Strippers ,Lovers and Lawyers

For the next two days...either accompanied by Kool Kat , Clerow or Owen Todd, I visited all of the known strip joints I knew...There wasn't a lot of girls or owners that wanted to talk to me....but with the help of Rollo Jones and Melissa "Aunt" Jemima...they finally came around...

They told me about the other two girls and how a man, about five foot seven, well dressed and definitely looking out of place amongst the hipsters and young punks who frequented these places took a liking to certain girls....

''He tossed a lot of cash around and acted like he owned the joint." said most of the girls....

The "word" was that this man was connected  and he was not to be messed with....Which was why he wasn't touched. They were told to give him whatever he wanted. The bartenders even gave him free drinks.

 I got a good photo of Ralph Penny and showed it to the girls....as well as the guys...They all identified him as the man who was in and out of these clubs and with the two girls who got murdered.  I already knew that he was one of Jewel Gardener's last customers...and I even got lucky and found a video ,taken from a Wawa of Jewel and Ralph on the last night of her life...She was buying cigarettes and gum and she got into his car!

None of these people, all close to or on the wrong side of the law themselves were the types that would talk to the police and this video proved little...only that she was with him...but it was enough in my mind to tag him as my number one suspect...

II-

Clerow and I were having a hot dog at Jake's Hot dog joint , when he asked me...

''So Boss...all we know is that he was in those joints and he might have been with those girls...So was a lot of guys , How you gonna make a case out of what we got? None of them people are gonna talk to the cops or testify in front of any jury." he asked.

"No...but his DNA and the video of him in the Wawa with Jewel on the night she went missing is enough to get him indicted, if his DNA is a match." I said.

"How you gonna get his DNA?" asked Clerow...

"Glad you asked?" I said as Kool Kat and a tall, six foot seven man walked into Jakes...

"Kevin...This is Tree Top Perkins.....You might remember him?" he said and laughed.

"Sure do...I used to take my girl to your basketball games...Everytime you played our high school, we were there...You used to kill us." I said.

"Yeah..Yeah...them was some high times...How you doin Kev?" he said

"I'm good....Hey what happened with you?  I heard some NBA scouts were lookin at you.." I said.

"They was...but I tore my acl that summer...Freak accident in a pick up game....Pretty much ended my NBA hopes...I'm a bouncer at the Strand...." he said.

"Yeah? No kiddin?" I laughed...

"I hear you been lookin for Ray Kind and his jive ass lawyer, Ralph Penny....Well I'm your man...He meets and drinks at my joint at least two nights a week...I'm pretty sure he'll be there tonight...I guess they talkin over Ray's trial strategy...." he said.

"Okay then Treetop...I need a big favor...Anything he eats off of...or drinks out of ..A glass, a fork, a spoon, a bottle...You get it and you put it in a plastic bag....My man Clerow will be over to collect it." I said.

"Just Ralph or Ray too?" he asked.

"No...Just Ralph." I said....

''Got'cha Kev." He said.

Kool Kat tapped me on the shoulder... Just then...Ray Kind and Laura , walking arm and arm walked into Jake's...

Seeing me there was a shock for all of us!!!!  I didn't say anything... Laura's eyes got as huge as saucers...

"Uhh Hi Kevin...Fancy meeting you here." she said.

"You know this guy?" asked Ray.

"Y-Yes...Kevin and I are old friends from way back." she said...I could see she was very uncomfortable..  Seeing me again...

Old Friends?  Is that what we were? Old friends? Old friends with benefits? Interesting! I mused.

'Well Ray...What are you doing, slummin?  This aint your type of joint." I said.

"Everybody knows that Jake's makes the best dogs in Philly." he smirked.

"You two know each other?" asked Laura...

"Unfortunately yes." smirked Ray.

"So Ray...How long you in town for huh?  I hear there is a spot waitin for you at Club Fed." I said.  Kool Kat, Clerow and Treetop sat in the background...laughing...I wished that I could be a spectator laughing too instead of the focus of this little mini-drama...

"Don't think I'll be making that trip Kevin...See I got a good lawyer." he smirked.

'Think so huh?" I asked.

"Oh I know so..." he said.

"Yeah...He's good at cleaning scum up, making it look better than it is." I said.

Ray just laughed..."I'm not even going to comment on that." he said.

Wonder if he knew that his attorney was suspected of raping and murdering at least three young women and if he did know , did he even care?

I said nothing...Laura held her head down and walked to the counter with Ray...I hung my head down!

As they walked out, Ray Kind looked at me and smiled...

''We both have a birthday coming up soon Kevin." he laughed.

"Yeah, how about that?" I smirked.

"Maybe, I'll come by and enjoy a bit of cake with you." he laughed.

" Don't bet on that." I said.

"I didn't" he laughed as he and Laura left...She couldn't even look at me!!  It was true...He was the guy she left me for...She was the judge that was in his pocket...and with Ralph Penny or not...Ray still might very very well walk on all of his charges...Damn!

'Hey Kev...Don't let him bother you...you got a good plan man...Treetop and Clerow will make sure of that." said Kool Kat.

'Thanks man." I said.

III-

Later that afternoon, I was at home watching television with Sepia when my android went off...It was Clerow.

"Heyy What's up man?" I asked.

"It's all done Boss...Ralph and Ray were both here...but Ray left...Ralph drank about three beers and two glasses of wine...Treetop bagged them and gave them to me and I took them to Sissy Van Buren for a DNA analysis...I gave her the video too....She said for me to tell you thanks." he said.

"Good Work Clerow.....If there is a DNA match...we've got our Serial Killer." I said.  "Thanks man."

'No problem boss." he said.

Sepia walked into the room as my call was ending..

"A break in your case?" she asked.

I put my arm around her...

"Maybe. One battle half won... but the war goes on." I said.

(To Be Continued.)