Sins Of The Father

Sepia and I arrived at C.I.D. with the baby the next morning... Sissy and Hazel were as mesmerized by little Alvin as Sepia was and as Carlotta, Sirena and Sharon had been two days before...

"Oh My God...He is soooo cute Kevin, Sepia...Can I hold him?" asked Sissy...as Sepia smiled and handed him to her...Hazel,Carlotta,Sirena and Sharon all gathered around as did a few female uniformed officers...

"Awwww...they said as they gathered around and cooed over the baby..Hazel took the baby with her to get some DNA and make a positive identification...

I saw Detectives Jimmy Barlow, Tyriq Pile, Tony Hopkins and Edwin "Duke Baylor while I was waiting for Hazel to return with the results...

''Heyyy Kev" they all said.

"Hey Guys." I said.

"You're on a case related to this?" asked Duke.

"Somebody left that Baby on my doorstep yesterday with some money and a note which I gave your Lieutenant...Turns out that might be the baby of that woman who was shot and killed yesterday..Your case Jimmy." I said.

"Yeah, I heard a man was with her and he went running off with the baby." said Jimmy.

"If that baby is hers, then that man is a friend of mine, Alvin Kennedy." I said.

"Well then he at least witnessed the shooting." said Tyriq.

"Yeah and he left me money to take care of his kid." I said.

"You know where he is?" asked Hop.

"No,I do not...I'm askin around...If I find him...I'll let you know." I said.

II-

Hazel returned with the baby after awhile...

''He's a match!...That's Betty Gable's baby...His name is Alvin Gable and he's five months old." she said.

"Okay...I know his father's identity...You're looking for a guy named Alvin Kennedy...He was with Betty when she got shot down..he's your witness..and my anonymous client." I said.

"He's got a sheet on him."said Carlotta, who was holding an IPAD mini.....He did three years for an armed robbery...Guess who his partner was? Curtis "Big Poppy" Black...He testified against him and got out early...
Big Poppy got out two years later, which would make that,last summer...Alvin has been straight since he got out...working a straight job, never missed a visit to his P.O., kept his nose clean." said Carlotta.

"So this was just revenge....Big Poppy saw him and targeted him....hit his girlfriend by accident?" I said.

"Not exactly Kevin...she was out on that corner the night he gunned down Sly Richardson...She apparently didn't know about her boyfriend's prior history with Big Poppy...She agreed to testify..They ironically were on their way to the courthouse when she got killed.." said Sissy.

"Hop and I arrested Curtis Black anyway for the murder of Sly Richardson, but if we don't find somebody willing to testify and soon, our case against him is going to fall apart..We don't have much." said Detective Sirena Pile.


"Wow, a year ago nobody was talking about this guy..now he's got two murders connected to him...''I said.

"We'd appreciate any help you can give us Kevin." said Duke.

"I'll try and find him...I hope he can help you close at least one of your two open murders."I said.

"Thanks Kev"said Tyriq and Jimmy.

III-

Sepia and I took the baby back home...Sissy said that it was better that we keep the baby until we could locate his father or some other family member...


I drove her home...I called Clerow and Owen Todd up and gave them instructions to drive by and watch my house until I returned...I didn't know if Curtis Black knew that I had the baby or if I was asking questions about him...

I was back on the street...I stopped in Sam Mothers diner...I had a Cheeseburger and a cup of coffee...a man sat next to me..

''Been a long time hasn't it Kev?" he said.

I turned around...It was Alvin Kennedy...

I smiled...We embraced each other...

"What ya know good baby?" I said laughing...I hadn't seen him but once since we both had joined the Marines..and that was at my wedding.

''Aww man Kev, I aint doin as good as you...Heard you went places in the Marines...Boxin..was the middleweight champ for a minute." he said.

"Yeah..I did a little boxing..."I said.

"You got your college degree, became an NCIS investigator..man..you was somethin...Me..I screwed up...I got put out..dishonorable discharge..."he said.

"Oh?" I said.

"Drugs Kev...drugs..I couldn't leave em alone...I went out to California...I dried myself out and then I came back to Philly and started puttin down scores with Curtis Black...Good heists too and then we got caught...
I was supposed to do a dime man...but I couldn't do that kind of time...I was offered a deal...I took it...I was out in three and Curtis did a nickel." said Alvin...

"Aww man." I said.

"After that...I straightened up...I went to a trade school,got a few construction jobs..put away some money and bought me a little house, a car and went to school myself...I met Betty and we had a baby..we was going to get married.." he said.

"That's a cute little kid you left on my door steps."I said.

"You know huh?" he said.

''Of course I know."I said.

"Me and Betty was right across the street when Curtis Black shot Sly Richardson...He saw both of us..We were as good as dead...It's not so much that we agreed to come forward...We had no choice...So I called Keith Wallace and he said to come down to the courthouse...and Kev, the dirty bastards killed my Betty right in front of me and the kid...They tried to kill me too...but I got away...I asked around about you and I left my kid with you...where he'd be safe..." he said.

"Alvin, how long will you be safe? Out in the open like this?" I said.

He showed me his gun...a .45!!

"I'm not worried about being safe no more...I'm gonna find that rat and kill him!!!!..." he said.

"Don't talk crazy....Your son has already lost his mother...Does he need to lose his father too? Come on...I'm good friends with ADA Keith Wallace and his detectives...Let me turn you in...They can protect you.They're trying to get Curtis Black...They're close to making a case  against him." I said.

He was quiet for awhile...

"Okay Kev.." he said.

I paid for his meal and mine and we headed for the door.

"I heard you double dippin, got a company and all and you do this private investigating thing on the side." he said.

I smiled..

"Yeah,I do alright...my wife is in real estate." I said.

"You still married eh? That's cool." he said.

We were walking down the street towards my car when I heard the sound of a car screeching and speeding down the street...

"Alvin ,get down!" I yelled..

The window of the car came down and the shooter fired a fusilade of shots....

''Arghhhhhhhhhhhh..I'm hit Kev"said Alvin...

I pulled out my .38 smokeless and returned fire...I shot the back window out of the car and then hit the shooter, who dropped his gun...an automatic pistol in the street!!

"Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....I don't believe it...I've been shot...arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh." came his anguished scream as the car picked up speed and pulled off down the street!

I kneeled over Alvin...

"You okay man?" I said.

"Yeah, he got me in the arm...I'll live.." he moaned...

IV-

 A FEW HOURS LATER:

"Thanks for calling me Kev" said ADA Keith Wallace...

"Your friend Alvin is in protective custody...They can't get to him." he said.

"What about Curtis "Big Poppy" Black?" I asked.

"Duke Baylor, Tyriq Pile and some plain clothes cops have been watching him...He's been at his home most of the night...So this was some paid hoods...We got his phones wire tapped and I'm sure he knows that...He's not talking on the phone...But he gave the order some other way...It's just that we can't prove it." he said.

Jimmy, Carlotta, Sirena and Hop walked over to where we were talking...

"Kevin, you may have helped us more than you know.."said Jimmy.

"You definitely hit the shooter...We have blood and DNA and he dropped his automatic pistol...We got finger prints.." said Carlotta..

"Hazel is on her way...We'll ID the shooter and if we can catch him and flip him..we got Curtis Black."said Sirena..

"This might be the break we were waiting for." said Hop.

I looked over in the horizon...Sissy was talking to some uniforms...She motioned me over to her...

"Hey Kevin...Quite a night you've had here..." she said with a smile..

''Yeah...I located the father of the baby and got him shot." I said.

"That wasn't your fault...at least we have someone who can testify against Black...and he doesn't know that he's still alive...I just want you to watch your back...This guy may come after you." she said.

"Still worrying about me Sissy?" I said and smiled...

"Kevin..I worry about everyone...My detectives, my cops, You,ADA Wallace.. I'm a worrier.."she said.

"You should worry about Curtis Black....He's just earned himself a world of hurt ."I said.."Good night Sissy."I said and got in my car and pulled off into the Philadelphia night.

(TO BE CONTINUED)