A Study In Murder

?After Mark had left with DeStadler, I stormed around the apartment, fighting the urge to break something, as nothing there was mine to break.

?I finally calmed down by lying down on Mark’s bed. Okay, I admit it, I put his pillow to my face and inhaled his scent. That totally relaxed my need to break something and excited my other desires.

?I finally got out of the bed before I took advantage of myself, and had more coffee.

?For the last ten minutes, I had been staring at my phone, and all but jumped out of my skin when it rang.

?The display announced: Uncle Louie.

?With a far too girly squeal, I hit the button. “Yes, yes, is Mark free?”

?My mind was filled with visions of getting him here and having my way with him, whether he agreed to be ravished or not.

?I had a feeling he’d be very willing.

?“Hey, sweetie,” Louie’s voice came over my phone. “We ran into a snag.”

?I had to admit, I showed remarkable restraint and did not scream like a banshee and throw the phone across the room in a tornado of frustration.

?“What?” I groaned.

?“Apparently, they found this Jon Kane character.”

?“Doesn’t that help Mark?” I whined.

?“No. He was found at the bottom of the fire escape beaten to death with Mark’s bat.”

?I found I stood up and walked over to the sofa, where Mark had the bat when I went to bed last night. Of course, it wasn’t there.

?“What can we do?” I said breathlessly.

?“Well, Mark’s being held based on the idea that he spent the entire night alone,” Louie said.

?I thought for a moment. “What if he wasn’t alone?”

?“That would change things, sweetie.”

?I slapped the table with my open hand. “Mark was with me.”

?Louie was silent as he considered this. “Are you willing to sign a statement to that effect?”

?“I am. Mark snuck into the bedroom at about midnight and spent the night in bed with me.”

?“Okay! So, this is what I want you to do…”

* * *

?I was grateful I had brought my suitcase to Mark’s place because it gave me the chance to put on my sexy little black dress and a pair of high heels that matched.

?I wasn’t even sure why I packed that particular outfit in the first place. When I headed to the conference, I wasn’t looking to meet anyone. I think perhaps I had planned to wear it to upstage Candy and make Randall’s tongue fall out. But now, I needed it for a situation far more serious than upstaging a rival.

?I took a cab to Louie’s office where a lovely lady, Tina, met me. She was a short woman, a tad overweight, with cropped blonde hair and the look of a librarian, right down to the horn-rimmed glasses.

?She took my statement and typed it up for my signature. Then she had to file paperwork, and I stood ready to defend my man, once all our weapons were in place.

?About an hour later, Tina and I were riding in a cab to the police station.

?“I like your dress,” Tina admitted with admiration.