Alvin

The next morning found me standing on the rooftop of the C.I.D. building talking to my good friend..Lt. Sissy Van Buren of Homicide... I had bought her a tumbler of hot coffee as usual, extra cream, extra sugar, the way she liked it...

"Carlotta, Sirena and Sharon told me they saw you when they were at lunch yesterday and that you had the cutest baby with you they ever saw.." she said smiling as we talked.

''Yeah Sissy,somebody left him on my doorstep yesterday with one thousand dollars and this note..I said passing Sissy the note that I had gotten with the baby...


"Dear Kev...I'm sorry to drop this on you on such short notice...but you're the only one I could think of that would do right by my baby....I hope I left enough money for you to get the baby what it needs...Will explain  later when I can..I'm in a little bit of trouble.."

"There's no name on this and you don't recognize the handwriting?" she asked.

"No...but it's obviously somebody that knows me....I've thought of all the people I know from the neighborhood, all of my associates and close running buddies and it's not any of them...Yet it's somebody I obviously know or knew.." I said.

Sissy thought for a moment and then she turned and said...

"I suppose you heard that we took down Malik Clarke's entire organization recently...." she said.

"Yeah...I was impressed...After Fathead Newton retired..He rose up from out of nowhere and became the king....He just waited out Big Cheese, China White ,Charles Basket ,Angel Ortega and Pete Moss and took over."I said.

"Yeah...and we took the entire organization down.....Well now...his apparent heir to the throne, Curtis " Big Poppy"Black is under indictment for murder..." she said...

''Okay..So what has that got to do with my baby?"I asked.

"There was a man and a woman with a baby who were witnesses to one of his murders...They bravely came forward....ADA Keith Wallace was in the process of offering them protection...They were on their way to the courthouse when the woman was ambushed and killed...Supposedly, a man with a  young baby ,about five to six months old was seen running from the scene of the murder..."said Sissy.

"It happened early yesterday." said Sissy.

''Who caught the case?"I asked.

 "Jimmy Barlow caught it late yesterday..We haven't identified the woman yet or the man with her..He wasn't her husband, but he was the baby's father... ADA Wallace knows...I'll give him a call and see if I can get some information for you...." she said.

"So you guys are on this guy Black?" I asked.

"Yes, but we can't tie this murder to him ..Nobody will talk to us....It seems like he's eliminating every witness against him...and from what we are hearing there were a lot of witnesses...Sirena and Hop are working on the actual murder he's accused of....They arrested him, but he made bail." she said.

Just then, Dr. Hazel Hunter -Baylor, Duke's wife entered the rooftop...

''Hi Kevin."she said smiling.

''Hi Hazel"I said.

"Sissy, we identified the body of the woman gunned down yesterday." she said.

"Oh?" said Sissy.

"Betty Gable." she said. "She was 27 years old...From West Philly...Wasn't married, gave birth to a little boy about five months ago...Alvin...Alvin Gable is the baby's name...but we can't find the baby."said Hazel..

"Thanks Hazel.Tell Detective Barlow, He and Chica and Rico are trying to find witnesses." said Sissy...Hazel left...Sissy looked at me..

"This might be your baby." said Sissy.

''I'll bring him down...and you guys can do a DNA check." I said.

"Where are you off to?" she asked.

"I'm going to find those other witnesses against Big Poppy." I said and smiled.

Sissy smiled, took a sip of her coffee and waved to me as I left the rooftop.

II-

Later that afternoon I was in Josies talking to Gus...

Gus passed me a beer and I sat down...

''What's eatin ya kid?"

"You ever heard of Big Poppy?" I asked.

"Oh ,Curtis Black? Is that what he calls himself now of days?  Yeah, I heard of him...He's awaiting trial for murder...He's out on bail...Can you believe that?" said Gus.

''So I hear...I hear he's trying to eliminate all of the witnesses against him." I said.

"His boys dropped a woman yesterday." said Gus. "A woman!!!" he said disgustedly.

"Yeah...I heard..A Betty Gable...27 years old...in front of the courthouse..." I said.

"Yeah, woman had a baby....Cops can't find the baby.."Gus said.

"I might be able to help them on that....Gus, you hear things...Anybody else ,running for their lives and shaking in their boots because of this guy?" I asked..

Gus looked around..

"Hey kid, why don't you try to duck a few punches sometimes huh?   This cat, This Big Poppy...He's a punk, but he's runnin scared...He's lookin to make a rep..He's killing everyone that he thinks will rat him out...Let the cops handle this one.." said Gus.

"Gus...Who else is afraid of him?" I asked. Gus knew by now that if I was asking,I was already in this up to my eyeballs.

"Anyone with sense...but if you must know...Skinny Kelso is one..." he said sighing.

"The pickpocket?" I asked laughing....''You're really talking small time.."

Gus laughed...

"I know,it's almost laughable....but it's true...Skinny Kelso witnessed the late night murder...I mean this guy Big Poppy is no Fathead Newton...,he's really stupid...Shot and killed Sly Richardson on the street corner outside of the strip club at midnight, when the corner was crowded...The whole neighborhood knows he did it."said Gus.

"Skinny Kelso doesn't strike me as the talking type...The type that would run to the police." I said.

"He aint...but he gets pinched by the cops a number of times...You know that and worm that he is..He's the type that will cut a deal against his mother to save his neck...So Curtis Black figures , he's got to go...Skinny's been keepin a low profile...but he's findable.."said Gus.

"Yeah...I think I know where to find him." I said.

"Be easy kid and watch ya back." said Gus.

"I will." I said.

III-

I went out to Nat's Diner and Supper Club...Out by the airport...

I went in the diner, ordered a tumbler of coffee and called for the manager, a guy named Nat, who I'd done a favor for years ago....


"Hey Kevin...What's good?" he asked.

"Card game still hot Nat?" I asked.

'Best game this side of town Kev." he said laughing...

He pointed to the back room....

''Thanks Nat." I said.

''Hey man, I was out at Josies last week, I saw  Kool Kat, Donald Smooth, Chris Thompson and Chess " he said.

''Finally got out there huh? Good for you...I know they were glad to see you." I said.

''Oh Man, We had a time...Got drunkkkk...Went to Aqua Bar, got drunker....Just like the old days"said Nat.

I smiled..

I walked to the back of the diner and an electric buzzer opened the backdoor for me and I entered a backroom where a high stakes crap game was going on. Several low level playas were involved in a spirited game....a table of all types of cold cuts and cheeses remained untouched...Proof positive that this was a hot game...Cold Brews and Barbecued Chicken wings were being consumed though and several scantily clad young women were sitting around the men, looking bored...

Skinny Kelso wasn't playing...but about to pick the pocket of someone who was, when I grabbed his arm..

"Not tonight Skinny."I said and smiled.

"Kev!! Kevin Morris..."he said ,laughing sheepishly...

"Let's go outside and talk."I said and motioned for him to walk outside..

He came with me....We were buzzed out and we walked outside of the club...It was a cold and breezy night..

"Hidin out from Curtis Black huh?" I said.

''Awww damn man, you aint workin for him are you?" he asked.

"Of course not..but somebody left a baby on my doorstep...I believe he killed the mother of that baby, a Betty Gable...I'm trying to locate the baby's father." I said.

"Damnnn, Betty is dead...Oh lawd." he said.

"Who did she run with? Who was the baby's father?" I asked.

"His name is Alvin Kennedy. Allie Boy!"said Skinny..."You know him Kev!...From the  old neighborhood...You guys were in the Marines together.." he said.

Then it came to me...I indeed knew Alvin "Allie Boy" Kennedy....The baby's name was Alvin..I'm surprised it didn't come to me before..

"Yes..I know Alvin...Haven't seen him in a few years...He was at my wedding.''I said.

"Yeah, he and Betty had a little boy about five months ago.." said Skinny..

"Where can I find him?" I asked.

"Hell if I know...I'm tryin to keep that mad dog, Curtis Black from finding me." said Skinny...

"Yeah? Well might I suggest you stay in doors...If I found you this easy, I'm betting he can too."I said.

"Okay Kev." he said.

"Here's some money."I said.

I gave him $50.00 bucks...

"If you hear anything about his whereabouts, leave a message with Nat okay?" I said.

''Sure thing Kev." he said.

IV-

I went home...Sepia was lying across the bed with the baby, tickling it and laughing with the baby...The baby had seemed to take a liking to my wife..


"Hey" I said and gave Sepia a wet sloppy kiss..

''Hey yourself."she said.

"I think I found out who his father is...and at any rate, his name is Alvin..." I said.


''Alvin...That's a cute name..."said Sepia...

"I won't know for sure until I take him to police headquarters tomorrow." I said.

The baby drifted off to sleep, Sepia gently put him in the little makeshift crib I had made for him....

We relaxed on the little couch in our bedroom...

"You think you'd like one of those one day?" I asked.

"Yes..maybe." she said.

"Well, let's start trying to make one." I said.

"For real Kevin?" she said.

''Yeah, for real." I said.

She kissed me soft and passionately as the baby silently slept.

(TO BE CONTINUED)