Cat with Nine Lives

Sean Jackson and I spent a rare night in Ciro's....Fathead's joint. We usually were regulars at Josies..but tonight after a hard day at work we decided to try some place different.

''You drinkin Corona Kev?" said Sean...

"Yeah man...nothin heavy tonight..Sepia told me to come home early and she gave me that look"
I said.


"Ohhhhhh, that gettin busy look,huh?" laughed Sean.

"Yeah man...I been so busy crackin cases, I have been kind of lettin up in the bedroom." I admitted.

"Yeah, well no case should be that important man." laughed Sean as the bartender slid him a Black and tan and me a Corona.

Just then, I heard a voice out of my past..A voice I hadn't heard in years....The clay pidgeon.

"Kevin...Kevin Morris...Is that you? Lawwwwd have mercy, it is...What you doin up in here?"
came the voice of Walter "Kool Kat" Jones.

"Just trying a new spot for the night." I laughed...

"So what's the verdict captain?" He laughed.

"I'm going back to Josies....where I know all of the players and know when to turn my back" I laughed.

"Yeah,I know what you mean Kev." he laughed.

''Kool Kat, this here is my partner...Sean Jackson..we work together." I said -''Sean, this is Kool Kat, the man with nine lives." I continued as the two nodded and shook hands.

Walter "Kool Kat" Jones was at least six foot seven, heavily muscled and bald as cue ball..he word dark shades at all times and dressed to the nines. At one time, he was a driver and an enforcer for a Big time playa named Ernie Lubbers...He collected for him and if needed, silenced the opposition.

Ernie and his people began to think that maybe "Kool Kat" was talking to the police. He wasn't..but in that world ,all it takes is for someone to think you're snitching and you could be gone. Ernie's Second in command...A guy named Lumbly called Kool Kat into his office for a meeting one night. Another guy named Jack "No pants" Lake was also there. While Kool Kat and Lumbly were talking...Jack Lake excused himself...walked into the bathroom and came out with a .22 caliber handgun. He shot Kool Kat in the head two times...

To everyone's astonishment, Kool Kat didn't die...He hit the floor, then got up...grabbed Jack Lake...took the gun from him and threw it across the room and then ripped his pants off completely and tossed him across the room like he was a peice of paper in the wind. He then turned to Lumbly who was so frightened..he pulled out his own gun, put it to his head and killed himself.

Then, bleeding profusely..Kool Kat caught the bus and rode to the hospital where he collapsed.
He survived and once out of the hospital..he went hunting for Ernie Lubbers....Ernie Lubbers wisely caught the fastest thing smoking out of Philadelphia and that was that. Kool Kat got out of the game after that....I didn't know what he did for a living, but he was always dressed nice and always had a nice car and a nice lady on his arm.

"Kevin.....I done come into some money." he said to me.

"Money? You? What kind of money Kool Kat?" I said.

"Aint you heard? I hit the lotto last week for 12 mill..." he said.

Sean's eyes popped open....I looked at Kool Kat in disbelief......

"Yeah man...12 million after taxes.." he laughed.

"And you drinkin in this joint?" asked Sean.

"Well..Where am I supposed to drink? You drink in a place you know." he said.

I looked at Sean and shook my head in agreement.

"Well man....I'm happy for you...but you oughta keep that quiet..you shouldn't be telling everybody." I said.

"Kev, who got the balls to try and rob me?" he said.

It was a true statement, he was big and he was tough and he had survived two bullets to the dome....Nobody I knew wanted to tangle with Kool Kat.

"Well ,what you gonna do? With all that cash, I mean?" I asked.

"Well, I was talking to Chris Thompson and his boy Chess the other day...and I'm thinkin bout retiring to Puerto Rico...gettin away from all this." he said.

"That's a good idea Kool Kat." I said.

We sat in Ciros and drank until closing...Kool Kat paid for all of our drinks and then Sean and I got in our cars and drove to our homes...I was thinking I had blown it with Sepia...She would most surely be asleep I wagered, but she wasn't...

She was wearing a light lavender ,sheer baby doll with purple and red striped bikini panties and a matching bra....Whatever ill effects of the alcohol I had, immediately left when I entered our bedroom.... At least two hours of the most heavenly and erotic pleasure ensued....This is why I didn't hear my phone ringing...

We lay in each others arms completely nude and physically spent....I was just about to drift off into a deep sleep , when I heard the faint sound of my phone ringing...

"You gonna get that Kev?" said Sepia....

"No" I said and we both drifted off to sleep......

The next morning was Saturday.....I was outside with a hose and a pail of hot soapy water, washing my car when Sean Jackson drove up...Clerow was sitting in the car with him...

"Sorry about calling you last night man, but I thought you'd want to know." he said.

"You called me?" I said, completely oblivious to the fact that my phone was ringing last night.

"Yeah....Your boy, Kool Kat got shot six times last night." said Sean.

"What?" I said....

"And check this out....he's still alive...He's in the hospital...he wants to see you." said Clerow.

"He's still alive? After that?" I asked....

"That guy must have nine lives...is that why they call him Kool Kat?" asked Sean...

I had to wonder myself.

(To Be Continued....)