Casual

A few nights later...J.J.Richardson  and I met at Josie's for some drinks.....

"Hey Gus...My man Kevin drinks on me all night." he said.

Gus gave us both the side eye , then looked at J.J.

''You sure you can handle it?"he said , then winked at me and smiled..

''Awww Gus...you haven't changed...Still the wise guy." laughed J.J.

''I didn't get this old bein stupid." laughed Gus as he served us our drinks...

An attractive  Black woman in a business suit and glasses walked in ...She saw us and sat down next to us...She looked out of place in Josies....

"Heyy baby!" said J.J. to her as she sat down...

She ignored him and beckoned to Gus...

''Heyyyyyyy Gus..how ya doin?"she laughed to my surprise.

''Hey sweetie....what are you havin?"he asked.

"My usual...J.J. is payin ." she said.

"Seems to be a lot of that goin on tonight." quipped Gus ,who again looked at J.J.

"Yeah, put it on my tab...Sylvia..This is my boy, Kevin...Kevin! Sylvia." he said.

She smiled warmly at me.

"I know your wife, Sepia...We grew up together in West Orange...I moved here about a year after she did. I've seen you two in here together before." she said.

Funny, I had never seen her before in my life.Nor had my wife Sepia ever mentioned her...but Josies did get crowded...No tellin who was here at any given time!

"Kevin...She can tell you whatever you need to know about Margaret...They were friends." said J.J.

"First off...Did you know Burt Powell?" I asked...

"Naked Burt?? Yes I do." she laughed...

Burt Powell's photo had been in all of the newspapers and had even made national news....He had run away from the murder scene naked and someone , no several people had took photos of him with their cameras....exiting the scene....

He had been released on bail...The second set of footprints didn't match his and unidentified fingerprints had been found at the scene of the crime and on clothing items belonging to the victim...

"He was kind of like her man." said Sylvia.

''What do you mean kind of like?" I asked.

"He really liked her...He took her out, spent money on her, ran errands for her..Like a little puppy dog...but She didn't really feel the same about him....If I can be blunt...She told me that she kept him around because he has a huge penis and he knew what to do with it...Truth is..She only called on him when there was no one else around to go out with....He knew he wasn't the man, but he always came running when she called." said
Sylvia.

"So there was others?" I asked.

She stared daggers at J.J.

"Yeah, you're looking at one...He was like putty in her hands...Took her to lunch everyday, called her, emailed her, texted her...wanted to know where she was...She aint care about J.J. either..She was sleeping with him to get promoted and get ahead..and he knew it too!" she said.

J.J. looked a little embarrassed at this revelation...but it made sense...considering what had just gone down....From her tone...I suspected that she too was more than just an employee of J.J.'s...That she too had once shared his bed and had been sort of thrown off for her friend.

"You think Burt Powell killed Margaret?" I asked.

"Oh Noooo, Nooooo...He just panicked and got out of there that's all....He should have at least put on his boxers." she laughed...

J.J. laughed too!

''Was there any other guy in her life?" I asked.

"I think the landlord of her second apartment had a crush on her....but I know she had never slept with him or given him more than the time of day..He was kind of creepy..Kind of a mama's boy." she said.

"Why was she keeping two seperate apartments?..I checked the lease..It was in her name." I asked.

''Why do guys keep two spots?"she asked.

"You tell me..I don't know any guys that keep two spots." I said.

Sylvia smiled...

"I'll bet that you do...They keep em to sneak their side piece  in...you know the deal." she said.

"No..I don't know the deal, but I'll take your word for it." I said.

Sylvia just smiled.

"She had her main apartment....where her mail came to and then she had that spot where she went with Burt and maybe other guys...She didn't want em comin to her main apartment..That's where she went to chill and not be bothered." she said.

"How was she affording this?" I asked.

She looked at J.J.

"I had no idea she had another spot Kev." he quickly said.

"You just paid her well huh?" I asked with a smile.

"Well? He paid her two times what she was worth." said Sylvia with a hint of sarcasm.

J.J. again looked like he was trying to find a hole to drop himself in...I smiled a little bit...

"Did you ever meet the landlord of the second apartment?" I asked.

"Yeah, two or three times...A tall muscular guy....Just a kid really..A little young for Margaret...His name was Chesly Greer...Not too bright...even a dimmer bulb than Burt Powell." She said.

"Really? I might be interested in talking to him." I said.

"About what?" asked J.J.

"Well, he did know her...she said he had a crush on her...He might give me some insight into who killed her...I don't have much else." I said.

''Suit yourself." said J.J.

"Excuse me fellas, I see a friend of mine over there by the booths...Anything else you need ? asked Sylvia...

"No, you've given me quite enough." I said.

I watched as she walked away..She had a nice figure and a very seductive walk...

J.J. grimaced...

"Never knew that broad was so bitter." he said.

"How long were you sleeping with her?" I asked.

He looked stunned...

"Damn man, you pick up on everything....you're scary." he said and laughed..

"I guess I was stringing her along for close to a year before I hired Margaret....Margaret was her girlfriend...They knew each other from the neighborhood..They had worked at another job together.I hired Margaret as a favor to Sylvia....I just started liking Margaret a little more that's all...I never told Sylvia that I was in love with her or nothing...It was just sex between me and Sylvia...you know, a casual thing...I thought Sylvia understood our arrangement." said J.J.

" Apparently she didn't, But with Margaret it was love right ,more than just casual sex?" I asked..

"Well , I won't say love, but it was a little more." he said.

"You should treat people better." I said , J.J. nodded.

"Yeah, I guess you're right Kev" he said.

''Oh...And I think she got that second spot to hide out in with that money....I don't believe that jazz about her needing a spot to chill out in." I said.

''Me neither Kev...That's a guy thing." said J.J.

Honey Brown who was serving us another round of drinks and overheard our conversation just shook her head and laughed to herself.

II-

I checked the records on the apartment complex where Margaret was murdered...It was owned and managed by Arizona Greer....The manager was listed as Chesly Greer...
Sylvia had told me that he was young..a kid...Not according to his birth certificate...He was 42...Had never been married, had no children..A High school graduate... He lived with his mother, Arizona Greer...If her records were correct, she was close to 95 years old!

I found their house...I rang the door bell..At first it was eerily quiet...Then I heard the sound of someone walking around...Through the window I could see what looked like an old woman...

"Yesssssssssss.." she said.

"Hello Mrs. Greer...My name is Kevin Morris...I'm here to talk to your son..Is he at home?" I asked.

"No...he's not home....." she said.

"Oh okay, I'll come back...Do you know when he'll be back?" I asked.

"Is this about those naked people running around in the apartment?" she asked.

"Uh er something like that." I said.

"That damn simple ass boy of  mine...I tole him not to rent to naked girls...now he had a naked man up in there too." she said.

"Well no mam it wasn't exactly like that." I said.

"You a cop?" she asked.

"No mam...I just want to ask him some questions." I said.

"Why??? You want to take all of your clothes off too and run with naked women?" she asked.

"No mam, uh look...Tell Chesly that I'll be back to talk  to him later." I said.

"I'm an old woman....I can't take all of this excitement..Naked mens runnin down the hall, Naked women jumpin in and out the shower..LAWDDDD today!" she said.

I just smiled and left..I'd talk to Chesly another time....

III-

On my way home....I saw Detective Carlotta Rodruiguez...She was with three detectives and six uniformed policemen...They had six men handcuffed and were leading them into the paddy wagon...

"Hey Carlotta , what have you got here?" I asked.

"Drug crew....Two of em...They were involved in that shootout last week in which that little girl got shot and killed...Shame not one of these idiots hit each other." she said.

''Wow!Sometimes it's just like that." I said.

"I heard you let Burt Powell go." I said.

"For now...Not enough to hold him on....Poor guy is already suffering enough...He's the laughing stock of the internet...and the media....The Naked suspect, they're calling him." she said.

"Damnnnnnnnn." I said.

"You hear anything about who might have killed that girl?" she asked.

"No ,not yet...but if I do...You and Sissy will be the first to know." I said.

Carlotta smiled and gave me the side eye....

I was used to that by now!

(To Be Continued....)