Nice Try

The police picked up Lennie on suspicion of Homicide. They grilled him for close to eight hours. They got nothing. He told them that he was "a self employed salesmen.(hair and grooming products)", that yes he indeed did know
Tanginka Jones and that he and she had a sexual relationship, but that it didn't go past that. He admitted to picking her up, but said he returned her to her house an hour after he picked her up and that he didn't see her after that. He stuck to that story and didn't change it. I sent a cash payment of his bail to a
Bail Bondsman and allowed him to be released.

Clerow and I sat in a rented car with tinted windows, so not to be seen and watched him as he was released from jail. He called someone on his cell phone and after about 45 minutes...somebody showed up in a Black Escalade and picked him up.

"What now boss man?" asked Clerow...

"We wait...We wait and we listen...We let Sepia do her thing." I said..not really feeling good about this at all.

A few nights later, Sepia and Lennie sat in a booth at Josie's Bar...She was wearing the tight, low cut dress and was attracting more male attention than she would have wanted.

"Girl, you causing traffic accidents with that dress...." said Lennie.

"What are you doin out of jail?" asked Sepia dryly...purely not impressed.

"Can't keep an innocent man in jail can you?" laughed Lennie.

"You? Innocent?? Hmmmph,that's a laugh?" said Sepia.

"How come you keep sweatin me like that? I tole you, I aint done nothin to
Tangi..."

"When you drove by my house the other day, what did you want with her?"
asked Sepia.

"Look...let's not bullshit each other...you know what I really do for a living??
Tangi worked for me...You think she could afford them fly clothes and that car she had by just doin hair and taking pictures for your boyfriend's magazine??
She had a package that I gave her that she was supposed to deliver, that's all.
My client called and tole me that he never got delivery...That could cost me future business...so I came and got Tangi...Then I took her to my spot and uh you know..exploited her a lil bit...Then I told her dumbass to get out and I went to sleep...and that's it..I aint never see her again." said Lennie.

"That what you told the cops?" asked Sepia.

"What you care what I tole the cops?" asked Lennie.

"I care about what happens to me if I decide to take you up on your offer." said
Sepia.

"heh-heh-heh...so you been thinkin bout it huh? Look, I know you just stay with that nigga Kevin, cause he let you stay in his crib...but I'll put you in a
condo baby...and I'll give you a car better than the one he sportin now. You'll be my number one." laughed Lennie.

"Your number one huh?" laughed Sepia.

Then Lennie smiled, he looked at Sepia funny, then he stuck his left hand over the table and grabbed her breast....she tried to slap his hand away..but he slapped her hard....

"Excuse YOU!!!" said Sepia, but Lennie reached over the table and pulled the carefully placed mini mike out from under Sepia's clothes......

"Heheheheheheheh...a mike ,huh? Tell your nigga Kevin, I said- Nice Try...
but he aint fixin to jam me up like that...tell him to come again.." said Lennie.

"Why don't you tell me yourself!" I said...

Lennie turned around , startled....before he could do anything , I grabbed him in his collar and slammed him against the wall....

"You ever put your hands on her again and I'll rip your little body in shreds" I said amazed at my sudden fury...

"You really sprung over this trick aint you playa?? It's kool..I aint gonna mess with her no more...you aint gotta worry bout that..being she was just playin me all along....We straight kool...You need to do like uh Beyonce said in that song and put a ring on that finger...cause YOU aint never gonna do no better
than what you got right there and that's the truth ruth." he said.

I put him down and I watched as he strutted out of the bar..Clerow and Gus walked over to me.

"Everything alright Kevin?" asked Gus.

"Yeah..it's all good." I said.

Sepia looked at me and managed a weak smile...

"I guess I messed up huh Kevin? I pressed him too hard too soon." she said.

"Ahh,don't worry about it..more than one way to skin a cat..we'll get him on
the comeback..You know he was right about one thing he said." I said.

"What's that?" asked Sepia...

"He said that I'm not going to do any better than you." I said.

"Awwww Kevin...that's so sweet, but considering it came from a rat like him
I don't know whether to take that as a compliment or not." she laughed.

"How long we been living together?" I asked her.

"I don't know...about a year or so..why?"

"It would be a lot easier on both our minds...if there was a Mrs. Morris living
in that house." I said.

"What are you saying Kevin?" asked Sepia...

"Marry me." I said.

(Yeah, you know this is To Be Continued.....)