They called the room "The Fishbowl" ,I was used to standing outside,looking in...Not sitting inside, like a criminal...
''Detective Rodriguez...Am I under arrest for something?"I asked.
"No....Not at all...In fact ,you can get up and leave anytime you want....but I don't think you'll do that, Mr.....Uhhh what did you say your name was?" she asked.
"I didn't....but for the record...It's Kevin...Kevin Morris." I said.. "And why don't you think that I won't just get up and walk out of here?" I asked.
She smiled a sweet smile, a smile that disarmed me completely...
"Because..."she said.
"Because what?" I asked...
''Because you want to talk to me and you want to know why I asked you to come down here." she said.
"Those are good questions and yes you're right. You're as confident as you are physically beautiful." I said.
She smiled again...
"Compliments like that might get you somewhere" She joked...."So first off Mr. Morris...Who are you and what is your business with Fillipe Castro?" she asked.
"I'm a Private Investigator from Philadelphia PA. in the states and I was hired to deliver the casket of a murdered man, a Pepe Salizar to Mr. Castro....He's the funeral director for the family..." I said. She looked at me funny when I said that and then just laughed as though I had told a joke..
"Funeral Director? He's been responsible for a few funerals." she said and laughed again.
I showed her my Private Investigator's License and my PA. driver's license and my license to carry a weapon...She looked at it ,saw that everything was legal and up to snuff and then smiled...
"I'm from Philly too." she said while writing down my information on a little tablet.
"You are?" I said..I knew something....or for that matter, a lot about her sounded familliar...I was correct in my observation.
"Born and Raised...I moved here with a number of people in my family about six years ago and became a detective just like my cousin." she said.
"Your cousin is a detective here too?" I asked.
"No...Back in Philly... a Homicide Detective like I am." she said.
"Oh yeah?" I said ..
"Yeah.." she said.
"Where'd you grow up?" she asked.
''West Philly...How bout you?" I asked.
"North Philly, Fishtown, Kensington..."she said.
''Oh Really?"I said.
"Yes...Went to Girls High. Where did you go?" she asked.
"Brook" I said. She smiled...
"You Hungry?" she asked.
" I could use a little somethin...Could you get me a Cheeseburger?" I joked..
''Sure.. You want fries or Onion Rings with that?" she asked..
"Onion Rings" I said.
"Milk Shake?" she asked.
"Are you serious?" I asked.
"You're in Puerto Rico...This is still part of the United States...What did you think I was going to do, offer you Tacos?" she said.
"You could have." I said.
"I'll be back..Make yourself comfortable...Oh and Mr.Fillipe Castro?"He's not hardly a funeral director...What he is ,is a gangster,and possibly a murderer to boot!.....who's a suspect in three open homicides.."she said and left the room...
I knew this cat was suspicious...and I should have known that this was a dirty little game I was mixed up in.
II-
''I did some checking up on you,Mr. Kevin Morris..."she said.
"Did you? Find out anything interesting?" I said. She laughed....
"Found out lots of fun things." she said.
"I gathered."
"You were in the Military...was an NCIS Investigator at one time, Considered one of the best...Closed all kinds of cases...You went to college on the G.I. Bill, Majored in Communications/Journalism..Bachelors degree, Associates Degree in Business. and you now own the company you used to work for...Your wife and her business partners and some other friends of yours put together an investment group and bought the company from out of your former owners laps...Which tells me, you're both intelligent and shrewd...I like that in a man. You kind of do this Private Investigator thing on the side .." she said.
"Okay...So now that you know who I am..Why am I here?" I asked.
"You were seen in the company of Fillipe Castro?, a big time gangster in this city....There is nothing dirty he's not involved in, gambling,loan sharking, prostitution, drugs...and shaking down guys who put down scores....I sure hope that he is not your client." she said.
"No.,he's not...Today is my first time ever laying eyes on him...I was told that he was a funeral director..My client is a grieving widow in Philadelphia named Eva Salizar...Her husband, Pepe Salizar was murdered and she wanted him buried here in his home town...She paid me half of my fee up front and she told me that Mr. Castro would pay the rest of the fee once the casket was delivered to him." I said.
"So someone you don't know... a female...asks you to escort a casket of someone else who you don't know down here from Philly and you did it without checking her story?" she asked.
''She gave me less than one day and she paid up front quite handsomely and I believed her story." I said.
" Well at least you got paid. She must have been very attractive" she said and smiled...
"Well...Not as sexy as you, but she was alright." I said.
"You are such a flirt." she said, then smiled and winked..
"Sorry..I meant no disrespect.." I said..
"That's okay...I am enjoying this." she said and smiled.
"Glad somebody is.." I said..
"You were motivated by two of the seven deadliest sins...Lust and Greed." she said.
''Lust? I'm married to a beautiful woman and I've got plenty of money." I said.
"I know...I checked out all of that...but you're still a man and a pretty woman can still turn your head and she had money to boot...I can understand." she said.
"I suppose you're right." I said. She was right...She had turned my head and she knew it!
We both looked at each other and busted out laughing.....Then she got back to business..
"You got a death certificate?" she asked..
I produced one...
''You got a claim check?" she asked...
I produced that too...
She looked at them..."They're all good....Okay Mr. Kevin Morris...If that's the extent of your business with him, you are free to go...but just know...He's not whoever this person in Philly told you he is..He's bad news all the way." she said.
"Well I'm going to deliver his casket, get the rest of my money and get back on the plane to Philly...I've got a wedding to get ready for anyway in a few weeks." I said.
"Wedding? My cousin is getting married in two weeks too...In Philly..I'll be coming up your way." she said.
"Oh yeah ,Your cousin the detective? What's his name?" I asked.
"It's a she...Her name is Carlotta, Detective Carlotta Rodriguez..." she said.
I spun around...
''Carlotta is your cousin? Carlotta Rodriguez" I said.
"Yes!!...My first cousin...You know her?" she asked.
"Quite well!!!..She is one of my closest friends." I said.
She showed me a photo of the two of them..
"Do you mind if I call her?" she said.
"No ,go ahead.." I said.
She got her smartphone and dialed Carlotta's number....
"Mercedes...Is that you?" said Carlotta..
''It is...Hope you're not busy." she said.
"No what's up?" said Carlotta...
"I got a guy down here in my police station..Says he is a good friend of yours...and get this..He's a private Investigator from Philly named Kevin Morris.." said Mercedes...
"KEVIN is down there? KEVIN!!! What's he doing in Puerto Rico?" said Carlotta...
"Has a client...his client is connected to a real bad guy.A Bad guy I hope to persuade him to help me investigate!" said Mercedes while smiling at me and giving me the side eye......I smiled...She was so confident and sure of herself...I liked that...I found her very sexy!
"Trust Kevin...He's the best...He'll bring whoever that bad person is down...He's the only Private Investigator I have ever liked.and he's my good friend." said Carlotta.
"Okay cuzo...if you say so..." said Mercedes...
''Let me speak to him." asked Carlotta.
Mercedes handed me the phone...
"Hola Kevin." said Carlotta...
''Hola Dollface, how are you doin?"I said.
"I'm fine Kevin...Are you mixed up in something?" she asked..
''You know me..I'm always mixed up in something." I said.
"Well get unmixed soon...I don't want you to miss my wedding." she said.
"Carlotta, nothing will make me miss seeing you and Keith get married." I said.
''Good..Tell my cousin to take care of you .I'll see you when you get back." she said.
" That's right.." I said..
"Be Easy Kevin." she said.
"Always baby.Say hello to your boss lady for me." I said.
"I will" she said.
I passed the phone to Mercedes...She smiled at me...
"You're my cousin's friend...That makes you alright with me...Let me give you my card..You get in any trouble, you call that number..Okay....and I'll be there...Don't lose this number...A lot of guys want it...Consider yourself special." she said and smiled and winked..
"Thanks for the food Detective..." I said.
"If you get into anything, call me." she said again...
"I will." I said...
''Kevin...This guy is bad news...He won't hesitate to kill you if he thinks it will serve his purpose... I've been trying to tag him with a murder rap for close to a year now....I've got three murders that I know he committed that I can't try..."she said.
''You worried about me Detective?"I asked.
"Normally,I wouldn't be...But I feel like I know you, Like you're family..Carlotta thinks very highly of you....Ohhh go on Mr. Kevin..You kinda got me caring about your well being now...because you're my cousin's friend." she sighed..Then smiled....
"Listen I want to help you...Maybe I can find out something that can help you take these guys down."I said.
"You don't know this town like they do...You don't know the players....But you do have something they want...The claim ticket to that casket for some reason." she said.
"Maybe I'll take my time handing it over to them...See how bad they want it..."I said.
''Maybe they'll murder you for that!... Just give them the claims check...I have people on the street following them...Give them the check and go home ...I don't want you missing my cousin's wedding........and be careful the rest of the afternoon." she said.
"I'll do my best to be careful Detective...I promise." I said with a smile.
She might be Carlotta's cousin, but she sure reminded me of Sissy...
III-
Fillipe Castro got out of the front seat, passenger side...
"Hola Kevin Morris..." he said.
"Hey Fillipe...What happened to you, you just left me?" I said.
"I suddenly remembered something I uh had to do." he said.
''Something like evade the police?"I asked.
He laughed...
"Yeah something like that..." he said.
"You're not a funeral director are you?" I asked.
He ignored my question...
"What did the Policia want with you?" he asked.
"Oh nothin...They wanted me to enjoy my stay here in San Juan." I said.
Fillipe Castro laughed...I noticed that the driver of his car, shut the car off and quietly eased out of the car..
''You are very funny Mr. Morris.Very Funny...Now Do you have the claim check for the casket?" he asked.
"No,I'm afraid I don't have it." I said.
"What do you mean? Who has it?" he asked ...No Longer smiling.
"The Police have that." I said.
"Why do they have it?" he said.
"Oh they wanted to look it over." I said.
"You are a very funny man Mr. Kevin...But I am in no mood for laughter or games...Give me the claim check!" he said.
"I told you the cops have it." I said.
The driver advanced towards me... I saw this coming...
"Maybe I ought to rip that jacket off of you and take it." he said.
"Maybe you want to get the worst butt whipping of your life." I said.
He was a pretty big man...He lunged toward me...I ducked his blow and hit him with an upper cut that backed him up....I landed a perfect kick to the solar plexus of the Fillipe Castro and then did a sweep which knocked him down...
''Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..." he moaned as he fell into the street...
The driver ,then charged at me....I crouched and I landed about 12 good lefts and rights to his face.....I caught him with an uppercut that damn near ripped his head off and then clocked him in his jaw and sent him to the sidewalk also....
He quickly got to his feet and charged me again...throwing haymakers...I dodged them all and ripped his midsection with well placed lefts and rights and then cold cocked him in his jaw, sending him spinning around...I attempted a swift kick to his solar plexus , but he caught my foot , twisted my leg and sent me hurling to the ground...I quickly regained my footing..
He attempted to put his massive hands around my neck and choke me..I kicked him as hard as I could in his privates and he let me go...I again punished his midsection with 10-12 lefts and rights and then planted more lefts and rights to his face...He fell to the ground gasping for air and in obvious pain......I thought I had time to catch my breath....but he was up again and charging at me...
I clocked him in his jaw twice and then punished his stomach with more lefts and rights...He groaned and grunted like a pig and huffed and puffed.. He had just about had enough...So my left right combonation dropped him for the count...
I wished I had my guns on me...but I didn't...
By now....Fillipe Castro was on his feet..He swung at me and missed...I dodged him easily...He swung at me and missed again and I punched him in his stomach....
''Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.." he moaned and bent over and fell down in the street...
I heard three gunshots...They sounded like they were being shot up in the air....
''Policia!!!" said the driver...
"Let's get out of here!" said Fillipe Castro....
He and his his friend got to their feet and ran to their car and pulled off into the night.....I looked around and there was Detective Mercedes Rodriguez running down the street with her glock drawn!
"Yes...apparently we had a little disagreement about my fee." I joked...
"He's no laughing matter..He'll be back...He'll bring more goons..He'll kill you." she said.
"Yeah..I gathered that." I said.
"You don't even have a place to stay." she said.
"No..I figured I'd be home by now.."I said.
"Look...Come with me!!...You can stay the night at my place." She said.
"I don't think that would be a good idea.." I said.
She thought about it a minute and she agreed...
"Okay...I know a safe place...I'll drive you there...and here ,take this..." she said and passed me a gun...a .22...
"I usually work with a bigger gun." I said.
She looked at me and smiled -
"I'll bet you do handsome...but that's all I got...It's for your protection..." She said.
"Thank you , Can I call you Mercedes?" I asked..
She smiled..
''Sure..We are almost like family now!"she said with that sweet disarming smile of hers.
She sure reminded me of Sissy....
(TO BE CONTINUED...)
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5 comments:
"I usually work with a bigger gun." I said.
She looked at me and smiled -
"I'll bet you do handsome...but that's all I got...It's for your protection..." She said.
Now that made me want to throw my panties! Hot line!
@anonymous- Seriously??
Good installment....I am liking the chemistry between Kevin and Mercedes...Hope to see more of her!
Love this episode...Kevin kicking butt in the streets..a sexy detective with a glock...Who could ask for more??
I think Kevin has a little crush on Carlotta's cousin.
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