Full Of Surprises

Two men were shot to death that same night.... One was a rising young playa in the Diaz Brothers Organization in North Philadelphia...The other was a personal friend and long time associate of Fathead Newton in West Philadelphia. The killer or killers didn't leave any clues.. The killings were within hours of each other. No doubt, Nato Jackson was making his presence in Philadelphia known.....

Meanwhile, I read about this in the newspaper and went on about my daily regimen. I was at work preparing a story about Ingrid Rhodes, a hot new singer who was steadily making a name for herself...Not only in the music world and on the club circuit, but in the hearts of two men.....Socialite, Jack Stanley White and Philly's new player, Nato Jackson...

Sean Jackson, my cheif photographer and partner in crime at work came over to my office to look at the prints and to check out the story I had written on Ingrid Rhodes.

"Man, I gotta get some better photos of her....but I gotta catch her at Mulberry Street tomorrow night...I aint taken Sheila...if you know what I mean and I know you do." he said with a wink.

I laughed....

"Yeah Sean, she is something...I was sitting in there with Sepia, trying not to look at her too hard...." I said.

"Yeah...well somebody is doin more than just lookin....lucky bastard!" said Sean.

"Oh yeah, I know...Jack Stanley White and that gangster, Nato Jackson are beefin over her...I had a run in with two of Nato Jackson's boys last night...They were uh trying to persuade Jack Stanley White to uh, direct his romantic interests in another area..." I said.

"I aint talkin bout neither one of them...Man, the baseball player, Johnny Diamond is seeing her....and I mean SEEING all of her." said Sean.

"What? The pitcher the Phillies just got....Yankee killer, Johnny Diamond?" I asked.

"Yeah man...Sheila and I went to Ciro's late last night...You know, Fathead's joint...Nato Jackson wouldn't be caught dead up in there....Ingrid was there and she and Johnny Diamond were in a booth in the back kissing.....They was going at it so hard, I was getting excited myself....He practically did her right there in the bar....Sheila was disgusted by it all naturally....And when we left...I saw his car in the parking lot...The windows were steamy and the car was going up and down...and we heard moaning.." said Sean.

"Really....That's funny......You can't imagine how funny it is...These two guys are trying to kill each other over this girl and she aint thinkin about neither one of them.." I laughed.

"It's always like that Kev." said Sean.

That night...I was at home lying across the bed.....My wife, Sepia brought two tumblers of Lemonade in the room and placed them on the night stand......

I looked at her....She looked at me and sat down on the side of the bed...

"Sepia.....I had just bought my tuxedo....Gus had rented the hall and Sean had brought me the marriage licensces....We were laughing and joking about the bachelor party....This was ten years ago..." I said.

Sepia didn't say anything, but she looked at me attentively.....and with an empathy I hadn't ever seen in any woman before now...

"Go on Kevin." she said.

"Anyway....Gus was taking out all of his top shelf liquor, for me...for my wedding when the phone rang....Sean picked it up and told me it was Kim. I was in such a good mood. I went to the phone and joked 'I don't know if I should be talking to you so close to the wedding.' Kim didn't see the humor in all of this..She said dryly..."Kevin, I don't know how to tell you this...but I guess the only way to do this is directly......I can't marry you." I was stunned..."You're joking right? You can't be serious...??" I said..."Kevin, I can't marry you, not today, not ever...I'm sorry..I'm sorry..." She said and she began to cry..... "Kim, let me come over, let's talk...you just got cold feet...that's all...let me talk to you baby, please..." I pleaded. "There's nothing to talk about......forget about me Kevin...go find yourself somebody that's suited for you....I'm not the one...and don't try to call me or e-mail me." she said. I didn't say anything to Gus or Sean ,Sepia...I ran out of there...I drove to her house....but she was already gone...Her phone disconected..She had called me from a cell phone...I never saw her again, until the other night....I can't tell you how long it took me to get over her...I was, for awhile, just like our lawyer friend, Robert Foxworth...That's why I don't judge him...I understand him..He's going through his own personal pain." I said.

Sepia held my face in her hands...She kissed me softly......

"Thanks for telling me Kevin..I didn't think you would...but I'm glad you did."she said.

"You're my wife...I owed it to you.." I said.

"Well, now I've got to tell you something....something I was going to tell you eventually....When I saw her last night.....I knew who she was." said Sepia.

"You did?" I said.

"Well, of course, I didn't know you and she were kickin it..but I remember her from New York and North Jersey...She was a high priced Stripper/Exotic dancer....and guess who her boyfriend/pimp was......A guy from Philly named Nato Jackson.....A very married Nato Jackson.......His wife vanished and was never heard from.....and rumors had it that she and Nato did the job....I don't know her personally, but that was the word on her...that she was Nato's main woman." said Sepia.

"Then what's going on with Nato and Ingrid Rhodes, the singer?" I asked.

"That is the mystery Kevin...I don't know." said Sepia.

"Wow....it's a mystery I'd be interested in solving...but there is no crime that has been committed here...and I'd just as soon let sleeping dogs lie. It-It just hurts too much Sepia." I said.

"I understand Kevin....besides...what they are doing now is none of our business." she said as she kissed me again, long and hard...

"Besides...Ingrid is seeing the baseball player, Johnny Diamond." I said in between kisses.

"What? You kidding?" said Sepia.

"Yeah, Sean saw them together last night at Ciros." I laughed.

"You men say that we women gossip...you guys are just as bad as women." said Sepia.

"Yeah, I guess we do sometimes." I said.

Just then , my Blackberry went off....I didn't recognize the number...but I did recognize the voice on the other end....It was Roscoe.....Fathead Newton's enforcer and a very dangerous hitman in his own right.

"Hello Kevin....I hope I'm not disturbing nothin, but as a somewhat friend...I feel I should call you and give you a heads up on this." He said.

"A heads up on what?" I said.

"You beat up two cats last night outside of Josie's..." he said.

"Yeah, how did you know?" I said.

"I hear things.....and I've heard that they belong to one Nato Jackson....a pretty

dangerous guy....and he aint too pleased....He's got a contract out on you...." said Roscoe.

"Oh." I said blankly.....Having a contract on you by one such as this guy was certainly no laughing matter.

"Now Kev....If you and your wife can get out of town for a few days ,I can handle this situation.....and if you give the word...Nato Jackson is history." he said.

"You know I won't do that." I said.

"Yeah, I know....but I can even tell you who has the contract...It's his cheif enforcer...a babe named Kimberly Beverly....." he said.

"WHAT?" I said.

"Yeah aint that somethin...this cat is using females to put in work for him?? I can't stand him..." said Roscoe.

"Thanks for the heads up Roscoe...I'll be in touch." I said.

" Anytime Kev..but if you change your mind...you just leave word with Chris or Chess and they'll get it to me...They're on the list too."he said.

"Will do." I said.

"Is everything okay?" asked Sepia after I put my phone down...

"No, it's not" I said.....I had a cold feeling of dread....one like I hadn't had in a long time.