Eddie's Other Girl

Listening and Watching Bridget's two lingerie stores and listening to Bridget's phone calls got me nothing....This was turning out to be the most boring and underwhelming case I had ever taken on...I was beginning to feel as if I had just taken Hoagie's money.

Her stores did regular business...And if anything I was kind of embarrassed seeing women, a lot of them , friends of mine buying panties and bras and lingerie for their men...My associates however found it interesting...

Sissy,Angie,Hazel, Sirena,Carlotta, Carol Redding, Honey Brown, Olivia ,Beverly, Josie, Eva.....Debbie, Delores, Mabel, Corrie, Victoria, Anita,Cherish...and others all frequented Bridget's stores and all chewed the fat...Even my wife, Sepia and Bonita were amongst her customers...

Bridget's phone calls yeilded nothing I could or should take to the police....Mostly girl talk with her friends and calls from Chazz asking her to take him back and promising when his gig was through and he returned to Philly , things were going to be different....Calls from Hoagie  that were non-committal  and calls from Eddie Collins...asking to come over or inquiring what she was wearing at the moment.

If I had to bet money...Right now..It looked like this Eddie Collins was in the lead...For her part...Bridget was a good girl...She hadn't slept with Eddie Collins or Hoagie...but not for a lack of either of them trying...She had dated both men in the past few weeks...but had not invited either of them back to her house...

When I met with Hoagie to give him the latest update ,which was that there was nothing to update he grimaced...

''Maybe I've just wasted your time Kevin...I don't know...I feel like giving up..."he said.

"Nah...This guy is into something Hoagie...I think you're right about him.....I just have to find it...And I think I will..It just takes time." I said.

"I was talking about Bridget...I can't match this guy's swagger or cash flow..." said Hoagie..

"You might not need to...Bridget is a nice girl...You must have thought so or you wouldn't have fallen in love with her....I know her...She's a very nice girl." I said.

"So you're saying I shouldn't give up?" He asked..

"I'm saying things take time...."I said.

"So what should I do?" he asked..

"You do nothing..for now...You let things play themselves out...When the time is right...You'll know...Then you make your move." I said.

"You're a smart man Kevin." he said , still not smiling....

Hoagie was a mysterious man!




II-

Eddie Collins was shrewd..He didn't do business on the phone...His only phone calls was for take out.. or to Bridget Jones. He had no visitors...He begged her to come up one night and she almost did...

They were kissing outside his apartment....

"Come on baby....Why don't you come on upstairs and have some coffee..?" he said.

Bridget laughed...Her car was parked in front of his apartment...They had taken his car on the date..

"I don't think it's coffee that you want Eddie.."she said.

"You're right...Let's stop playing games...We are both adults...I want to get under that red dress of yours...You know it and I know it now what is the damn problem?  " he asked..

"Eddie....you need to calm down..." she laughed..

"How can I when you're lookin so good?" he said.. "I've waited for you for a long time...I liked you as far back as when you were attending college in New York...Remember, when I used to be your dad's driver..?You had some jive as boyfriend or fiance back then...When you and him broke up..I thought I had my shot, but you were gone again..Here in Philly....Now ...Here I am and here you are..."he said.

They kissed some more...Bridget broke their embrace..

"Eddie...I don't even know you..What do you do for a living?" she asked..

"I'm a businessman baby...." he said laughing..

"Which means you're still a gangster..." she said.

Good Girl Bridget, your daddy didn't raise a fool! I mused...

"I'm a businessman..I provide my clients with a unique commodity you might say...Heh,heh,heh."said Eddie Collins..

"Oh uh huh..I got'cha..."said Bridget and winked..."Well I had a wonderful time Eddie..I have to go now..I've got a shipment coming in tomorrow...A big shipment..." she said.

"Awww come on baby..You got me all steamed up..." he said..

"Well then stop kissing me...You'll calm down..." she said and ran her index finger across his lips..

"You do have some soft lips...Maybe...I'llllllll  consider coming up next time...I gotta go Eddie." she said.

III-

I decided to follow Eddie Collins...The night before...Peeping Tom put a GPS tracking device under his car..
I followed him to 30th Street Train Station....He parked his car in long term parking..He had a briefcase with him.

Clerow  and Owen Todd also followed in a rental car..and positioned themselves inside the station..

When I arrived...Clerow said to me...

"He bought a round trip ticket to New York boss.."

"Really?" I said.

"Yeah and he's been doing this everyday..." said Owen Todd, who I'd had watch him...

Sean Jackson appeared next...

"I followed him yesterday...He takes the 8:15 to New York everyday and he meets with some chick...He gives her a briefcase and he comes back  with a gym bag and another briefcase." he said.

"You get photos?" I asked.

"Oh yeah." he said.

"Good...I'm going to buy me a round trip ticket.." I said.

"Already on it boss..here." said Sean Jackson...

I smiled..

I loved my guys..

New York City was always a pleasure to visit...Today was no different...I had been a Private Investigator long enough to know what kind of business Eddie Collins was in...He had the look...He wasn't some jive as hopper or kid on the corner running up and down to flag cars and sell crack..No he had graduated..He was a distributor...He sold a product to the bosses..the drug bosses who put those kids on the street...The bosses who sold to college kids in the dorms and the clubs....He didn't get his hands dirty at all...

I followed him to a fancy Manhattan Bistro and sat....

To my surprise...A woman...A white woman met with him...

"Eddie...." she said...

They kissed passionately....

I used my phone to snap the photos of them...

"Did you order yet?" she asked..

"No..I was waiting for you." he said..

He passed her the briefcase...

She opened it..It was loaded with cash... She smiled..

"Yessssss...you are doing good in Philly..."she said.

"I've got three good clients...They supply their respective areas...The white boys buy meth and heroin...The Black guys buy coke ..I tell em that it's not stepped on...They have to do it themselves...They say they don't care...They just want the product." he said.

My food came...I looked like a businessman....I had my laptop on the table and my surveilience mike ,which was picking up and recording their entire conversation...Without them knowing.

"Isn't this risky though? You come up here everyday...You bring me money...I give you two gym bags and a briefcase and you go back to Philly...Don't you get tired?" she asked.

"Tired of what Valarie?  What else do I do...I've got a girl there...A girl I uh kind of like...I need her to think that I'm working somewhere..."he said.

"So you take train to New York...bring me money...I bring you product...All of which takes little over two hours and you call that work?" she laughed...

"Today ,I could uh....make up the time in uh another way...You know what I'm saying..??" he said.

She smiled..

"I thought you liked this girl?" she said.

"I do...I do..but she hasn't responded to my uh overtures yet and a man has his needs..." said Eddie..

The woman named Valerie laughed...

He paid for their meal and they got in her car..

I grabbed a taxi and followed them to a hotel ......

I was lucky enough to get a room across from them...Very lucky...

"Oh My God Valerie...I-I-I never.." said Eddie..

"I know...you never tried..."she said.

''Damnnnn girl, you got it goin on.." he said as she peeled her dress off and stripped down to just panties and bra...

She stripped him down to just his boxers...and fondled his now engorged penis...

"Ouuuuuuuuu..ummmmmm...you are what they say....packing.." she said and smiled...

I could hear the sound of kissing and moaning and then eventually the sound of the bed squeaking loudly and the headboard slamming gently against the wall..

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu..."

''Yessssssssssssss..."

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhh, this is sooooo nice..."

It was time to call Sissy...Lt. Sissy Van Buren-Clark...Philadelphia Criminal Investigation Division.

"Hi Kevin.." she said with that melodiously sexy voice of hers..

"Heyy Siss...I'm in New York.." I said.

"New York??" she said.

"I've got a case...Can you do me a favor?" I asked...

"You have to ask?" she said.

I smiled..I loved Sissy...

"I'm going to patch you a photo of a woman...Can you or Sharon run a facial recognition of her and get back to me?" I said.

''Sure" she said.

"Okay..I'm going to patch it to you." I said.

"Okay...I'll be waiting.." she said.

The noise in the bedroom got even louder...

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, put it on me...ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu..you are driving me crazy Eddie...Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.."

"Ouuuu baby...baby...yessssssssssssssssssssssssss......"

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.."

"This is what the boy needed..whoaaa...yeah, yeah,yeahhhhh!"

"Ohhhhhhh Eddie...don't stop...don't stop......ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu..."

Then Sissy called me back...

"Kevin...you caught a big fish....Her name is Valerie Borzhov...She is Russian Mafia...Thought to be a major narcotics distributor.....The DEA has been looking at her for a long time now...Never been able to pin anything on her though!" said Sissy..

"I thought they might."I said.

"What have you got to do with this?" asked Sissy.

"Nothing with her..I have a client who asked me to look into a young man, a recent New York export to Philadelphia...I followed him here and watched them exchange money and two gym bags, which I'm guessing is Meth,Heroin and Coke...all unstepped on for transport to Philly...

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, put it on me...ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu..you are driving me crazy Eddie...Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.."

"Ouuuu baby...baby...yessssssssssssssssssssssssss......"

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.."

"This is what the boy needed..whoaaa...yeah, yeah,yeahhhhh!"

"Ohhhhhhh Eddie...don't stop...don't stop......ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu..I need it...I need it sooo baddddd!"

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..."

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu..."

"Yesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!"

 They were making so much racket in that room that Sissy could hear the sounds coming over my recorder..

She laughed..

"Kevin...Should I uh be concerned about what is going on there?" she asked..

"Come on Sissy...They're in the room across from me...I followed them to this hotel...I figured this would be the best time to call you..While they are uh ,busy..."I said.

She howled with laughter...

''I can hear...Who is this guy you're following? He sounds like he knows what he's doing,"she asked..laughing.

''Yeah..In more ways than one...Sissy, you know I love you dearly....but I can't tell you just yet..My client has sworn me to secrecy...but soon..I promise..I'm going to give him to you...His whole operation..."I said.

Sissy smiled..

"I know you will...I trust you Kevin, you've been right too many times for me not to trust you." she said.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, put it on me...ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu..you are driving me crazy Eddie...Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.."

"Ouuuu baby...baby...yessssssssssssssssssssssssss......"

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.."

"This is what the boy needed..whoaaa...yeah, yeah,yeahhhhh!"

"Ohhhhhhh Eddie...don't stop...don't stop......ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu..." 

"Ohhh my god Valerie....this is sooo damn good..."

"Kevin....try not to have too much fun in New York Okay?" laughed Sissy..

"Oh never that Siss." I said and we both laughed..

"If your client is a woman...I'm guessing she won't be too pleased with what you've just discovered." said Sissy.

I couldn't tell Sissy that my client was in fact a man...A man in love with one of her close friends...and that he was right on the money about his rival..

"No I suppose not." I said...

"Be Easy, Kevin." said Sissy.

"Always babes." I said.

I bid New York City goodbye and headed back to Philadelphia..

IV-

Upon arrival in Philadelphia, there was a familiar face waiting for me at the train station...My wife, Sepia..

"Heyyyy Lover." she said and gave me a nice ,wet juicy kiss...

"Heyy girl..where's Kimmie?" I asked..

"Eva's got her..You've been very secretive about this latest case you've been on." she said.

"That's because I was investigating someone you know..."I said.

"Oh? Who?" she asked.

"Bridget" I said.

"Bridget Jones?" asked Sepia..

"Yeah...but as it turns out...She's good..." I said.

"I'm glad of that...I have an order coming to her store that I'd like to pick up..."said Sepia.

"But she could be dating a guy that's not so good."I said.

"You mean that slick guy from New York, Eddie Collins?"she said.

I smiled..

"No grass grows under your feet." I said.

"She talks about him...He's fine and all and shows her a good time...but she's suspicious of him..She thinks he's still basically a gangster..and get this..She thinks he has another woman." said Sepia..

"All this investigating and all I had to do was ask you, huh?" I said and scooped Sepia up in my arms and kissed her passionately....

She giggled like a school girl.

V-

I shared with Hoagie everything I had found out on Eddie Collins...He nodded and smiled...

"You really are good...You have photos, audio tape, video...Wow....The whole shootin match...." he said.

"Yeah...dude is getting drugs from a known Organized crime figure in New York City and selling to at least three clients in three different clubs here in Philly....I need to find out who these people are...Once I get that..I hand over what I know to the cops and Eddie Collins is out of your life!!!!" I said.

Hoagie smiled...

"Yeah...Good work Kevin."he said and slid me another envelope..Buy your wife something nice or your little girl..."he said.

"You okay Hoagie?" I asked..

"Yeah man...I'm fine." he said and got up and walked out into the Philadelphia night.

(TO BE CONTINUED)