Club Octopus

The next night...We were all treated to a night out at the local club...Club Octopus...It reminded me of Josies back in Philly...

This town was predominately white, but most of the black people from the surrounding towns and townships came to this club on certain nights...Like tonight when there was all the crab legs you could eat...They loved it!!!

Not only that-

"Some friends of yours are playing tonight"said Jim Swanson...

"Oh? Who?" I asked..

"Group calls itself the Liquid Love Band from outta Philly...You Know em?" asked Jim..

"I sure do..." I said laughing...

Up on the stage, Downtown Rob Brown on Trumpet, Bone Hampton on Trombone, Dutch Van Buren, Sissy's Father on Sax.. B-Flat Brown on Organ and Chazz Gillison on Keyboards, backed by some local guys I didn't know on Guitar, Bass, Drums and Percussion were performing..

Sepia, Bonita, Robert and I were sitting up front with Jim and Virginia Swanson...Sean Jackson and his wife Sheila were a bit tired after dinner...They agreed to watch our baby back at the hotel...The guys saw us and waved to us as we sat up front with our drinks and snapped our fingers to the music...I thought Sepia,Robert and Bonita were going to turn into crabs the way they were devouring those crabs legs...

I had spent the day searching all of the bait and tackle shops and shops that sold scuba diving equipment looking for a match or anybody suspicious that may have bought spears and skin diving equipment...I talked to FBI Special Agent, Sharon Ferrell-Hopkins in Philly..

I crossed checked all of the names I came up with with her ,using the FBI VICAP database and couldn't find a match for any of the names I had or anybody known to frequent the area with those combination of skills...
I thanked her and called it a day...

At least I had found the merchandise....Finding out who took it might take some time..Depending on when the person was going back to look for it..

II-

While we sat at our table enjoying the performance of the Liquid love band ,I whispered to Sherrif James Swanson...

"Hey Jimmy....You know anybody who has exceptional diving skills and is a boxman?" I asked..

He smiled..

"Guess you came up with squirell eyes too huh?" he said.

"Yeah man.." I replied..

"Men, we went over all five of the places that got robbed with a fine tooth comb....Nothing...No fingerprints, no DNA ,nothing...and they don't have cameras...So we have even less...No witnesses....Me and the guys went to all of the hobby shops, bait and tackle shops and scuba diving equipment shops and we found nothing.." he said.

"Sounds like we were at all the same places..."I said shrugging my shoulders...I hadn't told him that we had found the jewelry already...I didn't want that known yet...Didn't want to tip the thief off...I was certain he was still in town and waiting for the right time to get the swag or make a move.

"I do know a guy who is an exceptional Scuba Diver...That guy over there...with the three babes...He's ex-Navy diver and ex Marine Police diver...He's retired and teaches Swimming, Scuba Diving and what not...His name is Jess Jefferson..."said Jim Swanson...

I remembered the name from the day before...When Sepia and I were walking on the boardwalk-

"DIVING LESSONS-SWIMMING LESSONS- SCUBA GEAR- JESSIE JEFFERSON!"

I saw Beverly Gordine...Big Red Gordine's wife in the crowd... She was dancing real slow with some big Black man....He looked as if he was trying to grind her into the wall and she was loving every minute of it...

Her husband, Big Red was nowhere around...Good, because he'd turn this joint out if he witnessed what I had just witnessed..

I walked over to Jess Jefferson's table...He was the only other white man in this club and he had three gorgeous women with short and tight mini skirts on sitting with him...A Black woman, An Asian Woman and a Latina woman...They were drinking, laughing and talking loud...

I walked over and sat down at their table...

He looked at me and smiled...

"I'm glad you're here pal..I need some help with these ladies..."he laughed..

"I am afraid I can't help you there my man....My wife is sitting just three tables over and she wouldn't understand." I said..

He looked at me and busted out laughing...

"You're a riot man!" he said...The women laughed even louder...

"Listen...I hear you're a pretty good diver...and I could use your help." I said.

"I know who you are...You're from the insurance company....You're looking into those recent thefts right?" he said.

"I was hired by the insurance company....Yes." I said.

"Do you dive?" he asked..

"Yes...But I'm a novice...I need you to help me get into Gypson and Gordine's Warehouse...It's the only place I haven't checked out..."I said.

He looked at me sheepishly...

"You want to get in underwater don't you?" he said.

"Precisely..." I said.

"That sounds kind of illegal doesn't it pal?" he said.

"It probably is...but I've got money...I can make it worth your while." I said.

His eyes lit up....

"Nicee...When do we go for a dip?" he said.

"Tomorrow night." I said.

"Sweet" he said..."I'm in daddy." he said.

I duked him some cash...

"For your troubles."I said..

He nodded and smiled..

"I like the way you work Mr. Kevin." he said.

"Ohh, and you know my name too?" I said.

"I know everything worth knowing around here."he said.

I smiled and nodded and went back to my table..

Sepia rubbed my arm....

"What you got cookin Lover?" she said.

"A little somethin ,somethin.." I said.

Robert Foxworth looked at me..

"That goes without saying..."

We all cracked up laughing....

(CONCLUSION NEXT)