Talking Too Much

Two nights later, My wife, Sepia and I and Attorney Robert Foxworth and his wife, Bonita were enjoying a delicious meal in a new Japanese Bistro.....

"Kevin...How did you hear of this place?  The food is excellent." said my wife's business partner and the wife of Attorney Robert Foxworth...

''Yes lover..this is very good food." said my wife, Sepia...

"Chinese Bob told me about it." I said as I continued eating my food... From the corner of my eye, I saw Robert Foxworth laughing....

"Chinese Bob?  The guy that owns the neighborhood Chinese take out?  Why would he suggest an upscale Japanese restaurant like this?" asked my wife Sepia...

"Uh, he kind of owed me a favor....I did a little bit of investigating for him and in addition to paying me..He gave me a tip on a great place to eat...He kind of knows the owner...and he made a call.....Our meal is on the house tonight, provided we take some flyers back to some of our friends ,business associates and clients." I said.

''Oh wow, really..That was so nice of him." said Bonita.

"That was so nice...Remind me to get some of those flyers before we leave...We know a few people that would love this place..don't we Bonita?" said my wife,Sepia.

''Sure do Sepia." she said.

As we continued to eat, I looked up and Anthony Carter and the young ex-Marine , ex offender...Cordell was with him...They say us and walked over to our table...

"Good evening Mr. Morris." said Anthony Carter.

"How are you Mr. Carter?" I asked.

"I don't mean to be disturbing your meal?" he said.

"Oh nonsense....This is my wife, Sepia...and this is my friend, Attorney Robert Foxworth and his wife, Bonita. Guys..this is my client, Mr. Anthony Carter...." I said.

They all exchanged pleasentries....

"Oh and you're uh...Cordell.....Cordell Rodgers right?" I said...

"Yes..We met a few days ago at the church..." he said.

Anthony Carter passed me an envelope filled with large bills...(fifty's and twenties)

"I believe this is payment for your ahh services.....and your dinners are on me if you like." he said.

"Mister Carter, Mister Carter...I don't know if I should take your money like this....I haven't done anything." I said.

He bent down and whispered in my ear...

"How careful you are Mr. Morris....I read the papers...That scum bag drug dealer, Chico Harris and the two scumbags he was working for all bit the dust...My My My you are effective." he said.

"That wasn't me....I had nothing to do with their deaths...I don't operate like that." I protested....

He smiled...He could not be convinced otherwise...

"Very well Mr. Morris...just take the money..." he said with a wink...

"Oh and Mr. Carter...the meal has already been taken care of." I said.

"Another Happy Customer?" He asked ,again with a knowing wink...

"Uh yeah...you might uh say that." I said.

"Hahahahaha...Oh well...enjoy!   It was good meeting you folks." he said and he and Cordell walked away.

"Kevin...What was that about?" asked Sepia...

"Nothing...The man is just mistaken, is all." I said.

"Hey...if I'm gonna get paid like that..let him be mistaken all he wants." laughed Robert Foxworth...

The four of us laughed and enjoyed the rest of the night.

II-

The next night, Kool Kat and I were in the Mermaid Club having drinks....

"I invited you here for a reason Kev." said Kool Kat..

"I figured as much...What's up?" I asked...

"See that fella over there?  Know him?" he asked...

"Yeah...That's "Man-Man" Wordell....What about him?" I asked.

"That's Sonny Byrd's driver and bodyguard...You might want to talk to him...Give him a heads up." said Kool
Kat.

"Got'cha...Hey Joe...Send Man-Man a double of whatever he's drinkin." I said.

Man-Man was a cold blooded killer.....He had just gotten out of the prison a year ago after serving 10 years for man-slaughter...This was the least of his crimes...He was a suspect in close to ten contract killings in the tri state area before that...A real nasty piece of business...as Gus would have said..Now he was rumored to be Kingpin,Sonny Byrd's driver/bodyguard and otherwise enforcer on the streets....

Unlike other Kingpins...Sonny Byrd wholesaled his product..He sold dope and coke to several other drug trafficking organizations and dealers....but had no one really on the streets selling for him...He kept a low profile and was rarely seen on the streets...He operated out of a Used Car lot......He was rarely there..He spent his time in Atlantic City , New York City ,taking his order from whoever his bosses were and here in Philly with some woman...He had no return or forwarding address that was known...

Joe Neptune sent him a drink and I walked over and sat down next to him....

"Usually when somebody sends me a drink...It's a pretty babe...You oughta know that I don't roll like this." he said.

"I don't have anytime for jokes Man Man...It appears that your boss may have a problem." I said.

"Yeah?  Really? Who aint got problems?" said Man-Man....

"I don't know if you noticed, but he's got at least three vacancies suddenly opened in the past few weeks." I said.

"That punk Chico Harris wasn't actually workin for us...That was Pony Boy's problem...We figured that Pony Boy aced him and somebody came back on em..." said Man-Man...

"I don't think so....Chico was small time..He didn't have that kind of juice......Plus, Pony Boy and Grease would have had no reason to ice him...He was out the game...He didn't know anything..He couldn't hurt them." I said.

"You're never out this game....anyway, you should talk what you know..." he said....

"Okay...well I know this...Nobody around here has the juice to go up against Sonny Byrd, so whoever is knocking off your employees..will probably be coming for your boss next...A word of caution....Tell your boss to stay out of town for a few...Oh and that bad strain of H. that he's sellin ...He needs to do something about that...Just a word of caution." I said and got up....

Man-Man looked tense.....He looked like he wanted to string me up...but he did nothing...He continued drinking...

I went back over to Kool Kat.....

"You deliver the message?" said the big man..

"As clear as I could.." I said.

"Okay Kev..Then we watch and we wait...."said Kool Kat....

"Peeping Tom and Lockpick Johnson already put a GPS unit under his SUV and they bugged his car....Clerow just texted me...They're gone now..." I said.

"Okay...then my job here is done..I'm bouncin..you need a ride home Kev?" he asked..

"Nah..I'm gonna hang around." I said...Kool Kat looked surprised...We both looked over at the bar....Man-Man was gone!!

''He's Gone!" said Kool Kat.

"Yeah , he tried to play tough...but I think we spooked him." I said.

Kool Kat laughed....

"Yeah probably.....Ok Kev..I'm out..Be easy babe!" he said.

"Always" I replied as I continued to finish my drink.

III-

After I finished my drink and payed for it , I walked out into the near empty parking lot...It was a quarter to two...I headed towards my car when I felt a stinging pain in my head!!!! Man-Man had hid in wait for me and had punched me in the head with one of those hamhocks of a fist of his..I was momentarily stunned and then he grabbed me, socked me in my stomach...which knocked the wind out of me...

"You talk too much Kevin...In case you don't know..I aint never liked you...not even when we was in grade school ..ya punk.." he said as he walloped me again and I landed up against my car....I socked him in his jaw so hard that he spun around....

''My turn playa!"  I said as I delivered another blow to his mouth that I'm sure made him see stars..He staggered and threw some more haymakers at me , both that missed...He grabbed my arm and spun me around and missed with another blow meant for my head...

Then I socked him with my other hand in the other side of his jaw which knocked him down....He got up and charged me throwing haymakers.....I stepped inside and delivered a vicious uppercut that backed him up, then I kneed him in his groin....He let out an ungodly yell and I socked him in his jaw again, sending him to the parking lot pavement.....Blood was pouring from his nose and his mouth and he was out of breath...

He looked like he was going in his coat for a gun!!! All of a sudden I heard the click of another gun and saw the barrel of a familiar .44 magnum on the back of his head....It was Kool Kat!!!!

"I figured this guy might be hangin around and might try to jump you, so I doubled back....Looks like you handled things pretty well Kev." said Kool Kat...

"Yall don't know who you messin with." he said as he spat blood out of his mouth...

"We don't? Cause I thought you could fight better than that." spat Kool Kat..."On your feet nigga..NOW!" the big man barked...Man-Man got up off of the ground and put his hands in the air...

"What you guys want?" he wimpered..

"Just tell your boss that there is a killer out there and to watch himself." I said.

''What you care?" he said.

"You know what?  I really don't care..Just tell him to stay in AC or New York or where ever the hell he stays at now of days." I said.

''He's already here in Philly." said Man -Man...

"And you say that I talk too much?" I said.   Kool Kat broke into laughter....He kept him covered while I got in my car and started it up...He got in his ride and we both drove off...Leaving Man-Man standing in the empty lot...bloody and alone.

(Definitely to Be Continued....)