Fatal Suspicions

Chris and I stood in the crowd and watched the firemen put out the fire....The explosion took out two rooms on the end of the third floor of the hotel...The same hotel and floor that Theresa Fontaine was supposedly stayin on...

I got out of the car and asked one of the firemen if anyone was hurt..

"Nah...Good thing...If anyone had been in either of those rooms there wouldn't have been much of anything left to collect." he said.

Chris pulled me to the side...

"That means that Theresa is still alive." he said.

"Yeah..she must have just missed this." I said.

"Or she set it." said Chris with a laugh...

I chuckled too and we got back in the car and pulled off...I dropped him off at his spot and I went home.

II-

Two days later, Chris,Donald Smooth and I were drinking a few cold ones at Josie's when I noticed a familiar young lady at the end of the bar...with sunglasses on...It was Theresa!!! I pointed her out and motioned to Chris and Smooth...We all looked up and we all walked over to where she was sitting.

"Theresa!!! You're alive." I said kind of sarcastically.  She didn't catch the sarcasm in my voice.

"Chris!! Chess...I'm so glad to see you guys..." she said.

"I see you escaped a close one." said Chris.

''Looks like Snows boys are already in town."she said.

"Why would they hit you?" I asked.

"That room was registered in both our names...Mr. and Mrs. Frankie Fontaine." she said.

"Wait! He's got people after him...Why would he register the room and use his real name?" asked Chris, shaking his head...."Never mind...don't  answer...this is classic Frankie...Boneheadedness at it's best." he continued.

"Oh Chris..stop it.That's my husband you're talkin about." she said.

"I wouldn't brag about that." said Chris...

"Why do you hate him so?" she asked.

"Where is Frankie?" I asked, changing the subject...Chris would have hurt her feelings..I know.

''It's better if I don't say....I've been staying in the room upstairs here...Gus is letting me stay there." she said.

"Well don't tell anybody you're there...Chess and me got an empty place you might be able to crash in...Give us a few hours." said Chris.

She kissed Chris in the lips...

"Thank you so much babe..Did you talk to Fathead?" she asked.

''I put the word out for him to get in touch with me...I expect to hear from him soon." said Chris.

"Oh Okay." she said...

Just then , her cell phone went off!

"I have to take this guys." she said.

Chris motioned to us to move on , and so Smooth and I went to a booth that had just opened up...

Chris walked over to the bar...He and Gus were talking, but I didn't know what they were talking about...

I looked up and Theresa was gone!!!

Chris walked over to us....

"Let's follow her fellas..She couldn't have gone that far." he said.

Donald 'Smooth" and I got in Chris's car and we followed Theresa ,who was in a cab...She had just pulled off, as we were leaving Josie's.

III-

We followed her to a brownstone in West Philadelphia...We slowly walked in and walked down the corridor of the hallway..The door was cracked open..We saw a light..we heard what sounded like kissing and conversation...Chris motioned for Donald Smooth and I to halt..We stood in the hallway and listened...

"Ohhh baby...I missed you sooo much..." said Theresa...

"I missed you too, I missed you too...Does anybody know you're here?" came the voice of Frankie Fontaine..

"No..No..Of course not.. I didn't tell a soul...But Mikey is in town...His boys did their handywork on our hotel room." she said...

''Wow...a few minutes more and that coulda been you baby." he said.

"Why'd you put it in our name Frankie?" she asked.

"I didn't know they knew I was in Philly..." he said.

"They know you from here..where did you think they'd look first?" she asked.

"Yeah, you got a point..." he said.

''Anyway..I went to some guys that might be able to help us out."she said.

''Yeah? Who?"he asked.

"Chris Thompson and Chess." she said.

"WHAT?" he said and then he slapped her ,knocking her to the floor..

"What did you do, warm his bed up for him ,huh? I know about you and Chris Thompson..

''Why'd you hit me Frankie?  I was just tryin to help...Chris and me, that is ancient history." she said.

"Help who huh? , Help who?  " he screamed....Just then Chris kicked the door open and cold cocked Frankie, knocking him to the floor...

Frankie got up off the floor and clocked Chris, knocking him across the room..Chris punched him in the stomach and then cold cocked him again, knocking him to the floor.. Frankie got up and was getting ready to lunge at Chris, when he saw the business end of my .45 pointed at this nose and saw Donald Smooth about to draw his weapon.

He backed up...smiled -

"Chess...How's it hangin baby? Long time no see.." he said.   I said nothing...He looked at Theresa  like he wanted to kill her...."You told them where I was?" he asked.

"No...Frankie, I swear I didn't." she said.

"We followed her...We saw her at Josies and we followed her." I said.

He shrugged his shoulders..He and Chris still eyed each other like they wanted to go for round two...but cooler heads prevailed...

"Funny you would book a hotel for the both of you and use your real name Frankie..Even you can't be that stupid...but then again..." said Chris.

''Lucky for you your crew was here to save you Chris...I was just gettin ready to get all up in that butt." said Frankie.

"Yeah? Was you?" smirked Chris...

"Yeah." said Frankie..

"You tried that 20 years ago...How'd that work out?" asked Chris...

"Hey man..I was drunk." snapped Frankie..

"Oh ,okay..if that's how you want to remember it." said Chris.

20 years ago they had one of the bloodiest fights I ever saw...They fought for close to an hour..bloodied each other but good...Frankie had to go to the hospital...Chris was pretty busted up too..but he walked home that night..Frankie didn't..Everybody talked about that fight....It was legendary...These two still hated each other after all those years. They were fighting over...You guessed it..Theresa!

"Guys...Guys..Come on...Let's be cool...We gotta problem here..Mikey Snow..." said Theresa..

"You got a problem Theresa...and it aint Mikey...it's that man you married.." said Chris.

"I don't have to stand here and listen to this...I'm goin to the store and get some cigarettes.." said Frankie as he stormed out.

"Be careful Frankie." said Theresa.

"Yeah Frankie...be careful...if those cigarettes don't kill you...Mikey Snow will." smirked Chris...

''Whatever nigger!, Just be out of my spot before I get back..It smells bad enough as it is." he said as he left and walked down the street to the corner store.

"Chris..please...Don't agravate him." said Theresa.

"Why do you stay with him?...He's a born loser." said Chris.

"I love him Chris.." she said.

"You crazy girl...You're gonna stay here?" asked Chris..

"Yeah...I know that nobody knows we are here." she said.

''You sure Theresa?"asked Donald Smooth.

''Yeah...this is Nate Athens spot.." she said.

''Where is Nate?" I asked.

"Probably workin..." she said.

"Workin? Nate??? That's a laugh." said Chris.

''You shouldn't be so judgemental Chris...You just five or six years out of the game yourself." she reminded him.

''But I'm out...and I'm still makin dough...that's the difference." said Chris.

"Whatever Chris.." she said

"Listen kid..Call my cellphone if you need anything...If I was you..I wouldn't hang around here too long." I said and I passed her my number.

"Thank you Chess." she said and kissed me softly.

"Come on guys,let's bounce." said Chris.

As Donald and I left and got in the car, Chris looked at me...

"Chess..Something about this aint right..." he said.

"Yeah I know.." I said.

"Smooth..Go talk to your people..Find Nate ...Find out the deal on him...." said Chris.

"Chess...Me and You? We gonna find Fathead." he said.

"I miss the big boy..Aint seen him around in awhile..." I chuckled.

(Definitely To Be Continued)