Undertow

We followed Larry North to a nice tony little Bistro in San Diego's downtown....It was a rooftop bar, much like Mulberry Street in Philadelphia...

"This reminds me of Mulberry Street in Philadelphia ." said Olivia...

"Yeah minus the music." said Larry...

"Hmmm,I like this menu....It's reasonable..."I said.

"Donnie Ray you're in the big leagues now my man...Everything is reasonable...You aint a detective in New Orleans no more...You're a very high paid Investigator for your wife's prestigious law firm...You gotta start thinkin like that."joked Larry North who nudged me..

One thing I noticed was that he was definitely minding his manners..He wasn't all touchy feely with Beverly the way he had been in Texas...Hadn't touched her or said too much to her...

"You guys always buy...The first round of drinks is on me.."she said..

"Does that include me too?" asked Larry jokingly...

"Yes Larry...I'm not like that...It includes you too." she said..

Micro Brews seemed to be the rage now of days...and so we ordered that and some burgers...and of course fries...

"Ouuuuu these burgers are scrumpious..." said Olivia...as we munched on the burgers and downed beer after beer...

"So is your niece Livy, but then I've always thought that." he said ogling Beverly...

Beverly uncharacteristically didn't say anything and merely ignored him...It was too good to be true I suppose...

Larry continued to drink and continued to ogle Beverly's cleavage..

"By the way...Didn't you have a cousin....she was an attorney too....Kayla??" he asked..

"Yes..She was up to visit us about a month a go...She's living in Atlanta...working private practice."said Olivia..

"Yesssss...Yesssss...I met her a couple of times before she moved to New York..That's where she went first... Nice lookin girl.." he said...and got very quiet...Olivia and I looked at each other...

Larry eased over next to Beverly....She had drank a few more of the beers than normal and had a little buzz...

"Sooooo, how have you been Beverly? It has been awhile..."he said...

"I've been just fine..."she said and smiled..

''Damn Bev, you sure are looking good tonight." he said lustfully..

"Thank you Larry....Again!!!"she said.

"Why don't you and I go grab a booth together and talk?" he said.

"I'm good right here with D.R. and Auntay." she said.

He smiled and downed two more beers....

''Waiter...Another round for my friends."he said.

A slow song came on the outdoor juke box.....

He looked at Bev....

"You wanna dance?..I love this song." he said..

Surprisingly...Beverly said...

"Alright..I'll dance with you, I like this song too!...Don't get fresh..don't squeeze my booty or my boobies...and don't try to kiss me.."she said.

"Okay..."he agreed...

And to his credit....He didn't do any of those things...They danced for two consecutive slow records...

During the second dance,Beverly allowed her head to lie on Larry's shoulder...

"Damn girl..I forgot how soft and curvaceous your body is....It still feels gooood."said Larry in her ear softly...

Beverly smiled...but said nothing...

Larry was smooth ,I'll say that.....

They played yet another slow record...

Were they trying to give people a hint that it was time to go? This would have never of happened in New Orleans or Philadelphia for that matter...

By now Olivia and I were dancing slow...

Beverly really looked out of it...She and Larry were still dancing slow...His arms creeped around her waist and eventually around her butt...She didn't move his hands..and they continued dancing... Larry kissed her on the cheek several times..

She didn't protest....They continued dancing...

"Damn girl...you feel so good..." he said...

''So do you."was all Beverly would say...

His eyes got as wide as saucers and he continued dancing with her...

"Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm..."he moaned...

"You okay?"asked Beverly...

"I'm just fine...Damnnnn girl...."he moaned..

"Ouuuu what is that I'm feelin?" whispered Beverly....

''What do you think?" said Larry smiling sheepishly...

"Ummmmm.."laughed Beverly...

"You know...we uh could go back to your place and you uh could get a better look at it.."he said.

"You can come back with me...but I'm not going to be doing that...So calm yourself down..."said Beverly..

"Damn girl..when you gonna stop playin with me?" whispered Larry...

"I'm not playing Larry...I'm with somebody....You know that..Now come on be nice..Let's not fight.."she said, smiling at him..

He smiled sheepishly himself as the record ended...He and Beverly appeared to be talking quietly in a corner...even laughing.

''Will Wonders never cease?" asked Olivia ,laughing at her niece, who she knew was a little tipsy..possibly a little horny too. "Larry may finally get lucky tonight."she mused.

''Sooooo many layers to the Beverly Onion..."I said laughing...

II-

The next morning ,I was up early...had showered and shaved and was looking out at the city from the balcony of our hotel...

 Olivia had gotten out of the shower and was getting dressed....I felt a cool summer breeze blow past me...

''Wow this is beautiful..." I said....

Olivia walked out on the balcony....She put her arms around my waste and nuzzled her head on my back..

''What's beautiful Donnie Ray?" she asked...

"You...this view....this great weather...Mannn,I love it...I love being here with you..."I said.

"I love being here with you too!....I wish we were just here on vacation and not involved in this case with this scary man."she said...

Just then, there was a knock on our door...It was Beverly....

I let her in.....

''Wellll ,how are you?" I asked...

"I'm fine...Why wouldn't I be?" she asked...

"No Hangover??" I asked giving her the serious side eye...

"No!" she said plainly.....

"You and Larry appeared to have buried the hatchet last night." said Olivia softly...

"His behavior is better...but I still don't trust him....Do you know he got an erection while we were slow dancing?" she said.

"Shortcake....The man is crazy about you....You know that...Why wouldn't he? It is perfectly normal.."I said..

Olivia cracked up laughing....... Then her phone rang....

"Let me get this..."she said...

It was Richard Graves!!

"Olivia..I'm at police headquarters..."he said.

"You got arrested?" she asked..

"I don't believe so...They just asked me to come down for some questioning..." he said..

"Okay...don't answer any questions....I'll be right down."said Olivia..."They got Richard....The Police...We have to go to him."said Olivia to Beverly...

 "The rental car is downstairs....Saddle up ladies."I said.

III-

 We drove to the San Diego Police Department where Richard Graves was sitting quietly in the interrogation room...He was eating a ham and cheese sandwich and drinking a tumbler of coffee..

He and a Detective were talking quietly....

"Detective...I'm telling you...I didn't write any letter to the police department  telling them that there was a body to be found...because I didn't know about any body...and if I killed Barbara....like you all seem to think...Why would I do that?" he said calmly and munched on his Ham and Cheese sandwich...

The Detective pulled out a crudely written note...The author had cut letters out of the paper and pasted them on a piece of paper mache' and mailed the ominous letter to the San Diego P.D. telling them that "You can find the body of a woman at his address__________"

Olivia stormed into the precinct...

''Richard, don't say another word..."she said...

The detective ,who was black looked at her and smiled salaciously....

''Is she your lawyer?" he asked..

"That she is..." said Richard Graves...

"Mannn...she is sayin a taste...Not bad Richard..." he said still checking Olivia out and smiling..

"Detective?" asked Olivia..

"That would be Detective Glenn Powell miss..I didn't catch your name..."said the detective, still smiling...

"That would be MRS..Olivia Bennett-Alexander......Is my client under arrest?" she asked..

"No Mam he is not...We just asked him to come down and answer a few questions.."he said..

"Do you plan to charge him with anything?" asked Olivia..

"Not today.."said the detective...

"Then we are out of here..Richard, take that coffee with you..."she said.

"You guys got any mayonaise for this sandwich?" asked Richard Graves..

"Nah Man,I'm afraid we don't."said Detective Powell..

Richard Graves frowned...

"How bout mustard?" he asked...

"Hey man, this aint a deli...No!"said the detective...

Beverly giggled...

"Hurry up and finish that sandwich." she said..

Richard finished it .......

Detective Powell looked Beverly up and down...

"You two sisters?" he asked..

"That's my aunt....I'm Mr. Graves attorney also.." she said..

"You married?" he asked..

"Why? You lookin to get married?" she asked..

"I could be...You're a bit young for me..and your aunt is already taken.."he joked...

At this point I chimed in...

"Yes, she is..She's been married to me for close to a year now."I said.

He looked at me and smiled...

"Lucky man.." he said."Smart man, taken her off the market...You a lawyer too?" he asked.

"No...I'm the investigator for the firm...I used to be a Homicide detective back in New Orleans.."I said.

''You guys from New Orleans?" he asked.

"No..Philadelphia...I live there now.. Philadelphia is his home town."I said.

"Ohhhhh,I see.."He said.

I looked at the cryptic note on the table...

"That's all you got?   Come on man...I'm guessing his prints and his DNA are not on this letter..." I said.

"And how would you guess that?" he asked..

"If they were...You'd be charging him right now.."I said.

He smiled..

"Yeah, you were on the job...I can tell.."he laughed..

"We are leaving now....Next time..get a warrant or talk to me."said Olivia...

"I'd love to talk to you counselor....ahhh, if you were single."he said smiling from ear to ear...

Olivia,Beverly, Richard Graves and I walked out...

"Richard, don't volunteer to come down here and answer any questions anymore okay?" said Olivia.

"Okay Livy, you're the boss.." he said.

''Doesn't look to me like they have much..if anything.."I said.

"She was killed two weeks ago...Just days after ADA Nina Rios said she was reopening the case of my missing wife and days after I arrived in town from Philly.."said Richard Graves...

''Why are you out here?" asked Beverly...

"I like the beaches...the weather...I love California... I'm a rich man Ms. Beverly....I have nothing to do but count my money...So when I get my druthers...I take a trip...You and you Aunt are making good money..One day you'll be doing the same thing."he said and smiled..

"We aint ballin like you...Not yet."laughed Beverly...

"Ballin....Hahahahah...You don't think I know what that means...I do...when I was briefly incarcerated ,I hung out with the brothas..."he said laughing...''Your Auntay as you call her ,always got me off the hook..I love her...."he said.

''Richie...The cops don't appear to have anything to even arrest you on...Why are we here?? I feel like we are just wasting your money."said Olivia..

"They're fishin Livy...They didn't show you everything they think they got...But I got a feelin they'll be back and with a warrant." he said as he sipped his coffee..

"Give me that tumbler when you finish don't deposit it in any trash can around here..Let me dispose of it."said Olivia..

She looked at Richard..

''Tell me the truth Richard....Did you kill Barbara?" asked Olivia.

"Livy...Baby...I didn't kill her...I had no reason to..and I didn't kill my wife either...I don't know if she is living or dead....It's been ten years ,she might be dead...I don't know..ADA Rios wouldn't have found out anything
about that from Barbara..I didn't talk to Barbie about my wife...I tried to forget all about that little unpleastentry...It's all in the undertow.." he said.

"The undertow?" said Olivia..."That was your wife." she said.

"It still is..we never seperated or formally divorced...but for ten years...I or no one else has seen or heard from her....She could be dead...She could very well be alive and if she is alive she obviously has tossed me into the undertow.."said richard just as non-chalant as could be, which I found un nerving...This man was creepy as all get out....I could see why Olivia didn't want to spend anytime alone with him.Neither did I.

Plus he was badly in need of a bath and a shave and mouthwash!

"You had breakfast?" I asked him...

"Yeah...That Ham and Cheese Sandwich and Coffee...I'll be alright.." he said.

''Can we drop you off somewhere?" I asked.

"Yes...I'm renting a house..not far from here.." he said.

"Okay ,hop in."I said.

Olivia and Beverly sat in the back...Richard sat up front with me...He wasn't funky....Just smelled like a bath wouldn't hurt his chances at a decent social life.

I drove him to his rental home...Then we got some chinese take out and went back to our hotel...

The three of us sat out on our balcony and looked out at the city of San Diego...

"It's so beautiful out here.."said Beverly...

"It is..Have you talked to Nelson?" asked Olivia...

"I faced timed him last night..." said Beverly...." I know you all thought that me and Larry got it in.. after he came back to my room with me..but that didn't happen...He came back by here after dinner..Against my better judgement I let him come in...We talked ,caught up a bit...and he was out of my room by one o'clock..Then I called Nelson and we talked for about an hour.

"That was it? I mean you and Larry North... Yall just talked?" I asked..

''We didn't screw if that's what you think!!...but not from the lack of him  trying...He asked me if he could spend the night...I told him no...Offered to sleep on the couch....Said he wouldn't touch me..I told him no again...Then he tried to kiss me as we went to the door...I turned my head so he couldn't...Same old Larry...Can't take a hint... He said..."I know you felt something because I certainly felt something.."said Beverly laughing...

"Yeah,I know what you felt...I'm sorry baby...I forgot that he was out here...I might not have asked you to come.."said Olivia..

"Are you kidding Auntay???...And me miss a chance to be in Cali again??...Nooooooo,I can handle Larry North.." she said.

After awhile...Beverly left to go down to her room...

"Tomorrow we'll go shoe shopping Auntay."she said as she left.

''Sure thing Bev."

I put my arms around Olivia and kissed her neck...

"This is almost like a paid vacation...We don't have anything to do..."I said..

Olivia turned and kissed me..

"Yeah...how about that?" she said as I kissed her passionately...

The phone rang....

"Ignore that.." I said in between more sloppy kisses..

It kept ringing...

''I can't Donnie Ray...It might be important.."said Olivia..easing out of my embrace...

She picked up her smart phone...

It was Richard Graves...

"Livy...I told you something was up...THE FBI just arrested me!!! ....I'm at the federal building.."said Richard Graves..

''The FBI?? For what?" asked Olivia..

"Interstate Flight to avoid Prosecution for Murder." he said.

"Oh Nina is stretching here..." said Olivia.."Sit tight...we'll be down." said Olivia..

"Federallis huh?" I said.

''After ten years...He's being charged with the murder of his wife!!!." said Olivia..

"I'll go and get Bev." I said...

TO BE CONTINUED-