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....)