The Mystery Of Heather!

She was such a pretty young thing as Michael Jackson would have sang...and now she was just as dead as he was.  I found her house two days later...With help from Lockpick Johnson, I got inside.. Her body hadn't been shipped to Philly yet and I had a chance to look around...I was wearing latex gloves...So was Sean Jackson and Clerow , who had accompanied me...I didn't want our DNA or fingerprints in this place..

I found photos of her, but nothing else of interest..It looked as though someone else had already been here and tossed the place...Her drawers in her bedroom had been opened and the contents had been strown all over the bedroom floor...

She had a computer, but it was gone...All that was left was the monitor and the speakers...We searched the place from top to bottom, but found nothing of value...Finally , we left...

"Looks like someone beat us to her place." I said.  Sean Jackson, Lockpick Johnson and Clerow agreed.

II-

Next day, I was at my friend, Attorney, Robert Foxworth's office...

"What do you have for me counselor?" I asked.

"Everything  my friend in records could get on her.....She's a high school graduate, went to Community College for awhile, but dropped out....Has three convictions...Little stuff, possesion of marijuana, prostitution,that kind of thing...It doesn't look like she did any time...She has a few unpaid parking tickets...That's it...She's no master criminal Kev." he said.

"I didn't think she was." I said.

"You said she was one of Big Chicken's girls?" asked Robert Foxworth.

"That's the rumor.." I said.

"Well, you should be talkin to his main man, Rollo Jones....He runs his operation now that the boss is in jail." said Robert.

"Oh I know that....I'm going to see him soon." I said.

"You think Rollo offed her?" asked Robert.

"Nah...Not his style...besides..she was making money for him...Why would he do that?" I asked.

"Maybe she was holdin out." he said.

"Maybe....You talk like you have first hand knowledge counselor.." I joked.

"Nah Kev..Not me....Even when I was runnin women, I never had to pay...That wasn't  MY style." he laughed.


"No counselor...It wasn't." I laughed.

III-

Kool Kat and I decided to pay Rollo Jones a visit.  He was holed up where he usually could be found...At the Mermaid Club...Joe Neptune's Joint.  When we entered, he was sitting in his booth, with a young tough standing by.....

"Rollo my man....I was wondering if I could have a minute of your time?" I asked.

The young tough wasn't fazed by me or Kool Kat , he spun around as if to spring into action, but Rollo raised his hand in a cautionary manner...

"Relax Turk....I know these guys...Go get yourself a drink...Tell Joe it's on me." he said...Kool Kat smiled menacingly at Turk , Who grimaced back and walked away.

"New Talent huh Rollo?" asked Kool Kat jokingly....Rollo smiled and remarked-

"Yeah, reminds me of you when you was younger Walter."

Kool Kat laughed....

I put a few glossies of Heather Gentry on the table....Rollo looked at them , then looked at me..

"Yeah? She used to work for me....What business do you have with her?" he asked.

"No business Rollo...She's dead." I said.

"Dead?" he said with a genuine look of surprise in his eyes.

"Yeah...the Coast Guard fished her out of the ocean a few days ago." I said.

"Ohhhhhh crap." he said and pounded his hand on the table....

"Can you tell me anything about her? Who her johns were?" I asked.

"Well, when she was workin for me...It was these yokels around here...These work a day mugs....You know...but she stopped workin for me months ago...I thought she had gotten out of the game...Then I saw her with this real High roller...A businessman type..." said Rollo.

"The kind of guy that wouldn't be drinkin in here right?" I said.

''Most definitely...He had a Silver Bentley with his initials engraved on the side..." said Rollo.

"Where did you see them?" I asked.

"Where else? On South Street....I was up there one night, a month ago and I see her gettin out the Bentley...I stopped to talk to her and she told me that she was workin for this other cat..a Lee...Lee Spann or somethin and her "clientele" had definitely gone upscale...Told me this guy took her out to eat and spent $200.00 on the meal...two hunnard Kev...pulled out his credit card ,like it wasn't nothin.." said Rollo..

"Yeah, I can imagine....It was this guy wasn't it?" I said and tossed a photo of Wealthy (and married) Black businessman, Conwell Tinley...

"Yeahhhh, that's the dude....You think he done her?"asked Rollo.

"No...He comitted suicide a few weeks ago." I said.

"Yeahhh?? Now that's funny." said Rollo.

"What's funny?" I asked.

"I was in your spot...Josies...a few weeks before I saw her with him and I saw her leavin with that uh City Councilman's aide...the one that's always givin the press releases on TV...James Booker,and I heard that he killed himself too...They found him in his car in his garage." said Rollo.

"Yeah, how about that?  He was married you know?" I said.

"Most of these cats that come to me and want a girl are...that aint no biggie." laughed Rollo.

"One last thing...Do you know where I can find this Lee Spann fella?" I asked.

"Can't help you there Kev...He's not a playa...He aint on the street...I never heard of him and aint never met him..She dropped his name to me last time I saw her." said Rollo...

"Okay...thanks a lot Rollo." I said.

"Always a pleasure Kevin." said Rollo.

"Hows your Boss, Big Chicken doin?" I asked.

"He's goin crazy in stir...what can I say? Maybe he'll be home this time next year." said Rollo..

"Stranger things have happened." I laughed as Kool Kat and I walked out of the bar.

"So what do we do now?" asked Kool Kat...

"We gotta find this Lee Spann charactor and find out what he's into." I said.

(To Be Continued.....)