Ventnor City Blues

Bev and I finished our food...I paid the bill and we headed to the car... She called her beloved Auntay...

 "Hey Bev..." she said.

"Hey Auntay, guess what?  D.R. and I think we've pinpointed this girl we've been looking for.. We are in Ventnor City...someplace I never heard of.." said Beverly...

"Oh yeah, I've heard of it...Beach town...Your grandparents used to take me and your dad there when we were kids...Well, rather...I was a kid.. Your dad was a teenager..In fact...You've been there before...You were just about two years old..I was eleven...and your grandfather, your grandmother, me and your dad went.."said Olivia.

"Mommy didn't go?" asked Beverly...

"By the time you were two, Alfreda and your dad could hardly be in the same room together.." said Olivia.

"Yeah, well,I don't remember..We are just blocks from her house... Hey how is your uh ex-husband?.. Did he die yet?" said Beverly sarcastically....

''Beverly, that's not nice.. He's in the hospital...He fell out again and Josie and I had to come over to where he's staying and get him to the hospital...He's really sick." said Olivia.

"Hmmmmm, He's sick alright.."said Beverly...

''Enough about Elwood...Where is my future husband?" asked Olivia...

Beverly turned to me then and said-"See ,I told you.." she said.

"You told him what?" asked Olivia..

"Nothin Auntay..."said Beverly.

She passed me the phone...

"Hey Baby." I said.

"Heyy Donnie Ray...I miss you." said Olivia...

"I miss you too babes...I'll be back this afternoon..."I said.

''Hey Donnie Ray?" said Olivia.

"Yeah?" I said.

"I hope you weren't even the least bit worried about me marrying Elwood to save his life were you?...Because the thought never crossed my mind...I wouldn't do that to you...I wouldn't do that to myself...I just wanted you to know that." she said.

"I wasn't worried...but it was nice to hear you say that." I said.

Olivia was silent for a moment, then she spoke again...

"But I can't let him die!!...I'm going to look into other options for him as far as insurance goes."she said.

"Olivia, you're a saint." I said.

"Far from it....I can't wait until you get back...We can go out to dinner...My treat...both of you." she said.

"That sounds like a plan." I said.

"Love you babes..." she said.

"Love you too."I said.

"Awww, you two are so cute." said Beverly...

II-

I pulled up to another seaside restaurant...

"D.R. , you hungry again?" asked Bev...

"No...This is where our girl, Laura Ravenell works..No need to go to her home..We can talk to her here." I said.

 

"Is this place for real? It looks like it's out of the 1950's" said Beverly...

I just smiled as we walked inside and took a seat....

It was decent enough inside...It kind of reminded me of Sam Mother's joint in Philly...

Once inside we noticed that outside of one of the two cooks and one waitress..We were the only African-Americans in this joint...Most of the patrons were either elderly or people with hangovers from the night before who came in for coffee and or a hot breakfast to take the drag of the hangover off...

Bev and I sat down...The black waitress came over to us...

"Coffee please.."I said.

Bev smiled..

"What?" I said..

"I can sure tell that you used to be a cop....You can drink some coffee." she said.

"Well...You haven't seen me eat one doughnut." I said and laughed..Bev laughed too.

The waitress brought us both our coffees and I asked her...

"Is Laura Ravenell working today?"

"That's her over there...The blond.." she said.

"Could you ask her to come over here a minute?" I said.

''Sure."

Laura looked at us strangely....I can imagine her asking...What do these two Black people want with me?

She walked over to us with caution...but greeted us with an easy smile.

"Look,I don't know what trouble Nick is in now...But I aint seen him..Aint seen him in weeks..He owes me child support for the month anyway." she said.

"Laura?....You are Laura Ravenell right?  I  don't know any Nick.." I said.

"Laura...I'm an Attorney..My name is Beverly West...and this is Mr. Alexander...He's a private investigator..

We were hired to find you by your father...Eddie Ravenell" said Beverly..

"My father?  He's dead!" she said.

"Apparently not...He's in Philadelphia...He wants to see you...He has money for you." I said.

"Ohhh does he now?  You know...I haven't seen him in 27 years..He ran out on me and my mama with some broad ...Went to New York, Was on television..Had a kids show for years...Never sent me and my mom a dime..Lived it up...Now after all this time...He wants to see me...Forget about it..He's dead to me..." she said.

"I heard you say that someone owes you child support....You have a kid?" asked Beverly...


''Yeah..I have a little boy...He's four..He stays with my mom while I work..She lives in Margate...I see him on the weekend...I got a little place here.." She said.

Your father has a lot of money...It would go a long way to helping you and your baby." said Beverly...

"Yeah?, hmmmm.." she said...

"This is my card...I work for my aunt, Olivia Bennett...She's actually the attorney that is representing your dad...If you change your mind...Call that number...She can help you get in contact with him." said Beverly.

"Okay...I'll let you know..." she said.

While they were talking...I noticed two guys come in...One sat by the door and kept looking out into the street..The other looked around and then walked over to the counter...Both had on long trenchcoats...
I had been a cop too long..I knew what this was..

"Bev....Laura...be cool...Laura, sit down...Bev..get down....Easy, No sudden move...Just sit down and act like you're talking.....This place is about to be robbed...Just be easy..I'll handle this." I said.

I started walking gingerly towards the counter...whistling....I leaned over....Like most diners...There were freshly baked cakes out under glass containers....I continued to whistle and looked downward....

Sure enough...The guy behind me at the door cocked his gun... a .38 and fired up into the ceiling...

"ALRIGHT!! THIS IS A STICK UP..EVERYBODY EMPTY THEIR POCKETS!"

The patrons were stunned!  

The guy at the counter aimed his gun, also a .38 at the cashier..

"OPEN THE REGISTAR DOLLFACE!!! OPEN IT!!" he yelled....The cashier was stunned...She began shaking and crying...

"OPEN IT OR I'LL BLAST YA!" he demanded!....

I quietly grabbed a whole Strawberry short cake and hurled it  across the restaurant at the gunman by the door!!! This entire sequence of events was pretty bizzare...I was certain it would be the highlight of the afternoon news...

The cake hit him square in the face....he stumbled and dropped his gun!!!! , Which an alert Beverly grabbed !!!!I grabbed the arm of the gunman at the counter and slammed it down hard...so hard, he dropped his gun..I elbowed him in the face.....breaking his nose...then I dropped him with a punch to the stomach....

By the time his partner got the cake off of his face...The business end of my .45 was just inches from his nose! And Beverly had his gun on his partner, who was still on the floor groaning!!!

"Drop the gun baby....it's all over!" I said.

III-

The police arrested both suspects.....Laura smiled at me.......

Beverly was on the phone explaining the entire thing to Olivia...

''Auntay, D.R. was the bomb...He collared both robbers." she said..

"Well Mr.Alexander is a pretty heroic man." said Olivia...

Laura looked at me...

"You're pretty good...You sure you're just a P.I.?" she asked.

"I used to be a cop." I said.

"Ohhhhh, that explains a lot..." she said.

"Sooooo, you gonna meet with your dad?" I asked.

"I'm thinkin bout it...I got your card.....I'll be in touch." she said.

"That's all I ask...Thanks Laura." I said.

The crowd in the seaside diner all clapped and whistled as we walked out.

Bev looked at me and smiled...

"Wow D.R. and I thought this was going to be a boring trip.." she said and smiled..

"You handled yourself well in there little lady.." I said smiling...

"You weren't bad yourself D.R." she said and laughed.

IV-

It was mid afternoon...We were on our way back to Philadelphia....It had been a good day...I had located Uncle Eddie's missing daughter , had foiled an armed robbery and had been reassured by Olivia...

I looked over at Beverly....

''Hey Bev?" I said.

"Yeah D.R.?" she said.

"I know I'm gonna sound like a heel...But just because I'm curious...I'm going to look into Elwood 's situation..see what he's been doin the past few years, find out what kind of rare form of cancer he has...You know uh, just to be safe..."I said kind of matter of factly...

Beverly looked at me and smiled sheepishly...

"You don't believe his cock and bull story either do you D.R.?" she said.

"I didn't say that...I just want to take a look, that's all." I said.

"Uhhh Huhh...I know where you're goin with this...I'm right there..." she said.

''Our little secret,okay?" I said.

"Our little secret." she said and smiled and soon drifted off to sleep...

I peered over at her  as she slept.....She was very pretty...She had a very nice body to match....Just like her Aunt... She was my little partner in crime....I smiled as she slept and kept driving...I thought of Olivia..I couldn't wait to see her....

It had been a good day.

(TO BE CONTINUED)