My name is Chess...I play chess...Have played it since my daddy taught me how to play when I was about five or six...Today, I was playing one time enemy...now somewhat friend, Bristol...a gambler who never takes a bet on anything he doesn't already know the outcome of.. We are sitting in a quiet booth playing chess on a quiet Saturday afternoon....in Josie's....It's long before the night time crowd will arrive...My buddy and now business partner ,Chris Thompson sits at the bar, talking to our friend, Donald Smooth and Gus the bartender and owner of Josie's...I don't know exactly wha they are discussing, but it's a very lively and animated conversation...They are laughing a lot..
My focus is on this particular game of chess...I've beaten Bristol twice already this afternoon...but he seems to have improved in this game and is giving me all I can ask for...Or so he thinks...I make a few moves to counter his moves and it's -
''Checkmate Bristol." I say with glee...I am however impressed....He is nearly as good as me..a very formidable opponent.
"You're very good Chess...As good as I've heard..It's very rarely that I lose at games of chance...
Not cards, not chess...but you have bested me three times this afternoon...Odds aint in my favor." laughed Bristol.
"Hey man...you're the best I've played in awhile...what are you drinking?" I asked.
"I doubt if they have what I actually drink in here...I'll have a beer." he said.
Just as I was about to order...Our peaceful atmosphere was interrupted......A guy named Spade,
a big time player from out of New York City walked into Josie's with his two henchmen, Johnny Boy Peters, as cold blooded a killer that ever walked the streets and Tornado Jones, just as equally deadly....Chris turned and faced them....Donald Smooth rested his hand in his coat pocket near his sidearm... These two usually left mayhem in their wake...Such was their reputations.
"Chris Thompson....Chris Thompson...How long has it been?" asked Spade...
"Not long enough...To what do I owe the pleasure? This a social call? " joked Chris. Spade smiled, something he rarely did..
"No,it's business." he said.
"You got no business with me." said Chris.
"Look I'll get right to it." said Spade..
"Yeah,please do." said Chris dryly.
"A couple of months ago...I hired two philly guys, Elephant Jones, my man Tornado's brother here and Gorilla Lewis to do a job for me...to hit Basil Robinson...Basil Robinson is still alive and flourishin and Elephant Jones and Gorilla Lewis are nowhere to be found."he said.
"Yeah and?" asked Chris.
"I need to know where they are?" said Spade.
"What's that got to do with me? I aint seen them guys since the summer..." said Chris.
"All you Philly guys are just alike....Fathead Newton said the same thing, so did the Diaz Brothers." said Spade.
"Look..Around September they both came in my joint...My card game...They gambled a little, won a little money and left...I aint seen either guy since...That's all I can tell you Spade." said Chris.
"Well see...I been doin a little investigatin myself....Joe Neptune over at the Mermaid club told me that they was runnin with a cat named Gardenor, Abel Gardenor, do you know him?" asked
Spade.
"Nope....Why don't you find him and ask him where your boys are?" said Chris.
"Because I can't find him either...I hear he's just a low level guy....Had a beef with some cat named Charles...Harry Charles...over some money.." said Spade.
"Him, I know...Harry Charles is a civilian man...he aint in the game..He was just some bust out gambler that used to lose all the time..I through him out of my joint." said Chris.
''Where is he? I'm bettin he was in to them for some dough." said Spade.
Harry Charles was my friend, Kevin Morris's boy....He wasn't a player, just a family man...I wasn't going to let Spade and his ilk bother him so I spoke up..
''He aint got nothin to do with your guys...Chris just told you that he's a civilian so let him be...bark up another tree."I said.
"Who the hell are you?" asked Spade.
"Who I am aint important...just take my word for it...Leave Harry Charles alone." I said.
Johnny Boy made a move towards me...too sudden a move...I slammed his head hard on to the table and kicked him in his side...Before Tornado Jones could go for his gun, I had my .38 smokeless pressing against his temple....Chris, Donald "Smooth" and Gus had guns aimed at Spade...
"Ohhhhhhhhhhhh, so it's like that huh?" said Spade.
"Mister,I don't know who you are...but it's time for you to get the hell out of my bar." said Gus.
"You really disappoint me Chris....You aint heard the last of me." said Spade as he and his boys backed out of the bar.
Chris looked at me....He smiled a little bit, then he looked at Donald Smooth.....
"The boy always had heart Donnie...Didn't I tell ya? That's why me and Chess been brown all our lives." he laughed...Donald Smooth laughed too.
"We gotta find this Harry Charles fellow and protect him." said Chris.
Just then, Bristol walked over to where we were sitting..
"Gentlemen, I couldn't help but notice the ruckus here tonight.....I might be in a position to do you guys a bit of a favor." he said.
"A favor?" I balked.
"Yes...I know Spade...He's not a reasonable fellow.....He can be a bit of a nuisance....I can have him out of your lives for ever." said Bristol.
"You? You can do that?" said Chris.
"Yes." said Bristol.
"For what? Nothin is free." said Chris.
"I may be needing some quick revenue soon in my not so legitimate venture, which is much like your own....If you would be so kind as to steer a few of your high powered players my way..I'd be most grateful." said Bristol.
"That's it?" I said.
"That's it...." said Bristol.
Chris, Donald Smooth and I looked at each other.....Chris shook his head, I shook mine and Donald "Smooth" smiled.
"I have a friend , from Patterson ,New Jersey...His name is Tom Collins....He met a woman here who he is fascinated with....I hate to disturb him....but...already I've told you more than you need
to know." laughed Stephen Bristol.
II-
Early in the wee morning hours..Tornado Jones and Johnny Boy Peters sat in a Crown Victoria, outside of Harry Charles's home.....Tom Collins walked up to the passenger side and shot Johnny
Boy Peters twice in the side of his head...He fell over dead... Tornado tried to go for his gun, but Tom Collins shot him too, once in the side and twice in the head...He used a silencer...A guy driving a tow truck drove down the street and hoisted their car...The tow truck driver drove it to the city limits and left it in a corn field... These two wouldn't be found for three months.....
By daybreak, Spade was up and angry that neither of his men had called him with any information...He was at the gas station filling his car when Tom Collins drove up...Got out of his car and walked over to him.
"Good Day...You Spade?" he said with a smile.
"Who wants to know?" asked Spade.
"The City of Philadelphia sends you it's love" said Tom Collins who shot Spade three times....
"Well I'll be damned...I've been shot...uggggghhhhhhhhhhh...." said Spade as he pitched forward
and fell to the ground...dead......
EPILOUGE:
Later that morning, Chris, Donald "Smooth" ,Kool Kat and I were enjoying a hearty breakfast at Mabel Jenkin's Soul Food joint when Stephen Bristol walked in and joined us.
"Gentleman...your business has been taken care of....Spade , Tornado Jones and Johnny Boy are all in the hereafter now." he laughed. Chris smiled and patted him on the back....
"Ya happy now Chess, your boy is safe.....and I hope we don't have to worry about Gorilla Lewis and Elephant Jones." said Chris.
"Don't worry about them...Now at last , Spade knows where they are." laughed Kool Kat....
Chris, Donald Smooth and Bristol all looked at Kool Kat..
"What?" the big man said.
"Mannn, I don't even want to know." I laughed...So did Chris, Donald Smooth and Bristol.
We ordered more Pancakes!
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