Deliver Us From Evil

"Kevin....I broke up with Deborah last night." said Reed Nelson , who was in tears and inconsolable as I sat with him in Mabel Jenkins's Soul Food restaraunt and enjoyed some Spare Ribs and Collard Greens and Sweet Potatoes with him.

"Reed...I can't understand why you would do that...She did everything she could to make sure you were safe and unharmed..She's the one that contacted me.." I pleaded with him.

He pulled out an envelope and showed me several glossies....They were photos of Debbie...a younger Debbie , pole dancing at a strip club.....Giving guys lap dances and worse...in bed with Eddie Manga...

"See that Kevin? and it gets worse...I got a DVD with live action footage of her in bed with several guys ,doing all kinds of things....I can't be with a woman like that man..." said Reed.

"Reed...Reed...That was a lifetime ago...All of us have a past...I know I haven't been an angel and I know back in Patterson, you probably did some things too man..Aint nobody perfect.....All I know is that that woman loves you and she was willing to do whatever to save your life and that's got to count for something." I said as we both finished off our food.

"I know Kev, but I can't get the images out of my mind man..I just can't... Hey, put your wallet away..I got this..your money aint no good whenever I'm around...you saved my life man." he said as he paid our bill.

"Be Easy Reed and think about what I said." I said as Reed tipped his pork pie hat and walked out into the street.

I pulled my Blackberry out and called Clerow and Donald Smooth......I had some unfinished business of my own with Mr. Eddie Manga and since he had made the first move...now was as good a time as any to take care of it.

I could imagine he was infuriated at having been bested by me and knowing his type...He probably had people looking for me.....The last thing he probably expected was to see me boldly walking into his watering hole, The Mermaid Club!

I walked in with Clerow at my side...The Bartender, Joe Neptune looked up and immediately pointed to the booth where Eddie Manga and a young lady were sitting. As usual, Joe didn't say a word!

I smiled at the young lady and said politely-

"Would you mind if I talk to Mr. Manga for just a minute...I won't be long Darlin."

"Oh sure....Can you buy me a drink babe?" she said to me.

"Sure thing baby." I said as I tossed her a five dollar bill.

Eddie Manga was furious...He pounded his fist on the table!

"You gotta lotta nerve comin in here like this....I got people on the streets lookin for you." He screamed.

"Hmmm, you do? Well they can't be very good...Anybody else would have found me by now and they left you unguarded like this too? You need to employ better muscle." I said.

"Yeah, well you know how it is...good help is hard to find." He said.

"I hear ya man." I said. We both shook our heads in agreement. Then after our one moment of civility, the bad man snapped back into reality....

" I'm armed...you put your hands on me, I'll plug ya." he screamed.

"I'm not here for any violence " I said dropping a small manilla envelope on the table.

"What's this?" he said.

"Something you oughta look at." I said. Clerow was now laughing uncontrollably... "Youse a freak , dog.." he kept saying and shaking his head...I smiled too and nudged him to keep it together.

I had glossies too..... Color Photos of Eddie Manga, with a dog collar around his neck and a leash attached to it....on all fours and a heavy set, huge breasted white woman with a cat of nine tails beating him...I had close to twenty photos.

His mouth was wide open...Then tears streamed down his face and he put his head in his hands....

"W-Who-Who-Who else has seen these?" he said in tears...

"Well, Me, my man Clerow here and the guys who took the photos...Now....I can make these photos go away....because you know, something like this..is bound to get out....Can you imagine what Fathead Newton, The Diaz Brothers, and other playas will think if they see what a real freak you really are?" I laughed.

"What do you want?, What do you want?" he said....the tears now streaming down his face....

" Well first off, I want you to call your contract on me off.....then, I want you to pack your bags and get out of Philly....and never come back."I said.

"Done....I'll get my things together and leave tomorrow." he said.

"Good.....You leave and I give you my word...Nobody else will ever see these photos." I said with a smirk on my face that betrayed the pity I now felt for the former bad man who had now lost all of his swagger.

Clerow and I walked out to my car...Donald Smooth was standing by the door.

"So that's it? You think he'll go for it?" asked Smooth.

"Yeah man...if anybody else got to see those photos, his reputation would be shot....You shoulda seen the way he froze up and come correct when Kevin showed him them photos." laughed Clerow.

We all got in my car and pulled off. A little while later...I was at home with Sepia relaxing when my phone rang. Sepia answered it.

"Kev..it's for you...it's Tom." she said.

"Sorry to disturb you my friend...but I have something for you to hear..I'm in the van outside your house." He said.

I walked out to the van and Peeping Tom and Lockpick Johnson played me a

final recording they pulled from Eddie Manga's gym.

"Looks like your boy made his point...I'm leavin.....What did you come by here for anyway? What? Your man put you down once he found out what a cheap whore you really are? heheheheheheheheh...Just a parting gift... Hey put that heater away....You aint got the heart....HEYYYYYYYY."

There is the sound of three loud gunshots! Then the sound of a body hitting the floor.

"That's it Kev...We pulled this recording an hour ago..Somebody plugged Eddie

Manga...He's dead....but whoever it was was smart enough not to utter a sound..

I wish we still had the place wired for visual you know? We could've at least seen the killer." He said.

"Don't worry about it Tom.....Whoever killed him did the city a public service."

I said.

"You got that right Kev" said Lockpick Johnson.

"Good night gentlemen" I said as I smiled and went back in my house.

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Later on that night I dropped by Debbie's house....Reed's car was parked outside, it was a warm night...The window was open..I could hear a bed squeaking and hear the sounds of sweet lovemaking...

"Ohhhhhhhhhh,ouuuuuuuuuu, Ohhhhhh Reed, I love you sooooo much..."

"Ohhhhhhhhh baby....ohhhhhhhhhhh you feel soooo goood...ummmmmph.."

"Ouuuuuuu, Ohhhh Reeed, Ohhhhhh myy....ohhhhhhhhh..."

I smiled...They were working it out... I had no doubt in my mind who had shot and killed Eddie Manga....I wasn't going to look into it any further..It was one of the good things about me not being a cop...I turned around and got back in my car....Sepia smiled at me..

"I guess Reed forgave her..." said Sepia.

"If he really looked at those photos and saw the things she was doing and he DIDN'T forgive her..I would have shot him myself.." I laughed... Sepia playfully punched me in the arm..

I laughed...."Now how about us going home and making an x rated movie?"

She looked at me and laughed... "You so nasty...I never knew you were so nasty."

The things that people don't know, I mused.

For B.J.