The Deadly Gamble - An Alexander Steele Murder Mystery

Death on the Delaware - Excerpt

The KYW news radio theme played from her kitchen counter top radio while she put on her red plaid jacket, burgundy scarf with matching ear muffs.

At 6:00 a.m. she donned her knitted gray cap and headed outdoors to take her poodle Gladys for her daily walk along side the Delaware River.  The gray haired retiree had no idea that she would soon feel another chill, one that she would never forget.  As she walked along the frozen dirt path Gladys began to bark.  Mrs. Ferguson looked in the same direction as the little black dog.  Dawn was breaking.  It was difficult to see.  She squinted as she peered towards the water.  Gladys tugged on her lease causing her master to leave the path and tread closer to the river.

Mrs. Ferguson caught a glimpse of something floating in the murky water.  An old rotten log she though.  The elderly woman’s curiosity had gotten the better of her.  She inched closer to get a better look.   Seconds later Mrs. Ferguson screamed so loud she could have woke up the dead……….well almost. 

Death on the Delaware Chapter One

Death on the Delaware Chapter One

An Alexander Steele Murder Mystery

By Larry J.

February in Philly is always cold, but the polar vortex had made it colder than usual.  The bone chilling deep freeze didn’t deter Mrs. Ferguson from her morning routine. 

The KYW news radio theme played from her kitchen counter top radio while she put on her red plaid jacket, burgundy scarf with matching ear muffs.

At 6:00 a.m. she donned her knitted gray cap and headed outdoors to take her poodle Gladys for her daily walk along side the Delaware River.  The gray haired retiree had no idea that she would soon feel another chill, one that she would never forget.  As she walked along the frozen dirt path Gladys began to bark.  Mrs. Ferguson looked in the same direction as the little black dog.  Dawn was breaking.  It was difficult to see.  She squinted as she peered towards the water.  Gladys tugged on her lease causing her master to leave the path and tread closer to the river.

Mrs. Ferguson caught a glimpse of something floating in the murky water.  An old rotten log she though.  The elderly woman’s curiosity

had gotten the better of her.  She inched closer to get a better look.   Seconds later Mrs. Ferguson screamed so loud she could have woke up the dead……….well almost.

Twenty minutes later two officers in a police boat fished the lifeless body out of the Delaware.  It was clear from their expressions that this was no ordinary corpse.  Anyone who followed politics or has watched the local news would have instantly recognized that face.  The body fished out of the river was none other than Pennsylvania’s controversial congressman Earnest Holloway.   Everyone has skeletons locked away in the closet, but politicos usually find a way to keep them locked away better than most.  Congressman Holloway had more than his fair share of enemies.  His death was sure to reveal more than a few dark nasty secrets.

News of the Congressman’s death spread like wildfire.  Soon reporters from across the country had converged on the banks of the Delaware where his body was discovered. 

Across town Alexander Steele was unaware of the Congressman’s demise.  His dilemma was of the domestic nature.  After loosing a bet to his girlfriend Shakia Steele had just finished whipping up breakfast for two consisting of shrimp and grits with waffles and coffee.  Shakia smiled as she took her seat at the table.  Still in her green night gown Shakia examined the food.  “Very good Alex, I always knew you were good with your hands.  I should bet you more often.  After breakfast you can make good on the second half of your bet.”  Steele was about to speak when the doorbell rang.  It was 8:45 a.m. on a Friday morning.  Normally Alexander Steele would be at his night club.  Steele tightened up the belt on his tan robe as he walked to the door.  Shakia was even more surprised when Steele opened the door and saw her sister standing in the doorway.  Shakia got up from the table at her sister entered the living room “Naomi what are you doing here?  Is Mom alright?  Is everything okay?”  Shakia rushed over and gave her younger sister a warm hug.  “Mom’s fine, everyone is fine.  How have you two been?”  Steele looked at Shakia then turned to Naomi as she gently rubbed Steel’s shoulder, we’re great.  What brings you to our neck of the woods?  Aren’t you supposed to be in DC?  Naomi looked puzzled.  Haven’t you guys been watching the news?  Steele picked up the remote from the sofa and turned to MSNBC.  Naomi was too impatient to wait so she just blurted it out.   Congressman Holloway has been murdered.  She gestured to the TV. They pulled him out the river a couple of hours ago.  The three stood in the living floor as they watched the footage of the Congressman’s lifeless body being pulled onto the boat like fisherman hauling in a large tuna.  Shakia put her hand to her mouth; oh that’s terrible who would do such a thing?  Steele snickered, ha, really, take your pick.  That guy had more enemies that Saddam Hussein.  Naomi turned from the TV to Steele.  Alex can I talk to you for a minute …….alone?  Shakia perked up when she heard the words alone.  “Well that’s not the least bit suspicious at all sis.  What do you have to say to him that you don’t want me to hear?  Realizing that it was a bad move Naomi conceded the point and agreed to include her sister in the conversation.  The three sat on the couch and Naomi began making her pitch.  You guys know that I am the Senator’s assistant.  Well you probably also know that Congressman Holloway is; well was changeling my boss for his senate seat in November.  That’s gonna move him to the top of the suspect list.  This is going to be a distraction to my boss Senator Green so he wants to hire you to find out who murdered the Congressman. 

The Senator had a fundraiser diner at the Four Season Hotel last night that is why I am in town.  After dinner he drove back to Washington.  There is no way he could have murdered the Congressman.

Shakia tapped Steele on the arm and tilted her head toward the kitchen.  “Alex can I see you in the kitchen for a minute” Naomi seemed even more nervous than before.  She strained to hear what was being said in the kitchen but could only hear whispers.  Shakia was beside herself.  Alex, she’s lying.  I could always tell.  When she was 9 she broke a saucer in Mom’s china closet and glued it back together without saying a word.  I almost got blamed but my parents knew that whenever she wiggled or tapped her foot she was hiding something.  It’s a dead giveaway.  Steele was about to confront Shakia’s sister when her cell phone rang.   Naomi reached inside her right coat pocket and pulled out a black cell phone but didn’t brother to look at the number, she simple turned the ringer off.  Steele stroked the ends of his mustache and sat next to his girlfriend.  “That was the Senator wasn’t it?” Naomi glanced down at her phone. “Yes, how did you know?” Steele smiled, “that’s a $20.00 phone.  A woman in your position, your salary wouldn’t rely on a cheap phone like that.  I’m sure your other phone is somewhere inside your handbag.  My guess is he’s the only one who has that number that’s why you didn’t brother to look to see who the caller was.  If I were a betting man, Steele paused long enough to look over at Shakia; I would say that you and the Senator are having an affair.  That’s why you were so sure he didn’t commit the murder.  You two spent the night at the hotel together.  How am I doing so far?”  Shakia shook her head and sighed as she starred at her sister, “Lord Jesus what have you done.  That’s why you didn’t want me in the room when you and Alex talked.  Please tell me it’s not true. 

“Shakia it’s not what you think.  I knew you wouldn’t approve.”  Naomi struggled to find the right words.  After a moment of fidgeting in her seat she held up both hands and blurted out “it’s complicated.  Can we focus on the murder for now?  I promise I will explain everything to you once this mess is over.”  Shakia crossed her arms, leaned back on the couch and starred at her sister. 

“You bet your ass we will” 

Steele was equally put out by Shakia’s sister act of deception.  “Naomi, you know me so I’m gonna be blunt.  Tell me everything, no hedging.  If you lie to me again you’re on your own and let’s be clear about one thing.  If the Senator murdered Holloway he’s going down.”

After an apology to Steele and Shakia Naomi began explaining how she rented the hotel suite where the fundraiser was held.  She told Steele that she and the Senator had spent the night together and that he was driving back to Washington because he would have been recognized it he had taken Amtrak. 

Shakia took one look at Steele and knew it didn’t look good for Naomi or the Senator.  “Alex, its bad isn’t it?  Steele shook his head.  “Yes, but it we move fast enough we can keep it from getting worse.”  He asked Naomi who checked out of the hotel.  She explained that the Senator always left first and that she would wait 15 minutes before leaving.  Since the hotel has automatic checkout she just dropped the key off and left.

Steele rushed to the phone and called his friend Stan.  It didn’t take a detective to realize that the voice on the other end of the call was not his best friend/computer hacker.  “Who am I speaking too”  “Oh this is Christine who is this?”  This is Steele, baby I’m in kinda of a rush, can you put Stan on?”   Minutes later a groggy sounding man spoke into the receiver “Steele man do you know what time it is?”  “Yeah it’s time to get your ass up.  It’s after nine.  I need you to get over to the Four Seasons hotel.  I need to know what areas their surveillance cameras monitor.”  Stan yawned into the phone.  “I don’t need to.  I was just there last month.  They only have cameras in the main lobby and all the entrances and exits.”  Steele could hear Christine’s voice in the background “last month, why were you at a hotel last month.  Mr. you got some explaining to do.”  The sleepy voice on the other end spoke again.” Thanks Steele”.  There was a sudden click and the line went dead.

Steele instructed Naomi to contact the Senator.  “Tell him to be honest for a change and tell the truth about him staying at the hotel and when he left.  Just leave out the part about you being there with him.  The surveillance cameras will verify him leaving.  Once they see him leaving the hotel they won’t need to watch the rest of the footage.  They aren’t looking for you so they will assume that he was alone.”  Naomi looked worried, “but he won’t have an alibi Steele.  Staying alone in a hotel in the same city won’t prove his innocence.” 

Steele motioned for her to calm down.  “Baby steps, this is the murder of a Congressman we’re talking about her.  That means a lot of rocks are gonna be turned over and a lot of dirt will come out.  If your boyfriend is driving a government car then it is equipped with a GPS not to mention the Easy Pass monitor that keeps a record of every time he goes through a toll.  We’re not just talking about lying to the local cops; we are talking about the FBI, a grand jury and possibly a judge.  Sooner or later they will want a statement from you but since you are near the bottom of the food chain hopefully that won’t be for a while.  In the meantime you need to lay low.  Stay with your sister until I figure who the killer is.  Naomi looked over at an angry Shakia then back at Steele.  “Do I have too?  Can’t I stay here with you?  Steele laughed and went to get dressed. 

Part Two will be posted Tuesday

Chapter #2  Sex Drugs and Politics 

Want more Alexander Steele

Case of the Death Dealer
Case of the Deadly Ring
Legacy of Death

Alexander Steele Murder Mystery Trilogy
Author Larry J
Available on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Mac.

The Alexander Steele Murder Mystery series consist of the first three short stories set in Philadelphia. Philly native Lawrence Johnson aka Larry J. takes you into Philly's neighborhoods by way of his fictional,suave,detective Alexander Steele. The semi retired PI is the proud owner of the Mount Airy hot spot known as the Inner Sanctum. Steele has a problem. He just can't seem to put his past life of crime solving behind him. A seemly endless stream of new clients come to his club each with tempting new cases for the ever inquisitive private investigator.
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The Deadly Gamble Recap - Official Trailers for Chapters One, Two, Three, Four and Five

The Deadly Gamble Recap

Watch the trailer for each chapter.


The Deadly Gamble Chapter #1

 



The Deadly Gamble Chapter #2

 



The Deadly Gamble Chapter #3

 




The Deadly Gamble Chapter #4

 



The Deadly Gamble Chapter #5

Who is Alexander Steele?

Alexander Steele on Audio Books

Who is Alexander Steele?

Alexander Steele is a fictitious, street savvy, African American detective who grew up on the rough streets of Philly. Forget everything you know about gritty, skirt cashing, chain-smoking, broke detectives of the past. Steele (as his friends like to call him) is a unique breed of detective. When he's in the danger zone Steele fly’s solo but behind the scenes, he often relies on the computer expertise of his best friend/hacker Stan. With Stan’s assistance Steele has solved dozens of cases from Montreal to Mexico.

After years of car chases and matching wits, bullets and verbal jabs with drug kingpins, murderers, and terrorist the thirty-something private investigator is being prodded by his longtime girlfriend to "get out of the business before its too late."

As difficult as it has been the handsome P.I. has stayed true to his choice of committing to a monogamous relationship with interior decorator Shakia. In an attempt trade in his lifestyle of danger for a profession with a much lower causality rate, Steele opened a posh member’s only club in the Mt. Airy section of Philly. It was an unusual choice for a man who doesn't drink or smoke. Steele’s quirky, hefty; childhood friend Sugar Bear is the club manager. Sugar Bear competence as manager has never been an issue but his attraction to astrology and conspiracy theories often annoys Steele.

Shakia’s relief has quickly turned to frustration because the back booth at Steele’s popular club has turned into his new base of operation. Steele is approached by a never-ending stream of potential murder mysteries clients, some too good to pass up. It becomes apparent that his reputation will not die as quickly as the enemies he has put in the local cemeteries. 

The series consist of six short stories and one novel with more n the way. 

Philly detective Alexander Steele is hired to solve a double murder inside a mansion full of suspects. The victims were found inside a shed locked from the inside. The only thing he knows for sure is that the butler didn't do it. 

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Alexander Steele Murder Mystery Excerpts

Excerpt from Death Dealer

Later that morning Steele drove down to North Philly to an area known by the locals as the Badlands to meet Trench in his office hidden behind a restaurant aptly named the Greasy Spoon. It was a bright sunny day outside but it was clear from the grime on the front window that the sun’s attempt to brighten the inside was a lost cause.

From the moment Steele walked in the door it was evident that whoever was
responsible for cleaning the place had taken the last five years off. The dingy red and white sign in the corner read special, 2 eggs, hash browns, and coffee $1.50. Knowing that it was a front for Trench’s illegal activities in the back Steele shook his head as he entered.  He murmured, “They should change the sign to leave your taste buds at the door.”

The half dozen zombie-like patrons didn’t bother to look up when he walked in. The
decor was early seventies with duck taped stools but the balding; cigarette smoking man in front of the grill was defiantly a product of the fifties.  Never taking the cigarette from his mouth the sweaty cook turned around holding a spatula in one hand and plate of eggs and hash browns in the other. “What can I get you young blood?”

Steele chuckled as he thought, "Coffee, hash browns and eggs $1.50. Cigarette
ashes? No charge. Does that come with a side of Pepto Bismol? This place would be
a health inspector’s dream if one was ever bold enough to come through those doors."
Steele took notice of the bulge near the cook’s waistline under his dirty apron.
"That ain’t no fanny pack," he thought, this guy was definitely packing heat. The cook was doing double duty as Trench’s first line of defense; too bad he didn't do windows. Steele glanced at the plate of food and waved him off, “No thanks.” He pointed to the dark brown door all the way in the back. The man set the plate on the counter in front of the customer.  Hanging directly over head was a swirly strip of fly paper that had done its job all too well.

“You Steele?” he asked. When Steele nodded the cook reached under the counter and buzzed him in. Steele passed by an assortment of boxes containing counterfeit merchandise from Trench’s suppliers. They lined the walls of his office in the back of the rundown greasy spoon diner.  He counted three body guards plus the hired help.

The Case of the Death Dealer (The Alexander Steele Investigations)

The Deadly Gamble an Alexander Steele Murder Mystery

The Deadly Gamble Part One

The Deadly Gamble Part #2 will be posted tomorrow at noon. 

Posted 3 days ago by Larry Johnson

  

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The Deadly Gamble Chapter Two

Gamblers Anonymous

Steele fully anticipated being stonewalled by the staff.  Tara believed that their “Ding dong the witch is dead” attitude would not bode well for Steele’s investigation. 

Tara had to get back to work but refused to leave until Steele revealed how the victims were killed.   Steele walked her back over to the crime scene.  Once they entered the small room he picked up the old, galvanized steel, bucket from the corner and held it to her nose.  Tara winched and immediately recoiled as she stepped away from the repulsive odor.  

“That smells awful Steele.  What the hell is it?"  Steele placed the bucket back in the corner.  “It’s the murder weapon, well what’s left of it. The killer must have waited until they were asleep or passed out from the booze before mixing bleach and ammonia together.  He or she could have also added the pool chlorine to the mix, probably poured it over some old rags in that bucket.  The two mixed together produce extremely toxic vapors.  A while back some guy tried unclogging his toilet with bleach and ammonia mixed with drain cleaner, well let’s just say it didn't end well for him.  Whoever did this closed the window after they left the shed the first time. In a small area like this it didn't take much time for the toxic fumes to build up.  The killer waited until the deed was done then came back to remove the evidence.

Bleach and ammonia separately, no problem but when you mix them together especially in a tiny room like this."  Steele shook his head slowly.  "The vapors are lethal so if I'm right the coroners’ report should come back with toxic shock as the cause of death.  The shed is old and has lots of cracks so by the time the police got inside most of the order had dissipated.  I guess the murderer was in a hurry to get out so whoever it was either forgot or didn't think it was necessary to take the bucket with them."

Tara was blown away at how clever and resourceful the killer was.  Steele walked her to her car and watched her drive off before going back to the house to confront the staff.

The code of silence he encountered turned out to be more of a strategy of evasion.  Because of the murders Mr. Matthews had given the staff the day off but since the suspects lived on the property they really didn't have anywhere else to go.  Steele felt as if he had entered a house full of deaf-mutes, suddenly everyone was far too busy to talk, everyone except the cook. 

Antonio was a heavyset man in his late fifties.  His gray hair and mustache made him look older.  Antonio’s official title was cook but unofficially he was the mansions version of KYW news. It turned out that Antonio was more like the cook/town gossip.

He was about to prepare supper when Steele entered the kitchen.  The cook smiled when Steele walked in.  Antonio was Italian but it wasn't necessary for him to tell anyone because his accent was a dead giveaway.

“Ah Mr. Steele, I wondered when you would get around to visiting me.  How can I help you?"  The men shook hands then talked for over an hour.  Antonio was a wealth of information.  Steele wasn't sure if gabbing was just in his nature or if it was the bottle of vino he sipped on every five minutes or so.

“You know Mr. Steele if you scratch just beneath the surface you will be surprised at what secrets you will uncover around here.  Did you know that Pablo the grounds keeper owed Mrs. Matthews a lot of money and that she threatened to fire him if he didn’t pay up?  It’s true.  He likes to bet on the horses but he’s not the only gambler in the house.

Audrey, the maid, she plays the Powerball, never misses a week."  A lot of what Antonio talked about was idle gossip but what Steele found interesting was the cook’s mention of the horse racing and lottery tickets.  Steele pulled out his cell phone and scrolled to the contents of the trash can inside the shed.  Two of the items in the trash were lottery tickets and a racing form.  When Steele asked about any recent change in staff members’ behavior Antonio perked up.  “You know Mr. Steele now that you mentioned it there was a change.  Yesterday Audrey the maid was on cloud nine, she was singing and smiling all day long but today she seemed really depressed like the dog just died you know.  Maybe it was because of the murders.  Now today Pablo is the one who’s happy as a clam.  I bet it’s because he doesn't have to pay all that money back to Mrs. Matthews.”

Steele asked the tipsy chef about the mud on his shoes.  Antonio paused as he glanced down.  “Oh, ah, I have an herb garden behind the house.  I did some planting earlier, must have forgotten to wipe my feet.”

On his way to the car Steele took a side trip to Antonio’s herb garden behind the kitchen.  There were no fresh footprints so at that point the talkative cook moved up a notch on Steele’s suspect list. Why did the chef lie?  Steele also wondered why Antonio was so eager to throw his co-workers under bus.  Since Pablo was the groundskeeper Steele understood why his racing form would be found inside the shed but whose lottery tickets were in the trash?  Could they have been the maids?

Steele was always thorough. Before heading to the club Steele drove downtown to 16^th and Spruce.  He wanted to check out the apartment of Sam the deceased pool boy.  He didn't expect to find much of anything but sometimes the smallest of clues could break a case wide open.  The buildings landlady was a middle aged woman who had heard about the murders on the evening news.  She was obviously shaken.  Her voice trembled slightly when she talked about her tenant who was found murdered.

 “Sam was a good kid, well he wasn't really a kid but he looked young for his age.  He was quite the ladies man if you know what I mean.  He seemed excited this morning before he left for work.  I never did find out what he was so jazzed about.  You are the first person to come by today.  I expected the cops but they never came.” 

Steele explained that since the murder took place outside the city limits that the township police would probably have to go through the Philadelphia Police department before they would come.  He asked if she would show him Sam’s apartment.

The woman paused as she fumbled around inside the large pockets on her flowered, blue smock.  Seconds later she pulled out a bronze ring of keys and searched for the one labeled 2C. 

“Well I guess it doesn't really matter now does it?  I suppose you're here to search the room for clues.  Since he wasn't killed here and since nobody told me not to let you in the apartment I guess its okay as long as you don’t tell nobody.”  Steele was about to answer when the phone rang.  The landlady took the call then handed Steele the key.  “This is going to take a while.  Sam didn't have a lot so there ain't much up there to steal and besides you have an honest face.”

The two things that caught Steele’s attention when he entered the small apartment’s bedroom were the open window and the jewelry, lots of expensive jewelry including a Rolex watch.  Clothes were strewn over the bed and chair.  There was a beige suitcase on the floor between the bed and the nightstand.  When Steele reached down to pick up the suitcase he felt a wave of searing pain in the back of his head then suddenly everything went dark.  The next thing he remembered was the superintendent standing over him with a glass of water. 

“Hey mister you alright?”  Steele reached for the back of his head as he sat up on the floor next to the bed.  He winched as he gingerly rubbed the back of his head. 

“That’s a nasty bump you got there Mr. Steele.  What the hell’s going on here?  Who was that woman and where did all this jewelry come from?"  Still recovering from the whack on head Steele tried to focus.  He managed to sit on the bed and take a few sips of water.

“What woman” The super seemed surprised by his question “The women who busted you upside your head a couple of minutes ago, that woman.  It had to have been her. She flew past me in the lobby faster than Usain Bolt."

Steele got a description of the women from the landlady.  “She was blonde maybe in her mid thirties.  I couldn't see her eyes because she wore dark glasses and she kept her head turned away from me but she had on a red Phillies baseball cap.”

Steele thanked her for helping him.  He never answered her about the jewelry because he didn't have one. Steele was just as curious as she was.

One of the advantages of owning your own club is that you get to make or in this case break the rules whenever it suits you.  Getting blindsided in what was supposed to be an empty apartment did not put the detective/club owner in the mood for socializing with guest.  So instead of going to the club Steele headed home with a huge headache and a ton of unanswered questions. 

Who was the woman who clocked him?  What was the burglar looking for in Sam’s apartment and why did she leave everything including the jewelry?

Steele’s best friend Stan wouldn't be back from New York until tomorrow night so any cyber data mining info Stan could dig up on the suspects would have to wait.  

All the news was not bad, Steele’s job was not to solve the murders it was to clear Tara’s uncle.  As long as the killer had no more targets Steele had the luxury of time on his side.

If the murderer got cold feet and decided to take off overnight Steele’s job would become a lot easier.  At least this way he would know who the killer was.  All he would have to do is track him down instead of whittling down the hefty list of suspect at the mansion.  On his way home he received a call from Tara. 

“Steele, I wanted you to hear this from me before you found out yourself.  This isn't easy for me to admit but I caught my Uncle in a lie.  Earlier he told me and the police that he was at a board meeting this morning.   Well there was supposed to be a meeting but it was postponed because the CFO had appendicitis and needed to be rushed to the University of Pennsylvania for emergency surgery.  When I confronted him he admitted he lied.  He spent most of the morning at the roulette wheel in Atlantic City.  He didn't want his wife to know he was gambling so he used the meeting as a cover.  The problem is he’s a high roller and uses the VIP entrance where there are no cameras.” 

Listening to Tara was changeling.   For Steele focusing on Tara’s revelation was not easy.  The drum beat of pain in Steele’s head was stiff competition for what Tara had to say. 

“Steele, are you listening to me?  This doesn't mean Uncle Kevin is a murder it just means he’s a bad liar.”  Steele gently rubbed his head, “okay Tara, point taken.  I’m gonna need to talk to him anyway.  The staff has decided to take a code of silence.  The only one willing to talk is the chef, in fact it kinda hard to shut him up.  If your uncle doesn't loosen a few tongues this is going to be an uphill battle.”

Tara sighed into the receiver, “don’t worry about it Steele.  He wants me to have dinner with him this evening.  I'll talk to him about it then.”

Besides Steele’s mom Shakia was the only living soul on the planet who could tell when he was lying.  When he didn't go to the club she showed up at his house armed with the evening’s Daily News.  Rather than confront her boyfriend about the photo Shakia set the paper down on the coffee table making sure Steele could see the headlines.  There it was right on the front page beneath the fold a photo of him embracing his attractive friend and now client Tara.  The caption read Private investigator consoles niece of murder victim.   

In spite of his pain he was still observant enough to see what Shakia had done.  Steele felt the need to explain.  “Hey look baby, I can ….”  Shakia kissed Steele softly on the lips.  She began speaking in a tone that was all too familiar to the observant detective.  It was that kind of voice she used when she was about to leave him to hang out to dry.  

“Oh baby, you know I trust you…….it’s not me you have to worry about but I'm sure you'll be getting a call from my Mom soon.”  Shakia began to laugh but when she saw drops of blood on Steele’s shoulder her mood turned serious. 

“Alex is that your blood?"  She moved in for a closer look.  Steele didn't want to make a big deal of the attack.  He knew how much Shakia worried about him. After explaining what happened at the apartment Shakia played nurse tending to his wound, bringing him Tylenol and an ice pack to ease the throbbing inside his head.  Later that evening Shakia provided her patient with a little special TLC.

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Chapter #3

Secrets 

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Alexander Steele Murder Mystery Trilogy
Author Larry J
Available on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Mac.

The Alexander Steele Murder Mystery series consist of the first three short stories set in Philadelphia. Philly native Lawrence Johnson aka Larry J. takes you into Philly's neighborhoods by way of his fictional,suave,detective Alexander Steele. The semi retired PI is the proud owner of the Mount Airy hot spot known as the Inner Sanctum. Steele has a problem. He just can't seem to put his past life of crime solving behind him. A seemly endless stream of new clients come to his club each with tempting new cases for the ever inquisitive private investigator.
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Available on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Mac.

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