Naked Frame by Robert Burton Robinson
Authors: Robert Burton Robinson
Tags: Suspense, Mystery & Detective, Crime, Deception, woman protagonist, murder mystery, mystery series, Betrayal, woman detective, whodunit, Texas—Fiction, framed for murder, dallas tx, texas authors
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ask to see my driver's license. I think he
was afraid of us."
"You came up here this late?"
"No. We would meet before she started
working. In fact, I was supposed to come by here tonight—to bring
her a copy of the video. That was the errand I told you about on
the phone."
"Oh, yeah."
The elevator doors opened and they walked
in.
Rebecca pushed the fourth floor button. "The
Grande Pimpton—what a name. This place is not so grand
anymore."
"It gives me the creeps. It must be crawling
with hookers and johns."
"And roaches." Rebecca stomped one with her
foot.
The guts squished out and nearly hit one of
Gabby's Italian dress shoes. He gasped and jumped back.
The elevator doors opened and Rebecca led
the way to Room 412. She put her ear up to the door and listened.
But she heard nothing, so she knocked.
After waiting a few more seconds, Rebecca
slipped the key card into the slot. She eased down on the door
lever and slowly opened the door.
The light from the hallway flooded the room,
revealing a woman lying on the bed in a negligee, motionless. They
went in, and Rebecca closed the door and flipped the light
switch.
Carly Cinaway was flat on her back, both
hands on her chest. Her eyes were wide open, filled with
terror.
"Look at this thing," said Gabby, pointing
to the odd-looking piggy bank on the nightstand.
"Don't touch it. It's got an alarm system."
Rebecca reached into her pocket and took out a pair of latex
gloves.
"You're kidding."
"What?" She pulled the gloves onto her
hands.
"Where did you get those?"
"I had a box of them in my purse. In my line
of work, you never know when you're going to need to touch things
without leaving fingerprints." She felt Carly's neck, trying to
locate a pulse.
"Anything?" said Gabby.
Rebecca frowned and shook her head.
"What do you think killed her? I don't see
any blood."
Rebecca inspected the neck. "Doesn't appear
she was strangled."
"Overdose?"
"Maybe. But I don't see any pill bottles."
She checked each arm. "No needle marks."
"From the look on her face—"
"—I know. It's almost as if something scared
her to death." She slid her hands under Carly's body and rolled her
onto her side.
"What are you doing? You don't want to mess
around with the crime scene."
"I just need to make
sure—wonder what this is?"
"What?"
"Two little red spots on the sheet, where
her head had been lying. She's bleeding."
Gabby walked over to take a
closer look. "Awe, come on, Becca. That could have come from
a pimple . It's
nothing. Let's get out of here before we get caught."
"Let me take a closer look." She began to
inspect the back of Carly's head, foraging through her hair. "I
wish we had your flashlight."
"It's in the car. And don't ask. I won't go
get it. We need to leave. Now."
Rebecca continued searching Carly's head. "I
feel something right here."
Gabby reached into his pocket and took out
his key ring. "Try this."
She looked up. Gabby had a tiny flashlight
on his key ring.
"Thanks." Rebecca held her place on Carly's
scalp with one hand while taking the key ring light with the other.
She leaned in close and shined the light where her finger was.
"Check this out."
Gabby stepped closer to take a look. "What
is it?"
"Something punctured the skin in these two
spots."
"A needle?"
"Not unless it was one hell of a big
needle."
CHAPTER 11 - Tuesday, 1:50 a.m.
A beautiful young woman walked through Café
Nue, and found Bobby Ballantini standing in the side archway that
led to the restrooms. "Excuse me, Sir. I wonder if you can help
me."
He smiled. "I'll try my best."
"It's about my application for employment.
I've been waiting forever to hear something."
"It can take a while. You'll have to meet
with my boss: Mr. Ketrousie."
"Okay. Where can I find him?"
"No. You'll need an appointment, Honey. You
can't do it tonight. We're about to close. Come back tomorrow
afternoon. Around two."
She stepped in closer,
placed her hand on his arm, and looked deeply into
was afraid of us."
"You came up here this late?"
"No. We would meet before she started
working. In fact, I was supposed to come by here tonight—to bring
her a copy of the video. That was the errand I told you about on
the phone."
"Oh, yeah."
The elevator doors opened and they walked
in.
Rebecca pushed the fourth floor button. "The
Grande Pimpton—what a name. This place is not so grand
anymore."
"It gives me the creeps. It must be crawling
with hookers and johns."
"And roaches." Rebecca stomped one with her
foot.
The guts squished out and nearly hit one of
Gabby's Italian dress shoes. He gasped and jumped back.
The elevator doors opened and Rebecca led
the way to Room 412. She put her ear up to the door and listened.
But she heard nothing, so she knocked.
After waiting a few more seconds, Rebecca
slipped the key card into the slot. She eased down on the door
lever and slowly opened the door.
The light from the hallway flooded the room,
revealing a woman lying on the bed in a negligee, motionless. They
went in, and Rebecca closed the door and flipped the light
switch.
Carly Cinaway was flat on her back, both
hands on her chest. Her eyes were wide open, filled with
terror.
"Look at this thing," said Gabby, pointing
to the odd-looking piggy bank on the nightstand.
"Don't touch it. It's got an alarm system."
Rebecca reached into her pocket and took out a pair of latex
gloves.
"You're kidding."
"What?" She pulled the gloves onto her
hands.
"Where did you get those?"
"I had a box of them in my purse. In my line
of work, you never know when you're going to need to touch things
without leaving fingerprints." She felt Carly's neck, trying to
locate a pulse.
"Anything?" said Gabby.
Rebecca frowned and shook her head.
"What do you think killed her? I don't see
any blood."
Rebecca inspected the neck. "Doesn't appear
she was strangled."
"Overdose?"
"Maybe. But I don't see any pill bottles."
She checked each arm. "No needle marks."
"From the look on her face—"
"—I know. It's almost as if something scared
her to death." She slid her hands under Carly's body and rolled her
onto her side.
"What are you doing? You don't want to mess
around with the crime scene."
"I just need to make
sure—wonder what this is?"
"What?"
"Two little red spots on the sheet, where
her head had been lying. She's bleeding."
Gabby walked over to take a
closer look. "Awe, come on, Becca. That could have come from
a pimple . It's
nothing. Let's get out of here before we get caught."
"Let me take a closer look." She began to
inspect the back of Carly's head, foraging through her hair. "I
wish we had your flashlight."
"It's in the car. And don't ask. I won't go
get it. We need to leave. Now."
Rebecca continued searching Carly's head. "I
feel something right here."
Gabby reached into his pocket and took out
his key ring. "Try this."
She looked up. Gabby had a tiny flashlight
on his key ring.
"Thanks." Rebecca held her place on Carly's
scalp with one hand while taking the key ring light with the other.
She leaned in close and shined the light where her finger was.
"Check this out."
Gabby stepped closer to take a look. "What
is it?"
"Something punctured the skin in these two
spots."
"A needle?"
"Not unless it was one hell of a big
needle."
CHAPTER 11 - Tuesday, 1:50 a.m.
A beautiful young woman walked through Café
Nue, and found Bobby Ballantini standing in the side archway that
led to the restrooms. "Excuse me, Sir. I wonder if you can help
me."
He smiled. "I'll try my best."
"It's about my application for employment.
I've been waiting forever to hear something."
"It can take a while. You'll have to meet
with my boss: Mr. Ketrousie."
"Okay. Where can I find him?"
"No. You'll need an appointment, Honey. You
can't do it tonight. We're about to close. Come back tomorrow
afternoon. Around two."
She stepped in closer,
placed her hand on his arm, and looked deeply into
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