Better Late Than Dead!!!

ART: "New York Jazz" By Unknown Artist

"So how's Married Life treatin ya son?" asked Gus the bartender as I quaffed down my second Corona of the night.

"Not bad at all Gus..It's all good." I laughed.

"I'll tell ya Kevin..you got some woman there...I didn't think that you and her would last too long at first ,but you fooled me...To tell you the truth,I thought she was a little out of your leauge."
said Gus.

That's what I loved about Gus..He didn't mince words..He gave it to you straight.

"Yeah man...I thought she was out of my leauge." I laughed.

"So ,with a fine ass wife like that...what are you doin in here tonight?" asked Gus.

"I come to hear my boy "88". I hear he's sittin in with that cool Trumpet player from New Jersey, Reed Nelson." I lied. I was really there to meet a guy who told me that he had information about a murder. I was covering a story for Hype magazine and he got in contact with me and told me he'd meet me here at Josie's and we'd talk. He said his name was Ray Fox.

I had been here through two of Reed Nelson's sets and I hadn't seen hide nor hair of Ray Fox.
I nodded at "88'' who was sitting at a Booth with Mabel Jenkins sitting directly on his lap. When
did this develop? A whole lot of guys wanted to be in 88's shoes. I nodded at both of them and then smiled.

I walked outside...took a look at my new car, my beautiful new car that Rollie Rollerson had given me as a "peace offering " for my silence in another case and what did I see but a Boot on my car.. A big yellow boot. I had three unpaid traffic tickets and all of them had been from waiting for the perennially late Mr. Ray Fox for the past few weeks. He was late..but never this late.

I got on my cell phone and called the Philadelphia Parking Authority...I owed a whopping $250.00 dollars. I gave them my credit card number and they took down my information and told me that they'd come in the morning to take my boot off. IN THE MORNING????

Pissed, I called Sepia, told her she had to come get me...She drove down to the club to pick me up. Another hour had went by and still no sign of Ray Fox.

"Will you stop laughing girl..it aint that funny." I said as I got in the car and we pulled off.

"Oh but it is...all the time you have lectured me about paying my ticket and
you get a boot....oh this is hillarious.." she said.

"Go ahead...get your laughs....I can't wait for you to get your boot...and it is coming."I laughed.

"I take it Mr. Fox was late again huh?" she asked.

"No..He never showed up at all." I said.

"He's late..but he always shows up eventually." said Sepia , who had known Ray back in East Orange.

"He staying in those apartments over there..stop the car a minute Sepia." I said.

I got out and walked up the narrow stairs of the Apartment building. The hallway was dimly lit
and it was very quiet...I walked to his apartment and tapped on the door.

"Hey Ray..Where you at man?" I asked. The door swung open. There was no sign of a struggle.
The apartment was neatly arranged... Ray was sitting in the corner in a chair by the window.
He was holding a shot glass. A bottle of Jack Daniels was sitting on the table.

Can you believe this? I got a boot on my car , had to call my wife to pick me up waiting for this
knucklehead and he's sitting here drunk. I walked over to Ray and shook him...

"Hey man, wake up...wake up...." I said...Ray fell out of the chair and on to the floor..He wasn't drunk....He was dead!

To be continued.........

(Thank you to everyone who stopped by on Tuesday to wish me a "Happy Birthday!")