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Category: Mystery/Crime
Description: Enjoy solving these four mysteries: Caller ID by Douglas Allan Dean High profile civil rights firebrand, Reverend Gil Tartlot, slumps dead upon his desk. His letter opener is the weapon and his bloody finger (and matching phone keypad) leads researcher Addison Craig, girlfriend Jennifer Lu, and detective Sal DeNunzio to Tarlot's last living act: dialing a phone extension. With more 'un-subs' than the Million Man March, Addison and the NYPD must discover the link between a string of numbers and a killer's identity?before the tri-state area erupts in the streets with 'No Justice, No Peace'. Pimps and Hos by Sherry Chancellor A murder at a Halloween party and a secret identity add up to a mystery for detective Cooper Smith. Can he solve the case with the help of sexy coroner, Angelique? The Investment Club by Catherine A. Winn The Ladies from the Piney Creek Investment Club invest in men and marriage instead of stocks, but if a divorce is imminent and he won't cooperate, then murder is often more gratifying and lucrative. Man in the Moon by Terry Campbell Grace Martin has finally found her man. But, why does he have to be a corpse, sitting nude in her friend's country outhouse? Worse, "Charlie" can't seem to stay put or in the same condition. The FBI isn't very forthcoming with information, but they're more than ready to take Charlie off Grace's and Darlene's hands and dredge Darlene's pond. Just what secret is Charlie hiding?
eBook Publisher: L&L Dreamspell/L&L Dreamspell, 2010 Spring, Texas
eBookwise Release Date: November 2010

Available eBook Formats: OEBFF Format (IMP) [92 KB]
Words: 18828
Reading time: 53-75 min.

Angelique giggled as she got dressed for the Pimps and Hos party at the Psychic Lemur bar. She tweaked the black wig she wore and spiked the hair a little higher. The torn fishnet stockings she sported were bright pink. She slid on the black patent thigh high boots, turned to Marcia and said, "What do you think? More cleavage?"

Marcia, in a red leather mini skirt and corset, said, "Yeah. Yank that one side down a bit more. Hang your boobs out a bit. You got 'em, show 'em off." She looked down at her own chest and added, "Mine look like grapes next to yours."

"Shut up. You look great. Besides, some men like their hos with just a mouthful."

"Beast," Marcia punched Angelique in the shoulder. "Hurry up with those fake eyelashes. The party is probably in full swing by now. I'm ready to get there and land me a pimp."

Angelique winked. "A real one? For the lawyer?"

"Haha. Very funny. Just how many medical examiners do you think will be there looking to score?"

"Besides me?"

"Yeah. Besides you."

"Since I know all of them in this town, I'd say one. Me. The rest are dull. No imagination."

"And you're full of that, right?"

"Sure am." She jumped up, grabbed her coat and keys, and they left her apartment.

The party at the Psychic Lemur was hopping. The club catered to the young professional crowd and the owner wanted to shake things up a bit for the Halloween celebration. She was a palm reader on the side which not many of the bar clientele knew. Her little shop where she plied that trade was in the part of town where the real whores and pimps hung out. None of the normal customers of the club would've been caught dead in that part of town. Unless they were on the prowl, that is.

Angelique and Marcia joined their friends at their usual table. Most of them were attorneys at the same firm where Marcia worked or others in the legal community. There were five others already at the table, Andrew, Martin, Stephen, Karen, and Renee. As they arrived at the table, Marcia said, "You all look awesome. Especially you, Stephen. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were the real thing."

Stephen stared at her for a second, frowned, and said, "what would you, a good girl, know about how a real pimp looks?"

Marcia shrugged her shoulders. "Dunno. Never been to that part of town. But come dance with me. Show me your moves."

Stephen grabbed her hand and they headed to the dance floor.

Angelique sat down and ordered her favorite drink, a gin and tonic with a slice of lemon, not lime. The waitress left to fill the orders. As she left the table, Andrew grabbed Angelique by the elbow. "Dance with me."

As they danced, Angelique watched all the other dancers, sizing up the competition for the costume contest. The contest was in an hour and she hoped to win it. Marcia was still dancing with Stephen and the others remained at the table, quaffing beer.

In a few minutes, Martin cut in on the dance and a slow song came on. He grabbed Angelique by the waist and pulled her closer, "You look very appetizing, Ms. Coroner. Not quite how you look in the courtroom testifying. From this moment, I'll never look at you the same..."

A shrill scream interrupted Martin's words. "Oh, God. She's dead. She's dead."

Instantly on duty, Angelique rushed over to the woman that had screamed. "What's wrong? Who's dead?"

The woman just pointed at the the back room where blood seeped out from under the door. Angelique said, "That could just be props for the party. What makes you think someone is dead?"

The woman said, "I work here. There was no plan for any fake blood on the floor. The boss is in there. She went in a few minutes ago to get some money from the safe. There was no blood then." She put her hand over her mouth and shook.

Angelique looked at the woman's name tag, grabbed her arm and said, "Nancy, if you think this is a crime scene, call the police. I'm with the coroner's office." Angelique tried the door. It was unlocked. "I'll check it out. Wait there." She went in and there was a body on the floor. Angelique recognized her as the owner. She knelt down and felt for a pulse although from the amount of blood, she could tell the woman had already bled out. She turned back toward the door and called out, "Call the police and ask them to come with the morgue van."

She left the room and closed the door behind her to wait for the first responders. She knew that the evidence needed to be preserved from contamination.

As Angelique stood by, the employee pulled out her cell phone and called the police.

When the first patrol officer came in, he stared at Angelique. "Wow. If I didn't know better, I'd think our medical examiner was a lady of the evening."

"Gus. You know it. I am a lady of the evening. You guys always call me in the middle of the night to come check out dead bodies. Might as well dress the part."

"Funny. You already go in and see what's what?"

"Yes."

He looked her up and down. "You're either gonna fall all the way out of that top, or the skirt is gonna ride the rest of the way up when you stoop to look at the body. And all I can do is offer a thankful prayer to God that I'm gonna be here to see it. Either way, I die happy."

"Can it, Gus." She smiled despite herself.

Within ten minutes, the bar had been cleared except for Angelique and the officers. The other party goers waited outside for questioning by the patrol officers called to the scene. The body of the owner sprawled inside the office with the door of the safe open. The blood appeared to come from everywhere, the stomach of the victim, the chest, and the arms. It had not congealed and the body was still warm.

The first detective on the scene stalked over to where Angelique stood. "What's this..." His expression curdled, as if he'd bitten into a lemon. "...Lady doing here contaminating my crime scene..."

She interrupted, "I'll have you know, I'm--"

He cut her off. "I don't care if you're the Pope, get off my crime scene."

Gus said, "Uh, Coop, this is--"

"What? This is a mess? And you've let in some hooker?"

"Uh. No. This lady is the County Medical Examiner. Her name is--"

The detective looked her up and down and sneered. "You expect me to believe this...person is a county official? Dressed like that?"

She pulled herself up, haughty. "I certainly am the County Medical Examiner. I see you got your promotion from some type of family connection and not your own merit."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"You obviously can't read. The sign outside says this is a Pimps and Hos party. I was merely here as a patron when it seems the owner went and got herself murdered. I didn't think I needed to take the time to go home and dress for what some jackass homicide dick new to town thinks is appropriate attire for a coroner. Let me assure you that once I have that poor soul in my morgue, I'll put on a proper lab coat. Enough to satisfy even an ass such as you."

He stared down at his shoes then glanced back up to her. "Sorry. Just a little stressed. First day on the job and haven't even unpacked yet."

"You need to work on your people skills. Mr..."

"Uh, sorry. I'm Cooper Smith. Go by Coop."

She held her hand out, "I'm Angelique Wilford. County Medical Examiner. But you knew that, right?" She smiled.