Hard To Find Good Help

I ran the story on Bristol in my magazine.. I even anonymously leaked the story to the local media.
Within the next week, everybody in Philadelphia was talking about Bristol....Of course there was nothing there that could be proven and no criminal charges forthcoming...But everybody from the FBI to the IRS was suddenly taking a look at and discussing him...Wherever he was , he was furious...This was the very thing he had been trying to avoid. His high priced hitter was dead...
His enemies, Chess, Chris, Donald Smooth and Kool Kat were still alive and walking around town with impunity....A glowing example of his failure.

His new ,number one enemy was now me!!! I didn't care...If he was looking for me...I was easy to find...but he had violated my home and my wife...I was now looking for him! He had made such a bad go of things that he had no respect amongst players...Which was why it was so easy for me to find him...Everyone was willing to tell me where he was. He was a pariah and a laughing stock all at once.

He was having his shoes shined and reading the paper in town when I sat down next to him and snatched his newspaper from him. I ripped it to shreds.

He was as cool as a cucumber..He didn't flinch...He looked at me and remarked-

"I do believe I was reading that."

"Gee ,Were you? " I said.

"Okay Kevin, To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" he remarked.

"You had my friend killed to kill a story.. a story potentially embarrassing to you..That's one thing, but then you have a guy come in my house..attack my wife...That's crossing a line partner." I said.

"It was just a story... a story with no bearing to any reality... Most important, a story that can't be substantiated...I don't care what people think...People have short memories. I'm sorry about any discomfort to your wife...However,I wish he'd of killed you." he replied dryly..."I'm kidding of course.....I know all about your little bugging devices...I'm not stupid enough to confess on tape." he laughed with a smirk.

"I'm not recording you...I know I can't prove you had anything to do with this." I said.

"So you came here to what? Make some sort of dramatic statement?" he said.

"You won this round Bristol.....But I'll get you eventually." I said.

"You think so?" he said.

"I know so....and when I take you down...I'm gonna be the one with the smile." I laughed.

"I would make you a wager Kevin...but you're not a sportin man are you?" He laughed.

"No, I'm not. Have a nice life Bristol...Here's fifty cents for another paper." I said.

"The paper is actually seventy five cents." he said.

"I'll owe you." I said as I walked away.

Later on that day, I was sitting in Josie's having a beer when Gus came up to me...

"Kid....I heard it from a notable source that Bristol's got a contract out on you." he said.

"Another one?" I asked.

"Yeah and get this...It's an old drunken rummy from Atlantic City named Joe Humble." he said.

"I've heard of him...He's still around???..I thought he died years ago."I said.

"Nah... it's hard to find good help now of days , I suppose.but just watch your back." said Gus.

"Always" I said.

I stopped in the Mermaid club a few hours later and Joe Neptune, the bartender , never the most talkative of guys says to me.

"Man, I hear Joe Humble is in town with a big contract...to take you out." he said.

"Yeah, so I hear." I said.

Usually when a contract is put on someone......They don't know it until of course, it's way too late.
I wondered what was really going on.

"It's the old bait and switch Kev....They put it out there that some old burned out cat is going to take the contract out on you...Maybe he is...but he's the decoy....And while you're looking for him..The real showstopper is in town and he's the guy that actually takes you out." said Roscoe,
Fathead's top enforcer.....

"Oh really...So this Joe Humble guy is not who I have to worry about?" I said.

"Well...he's old, but he was a nasty piece of business back in the day.....Was a real heavy hitter..I wouldn't discount him...but you know Bristol brings in heavy hitters....and from out of town...My guess is ...Somebody else is in town...So be extra careful. I 'll let you know if I hear anything" he said.

"Thanks for the tip." I said. I got on the phone and called Kool Kat...Though lately, everytime I hooked up with him...Somebody lost their lives..but who else was equipped for this?
The next day, I sat where I usually sat in the coffee shop...Sepia and Mabel, dressed like french maids entered the building across the street from me and walked up two flights of stairs...They knocked on the door of an apartment with a great view of the window where I was sitting...Kool
Kat's tip and great surveillance had paid off in spades... There was a man in there, setting up with a powerful rifle and a scope...He was shocked to see two shapely women in French maid's outfits with black lace pantyhose on...

"Are you Bill? Bill Miller?" cooed my wife.

"If you are, today is your lucky day playa." said Mabel.

''Well Helloooooooo..." he said smiling from ear to ear......He unfortunately never saw Kool Kat slip up behind them....Kool Kat knocked him senseless...and tied him up...He placed an anonymous call to the police that there was a man with a gun in the building and then he and the girls left. The police arrested the man who turned out to be a hitman from New York known as Bill "The Killer" Miller. That was probably the pro who was hired to do me. He was brought in on gun charges.....New York wanted him for an assortment of other charges.... It hadn't hit the news yet and I was going to find Bristol and finish this business...I purposely didn't tell Kool Kat. Kool Kat might kill Bristol just for gp...I didn't want any more killing...I just wanted to mess with Bristol, trick him into telling on himself...This time...I was wired!

Bristol was sitting with a lovely young lady having coffee in a tony cafe in Chestnut Hill...

''My dear...I would love to take off your brassieree..heh heh, heh..." he said.

"Oh Bristol, you're such a poet!" she laughed.

"Tell me my dear...what have I got to do to get you to go back to my condo with me?" he said.

"I think you should thank the lady for her time and tell her good night" I said.

He looked up, surprised and exasperated. The girl was speechless!!!

"You know , You are becoming a bit of a pest Kevin." he said dryly without emotion.

Just then... a drunken Joe Humble stumbled into the cafe....

"Look out Mistuhhh Brisssstolllll, I got him now." he drawled....

"What in the hell are you doing here?" snapped Bristol. It was the second time he looked surprised.

"I'm taking out the contract, like you asked me...I'm gon shoot that mother...." he said waving the gun at me...

"I don't know what you're talking about ...I've never seen you or talked to you in my life." said Bristol... How careful was he?

The young lady screamed and Joe Humble fired a wild shot! People began running and screaming and Joe Humble began running towards both of us....Bristol pulled out his pistol and fired at Joe Humble , missing...I fired though and hit him....Joe Humble spun around....

"Arggggggghhhhhhhhh....I don't believe it...I've been....I've been shot..." he said and he fired again, hitting Bristol in the side and the shoulder...Then he must have vomited all of the cheap liquor he'd been drinking before hand... "Oh...Oh..I think I'm sick ...ohhhhhh lawdddd..." he moaned.

"Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggg, I don't believe this ....I've been shot! "screamed Bristol
as he fell to the ground.... For once , the police arrived when something was going down...They ordered Joe Humble to drop the weapon.....He said- "Not until I take care of the contract for Mistuhhh Bristol..." He then aimed the gun at the police , who lit him up with about 50 shots!

Bristol was loaded on to a stretcher, his shoulder bleeding profusely and his side also bleeding..
Joe Humble's body was loaded in a different type of stretcher...He was headed to the morgue.
Before they took Bristol to the hospital, I walked over to him and leaned down....

"Not your day today huh?" I said with a smile.

Bristol looked up at me and grimaced- "What can I say Kevin? It's hard to find good help."


(For SLC)