Mister Public

Despite yesterday's balmy weather...Today was overcast...cloudy...The phone rang in Burt Haverford's downtown office... Burt Haverford, was two years older than Olivia and I..He was a Harvard trained lawyer who was a partner in the firm that Olivia once worked for...He had left and entered the world of Politics...He had served on City Council for a minute...Had been a big Union counselor when he had his own practice and now was the Head of the Philadelphia Civic Leauge..an organization that provided good publicity for the city's many business ventures and activities...He was constantly on Television or in the newspapers and magazines...He was voted one of the city's most eligible bachelors...He was on the Board of Directors of several organizations...nicknamed "Mr. Public." by the press...He basked in his celebrity...

He lived alone in a tony condo...  He sipped his morning brandy and looked out the
window...

"Hello."he said.

"Burt? I know you don't remember me...This is Olivia Bennett-Alexander..." said my wife..

He smiled..

"Liv...How could I forget you? We only worked together for what four years?? I see you and your little niece and your husband..on Television every now and then after you've repped somebody....You're as famous as me.."he laughed...

"Not you..Mister Public." she said.

"Ahhhhhhhh.."he said and they both busted out laughing...."So what do I owe the honor of your call?" he asked..

"Well...I have a client...A Mr. Frank Everett, who is coming to trial for the murder of Charles Davis of Atlanta... When I heard that you were one of the last people to see Mr. Davis alive I was shocked...A man of your stature...with a guy like him? A Reputed gangster."said Olivia..

There was a mild pause...An almost eerie quietness..

"Burt..Burt are you there?" asked Olivia..

"Uh..Yes..Yes.. Uh Liv..I now know that he was a reputed underworld figure...but at the time...I thought he was a businessman...An entreprenuer..He was up here on a legitimate business venture and being the President of the Civic Association..I met with him just that once to welcome him to the city...Nothing more to it..I didn't know he involved in nefarious dealings until after his uh untimely death." he said.

"Okay...Well..I have to check all of my bases....You being an attorney understand that...My husband, who is our investigator and my niece ,who is helping me with the case are on their way to your condo now...We just need a recorded statement and any other information you could provide." said Olivia..

"Well thank you for the heads up Liv...It was nice hearing from you again...Congratulations on your sucess..." he said.

"Oh Thank you Burt.." she said.

He hadn't hung up the phone five minutes before it rang again...This time it wasn't the warm sexy voice of Olivia...It was a more sinister voice...

"Hello Burt..Hows tricks ? HEH heh heh,heh,heh..." came the sinister voice....

"CARSON!" he said.

"Now now..No names please..." came the voice..

"WHAT DO YOU WANT??" said Burt Haverford....

"I'm giving you a heads up...Apparently Mr. Everett has gotten himself a lawyer, a real high profile lawyer....She and her niece and her husband may be paying you a visit...You do understand that you are to tell them nothing right?" came the voice..

"Why are you calling me? I did what you asked me to do...I did everything you asked me to do..You weren't supposed to be getting in contact with me anymore..WHY ARE YOU CALLING ME AND WHO GAVE YOU THIS NUMBER?" snarled Burt Haverford..

"Mr. Public...Come on now...Your number is not hard for a man with my resources to find...Just like I was able to find out some not so public things about you Mr. Public...Go look at your fax machine...And when you do, remember...Loose lips sink ships...I hope these photos will say a thousand words...Heh,heh,heh..See ya around..MISTER PUBLIC!...Heh,Heh,Heh...."

Several Faxes came through... These were recent photos taken of him...In one photo,he had a dog collar around his neck and was on his knees barking,while a tall well built blond man whipped him with a cat of nine tails... In another photo...He had a man's rock hard penis in his mouth, sucking and licking...In yet another damaging photo..several young men were ejaculating in his face...while he laughed with glee..He was nude in every photo...

These photos could not get out...If they did ,he would be ruined...He had thought that they had stopped spying on him and his secret activities once he had done what they asked him to do...But they hadn't...apparently they were still spying on him...And they owned him...He would never be free...

He gathered the faxed photos and put them in a portfolio and headed for the elevator...

II-

Beverly and I were enjoying a hot steaming plate of Shrimp and Grits...at Mabel Jenkins Soul Food Joint...

We had just finished eating..I was sipping my coffee...Beverly was applying lipstick and make up...

"Ready to go Shortcake?" I asked.

"Yeah..let's go..."she said...

I paid our bill and then walked over to Mabel and Anita Jenkins...

"Yall put your foot in this damn food this mornin...Made me feel like I was back home in Louisiana.."I said.

Mabel laughed...

"I know it did..Thank you Donnie Ray." she said.

"Only Louisiana gals can cook like this ."I added..

Anita smiled...

"Okay Shortcake..Let's hit it,before this guy goes somewhere.."I said.

''Auntay called him..told him we were coming."said Beverly as we got in her car and pulled off...

"This is so fun...I miss me and you goin out on these investigating missions."she said.

I smiled..

"Yeah..I missed them too." I said.

III-

As Beverly and I pulled up, Burt Haverford was leaving his condo and getting into his car..He was carrying his portfolio...

I called to him...

"Mr. Haverford...Can I have a word? I'm Donnie Ray Alexander...I'm an Investigator.."I said.

"I don't believe I Know you." he said,still continuing to get in his car...

"You don't...You know my wife, Attorney Olivia Bennett-Alexander....We work for her..."I said.

"Yes she called me this morning..She told me you would be coming."he said and got in his car,closed the door and pulled off...

I looked at Beverly...

"He just pulled off." said Beverly..

"That was weird...Buckle your seat belt Shortcake...We are goin for a ride..."I said and did a U turn..

He saw us following him and he sped up ,darting in and out of cars in mid-day traffic..

I had been a cop long enough to know how to follow a guy like this...He wasn't going to lose me that fast...

 This was getting ridiculous...Where was he going? Who was he running from? I couldn't answer both questions...but one was answered quickly....He ran into his waterfront condo...

Beverly and I gave chase....but he got on the elevator.....

She was still trying to see what floor he had gone to.....When we heard a ghastly sound....

"ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

I ran to the street and to my horror....Burt Haverford had leaped from the 24th floor ,head first...

His body crashed into the top of a Black Escalade that was double parked in the street!

The crowd gasped....

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" went several people...A small crowd gathered at the scene....

I put my hands over Beverly's eyes...It was a gruesome sight...His legs sticking straight up out of the SUV and blood splashed on it's windows and on the street....

Beverly giggled and removed my hand from her face...

"You're sweet...I see what Auntay means...She said that she has never felt as safe as when she knows you're around...That's how I feel D.R. When I'm with you...Like you'd die before you let anything happen to either one of us.."she said.

"I would Bev...You and your Aunt are all the family I have up here in the big city..."I said somberly...

She kissed me softly on the cheek..

"Come on...I found his floor." she said.

We found his room....I picked up the portfolio he had dropped on the floor...

Beverly looked around...

''Something or someone scared the hell out of him..." said Beverly....

"Yeah and I know what it was...He was being blackmailed...Take a look at these photos."I said and passed them to her...

In one photo,he had a dog collar around his neck and was on his knees barking,while a tall well built blond man whipped him with a cat of nine tails... In other photos...He had a man's rock hard penis in his mouth, He was sucking and licking...In yet another damaging photo..Several young men were ejaculating in his face...while he laughed with glee..He was nude in every photo...

 "OH MY GOD!!!! HE WAS A BIG FREAK!" said Beverly....

"All these years...a closeted gay man who engaged in uh let's say some pretty interesting activities.."I said.

Beverly laughed...

"Interesting activities huh?  That's a nice way to put it...Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwww.."she said...

"These faxes were sent today...They are time stamped...Somebody didn't want us talking to him,just like they didn't want Noah Byrd talking to us either...I see a pattern here...Dare I say conspiracy?" I said.

"Well at this rate...If we don't hurry up..Every living witness will be dead."said Beverly...

"Yeah..We are down to two.."I said.

We called Olivia and she met us at the scene of Burt Haverford's suicide....I showed her the photos..She cringed...

"Oh My God...I never knew..Never suspected....Burt....Gay?" she said...

"How bout Burt, FREAK?" said Beverly....

Olivia smiled...

"Yeah...That too. It explains why he was always on the most eligible bachelors list for years running" laughed Olivia..

Beverly and I cracked up....

"The photos are time stamped Livy....That means they were sent to him this morning." I said.

"Probably right after I talked to him...As soon as I mentioned that you guys were coming by to talk to him about Mr. Everett...He got very quiet."said Olivia.

"Auntay...Can you drive D.R. back?...I have somewhere I have to be...I'll see you guys in a few.." said Beverly...

''Everything alright baby?" asked Olivia.

"Yeah...It's all good."said Beverly...

IV-

 It was mid day...Beverly walked into the bar and looked around...She had stopped at home and had changed from a pants suit into a black mini skirt and some sandals....She saw Manny Spain sitting and enjoying a sandwich and a beer as she began walking towards him...A tall slender man blocked her path...

Manny raised his arm...

"It's okay June...I know her..."he said and smiled...

Manny Spain used to be a major drug dealer in Southwest Philly...He had several corners...Not only that ,he had several girls on his corners...selling pleasure as he liked to say... But that was back when Beverly and her Aunt had been public defenders.....Rumor had it that he had gotten out of the drug game...At least partially..He no longer had corners or hoppers and touts selling drugs for him...He no longer had girls selling their bodies for him...No Manny Spain had moved up and out...He lived in a downtown condo and he owned a couple of legitimate businesses...

Word on the street was that he still bought product from both New York and Atlanta and sold it to guys who still were in the street corner drug business...but that was his only involvement in such...You'd never see him around drugs or guns or anything tawdry like that now..

Beverly sat down at his table...He smiled and checked her out...She always had a bangin body...She had been his attorney once....Had kept him from going to jail....They were the same age...He had longed for a romp in the bed with her..He had propositioned her several times...but she had always turned him down...Not because she thought she was better than him....but because the man did nothing at all for her..She didn't find him the least bit attractive in any way.

"Ms. Beverly..It still is Ms. isn't it?" he said smiling at her salaciously...

"Yes..it still is.."she said..

"You look good...but then again...you always have." he said.

"I'm doing good." she said.

"Oh I know...In private practice with your Auntie...I've seen you two on TV....You're a big shot now..I tell people I knew you when you were a lowly underpaid Public Defender...That you kept me out of the joint....and they don't believe it..."he said...

"Funny how things turn out huh?" said Beverly...

"Yeah...You're in private practice....Making big money and me...I'm a businessman now..Totally legit..doin my thing...Funny how things turn out."he said.

"That's why I'm here...My Auntie and I have this client..Frankie Everett, you may have heard of him."said Beverly..

"I may have.."he said.

"We are just trying to get him out of jail...He's been accused of a crime that's way above his pay grade."said Beverly...

Manny Spain busted out laughing...

"Yeah...You got that right girlie..Way above his pay grade..He was always small potatoes...Never could see the bigger picture." he said...

"Not like you Right Manny?" said Beverly...

"No,Not like me."he said...

Damn this girl was sexy...It didn't make sense for someone that sexy to be a lawyer..he mused..

"Funny thing...Everybody we try to talk to just keeps dropping dead....The guy who's testimony got him locked up in the first place is shot to death in Camden.."she said.

"People get shot in Camden everyday...It's a dangerous place...I wouldn't live there."laughed Manny Spain...

"And Burt Haverford...You know him?" she asked..

"Mister Public..Who doesn't?" he laughed..

"Well ,he jumped out of the window of his waterfront condo today...He's dead.."she said.

Manny Spain looked surprised...He hadn't heard about that..He always thought Burt Haverford was weak...but not that weak...

"What? Really? Mister Public , dead?" he said.

"Yeah....Now I know your burner phone that you called him on this morning is long gone...But those nasty photos you faxed him...came from a business you own... But what do I know? I'm just a lawyer...but if I could trace those photos to your business..Some creative cop could very well do the same.." she said..

He looked at her salaciously...all he could think about was taking her skirt off and having an afternoon in some hotel room in bed with her....

"Bev...that's some old run and gun nonsense...from two years ago....I aint that guy anymore...I don't want that foolishness brought up again...I'm not on the streets anymore.."he said.

"The arresting detective made so many mistakes and they have taken so long to bring this case to trial that we might be able to get it dismissed.."said Beverly...

He smiled..

"Yeah?  But...there is always a but...You want something don't you Beverly?" he asked..

"I don't want anymore accidents to occur..Can I have your word on that Manny?" she asked..

"Bev..you really don't know me at all..I'm no killer...I'm not into all that gangster b.s. anymore...I'm so far beyond that it's not funny..."he said..

She knew he was lying...

"Bev..Can I ask you for something?" he said.

"I think I know how this is gonna go."she said.

"Me and you...You're not my lawyer anymore...You're still single...Me and you....Nice dinner....Nice Hotel...some wine...and you and I uh get acquainted in an erotic kind of way?" he said...

"Not going to happen.."she said..

"Look me in the eye and tell me you aint about it.."he said..

"Not even mildly interested.."she said..."Goodbye Manny.."she said and got up...

"Bye Beverly...it was nice seeing you again." he said..watching her intently as she walked out...

His lieutenant, the man he called June walked over to him...

"Boss is she going to be a problem?" he asked..

"Nah...She don't know nothin....She was fishin...Gotdamn she 's a fine piece of ass..I sure would like to tap that...She used to be my lawyer...I begged her for it back then too...She wasn't havin it.."he mused..

"I've seen her in court..She's datin another lawyer and guess who he is?" said June..

"Who?" asked Manny Spain..

"Fathead Newton's nephew..." he said..

"Damn...Fathead told me that his nephew was a lawyer...That lucky son of gun...I know she puts somethin on him in the bed..He probably don't know if he's coming or going.." said Manny....

June nodded...

"Yeah...What about the skirt and the degenerate gambler? You want em gone?" asked June..

"Nah..leave em alone...They won't say nothin..After Noah and the uh unfortunate demise of Mr. Public..They'll be too scared to say anything.." he said smiling.

 Beverly walked three blocks and looked behind her to make sure she wasn't followed and then got in the back seat of my car.

Olivia and I intercepted her at home when she was changing her clothes...She wasn't going to see Nelson, so we inquired as to where she was going...When she told us she was going to try and get something out of Manny Spain...I insisted she wear a wire...and Her Aunt insisted we follow in my car... Beverly grudgingly agreed...

Her Aunt hugged her...

''I was so worried about you baby." said Olivia.

"I don't know why Auntay...Manny Spain would never hurt me...He's sweet on me...and he has been since I repped him years ago...He was so horny in there just now if I had said "Panties" he would have came all over himself...But anyway...He didn't say anything we could use."said Beverly ,who took the small microphone out of her purse and handed it to me..

"He said enough...He's obviously afraid of something...And now it's up to us to find out what it is."I said.

(TO BE CONTINUED-)