The Ghost Who Walks!

"What The Hell?" I said as I stood ,startled ..looking at a guy who had vanished into thin air just a year before!!!!

"No Hi, No Hello? " said Chet Cook with a big wide grin as Meek and I both stood speechless...

"I would ask man where have you been, but I can imagine..." I said as we embraced in the doorway... Chet turned around..Looked from side to side and then said...

''Well Let me in...I don't want to stand outside too long.....You understand of course." He said as Meek reluctantly let us both in..

"Man, you're a fugitive...I saw you in the post office." Meek joked...but it was true...Chet was on the FBI's wanted fugitive list...."Interstate Flight to avoid prosecution for the crime of attempted murder."

"Perhaps...but they are looking for me in Miami, New Orleans...Puerto Rico....Not here in Philadelphia...I have no ties to this city...." he said.

Yolanda, still clad in Meek's shirt walked out of the bedroom and sat with us at the table...

"Hi Chet..How have you been?" she asked.  Chet looked at Meek and cracked a smile...

"You know,I was going to ask you why you were in your drawers this time of day and in this kind of weather, but I see now..." he said with a sly grin and a glance toward Yolanda who cracked a wicked smile and burst into laughter...Meek gave a sheepish grin and hung his head...

"I've been fine....After you guys left..I hid on Blue Island for as long as I could...The local police there knew where I was...but they didn't look for me too hard....then the Federalis came and it was a different ballgame..They were investigating the corrupt police chief and in turn opened up a number of previously unsolved cases...including mine!!! I thought I was a goner until Captain Ahab's boat docked on the shore and he began broadcasting his radio show....I gave him some copies of the recordings Meek cut on me last year that were never released and some of my released copies...We ate good food and drank wine and hung out on the boat.....Then his beautiful daughter flew in and we met, we fell in love and now we have a baby on the way." said Chet.

"I'm sure Ahab is tickled pink about that." I said dryly.

"Ahhh, he aint too happy with it..but what can you do, eh?" laughed Chet.

''Question is..what are you gonna do?" I asked.

"I saw you boarding the boat yesterday...I hid...I thought you was the FBI at first...I started to say something when I realized it was you..but I waited...I followed you, which is how I wind up here." He said, ignoring my question.

"What are you gonna do?" asked Meek Rollins.

"I'm going to hang with Ahab..We don't stay anyplace too long.. Nobody thinks to look on that boat..Not for me." he said.

"You can't hide forever ..You're about to be a father now..and everyday you stay with them, you make them accessories to your crime..." I said.

"What would you have me do, turn myself in.???.What good would I be to my baby then?" asked Chet.

"What good are you now? You can't even get work giggin.." I said.

"Oh I have...I've played in New Orleans and Miami with a false beard and a phony name.."Sammy Hideaway" he said.

"What?  You were taking a chance." said Meek Rollins...

"I plan to play at this jam session too that Ahab is hooking up..." he said.

"Are you crazy?" I said.

"Watch me...I'm going to close the show." he laughed.

"Mannn, you are gone baby goneee." laughed Meek..

''Who knows I'm here? Who cares??....They are looking for me down south..Not up here." he said.

"Okay Chet or ..Sammy...but you'd better be careful." I said.

"Always." he laughed...

Yolanda poured Meek, Chet and I three tumblers of Sangria and a tumbler for herself...

We drank and talked some more and laughed.....Finally, Chet got up ,put his coat back on and turned down his hat...

"It was great seeing all of you guys again..." he said.

"You need a lift somewhere?" I asked.

"Nope...I have a car outside... a rental...Phony name, Phony I.D.  It's two blocks from here..I'm going to return it and return to the boat...I look forward to hearing you play again Reed." he said.

"Okay Chet...take care of yourself man...and be easy baby." I said...

"Yeah man, be easy." said Meek Rollins..

"Always" he said as he tipped his hat to Yolanda and left.

II-

A few nights later, Debbie and I were joined by Delores and Downtown Rob Brown at Josie's...They were back from New York City and eager to go out...No one was performing tonight...There was a D.J. ,Gus was giving us a run down of the order of the big show...

" Brooke Taylor and her Quintet are going to open the show and then Bone Hampton is going to follow her and do a set with his guys...Ingrid Rhodes will come out next and then Symphony Sam and his all star band will follow...You and Downtown here can flip for who will go on next...." he said.

''Gus, I don't care ..I'm just happy to be giggin." said Rob......

''I got this out of towner closin the show...guy calls himself Sammy Hideaway...He plays the trumpet..pretty good too Reed." said Gus..

I smiled- "Yeah, I met him once..in Puerto Rico," I said...

Just then a white man....the only white man in the bar at the time  asked me a question...

"Sammy Hideaway eh? Plays the trumpet??  I heard him when I was in New Orleans on a case..He's going to play here huh?" he said.

I didn't say a word....but Gus did-

"Yeah...he's the closing act." he said..."You a musician or a fan?" he asked.

"Oh I'm a fan...I'm no musician....can't play a note." he said.

"What line a work are you in?" asked Gus.

"The name is Shylock...Burt Shylock...I'm an FBI special agent!" he said.

My mouth dropped to the floor!

(Conclusion Next!)