I didn't waste anytime on this case...I met with Joseph Boyd the very next day at 10:00 am sharp...He was impressed.
Joseph Boyd was dressed immaculately...He was a dashing and handsome man at one time...In old age, he was still a reasonably good looking man...I had to give him credit...He had a nice light smelling cologne on..Nice tight hair cut..He looked as if he had worked out and kept his body tight in prison.
"Nice Suit...I see it's tailor made...Nice fit...You get it from Sam's by any chance?" he said...looking at my suit.
"Indeed...In fact Mr. Boyd...I caught your act outside of Sam's the other day." I said.
He smiled ruefully....
"They say that you're sharp and that you don't miss much...That's good...I need a smart guy workin for me."he said.
"Just what do you need?" I asked.
"I need for you to find out who is trying to kill me." he said plainly...
"Wow Mr. Boyd...And then after I find this out, Tell you so you can kill them right? I don't operate like that." I said.
"Nah...Nahhh...You find out who is trying to kill me and you alert the Police." he said.
"Are you serious? You! Joe Boyd want to co-operate with law enforcement?" I asked.
"I know...that sounds like an oxymoron doesn't it?" he said and we both laughed...
"Look...I been out the game and on ice for twenty years...I was supposed to be down for life...but I lucked up...I got paroled...I spent most of my time in Segregation...away from general pop...So I missed out on what was happening out here on the streets...I'm too old for this game now...I don't even know the playas..I got a few years left....I'd like to live em...you know ...In peace." he said.
I was quiet for a minute...
"You're a gangster....If you've asked around...You know that I've made a career putting people like you behind bars...Mike Train, David Cord, Eddie Coker, Lance Fontaine...Bob "Big Butt" Thornton" ,Big Daddy,Joey Porter to name a few." I said.
"Yeah ,I heard...that's why you're just the type of guy I need...You know the streets, you know the players...you're tough and you're smart..." he said.
"So you're on the level Mr. Boyd?" I said.
"Yeah Kev, completely...I just want to know who is trying to kill me and for you to get them out of my life...legally...Let the cops know." he said.
"Why don't you just ask the cops to do this...It would be a lot cheaper?" I said.
"Come on....The cops willingly helping Joe E. Boyd? Nahhh...But you got the ear of the new ADA and several top detectives I hear....plus you got street guys who help you out tooo...Can't beat a combonation like that...And look Kevin...The state of Pennsylvania already tried me, convicted me and got 20 years of my life from me...You wanna try me too?" he said.
I looked at him...
"No...I don't....I'll ask around and see what I can dig up....By the way...who knows you're here?"I asked.
"Just you and my daughter and the guy I rented this joint from." he said.
"Good ,keep it that way and lock your door at all times."I said.
"Got'cha....and thanks Kevin." he said as I left.
II-
"So Kevin, to what do I owe this visit?"asked Sissy, who smiled as she sipped her coffee..
"I really didn't mean to drop in on you like this...I know you have work to do and from what I hear, you already get your share of visits from men who are not your significant other." I said.
"Oh no, I don't mind you visiting me....I never mind you Kevin...In fact...I wished that you and Eddie C. were the only men who visited me.." she laughed....
"Well here it is....My client is one Joe. E. Boyd...Ever hear of him?" I asked.
Sissy looked at me like I was crazy...
"Of course I have...Who hasn't? He used to run most of Philadelphia at one time...How did you get mixed up with him?" she asked.
"He sent his daughter to me...See, someone is trying to kill him...He wants me to find out who." I said.
"I'm sure he paid you a lot of money up front didn't he?" she asked with a slight side eye.
"Yeah...he did." I said sheepishly...
''And his daughter isn't bad on the eyes either right?" said Sissy who gave me a side eye and then smiled sheepishly...
"You know me so well Sissy." I said... We both smiled and then cracked up laughing.
"Come with me." she said and I followed her off of the rooftop...She walked me to a room where they kept files on major criminals...She pulled out a file that was as thick as an encyclopedia and dropped it on a table...It made a thud!
"There it is...The whole book on one Joseph Ezekial Boyd...Let's see there is drug smuggling, drug sales, gun running oh and let's see, loan sharking, protection, gambling...fencing stolen goods..and oh yeah..suspicion of close to ten contract murders....I should make this file a book...and call it "Love and Bullets, the life and times of Joe E. Boyd." she said.
''Wow..this guy was serious business." I said.
"Did you know that there was some kind of shoot out near Sam the Tailor's place yesterday...?" she said.
"Yeah..I was coming out of the shop when it started...I ducked back inside." I said.
Sissy looked at me with a serious side eye and then laughed....
"Yeah well we suspect that that was someone trying to send your client a message..Duke and Tyriq found a bloody 1970 Cutless out near the airport last night....and Hop and Jimmy found an uzi in the street with the fingerprints of one Tyrone Langly...a local hood..We found Langly and another guy...Jeff Forte in a row house in West Philly...Both had gunshot wounds...Langly had one in his shoulder....from a .45 and Forte had two in his lower back from the same .45...but the shots that killed them was from a .44 magnum....It left a much bigger hole...to their heads...I suspect that they were wounded by whoever they were trying to kill and someone else had no more use for them and executed them." she said.
"Sissy you're right...They shot at Joe and Joe shot back...but he didn't kill them." I said.
"You know I could violate him...He's on parole...He's not supposed to have a gun." she said.
"Do you think you'd find it on him? He's too smart for that." I said.
"I know...I'm just saying....But what do you want from me Kevin?" she asked.
"I just want to know who might be trying to kill him.That's all...He said if and when I find out ,to give the names to the police department...That's it..." I said.
Sissy grabbed the Yellow pages...She passed them to me..
"You want to know who might want to kill him? Try the phone book!! That's how many." she said...
"Okay Sissy....I get it...I get it...I'm on my own on this one...I'll see you later "I said.
"Heyyy, come here, come here..."she said and she hugged me...Her body was so soft, so round and curvaceous and she smelled so good...I perfectly understood why men like Rollie Rollerson and Lt. Eddie Cantrell were so captivated by her...How could you not be?
"I didn't mean it like that!...I'm sorry Kevin!.....Hey look, you might want to go down to where my man works...The outreach center....There's a guy working down there named...Jerry...Jerry Thomas...They call him "Snooka", he used to be muscle in Joe E. Boyd's old gang...In fact...He's one of two members of Boyd's organization that didn't go to jail....He's appeared to have straightened himself out over the years...He might be able to tell you something or at least point you in the right direction." she said.
I peered out the door of her office and then closed it...Her shades were drawn...
"Thank you Sissy....and now, uh speaking of being pointed in the right direction....I just saw Lt. Eddie Cantrell in the hallway...He's talking to Jimmy.."I said.
I turned the lights off...
She motioned for me to be quiet....We went out the back entrance of her office and down the back steps out into the garage...
"He's no doubt seen my car....Take me to the Outreach Center...Eddie C. will bring me back." she said...
"Okay, but why are we whispering, we are in the garage?" I said.
Sissy playfully smacked my arm...
"Smarty." she said.
"Get in my car...let's go." I said.
"Oh thank you soo much Kevin...I so owe you...I'll look into your situation for you...and I'll call you if I hear anything okay?" she said.
"Thanks Sissy...I knew I could depend on you." I said.
"I knew I could depend on you? ...How long we been doin this?" she said.
"About five or six years...but it feels like forever." I laughed...
"Yeah...forever, old friend." she laughed.
III-
"Kevin brought me over here....He was coming this way and so I asked him to bring me over here...So I could have lunch with you." said Sissy.
"Uh Eddie..I came by here to talk to one of your guys...Jerry "Snooka" Thomas..."I said.
"He's over there!" said Eddie C. pointing to a short ,muscular, mousey little guy...
"Thanks Eddie...Well , Sissy, Eddie, you guys enjoy your lunch." I said.
"Thanks again Kevin..."said Sissy.
"Yeah man, thanks." said Eddie C.
I walked over to Snooka...
"Hi ya doin Snooka...I'm Kevin Morris...I'm a private investigator.." I said.
"Yeah? What you want with me?" he asked.
"I just need some information... I hear you're a pretty hip guy...you keep your ear to the wood." I said.
''Hey man look...I aint into that ole gangsta mess...Aint been for awhile now." he said.
"I know...I know...but you used to run with Joe Boyd back in the day right?" I asked.
"That was twenty years ago man." he said.
"Well he's out of jail." I said.
"If I see him first..I'm gonna run from him." he said.
"Okay...I get it...You're clean...but somebody is trying to kill him...You know who that might be?" I asked.
"Take a number...It could be any number of people....He did a lot of folks wrong...Some folks don't forget." he said.
"Like who?" I asked.
"I don't know." he said.
I peeled off two hundred dollars...Not a practice I liked or would continue to do.
"Does that improve your education?" I asked.
"Hmmm, a lot." he said and snatched the money.
"You hear anything...you can reach me at this number." I said and handed him a business card...
"Sure"he said.
"I'll be in touch." I said.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
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