Blood Red Dahlia

It didn't take the person following me too long to make themselves known...Three gunshots rang out...I dove to the ground...This was what I didn't want... I pulled out my .38 smokeless and returned the fire... The man was wearing a beautifully tailored suit and a fedora and you guessed it...A Yellow Dahlia..

I returned his fire again and he ran, ducked behind a corner and cut loose again... I ran, ducked behind a car and fired at him...He ducked ,then fired at me....The windshield of the car I was hiding behind exploded...

I tried to reason with him...

''Heyyy man...Drag...I'm not a cop!!...I need to talk to you...I need you to lead me to a guy...A guy I need to do business with..That's all...That's all I want." I said.

He said nothing...He replied with more gunshots... I returned his fire...People were screaming, running and ducking...

I had to get up and run myself...

Just then.... Bobby Staircase came to the door...

"Hey Kev, look out!" he yelled...

Another man was running up behind me with a soda bottle...I ducked and he swung, missing me completely and smashing the bottle up against the wall!!!!...

It was  Jules...A big hulk of a man ....He didn't appear to have a weapon....He was charging me...

He grabbed me and was squeezing the life out of me with his big hands... I had heard he was a tough customer....

He was squeezing the breath out of me and practically lifting me off of the ground...I took what strength I had left and kicked him in his groin as hard as I could...He grunted, but he loosened up his hold just enough for me to elbow him in his jaw, snapping his head back and sending him flying...

I didn't have the time to catch my breath before he was heading toward me....He, like Drag was silent, didn't waste a lot of time talking..I liked that.

I landed some good lefts and rights to his body, but he was equally good with his hands...he landed some good lefts and rights to mine...I countered and landed some lefts and rights to his face, but he equaled me with some well placed lefts and rights to mine...We were moving so fast that his friend couldn't get a good shot off without hitting him...

I cracked him hard in his jaw and saw blood trickle from his mouth...I cracked him again and saw the sweat fly off of his face...I hit him in his stomach and he bent down in obvious pain..I landed some more lefts and rights to his jaw which sent him into the wall..

I spun around and landed a well placed kick that I had practiced to his jaw which sent him flying into a row of trash cans that all collapsed on his head....He was out for the night!!...Then ,I dove to the ground...Drag fired at me again...I got a good look from where I was and opened fire...I hit him in the shoulder ,in the side and in his leg...He yelled out in agony!!!...

"AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH...I DON'T BELIEVE IT....I'VE BEEN SHOTTTT!!! ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" he said and fell to the ground... He was still alive, but no longer in the hurting business....

I walked over and kicked his gun out of his hand and stuck my gun in his ear....

"I need the name of a man...A man named Clip...Where can I find him? Tell me now or I'll kill you...Don't try me.." I said.


"Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....I've been shottttttt....Lawdddddd Jesus....It hurtsss...aghhhhhhhh...."he moaned.

I cocked my pistol...

"CLIP!!" I said..

''Last I heard, he was staying at the Aloquinn Hotelllll...ohhhhh sweet mommy...aghhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" he moaned.

II-

The police as usual, arrived on the scene...and were checking all the rounds fired... Lt.Sissy Van Buren, Detectives, Carlotta Rodriguez Wallace, Tyriq Pile, James "Jimmy"Barlow, Edwin "Duke" Baylor and the lovely forensics investigator, Dr. Hazel Hunter-Baylor, Duke's wife were on the scene...

"Wow Kevin...Just had a baby and already you're on the streets causing trouble." joked Sissy as Richard ''Drag" Drago was put in a stretcher... His blood was everywhere....Several uniformed police had revived Julius ''Jules"Robinson and handcuffed him and put him in a paddy wagon...

''Yeah ,what can I say?" I said.

''Thank you baby for catching our two suspects."said Carlotta..

''Yeah..We managed to find us two witnesses that put them at the scene of Gumby Peterson's murder...It was just a matter of time before we nabbed em." said Tyriq..

"If this gun is a ballistics match...We got them cold for the murder of Gumby Peterson."said Jimmy...

''Nice work Kevin....Just the way I would want to see these two bums.We got another gun off of Jules....We get a match on this and we have our second shooter."laughed Duke Baylor...

''Are you alright Kevin?"asked Hazel...

"Yeah..I'm fine...Much better shape than those two.."I said.

Carlotta, Tyriq, Jimmy,Duke and Sissy all laughed out loud... Sissy walked over to me...Put her arms around me...

''You know I love you Kevin...Since I've known you ,you've made my job easier..Along with these guys here...Go home...Go home to your wife..and that baby...We got this.."she said..

Sissy reached down on the sidewalk and picked up a Yellow Dahlia...it was stained with blood from Drag's wounds...

"Wow...this almost poeticly pretty."said Sissy. I just looked on...

''I'm goin home Sis..I promise.."I said.

''Kiss that baby for me."she said.

I waved as they all drove off into the night and the crowd disapated...

Bobby Staircase walked over to me..

"Damn Kev.. I didn't know you could fight so good and shoot too..."he said laughing...

"You can't stay here...If those two found me...I'm pretty sure Clip will find you too.."I said.

"How did they find us?" he asked..

"I been askin around about them...Somebody told them and they got on my trail...They followed me here.."

"Damn,can't trust nobody can you?" he said.

"No you can't....I'm going to make a few calls...Go get your stuff...We movin out now!"I said.

III-

I made some calls...Clerow and Owen Todd picked us up and moved Bobby's stuff out of the apartment..
Then I called Chris Thompson, Chess and Donald Smooth...

"Yeah Kev...Fathead's Safe house is still open...In fact we are going over there tonight to play cards.."said Chris...

"You mind another player?" I asked..

''Who?"said Chess, Chris's partner...

"Bobby Staircase." I said.

They looked at each other..

"Man, Clip is lookin for him...He's been turning the city upside down lookin for him.."said Donald Smooth..

"Yeah,well I'm lookin for Clip...Just not tonight.."I said.

"Be careful Kev..Clip is heavy duty...Don't ride tame...You got a vest?" asked Chris..

''Yeah and a plate..and plenty of ammo."I said.

"Good deal...Okay..Bring Bobby over..Ralph Mole and Roscoe are over here..You want to get some food?" asked Chris Thompson...

"Nah...I'm good.. I gotta go home..Got a woman and a baby to see."I said.

''Got'cha Kev" said Chess.

Bobby was safe in Fathead's Safehouse...It had never been compromised...Plus, Chris Thompson, Chess, Donald Smooth,Ralph Mole and Roscoe were good friends who I knew would protect him...Clerow and Owen Todd dropped him off and I headed home...

IV-

Sepia was glad to see me.. I was even happier to see her....She was still as voluptuous as ever...Having a baby hadn't ruined her figure at all..She had gained a little weight, but still was a sight for many men's sore eyes....She smiled as I watched her walk from the nursery...

"You still like this huh?" she said seductively...

"I aint never stopped liking it." I said...

I looked in on our baby ...As usual, she was sleeping soundly...Then I joined Sepia in the bedroom...

I slipped off her nightgown and she slowly unbuckled my trousers....I slipped out of my shirt and undershirt and quickly kicked off my shoes...

We kissed slowly at first and then more passionately.....

"OHHHHHHHHHHH Kevin...ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.." she moaned as I slipped her clothes off in the middle of our bedroom floor and began to kiss her with long,slow,sloppy kisses...

"Long day today" I said in between kisses...

"Get anywhere on this case?" she asked in between kisses...My mouth had now made it's way to her breasts..She was moaning and fondling my now raging erection...

"I'll tell you about it in the morning" I said.

"Good...because I'm in no mood for talking."she said...

"Neither am I baby."I said and kissed her hungrilly....

"Ohhhhh girl this is soo good."I said in between kisses...

"MMMMM....you feel soo good lover.." she said kissing me hungrily!!!

 ''So do you....." I said..

We continued to kiss...We were now both completely nude....We both made our way to the bed and I layed her down gently....I climbed up on her and entered her slowly and gently....

Sepia wrapped her shapely legs around my waist and we began a slow sensual groove..that began to escalate just a little bit...
.
"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH GODDDDDDDDDDD KEVIN...OUUUUUUUUU" she screamed as I plowed away....

The bed began to squeak loudly under our weight and movemant...We had moved the bed away from the wall...We didn't want it slamming into the wall and waking up the baby...

"Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.."moaned Sepia..

"Yesssssss." I moaned silently...

Our window was open, but there wasn't the usual screaming and moaning....We were making sweet love, quietly with soft moans,lots of hungry kisses and mutual enjoyment...

Tonight , I had caught me two killers without even trying..Tomorrow, I had to find me a killer and put an end to this murderous game...and this case... Right now...I was making sweet and passionate love to my wife, while our baby slept in the other room....


All in all, it had been a pretty productive day...


(CONCLUSION NEXT)