whose names I gave you. And if the

Federales

inquire about it, say that DynaCorp had contracts with the U.S. military, which is true, and we're just checking for suspects along that angle.

"But can we use that excuse for both murders?" Mary asked as she typed, her fingers flying on the keyboard, an algorithm to search for the information already forming on the screen.

"Absolutely. Just don't mention the other murder. Myron, fill Mary in on what's going on. You're right-- this girl is good." I said as I noted the elegance of her program even as she typed it at lightning speed. Mary smiled at the compliment and kept on typing.

"Great work, guys. Keep it up." I said again, as I walked out.

------------------------------

"Misssss Ross, we have work to do." I hissed as I entered the MCD room. Cindy did not move out of her chair as she drank coffee and read the paper, her feet propped up on her desk. Teresa was using the computer to get some information on a drug perp, and only glanced up at me as she typed.

I called to the Uniformed Officers Desk and requested that Patrolwoman Diana Torres come to MCD. Torres was aware of Cindy's orientation. She came in within a minute, and I spoke to her and Cindy:

"I would like you two to come with me to interview Karla Warner and Katherine Wilson. It's about time we got the truth out of them, the whole truth."

"It would be my pleasure." Cindy said dramatically, matching my own voice and mood as she threw down her paper. "What's the plan?"

As I told them, I noted that Diana's eyes looked excited; she was happy to be part of my investigation. She did not know that if I had my way, she would soon be part of my MCD Detective team...

---------------------------

"Thank you for taking the time to talk to us today." I said. Diana Torres and I were in Katherine Wilson's apartment, a small but adequate one-bedroom floor plan in the district just south of the downtown area, not far from DynaCorp's headquarters. Anthony Warner's administrative assistant, Gayle Roberts, also had an apartment in this gated complex.

"How can we help you?" Katherine Wilson asked. We sat in chairs we had pulled up and the ladies were seated on the sofa opposite us, their black dresses showing off their nice legs, both wearing high heel black pumps. Karla Warner said nothing; her eyes still looked daggers at me after the confrontation over her daughter the day before.

"First, I have to ask this question: now that Mr. Warner has passed away, what is going to happen to the company?" I asked.

"Anthony had 80% of the shares." Katherine replied. "The other 20% belonged to the other board members, in varying amounts. I had about 5%. But upon Anthony's death, his shares were split equally between Karla, myself, Karen and Seth, and I had to give up any other shares I owned."

"So the entire family benefited equally, no one more than another." I said.

"You make it sound like there's something sinister in it." Karla Warner said, her voice icy and accusing.

"By no means, but we have to ascertain who might have had a motive to kill your husband, Mrs. Warner." I replied, unperturbed at her hostility. "In fact, the arrangement Mrs. Wilson has described is much less sinister than if either of you inherited the entire company alone." They did not notice that I had raised my pen up at an odd angle as I spoke. It was a signal.

"By the way... oh, thank you Detective Ross." I said as Cindy came into the room and handed me a folded piece of paper as if it were a note. She looked meaningfully at them, as I had instructed her to. Both women practically jumped out of their skins when they recognized her.

"Ah, I see both of you know Detective Ross." I said enthusiastically. The women looked at her, then they looked at each other... and reacted, their eyes even more uncomfortable.

"Thank you, Miss Ross." As Cindy left the room, Diana Torres took up a position several feet away, just watching. I bored in on the two women.

"Okay ladies," I said. "It's time we get to the truth: are the two of you having a sexual relationship... with each other?"

"Why, you--" Katherine Wilson started, pretending indignation, but was stopped by Karla Warner's hand being placed over hers on her lap.

"It's okay, Katherine." Mrs. Warner said, and I knew that she was smart and cunning enough to know the game I was playing. "Yes, Lieutenant, we are lovers."

"For how long?" I asked.

"Since the time we met, when Anthony introduced us right after he began dating me." Karla Warner replied. "It was love at first sight for both of us, and we have been in a relationship ever since."

"Good enough." I said, trying to keep my voice soft. "Did your husband know of your relationship?"

"If he did," Karla said, "he never said a word to me. I tend to doubt that he knew; he's the kind of man that would've confronted one or the other of us if he found out."

"Did

your

husband know, Mrs. Wilson? Was your relationship with your sister-in-law the reason for your divorce?" I asked, trying to get Katherine to respond instead of acquiescing to the dominant Karla Warner.

"Yes, and no." Katherine said. "My husband was a lying sack of shit, a real dirtbag. He was verbally abusive and an alcoholic. That's why I turned to Karla; she was there for me..." Her hand clutched Karla's and they briefly smiled at each other. "But to answer your question, he called me a dyke a couple of times, so I think he knew."

"Did he ever physically abuse you?" I asked.

"Only once, at the end." Katherine replied. "He slapped me. I ran out and went straight to Anthony and Karla. Anthony took a couple of his workers and went over there. I don't know what happened, but David never came near me again. He ended up leaving town pretty soon after. Anthony got me this apartment the next day, and also called the lawyers to start the divorce proceedings."

"You're not the only one with a crowbar in this Town, Lieutenant." Karla Warner said venomously.

"No doubt about that. Mrs. Wilson, do you think your ex-husband might've come back and killed your brother?" I asked, somewhat brutally.

"I... I don't know." Katherine said.

"Her ex-husband was a weak man." Karla said. "I don't think he had the balls to do something like that. And he's been gone for years. Anthony kept a watch on him for a while when David moved to the City, to make sure he didn't try to come back to Katherine, but he never did... and eventually we lost track of him."

"Thank you, ladies." I said. "I have just a couple more questions: Mrs. Wilson, we have a record of a car being rented by you on the afternoon of the murder. Why did you rent that car?"

"I can answer that." Mrs. Warner said, stepping in very quickly. "My car is in the shop, and we rented that car in order to get around and go to the Ladies Auxiliary dinner for Mrs. York."

"And you did not use Mrs. Wilson's car?" I said.

"Her car was stolen three weeks ago." Karla said. "The insurance company is being damned slow about things, so we haven't gotten her a new one yet."

"I see." I said. I did not need to pursue the matter further, I had seen what I had expected to see: shock on Katherine Wilson's face. She had not known that the rented car was in her name.

"Mrs. Wilson, during the course of our investigation, we have discovered that the reason for the board meeting your brother called was for the purpose of removing you from the Board of DynaCorp. Are you aware of that?"

"I am now." Katherine Wilson said, near tears. "The lawyer... the in-house counsel... called me late yesterday afternoon and informed me that I'd been fired and removed from the Board."

"Sommes?" I asked.

"Yes." Karla Warner replied, her eyes flashing anger. "The bastard didn't even offer condolences over Anthony's death before telling Katherine that. He said Willoughby ordered him to make the call. Needless to say, however, that lawyer is now seeking employment elsewhere. I fired him within ten minutes of hearing what he'd done to Katherine. And I'll deal with Willoughby next."

"I don't blame you a bit." I said, my sentiment very genuine. "Lawyers are totally heartless bastards." The women could not have known I was thinking of my father at that time, though he truly wasn't a heartless man... just a naive and too-trusting man.

"I have just one more question: did either of you know a Robert or Michelle Schelle?" I watched their faces carefully.

"No." said Katherine Wilson, quickly. She was telling the truth, as far as I could tell.

"No, I don't, but I've heard the name... oh, wasn't she killed in her hot tub around the same time my husband was murdered?" Karla Warner said. Her eyes had turned inquiring and suspicious, and she definitely was suspicious of me... but there had been no initial reaction to the mention of their names.

"That is true." I said. "I just wanted to make sure we don't have someone with a reason to have killed both your husband and Mrs. Schelle, but it looks like the deaths are unrelated."

------------------------

"So, ladies, tell me your impressions." I said. We'd driven up to the front office building of the apartment complex and were sitting on benches outside.

"I didn't see too much of it." Cindy replied. "But they reacted when they saw me, and then looked at each other. I don't think either of them knew the other had dated me, but realized it at that moment."

"I agree." I said. "That'll be one conversation-starter between them. Diana?"

"I tried to watch them as you asked me to." the pretty Hispanic policewoman said. "But Mrs. Warner, she's very good at keeping her feelings off of her face. Ms. Wilson, she was an open book, I'd say she looked... very confused the whole time."

"Very good." I said. "I agree with you. Did you notice their reactions when I mentioned the car being rented in Katherine's name?"

"Oh yes." Diana said. "Ms. Wilson had this 'what the hell?' look on her face."

"Exactly." I replied. "That'll be another talking point between them... maybe.

"Think we need to look into Willoughby?" Cindy asked. "He ordered the legal beagle to treat Mrs. Wilson like that, and he was uncooperative with Hugh and Martin the night of the murder. He was at the scene, maybe there's something there?"

"No, not for the murder... though I suspect we'll be hearing Willoughby's name again soon, but it will be from our friends in Vice or from the FBI." I said. "Great job today, ladies. You can head on back. Keep looking into the Schelle case. I want to know everything about Robert Schelle, where he's been the past four months, what he ate for dinner, who he associated with, everything he's purchased with a credit card, and so on."

"Wilco." Cindy replied. "And you?"

"I have one other errand to do around here before I head back." I said.

"Can I ask you a question, Lieutenant?" Diana said. Cindy tried hard to keep her eyes from rolling, not at Diana wanting to ask, but at my response of "Sure, you may

ask

..." as I sat back down.

"Weren't both those women at the Ladies Club event?" Diana asked. "Don't they have an alibi for Mr. Warner's murder? And there appears to be no motive for Mrs. Warner at all. I know you hate alibis, but I don't understand where this was all going..."

"Diana," Cindy interjected before I could respond. "Welcome to Town & County MCD under the direction of Lieutenant Donald--" she said, using my name. "You will find that he often forgets to tell us What. He's. Thinking." She looked at me severely, unafraid of challenging me on this.

"Diana," I said, by way of explanation, "you will also find that I sometimes have 'hair brained' ideas, and I only don't mention them so that you guys won't waste your time trying to prove or disprove them before I have reason to think I may or may not be right. Imagination is a great thing, and I encourage you both to develop yours, but I also have to be careful about things, and about too much theorizing without facts to back me up."

Diana nodded, but I saw Cindy react slightly as I said it, though she had hidden it as well as she could. I now understood the reason of her being called into the Chief's office the day before, and the likely one-way conversation from the Chief at that 'meeting'. That was okay, it was all good.

"But your question is fair, Torres." I said. "And while both women may have alibis that show they were not personally involved in Mr. Warner's murder, I still have not cleared them in my mind of possible involvement."

Part 17 - Afternoon Quickie, Hot Raw Sex!

"It's so nice of you to come, Lieutenant." Gayle Roberts said as I entered her apartment, an exact duplicate of the floor plan of Katherine Wilson's rooms.

"Thank you for having me over." I replied. The sexual tension between us was already there, already tangible. Gayle was wearing an off-white sundress with a flowing skirt and very high heel nude/bone colored sandals with two thin straps over her toes and one very thin strap higher up holding the them in place, the high arches molding to her elegant, shapely feet. Her legs as well as her feet were magnificent, and I felt myself hardening in my pants at the sight of her. She had put on just the right amount of makeup and styled her hair just so; I knew she'd anticipated my visit long before I placed the phone call a couple of hours beforehand.

"My sister took my daughter out shopping, so I'm here alone." Gayle said, a clear signal and invitation for me to seduce her. And I intended to.

"I just have a couple of questions." I said as we sat down on the sofa, very close to each other. Gayle crossed her legs in a way to let her dangling foot caress my lower leg. "Did any of the Warner's know Robert or Michelle Schelle?"

"The name... sounds familiar," Gayle said, "but I don't know why. I don't think Anthony knew them professionally, and I don't remember their names on invitation lists when Anthony or Karla hosted parties."

"The name is probably familiar to you because you heard it on TV." I said. I was disappointed that there had been no link that Gayle could remember, but I intended to assuage my disappointment. My hand was now on her leg, gently massaging her slim thigh through the dress.

"I see." said Gayle. "I hope your next questions are much more...personal." Her eyes were boring into mine and her mouth was slightly open as her hand slid over my shoulder. Our mouths met and pressed together tightly in a hot kiss, our tongue instantly twining and battling.

"Yes..." I whispered, just breaking the kiss, our lips still practically touching. "Deep... probing.. questions..." Our mouths slammed back together as we hungrily made out, our hands feeling each other up, exploring.