Unwilling Witnesses

I had wanted to talk to Alan Drinkwater's wife, Wilona Drinkwater..a former model and rumored stripper who he married after a whirlwind courtship of one month.
 I had called her several times and left messages, but they were never returned.  I had even been to the condo she was staying at.. (A condo that was being paid for by Eddie Woods.) but there was no answer. I thought of having Lockpick Johnson and Peeping Tom get inside and bug the place, but for now ,I had decided to keep that on hold.

However, a conversation I had heard between Edward Wood and his brother, Byron  on the wiretaps about another female had made me curious..They wondered if she knew too much about what had happened to Alan Drinkwater.  What had happened to Alan Drinkwater?? I was trying to get to the bottom of that...Afterall, that was why Robert had hired me...To find his missing client.  I feared that he was dead...but neither one of the brothers had said anything incriminating about him yet..This conversation was close.

They both agreed that the woman knew nothing about just what had happened to Alan Drinkwater. Her name was Terrie Boyd and she lived a few blocks from me...At first I had thought that she was just an old girlfriend or something...But upon looking up information on her, I discovered that she was Philadelphia born and raised and had no connection to East Orange, Newark or New York City what so ever.

Her name was mentioned three or four times by the brothers... I discovered that she was a former employee of Alan Drinkwater's... She had been let go by the firm a few weeks before and had been in Josie's talking to whoever would listen about how much she hated Alan Drinkwater.

That of course didn't mean anything...but I figured ,I should at least talk to her.... So on this morning ,I found myself ringing her doorbell.

She was a very attractive woman....with a kilowat smile...She answered the door no different...

"Terrie?  Terrie Boyd?" I asked.

''Hi...Don't I know you?  Yeah...you own that magazine...Hype magazine...I've seen you on Television a few times and you...you some kind of private investigator on the side...You helped catch the guys that was slashing all of our tires a few weeks ago." she said.

''You're right...My name is Kevin Morris, can I come in for just a few minutes?" I asked.

She hesitated at first...but then finally opened the door wider and let me in....

"Would you like some coffee? I just bought one of those kurieg whatcamadoodles." she said.

"Sure ...why not?" I said and sat down as she made us both a cup of coffee and sat down in her living room.

"I understand you were recently an employee of Drinkwater Insurance." I said.

"Yeah....formerly is more like it." she said.

"Can you tell me what happened?" I asked.

"Alan was trying to get in my panties from the day I got there...It started out innocently enough...He was always asking me to go to lunch and I would decline....and he would always bring me coffee and blueberry muffins to work and would have me work a little late sometimes and give me a bonus check....Then he started getting real personal, asking if I was dating anyone and then one day he leaned over and kissed me in the lips....I told him that that was inappropriate and that I wasn't about it." she said.

"So did you tell anyone...uh did you go to human resources?" I asked.

"Human Resources?? Really?? It's his company...What were they going to do?" she scowled.

"So I guess the harrassment got worse?" I said.

"Yesss...He would feel on my legs or try to press up against me..Little things...He was making me very uncomfortable...." she said.

"He was married wasn't he?" I said.

''He told me that he was very unhappy and that his wife was cheating on him...But the worst part of it was the company was having some problems and some big wigs from New York were trying to buy a controlling interest in his company." she said.

"Really?  Did you know who they were?" I asked.

"Some guy named Byron something or other..I only met him once...He was cute, but conceited..He had a brother named Eddie...I met them both in Josies." she said.

"Really? When?" I asked.

"About two weeks ago...After I was let go." she said.

"What happened with that?" I asked.

"Alan just kept on trying to get me to have sex with him...He promised me a higher paying job, an office at the corner and a new car...and I kept refusing....Mr. Morris, I'm just not into that type of thing...Anyway...My supervisor started writing me up for little things....Then I started getting an evaluation four times a quarter...everybody else got just one...and finally , they let me go....I know it was Alan behind it." she said.

"Did you plan to take action ,I mean legal action against he company?" I asked.

"I don't know...I was in Josies talking about it to my friend Rudy Lubbers and he told me that he knew these two guys...one of who was screwing Drinkwater's wife,Wilona...We laughed about it and then he introduced me to Edward Woods and his brother Byron..." she said.

"Really?? What did they say?" I asked.

''Oh that they were close to buying the company anyway and that when they did...I would get my job back. Byron kept eyeing me like he was envisioning me naked...He started asking me if I was seeing anybody and where did I live and whatnot. I didn't want to go that route again.  He said that he could get Alan out of my life forever.  I didn't know what he meant by that...but I didn't like the sound of the way he said it.They asked me a lot of questions...Like what kind of car did Alan drive..Where did he get his haircut, Did he leave his dry cleaning anywhere...Strange stuff, personal stuff...I didn't know why they were asking..They bought me some drinks and they laughed and talked a lot and then Rudy and them left the bar." she said.

"Where can I find your friend, Rudy?" I asked.

She gave me his address and phone number.....We drank our coffee....

"You're working for Alan Drinkwater aren't you?" I asked.

"No..I'm working for his divorce attorney...He hasn't been seen in two weeks....hasn't returned any calls, has missed court dates...I'm just trying to find him....When is the last time you saw him?" I asked.

''About  three weeks ago...My last day at work." she said.

"These guys...Byron and Edward Woods...What kind of guys were they?" I asked.

"Byron is a lawyer, he owns some kind of holding company or something...He said that he buys up small companies... but he seemed real slick...like a gangster. His brother Eddie ?? I don't know what he does...He looked like a common street thug. They both just gave me a bad vibe." she said.

"You ever see them again?" I asked.

"Yeah, a couple of times in Josies...but we never talked." she said.

"I suppose there is no love lost between you and Alan Drinkwater is there?" I said.

"I didn't care for the man, but I can't say that I wanted something bad to happen to him."she said.

"Like him being murdered?" I asked.

"Has he been murdered?" she asked.

"I don't know....but I haven't been able to find him and nobody that knows him has seen him in two weeks." I said.

"Happy Hunting." she said dryly.

"Okay...Well good luck finding a new job.....I might have something for you at my magazine...here is my card...You call this number and ask for this woman...When you get her, tell her you talked to me..I know you have a resume right?" I said.

"Yes of course." she said.

"Our website is on this card..upload your resume and send it to us...I'll see what I can do." I said.

She flashed that smile....

"Oh thank you Mr. Kevin. ..but why are you willing to help me?`" she said.

"You seem like a nice person...someone who could use a break." I said.  She flashed that brilliant smile at me.

I smiled back and walked out of her house.

II-

I did some research on Byron Woods....He had a Bachelors degree from St. Johns and a Masters degree from Hofstra.....He had then gotten his J.D. from Columbia University......Had disappeared for a few years and then had formed a holding company with some partners who bought up a lot of small, struggling companies and then liquidated them...Keeping the profits and rewarding shareholders handsomely.

Drinkwater,Drinkwater and Drinkwater Insurance had hit a snag under the questionable leadership of Playboy , jet setting Alan Drinkwater III...a womanizer and a gambler, who was in the middle of a contentious divorce and who's company was losing money like a siv...

Edward Woods, the younger brother was the exact opposite...Just barely making it out of high school...a few years of college , and then an arrest and conviction of transporting controlled substances (drugs)followed...He did three years in an upstate New York Prison before returning home and getting himself well connected  in the drug scene in New York....

It was rumored, but never proven , that he had murdered his boss and his boss's number two man and had taken over his operation....At any rate...the real mystery was , why were they in Philly and what was their real interest in Drinkwater,Drinkwater,Drinkwater insurance??

III-

"What'cha know good Gus?" I said as I entered Josies and ordered a beer...My usual.

"You got tha hot hand kid." said Gus, the owner and bartender...It was our usual greeting...

I sat at the bar and quaffed down my beer....It didn't take long to see someone of interest...Rudy Lubbers....a short stocky brown skinned guy with a round face...Terrie's friend.... I was going to look for him tomorrow..I had his address...but there was no time like the present.  I walked over to him..

''Anyone sitting here?" I asked.

He looked up and shook his head... I sat down next to him....

"Gus, could I have another beer and whatever he's drinkin.." I said... Gus nodded..

"Terri told me that you might be lookin for me." he said.

"So you know who I am huh?" I said.

"Yeah , you some kind of private investigator.I know who you are,I've followed you...and I got some advice for you....Leave this alone...You're in over your head...this aint no cat slashing tires in the neighborhood." he said.

"I know that....I'm just trying to find somebody for the person who hired me." I said.

He looked around.....Then he whispered to me...

"Stop lookin Kev...Drinkwater is dead...Forget you was ever asked to find him...Tell whoever hired you...that you couldn't find him...Stick to tire slashin cases...or whatever else it is that you look into.I'm tellin you..You don't want to be involved in this." he said. He looked like he was in a lot of mental anguish.  He ordered another drink and then another and then yet another. I was astounded at the way he was drinking and sweating.

''Why don't you let me be the judge of that...You sound like you're scared of something or somebody." I said.

"I am.....man....I am...These guys...those two guys...they are killers...cold blooded killers...I didn't know...man...Mannnnn....I didn't know..I swear...I didn't know....I thought they was just gonna rough the guy up because he was comin on to Terrie....Ya know....I knew they was buyin his company and all and I knew that one of em was bangin his wife...but I aint know they was gonna...ohh...oh God forgive me..ohhhhh." he broke down...  He ordered another drink.....Gus gave him a side eye and then looked at me.

"Is he gonna be alright?" he asked.

I looked at Gus, but didn't answer...I looked back at Rudy.
"Forgive you for what?  What did you do Rudy?" I asked.

"Man..Byron called him...told him to meet him at the Aqua Bar...he wanted to discuss the acquisition of his company...They argued on the phone...but anyway..Drinkwater shows up...They talk, We all walk out to the parkin lot...in the back, beyond the camera's  view...and and..Eddie cracks him over the head with a baseball bat...not once..but several times....In the parking lot...It was crazy man..They had me help them stuff him in the trunk of their car...We drove it out to this spot...This spot near the interstate...They dug a hole and dropped his lifeless body in the hole...Byron and me, we poured lie all over the body and then Eddie covered it up....They aint never gonna find his body..not ever...Eddie told me that if I ever told anyone about this..I'd wind up just like Drinkwater...I been holdin this in for three weeks...and drinkin...Man...I aint no killer...I aint no killer...I'm comin apart....ohhhhhh lawdddd." he began to cry...

"Get yourself together...Why didn't you go to the cops?" I said.

"Man...they'll kill me....They connected Kev... I'm tellin you...I aint gon talk to no cops...If they come I'll say that we never had this conversation..I'm tellin you so that you know who and what you're up against." he said.  "Terri aint gone talk about em either." he said.

''Does Terri know that they killed Alan?" I asked.

"Nah, she don't know nothin about it.." he said.

"Rudy, you didn't do anything....Eddie killed him...He and Byron  did this...Tell the police." I implored him..He just looked at me..

"Man, Kevin you crazy ......" he said..He finished his drink..."Thanks for the drinks man....Take my advice..stay out of this, stay away from them guys." he said and he walked out the door.

Gus looked at me-

"That there is a scared man." he said with a laugh..

"Or a dead one." I said.

Soon I would know how right I was!

(To be continued...)