Good For What Ails You

Monday Morning -My Assistant, Harry Charles came to my office to get me...

''Kev..Everything is ready..." he said.

''Good..Let's go."I said.

Sean Jackson , my ace and the new Chief of Staff, and his wife, The Deputy CAO, Sheila Jackson were in the conference room with about twenty Black women...and a few men...These were new staff members that I had just hired...They were launching my third magazine..SEPIA , named after my wife and intended to be a women's magazine...Which would be both online and on news stands...

"Hey partner this is a record for you...Three weeks straight and everyday of the week at work...Wow..What's goin on?" laughed Sean...His wife ,Sheila giggled...

"Well,I'm trying to get this magazine up and running and I'm getting more orders for feeds for our radio station..Bridget Jones just said she'd like it to run in both of her lingerie stores..."I said.

"Man Kev...Business is good...You said that one day me and you would be runnin this joint...You had the vision baby." said Sean Jackson..

"Ahhh hummm" said Sheila....giving Sean the side eye...

"Oh okay...The three of us." he said.

Sheila and I just laughed...

The meeting went well...We all shook hands and then Harry Charles ,Sean, Sheila and I gave them a tour of the building and showed them where they'd be sitting and working on the new magazine...They showed us designs and introduced me to the photographers and staff writers....All and all a good day.

II-

My smartphone went off...It was Robert Foxworth....

"What's goin on buddy? " he said.

"Oh nothin...just finishing up a meeting at work." I said.

"Woww, you've been working steadily..." he said..

"Gotta make that money." I said.

"Yeah,like you need money." he joked.

''What's up?"I asked.

"If you've got time today..I need you to stop by my office...I've got a client and I need your expertise." he said.

"Ahhhhh a case right?" I said.

"Yeah." he said.

"It has been a few weeks...Counselor...I'm on my way." I said.

III-

I arrived at Robert Foxworth's law office within twenty minutes... Cole and Chance Howard were sitting in his board room with a young man I recognized vaguely... He was a former semi-pro football player, a friend of Cock Robbins....Michael Davis...

Robert walked in the office....

"Kevin this is Mike Davis." he said.

"I know who he is...I saw him play many times..You know my neighbor, Cock Robbins don't you?" I said.

He smiled..we shook hands...

"Yeah man..quite well...Played with him and played against him..." he said.

"So here it is Kev... Mike was arrested about a year ago and charged with sexually assaulting a young lady....This young lady in the photo...It was clearly a case of his word against hers...He was convicted and served 13 months of a two year sentence...He also had to pay her several thousands of dollars for renumeration....He's been paroled....He would like his name cleared and his record expunged...I'm representing him...but I need your help Kev...So I'm paying you to clear his name...Dig up something that can help us." said Robert.

"Okay...but Mike...why didn't you get a lawyer and a P.I. to help you the first time you got in trouble?" I asked.

"I had a public defender...He wasn't very good and he did no investigative work....I was as good as convicted...I just got picked up by this semi-pro team...The owner is throwing me a bone you might say..The team is paying Mr. Foxworth here to clear my name." he said.

''What's the girl's name and where does she live?"I asked.

"Her name is Trina Wells and here is her address and phone number...See ,since I've been released from prison, she's started talking to me again...Says she wants to let bygones be bygones." he said.

''What? she's talking to the man she accused of raping her?" I said.

''Yeah, funny aint it?" he said.

"You don't know how funny it really is..Okay...I'm going to do a little digging...I'll get back in touch with you in about two days." I said.

Robert passed me an envelope full of cash...

"Okay,maybe tomorrow." I said...Robert,Mike Davis, Chance and Cole busted out laughing.

IV-

It had been an interesting day....I had been to work, I had picked up an intriguing case and now I was headed to C.I.D. headquarters to talk to my good friend, Lt.Sissy Van Buren...When I got there, the shop was empty...She was the only one there....

I opened her office door...

''And how is my favorite Homicide Lieutenant doing?" I said.

Sissy looked startled...

"Oh Kevin, it's you!" she said.

''You were expecting someone?" I said.

"Your favorite Homicide Lieutenant is stressed out. I thought you were Ed Cantrell...I was just on my way out of here." she said.

"Where?" I asked.

"Anywhere but here...The man comes by everyday and never wants to leave...And then I've got to fend off his advances...That's bad enough ,but he's worse now...He's very upset about that old guy that got killed at Sam Mother's diner...That was an old friend of his...He took it hard..Now he comes over and has a pity party everyday and then makes an advance !" she said.

''Wow.....Who's working that murder case?" I asked.

"Chica and Duke...." she said.

"Oh they'll crack it." I said.

"Funny thing...This guy left so many clues behind, I'm wondering if we are dealing with a first timer here."she said.

"What do you mean?" I asked...

''Chica found a cigarette butt in the trash can....Dr. Hazel Hunter found two latent fingerprints on the door knob and Duke found a partial visual of our perp outside of Sam Mother's Diner before and after the murder.. We got fingerprints, DNA and a visual..." she said.

"This kid got a sheet?" I asked.

"Oh yeah,His name is Billy Blake , Did time for  Burglary,  two years, Breaking and entering, suspended sentence, Simple Assault, six months, then probation...He's only 25...Not the brightest bulb in the socket." she said.

"So this was just a robbery-homicide.?" I said.

"More or less..He only got $200.00" said Sissy...

"Seems pretty cut and dry." I said.

"Except that this kid has vanished off of the face of the earth!!...Not at his home, not in any of his old haunts..and Cantrell is driving me crazy....He insisted that I personally take over the case..I assured him that Duke and Carlotta would find this kid ...He has been coming here reading the dailies and showing up at their suspects homes questioning them and just getting in the damn way.." she said

''And making advances on you." I said.

She laughed...

''Yeah...He never misses a chance to slyly ask me to comfort him or to try and sneak a kiss or dry hump me..His pants were sticking out like a tent the other day Kevin...I was grossed out and embarrassed...I'm so glad, Chica, Hazel,Duke,Tyriq Jimmy and Hop weren't here, but a couple of uniforms saw it ..so did the Desk Sergeant...I can only wonder what they must think is going on...And to think ,years ago I actually wanted that type of attention from him...Now he just disgusts me." she said.

"Damn Sissy...Well,I'm actually working another case..." I said.

"Oh?" she asked..

''Something for one of Robert's clients...He was falsely accused of something and I'm looking into it..No cops and robbers stuff." I said.

"I would ask you to kind of help with this...but Chica and Duke already have enough "help" with Cantrell dogging them everyday." she said.

"Sounds like you know who you're looking for...You just can't find him...Well don't worry...I'll ask around....If I hear anything...I'll call you." I said..

"Thanks Friend." she said.

We hugged and I kissed her forehead...

"Be Easy Sissy." I said.

"Always,if I can." she said and winked.

V-

Sepia and I were chilling in the bedroom that afternoon...

I dropped the envelope with close to 3G's in it on the dresser drawer...

"You got a case?" she asked.

"Yup...Something simple...Guy got falsely accused of something involving a female and he wants me to clear his name...One of Robert's clients.." I said.

"Oh, you're working for Robert?" she asked...

''Yeah." I said.

"A case is good for what ails you." she said.

"I know something else that's equally good for what ails me." I said rubbing her back...

She smiled...

"I know you do...It's good for what ails me too." she said and we both cracked up laughing.

(TO BE CONTINUED...)