Bloodstone

It was a Thursday night...My wife, Sepia and I had joined our friends, Robert Foxworth and his wife, Bonita, Sean Jackson and his wife, Sheila, Harry Charles and his wife Bernadette and our new friend, Bridget Jones and newlyweds, Bernard "B-Flat" Brown and his wife, Honey Brown, just back from their honeymoon...

We were drinking beers and eating oysters at the oyster house that Attorney Robert Foxworth is so entranced with...Sepia,Bonita,Sheila,Bernadette and Bridget were all admiring the huge rock on Honey Brown's finger that B. had given her when they got married.. Honey was all smiles as the women gushed over her wedding bands..  ''I is a married lady nowww." she said with a fake southern accent that made me and Robert nearly spit our beers out laughing...Honey, who had a great sense of humor laughed too...

"Girl, that rock is fierce... B. really loves you...I mean reallly loves you." laughed my wife Sepia...Who was joined in the laughter by Sheila, Bonita, Bernadette and Bridget...

I patted B-Flat on the back....As Robert Foxworth and Sean Jackson looked on...

"I'm proud of you B.  You come a long way in a short time...Got your girl, got a gig, got a house and a car..I'm proud of you man." I said.

"Thanks Kev...You clearing my name is what got the ball rollin...Gus made Honey the general manager of Josies...No more serving drinks...My baby is on the money now...She always did do Gus's figures for him and help with the hiring...now she'll have the title and some extra bread to go with it." said B.Flat..

"Mannn, that's great B.. And you're in Symphony Sam's house band...You got steady dough too..Man, That's great." I said.

"Here, here...The next round of Brewskis is on me." said Sean Jackson..

'I'll drink to that!" said a slightly boozy Harry Charles.

"I think you've had enough brewskis.." laughed Robert Foxworth....

All of our attention was diverted by the magnificant red light coming from a young lady who was wearing a huge red ruby....She had had a hole cut into the stone and had a gold chain holding it around her neck...It looked a bit tacky that way, but the light coming from that stone was magnficant...

We all turned and looked as the young lady walked by and took a seat a few tables away from us...She looked like she was waiting for somebody...She ordered a beer and some oysters...

"Now that's a rock!" said Harry Charles..

"You aint kiddin" I said.

II-

We continued to drink and slurp oysters, laugh and talk amongst ourselves when I saw two guys who definitely did not belong in this place... Frankie Gillette, a low level hood from the neighborhood and his enforcer, Smiley, a mute who was good with a gun... If these two goons were here, you can bet they were up to no good..

The young lady with the blinding red ruby necklace saw those two and immediately got up and began moving towards the back of the establishment.. They began moving slowly at first and then faster...

"Uhh excuse me everyone...I'll be right back." I said.

"Everything alright?" asked my wife Sepia..

"Uhh yeah." I said and hurried to the back of the establishment...

The girl ran with Frank Gillette and Smiley in hot pursuit...they bolted out the back door.... Frank Gillette grabbed her arm...

"Let me go...Let me goooo." she screamed...

"Nah Ruby, hand over that rock!" he said.

"Noooooo..it's not yours.." she screamed..

"Quiet your mouth before I slap your teeth out." he said.

"Frankieeeee....Frankieee....is that anyway to treat a lady?" I said.

They all turned around...

"There you go Kevin, caring when it aint your turn or your business." he said.  "Smiley take care of my light work" he continued...

Smiley lunged at me and swung a haymaker...He was a good sized guy and from what I heard, a pretty tough customer.. I ducked...He swung again...I ducked, slipped under his punch and landed an uppercut that sent smiley into a row of trash cans and on to the sidewalk.....Before Frank Gillette could go for his gun...I had my .38 smokeless just inches from his nose...

"Uh Uh Uhhhh...wouldn't try that Frankie....Now let the young lady go." I said.

He was no fool, He released her....

"Thank you, whoever you are." she said and ran off into the night...

Smiley got up off of the ground...Frankie grimaced...

"You've only delayed the inevitable...She can't get far....And then, I'm gonna come back and settle up with you." he said.

"I'll be looking forward to that day Frankie." I said.

Frankie and Smiley gathered themselves and walked off into the night... I turned to walk back inside and there was Sepia standing in the doorway...She had a smirk on her face...

"Look at you, the gallant knight in shining armour.." she said.She had her .22 out...she put it back in her pocketbook.

"That's what I do." I said.

"I saw those two goons come in...and I saw them chase that girl with that ruby necklace...I knew you were going to get mixed up in this...and since Clerow, Owen and Walter aren't here...I figured you might need a little back up." she said with a smile...

I looked at her and smiled...

"Awww my little back up with the .22" I said..We both laughed and rejoined the others...

III-

The next day, Friday morning...I was at work in my new building...The Media Arts Center, where my magazines, newspapers, blogs and website were published and my radio station was housed...It was 12:00 noon and I was about to call it a day when Harry Charles came down the hall with a white man and two black  men...

"Kev, this is  Karl Tanner and Lewis and Lloyd Atkins..They would like to speak to you." he said.

"Okay guys..let's walk into my office." I said.

The Atkins Brothers I knew...Lewis owned a jewelry store...a very successful and tony jewelry store...I don't know what his younger brother,Lloyd did for a living, but they both drove nice cars and dressed to the nines... The White man, Karl Tanner was a mystery.

"Kevin Morris..I'm Karl Tanner....I work at the Philadelphia Art Museum.. The Atkins Brothers recently came into the possession of a rare rare ruby... It was stolen from the museum .Here ,I have a photo of it." he said.

I looked at the photo and was astounded....It was the exact same ruby the young lady was wearing around her neck last night...!!!! I'd never forget that ruby..

"Anyway Mr. Morris....I know that you're a private investigator...and I'm hiring you to locate it and return it to me...Here is an envelope...That is a down payment that should cover your expenses as well. I would rather not involve the police in a matter such as this...Your confidentiallity would be much appreciated." he said.

I counted the money, it was more of a down payment than most of my clients gave me....How could I tell him no?

''Deal.."  was all I would say...."When was it stolen?" I asked.

"The day before yesterday." said Tanner.

I wondered if one of these three had hired Frank Gillette and Smiley to find the rock also? Maybe that is what I had interrupted!!

"Thanks Kev, I knew we could depend on you." said Lewis Atkins, who also shook my hand... Lloyd said nothing.

IV-

 

Later that afternoon, Sepia and I sat in a bathtub of hot soapy water, kissing passionately and taking sips of  champaigne...

"Guess what?" I said between kisses..

"You got a case?" she asked.

"Yeah...remember that Red Ruby that girl had on last night?" I asked.

"How could I forget it?" she said with a smile....

"Well I've been hired to find it and return it..." I said.

"Makin money, makin money..." laughed Sepia...as I leaned over and kissed her...

"Let's get out of this tub and make some sweet honey." I said in a husky voice...

"Ouuuu, I love it when you talk sweet like that." she laughed....

(To Be Continued...)