Fall from Grace BWWM
It was one of those nasty chilly days, raining like a cow pissing off a flat rock and an eight to ten mile per hour wind that ceased to relent, I knew as I pulled up, I was going to dread exiting my warm dry vehicle. To top things off some young rookie had blocked the street a half block from the crime scene meaning not even we detectives could park near. Looking in the rearview mirror one last time I wondered why I cared, even with an umbrella my hair would be ruined, clothes wet and my body shivering within ten minutes.
What pissed me off the most was the fact that I'd been to the beauty shop just three days ago, all that time and money wasted. I normally had my hair straightened and styled every two weeks, even covering my hair with an umbrella and hoodie it was going to be a mess, some of the other black ladies in the department did the weaves and extensions which looked good on them, it just wasn't for me. Stepping out of the car with my hood up and hunkered down under the umbrella I made my way to the police tape, showed the officer my detective badge and found one of the guys on my crew.
Frank looked at me and said loud enough to be heard over the rain, "Morning LT. Two gang bangers dead in the alley, one black one white, both wearing the same colors so I'm thinking they were ambushed."
Though I wasn't in heels, (thank God) the puddles were still deep enough that my feet were wet, tucking the back of my skirt under my legs I squatted to look at the first guy. As I looked up checking for cameras on surrounding buildings I noticed a young beat cop looking at my legs, my thoughts were, *good luck sonny, they'll never be wrapped around your body*. Franks voice broke my chain of thought.
"Hey LT, come look at this."
The forensic people were arriving, so we let them do their job while we looked around for shell casings or any other clues. As the lead investigator of homicide in our precinct I normally wouldn't have had to be out in this nasty weather, but a female investigator off for her mother's funeral left us shorthanded. With a budget as tight as saran wrap, we were expected to make do with what we had, which in my opinion was always too little, we were always expected to make silk purses out of sow's ears.
I remembered these streets, in fact I'd grown up near them, had it not been for an uncle helping me get out I'd have likely ended up on these streets, or dead. As a young black girl growing up I was blessed to have a two parent family, both mom and dad had fairly good jobs, and while we didn't live IN the ghetto, we were close enough that some of the crime and danger spilled over into our community. I was fortunate on two levels, first I had two older brothers who let it be known that if anyone attempted to hurt or lead me astray they would answer to them, both were large athletic intimidating figures.
The second is that I'm big as well, not heavy or chubby, just big. Five foot ten, wide shoulders, strong legs, lettering in volleyball, basketball, fast pitch softball and music. Yeah, I know, you don't need to be athletic to letter in music, but it was an accomplishment I was proud of. As I neared graduation I was conflicted as to what I should do, I seldom ever went without anything growing up, but mom and dad didn't have the kind of money for me to go to a four-year college.
My uncle Steve had been in the military just shy of twenty years and was getting ready to retire when he came home for grandma's funeral. Over a burger and fries he talked with me extensively about my future encouraging me to enter the military with the GI Bill in mind, I could also take college courses on most bases. I enlisted in the Air Force three weeks after I graduated, following boot camp I was assigned to a Military Security Police unit, instead of partying and carousing like most of the other airmen, or women if you're politically correct, I spent my time studying and taking college courses in Criminal Justice. Ever notice how it's called *criminal* justice and not justice for the victim? I digress, my apologies.
I liked being a cop and decided I would make it a career after my enlistment was up. I was a half year away from my bachelor's degree when I was honorably discharged, within a month I had been accepted into the police academy and on my way. Being a woman helped get me in, but it didn't keep me there, I was still expected to pass all the requirements, there were no different standards for females in those days, sadly that came later. I say sadly because if you're going to be hired to do a certain job you should be able to do it.
Upon graduation and being hired as a probationary rookie I was headed in the right direction; within a year I had finished my degree and was looked at favorably for future promotions. I have a keen eye for details and the ability to think like the perpetrators we apprehend, my rise within our precinct was rapid, and while I had been accused more than once of advancing on my knees and back none of it was true. Though my career was being *fast tracked* not once did I use my body to advance, I was so paranoid about it I wouldn't even go for a drink after shift with less than six people present.
In my nineth year on the force I was promoted to Lieutenant and moved to the thirteenth precinct as lead investigator, I now had a team of six others under me. On that team are two white guys, a white woman, two black women and a Korean guy. From the very start I made it crystal clear that I would not tolerate anyone thinking they had a leg up because of race or nationality, anyone who couldn't or wouldn't get along would be transferred. Of the seven precincts in the city our team had the second highest number of solved cases.
Following statements from possible witnesses, doing a few door to doors and gathering as much evidence as possible in the downpour I headed back to the warmth of my car and the precinct. I looked and felt like crap the rest of the day, pulling into the driveway I was once again disappointed when I noticed the house was dark and cold looking. I thought for sure Albert would be home and have dinner started by now, his last class to teach was done at four and he seldom had to meet with students after class anymore, as a tenured professor those days were over with.
Walking into the kitchen my phone pinged that I had a text, it was Albert telling me he wouldn't be home until later, he and two others were brainstorming about a new curriculum. Somehow I wasn't surprised, over the past ten years we had grown apart, we still had a love for each other, we shared our home but not a bed and were grandparents to the grandkids, while he was quite content with things as they were, I was not. We were two people living different lives in the same house, I cared for his wellbeing and in some sense of the word I guess we loved each other, we just didn't like each other.
It started shortly after our youngest was born, he didn't share the same level of intimacy I did, in fact he didn't see a need to be intimate more than once a month, if that. Albert is nine years older than me, at the age of 60 I knew he wasn't cheating, he couldn't get it up any longer even with the little blue pills, whereas my hormones, what I had left of them, were raging. It was three years ago when I had my first affair, it was with another detective in my old precinct, he was handsome as hell, we'd flirted with each other for years without doing anything about it, mainly because we were in the same precinct and fraternization amongst the ranks was not allowed. When I was transferred to the 13th precinct that was no longer an issue, John and I had an on again off again fling that lasted short of a year. I had recently been seeing a guy from out of town, it was going nowhere, I ended it.
John was divorced with a son living at home, I'd met his son Oliver a few times when we dated and knew he was a nice kid, I'd been invited to his graduation/birthday party, it was then I really began to notice him. At fifty I no longer had what are now referred to as *perky* tits, there was a bit of sag to my once tight ass, I'd managed to lose the baby tummy after our last child but I was in no way ripped. My long torso and ample chest were my two biggest assets anymore, I was sporting a 36C bra as I had for years, they weren't mammoth, but then anything bigger on my frame would have looked out of place.
On a Sunday afternoon I attended Oliver's graduation/ birthday party, he had turned eighteen four months prior, deciding at the time to celebrate both occasions when he graduated. Albert had a golfing engagement he refused to miss and wouldn't consider going along, which was okay since I generally had more fun without him, I showed up at the party just after four. Knowing I would be alone at home I hung around until it was just John, Oliver and another lady I didn't know, when John announced he was going to take her home about eight I volunteered to help Oliver clean up. Watching that specimen of male humanity was like eye candy to me, over six feet, strong athletic build, long sandy colored hair tied in a ponytail, he belonged on a surfer calendar.
I'd worn a sun dress that ended just below mid-thigh and was making sure young mister Oliver was getting an eye full, when I ask about his dad, he told me he'd be gone several hours with his new girlfriend. I was sure John was sliding the salami to someone else, I just had no idea whom until that moment, with that revelation I began to ponder my situation. John was good in bed, I wondered if his strong handsome son was any better, I decided it might be as good a time as any to find out.
Sitting on the counter watching him put food away I asked if he was dating anyone at the time.
