Rooftop

Nothing like a rooftop party.... Ralph Scallion was throwing a rooftop party on the rooftop of his apartment building...

He , His daughter and a West African cook named Jacques catered the entire affair...They had several grills going and Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, Steaks,Chops, Spare Ribs and Shrimp cooking on the grill, Potato Salad, Macaroni salad...Baked beans and regular salads... as well as all of the beer and wine you could ask for...

Sepia and I had just been to a star studded wedding a week earlier...Mabel and 88 and here we were at yet another neighborhood event...

Sean Jackson and his wife Sheila were present as was Clerow and Corrie, Robert Foxworth and Bonita, Chance Howard and Anita Jenkins, Blake and Cherish, Paris and an unknown date, Cole, Nicole Butler...Chess and Rell, Chris Thompson and his date, Donald Smooth and his wife, My white friend who helped me crack a big murder case about a year ago, Meaghan...(She was now living with the West African cook, Jacques), Dollar Bill and his wife and Chinese Bob and his wife.

These were the people I knew , there was a lot more people here who I had never seen before...  Kool Kat and Chelsea arrived and Owen Todd and his date also arrived...
Cherry Johnson arrived and it looked like she was with Roscoe....but nah....I couldn't see that...but he was fixing her a plate of food and sitting next to her... Ralph Mole arrived with some New York Strip steaks...and to everyone's surprise...Fathead Newton was there too...with not one, but two lovely young ladies!!!

Sepia and I sat together...Sean and Sheila, Clerow and Corrie and Robert and Bonita sat with us...

Ralph Scallion walked by...I tapped him on the shoulder...

"Man Ralph...you know how to throw a party good brother." I laughed.

''Thanks Kev.." he laughed.

"The Food is great" said Robert Foxworth grudgingly...He had buried the hatchet and was at least on the surface trying to forget that Ralph had slept with his now wife, Bonita when they had broken up...

"Thanks Robert." he said.

"You stayin out of trouble since Minay been away?" asked my wife.

"Yeah...as much as I can...I've been a monk." he said.

She gave him the side eye..."A Monk eh?" she said.

"Hey Sepia...Even a monk has got to eat." he said...Clerow ,Kool Kat and I looked at each other and smiled.

II-

"KEVIN.....KEVIN!!! IS THAT YOU???" came a voice......

I thought I knew everybody here....I heard the voice....Then I saw him coming toward me...

"Holden?? Holden Wakefield??" I said as the tall lanky, well dressed, light skinned gentleman walked toward me...He had a beer in one hand and a drink in the other hand...

"Kevin Morris...My man, pots and damn pans...How you doin baby?" he said. He then eyed Sepia, smiled broadly and exclaimed.... "Is this you? Hell, you doin damn well." he laughed.

"This is my wife Holden...JoAnne Cokely Morris....We call her Sepia." I said.

"Pleased to meet you " she said..She thought he was going to shake her hand...but he put his drinks down and pulled her toward him , giving her a big bear hug....

"Any wife of my man Kevin is a sister of mine." he said...Sepia managed a weak smile.

"Kevin and I grew up together in the neighborhood...Was in the Marine Core together too...both of us were boxers and both of us were NCIS investigators." he said.

"Oh wow...Kevin never mentioned you." she said.

"Well" he shrugged..."Wasn't much to mention...I was a drunk then." he said.

From the looks of things...He was a drunk now! I mused .

"So what are you doin now of days man?" I asked.

"I'm like you, out of the service....I'm a businessman." he said.

I hated when people I grew up with used that term, businessman....It usually meant they were into something illegal....This guy had ruined his military and law enforcement career with his drinking and womanizing...He had been married and was caught in the bed with our commander's wife!!!!! This ended his marriage and his military career... I hadn't seen him in ten years.

"I was over in the Phillipines for a taste, then I was in Europe.....I'm uh in the import and export business..I'm doin alright..." he said.

He certainly looked like he was doing well, Very expensive clothing, Rolex watch, Nice smelling cologne...Huge pinkie ring.....The trappings of outward sucess at least.

"How do you know Ralph?" I asked.

''I don't ...but I'm in the process of buying this apartment complex....I heard there was a party up here on the roof and you know me...I'm the life of the party.." he said.

"That you were." I laughed...Before he went bad...he and I did do some heavy partying...He was one of those types of guys where the party didn't start until he got there.

III-

The party went on well into the night...A good time was being had by all...Roscoe and Kool Kat walked over to me as I went to get some more ribs...

"You better lighten up Kev...You'll wind up so fat you won't be able to fight crime." laughed Roscoe... Kool Kat busted out laughing...

I smiled..

''Hey uh...I saw you talkin to that guy, Holden...you know him huh?" asked Roscoe.

"Yeah..we grew up together, was in the Marines together too." I said.

"Wow...He was in the service!" said Roscoe.

"You know him?" I asked.

"Not personally...but I've seen him around." he said.

"He got a phat ride outside...A Bentley with his name engraved on the side." said Kool Kat.

"He told me he's a businessman...in the import, export business." I said.

Roscoe and Kool Kat looked at each other...

"What?" I asked...

"You might say that that is what he's into." laughed Roscoe.

"So what do you say he's into?" I asked.

"Nothin....If that's what he told you he's into...That's what he's into.... Nice talkin to ya Kev, but I gotta run, gotta drop Cherry off." he said.

"Cherry eh?" said Kool Kat with a hint of a smile...

"I'm givin her a ride home, that's all." he said.

We said nothin...He didn't either....

I stared at Holden from across the rooftop... He was talking to four girls...Had their complete attention...Just like he always did...

I had a feeling then that him being around meant trouble...I couldn't know then how right I was...

(To Be Continued.......)