Leave Of Absence

The Day after Christmas and Sepia and I were sitting in church just as Pastor John Struthers was finishing up his service.

" Brothers and Sisters of the congregation.....I have an announcement to make.....I will be taking a leave of absence from the church, effective after this service...My wife and I are going to take a short vacation and just relax and get to know each other a little better.....Our interim pastor will be
Reverend John Collins. Reverend John Collins will be assisted not only by Deacon Larry Weatherford, but by his own deacon, Brother Cecil Williams.." he said..

The congregation was shocked.....One of the brothers in the church , Floyd Dishwater said to me -
"I saw Pastor's foxy wife...I can't say that I blame him for wantin to take some time off...Heh...heh, heh..."

Although I wholeheartedly agreed with what Floyd said....My wife, Sepia was sitting next to me...No way was I going to sign on to that. I didn't flinch. Rita Gordon was a school teacher who had helped me out on one of my cases. She had worn her hair in a bun and had worn horn rimmed glasses when I had met her...I hardly noticed her....But now of days, She wore her hair long and wore contacts instead of glasses.....She dressed differently...She dressed in a way that revealed quite an alluring figure....Plus she was about 17 years younger than Pastor Struthers.

Since they had gotten married...Pastor Struthers wore a constant smile on his face every morning and as soon as his work was done, he practically raced out of the church and raced home. Every man in the church understood why!

His replacements however seemed a bit odd to me....Pastor John Collins was a big hulk of a man with huge hands and a stern disapproving jaw.....His deacon, Cecil Williams looked more like a gangster than anybody's Deacon....I don't know...I could be wrong, but there was something about the both of them that gave me the willies.

After Church, Sepia and I walked down the avenue and stopped in the local Ice Cream parlor for
some Banana Splits and a couple of tumblers of coffee..While we ate , I heard the new pastor outside talking to Cecil..

"And go around and get the hearse and park it!" he barked.

"Yes sirrrrrrrrrr, sirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.." said Cecil Williams. He looked to be about my father's age , but yet like some street thug I'd once seen around years ago...I just couldn't place him. What was this talk about a hearse? Why was the Pastor and his deacon driving around in a hearse? These two were definitely some odd socks.

Kool Kat walked into the ice cream parlor and sat down with Sepia and I....

"Hi Walter." said Sepia...

'Hi Sepia...Kevin" said Kool Kat...His hands were shaking...The big man was obviously upset....

"Hey big man what's wrong?" I asked.

"You read the papers Kev?" he said.

"Not today...I was in church...Where, uh , it wouldn't hurt if you'd visit once in awhile." I said.

"I was there on Easter." he said.

"Okay, what's got you so upset?" I said.

"They found a third girl in the water." he said.

Two prostitutes had been found in two of the rivers located in the Philadelphia area..both girls had been African American and both had appeared to have drowned.....Only police thought that it was mighty strange that ,given these girls line of work, they would be skinny dipping in the river and at this time of year....They weren't saying, but it looked like a serial killer might be on the loose. I had read it, but it had nothing to do with me.

"What about this girl? You know her? " I asked.

"Know her? Yeah I know her...You met her once...It was Beverly...that babe that was involved with the dearly departed gangster once known as Fiddler." said Kool Kat.

"Oh yeah...you used to mess around with her...I remember her...They found her in the water?"
I asked.

"Yeah Kev...just like the others...drowned...I think she was murdered." he said.

'What? You don't know that...and besides...what do you care? You haven't seen her in a year." I said.

"I was kind of with her last night Kev." said Walter, holding his head down. Sepia looked at him and shook her head with disapproval...She had met Chelsea, his current friend with benefits and she liked her.

'Walter...When you gonna settle down and stop chasing tail?" asked Sepia.

"I know...I know.....Look...I was in the Mermaid Club....." said Kool Kat.

"The Mermaid Club?? On Christmas night?" I asked.

"It was still Saturday night Kevin ....I was having a few drinks and Beverly was in there...One thing led to another..We got to drinkin and talkin and the next thing I know..We back at her crib
, well uhhh you know?" said Kool Kat.

"Yeah, I know...What time did you leave her spot?" I asked.

"Around three thirty this morning." he said.

"Would there have been any reason for her to get back up, to go back out?"I asked.

"Well uh no...not after the good lovin I put on her." he said. Sepia gave him the serious side eye...
I wanted to laugh, but I couldn't bring myself to.

"Kool Kat..What do you want from me?" I asked.

"Look into it Kev...The cops are gonna start askin questions....I was seen leavin with her from the Mermaid Club.....I may have to lam it for awhile." he said.

"Uh-Uh...You and I are going to talk to the cops, first thing tomorrow....then we are going to do our own investigation, see what we can turn up." I said.

''Alright Kev...I'll see you then....you know how to find me..." he said and he left.

Just as Sepia and I were getting ready to leave....The new Pastor and his Deacon walked into the
Ice Cream Parlor.

"Didn't I just see you two in church this morning?" he said.

"Why yes...I understand you are the new Pastor." I said and put my hand out to shake his....He ignored me and looked at my wife.

"You are JoAnne Cokely aren't you?" He said.

"Why-Why yes I am...Have we met?" said my wife.

"You used to publish a scandalous blog in which you were photographed in bikinis and scantily clad undergarmets.....I remember reading your filthy blog." he said sternly.

"Hey pal, now just a minute !" I said....He raised the palm of one of his hands!

"That was years ago....I closed that blog down....I'm Joanne Cokely Morris now." she said.

"Sooo, you're married now.....a churchgoer....Good for you... Glad to see you've seen the error of your ways .Good day....It was a pleasure meeting you Mister and Mrs Morris." He said.

I stood there speechless...Sepia looked at me, then made the crazy sign behind his back.....

"Cecil......I've changed my mind....I'm eating somewhere else...Is the Hearse out front?" he snapped.

''Yes sirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, sirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!" said Cecil.

"Good, let's go...there is much work to do." he said and they were off...What a weird pair.

"Kevin....I don't like those two...something about them gives me the willies." said Sepia.

''Yeah...I thought it was just me." I said as I put my arm around my wife and we walked down the street towards our home.

(To Be Continued.....)