You'd Be Surprised

Mabel and Baby Phat brought our plates to us....Clerow, myself, Eddie ''Spaghetti"Collins, The recently liberated Ruby Fowler and surprise, surprise, the gambler, Stephen Bristol.....were enjoying a meal together.

Clerow and I had scrambled eggs and cheese with bacon, orange juice and a tumbler of coffee...Ruby and Eddie had Blueberry Pancakes with sausage and hash browns..They looked at each other in a way that was strangely too warm, too familliar!

Stephen Bristol had a Mimosa and a Spanish Omelet with Turkey Bacon....He was beaming with happiness as he passed me another envelope filled with cash...A down payment for me finding and rescuing Ruby Fowler...

"I know this is not like the places you usually dine in." I said to Bristol...

"Are you kidding?  Everybody who is anybody knows that Mabel Jenkins is the best cook in the city....I've enjoyed her cuisine for years." said Bristol...

While what he said might have been true, regarding Mabel....He rarerly if ever set foot in this part of town...and all of us, Me, Clerow, Eddie and even Ruby Fowler...knew that, but we let him get away with his little white lie.

He held Ruby's hand and rubbed it gently......she seemed surprisingly annoyed.

"I was worried sick about you baby." he said.

"Oh really? I couldn't tell." she said in a surprisingly dry tone.

"Are you kidding? I put out a lot of cash....I reached out and found this man, Kevin Morris, the best private investigator in the city to locate you and rescue you....And thanks to him...some dangerous men are behind bars.." he said.

"Uh...I know...I know Stephen....Now let go of my hand....This food is delicious and you're keeping me from it." she said softly.

Clerow and I eyed each other...She didn't seem to be grateful at all...Stephen Bristol was afterall telling the truth....Then again,the fact that he went into hiding while Eddie ''Spaghetti"Collins handled the logistics and me and my guys did the heavy lifting didn't exactly look manly either.. A fact that wasn't lost on me...

I looked at Eddie...He smiled a little bit, but said nothing....He eyed his plate....I just smiled...

II-

Deuce Watkins had been arrested the night before and charged with two counts of first degree murder and kidnapping.....Detectives Tyriq Pile and Edwin "Duke"Baylor ,along with six uniformed Philadelphia Policemen made the arrest...

Anthony "Tony Tony" Anthony was arrested in the early morning hours at the Greyhound Bus Station by Homicide Lt. Sissy Van Buren and Detective Carlotta Rodriguez, along with six uniformed Philadelphia Policemen..

He too was charged with two counts of first degree murder and kidnapping....With both of them in custody and a high profile double homicide closed...Lt.Sissy Van Buren and ADA Keith Wallace was very happy...I heard she was up for a special accomodation from the mayor.

Of course the most satisfying arrest of all was the arrest of Gambler and Mastermind...
Cal Townsend... by who else?,  My favorite Latina Detective....Carlotta Rodriguez..and Detective Tyriq Pyle and six uniformed Philadelphia policemen.  Lt. Sissy Van Buren was also present.

He yelled and screamed as she handcuffed him...

"There must be some kind of mistake...I'm Cal Townsend....Do you know who I am??? I don't get arrested...I don't go to jail....I had nothing to do with this...You-You-You can't prove a thing...I don't even know those hoodlums.....I'm Cal freakin Townsend....I'll have your badge lady....You are in sooooo much trouble." he yelled...

Carlotta just looked at him and said...

"It's tank time papi...tell it to the judge."

III-

Meanwhile our meal was finished...Stephen Bristol wouldn't allow us to pay for our meals...He paid for everything and he thanked me again...

"Thank you so much Kevin....I knew you'd wrap things up...as it turns out...this worked out better than I could have hoped...Cal and all of his operatives are safely behind bars." he said.

"Yup...for a long time I hope." I said as I shook his hand...

He looked over at Ruby and rubbed her hands...

"Come on dear...I've got my suite ready....We have a lot of catching up to do." he laughed..

"Uhhh not today Stephen....I uh have a slight headache...after all of the excitement of the past two weeks." she said.

"Really?" said a disapointed Stephen Bristol....

"Yes...uh Eddie is going to take me home." she said.

I watched Eddie...He had a sly grin on his face...

"Well uh....okay....Eddie would you be so kind as to drive her home?" asked Stephen Bristol.

"Sure....My car is right outside." he said.

The two got in his car and pulled off...

Stephen Bristol shrugged his shoulders and frowned a bit...

I smiled and patted him on the back and Clerow and I left....

On the drive back to my house....Clerow asked me....

"Was it me or did she seem kind of cold to our boy?" he asked.

"Oh she was...she was...I peeped it...I got a funny feeling the other day...Just talking to Eddie...So I had Lockpick Johnson and Peeping Tom bug his spot." I said.

"Huh? What? You think he's mixed up in this?" asked Clerow.

"Oh no...no...Nothing like that....He's a straight up dude...He was invaluable when it came to me cracking this case....This is something else." I said.

When we got to my house...I switched on my monitor and direct feed....

I looked at Clerow.....

"Watch and learn Clerow..." I said as we watched the feed from Eddie Collins house...

My suspicions were correct...They didn't go to Ruby's house...they went to Eddie's house and they weren't in the house five minutes before Eddie had Ruby up against the wall....had his tongue practically down her throat and had her panties down and his trousers down around his ankles....

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh goddddddddddddddddd Ruby...I couldn't wait.....I missed you sooo much!   Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.." moaned Eddie between wet,sloppy passionate kisses.....

''I missed you tooooo..ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu..oh Eddie, give it to me, give it to meeee, give mommy that good lovin...ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh."she moaned...

Eddie had her up against the wall...She slipped his boxers down and he entered her furiously.....

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu...ohhhhhhhhhhh Eddie.....I couldn't wait to get out of there...and get back to your house." she screamed.

Both of them looked like two dogs in heat as they tore into each other.....

Clerow and I looked at each other .....Clerow was completely taken back...I was no longer surprised....

He picked her up and walked her to his bedroom, not missing a beat and still thrusting...sucking on her breasts furiously and trembling...

''Ohhhhhh Eddie..Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh babyyyyyyy."she moaned....

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.." he graoned....

He stretched her across the bed and continued stroking her....now much slower....

"Morrrrrrrrrrrrre...more....." she pleaded...

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh this is soooo goood." he moaned. The bed slammed against the wall furiously and the springs began to squeak like crazy...

Clerow looked at me....He smiled that toothy grin of his...

"Eddie is puttin it in!!!!." he laughed.

"Aint he though?" I laughed.

"How long you think this has been goin on?" asked Clerow...

"Probably longer than either Cal or Bristol knew...Eddie was always in their company.... He probably was too afraid to tell Bristol for fear that he'd lose his job." I said.

"He could still lose his job." said Clerow.

"Yes...but does it look like he cares?" I asked with a smile. Clerow cracked that toothy grin of his and shook his head.

''What you gonna do with this boss?" he asked.

"Probably destroy it." I said. "I just suspected there was something extra about Eddie and now I'm sure of it." I continued.

"You're not going to tell Mr. Bristol?" he asked.

"Nah...He'll probably figure it out eventually." I said.

"Wow....I thought Eddie was his main man...Can't believe he was even thinkin about making a move on his bosses girl." said Clerow.

"You'd be surprised what people think about." I said. "Even more surprised by what they actually wind up doing..." I added...

''Indeed."said Clerow.


EPILOUGE:

Charles "Big Lucky" Tampon, Donna "Doll" Biggs and James Jeffers were convicted of unlawful detainment and confinement and sentenced to 10-15 years...

Bomber, Wally "Petey Boy" Cranston was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder, three counts and sentenced to 25 years...

Deuce Watkins and Anthony "Tony Tony" Anthony were convicted of two counts of first degree murder and kidnapping and sentenced to die by lethal injection...

Mastermind, Gambler Cal Townsend was sentenced to 25 years ,with no chance for parole for at least 15 years for his part in everything...He's appealing his conviction...
Good luck with that~!

Sepia and I took a relaxing shower together and were relaxing in our living room by an open fire....listening to some smooth jazz..

''Wow lover...seems like this is where we always wind up." she said in between an embrace...

"Yeah, how about that?" I mused...


"I can't believe that Eddie was involved with Ruby Fowler." she said.

"Yeah...hot and heavy....Thing is....I suspected it from the beginning....I don't know why....Just the way he sounded when he spoke of her...The looks on his face...I don't know." I said.

"Intuition??" she mused...

"Yeah , something or another like that." I said.

"I thought only we women had that." she laughed.

"You'd be surprised." I laughed.

Tip of The Iceberg

Kool Kat, Owen Todd ,Sean Jackson and Clerow were in my basement cleaning and checking our guns....

"You sure this information is good Kev?" asked Kool Kat...

"I'm never sure of anything, but it's all I got." I said.

"You trust Marco Gervay? He'd sell his mother out for the right price?" said Owen Todd, Sean Jackson laughed while he adjusted his cameras...

"His information has been good in the past....So I'm gonna trust him now." I said.

Clerow ,Owen Todd and I had rousted several playas at the Mermaid Club, Ciros and Josies... A lot of them were so afraid of Deuce Watkins and Tony Anthony that they refused to talk to me...but Marco Gervay was willing to talk...In private.

He met me in West Philly at one of the gyms that Chris and Chess owned and talked in length to me.

He told me that "Lucky" was a playa named "Big Lucky" , real name- Charles Tampon. A contract killer and a one time loan shark. He said that "Big Lucky" ran with a big lesbian woman named "Doll", real name, Donna Biggs...She was good with a gun.... Used to be a bouncer at one of Big Chicken's whore houses.They were both high priced muscle who worked for the highest bidder....

Clerow,Owen and I located the house.... All we knew was that there was three of them in the house...."Big Lucky", "Doll" and a tall slender guy name James Jeffers..a low level playa from Southwest Philly.... He had dealt drugs at one time and was good with a gun. At no time was there less than one of them in the house....There was no sign of Ruby Fowler....but then....we had no way in...

Marco told us and we observed that a truck carrying food from a high end caterer named Jolies delivered food three times a day and that flowers from a florist called
"Delights" also delivered several times a day..... This guy Cal Townsend was a real clown...THIS was supposed to impress this woman???...

Neither Cal Townsend or Deuce Watkins called or was seen near the house...but one night we did catch Tony Anthony visiting the house....I was certain that Ruby Fowler was being held here and I had hatched a plan to rescue her...

II-

With help from some friends...I had borrowed a mobile catering truck and had used a fake "Jolie's" logo... I had had Chef Ralph Scallion prepare an excellent meal on the truck with his daughter ....and the con man, Pakistani Sam was disguised as the caterer's "assistant"

Hidden in the truck was Clerow, Kool Kat, myself and Owen Todd in cook's uniforms...  while parked a few blocks away was Peeping Tom, Sean Jackson and Lockpick Johnson..!

The plan was simple...Pakistani Sam, Ralph Scallion and his daughter rang the doorbell...

Doll came to the door....She was six feet tall, with arms that matched Kool Kat's....She was wearing a shoulder holster and was armed with a .44 Magnum....

"What'cha want?" she snapped.

"We are here with the food." he said...

"I wasn't told about no food....We get a call, yall got the wrong address" she snapped.

"No...This is the address.." he said.

While they talked on the porch....Sean Jackson used his high powered telephoto lense to get a look inside the second floor window.....There was Ruby Fowler!!! Not tied up, but in a room with the tall slender guy...James Jeffers...

"Kev...I got that eyeball...Our girl is in there...There's one guy upstairs.!!!" he said.

"Okay...That means there is two downstairs.....Doll, who is occupied at the front and Big Lucky, who's probally in the living room....Okay boys...Let's go." I said...

Lockpick Johnson and Peeping Tom worked on the backdoor....Once opened....Kool Kat and Owen Todd slipped inside....

Clerow and I slipped around the side...

"Dayummmmm that food look good...Bring it in...That skinny wench don't need it...She done ate already....I'll eat it." she said....

"Maybe some other time Doll." I said....

"What?, What the hell is this?" she said...

Clerow and I had our guns on her, I took her side arm and we tied her up and gagged her and left her on the front steps....

We slipped inside....Big Lucky was in his shirt and his boxer shorts...he had a shoulder holster on and a big gun in that holster....

"What the hell is this? Who are you guys?" he yelled....Ralph Scallion,His Daughter and Pakastani Sam ran out the door, but Clerow and I came in with our pistols cocked and ready!!

Big Lucky leaped off the couch and fired a shot at us...

Clerow and I ducked....Then we returned his fire...He got hit in the arm and in the side...He tossed his gun up in the air and fell to the ground.....

"ARGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHH....I don't believe it...I've been shottt!" he moaned as he fell to the floor....wounded, but still alive... Clerow kicked his gun far away so he couldn't reach for it...

I looked at him and smiled...

"You're Big Lucky?" I asked.

"Yeah" he moaned...

"Not your day today huh?" I said.

"Hey, what can I say?" he moaned.

James Jeffers grabbed his pistol and ran down the steps only to stare at the big .44 magnum and glock of Kool Kat and Owen Todd!

"Ohhhhh helllllll!!!" he said...

"That's right...Ohhhh hell..I'm in deep doo doo." said Kool Kat.

Owen Todd looked at him....

"Dooo Dooo man? Really?" he said.

Kool Kat shrugged-"I told Chelsea I was gonna stop cussin, what can I say?"

Owen just shook his head and smiled as they unarmed Jeffers and tied him up.

Ruby came to the head of the steps...

"It's okay Ruby....I work for Stephen Bristol....I'm a private detective...He hired me to find you.." I said.

"Oh Thank God....they've had me here for two weeks." she said.

III-

Detective Carlotta Rodriguez, Lt. Sissy Van Buren, Detective Tyriq Pile and ADA Keith Wallace and several uniformed policemen  arrived  at the house.... They took a statement from Ruby Fowler....

In custody was Charles "Big Lucky" Tampon....wounded, but still alive, James Jeffers and Donna "Doll" Biggs...All charged with unlawful imprisonment......Ruby told the police that she had been abducted by Deuce Watkins and Anthony "Tony Tony" Anthony...

"I have a witness who will testify that those two shot and killed "He Man"Jefferson and his driver....Detective Pile....put an APB out for both of them for murder and kidnapping."she said.

"I'm on it Lou" he said.

"Kevin....I don't know how you do it.....but you always get the job done...We got our two murder suspects and you solved a kidnapping that we didn't even know had occurred." said ADA Keith Wallace...

"Yeah and there is more to come." I said and winked as me and my guys quietly left the scene.

IV-

I sat in a coffee shop alone later that night with Eddie "Spaghetti" Collins, my contact...

"Good Work Kevin....Mr. Bristol will be pleased to know that Ms. Fowler has been found safe and sound and that the people responsible are in custody.I am pleased....Supremely pleased" he said.

"Some of the people responsible are in custody.....There is still the matter of Deuce Watkins and Tony Anthony." I said.

"The police will pick those two jokers up soon." he said as we drank coffee..

"What about the man who made the whole thing happen?" I said.

He laughed....

"You mean Cal?   They'll never rat him out...Trust me....The man has a long reach..." he said. "Those guys are too scared of him to ever repeat his name..." said Eddie.

"Really?" I said.

"Yeah....Guys like him don't go to jail.....Hopefully this whole affair will have taught him a good lesson." said Eddie.

"You think he'll stop there? You think he'll just take it?" I said.

"What more can he do? But who cares...I'm just glad that Ruby is alright...I mean Ms. Fowler." said Eddie.

"Yeah, maybe you're right." I said....I suddenly didn't want to give up too much information....Stephen Bristol had taught me that....A good card player didn't show too much....

I was going to wrap this all up.....I was going to play my last hand.

(Conclusion Next)

Mis-Understanding!

Boxer, Harry "He Man" Jefferson's funeral was a virtual who's who....Fathead Newton, Ralph Mole, Roscoe, Cherry Johnson, Gus, Honey Brown,  Clerow, Corabeth, Mabel, 88, Victoria and Deacon Larry Weatherford, Anita Jenkins, Chance Howard, Robert Foxworth, Bonita, Ingrid Rhodes, Downtown Rob Brown, Delores, Reed Nelson, Debbie, Bone Hampton, Ella, Meek Rollins and his girlfriend, Dollar Bill, Ralph Scallion, Minay, Sean Jackson and his wife Sheila, Bernadette, Harry Charles and Cock Robbins and his wife, Vanessa all were seated in the first three rows...

Owen Todd and Kool Kat and Chelsea were seated to the side...along with Paris, Blake, Cherish, Cole and Nicole Butler....Chris Thompson and his ladyfriend, Chess, Rell and their two children, Donald Smooth and his wife brought up the rear....

To my surprise...Deuce Watkins and Anthony "Tony Tony" Anthony were also there...They brought a huge wreath from their boss, Cal Townsend, who was not there....It was good for them that I had not told my associates ,meaning Kool Kat, Clerow or Owen Todd that I thought that these two might be the killers....If I had....Neither Deuce nor Tony Tony would have gotten out of that church alive...!!!!

I was furious that they had the gall to come to the funeral....Sepia was sitting up in front of the church....I went to walk up to the front when Deuce stepped in front of me...

"Hey Kevin...Mind if I call you Kev?" he asked....Tony Tony slipped behind me....

I said nothin...

"I hear  that you're a ....what do they call it...a Private Dick...Heh heh heh.." he said...

Tony Tony laughed...

"Hear you been askin questions and nosin around about things that aint got nothin to do with you." said Tony Tony....

"Do you guys really want to do this, like this...In the church?" I said.

"Feel that in your back? That's my gun....Twitch and I'll pull the trigger and ventilate you...Now lets walk outside." said Tony.

"Lets not." I said.

"What?" said Deuce.

I grabbed his throat and squeezed hard and slammed his head hard into the wall as a few shocked church goers watched.... and gasped! Then I swiftly kicked Tony Tony in his groin....

He let out a yell that sounded like a wounded animal....Then while the crowd was filing in, I brought his hand down hard on the church chairs....so hard that he dropped his gun, I pulled Deuce outside by his collar and punched him several times in his stomach and then clocked him so hard he fell up against the car and slid down on to the curb...Tony Tony had gotten himself together only to come outside and see the business end of my .38 smokeless in his bosses mouth...

"Come closer and I'm gonna blow the back of his head off....just back your little ass up.NOW!" I snapped.

Tony Tony was no fool, he backed up....

I leaned down and looked at Deuce......

"You don't know how long I've wanted to give you what you deserve......Believe me when I tell you...I have no qualms about ending your miserable life right here and right now....but I won't...This is a church....You need to go home and pray...Something foreign to you I know...Thank God that this is a church...That's the ONLY reason the both of you are alive...Now When I take this gun out of your mouth ,I want you both to run as fast as you can....Understand??" I said.

I slapped him in the back of the head...

"Understand?"I said...

They both shook their heads....They looked up and saw Kool Kat running down the steps and they both took off and ran as fast as they could....

"What was that about?" yelled Kool Kat.

"Nothing...Me and the boys had a little misunderstanding that's all...I think it's cleared up now" I said.

Kool Kat produced the .22 that Tony had put in my back...

"Misunderstanding? Basil Robinson told me that you and two dudes got into a tussle in the church." he said.

"Okay Walter...I suspect that those two dudes kidnapped my missing girl.....and I also think they killed He man and his driver." I said.

"WHAT??? Man if you had of told me...." he said.

"I know...I know...that's why I didn't.. but I think my poking around has made them or somebody very nervous..." I said..."And that's good." I said with a smile...I patted him on the back and we went back into the church and attended the funeral service.

II-

Because I knew just who I was dealing with...I called ADA Keith Wallace and Homicide Lt.Sissy Van Buren...
They sent the bomb squad to my office and sure enough....a very powerful bomb had been placed in my office building...in fact, they found three!!!!

I sent them to my house...None were found there, but they had tried to wire both my car and my wife's car with bombs....and unknown to them...I had video footage of the bomber actually breaking into my garage and attempting to wire the cars...

The Police picked up Wally "Petey Boy" Cranston later on that afternoon.... Naturally, he didn't know who actually hired him..It was done over the phone and money was wired to his account!...The wire was traced to an off shore bank account and the owner of the account was a person who didn't seem to exist!
Nice...Cal Townsend was a very careful man! But he wouldn't be able to access that account...It was frozen,pending a criminal investigation.

"Kevin ,do you want me t pick these two clowns up?" asked Sissy...

"No...leave em be...I've got a feeling ,I'll be seeing them again..." I laughed.

III-

At Peeping Tom's house...I got some very interesting information....

"Kev...look at the photo...recognize the two gentlemen in that car?" he said.

"Of course...That's Deuce Watkins and Tony Tony Anthony." I said.

"But that only proves they were at the gas station at the time...Not that they were kidnappers..." said Tom..

"True...but it does place them near her....enough to raise a little suspicion." I said.

Lockpick Johnson walked into the living room.....

"Kev, you gotta listen to this!" he said.

He played the tape recording... It was Cal Townsend...and he was talking to Deuce Watkins-

"Hello Mr. Townsend..."  said Deuce.

"Don't hello me you idiots....Your little play this morning could cause me problems." he snarled.

"Yeah..we underestimated him...but don't worry...when we blow his office building up tomorrow and him and his wife in their cars...you won't have to worry about him no more." said Deuce.

"Oh yeah? Think so huh?  The cops found the bombs and worse...They found the bomber....He's in jail." said Cal Townsend..

"Huh?" said Deuce....

"You two bumbling idiots.....My contact at the police station told me that the cops have a witness who saw you two shoot  Jefferson and his driver...why didn't you take him to a private place, Why shoot him in the street, at night in front of people??" said Cal.

"Whoever it is, they won't talk Mr. Townsend...We either paid off or roughed up everybody in the neighborhood...They too scared to talk.." said Deuce...

"They got a witness..you jackass, Did you hear what I just said??A witness who they are hiding that could possibly lead the cops to you two goofs, who could possibly tie me to a double homicide!!" he said.

"Hey Mr. T....You know me and Tony would never snitch, we stone cold gangstas baby! We soldiers." he said.

"Make sure you don't...Where is the girl, how is she doing?" he asked.

"Fine...we got her holed up at Lucky's Joint on the top floor...She's been wined and dined....All that good food you had going through there....She's been taken care of real good.." said Deuce...

"Good...Any word on Bristol?" he asked.

"Nah...we still huntin...He aint been seen...You shook him...He fled town." said Deuce....

"Don't be so sure...just keep lookin." said  Cal Townsend.

I looked at Peeping Tom and Lockpick Johnson...

"We got him.!!!.We got all three of them....They killed He Man Jefferson.."I said.

"What about your girl?" asked Tom...

"I gotta find out who this "Lucky" Person is and find him and his joint.

"Always somethin huh Kev?" said Lockpick Johnson...

"Yeah man...always." I laughed.

IV-

I met Detective Carlotta Rodriguez that afternoon for drinks at Josies....

"Heard that you had a little tussle at the church with some people of interest." she laughed.

"Yeah..Deuce Watkins and Tony Anthony." I said.

"They're our prime suspects in the Jefferson -Sanders double homicide..Oh and we pulled Deuce Watkins prints off of that phone booth, but you know that all that proves is that he used the booth,doesn't say when he called." she said.

''Yeah,I know.... but I'm putting little pieces together...Hopefully enough to make it all fit together." I said.

"Your theory is that Cal Townsend asked He Man Jefferson to take a dive right?" she said.

"Yes...That's why he had so much money down on Canvas Brown...Only for some reason,pride, vanity or whatever...Jefferson didn't take the dive, which caused Cal Townsend to lose a lot of cash and mucho embarrassment..."I said.

"So then he dispatched Deuce and Tony Tony to take him out." she said.

"That's my theory." I said.

"Where does your missing woman come in?" she asked.

"You gotta understand this guy,Cal Townsend...He doesn't like to lose at anything...She spurned him for my client." I said.

"And he kidnapped her?? To prove what??" asked Carlotta.

"That he's not going to take no for an answer and that all they had was a little misunderstanding...He's a sick bird chica!" I said and smiled.

"Hmmm, this guy really knows how to treat a lady and Oh...I'm Chica now?" she laughed.....That was a nickname that Sissy had for her!

"Tell Keith and Sissy to hang tight....I got enough to bag not only them for that murder, but a kidnapping too and their boss, the gambler, Cal Townsend..." I said.

"Really?" she said.

"Really....Give me twenty four hours and you guys will be cracking your biggest case yet." I said.

"I really shouldn't be talking to you about what you do." she laughed...

I looked hurt for a minute...Then I busted out laughing...

Carlotta busted out laughing too....

It was just about to get real!

To Be Continued!

A Girl To Find!

Like most places in Stephen Bristol's world....This lounge was very tony, very sophisticated and very expensive... I dressed for the occassion...I had on one of my newer suits....Tailored to perfection...Picked out for me by Kool Kat's tailor.....Speaking of Which...The Big man was sitting outside in an unmarked car with Clerow at the wheel....Owen Todd...the only other African -American in the lounge was seated rows away from me, drinking , but keeping an eye on me....

I sat alone and waited patiently for Eddie "Eddie Spaghetti"  Collins...a low level playa who sold his skills to the highest bidder at the time...Now he was working for the gambler, Stephen Bristol...

He was a tall ,slender, brown skinned man, about my age, who dressed immaculately and had a freshly cut haircut and smelled great...He arrived on time with a briefcase that made him appear to be an attorney....

"Ahhh ,Kevin Morris? Mr. Bristol speaks highly of you...." he said.

"And you are Eddie Collins?" I said.

"That would be me?  You drinkin?" he asked...

"A mint mojito for me." I said.

"Fine...I'll have the same." he said to the shapely young waitress who took our order...

"This is the information you'll be needing...Photographs, credit card numbers, debit card number, home address, home phone number....Make of car, car's vin number and drivers license number.  I do hope she's okay...I'd just die if something were to happen to her...I mean...I'd feel bad for Mr. Bristol" he said.

I smiled....I gave him the side eye...

''Wow, you are thorough Mr. Collins....Usually, I have to dig this kind of information up myself and it takes awhile." I laughed...

"Mr. Bristol is thorough, not I....I guess it's a habit....He likes information...He met Ruby Fowler at a horse race....She was sitting alone at a bar....He began a conversation with her...She seemed to perk up and enjoy his conversation...He had no idea that Cal Townsend had attempted to talk to her just an hour before and had been rebuffed..." said Eddie.

"So wait a minute...This whole thing is a pissing contest between two men over a woman?" I asked incredulous!

"Look Kev...Can I call you Kev?" he said as our drinks arrived.

"Sure..." I said.

"I'm like you, I don't understand it...but these two men bet on everything....Neither man likes to lose at anything...and yet ,neither man really has her...If only they knew." he said.

''They're black....We are born losing. What did you mean  by ,if they only knew?" I said.

Eddie smiled and shrugged his shoulders....

"Oh....uh nothing. They began competing for Ms. Fowler's affections in the coming weeks...Calling, sending flowers, dinner, dancing, horse racing....It appears Mr. Bristol won out...She explained to Cal that she thought she'd like to pursue a relationship with Mr. Bristol....and well, that didn't set right with Cal Townsend....In the weeks leading up to her disapearence she told us that she felt she was being followed and that she got threatening calls from someone unknown who kept breathing hard..." he said.

"Bottom line, you don't think she's dead do you?" I asked.

"No..Nooooooo...I think Cal is keeping her somewhere....It's just finding out where and getting her to safety that's all..." he said.

"Well, I'll do what I can." I said.

"Thanks..." he said...and we sat there and continued to drink for another half hour.

II-

First thing I did was have Sean Jackson and Owen Todd watch Cal Townsend...They followed him, they found where he lived and where his office of operations was and they also found out where he liked to eat and hold court....

Quietly, Peeping Tom, Lockpick Johnson, Sean Jackson and myself broke into his condo...both of them and wired them for sound and video.....Then we got his office and we got his bistro of choice...I wanted to hear everything this man said and know everybody who came his way....

With Clerow by my side, I questioned up to 62 people who knew or was acquainted with Ruby Fowler to try and paint a picture of her last two weeks....Most of these people seemed afraid and did not want to say much....I visited them a second time with Kool Kat and at least some of them were a little more co-operative!

I managed to get videotape of her going in stores and gas stations during that last week she was seen....In one film, I pulled up a shadowy vision of two men just sitting in a car staring at her...I took the video to Peeping Tom and Lockpick Johnson...He said he might be able to enlarge the video and get a clear vision of the two mystery men...I had a hunch who they might be...

Next, I checked her bank, debit card and credit card records...All activity seemed to stop on the night she went missing...No activity after that! I checked her phone....Same thing, both landline and cell phone...But I did pull a mysterious number from her phone that kept coming up several times in the past month that didn't seem to belong to any of the players in this drama.... I found out that it came from a rare payphone just a block from where Cal Townsend ate and drank....and held court...

I called ADA Keith Wallace and Homicide Lt. Sissy Van Buren....I needed a favor...a king sized favor...

Of course I told them that I was looking for a missing woman and that Cal Townsend might be a suspect and that he might have thrown that fight which was why "He Man" Jefferson and his associate had been shot...

"We are on the same page Kevin...We have one witness who claims she saw two men walk by that car and pump bullets into it...but she's scared to death right now...." said Sissy Van Buren...

"Yeah....same guys might be my kidnappers....I need a fingerprint unit to dust this phone booth for me." I said.

"Okay....but Cal Townsend has never even been arrested...we don't have his prints." said Keith Wallace...

"No problem....I can get those for you...and I may have something else soon." I said.

"Okay Kevin...but be careful and listen.....Knowing your quasi legal methods as I do...We can't talk in an official capacity on this one too often..." said Sissy...

"Yeah ,I know...this is real high profile....but I know you want your killers as bad as I want to find my client's missing woman...anyway we can help each other can't be bad." I said.

"No never." said Sissy.

''You think He man Jefferson will recover from his wounds?" I asked.

"The doctor says that if he does recover, he'll be paralyzed from the neck down and wont be able to talk." said Sissy.

"Man....He's the only witness to the shooting that might talk." I said.

"Kev...I'm sending some guys down there to dust your phone booth....Detective Rodriguez will be in contact." said ADA Keith Wallace...

"Thanks guys." I said.

III-

Later on , at home with Sepia.....We were in the living room laughing and talking..relaxing, talking about our day...

"Seems like when you do take time off from the job, you're out saving the world." she laughed.

"Yeah don't it? Just be careful....keep your purse with you and keep a good watch on your car....be observant of everybody around you." I said...

"I know, I know...I always am." she said....sounding a bit like a child.

I constantly checked the alarm system that Lockpick Johnson installed and the micro-video cameras installed through out the house...and the monitors....I wanted no chance of anyone sneaking up on us..That had happened once before...Two creeps had actually gotten inside of the house and surprised us...That was not going to ever happen again...

The phone rang.....Sepia got up and went to get it...I watched her as she walked to get it and smiled..She looked back and smiled slyly at me...

The expression on her face changed dramatically !!!! I knew the call was bad!!

"What?" I said.

"That was Robert Foxworth...."He Man Jefferson just died!" she said.

(TO BE CONTINUED......)

Sucker's Bet

A boxing match and a rare night that me and most of my friends were anywhere but Josie's ,listening to some good music, drinking beers and laughing and talking....even Gus, who owned Josies was at this fight tonight...

"I know this isn't your cup of tea Sepia, but I'm glad you came out tonight." I said to my wife...

"That's okay...I expect you to go to the new Tyler Perry movie when it comes out to return the favor." she said with a devilish look in her eyes...

I said nothing....Clerow, who was sitting next to us with his wife, Corabeth just smiled....

"Forget it Sepia, you know guys don't play fair." laughed Bonita, my wife's business partner and the wife of my friend, Robert Foxworth, the attorney who was sitting on the other side of us...

Below us was Walter "Kool Kat" Jones and his girlfriend, Chelsea....Chess and his wife, Rell, Chris Thompson and his lady friend, Donald Smooth and his wife, Sean Jackson and his wife, Sheila and Harry Charles and his wife, Bernadette....

I looked across from us and I saw, Meek Rollins, Bone Hampton, Downtown Rob Brown and Delores, Reed Nelson and Debbie, "88" and Mabel Jenkins, his new bride and even gangster, Fathead Newton.....

Paris, Blake, Cherish, Chance Howard ,Cole and Nicole Butler sat in the row with Cock Robbins and his wife and Ralph Scallion and Minay were seated together , a row below them...

The reason for this all star gala was that ,Boxer, Harry "He Man" Jefferson.....29 wins, 1 loss and 1 draw, a neighborhod hero was boxing , Gerald "Canvas" Brown...3 wins, 28 losses and 16 draws tonight...Harry had grown up in the neighborhood and was just one win from getting a title bout...This fight against this nobody was just a formality..a tune up fight....

Yet!!  Canvas Brown was winning the fight, beating the crap out of Harry....I couldn't believe it....and neither could Kool Kat!

The big man pulled me to the side....

"Man...something is  fishy as hell about this." he said.

I just laughed....

"Maybe he took this guy for granted Kools and didn't train....It's been known to happen." I said.

"My neck!!! Come on Kev....He's losing to a bum....Your wife could probably beat Canvas Brown...I happen to know for a fact that a lot of money is on Canvas Brown tonight...Money that shouldn't be on him...Money that makes no sense." said Kool Kat.

"Oh you do...You know this for a fact?" I said.

"Yeah,I do...Well, of course it's nothin I could take to court....It's just that the streets are talkin...You know?" he shrugged...

"The streets are talkin huh? What do they say?"  I asked...

"There's a lot of money on this fight Kev....I saw Steven Bristol in here and I saw another high roller and connected playa in her...Cal Townsend....When that guy is around...you can bet that there  is some monkey business goin on." said Kool Kat.

"You got money on this fight big man?" I asked.

"Yeah, 25 G's..." he said.

"I told you about gamblin..." I said.

"Yeah I know, but this was a sucker's bet." he said.

"Hmmmm, guess who the sucker might be?" I said....

We walked back to our seats with Hot Dogs, Soda, Beer and Nachos for everyone around us...

''He Man" was taking a pounding.....He went crashing to the floor....The crowd moaned...Then unexplainedly, he got up...Made the count and went to work....In one round, he took Canvas Brown apart like a surgeon and before anyone knew what was up, Canvas Brown, true to his name, hit the canvas and got counted out!

Everyone went beserk!

I looked at Kool Kat....

"Happy now playa?" I asked as he grinned and hugged Chelsea and everyone around him.....

"YEAH BABY!  25G's happier!" he screamed.......

Gus hugged Harry Jefferson exubertantly....

"You had us worried for a minute boy..." he said.

For someone who had just won a fight...He didn't look too happy....

I looked around the crowd and I saw gambler, Calvin Townsend...He looked enraged....Standing next to him was two very,very bad charactors, Deuce Watkins and Anthony "Tony-"Tony" Anthony...collectively known as "The Merchants of Death"  It was said that if either Deuce Watkins or "Tony-Tony" had a contract on you, you might as well kill yourself....because sooner or later, they'd get you... Or so I'd heard...I never thought much of either one of them and relished the day I'd get to tangle with them both and bring them both to justice...It's just that our paths had never crossed in all of these years...I secretly wondered why they were with Cal Townsend...a gambler and respected ,by some anyway...businessman... They stared daggers "He Man " Jefferson...He showered and dressed quickly and he and a friend, got in a car parked out back and pulled off... I noticed the entire thing...I said nothing......

Most of us ,all went back to Josies to celebrate and get our drink on!

II-

A few days after the fight, I was in a tony bistro, enjoying some pasta when the gambler ,Steven Bristol just happened to see me and walked over to my table...

"Mr. Morris, Mr. Kevin Morris, you never cease to amaze me with your tastes as well as your abilities." he said.

Stephen Bristol was a well dressed Black man about my age who was very sophisticated, very educated and loaded with money...He was a gambler, a high stakes gambler who never bet on anything he didn't already know the outcome of...He employed a network of people who gave him information, all kinds of information...He was one of the wealthiest guys in Philadelphia....He was also a shady charactor of sorts...once an enemy of mine, now a friend who had once saved my life and who had helped me crack a very serious case once....I found him amusing if nothing else.

"So what's new with you Bristol? I hear you made a killing the other night on that fight." I said and continued eating.

"Uh...errr...yes, I did....to the tune of one million dollars.....Which is why I'm here...I need your help...I think I may be in a little bit of trouble." he said.

"Oh? What's the matter, the person you bet doesn't want to pay up?" I joked.

"On the contrary...he has paid up." he said.

"Then what's the problem?" I asked.

"Ever hear of Cal Townsend?" he asked...

"Yeah...he kind of reminds me of........uh...YOU!" I laughed.

"He,like I am a high stake gambler...one who enjoys a friendly wager....."said Steven Bristol..

"So let me finish this here....He bet on Canvas Brown and got you...you who always get good information to bet on He Man Jefferson right?" I asked.

"Exactly....I like you and everybody knows Harold Jefferson...Hell, he's been boxing around here for years...but I did my research and nothing about Canvas Brown made me think he could beat Jefferson..." said Bristol...

"You and nobody else thought that...You didn't need to do any research there." I laughed as I finished my pasta and signaled for the bill.

"That's right...So after I made the bet, I wondered why he , Cal Townsend would take a sucker's bet like that....UNLESS..." said Bristol.

"Unless he was certain of the outcome!!" I said.

"That's what I like about you Mr. Morris, you're very bright." said Bristol.

"But Jefferson won.....so again, I ask you...what is the problem?" I asked.

"He wasn't supposed to win...I'm certain of that...Jefferson was supposed to throw that fight....Cal Townsend was so sure of it...I know it...I know him...and when Jefferson didn't...Townsend and his people took a financial bath...He didn't just have to pay me...He had to pay close to ten high rollers...Including Atlantic City playas....He's not going to take that lying down...In fact,I don't think he has." said Bristol.

"You think Jefferson is in danger?" I asked.

"I do, but it's not him I'm concerned about....I have no dealings with him." he said.

"Then who is it you're concerned about?" I asked.

"A young lady . A young lady of whom I've recently been acquainted and become quite fond of...a Ms.Ruby Fowler has vanished...and I'd like you to find her...I just want to know that she is alright.... Here, tomorrow, call this number...My associate, Eddie "Spaghetti" Collins will give you all the pertinent information you need..Photographs, phone number, address,credit and debit card numbers....and make of car...." he said.

"Wow, you did most of my job for me....I usually have to find out that stuff." I said.

"I fear that my life is also in danger.....I'm going to leave town for a few days.....If you need me, you can contact me at this number...Naturally,I can't reveal my whereabouts to you...but my man, Eddie Collins will be our go between." he said.

"Okay." I said.

Stephen Bristol smiled and passed me an envelope....It had 200G's in it....My eyes got wide....

"This is serious isn't it?" I said.

"Yes...Very serious...You find Ruby and I'll pay you the rest." he said...

The waiter came with my bill....I went in my pocket, but Stephen Bristol held the palm of his hands up...

"I'm paying for your food Mr. Morris." he said.

"Okay....wow, thanks!" I said.

"Just find her Kevin...She means a lot to me." he said.

III-

I was driving home when I saw police cars around an area and a crowd of people mulling around in the streets....some of the women were crying.....The window of a 2013 Bently had been shot out!...I recognized that Bently...I pulled over and got out of my car.... I saw Homicide Lt. Sissy Van Buren.

"Well hello Kevin....Why did I know I'd see you here?" she said.

"I was on my way home...What happened?" I asked...

"You haven't heard?" she asked.

"Heard what?" I asked...

"The Boxer, Harry "He Man " Jefferson and his driver were both shot in the head while sitting in that Bently.... The driver was dead at the scene....Jefferson is in serious condition and has been sent to the hospital..."

Detective Carlotta Rodriguez, Detective Tyriq Pile , who I had just met and Assistant District Attorney Keith Wallace walked over to me..

"Wow Kevin....We gotta bad one here." said Carlotta....

"Yeah,I see.." I said.

"Hey Kev."said Detective Tyriq Pile...

"Hey man, how you doin.?" I said.

"Anybody see or hear anything?" I asked.

''In this neighborhood?? If they did, they're not going to tell." he said.

Assistant District Attorney Keith Wallace walked over...He and I had worked on a case a few years ago...We knew each other well..

''Hey Kevin....Look..I know you're busy with your business and all, but you can talk to people who won't talk to us...If you hear anything, could you give us a hand? We got a bad one here?" he said.

"That goes without saying." I said.

"Maybe when Jefferson comes to he can tell us who shot him." I said.

"Comes to? I don't hold out any hope of that...He 's been hit bad...I don't know if he'll make it through the night." said Keith Wallace...

"Damn." I said.

I looked in the crowd...and boldly standing amongst the people was Deuce Watkins and Tony Tony.....Emotionless, just staring....I was certain that these two were involved somehow....and if I found out that they were...I was personally going to take them down.....but right now...I had other business...I had a girl to find..

(Definitely to be continued....)

Eddie C. Delivers!

The man known as Eddie C. walked into the precinct with two young ladies...They looked to be about 16 or 17 years old.... They were identified as two of the at risk teenagers that he worked with at the neighborhood outreach center.   I thought he would be bringing young men to talk with us....

Sissy,Detective Baylor and Detective Pile and I sat in a room slightly above the interview room with a two way mirror observing... Sissy said to me...

"I expected that he was going to bring a guy, but just as well...We all know that girls know all of the business in the community anyway..." she joked...

I laughed....I agreed...Carlotta..I mean Detective Rodriguez sat in the interview room awaiting them...I watched Sissy as Eddie C. walked in...He was tall, about six foot fall, well dressed and he carried himself with that hipster confidence an cockiness...Much like Chris Thompson and Basil Robinson  still did, despite the fact that their lives were now so very different....They still maintained their swag as the kids would say.

It wasn't lost on Sissy...She was completely engaged in his movemants...

''Hello Detective Rodriguez? is it?" said Eddie C.

"Yes." said Carlotta...

"This here is Ceceilia Weldon." he said pointing to the first girl.

"My friends call me CeCe" she said.

''And this is Josie Bottoms." he said pointing to the other girl who wasn't as forthcoming...She just said-

"Yo!"

"Alright girls...now telll the detective what you told me." he said.

"Ok...well..My girlfriend Dee had been goin out with Tray for the past six months and well that kind of didn't sit right with Fruit Loops...being ,he's Dee's baby's daddy and all." said CeCe...

"Yeah...I told Fruit Loops to let that go....See...Me and him was kickin it for a minute, but I had to cut that whipped nigga loose...All he talked about was Dee and how he couldn't believe she was seein that weak nigga named Tray...and how he didn't want Tray near his daughter." said Josie...

"So they were rivals right?" asked Carlotta.

"Well kinda...Tray was tryin to make a move on George Bailey and Fruit had his own established corners..He was kinda neutral...trying to see who would win between them two....He did business with George Bailey though...George supplied him with half of his stash..so they was cool, but he aint have no love for Tray." added Cece...

"Fruit wanted to get back with Dee, but she wasn't tryin to hear nothin he had to say...And she had stopped lettin him see his daughter because he hadn't gave up no child support." added Josie.

"Dee told you this?" asked Carlotta..

"Naw , Fruit told me...All he talked about was Dee and how much he hated Tray...When he found out Dee was pregnant with Tray's child he hit the ceiling." said Josie.

"Did he ever say he wanted bodily harm to come to Tray?"asked Carlotta...

Josie looked at Eddie C. , then laughed.

"Bodily harm? Hell, he said he was gonna kill him." said Josie.

"You heard him say that?" asked Carlotta...

''Ohhhhh many times...That's all he talked about...If George Bailey didn't get him, he said he would."said Josie ,who was suddenly very talkative.

"Dee was afraid of Fruit, she knew how his temper was and she told Fruit to lay low...She didn't want Tray to know she was pregnant, but then she started showing and the word got around.." said CeCe...

"Neither of you actually saw him shoot Tray did you?" asked Carlotta...

"No...but we know somebody who did." said CeCe....

''Who?" asked Carlotta...

"Junior Barnes...He drove Fruit around a lot....If anybody know..He would...He's Fruit's right hand man." said Josie.

"You know where he lays his head?" asked Carlotta...

"I do." said Josie...

"Good , write it down for us..." she said.

"Hey look....we wasn't here right?." said CeCe..

"Nobody knows you girls are here...as far as anybody knows...I took you to the church for your AA meetings." said Eddie C. gently...

Carlotta looked up at us.....Sissy looked at Detectives Pile and Baylor.....and said simply-

''Pick him up."

She then looked down at Eddie C. and smiled from ear to ear...

II-

I rode with Detective Tyriq Pile and Detective Edwin "Duke"Baylor and three uniformed policemen, all armed with riot pump shotguns...I wondered who they thought they were arresting...John Dillinger??? But considering how volatile the streets could get...I understood...

They pulled Junior Barnes off a street corner just as he was propositioning a young prostitute!... As you can imagine...He wasn't too happy and he wasn't forthcoming with any information either..

"I aint tellin you cops nothing..." he said.

"We haven't asked you anything." I said.

"Who the hell are you?" he snarled.

"I'm Keith Wallace, Assistant District Attorney -Homicide/Major Crimes and Special Victims Units." I said.

"I aint impressed." he said.

"You have an impressive rap sheet Junior...Three arrests for drugs, a couple for weapons, group home,youth study center, two stints in the state penn....and now we've found a substantial amount of weed on you and you might be an accessory in a homicide..You know ,if you get convicted again...You could go up for life under the habitual criminal law." I said.

Junior got very quiet then... The three of us hauled him into the interview room and he saw Lt.Sissy Van Buren and Detective Carlotta Rodriguez waiting for him...Eddie C. was also with them..

"Eddie, what you doin here man?" he said upon seeing him...

"Trying to help you out playa.." he said.

"How you helpin me out man???....Did you rat me out to the po-po?" he said.

"No, not me...but the streets is talkin bruh..Streets say you and Fruit Loops was tight...Streets say you was with him when he popped Tray last week." he said.

"Aww so it's like that huh....You a sellout nigga huh, workin with the cops now...after all the crap YOU did in the street?" snarled Junior.

"Junior....I been in the joint...and you have too...but see, you was just in county...I was in the big house...You ready for that?? I don't think you are.They got enough on you to put you away for a long time...Is that what you want man?? Life in prison for something you didn't do?? Somethin you don't care about..??? I have tried to talk to you and George Bailey and Tray for years and yall have never listened...You just kill each other,day in and day out and for what? a couple of corners?  So your names will ring out on the street, for a few bucks....chump change...I made more money than the three of you knuckleheads combined when I was in the game and I aint kill nobody...I just made my money and kept my nose clean." said Eddie C.

"Yeah, but one day you got knocked." he said.

"Yup..I sure did....and those was the worse three years of my life...You know...you did six at county...You feel like doing life in the real joint?" said Eddie C.

Junior got quiet.....

He looked at Sissy and Carlotta...

"I told Fruit to calm down, to forget about that babe...I say Fruit baby,all these hoes out here...Uh...sorry,I mean all these women out here...forget her and forget Tray....but he wouldn't listen....He saw Tray ...a few nights after Bennie bought it in that shootout and he walked up to him and shot him right in the head and dropped the gun in the sewer right on the corner man....I couldn't believe it.At least seven or eight people was out there on that corner....Everybody just ran." he said....

"Can you testify to that?" asked Sissy...

"Yeah...but you gotta keep me away from him...His people.." he said.

"You got any relatives out of state?" asked Carlotta...

"In South Carolina..." he said.

"Call em....That's where you're going until trial and that's where you'll make a new life for yourself." said Sissy.

Eddie C. looked at him...

"Anything beats bein dead or in prison for the rest of your life young buck." said Eddie C.

Sissy looked at Carlotta....

"Looks like we're up Chica....Let's go get him!" she said.

III-

Aaron "Fruit Loops" Fullerton was arrested by Lt. Sissy Van Buren, Detective Carlotta Rodriguez and members of the fugitive squad about a week later...He had heard that we had arrested Junior Barnes and probably saw the writing on the wall....

Junior Barnes testified against him in court , along with four other people we found who witnessed the killing. We found the murder weapon in the sewer where Junior told us it was deposited.  We got lucky on that. Aaron "Fruit Loops" Fullerton was convicted of the first degree murder of Trayvon Jones and sentenced to 25 years to Life in prison.... Within weeks, The Narcotics Detectives picked up all 12 members of his crew and what was left of George Bailey's old crew...They were charged with numerous drug and weapons possessions counts!

 


EPILOUGE:

Sometime later, we celebrated in Josie's of course....Me and Carlotta in one booth and Sissy and Eddie C. in the other...

I hadn't seen Sissy look this happy in awhile...

"I'm happy for boss lady...she needs someone in her life...." said Carlotta...

"Yeah, I was afraid she was becoming married to her job.." I said.

"Eddie C. came through for us....He got those kids to talk to us and we caught a killer and pretty much wrapped up two dangerous drug crews.." said Carlotta..

"Yeah and the narcotics boys did a good job rounding up the rest....It's going to be quiet around here now." I said.

"For awhile....but you know ,like I know...that somebody else will rise up eventually."said Carlotta...

"Yeah I know...nature of the beast." I said..."That's the game."

Sissy and Eddie got up, they waved to us as they walked out of Josies..They were holding hands....

"Well, I guess we were wrong about Eddie C.  He delivered and now I suppose he's going to get his reward." I laughed.

Carlotta punched me on the arm...

"Shame on you Keith....This is their first date....I doubt seriously if he and boss lady are going to do anything tonight." she said.

"You do huh?" I said.

"I do..." she said.

"Well, who knows...You may be right....But can I get my reward?" I asked.

"Your reward? For what? You didn't do anything."joked Carlotta.

''Are you kidding,I successfully prosecuted all of those cases." I laughed.

"Oh well, I suppose you did.....I suppose I could pack an overnite bag..." she said.

"Or...I could visit your spot...I've only been there once." I said.

"Okay...but don't you have to stop and get some clothes...? she asked.

"I don't plan to be wearing any...Do you?" I joked...

"Ohhhh, you are impossible." she said, then looked at me and laughed....

For L.