My wife, Sepia was home with the baby and her friends, Bonita Foxworth, her business partner, Eva Carona,our new friend, Josie Boyd, Bernadette ,the hair dresser and Sheila..Sean Jackson's wife. A kind of girl's night...
I headed to Josies where I saw Clerow, Owen Todd, Lockpick Johnson and Sean Jackson all whooping it up at one table , while Chris Thompson, Chess, Donald Smooth and a few of their associates were at yet another table munching on barbecued wings and drinking micro brews....
"Go easy there counselor.." I said..
"Hey Kev" said Chance...
"Hey Chance.." I said...
Robert Foxworth came up for air and smiled...
"Heyy Kev..What's shakin babes?" he said..I could tell he was already drunk...
I just laughed and shook my head...
I walked up to the counter and said hello to my main man, Gus...The owner and head bartender...
"That was your girl, Honey Brown's idea... I was hesitant at first...but hell it's brought me a whole new younger clientele..She was right on the money.."laughed Gus..
"Making her your manager and chief of staff was a good idea huh?" I said..
He laughed..
"Sure was...She's been with me since she got out of high school...She has a head for business.."he laughed...
Just then Honey Brown walked by..
"Honey Bee.." I said...
She walked over to me and looked around and gave me a soft sensual kiss in the lips...We had been doing this since we were teenagers and what surprised me was that it never led to anything beyond that.. It surprised her too!
"Ouuuuuuu, both of us is gonna wind up divorced one of these days if we keep this up..."she laughed..
"I won't tell if you won't.."I laughed... My wife,Sepia was at home and her husband, Organist, B-Flat was in New York with the Liquid Love Band...
"The man who asked about you is here...Over there in that booth drinking himself silly." she said and pointed..
"Thanks Doll." I said as I got up and walked towards the booth.
This ,even though it was Friday...Was business...
My name is Kevin Morris...I am a Private Investigator...
II-
The man, Franklin Trevor "Hoagie" Carmaichel wasn't just anybody...He was a lawyer..a very established lawyer...Called the dean of Black Philadelphia lawyers...The list of people he mentored was a who's who of every attorney I knew...ADA Keith Wallace,My good friend, Attorney, Robert Foxworth, Attorney, Olivia Bennett-Alexander, Beverly West, her niece, Nelson East, her boy friend....Celeste Tate, former ADA, now in private practice, Soloman Foster, former ADA ,now in private practice, FBI Deputy SAC, Sharon Hopkins, who is also a skilled attorney... Chance Howard, Cole and ADA,Nina Rios.. They all say that Hoagie was a genius and a great teacher...It must have been true...because every last one of them was a brilliant litigator in their own right...
So you have to understand...I was honored when he called me and asked to see me..
He looked around....
"Hey man..my name is "Hoagie.." I'm Mister Carmaichel when I'm in court..."he said and smiled and shook my hand....
"Okay..Hoagie....Your reputation precedes itself...I've heard much about you.." I said.
"And so does yours....The cops ,the FBI,The DEA all say you're the best private investigator money can buy...and even a few lawyers say so...." he said...He passed me one of the five drinks he ordered that he hadn't gotten around to drinking..
"Here drink this."he said.
"I'm a fairly good judge of people...and a man who is sitting alone and drinking like you has got something on his mind...." I said.
He was silent...He passed me an envelope...I had 10G's in it...
He was silent for awhile...I put the envelope in my suit jacket pocket...
"You ever been in love Kevin? Ever love a woman?" he asked...
"Yeah..I'm married to her."I said.
"Good for you.....I would marry this woman if I could..." he said.
"Okayyyyyy...Who are we talking about?"I said.
"A woman you know....She was your client once I heard...Which is why I'm hiring you..." he said.
"Oh?" I said...I had had some pretty foxy clients over the years....my last one being young Eva Corona...and before her, Josie Boyd....Olivia Bennett-Alexander, Beverly West, Carol Redding, Sharon Ferrell-Hopkins to name a few..I thought to myself..
I looked up and three women I knew walked into the bar...
Lt.Sissy Van Buren, looking nothing like a cop tonight in a skin tight red dress that acentuated every curve...Lawd that woman was something...I mused...
And my former client and businesswoman, owner of Lady Chatterlies Lover, Panties and Bras for the discriminating woman..Bridget Jones..
Hoagie sighed......
I looked at him...
"Very good..." he said.
"Not really....Sissy and Angie are married..recently married at that...It wasn't hard...but I thought Bridget and my man Chazz were involved?" I said ,puzzled..
"No..They kind of cooled their relationship off months ago..."he said..
"And you're seeing her?" I asked..
"Well uh,not exactly...We've been out a couple of times and I've paid her a visit a few times...but she may be in a little bit of trouble..,which is why I called you." he said.
"Trouble?" I asked.
"Yeah...Lately, she's been seen with one of her late father's Lieutenants...a New York guy named Eddie Collins...Just moved here a few months ago...He's been at both of her stores a lot and she's been seen out with him..."said Hoagie.
"Maybe they are dating..."I said.
"Could be...but he's not the romantic type...If he's around...Something is a foot." said Hoagie..
"Come on Hoagie...Her best friends are the Lieutenant of Homicide and all of her female detectives...The Deputy Special Agent in charge of the FBI and the Area Special Agent in Charge of the DEA are her friends and frequent customers...He'd have to be a fool to be trying to shake her down or
puttin the squeeze on her.." I said.
"That's what I want you to find out Kev...And I want you to keep this completely confidential...I don't want her knowing at all...nor her cop friends..." he said.
"You're willing to pay me this much dough to do so little?" I asked..
"Point taken.." I said.
"Just find out if she and Eddie Collins are dating or if he's into something else...I just want to know that's she's alright...If she's cool and she's legitimately dating the guy then...Well then I'll move on..but like I said..This guy is a stone cold gangster....If he's around...Chances are he's up to no good."said Hoagie.
III-
"Ladies and Gentlemen, we got a real treat for you.....It's been months...but our prodigal son has returned to Philadelphia and Josies....Everybody give a warm welcome and show your love to REED NELSON and his boy "88" on the ivories....!!" he said..
I hadn't seen Reed myself in a few months...It was good to see them both playing again...The crowd agreed...
I even saw Gus...snapping his fingers to the music and clapping his hands...
Just then Bridget walked over to where Hoagie and I were sitting... Reed had just finished his first set.
"Bridget!!! How are you doing? Sit down."he said...
She sat down..He smiled...
I got up...
"Oh I didn't want to break anything up..."she said..
I felt like I was taking this man's money, like there wasn't much for me to do...
As I walked towards the bar...I ran into Sissy...
"Hey girl...Haven't seen you out much." I said.
"I'm a married lady now Kevin....but my hubby is out with Keith Wallace, Rico,Duke and Basil Robinson tonight ,so I'm out with my girls..." she said.
"Where is the rest of your girls?" I asked..
"Carlotta is at Tyriq's house with Sirena and the kids...Sharon and Hop are probably at home...in bed and Hazel is on her way here." said Sissy...
"My wife and her friends are at my house tonight.."I said..."I'm just out gettin a little air."I said.
"Not working tonight huh?" she said..
"Nope." I said.
"I saw you talking to Hoagie..." she said.
"Yeah, just conversation...We are in each other's fan club."I laughed...I then asked Sissy...
"So those two...?" pointing at Hoagie and Bridget...
"Wow...Her date card is full."I laughed...
"Why? You want to date her too?" laughed Sissy...
"I'm a happily married man." I said.
"You'd better stay that way too..."laughed Sissy...
"I promise you...I plan to." I laughed..as I walked away...
From a distance...Angie smiled and waved at me..
I got a text just then....It was Hoagie....He was texting me....Eddie Collins's Philadelphia address...
I smiled...
The night was young...I had a few hours to kill...
I left Josies and got in my car....I drove off into the warm, early spring night air...
And so here we go...A new case had just begun...
10 comments:
Kev is back....Yayyyy!
Glad Kev is back...He'll always be my favorite of your series..!
Nice to read a Kevin mystery!
This looks like it's going to be classic Kevin...
Ahhhh Another Kevin Mystery! Epic!!!
This looks like it's going to be good...At any rate..If it's Kevin..I know the mayhem is coming!
I like Hoagie from your Olivia Bennett stories...Nice to see him and Kevin link up!
Nice to see Bridget in a story..I remember when she was first Kevin's client...Glad she's back!
Just the premise of this story has gotten me interested.!
Nice beginning...Can't wait to see where this leads...
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