Wonders Never Cease

ART: "Step Out On Faith" By Wak

A month later, I was laying in the bed with Cindy and I just happened to say non-chalantly...

"Man, Brinkley was sure pissed off that he got exposed and had to share his business with his ex-wife. They sold it and split the sale profit." I said.

"Oh really? " said Cindy perking up.

"Yeah and he blamed the whole fiasco on Mr. Foxworth...gave us the blackball..
We haven't had but one major client since that happened..."I said.

Cindy tried to supress a laugh...

"Wow..so Robert is in dire straits eh?" she said.

"Yup...I'm glad I'm getting my J.D. next month...I'm gonna take the bar and start sending out resume's because he might have to close up his office and get
a job with a firm himself..." I said.

"Oh my God..." she laughed.

"Everything we have is riding on this big client...uh er ..a Mr. Clerow." I said.

"Clerow? What kind of name is that?" laughed Cindy.

"You laugh ,but he owns a lot of real estate...Houses that he rents and apartments..He's getting a divorce from his wife Cora Beth, who is the real money...It's just like Brinkley almost...and , well...if we can swing this deal..we'll be back in business a little bit." I said..then I yawned and pretended to go to sleep.

Hours later..I met with Robert Foxworth and Kevin Morris at Josie's....

"You think she went for it?" asked Robert....

"Oh man..she was salivating..." I laughed.

"Okay..just slyly drop more information about our "client" " said Kevin , who couldn't supress a laugh himself.

Just then, Robert's Blackberry went off...

"Hello? Oh Hi Corrie...What? Already? Okay...just play along...Tell Clerow to be
in place tonight, okay? Thanks Baby and thanks to the both of you." laughed
Robert.

"Who was that?" I asked.

"That was Corabeth...She said an Attorney named Lee Holmes just contacted her about representing her in her "divorce" from Clerow. "laughed Robert.

"Oh man, how careful is your girl, Cindy Waters? She doesn't put herself in the plot..She gets another attorney to represent the other party...That way..none of this comes back to her...Gotta like her ." laughed Kevin.

"You ever hear of Elliot Spencer?" I said.

"Yeah..he's an attorney we both used to work for." said Robert.

"Well..he's the attorney who handled Mrs. Brinkley's case." I said.

"Want to bet she was getting information on that case from you and passing it on and probably accepted a fee from him for her inside information?" said Kevin.

"Can you prove that?" said Robert....

"I've been putting together enough evidence to prove that she or somebody hired private detectives and photographers to follow Brinkley and sell the photos to a couple of services...With what we have on the tape of her talking to Chance...We have just enough to make a legal review board take a good long look at her." said Kevin.

A few nights later ,I was over at Cindy's house ,in the living room watching a college football game while she talked on the phone.

"What? You've withdrawn your petition of divorce? Mam..We can win this,
We have photos of your husband coming out of a strip joint.....We have photos of him and somebody having sex in a hotel room..We can sink him...What?
What do you mean??? I hired a lot of people that I have to pay for their investigative work....Oh you can't be serious..Wait..somebody is at the door..
Let me call you back."

I turned the television off and sat back...This was going to be good.

Cindy Waters looked like she was going to faint when she saw Robert Foxworth
at the door.

"What are you doing here Robert?" she snapped.

"What Cindy, no hello, now how have you been?" he laughed.

"Get out." she said.

"I would like to introduce you to some people. This is Clerow..my client." he said.

"How do you do mam?" said Clerow.

"And this is his lovely wife, Corabeth...They have a beautiful one year old daughter and are not thinking about a divorce..That's why I had her call you from this cell phone, just outside your house. This here is her baby sister,Anita..
the uh "stripper" you photographed with Clerow and this is a wig...Corabeth was the one he was in the hotel simulating sex with." laughed Robert.

Clerow and Corabeth looked at each other sheepishly..

"Hey Robert..we wasn't simulating nothin." laughed Clerow.. Robert gave them both the side eye, then continued..I chuckled to myself.

"Cindy,Cindy,Cindy.....I have enough evidence here that if I turned this in to the
review board..you could be censored..."said Robert.

"So you're blackmailing me right?" she said. Robert frowned..He looked pensive for a minute then he shook his head.

"No...I've done enough to you already.....I'm not going to turn you in.....I'm going to apologize to you....I came on to you ,when you were young...I was married and I led you on...I was wrong..I have wronged you several times..and if it wasn't for me..you wouldn't be stooping this low....I'm sorry Cindy...I only hope that you can find it in your heart to one day forgive me." he said.

Me ,Clerow, Corabeth and Anita were all shocked...We just knew that Robert was going to rip her a new one. He didn't...He actually looked sad..I kind of felt sorry for both of them. I gathered my things and followed Robert,Clerow,Corrie and Anita out of the house. I knew that I would not be coming back..

I've seen Cindy Waters around, every now and then..at different affairs...Sometimes by herself, sometimes with a date..always looking lonely,always looking bored...I actually felt sorry for her, despite the fact that she spitefully used me.

A few nights later..I was sitting in Josie's with of all people..Sheena...

"Wow Chance..I never thought we'd be speaking again." she said.

"Yeah..wonders never cease." I remarked.

"Where you been?"she said.

"I was involved with another woman." I said..feeling no need to lie and not caring what she thought about it.

"Oh...what happened..yall broke up?" she said.

"It didn't work out..How bout you...you still seeing what's his name?" I said.

"Nah...that went south...He and his wife got a divorce...but he turned out to be a real asshole....I sent him packing..." she said.

"Hmmmph...aint that something?" I said as I downed my drink and got ready
to leave.

'So Chance..Where does that leave us?" she said.

"It doesn't leave us anywhere." I remarked.

"How about one for the road." she said and winked..

I smiled at her..She smiled back sweetly....

"That could work." I said.

Depositions and D-Cups

"No Chance...I'm not going to that." said Cynthia emphatically.

"But you love these events..It's a great Bistro." I said.

"Yeah..I-I -Uh ,know...but I'm not interested in going to that..It's going to be a lot of lawyers there and I don't really vibe with my collegues socially." she said.

It was a weak excuse and after nearly a year of this, I decided not to let it go.

"Cynthia...Is it that there is someone there you don't want to see?" I asked.

"There are a lot of people there that I don't wish to see....Look, you can go if you want to...You can even take a date.....but uhhhhh, there is only one exception.."
she said..looking at me with a seductive grin and slowly taking off her bra...

"Ohhhh, and what is that?" I laughed..

"You can't give that chick none of mama's good long pole.." she giggled as I grabbed her and pinned her against the wall..kissing her and grabbing a hand full of her breasts , while she rubbed my penis up and down furiously.... I lifted
her up and layed her across the bed..

"Oh my Chance..We have to go to work...I don't know about you, but I like being on ...ohhhhhhhh myyyyy...ouuuuuuuu...ohhhhhhhhh....HELLO! " she said as I entered her and preceded to thrust away as though we had all the time in the
world..

We both wound up calling out for the day. We wound up in the shower together. Hot steamy water running down our bodies as I ran my hands through her wet hair and kissed her passionately..She rubbed soapy water all
over my penis..and I lifted her up and entered her again...We went at it in the
shower until the hot water got cold..We didn't care....

"This is the last time I let you spend the night on a work night.." she laughed as
she combed her hair... "Two hundred dollar perm, sweated out and washed out "she continued with a smile as she combed and put her hair in a ponytail.
Lord, this woman sure looked good in a pair of jeans and a tight shirt and a baseball cap...She had me totally enthralled and she knew it too.

"Chance....Tell me...You said you are working on an important case right? The Brinkley Desposition right?" She said.

"Yeah...Mr. Foxworth has been stalling it for awhile until we can get all of the
particulars in order...That guy Brinkley is real super conservative..a Preacher.
and he had a business venture on the side that his wife was running." I said.

"Yeah..I read about it....He caught her in bed with one of his employees and he fired her and is in the middle of a big divorce.." she said.

"Wow ,you know about it?" I asked..

"It was in the papers" she countered.

"What? I didn't see it." I said.

"That's because all you read is Sports and the comics and screw me to death the
other part of the time." she said with a laugh.

The next day, Mr. Foxworth and I prepared for a meeting with Pastor Floyd Brinkley...

"Chance...Do you have the deposition?" asked Mr. Foxworth..

"Right here boss" I said as I passed it to him.

He pored over it carefully...

"Everything is in order..good work Chance.." he said.

Just then, we heard a huge thump and then a crash out side of the door.
We ran to the door, only to see Floyd Brinkley on the floor, with a bra around his shoes. He did not look like a happy camper. Despite that, I wanted to laugh, but but I had to supress the urge.

Mr. Foxworth looked like he was ready to go through the floor.

"Sir...I'm so sorry..what happened.?" he said.

"I slipped on this bra...it was on the floor by the door...I didn't see it. What kind of business are you runnin around here?" He said staring daggers at Robert Foxworth.

"I-I-I-I have no idea how that got there sir...I guess two of the cleaning people got a little frisky and uh, well you know how these things go.." he said.

"No,I do not know how these things go Foxworth...I've heard about you..How you sleep around with a lot of your female clients..I am very disapointed...If we weren't so far along in my divorce precedings and my battle for total control of my company..I'd drop you like a bad habit." he snapped.

"Sir...I don't know who is spreading these scurrilous accusations about me but-"
said Mr. Foxworth.

"Scurrilous accusations? I received photos in the mail of you and one of your former clients in an act of sexual deviance...I just want you to finish this up, so that we can be done with this matter...But know this..I will not reccomend a man of your questionable morals to anyone in my church or my employ." he said.

After he left Robert looked at me-

"Chance...you didn't have that girl up here did you?" he said.

"Me? No...I was over her house for the past two days....I was nowhere near here." I said.

"Hmmmm, and I never have anybody out in the hallway...and my girls leave with all of they clothes..so it wasn't me." he said.

We looked at the bra....It was brand new and from Victoria's Secret...It hadn't ever been worn...It was a D-cup...Robert and I looked at each other, completely
baffled.

If that wasn't enough...The next day, photos of Floyd Brinkley and a known prostitute engaged in "an act of sexual deviance " in a local night spot were all over the internet and in some newspapers..Whatever he had hoped to win in his divorce case had all but flown out of the window...He was ruined. Not only that...He was exposed as the hypocrite he was...

Mr.Foxworth and I did the best we could to get him an amicable deal...but because of his behavior and his behavior alone...He got far less , a lot less than he might have.

He paid Mr. Foxworth...but he couldn't even look at him afterwords...He slinked out of the office like the snake he was. Robert broke me off my percentage of the fee...but he sat at his desk mulling over something.

"You know Chance...This whole case..Which we prepared so well, just went south...it was almost like it was sabotaged.." he said.

That got me to thinking....Nah, it couldn't have been. That night I went over to
Cynthia's house.. She didn't seem as warm as she usually was. She was on the cell phone talking to somebody..

"Oh don't mention it..I was only too happy to help...Glad I could be of assistance. hahahahahaha, yeah...that knocked him down a peg didn't it..
I wish I could have seen that pompous bastard's face when he saw the photos of him in the paper..hahahahahahahahaha..." She saw me in the living room
and she began whispering..got up and went to another room.

When she came back, she sat down and looked at me as if she was a little salty about something.

"Weren't you just over here two nights ago? I'm kind of tired..I don't feel like it tonight." she said.

"Oh really Ms. Waters? That is your real name right..Cynthia "Cyndi" Waters?
And you used to have a thing with my boss....Tell me..When was you gonna tell me that you knew him? When was you gonna tell me that you were just using me to get at him?" I said.

"How long have you known?" she said dryly.

" I found out today...I asked around...and I looked at your mail, when I was letting myself in...I don't know why I didn't check you out sooner.." I said.

"Because you were in love....like I was." she said starting to tear up.

"Cut the crap..you were using me...asking me questions about my case and all..
just to get back at the man you really love and can't have..Mr. Foxworth." I said.

"Yes..it's true..it's true..I was using you at first...but then I started really falling
for you...I started really caring for you." she said..

"I don't believe you..." I said.

"Does ....Does ....Does he know?" she asked.

"No...he hasn't figured it out yet.." I said.

"Please Chance...you've got to believe me..I didn't mean for it to get this deep..
I didn't..I really really think that I'm in love with you..please don't break up with me...I've been lonely for a long time...I've enjoyed the time I've been with you...
Yeah..I wanted to get back at Robert...but I still want to be with you..You have to believe me.." she said as she sobbed..

I held her in my arms and kissed her pasionately....

"I -I-I just can't resist you girl..I don't know why..you got me all caught up..and I know that you using me." I said.

"Not anymore Chance..Not anymore...I got my revenge on Robert...just don't leave me..please." she said.

"I want to...but I can't.....I guess I'm just all caught up in you." I said as I started
walking towards the door.

"Where are you going Chance?" she said.

"I'm not staying tonight...I just need to get my head together..but I know I'll be coming back tomorrow." I said.

"You sure baby?" she cooed seductively...

"Yeah girl...you know you got my nose open now..and I can't stand it." I said.

"It'll be alright Chance....you got me twisted too baby." she said.

I left and I drove to Josies...I walked in and Gus pointed to a table in the back of the club...Robert Foxworth, Sean Jackson and Kevin Morris were sitting at the table. I tossed the Micro-recorder to Kevin.

"Well kid...you believe her?" said Robert Foxworth.

"Nah..She's playing me..." I said.

"Of course she is...and now it's my turn to play." said Robert with a chuckle as
Kevin and Sean shook their heads and laughed.

(Conclusion Next..)

"Cynthia W."

Surprisingly enough ,I didn't tell my boss, Robert Foxworth about "Cynthia" W. That's what she told me her name was. I went out with her another night..We went to Ciros..Across town. We drank and talked and danced until the place closed and we wound up back in her house, making love until the wee hours of the morning...The sex was intoxicating and Cynthia W. mad love like a hungry man who hadn't eaten in weeks, months even. Each time she was very grateful...Always thanking me profusely. She would call me to make sure I had made it home safely. I found this funny because I always thought that I was supposed to do that. She wasn't clingy..She gave me my space. Never called me at work..and didn't call everyday.

When she did call, the conversation was always intoxicating. We talked about legal issues and politics and ourselves..How we came to be who we were, what college we went to...et al.. I couldn't beleive there was a 14 year difference in our ages. She had a body that was in better shape than some of the girls I went to college with...Knew more about Hip Hop than Paris and Blake...and could dance a slew of us under the table...

We went to Football games, Movies and Plays...She taught me how to ski...and later on in the spring how to Jet ski...She introduced me to Art galleries and fly ass Restauraunts and food in New York City that I couldn't have imagined seeing...Of course the payoff was always crazy and hot lovemaking afterwords that left us both sweating and spent...After six months, I felt like maybe I was falling in love with this woman. I had no idea then that she was hiding a number of secrets and that she might have an agenda...

This was the furthest thing from my mind the morning I came to work and found all four of the legs broken off of my desk.

"What the hell ?" I asked , startled....

"Don't worry about it young fella, I have another desk on it's way....You don't have any major casework to do for me today anyway do you?" asked Robert Foxworth.

"Well we were working on the Brinkley depositions." I said.

"Ahh don't worry about that...That aint due to come before a judge for another month" said
Robert.

I looked at my desk and I laughed...I looked at Mr. Foxworth and I said-

"Who did you have in here...the stripper?"

"Yeah...the former stripper...she's a big gal..but boyyy she will screw ya to death...She broke a bed I had in my old office....We went through the ceiling into some man's apartment." said Robert Foxworth.

"Awww man, stop tellin tales.." I said laughing.

"I swear...And she done broke a bed in my house...I told her that she got to lose some weight."
he said.

'Well, if you don't have anything for me to do...is it okay if I take the day off?" I asked.

"Yeah sure kid....I guess you're going to go find that older woman huh?" asked Robert.

"Well,I might." I laughed shyly...

'"Whoever she is...she's rockin your young world..hahahahahaha.." laughed Robert.

"Yeah, she is something...Hell in the bed.." I added.

"What's her name?" he asked.

"Cynthia....I don't know her last name." I said.

"What? You been bangin her for close to a year now and you don't know her last name?" asked
Robert incredulously.

"She won't tell me." I said.

"Won't tell you? She must have secrets....Oh well, we all got secrets..." said Robert.

I was ready to leave when Robert passed me two VIP tickets....

"Check it out kid...My other lady friend from New Jersey, The real estate agent, Bonita that was
over here last week invited me to the gala opening of this new spot in AC next week...She gave me some extra tickets...You should take your lady friend...I want to meet her...Give her my stamp of approval." laughed Robert.

"Heyy thanks Mr. Foxworth.. Cynthia loves stuff like this...I can't wait to see the look on her face
when she gets these tickets." I said.

(To be continued...)

Cougar

"Yes, I know, but we made love , and not just once but a few times I recall." said Sheena.

"Yeah we did...and within one week, you had dude back up here.....What were you all doing, having make up sex?" I asked.

"What were you doing, stalking me?" asked Sheena.

"No, I just happened to be driving by and I spotted his ride." I said.

"Chance, you so full of crap." said Sheena.

"Okay...I'm full of whatever...Bottom line, I can't be bothered with you because I can't trust you..I never know which person I'm gettin....Just like you tried to bullshit me just now...until I pulled your card....I don't want nothin to do with you or anything you have to do with." I said.

"Okay Chance..have it your way....but you gone be feindin for these drawers and you aint gone be able to come nowhere near them..." she said.

"Who do you think you are? You aint the only game in town baby." I said.

She flicked her hand in the air and rolled her neck back and forth and said-"Whatever Chance,
whatever." and walked away. I must admit, she did look hella sexy when she walked away, but she was more trouble than she was worth.

"Rough night ,huh Chance?" said Gus as he poured me another shot of Henny.

"Yeah, but I'll get over it...There's still a lot of night left." I said.

"That's the spirit kid." laughed Gus as he walked away, towards the other end of the bar.

Reed Nelson and 88 and the band were pitchin a bitch tonight at Josie's and the joint was jumpin
as they say...It was crowded with people, but I didn't see any of the regulars.. No Kevin, Sean,
Paris, Blake, Clerow tonight. Chess and Chris had been in earlier but had left. There Wasn't even a sign of Fathead...

My boss, Robert Foxworth had some big girl in his office when I left and they sounded like they was about to break the legs off of his front desk...

"Buy a sista a drink?" came the question...I turned around and looked into the most beautiful pair of hazel eyes I ever did see.

"Sure...What are you drinkin?" I asked.

'A long Island Ice tea" she said.

I don't usually buy drinks for people I don't know..but this time I would make an exception..She was pretty and she was built like a ship as the old heads would say...Nice stylish hairdo..Nice stylish dress that clung to every curb of her shapely body...I was impressed.

"What's your name?" I asked as Gus passed her a Long Island Ice Tea and me another shooter.

"Cynthia...Cynthia Waters.." she said.

"I'm Chance...Chance Howard...I'm a paralegal right now...but I'm in law school and I'm close to getting my J.D. " I said.

"Oh really...because I'm an Attorney." she said.

"Really? isn't this a co-incidence?" I said.

"Where do you work?" she asked..

"I work downtown for this guy, he's a brother named Robert Foxworth....a pretty nice guy and
a brilliant attorney in his own right." I said.

Her eyes lit up when I mentioned Robert Foxworth, almost as if she knew him.

"You know him?" I asked.

"Uh-uh ruh...no...can't say that I do...but...but..uhhhh..I've heard of him...You know..we..we uh,
we Black professionals travel in some of the same circles." she said. If I didn't know better,I'd swear that she was lying...but ,she was fine and I was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt.

We drank and we talked into the night about a variety of subjects...I found that she was a good
14 years older than me for starters....That wasn't a deal breaker at all, not as fine as she looked
tonight...or was that the alcohol talking?

Judging by the number of heads that were turning as she walked across the room to ask Reed Nelson to play something....definitely not.

Reed Nelson picked up his trumpet.....the lights dimmed and he sat on a stool and played a solo.
"I can't make you love me."

"Will you dance with me Chance?" said Cynthia...

"Yeah sure..." I said as we took the floor...

I held on to her body tightly as Reed played an incredibly moving solo....Her perfume filled my nostrils and intoxicated me as my hands casually went from the small of her back down to the curve of her spine...Surprisingly...she ddn't try to move my hands either..She just smiled and laid her head into my chest...

88 began to tickle the Keys and slowly the drummer and Bass player began to just blend into the song as Reed slid into the next stanza....

"Oooou...is that a gun in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?" she said in my ear...

" Do you always quote old movie lines at a time like this?" I said softly....

"Hahahahaha..You're pretty witty Mister Chance...but judging by that bulge..I'd say you're pretty, pretty happy and you and I should get out of here." she laughed.

"Oh my god...stand still a minute...you have to calm down...you can't walk out of here sticking out like that." she added, still looking at the bulge in my pants.

We danced a little more and we quietly left Josies. It was so crowded, I doubt if anybody saw us leave. I walked her to her car and she gave me her business card..

"You should come over...my car is right there..you wanna follow me in yours?" she said.

"Yeah, sure." I said.

She kissed me and she stuck her hands down my pants this time........

"Ummmmmmmmphhh...myy myy myyyy....you are the truth Mr. Chance." she said.

"Yes I am." I said.

"I like a man with confidence." she said.

I should have smelled a rat right then and there...This was too easy..but I wasn't thinking that night...At least not with the brain in my head.

I arrived at her house in no time..Traffic was light that night. Apparently..She had wasted no time getting home and getting undressed... The house was semi dark when I arrived..a few scented candles and an ipod dock playing a lot of slow jams from the 70's.....

She had on, only panties and a bra and was lying on the couch when I came in.....In what seemed like minutes, I was out of my clothes and on top of her kissing her and licking every inch of her...
Her bra was off in mere seconds and I slid her out of her panties in record time...

We skipped foreplay this night...I was inside of her , moving in and out and we were passionately
french kissing and rolling on her carpeted living room floor...

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHH...I NEEEDED THIS...I NEEEDEED THISSSSSSSS...OHHHHHHHHH,
DON'T STOPPPPPPPPPPPPPP..." she moaned as we went on like this for close to two hours....

She stradled me and positioned herself on top and moved up and down ,up and down and began
sweating profusely....

"OHHHHHHHHH, PLEASE..GIVE ME MOORRRRRREEEEEE...OUUUUUUUUUUUUU..." she screamed as we kept going at it like that for awhile....I then turned her around and entered her from behind and began pumping harder.......

She bucked and she screamed and began nearly convulsing.......I lifted her up and she wrapped
her legs around me as I pumped her even harder...

"'YESSSSSSS, YESSS LAWDDDD...HELLLO!!!!!" she said....

It was all I could take...I exploded ! She too began to gyrate until she too was experiencing orgasm....

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU.........hello....bingoooooooooooooo, that
did itttttttttt..oHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH..." she let out.. as I gently laid her on the couch...

We both collapsed in a hail of sweat........

"Chance..?" she said, breathing heavily...

"Yeah?" I said, breathing just as heavily.....

"You can't tell your boss about this...not ever." she said.

"You do know him don't you? You two have a relationship or something?" I asked.

"Oh no, no..no....nothing like that....but we know each other through collegues and circles you know.. I wouldn't want it to get around that's all..This is between you and me....it's none of their business." she said.

I didn't believe her, but now was definitely not the time to make waves I thought.

(To Be Continued.....)

From Where To Eternity!

Later that very same morning...I was coming out of my house to get in my car ,when Eddie Gold drove up in his car.

"Heyyy man..I was just getting ready to hit you up on the phone." I said.

"Get in" said Eddie.

"What? Let me go to my car..you can follow me." I said.

"Get in..I'm not gonna ask you again." said Eddie Gold.

"What?" I said.

He stuck a pistol out the window and aimed it at me...I knew he wasn't playing..so I got in.

"Now...you say you know where the Junkyard Dog is..Take me to the spot and if you been jerkin me around....I aint gonna be happy." He said.

"What is this about?" I said.

"Man...I'm hot...I tried to go to my house and a slew of coppers were already there kicking in my door." he said.

Damn that Agent Server and the Feds...They were supposed to wait, I thought to myself..They
jumped the damn gun and now I was in a situation in which I had no control.

"It aint you man...I got in a little trouble last night, they probably on me about that....I gotta get out of town..but I aint leaving til I settle things with that damn Junkyard Doggie." he said.

"Man ,is it worth all that? Why don't you just split and we'll call it even..why you just gotta get at him? " I said. "Get him some other time...a year from now when things aint so hot" I said.

" Nah, the trail will be cold again in a year ..It's principle with me man....we got a score to settle that goes way back, him an me....That cat shot me..and because of him, I can barely get around...He gotta pay for that!" said Eddie.

I took him to the house where I saw Barrington Covington and we sat and waited. I wondered just what the FBI was busy doing at this point...Probably ransacking his house..probably finding enough evidence in that back room to formally charge him with three homicides....None of that was doing me any good right now.

"He livin pretty large.....Who woulda thunk it? He must have taken down a lot of players...Sheeeeeet, when I off him...I'll be a hero...You can't know how many people want this guy dead Kevin." laughed Eddie...

Actually , I did.....and then some..Fathead , Chris Thompson and Donald Smooth had no love for him...and I know that players like the Diaz Brothers , who controlled most of Northern Liberties and Southside Johnny hated him just as much.

Eddie passed me an envelope..I opened it...It had 15g's in it.

"Wow.." I said, counting the money and suddenly feeling a little different about him.. but not much, thinking again about what he had done to those girls.

"Alright..When he shows up..I want you to get out of the car and walk in the opposite direction...You hear me?" said Eddie Gold...

"Yeah man..but uh..like, how am I supposed to get home?" I asked..

"Kevin, you got 15 grand in an envelope there...call a goddamn cab." he said.

A little over an hour later...I saw Barrington Covington walking down the street
alone..gingerly smiling...I nodded my head at Eddie..

"That's him eh? wow...the years been good to him...Okay Kevin...this is goodbye..get out and start walking." he said... I did as I was told and began walking in the opposite direction...I heard Eddie get out of the car and begin walking toward Barrington..

I ducked down behind a parked car...

"Well, well..welllll...we meet again Junkyard Doggie.." sneered Eddie as he pulled out his large pistol...

"Eddie Gold.....I knew we'd meet again....I knew it as sure as the sun comes up in da morning guvnor...So tell me love....have you gotten any better with the ladies or you still disapointin em." he laughed...

"Whyyyy youuuuu...." snapped Eddie Gold as he fired six shots in repitition at the swift moving Junkyard Dog... He ran and ripped his sawed off shotgun out and let fly with several bursts..
He sprayed the streets with shotgun blasts and people went running ,screaming and ducking down.. Eddie ducked between cars firing at the ever moving Barrington...His wife came out of the house in her nightgown..her nicely shaped hips and breasts there for everyone to see...Screaming and shouting for them to stop...then smartly choosing to run back inside and close the door.

Barrington let fly with another blast from his shotgun that destroyed the back window of Eddie's
Car and then fired another blast that sent Eddie running... Eddie reloaded and came out shooting, sending a volley of bullets Barrington's way...Barrington dove between two large dumpsters and then came out blasting...

The protracted urban street war between these two bad men went on like that for close to thirty
minutes and not a cop showed up! Then everything got eerily quiet! I knew that neither of them
had been hit. Maybe they had both ran out of bullets and were quietly planning to retreat.
Nothing could be further from the truth...I looked up and I saw a figure moving toward the opposite end of the avenue...Eddie must have looked up and seen what I saw..Barrington was retreating....Just like the night before with Fathead....He didn't enjoy gunfighting..he prefferred just to get the drop on his man and take his cash or revenge.

Eddie ducked behind a parked car and fired two rounds at Barrington ,who again was moving like a panther...Eddie ran into the streets and fired at Barrington, hitting him in his sides and in his back.....

''Arrrrggghhhh.....you bloodclot....you bloody wanker.." screamed Barrington as he let fly with a shotgun blast that knocked Eddie off of his feet and tossed him
over the side of a parked car and spilled him onto the pavement....Barrington was hit badly himself and he collapsed on his steps, trying to get inside his house perhaps...In what was supreme irony, both men wound up laying almost side by side in their own blood.... Barrington was face down, but still squirming...to no avail....Eddie was grimacing in pain and moaning.....

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh....I don't believe it.....I've been shottttt...ohhhhhhhh." screamed Eddie as he lie on the ground, bleeding profusely from his stomach.. Then he looked upward as if he could see something that no one else could and was perfectly still... Barrington turned himself over, but he
too lie still, just coughing up blood and making a gurgling sound....I ran over to both of them...
Freda Covington ,now dressed, ran down the steps and cradled Barrington's head in her arms..
She was weeping silently and shaking..I wanted to say something, but I ,like the two men was speechless.

Within minutes, The Police and the ambulances arrived....Both men were lying in pools of their own blood. Eddie Gold was a lost cause..He was dead on arrival!

Barrington's wife was screaming and holding her husband's head in her arms as
the EMT workers put his body on a stretcher..He just stared at everyone without
saying a word...as they pulled off from the bloody street scene... The pavement was filled with blood and blood ran down the steps of Barrington's house and into the street...It was a mess!

FBI Agents Cotton and Server arrived shortly after....Agent Server was sick with the news that Eddie Gold was dead.

"Why didn't you wait for me to call you? You raided his house before I could set him up..I was going to give you both of them...Alive!" I said..

"I'm sorry...I just couldn't wait...I had him...We found clothing that belonged to all three dead girls in his house...We found DNA on the clothing...everything..
We had indictments on him for all three murders...Philly PD had a warrant out on him for a murder committed last night of a prostitute in North Philly..I had him...I was about to put that sleazy bastard on ice.." said Agent Server as he walked away shaking his head ,almost looking like he was ready to cry.

"It's okay Kevin..He'll live....at least Eddie Gold won't kill anyone else..and perhaps we can take Barrington Covington off the streets too." said Agent Cotton as he walked away.

It was not to be though...Barrington Covington died on the way to the hospital. The Players would be happy..They didn't have to fear being stuck up anymore.The Junkyard Doggie had been put down.

Eddie Gold had died and had took to the grave with him the knowledge of what he had done with the bodies of the three waitresses he had murdered. He took with him the knowledge of why also...but with his death, no more girls had to die at his hands or be unsatisfied
in bed ....

The next night, Sean and I were sitting in Josie's having a drink when the guy I knew as Roscoe walked in and walked up to me with an envelope.

"Here Kevin..Fathead sends his regards." he said and then walked away.

I looked at the envelope..It had 100G's in it...A princely sum....This was payment
for ridding the streets of the Junkyard Doggie..even though I didn't personally have anything to do with his death or Eddie Gold's death. I wasn't going to give the money back though..I was no fool.

"Hey Sean?" I said to my friend.

"What's up moneybags" he laughed..

"You been needin a new car haven't you?" I said.

"Say what?" he said.

"Tomorrow, you and I are going to go look at a new car..I'm going to get it for you." I said.

"What?" he said.

"Yup...If you gonna roll with me..you gotta roll fat." I said..

"Mannnn, you crazy." said Sean.

"Well hell, don't just sit there man..I'm buying you a new car, least you can do is buy me a drink." I said.

Gus overheard our conversation and the three of us roared with laughter!

(For My Brother..)

Hard Twenty Four

Clerow and Cock Robbins sat in a rented 2010 Toyota Camry with tinted windows directly across the street from where Eddie Gold was said to live. They sat and they watched and when he left his house...Got in his car and took off, They followed...Just as they had been instructed to do by me. Clerow drove ,while Cock Robbins called me on his cell phone.

"What's up Cock?" I said.

"Your boy is on the move Kev...He's heading toawrds West Philly..." said Cock.

"Okay, follow him, but don't make yourself known.. if he looks like he's coming back here...you give me a call okay?"I said.

"Got'cha Kev" said Cock.

Within a few minutes after they left....A white unmarked van with tinted shades pulled up....Inside was myself, my wife,Sepia...Lockpick Johnson, Peeping Tom and Sean Jackson.
Lockpick Johnson studied the house...then by passed the security system and got us inside within minutes...We were all wearing latex gloves and except for Sepia, we were all armed, just in case we had visitors.

The House was immaculate...Very neat, not too complicated. There was a Flat screen TV in the
living room and a DVD player...An Ipod Jack and two ipods....A computer and a laptop. The Beds were made and every single thing appeared to be in place.

"Kevin...come here a minute " said Sepia...She was in a back room and she was holding a thong
in her hands...

"Strange isn't it?" she said.

"No...he's a single man, maybe he had a woman over here and she left those..." I said.

"Then he must be a real player then, because look-" she said and she opened a room, the only unkept room in the house. It was full of panties, thongs, fishnet pantyhose...bras and other things that obviously couldn't belong to just one woman...Too much for even the boldest player to keep around. There were condoms..used condoms all over the floor and DVD's everywhere!

It certainly was strange to say the least. Sean and Tom took detailed photos of everything we found. Then came the kicker...We popped one of the DVD's into the computer...On it were scenes of women being tortured, beat and sodomized by Eddie Gold....One of the women I recognized was Violet Williams....The first one to go missing....Another woman that showed up on the DVD was Millicent Phillips...The second one to go missing.

"Hey Kevin..come here..you gotta see this." said Peeping Tom... He was watching another DVD on the Laptop....It showed Eddie having sex with Millicent Phillips...

"Ohh baby...ohhhhh it feels sooo good...ummmmph..ohhhhhh..OHHHHH...oHHHHHHHHHH.."
he said.

"What?...You finished? That's it? Oh my God...you talk so much stuff at work and you aint nothin...." she says.

He gets out of bed and comes back with a loaded pistol...

"Nothin huh? Nothin?" he screams...

"Heyy..I was kidding OKKAYYY...look...take your time, relax...we'll try again...don't shoot me.."
begs Millicent Phillips before we hear a loud noise and see her lifeless body slump to the floor.
We all stood limp at that.....Shocked at witnessing an actual murder on film.

"Kev, why would he film something like that and keep it?" asked Sean.

"Because he's a crazy sadistic bastard, that's why." I said.

"Put this other stuff back....we are keeping this one..I'm turning it over to the police." I said.

"Honey,this only puts him in for one murder..what about the other two girls?" asked Sepia.

"It's enough to take him off the street....I think he killed the other two..he just wasn't stupid enough to film it." Bag this and let's get out of here." I said.

We bagged the one DVD and put everything back the way it was and quietly left his house, got back in our van and pulled off. I called Cock Robbins.

"What's going on Cock..We are out and headed in town." I said.

"He went to all three of those addresses you gave him with guns drawn....Didn't find nothin and then left, mad as can be... He picked up some woman and is headed for a hotel...in fact, he's in the
hotel with her now. What you want us to do Kev?" said Cock.

"Sit tight..I'll be up." I said.

I cut Peeping Tom and Lockpick Johnson loose after paying them and then drove Sean and Sepia
home. I got my car and then drove to the Federal Building.

"That ought to be enough to at least get a warrant for that house ..just say that this was sent to you anonymously." I said.

"Kevin,I don't even want to know how you got this...but we are getting warrants for Murder One and to search that house." said Agent Cotton.

"I need you to hold off for a few..." I said.

"I got a plan...and if it works and you guys move with enough speed....I can give you a serial killer and a stick up man who needs to retire." I said.

Just then my Blackberry went off...It was Eddie.

"Yo man...where you at?" he said.

"I'm hunting your shooter, aint that what you paid me for?" I said.

"I went to all of them spots you said he was at and he wasn't there....Are you gankin me Kev?" he asked.

"Noo....in fact...I'm sitting on a spot right now...and this is definitely it...Cause I just seen him." I said.

"For real?" he said.

"For real.....where are you? can you get to-" I said.

"Look,I'm kind of into somethin right now...He aint goin nowhere....I'll hit you up in the mornin
okay?" he said.

"Oh alright man." I answered.

I looked at the two FBI agents and smiled.....

"He's ready to be reeled in hook line and sinker." I said.

Both Agents Server and Cotton looked at me and smiled.

I drove up to where Cock Robbins and Clerow were parked... I had two Cheesesteak Hoagies from "Jim's Steaks" and two Coronas.

"Hey Guys...I appreciate your help and to show my appreciation...here is grub from Jim's and beer." I said.

They smiled and we all sat on the corner and ate cheese steaks and drank beer....We were across the street from the hotel in a Parking Garage and couldn't be seen...However we could see and hear..

A little after midnight, a young woman stormed angrily out of the hotel....Eddie Gold emerged behind her in his boxer shorts...

"I told you, that never happened before , now get back in this bed..." he said.

"Never happened before...you talk a big game, but when it comes to action, you're nothin but talk.. I've given blow jobs to virgin high school boys and they've lasted longer than you...You came before I got my clothes off you pathetic man." she said.

Eddie grabbed her arm- 'Shaddup!!!" he said. "SHADDDDDUPPP!!!"

"Let me go...Let me go...you're hurting me..let me go." she said and he dragged her back into the
hotel.

We all laughed and sat there in the garage. The eerie silence of the hours that went by didn't startle us in anyway until Clerow nudged me and woke me up.

"Man, it's cops all over this joint Kev." he said..

Cock Robbins and I looked up and we saw Lt.Sissy Van Buren and Homicide cops ,as well as uniforms standing around...

'Wait here" I told them and I ran down into the street.

"What's going on?" I asked Sissy.

"You see your boy Barrington Covington here last night?" she asked.

"No...No...he's far from here...Why?" I asked.

"A young girl has been murdered...we think she's a prostitute." she said.

I glanced at the body...It was the woman,Eddie Gold had been arguing with the night before!

"There's no sign of anyone...We went to the room they said she rented with a young man and all of the sheets and pillow cases are gone....and the place is clean as far as prints..nothin.." said a
Detective....

Eddie had killed that woman....a mean feat considering how much he limped around.. Client or not, he was a killer and he had to be stopped..It was time to put my little endgame into action.
Little did I realize, fate had other plans for the three of us..Me, Eddie and the Junkyard Doggie.

(Conclusion Next)

The Sixty Second Man

My Blackberry went off almost as soon as I got out of my parked car in front of my home. I knew who it was...I was surprised he hadn't called sooner.

"Yo..Kev..What's Up?..Any luck on finding our boy?" said Eddie as if we were searching for a long lost friend.

"I've got three addresses on him...You got a pencil and some paper..I'll give them to you." I lied, not wanting him to know that I had found Barrington Covington already.

"Nah..I aint one for writing nothin..you check em out and make sure he's at one of em..then you call me.." said Eddie.

"Okay I'll-"

click!

The bastard had hung up..My dislike for him was growing on a daily basis..I felt like giving him his money back and telling him to forget it. I walked toward my
house and before I could put my key in the door...My Blackberry went off again.
What did he want now ? I thought to myself. It wasn't him..It was Special Agent,Frank Cotton.

"Hey Kevin....I got a hit on that cell phone number you gave me and I got someone you need to talk to." said Agent Cotton.

"Okay, I'll stop by your office tomorrow." I said.

"No...Come by the "Mermaid Club..You know where it is?" he said.

"Yeah..I know where it is...I never been in there before." I laughed.

"You need to broaden your horizons a bit......I'll see you tomorrow morning." he said.

The "Mermaid "Club was a ritzy titsy bar...It was on the seventh floor of what looked like a dump of a building in South Philly. It had shiny wooden floors. So shiny you could see your reflection in the floor. Beautiful Lounge chairs throughout and a huge aquarium/ with a black marble Bar top that stretched the the length of the room. Three Bartenders and two D.J.'s operating at all times. Not the type of bar you'd expect an FBI man to frequent, nor any of the types of folks I lived and hung around with.

Agent Cotton was sitting at the bar with a Brown skinned Black man. He had a close cropped hair cut, was neatly dressed and had no hair on his face whatsoever. He was probably also FBI.

Introductions were made and we sat down to talk.

"Kevin...this is Special Agent Stephen Server..I called him after you gave me that cell phone number to look up." said Agent Cotton.

"Kevin...What is your business with Eddie Gold?" asked Agent Server.

"He's a client..I'm a P.I. and he paid me for information...that's all..I just have to find a guy that's all." I said.

"Barrington Covington right?" he said.

I said nothing..I already knew I had just stepped into a hornets nest.

"Let me explain to you who I am....I work with the FBI Violent Crimes Unit,on loan to the Philadelphia Police...Eddie Gold and I have history..He was my main suspect in what I believe was a serial killing spree that occurred here about ten
years ago. Long story short....On March 30,1998, an African American female named Violet Williams, aged 32 vanished ,shortly after her shift at The Holden Joint Bar and Grill was up...Never to be seen again. July 15th 1999, another African American Female, Millicent Phillips, aged 42 vanishes ...never to be seen or heard from again... We question Haywood Holden, a slightly retarded man who works with them, but our findings are inconclusive. Then on April 30th, Bernadette Covington ,an African woman of British origin vanishes from
the same restaraunt without a trace....We find that a Eddie Gold, a low level drug dealor , who also works as a cook at the restaraunt had had relationships with several of the missing women is missing from work. Get this..He's missing
on the days right after each disapearence. We find him, question him, hold him for 24 hours...He gives us nothing.....Then on the night of May 13,1999..Our other suspect, Haywood Holden is found hung in his apartment..He's the son of the owner....I always thought his death was suspicious..I never believed it was a suicide...The Philly PD closes the case..says that Holden was "more than likely the killer. Then on June 30,2009...Our only other suspect,Eddie Gold is shot and nearly killed and then ,just like that...the disapearences stop." said Agent Stephen Server.

"Did you guys ever question Barrington Covington about the shooting of Eddie Gold?" I asked.

"Yeah..it took us six months to run him down...but of course he said that he didn't know anything about it and that he didn't do it..There were no witnesses and Gold wouldn't tell us nothin....A guy like him would prefer to handle it himself you know." said Special Agent Server.

I was stunned...Could it be?,Was I was employed by a serial killer?

"There's more" said Agent Frank Cotton.

"More ? " I said.

"You're a smart guy Kevin....Barrington Covington is a stone stick up guy..He only kills if his life is somehow in danger.He has stuck up Fathead Newton, Southside Johnny, Mingus, The Diaz Brothers ,etc several times and never harmed a one of them...He's only after money..He shot and nearly killed Eddie Gold.. and did not rob him ..now why is that?? You know yourself,Eddie Gold is no big time player like Fathead Newton...Why would Barrington Covington even fool with him??You know why? Because the last girl that vanished was his sister, that's why and word on the street is that your man,Eddie Gold is a low life player in the bedroom too if you know what I mean? He had sexual relationships with all three of these women and let's just say he left much to be desired...They compared notes and gave him the nickname-"The Sixty Second Man." He couldn't have this kind of information out on the street about him....So they had to go. We have the testimony of two other women who this creep put in the hospital for merely questioning him as to if he was "finished" Said Agent Server.

I sat speechless, Then it was my turn to ask questions..

"Okay, so you like him for these disapearences right ? and Barrington probably tried to kill him because he believed he killed his sister..That was ten years ago..
Why is he so hot to kill him now?" I asked.

"Who knows, he's crazy....Maybe because he can...It's unfinished business." said
Agent Server.

"What do you guys want from me?" I asked.

"We'd be grateful for any information on him you could give us Kevin . I know he's paying you to find Covington...but all he wants to do is find him ,so he can kill him...You have to know that and you have to know that he's setting you up to take the fall for this...Don't be a fool Kevin..Help us take this guy down." said Agent Server.

All at once I felt a strange brew of emotions..I felt like I was betraying my own code by double crossing a client..yet at the same time, it had occurred to me that this guy could be setting me up to take a fall for him..He didn't want me to find Barrington Covington so they could exchange recipes..He wanted to kill him..I knew that and I knew I only had one way out.

"Okay ...Give me an address and give me twenty four hours..I can get close to him in a way you feds can't." I said.

Agent Cotton nodded to Agent Server who passed me a peice of paper...then gave me his card.

"I'll be hearing from you" he said.

Funny..That's what Eddie had said after our first meeting.

(To Be Continued....)

Dog Fight!

A few days later,I went to City Hall....I had heard that Mr. Barrington Covington had gotten married. Such a record is public and therefore could be found in City Hall in the records department. I had checked out his last three known addresses and had come up empty...He was no longer at any of them. I found the record of the marriage of Mr. Barrington Covington and a Freda Jackson Covington. It was dated June 30, 2006. There was a Fresh address that was different from the three that the FBI and the Police had in their files.

I rented a car from Enterprise and sat across the street from this address, drinking coffee and listening to the best of Smokey Robinson & the Miracles on CD for close to 90 minutes before I saw somebody emerge...It was a woman...a beautiful woman...brown skinned...perfect skin...voluptuous, nice legs, hips, breasts...perfect teeth...and beautiful locks......I didn't know this man, this Barrington Covington, but I dug his taste in women.

She got in a car, a 2010, Silver BMW with a sunroof top and drove off. I followed. She drove for what seemed like an hour and finnally pulled up at 'Smellys"...a dive of a bar. She had an envelope in her hand. I got out of my car and walked in the bar behind her.

They didn't call it "Smelly's " for nothing..It smelled like a combonation of sweat, urine and cigarettes...with a faint distant smell of marijuana peircing the air...I was wearing jeans, Nikes,
a leather jacket and a grey sweatshirt. I had on aviator shades to boot as well as my fully loaded
pistol inside my jacket.

I sat at the bar and ordered a corona. Most of the guys in here were ex-cons..most of the women were on break from the local strip club....just relaxing before they returned to giving guys lap dances and swinging on poles. The bartender...a rough and tumble guy named Nick smiled when he saw Mrs. Covington. I don't blame him...I was smiling myself.

"Here Nick..Barry says to put this away with the rest...after you take your cut." she said to the Bartender.

'Where is Barry? Haven't seen him around.." said Nick.

"He's around...He just took down a score...said he's going to take the Fatman down again tonight." she laughed..

"Again? He's robbed Fathead how many times now....three, four...pretty soon his luck is going
to run out and Fathead is going to set a trap for him." laughed Nick.

"A trap? Fathead is too stupid to set a trap for him..he's too busy getting lap dances and trying to take one of the girls home with him." she laughed.

"Okay, but Barry can only press his luck so many times." laughed Nick.

I wanted to warn Fathead...but I couldn't... didn't want to see this guy, Covington dead, not before I could get a good scope on him!

I got in my car and drove to the "Gentlemen's Club " that Fathead Newton liked to hang out in.
I sat and waited patiently as Jay-Z's 'Blueprint three played on my CD player...At around 1:00am, Fathead emerged from the club with a young lady....and like clockwork...A Tall light skinned man, with dreads and a toothy grin put a .45 to the back of his head......He had a British
accent!

"Give it up love...you know what time it is guvnor." It was Barrington Covington, the junkyard doggie. The young woman screamed and ran away from the two men...Barrington Covington just smiled..He had no interest in the woman...Fathead rasied both of his hands up in the air and sighed...He wasn't surprised at all...

"You again huh?" said Fathead...

"Sorry guvnor...but my cash flow was low and I needed the kind of cash that you normally party with..now let's get on with it love." he said.

"You know...robbin me aint the smartest thing for a guy like you to keep doing"
said Fathead.

"I don't see why not...it's been working for me pretty good guvnor..." laughed Barrington Covington.

Fathead laughed himself at that...then he seemed to look away, across the street.
I saw a figure in the shadows emerge...a hulking figure and at that point..I knew that this wasn't going to be good. I pulled my gun and readied myself..but something told me to sit tight...wait!

"Roscoe" said Fathead , who ducked between the cars....A tall ,well built Black man named Roscoe fired two shots at Barrington that just missed his head....Barrington pulled out a sawed off shotgun and let fly with a blast that took the windshield out of a parked car... Roscoe ducked
and came up shooting two silver plated .45's ...in sucession...Barrington let fly with another blast from his shotgun but he missed again...It was Roscoe's turn..He fired at Barrington and nearly hit him... For the first time, I saw fear in the stick up man's face...The Junkyard Dog thought better of continuing this gunfight, so he turned and ran...

Fathead got up from behind the cars and looked at Roscoe...

"Good job man....that slimy bastard will think twice before runnin up on me again." he said.

"You want me to go after him?" said Roscoe.

"Nah..he's gone and the cops are probably on their way...let's get the hell outta here." said Fathead as he and Roscoe hustled off down the streets. People began coming out and lights began coming on... A small crowd of people emerged on the streets...I used this time to pull off. I didn't want anyone to see me around there.

Knowing the code of the streets, I knew that a guy like Barrington sets up on a guy and parks his car two blocks away from the job he's going to do. I was right...He jumped in the waiting Silver BMW and took off....I followed them ,never letting them get more than three cars in front of me..They drove fast and weaved in and out of every little neighborhood they could, making sure that they didn't get followed...

They finnally pulled up in front of their house. The same one I had been in front of earlier in the day. They got out of the car and stood in front of their house...all the time, unaware that I was right across the street and a few houses down from them.

"What happened baby..I heard gunfire?" she said.

"Yeah..Ole Fathead had one of his henchmen laying for me...almost like he knew I was coming." said Barrington.

"He couldn't have known...Only Nick and I knew and we wouldn't have told him...You have robbed him at least three other times....How long you gonna keep doing this Barry? Until they kill you? " she said. I could see the love and the concern in her face.

"All I need is one big score love and you and I both can leave here..retire!"he said.

"You promise?" she said

"I promise love" he said and kissed her forehead... He grabbed her hand and the two went inside their house.

I could tell from the car ,the house and the neighborhood they lived in..that over the years, Mr. Covington had made quite a bit of money taking down scores and sticking up criminals...This tony neighborhood in Northeast Philadelphia was a world away from the grimy streets of West ,North and South Philly where he plied his trade...He had no chance of ever being spotted by the people he robbed. They didn't come in this part of the city. Nobody had any idea that he
was married and that he lived like this... BUt even he had to know that all it took was one slip up, being seen by one person he didn't expect to see and it was all over. Just like I had found him..Someone else ,either lucky or determined could find him too. He had to know that!I had found them...All I had to do was call Eddie Gold and tell him where he was and my job was done!

So how come I couldn't make that call just yet?

(To be continued....)

Junkyard Doggie!

When you want to find street people..you go to street people. I was having breakfast with my friends, Chess,Chris Thompson and Donald Smooth and I brought up the "Jamaican" shooter I was looking for with the British accent.

"Damn Kevin...you sure know how to get mixed up with some rough charactors.
but hell, anybody with the nuts to take down Malik Lockjohn can mix with anybody."said Chess, who was sipping on a tumbler of Orange Juice and laughing.

"I know who you're looking for...He aint Jamaican...He's from the U.K. His name is Covington, Barrington Covington...He's a stick up man...a damn good one too! He stuck me up one time!" added Chris Thompson, who was himself a one time drug kingpin...He kept what he did such a secret that only a select few people ever knew...He was no longer in the game as they called it..but he still knew everything and everyone who was worth knowing in the street.

"He stuck you up?" I asked.

"Yeah..He took me for 40g's one night.. I usually don't carry that kind of money on me..I was going to put it in my safe in my safehouse and he come up on me
and said-"Give it up love..I know who you are and I know what you are." I gave it up..I couldn't report it..." said Chris.

"Mannn, talk about mad...Chris had me and my associates turnin the city upside down for close to a year lookin for that dude. He's hard to pin down...Got no known address. I had him cornered once..We even shot it out...but he got away." said Donald "Smooth"

"He's robbed Fathead about three times...Always caught him coming out of that
strip club he frequents...hahahah,man, Fathead still has an open contract out on him...Anybody that can locate him will get a cool million...Maybe you should be workin for Fathead Kevin..I know he'll pay more than your guy." said Chess, who was laughing ,along with Smooth and Chris at the story of how many times Fathead Newton had been stuck up!

"Speakin of my guy..any of you ever heard of a Eddie Gold?" I asked.
Chess and Donald Smooth shrugged their shoulders, they hadn't..but Chris Thompson smiled...
"Yeah,I know him..Used to work at the Holden Joint...Used to sell for me too...until he got shot....He was in a coma for a year..I thought he was going to die..but he recovered and he's up and movin around..I hear he's a lightweight playa up in South Philly...He's like me, reall low key...but he was always a little weird..."said Chris.

"Weird Like how?" I asked.

"With women...I know two girls used to run with him...You mention his name and they get real quiet, like they was scared of him or somethin..I don't know.
That's who you workin for huh? Let me guess..Barrington Stuck him up too huh and now he wants some get back huh? Hahahahahaha, good luck Kev..but listen to me..If you find that Junkyard Doggie...just make a call...He aint no joke..He will kill you just as soon as look at you..be very careful holmes!" said Chris.

"I will" I said as I got up...I tossed enough money on the counter to pay for allof their meals."

'Heyyy thanks man!" they all said in unison..

"No thank you for your information." I said as I left the diner and headed for my car.

I drove to Lt.Sissy Van Buren's office over at Philadelphia Homicide and talked to her about Mr. Covington. She had a Photo of him and a list of his last known addresses..She showed me his rap sheet ,which was long...Armed Robberies mostly and a few assaults...He had done time in the State Pen twice and one short stint in the Federal Prison system..Of course she wanted to know why I was interested in him and I couldn't tell her...She accepted this and I accepted the fact that should he turn up dead..I'd be her number one suspect. I would worry about that when the time came.

Next I paid my friend, FBI Special Agent, Frank Cotton a visit. He had even more information on Mr. Covington....It appears that we shared the same birthday. Same day, same year! He had come to Philly from London, when he was 17 and was in one scrape after another for years...Surprisingly, he had become a naturalized U.S. Citizen and had gotten married recently. The FBI suspected that he had paid someone off. He wasn't currently wanted for anything , but he was a person of interest.

'He robs Drug dealors mostly Kevin or other criminals..the types that can't report being robbed...He's in more danger from that element than he is from law enforcement." said Agent Cotton.

Before I left, I gave him Eddie Gold's cell phone number.

"What's this for?" He asked.

"I need you to run this for me...I want to know where he lives and anything about him you can give me." I said.

"Okay..but you're running out of favors Kevin." he said.

"Yeah,I know..but I need information on this guy." I said.

"Okay...I'll run it and let you know what I got." he said.

I had made a lot of headway in just one day...I decided to go home and see what my wife was up to.

I know that I was working for Eddie Gold, but he seemed to be just as dangerous as Barrington Covington...At least I knew that the Junkyard Doggie was a stick up man..I wasn't quite sure what to make of Eddie Gold.

(To be Continued.....)

Who Shot Ya?

"Hey Kevin, How you doing?" asked Gus as Sean Jackson and I sat up at the bar and ordered our drinks! Sean ordered a shot of Henny and I had my Corona.

"He's rollin in dough Gus..I wish I was doing half as good as him." laughed Sean.

"Is that true Kevin?" asked Gus.

"If he says so." I laughed.

I had recently been promoted to Assistant Editor and Cheif at the magazine that employed both Sean and I. I still had my column (that I wrote from home mostly) and my two blogs that I had been neglecting lately. What Sean was talking about was my other gig....I was now a licensced Private Detective and I had been making a small fortune off of a slew of clients with deep pockets. All of the cases involved a cheating spouse or lover and after I handed the client the damning evidence and refferred them to either Robert Foxworth or Conrad for legal help..I made pretty good change. (Plus Robert and Conrad both broke me off a little change in finders fees for the clients.) Despite my hefty raise from the magazine, I was making more doing my P.I. work.

Thing is..I hated doing this type of thing ...spying on somebody and giving somebody else the evidence that ultimately destroyed their relationships...I hated it and at times hated myself for doing this. I didn't hate the money I was making though. I just longed for the type of case that would get my adrenalin running again.

They say be careful of what you wish for...because you just might find it. Just as I was thinking that...a guy walks into the bar...He was limping and he had a cane...He was about my age, yet he walked like an old man. He seemed to know who he was looking for because he walked right up to where Sean and I were sitting and said to me-

'You're Kevin right? , Kevin Morris?"

"Who wants to know?" I asked him.

"I do....I want to hire you...My name is Eddie..Eddie Gold." He said.

'Hey Eddie..Long time no see." said Gus...

"You know him?" I asked.

'Yeah, yeah...Eddie Gold...used to come in here all the time..Man, how you been...I haven't seen you since they closed the Holden joint." said Gus.

"Yeah ,I've been rehabbin man...I'm back on my game a little bit..glad to see you're still here Gus and got your spot lookin good too." he said.

"The Holden joint? I remember that place...before I was coming in Josie's..I used to stop by there and grab a drink and one of those fat, Roast Beef sandwiches and that great Potato Salad."
I said.

"Yeah...shame about the tragedy." said Gus.

Three waitresses mysteriously vanished in the summer of 1999. Everyone suspected that Mr.
Holden's crazy brother, Haywood might have had something to do with it....He was questioned, but never charged....then a few months later...He was found hanging in his apartment. a suicide.
Mr. Holden took it pretty bad...He and Mrs. Holden closed up their establishment and moved down the shore I had heard... The three girls were never found!

"See Kevin, right around that time, when the Holden joint closed up..I lost my job....I was shot
three times one night....Once in the head, once in the shoulder and once in my leg...I was in a coma for about a year...then slowly but surely, I began to come out of it. Thank God for my military benefits..." said Eddie.

"Wow man,I'm sorry." I said.

"Don't be...I'm gettin along just fine...but I need you to find me somebody..I want the cocksucker
what shot me." he said.

'What? That was ten years ago...." I said.

"Don't matter...All I need for you to do is find him and tell me where he's at...Anything else is on me." he said passing me an envelope with 5 G's in it.

"A guy like you has money like this?" I asked.

"What's it to you? I got it..and I gave it to you...that's all you need to know. The guy what shot me is still operating Kev...He's a seasoned stick up man and I can tell you this much...I suspect he's a Jamaican, with a real thick british accent. Now it aint many guys that fit that description in
West,North or South Philly...I'm sure you can turn him up...That was half down on him...When you make the scope...contact me." said Eddie.

"How will I contact you?" I asked.

"Here, that's my cell phone number..you see him, call me and let me know where he's at."

"Then what?" I asked.

"Then, it's none of your business what? That's my business...The less you know, the better off
you'll be." he said.

Sean and I stood there blank faced.. Eddie tossed down a couple of dollars to pay for our drinks
then stood up,grabbed his cane and smiled at Gus-

"Nice seeing you again Gus...and as for you Kevin, I'll be hearing from you." he said as he hobbled out of Josies.

I looked at Gus, who just shrugged...

"Don't look at me Kevin.....I don't know what it is about him...I mean he was a good paying customer and all, but there was always something about him that was a little off kilter..Always something about him that gave me the willies." said Gus.

As bad as this sounded..I was drawn to it...I felt alive again... I was gonna find me a shooter.


(To Be Continued....)

Can't Have Your Cake

You know girl
that we can't keep dealing with each other
this way.
Girl you must know
that I'm through talking..
is there something more that feel you have to say?/

You can't have your cake
and eat it too!
be sure you're not
making a mistake..
make sure you know what you gotta do...
You can't have my love
and then dis me on the sly...
because when push comes to shove
and it will..
then I'll be saying bye -bye..../

You say you don't consider me your man
but you got uptight when you saw me
talkin to Fran..
You say that I'm just one of your many friends,
yet you question me about what time I got in...
and why I didn't return your text or phone call...
still,I'm just an "associate", that's all.
If you want me exclusively
you gotta let me know...
I've got to see your true feelings show./

You can't have your cake and eat it too..
you're headed for a rude awakening so what are you
gonna do?/

You know
I can't get down like this
with you any longer...
think of the happiness
you might blow
if you refuse to show me something stronger..../

You can't have your cake
and eat it too...
you're heading for a big heartbreak...
so baby, don't be a fool./

Goodbye Dog!

A week after playing with Sloppy Joe Forks ,the blues singer in Oakland, I was sitting in a very tony eating establishment in San-Francisco with my man Snake. Me? I'm Reed Nelson..I play the trumpet!

"May I take your order." said the shapely waitress.

" Yeah..I'll have two eggs scrambled light, with bacon and a side of hash browns, wheat toast ,orange juice and coffee with cream and extra sugar." I said.

"Damn man, you been eatin the same breakfast since I known you Reed..don't you ever change it up?" said Snake.

"I go with what I know." I laughed.

"Hey baby, I'll have some Blueberry Pancakes, Country Suasage and a coffee, black.." said Snake to the waitress.

"When you comin to Philly man?" I asked.

" First of the year...My sister's kid is gettin married and I'll be in town for awhile." he said.

"When we are in the city we play at this place called Josie's...Nice joint...lots of women." I said.

"Yeah, I been in Josie's...That's Gus's joint.." said Snake.

"Yeah...we make pretty good money there and Gus don't mind when we on the road or in the studio..He just brings in a DJ...He's good people." I said.

"Yes, he is." agreed Snake.

Our food came. We ate like we did when we were in the Army together...like hungry dogs ...
after we finished eating, I went over to bar and ordered Six fingers with orange juice to chase it.

"Man ,Reed, you hittin the bottle this early in the mornin?" said Snake.

"This coming from the biggest alcoholic ever?" I said laughing..

Just then, I saw her from the corner of my eye...It was Cherry! Cherry Johnson..and she was headed for her car.

"Snake...here's twentyfive dollars for breakfast...give me the keys to your car..." I said.

"What? , What's goin on Reed? " he asked as he tossed me the keys....

''Somethin's up...I gotta go...here's twenty more for cabfare home...I'll see you this afternoon." I said as I rushed to his car and started it up.

Cherry had what looked to be a rental car...If I knew right, she wasn't working yet and if she was,she wasn't making enough money to afford a car like that. At any rate..she didn't know I was following her.

She parked in a neighborhood of colorful two story homes in Hunter's Point. She had what looked like a present and a bottle of wine in her hands. I parked my car about a block away and
walked slowly, across the street from her...It was a warm day, about 75-80 degrees and the windows were open....Almost as soon as I got to the corner of the block she was on,I heard it-

"Ohhhhhhhhhh, ohhhhhhhhhhh, ohhhhhhhhh soul dadddddyyyy.....lay dat pipe..ohhhhhhh,
lay it on meeee...ouuuuuuuu, me love you longgggg timeeee!...ohhhhhh....don't stop loving me sooooo gooooodddddd..awwwwwwwwwww!"

A bed was sqeaking furiously and a woman was moaning with the kind of pleasure only good loving could provide...It kind of made me envious. Cherry was walking right into the building where the sounds of pleasure were coming from. She walked up the stairs and I stood downstairs..She was oblivious to me.

"Oh my God, Bobby..who the hell is SHE? What is she doing in our bed?" came a shreik from
Cherry.

'Who am I? ,WHO ARE YOU?" came another female voice.

"Hey, hey, hey,heyyyyyy, calm down.....First of all Cherry, this aint OUR bed....I slept here with you once or twice, but you don't live here..I didn't tell you to come out here to find me...I live here and from time to time...I uh..er, entertain other females..I never said we were exclusive."
said Bobby ,just as calmly as he could. It was as though he didn't have a care in the world.

"Oh my God...I should have never gave you some...oh how could I have been so foolish?" screamed Cherry.

"Babe, I thought we had an understanding back in Philly...that was just a one night thing..Then you come showing up here and all...and acting like we in a relationship..." said Bobby.

"Bobby,come back in bed..I need more of your long long loving stick." came the voice of the other woman, a very shapely Asian woman.

"In a minute babe, I'm trying to set things straight here." he said, never breaking a sweat..

"There's nothing to get straight Bobby..you just a damn dog....I bought us some wine and I went to Victoria's Secret because I bought something to wear to really turn you out." she said.

"An ,you can still wear it." he said. "Care for a threesome?"

"Ouuu, you disgust me...I'm out!" she said as she stormed down the steps and past me, got into her car and pulled off!... I laughed like a chesire cat, got back into Snake's car and drove to his house.

"Where you been at bruh?" asked Snake as I entered his apartment.

"Nah, nowhere really, just had to look somethin up." I said.

"Everything good? " he said as he tossed me a Corona...

"Yup....Everything is real good.." I said ,unable to conceal my laughter!

Exodus In The Key of C.

ART: "Bluesman Extraordinaire" By Artisticsoul

My Name is Reed Nelson, I play the trumpet....I'm from North Jersey..I currently live in Philadelphia PA. when I'm not on the road with my band. We just got finished playing a cross country gig. I decided not to return to the east coast right away. I had some down time, so I decided to head to San-Francisco.

I've always loved that town...It's one of my favorite U.S. Cities.

I have a friend there..A guy named "Snake' that used to play the bass in one of my early bands. I was staying with him in Hunters Point...a rough mainly Black section of San-Francisco that could give West Philly a run for it's money on some days for being Volatile.

I sat in with Snake's little quartet a few nights when I first got in town..then I took a week off from playing music period. I took in the night life. Enjoyed the clubs, the bars and the action down near the Wharf area.. Walked around, bought souveniers, drank Saki...ate good Chinese food and took a trip over to Oakland one night. It was in Oakland that I fell into a little seedy blues joint called "The End of the world" That's what it looked like too. This old guy with a gravely voice was singing a song called -"Heartbroken" that I had written...I had my trumpet with me and I joined his band on the stage and sat in with them while he belted out the song....

The MC, a cat named "Symphonic Sam" regognized me and said -

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a treat tonight...tonight on trumpet ,all the way from Patterson,New Jersey by way of Philly is the composer of that song ,Mister Reed Nelson...Show ya love...."

The Crowd erupted into applause and the old Blues Singer smiled,tipped his hat and began singing another verse of my song as I played like I was in another galaxy. Everything was going great until I looked in the audience and saw her!! Cherry Johnson.....My lover from Philly, who had abandoned me without so much of a "Goodbye Dog" while I was on the road!! I hadn't seen her in months and there she was sitting in the audience. She wasn't alone either..she was with a man..A guy I had seen before back in Philly. I think his name was Bobby something or other....One of Kevin's friends...Didn't really know the man, but it looked as though Cherry had gotten to know him ,pretty good and had followed him out here to the West Coast...She had packed up her belongings and had moved and hadn't said a word to me...Not good bye dog,not nothing. It was the same thing she had done to Chess when he had been dating her.

The whole time I was playing, she couldn't look me in the eye. She was sitting down there in the front row as uncomfortable as hell. Good, she needed to be uncomfortable after what she did to
me. After my set was over, I walked down into the audience. I got a glance of her and her gentleman friend heading towards the door. She looked at me and waved breifly...weakly.

I sat at the bar and ordered some Hennesey on the rocks and knocked it back.

"Gee young fella, that gal must have really did a number on you." came the voice.

I looked around and it was the old Blues singer...

"Forks is the name..Sloppy Joe Forks." he said and offered his hand to be shook. I shook his hand.

"I'm Reed Nelson" I said.

"I know who you are, you the one that wrote that song I was singing tonight." I heard it playing on one of the Jazz stations out here and I had a partner of mine get me your CD...I been singing that song for months now..." he said.

"Gee,thanks...it's good to know you're a fan...what are you drinkin old school?" I said.

"I gave up drinkin liquor years ago..." He said. I busted out laughing-

"A Blues Singer that don't drink liquor....now there's something you don't see every day." I said.

"Don't need to drink it....I like to experience all of life and everything it has to offer sober." he said.

"Even the pain" I said.

"Especially the pain. Now take that old gal you was moonin over...I take it, you knew her from somewhere other than here." he said.

"Yeah, I knew her back in Philly." I said.

"I take it ,she up and left while you was on the road and now you find her in this god forsaken place with another guy and she feelin kind of bad about the way she left things and so she hightailed it outta here." he said.

"Damn, you sure know a lot for somebody that doesn't really know the story ." I said.

"I know human nature..I've studied people for years..how they look, how they move..body language....You learn more from people by what they don't say then by what they do." he said.

"Wow, that's a great skill to have." I said.

"Oh you'll get it....you live long enough...you'll definitely get it." he said.

I smiled, knocked back another shot of henny and just sat.

"Women come and go young fella...Nobody can have all de women in the world...always gonna be one you lose along the way....just worry about the one that stay...the one that want to be with you...everything else will work itself out." he said.

"Mr. Forks...You are a very wise man ." I said.

"And Mr. Nelson...you are a very drunk man...Ah caint let you drive home...I'll take you." he said.

"Oh no..I'm cool, my boy Snake is coming to get me." I said.

"Snake? Snake the bass player? Ah knows him...You Snake's boy huh..well ya must be alright."
he said as he slapped his knee.

I stared out the window of the club into the streets of West Oakland...I wondered where Cherry
was, I wondered if she was making love to that guy right now while I sat drunk in this club.

Just then Snake walked into the club...He saw us and he walked over....

"Heyyy Snake" said Sloppy Joe Forks.

'What's happenin old man?" laughed Snake.

"Just helpin your boy get over his broken heart." said Joe.

"Well thanks for watchin him fo me...Come on Reed, my car's outside." said Snake.

As we got up to leave...I glanced at Sloppy Joe Forks..

"Hey man, tell me something..why did you really stop drinking? It wasn't for enlightenment only
was it?" I asked.

"Who said anything about enlightenment.??.. I got drunk as hell and tore up the best car I evah owned...and then had to spend a night in jail...thas why ah stopped drinkin." said Joe.

I looked at him and smiled as Snake led me to his car.


(For SLC)

Hey Joe

I just happened to be up! It was a quarter to eleven on a Thursday Night...Rell and my son were already sleeping when I heard a knock on the door. If anyone was knocking on my door without calling , this time of night ...it could only mean trouble. Even Chris Thompson would call. I peeped out of my side window....It was the deacon from the church..That Church that my friend Kevin attends and that Chris has been going to ever since he returned to Philly, but has not joined yet...It was Deacon Larry Weatherford. My name is Chess..This is another of my stories.

"Evening Deacon...Isn't this a little late for you?" I asked as I opened the door.

" Yes, Mr. Chess..but I got a problem and it looks like you're the only one that can help me." he said.

"A problem huh?" I said as I let him in.

"Usually, when neighborhood folk got those kind of problems they go to my man Kevin Morris."
I said.

"Well ,Brother Kevin is good with what he do....but this matter calls for someone like you..someone connected to the streets." said Deacon Larry Weatherford.

"I'm a Businessman ,Deacon...I aint no gangster." I said.

He gave me a look that your father gives you, when you're trying to B.S. him and you both realize it. I looked at the good deacon and I sighed...

"What's this about?" I said.

"Joe.. Joe Parker...You know him?" he asked..knowing that I did indeed.

"Yeah,I know him...what about him?" I asked. Joe Parker was another form of Chris Thompson.
A well respected player. Like Chris Thompson...He had no police record....He sold drugs very quietly with no noise, just like Chris had once done...and except for those who really had their nose in the streets...nobody knew anything about him. What made him different from Chris is that Joe had killed before. He had killed at least three men and folks knew not to mess with him.
Fathead allowed him to operate independently within his territory and the two had a kind of an uneasy understanding..They didn't step on each other's toes. Joe Parker had been operating as long as Chris and Fathead and had had only three major beefs...With the three men he killed. This said a lot. Joe Didn't play.

"What about Joe Parker, Deacon?" I asked..I couldn't imagine what a church man and that man could possibly have in common.

"He's going to kill Pastor." said the Deacon.

"Pastor Struthers?" I asked.

"Yeah..He think Pastor Struthers was steppin out on his wife...and he sent word that when he see him, he's gonna kill him...it's a big mistake...Pastor wasn't runnin with his wife." said the Deacon.

"How do you know?" I asked , not wanting to get involved in this at all.

"Look, Pastor run with a lot of women..I know that, everybody know it.. hell, Pastor done slept with all the choir ladies...but Pastor aint stupid...He know not to mess with Lola Parker. " said the Deacon, who was himself, married to the Pastor's ex wife..Victoria Jenkins Struthers Weatherford. I never understood that whole arrangement.

I knew Pastor Struthers...He never saw a skirt that he wasn't tempted to chase..He very well could have been running with Lola Parker, a vivacious women who unlike her husband was a church goer...another thing I didn't understand. Rumor in the street was that Joe beat her from time to time and that he was very jealous..I didn't know, I didn't care..I kept my distance from the man and his wife. Chris respected Joe, but he had told me that he had never liked the man...and neither did Fathead, who often said..he was waiting for the right reason to take him out...This wasn't it!

"So what do you want me to do?" I asked.

"You is a street dude...I know you and Chris is out the game and kind of legit, except fo that crap
game..but yall still tight with Fathead..yall know folks..folks that might could talk some sense into Joe fo he do something crazy." said the Deacon.

He was so desperate and looking so bad that I just could not refuse to help him... I called upstairs
and told Rell that I was going out and that I'd be back. I put on my kevlar vest with a trauma plate and I got both of my pistols, the one I concealed in the small of my back and the one I kept
tucked in my coat... Then I called Chris, told him to meet me outside of his girlfriend's spot and
gave him the lowdown on what we were up against.

The Deacon rode with me to Chris's girlfriend's house where I picked him up.

"You packin man?" asked Chris.

"Always" I said. "You need anything?" I asked.

"Nah,I'm straight..I got my .38 smokeless said Chris.

"You boys always travel with so much hardware?" asked the Deacon.

"Actually Deac, we don't...but Joe Parker is a much respected player...and not one to take lightly..when you meet him you come heavy....I know three guys who didn't..." said Chris.

"Oh and they called the game because of rain huh?" laughed the Deacon, trying to sound hip.

"No...They called the game cause of death.." said Chris without even a hint of a smile."

"Where would Joe be?" asked the Deacon.

"Sometimes he's up in Fathead's club...Ciros...Other times..he hangs out in a dive called " Smellys" I said.

"Smellys? I thought that joint closed years ago." said the Deacon.

"What do you know about "Smellys"? " both Chris and I laughed..

"I wasn't always a Deacon young men...I got around too!" he laughed.

We went to Ciro's..Nobody had seen Joe...We next went to "Smellys" ...He wasn't there either..
, then we went to Josies....where Gus had indeed seen him.

"Yeah..He come in here about an hour ago with his wife...She looked like somebody had gone a few rounds on her..They had a couple of drinks and then they left...He seemed like he was man handling her." said Gus.

"Let's Check on pastor..Make sure he's alright."asked The Deacon.

We drove to the block where Pastor John Struthers lived..It was here that we hit paydirt...
No sooner than my car parked down the street from his house..when we heard glass breaking and the sound of a woman screaming!

"Deacon, wait here in the car..we'll handle this." I said..

Chris went down the driveway toward the back, while I eased up the front steps....I looked in the
window and I saw Lola Parker, beaten and bruised sitting in a chair, while an Asian woman screamed...

"Why you do this? Whyyyyyy....what we do to you?" she said. That was met with a slap...

"Shut up..tell lover boy to come out the bathroom." said Joe Parker.

"Joe..I'm telling you, I wasn't doin nothing with the Pastor...He's innocent..He was here with his girlfriend..." said Lola, who was also slapped..

"Look at your boyfriend...too scared to come out the damn bathroom...this what ya want?" screamed Joe...

"STRUTHERS..COME ON OUT THAT BATHROOM AND DIE LIKE A MAN!!" screamed
Joe.

"Nigga you crazy..I aint got no clothes on...you aint shooting me naked .." said Pastor Struthers.

"Longer you take to come out, the more punishment these girls is gonna get." said Joe.

"No Joe...this is it..No more slappin around women." I said.

He turned and looked at me.

"Chess? Chess?? Is that you?? Hey man, it's been a minute baby...but this aint your affair,
stay out of this...I don't want to have to-"

"You don't want to have to what?" came the unmistakable voice of Chris Thompson.

"Chris???Chris Thompson??? You boys still run together huh.....Yall should really stay out of grown men's business." said Joe, no longer laughing. I knew that look...the look his three victims
probably saw before they died...I pulled my pistol and aimed it at his head and as if on cue..
Chris pulled his likewise.

"Awwww, so it's like that huh." said Joe.

"Can't let you kill a Pastor....Now he done said he was here with the chinese girl.....and your wife done said that she wasn't with him...so let's call it a day and nobody gets hurt okay?" said Chris.

"Yeah? You know better than that?" said Joe. In a split second his hand went for his gun...a shot zoomed through the window and hit him in the shoulder....another shot hit him in the side
and the final shot hit him in the back as he turned and fell up against the table..

"I don't believe it.....ughhhhhhh..I've been shot!" said Joe as he fell to the floor. Neither Chris ,nor I fired a shot...The shot had come from outside... We both ran outside..but nobody
was in sight. The neighborhood was eerily quiet.

Pastor Struthers, His Asian Girlfriend and Lola Parker all looked around..we looked at each other and shrugged...

"The cops are coming soon, what do we tell em? " asked Lola Parker.

"Tell them the truth..tell them somebody shot through the window." said Chris..

"Leave out the part that we were here." I said as Chris and I ran back to my car and pulled off.

The Deacon was surprisingly calm....

"I guess Pastor is alright huh?" he said.

"Yeah...he's fine...he won't have to worry about old Joe anymore...He's gone to meet his maker."
I said.

"Good....The streets don't need vermin like that." said the Deacon. Something about the way he
said it gave me the chills.

"Somebody shot through the window...did you see anybody Deac?" I asked.

"Nope..Didn't see nobody......" he said.

"You ever handle a gun Deac?" asked Chris.

"I did a lot of things in my day son...I wasn't always a Deacon" he said.

Both Chris and I looked at each other knowingly as we drove away...we didn't say anymore.