Eddie Collins

Eddie Collins lived in a very tony neighborhood and in a very nice two story apartment complex....It turned out that my boy Clerow had rented this apartment to him.... It was a few nights later and we were sitting outside his apartment..

"Yeah boss..We rented that to him about three months ago...He lives on the second floor.."said Clerow ,who sat in the car with me ..Owen Todd sat in the back seat...

"He pays his rent on time every month...Always in cash..No checks...No Credit card or online payments..Cash...He's a New Yorker..."said Owen Todd..

"What does he do for a living?" I asked.

"He gave us the same old tired line Kev..Businessman....You know what that means right?"said Clerow..

"Yeah...Gangster!" I said and the three of us laughed...

"Anybody live with him?" I asked..

"Nope....Keeps the shades drawn..Leaves every morning at 8:00 am and comes back around 5:00 pm like he's working a job...Then leaves around 11:00 pm." said Owen Todd..

"Where does he go?" I asked..

"He goes to Stoleys sometimes...Other times Aqua  Bar..Some nights...Minks.." said Clerow..

"He bring any lady friends back?" I asked.

"No...I'm surprised...A young single man....nice car, cash to blow...You'd think he'd have a harem of women flowing through the spot." said Owen Todd.

It was a quarter til eleven....and like clock work...Eddie Collins walked out of his apartment...He got in his car and pulled off...

Clerow had the key...He gave it to Lockpick Johnson and the code to the alarm...Lockpick Johnson ,Peeping Tom,Sean Jackson and I went inside..We wired the place for sound and video and cloned the phone..All in twenty minutes and were out and gone...

II-

We had two more stops that night...I hated doing this....Bridget was my friend and if she found out I was spying on her, she might not ever speak to me again..Which was why I was going to make sure she never found out..

We stopped at Lady Chatterlies Lover, Panties and Bras for the Discriminating woman.. her lingerie store...Again..Lockpick Johnson, Peeping Tom, Sean Jackson and I were in and out and quietly wired the store for sound and video...and cloned the store phone..I had Bridget's cell phone number and easily cloned that phone so we could listen to her calls..

The next stop was her other lingerie store..."Simply Underwear"..It was a perfect drill- Lockpick Johnson, Peeping Tom, Sean Jackson and I were in and out and quietly wired the store for sound and video...and cloned the store phone.

That done...Our work for the night was finished...I would be able to listen and look into Bridget's world for as long as it took for me to determine if this Eddie Collins fellow was up to no good or if he was innocently dating Bridget Jones....

Part of me wished that Hoagie would just simply ask her these things...

III-

I met with Hoagie  the next day in Josies...We sat in a booth in the back ,far away from prying ears...

"I've been watching Bridget's stores...both of them and listening to her calls...her business phones and her personal cell phone...and so far this guy hasn't called her... He goes somewhere...I don't know where yet ..everyday from 8:00 in the morning until 5:00 in the afternoon....Then he leaves every night from 11:00 until 3:00 in the morning." I said.

"Where does he go at night?" asked Hoagie..

"Nowhere near Bridget....He goes to Stoleys....Aqua Bar and Minks...then he comes home...Doesn't bring back any ladies...Doesn't talk on the phone..Only leaves to buy groceries..Pays everything in Cash.."I said.

"And you don't find that a little strange?" asked Hoagie..

"Strange maybe...but no sign of anything untoward." I said.

"Hmmm" said Hoagie..

"Sit tight...I'm going to look into this guy a little more and see what his story is...Find out where he goes during the day." I said.

Hoagie smiled..

He patted me on the back...

"They told me you was good.." he said.

IV-

There was a guy who knew everything about every major playa in the area...A man known only as "Pink"...His real name was Eric Thomas and despite his colorful nickname...He never wore Pink...He usually wore a Green silk shirt and black slacks....

He hung out in Minks...

I stopped in Minks...a night later and motioned for "Pink" to sit with me...

"What's up Kev?" he asked..

"Eddie Collins, what you know about him?" I asked..

"Hey man, when did I become Google?" he said..

"Pink? Pink...I am insulted...It's not like I'm a cop...I'm not...."I said.

"Cops were here weeks ago askin about some white boy who killed two dudes...He bought a gun and a silencer from some people I knew." he said.

"People you knew right? Did you give the cops the hypothetically speakin rap?" I said laughing..

"Hell Kev...I wasn't gonna put myself in...Guy comes to me...He says he needs a piece and a silencer..Me, bein a facilitator and all...pointed him in the direction, you know...Then this kids wants someone to steal a car for him.."said Pink...

"And you didn't think that sounded shysty?" I said..

"Look man...He paid me...That's all I care about...I'm not a social worker..I aint all up in his business...You aint even payin me..." he said..

"Nonsense..."I said and peeled a few bills off...."Now..EDDIE COLLINS...THE BOOK!" I said.

Pink looked around...Then ordered some drinks...

"What you drinkin Kev?" he asked..

"Whatever you're having." I said.

"He's a New Yorker....He's got a package....Meth,Coke,Heroin....He sells to the middle managers..He aint got nobody on the street corners..Nothin like that...The young boys buy from him...He comes through here once a week....I hear he stops at Aqua Bar and Stoleys too... He's paid there....but the pick up is somewhere else....And it aint no warehouse either.."said Pink..

I had an idea where......This had been tried before...Why would they try it again? And Was Bridget aware of it? I hoped not....

"Pink, you know where his stash is?" I asked.

"Kev..I don't do drugs...don't sell drugs...I have no idea...But I'll tell you one thing...Whoever he deals with keeps things real quiet...They come in here order some drinks...They talk...They pass him an envelope..He makes a call , they shake hands...and within an hour...He's gone and they gone..That's all I know.."said Pink..

I smiled....peeled off some more bills and put it in his hand...

"Thanks Pink...I knew I could get the straight skinny from you." I said.

"Yeah...Kev, don't let that get around.." said Pink...

I smiled..and got up and left..

In the basement of the building where my company, Morris Communications called home was Morris Investigations...The secret home of my private investigation agency...Here ,armed with equipment and files that could rival a modern police department..ME and my operatives...Clerow, Sean Jackson, Peeping Tom, Lockpick Johnson and Owen Todd looked into Eddie Collins...

He was born and raised in New York City,Educated in Public Schools...Got A GED....Did a stint in Juvenile Home, one adult conviction for possession of a controlled substance and conspiracy to distribute which resulted in a three year stint in State Prison...No trouble since then...

He had an associates degree in Administration of Justice from CCNY and a bachelor's degree in business administration from St. Johns...Impressive...

He was tall,about my height, Slender, brown skinned with a pencil moustache and dressed immacculately...

What surprised me the most was that a guy doing business like him didn't have a tiger...a goon or lieutenant by his side...He was a slick one...This Eddie Collins...but what was his connection to Bridget??

I was soon going to find out..

V-

I picked up a call off of Bridget's phone...

"Hello.."

"Hi baby..."

"Who is this?"

"It's Eddie.."

"Wow...Another country heard from."said Bridget.

"I been busy...but I was thinkin about you...Did you get the flowers I sent?" he said.

"Yes..They were beautiful..Thank you..."she said.

"Listen...I got a little free time..How bout we go out,have some drinks?" he said.

"Where do you want to go?" she asked..

"Well..Josies, Aqua Bar,Stoleys...we both go there...How bout someplace different..Bristol's rooftop joint...Sky Bar?" he said.

"My friend, Olivia told me she's been there....Ouuuu that sounds nice.."said Bridget...

"Cool...I'll stop by at 7:00 pm..Okay?" he said.

"Okay..sure!" said Bridget...

Bridget's phone rang again.....This time it was Hoagie..

"Hey girrrl." he said in his rough gravelly voice..

"Hoagie?" she said..

"Yeah baby..." he said.

"Oh wow...Nice hearing from you." she said.

"Baby..I was thinkin...Maybe you and I could ...well uh ,Listen...I got a little free time..I'm not teachin a course or trying a case...How bout we go out,have some drinks?"he said..

"Oh Wow Hoagie..." she said..

"Look..I know...Josies, Aqua Bar, Stoleys...We both go there...How bout someplace different, Club Montreal...?" he said.

"Oh Hoagie....I've always wanted to go there...Olivia and Bev told me that they were there and how much they enjoyed it."

"Livy and Bev are moving up in the world."laughed Hoagie..Thinking about his two protoge's....

"But Hoagie...here's the thing...I can't go out with you tonight..I uh already have plans..."she said.

"Oh come on, you can hang out with Sissy and Angie any time.."he said.

"It's uh not Sissy and Angie,Hoagie...I'm sorry...Maybe some other time.."said Bridget..

"Uh yeah...It's cool ,maybe some other time.." he said and hung up...

I was sorry I had heard this conversation..

(TO BE CONTINUED)