All Chapters of Murder in the Alley: Chapter 21 - Chapter 29
29 chapters
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
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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
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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
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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. 
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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
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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
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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
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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-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
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