The Water Tower

I put my arm around Bridget Jones and held her as she viewed the badly burned and damaged remains of her father, known to the underworld as "Frankie Cash"....real name...Franklin John Cashew...a major narcotics supplier...

Lt. Sissy Van Buren walked over to us....

"I'm so sorry for your loss Bridget...and when you feel up to it..I'd like to ask you some questions." she said.

Bridget was a tough chick..She didn't cry or wimper...She just stared as what was left of her father's remains and remained emotionless...

Doc Gibbons, the coroner pulled me and Sissy to the side and spoke to us...

"He was dead before that fire was set...I pulled two slugs...from a twenty two from the back of his head...and one out of his back...I'm sendin em through ballistics now to see if they match one of the two guns Carlotta took off of that guy, Tuck that she brought in a few days ago...One of his guns already matches the slugs taken out of that James Tabor fella..." he said.

Bridget had heard some of what was being said...She walked over to me...

''They have the man who killed my father in custody?" she asked.

"They might.....but he's just the guy who pulled the trigger...I want the clown that makes the dirt happen...Tell me all you know about Cord...Where does he lay his head? Where does he stay?" I said.

"He has a townhouse....I can tell you where that is...But by now...he's gone from there." she said.

"Any girlfriends?" I asked..

"Girlfriends??? Hahahahahahahahahahaahahaha." she laughed.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

"David don't swing that way...He mostly keeps his private life a secret....you know to preserve his street rep, but my father used to always say that David was a little light in the loafers." she said...It was the only time she had had anything close to a smile on her face.

Sepia and Bonita were sitting out in the hallway...I escorted Bridget out...

"Go talk to Lt. Van Buren...Then Clerow wil drive the three of you back to the house." I said.

II-

"What's the word Big Man? " I said as  I greeted Kool Kat out on the block..

"I been talking to Roscoe and Ralph Mole....New York is definitely done with David Cord...They're angry that he hit their point man, Frankie Cash....and double angry that he ruined the entire operation...Buyers are going elsewhere for connects....They got to....The area is dry...and I mean dry....I doubt that he will be venturing to New York for a broadway show anytime soon, you know what I'm saying?" laughed Kool Kat.

I laughed ruefully....

"Got an eyeball on where Cord might be?" I asked.

"I know where his townhouse is, if that's what you mean?" laughed Kool Kat...."He's got a bounty on your head man....Carlo Tucker is goin around saying that if he don't get to you first....He's going to start spreadin around some cash to the first playa that do...." said Kool Kat.

"Oh really?  I imagine Mr. Tucker might be easier to find eh?" I laughed...

"Oh yeah...He spends his nights at one of Big Chicken's joints..."laughed Kool Kat...

"Let's take him...He'll lead Cord to us." I said.

"Say what?" laughed Kool Kat....

"You heard me..." I said as I headed for the Big man's Escalade...

"Love a man wit a plan."laughed Kool Kat.

III-

"What's the matter man?" asked Kool Kat as we stood outside the apartment complex...

"I've been here before...Another case...another time."I said looking around...

"Yeahh, you probably have...They just add up don't they? These cases." he asked..

''Yeah...Cock Robbins wanted to write a film treatment up on my first caper, make a movie out of it...I laughed in his face." I said.

"Mannn, he might have been on to something...Your cases would make a decent TV series....I know I'd watch." laughed Kool Kat...

Just then... a car drove up... Carlos Tucker got out...He opened the door on the passenger side and a very attractive young lady got out of the car...

"Lawddd Jesussssss woman, Ah caint wait to get you inside.." he laughed.

"My goodness Carlos...I know you payin for it, but can't you even pretend to be just a little romantic." said the woman.

"Well what does a cool playa have to say to a fine thing like you to make you want to get naked?" he asked...

"I'd thank her for her time and pay her." I said.

His eyes got as large as saucers.....

"YOU!!!!!" he said....He went to go inside his jacket pocket, but I already had my .38 smokeless drawn....and when he turned around ,Kool Kat had his shotgun aimed at him.....

"Heard you was lookin for me Carlo....Well, here I am!" I said.

The girl he was with didn't flinch...

"Carlo...you look like you all tied up....I'll talk to you later...I got bus fare." she said and turned and walked away...

Kool Kat cracked up laughing.

"Man...you don't know what kind of trouble you in." said Carlos.

"Why don't you tell me Carlos....In fact...Let's get off these streets and talk about it." I said.

"Man...David will kill you...I told him I'd take care of it.." he said.

"Well since that obviously aint going to happen...Why don't you call David...Not yet...after we get where we are going..." I said.

"Aww man...You don't want what he'll do to you...Man...after you ..after you messed up his drug operation...He was crazy...I mean insane..all he talked about was gettin back at you and that broad..." he said.

"You mean Frankie Cash's daughter!" I said.

"Okay, so you knew...She hired you didn't she? Nosy little tart...After Tuck offed her father, I told him he should off her too, because she was askin too many questions...But David said no, that it would be too obvious and that we still needed her for a front....I knew that broad would be trouble." he said.

"Kools..tie this fool up." I said.

"HEYYYYYY, WHAT'CHA DOIN?" he screamed.

Kool Kat tied him up and tossed him into the Escalade...

...

"Where we takin him Kev?" he asked.

"To The water..." I said.

"The what?....Ohhhhhhhhhh yeah." he said.

"Man, yall aint gotta do this...you don't...I'll do anything you want...Anything!!!"

I pulled my.38 smokeless out and put the muzzle to his head...

"I know you got a phone on you...I want you to call David Cord....Tell him you got a line on me...Give him this address, tell him to meet you there...You try to get cute and send a verbal tip to him and I'll have no trouble splattering your brains all over this street...Nobody will care...and for the record...everything you just said was recorded...I'm wearing a wire." I said.

Kool Kat was beside himself with laughter at this point!

IV-

Kool Kat and I took Carlos Tucker to an old now abandoned water tower that we used to play in when we were boys...We took him to the top and hung him by his ankles, so that he could look at the big drop down.

"Tie it good Kools....Wouldn't want Mr. Tucker to fall.." I said.

"You-You-You're crazy...you're as bad as him.." he cried...

"Hmmm they tell me he's badder." I said.

I looked at Kool Kat...

"Watch him." I said.

"Kev...you might need my help with Cord..." he said.

I smiled at my friend....

"You know, I said that years ago when you told me you was bringing Wanda Malone up here...remember?
You might need help with all that body."I laughed...

Kool Kat laughed... "Yeah and I told you to get lost....Whooo weeee...Me and Wanda Malone...Mannn we had some incredible sex up here .....and not just that time either.That girl had a body on her...She was way ahead of her time."he said.

"Yeah, you liked to live dangerously." I laughed.

I made my way to the ground and I waited....A Black 2012 Caddilac drove up...

David Cord got out ...He had a .44 magnum with a silencer....Another man got out also....He was six foot four, heavily muscled , had on black pants, black sunglasses and a bald head to match his Black turtleneck..He could have passed for Kool Kat's double..

"YO!   Carlos...Where you at? " he yelled...

"Booty Pie...Are you sure he's even out here? This smells like a trap." said the other man.

Did he just call David Cord Booty Pie???I wondered.

"Hey Crawford would you knock off the booty pie crap...That's for when we are alone..." he said.

"I'm tired of us hidin our love...I'm ready to come out and be who we are." said the other man.

"Hey  Crawford shut up okay...CARLOS, WHERE ARE YOU?" yelled David Cord.

"Ouuu Booty Pie, you turn me on when you get all gangsta up in here..ouuuuu." said Crawford.

"He's up there David.." I said.

David Cord and the other man spun around....

"YOU!!" he snarled...

"Ah told you this was a trap Booty pie." said Crawford who opened fire on me...

The man was good with a gun...He too had a .44 magnum like Kool Kat's and was dead on with his aim...he had just missed me..This guy was no joke with a gun and now I see why David Cord had brought him along. I dove behind some parked cars and returned his fire...He returned mine...I reloaded and fired at him again... He ducked behind the water tower.  David Cord fired at me.. I returned his fire.. I hadn't planned on this becoming a gun battle...Now I was sorry that I hadn't called Kool Kat...I saw Crawford and took aim and just missed his head. David Cord  was running and shooting and  trying to get set up and I opened fire on him , hitting him in the shoulder and his leg...

"ARGGGGGGGGGGH.....I don't believe it...I've been shot!! ARGGGGGGGGhh, my leg" he yelled as he fell to the ground...His gun went flying up in the air and landed a few feet from him....He couldn't get to it...

"Oh MY God.. Booty pie..Booty Pie!!" yelled Crawford , who came out from behind the water tower and ran towards David , crying and screaming...

I opened fire on him...He was struck in the behind and in his shoulder and in his leg, he spun around , tossed his gun up in the air and went crashing down on the ground....

"AGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGRGGGGGGGGH...Oh LAWDDD, oh lawddddddd....OHHHHH, I"ve Been shot...I've been shot...AGRHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!I DON'T BELIEVE IT...I'VE BEEN SHOT..." he yelled...

"YA damn fool, why didn't you stay down.????..Crawford ,why didn't you stay downnnnn?? Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?, WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY????? Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh." screamed David Cord who was now crying profusely....I didn't know if it was because he was in extreme pain or because his lover had been wounded....

"Ohhhhhhhhhh Boooooty pieeeeee...when I saw you get hit...I just lost it.....AGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGRGGGGGGGGH...Oh LAWDDD," screamed Crawford  who was in agonizing pain and feared for the well being of David...  Whatever they were, they were a lethal pair...not to be taken lightly.


By now Kool Kat had made it down from the fire tower....He didn't know what to make of the situation...

Two men wounded and crying....He looked at me with a puzzled glare as I scooped up their guns...I just shrugged my shoulders..


V-

"This is the damndest thing I've ever seen." said Lt. Sissy Van Buren as David Cord and his lover were loaded on to ambulances....

"This is the guy you were so worried about me facing?" I said to Sissy.

"Kevin, he has a fierce street rep and make no mistake...he is a dangerous guy....but hell, love can take anybody down, even the strongest guy. You let something happen to Sepia, see if you aren't cryin like a baby." she said and looked at me and curled her lip in that sexy way of hers and then added "Or Carlotta and me."

I looked at her, she looked at me and we both cracked up laughing....She was right after all!

Carlotta and several policemen had Carlos Tucker in handcuffs now.

"I can't believe you....." she said, laughing and shaking her head...."I just can't believe you Kevin, you are a trip." she said.

"Aint you gonna arrest him? He kidnapped me off the street, tied me up like a damn steer." moaned Carlo Tucker....

Carlotta looked at him and pouted...

"Poor baby....You're safe and sound and on the ground nowwwww." she said and then motioned for the officers who couldn't hide their laughter to take him away.

He looked at Carlotta and smiled... "Damn girl, you is sexy as hell....I wish I wasn't going to jail."

"EWWWWWWWW.." said Carlotta in disgust.

Kool Kat was on his phone laughing hysterically!  I could imagine he was telling Chris, Chess, Donald Smooth, Roscoe, Fathead, Ralph Mole and all of the playas what had been whispered about, but never proven for years....That David Cord was gay.  His reputation was toast!

EPILOUGE:

David Cord was convicted on Federal R.I.C.O. charges and sentenced to 25 years without a chance for parole for at least 15 years in federal prison...He's out in California.  Broderick "Tuck" Tucker, no relation to Carlos Tucker was convicted of two counts of first degree murder in the deaths of James Tabor and Frankie Cash and sentenced to Life with no parole..  Carlos Tucker was convicted of weapons charges ,drug charges and attempted murder and sentenced to 15-30 years... Crawford Dickerson, David's lover was convicted on weapons charges and sentenced to 5-10 years...and an additional 5 years for attempted murder.

Bridget Jones inherited both Lady Chatterlies and Simply Underwear and a huge cash settlement, left by her father to her in a will...She paid me handsomely.

A few weeks later, Sepia and I, Robert Foxworth and Bonita had dinner at Bottom of the C. with Sissy and Eddie C. and Carlotta and ADA Keith Wallace...It was a fabulous meal...

Bridget Jones was also there and she gave a specially gift wrapped box to Sissy,Carlotta,Sepia, Bonita....

"I'm so thankful for all of you....Ms. Sepia, Ms. Bonita...you helped me get my house....And Kevin, you, Ms. Sissy, Ms. Carlotta, ADA Wallace, you took those insects that killed my father off the street...I can't thank you all enough..." she said.

"So how come us guys didn't get a gift? You only gave gifts to the women!!" joked Robert Foxworth.

"Yeah?" joked ADA Keith Wallace...

I tapped them both on the shoulder..."Did you not forget what business she is in?" I laughed.

Eddie C. broke out in laughter....

"The lingerie business silly." said Bridget....

"It's a gift for all of you, if you know what I mean and I know you do?"laughed Bridget..

We all laughed and continued to eat and drink champaigne!