Mr. Robinson

A few days later, my wife Sepia sat in the new  Brewery, having beers with Bridget Jones, Minay and Cherry Johnson...The managers of Victoria's Secret and two other Lingerie Stores..

 "Wow this is so nice...A Girls night out....Your last one before you get hitched Minay."said Cherry Johnson.

 ''Aww Thanks Ladies..and cheers to our new friend and competitor, Bridget Jones.." said Minay as she raised a glass..

 ''Awww thank you...So tell us Sepia..Here we are the main purveyors of all things Panties and Bras and only you were present at Ms. Panties 2016."said Bridget Jones.

"I was only there because my husband was working there that night...Dag Faversham is his client.." said Sepia..

"I heard...I heard someone stole the rare Golden Panties...Is that what Kevin is investigating?" asked Cherry Johnson.

"Yes...He has been on it for the past week.."said Sepia.

"I've been to a couple of those Ms. Panties pageants...But they're mostly for horny old men.."said Bridget...

''And horny young men."said Minay..

They all laughed...

''So you all don't buy from Dag Fabersham?" asked Sepia..

"Sure we do..but we don't need to go to Ms. Panties to see his new stuff...Victoria's Secret has it's own pageant you know...And Dag comes around ever so often with his new designs..."said Cherry....

"I confess...I do go to yours."laughed Bridget Jones...

Just then  a waiter walked over to their table with more Micro brews

"Is one of you Mrs. Sepia Morris.?" he asked.

"I am she..Who wants to know?" asked my wife Sepia..

"The gentleman over there has a box for you." he said pointing to the handsome well dressed Black man two tables away who was sitting by himself..

It was the Mysterious Christopher Robinson....He smiled and waved..

"Ouuuu Sepia...He's fine......You steppin out on Kevin?" giggled Bridget...

"No...but this guy has been following me and just showing up places I've been since he saw me at Ms. Panties 2016...Excuse me girls...let me see what he wants." said Sepia.

"Oh you know what he wants."laughed Minay as Sepia walked over to his table..

Bridget and Cherry both laughed...

"Christopher...I do believe you're stalking me."said Sepia with a smile..

He didn't say anything...He passed her a box...

"Give that to your husband...I think he's been looking for this.." he said..

Sepia opened the box and found the Golden Panty and Bra set..

"Oh My God...How did you get this?" she asked..

"I stole it....Frank Burke is not a man of honor...He took your husband's money a few nights ago and told him when he finds me he'd give him these...He wouldn't have..He'd of found something else for him to have to do..I broke into his house and blew his safe and took this and 500K in cash and about a million in jewelry...Retirement money...I'm leaving town..." he said.

"My husband told me you hit Frank Burke for 12 million" said Sepia..

Christopher Robinson smiled.

"I did...and he'll never see a penny of that blood money again...The United Negro College Fund and several HBCU's in the area will suddenly find their coffers fatter Monday morning...I gave it all away..I didn't keep a penny." he said.

"Why? "she asked....

"Because after all the bad I've done...I wanted to do something good...Goodbye Mrs. Sepia Morris...It was a pleasure seeing you again..." he said and got up and walked out of the Brewery..

"Ouu girl what was that about?..He was cute." said Cherry .

"He returned these." said Sepia.

"Bullocks!!!...It's the Golden Panties and Bra set."said Minay.

"He re- stole them and he's returning them."said Sepia..

''Girl what did you do to him? Usually a guy is trying to take your panties...Not give them to you." asked Bridget,laughing..

''Nothing...I let him buy me a drink Friday Night...That was it." said Sepia..

"Must have been some drink." said Cherry. As all four women broke into raucous laughter!

II-

 At the very moment ,I was in the basement headquarters of Morris Communications with my guys trying to find him..

"Guys, Clerow, Sean Jackson,Owen Todd and myself have been walking the streets for the past few days talking to any and everybody who has known this man, gone to school with him, slept with him, worked with him and no one has seen him or so they say...Tell me something good.."I said as the four of us sat down..

Peeping Tom smiled.

"Well that's the old fashioned way...Asking  around...We are using other cameras to search for him...We are using Traffic Cams, Street Cams, ATM Cams and business cams all over the city ,along with facial recognition to find him...We got the Airports covered,The Train Station and the bus stations.." he said.

"I have an idea." I said..I have the phone that that freak Kamazi was texted from a few days ago with the phony message from Robinson....He got that text in the bar...the one in Strawberry Mansion..That bar has free WIFI..There is no password to use it..Analyze all the phones fitting the phony number that texted Kamazi."I said.

The ex-KGB operative smiled..

"You'd of made a good spy Kevin.." he said..

It took a few minutes....and then...

''We are in luck...He's still carrying that burner phone..We are locked in on him..We got him Kevin..We know exactly where he is..In a few minutes..We may be able to get a visual..." said a former CIA operative friend of Peeping Tom..

"Good stay on it.."I said..My phone was ringing..It was Sepia.

"Hey babes..You'll never guess what I have?" she said.

''hghOhhhh'I know what you have...and I want some of it." I said ,smiling...Actually glad to hear from her and having a change of subject...

"Oh hush up Nasty....I'm sending you a picture.." she said laughing..

 She did and I was shocked..

It was the Golden Panties.

"How did you get these?" I asked...

"Mr. Robinson was here tonight at the Brewery...He gave them to me..Told me to give them to you..."she said.

''Where are you?" I asked.

"The panties and I are at home.."she said..

"Ummmmm...I like knowing that."I said.

"Oh Hush up nasty man and get home!" said Sepia..

"YES MAM!" I said laughing...

"You are impossible...."laughed Sepia...

I smiled..

"Gentlemen...Our case is closed...We have the panties!"I said.

"What?" asked Clerow..

"Huh?" said Lockpick Johnson...

"Christopher Robinson returned them to my wife..We have them...but keep a line on Robinson...I still need to find him..It's just not priority." I said.

III-

Dag Faversham was beside himself with Glee the next morning..

''Kevin,I never thought I'd see these again...Thank you sooo much..." he said.

''Put em someplace safe this time." I said.

"Oh you bet I will." he said.

He paid me handsomely and shook my hand..

"Thank you again..." he said..

Another satisfied customer.

I walked out to my car , where my wife Sepia and Kool Kat awaited me..

''And that concludes your case huh?" said my wife Sepia.

"Yeah,I guess it does.."I said.

"Old Frankie Burke must be goin crazy...He's out of 12 Million and he lost the Golden Panties ,his bargaining chip...He must be furious..."said Kool Kat...

"He took a tremendous hit..I imagine he is doubling up on finding Christopher Robinson.."I said.

"Christopher Robinson is as good as dead isn't he?" asked Sepia..

"Pretty Much....Unless he's got an end game of some type planned." I said.

IV-

At his bar in Strawberry Mansion...Gangster Frank Burke sat in a booth sipping wine...He had two of his trusted bodyguards with him...

"Mr. Burke..I got a line on Robinson..One of the boys in one of the  drug crews spotted him and I think I got an address." said one of the bodyguards..

"Good work Benzie...You go and get some boys and get some baseball bats and some pipes...You go visit this punk and beat him within an inch of his life...but don't kill him....Once he's helpless, you call me...I'm gonna come and put the fatal bullet in his brains....This will send a message to anyone who tries to short me or steal from me...It's been awhile since I've had to make an example out of somebody...Perhaps people need reminding.." he said..

Two loud gunshots were heard!..

''What the hell?" said Frank Burke..

He looked up and saw his driver walking toward him...

"Carlo!! What was that? Somebody shoot a gun?"asked Frank..

"It was me Frank...I just took out Leo and Ralphie..."said Carlo.

"WHAT?  YOU DID WHAT?" exclaimed Frank Burke..

Carlo said nothing...He went in his coat and pulled out some glossy photos...Photos of his fiance and Frank Burke nude and in bed making sweet love.....

Frank Burke looked like he had drank a can of paint...

"How did you get these? Who took these photos?" he bellowed..obviously embarrassed...

"Is that it Frank? That's all you care about?? Who took the damn photos??  Who took the damn photos??I don't give a damn about who took em...That's my fiance...The woman I was going to marry...And you're in bed with her..Screwing her...Damn Frank!! How long I been drivin for you ? Huh? All the women ,All the women you can have and you have to take her?? MY FIANCE?? DAMN FRANK?" said Carlo...

"Look Kid...I'm sorry....It was just one of those things!" said Frank Burke...

Carlo smiled..

"One of those things eh Frank? YEAH?? Well this is one of those things you bastard!!" he said and produced a .357 mag, much like Kool Kat's gun..

For the first time, Frank Burke had fear in his eyes...

"Carlo...For god sakes..Put that gun away....Huh? COME ONNN!!! All this over a broad?" he said...

That would be his last words in life..

Carlo fired twice...the first bullet hit Frank Burke in the chest....the second went between his eyes and and exited out the back of his head....!!!

He fell face first on the table , dead......

One of the other men with him pulled his .38 and opened fire, riddling Carlo's torso with shots...Carlo fired again, shooting him between the eyes and killing him instantly...

The other man pulled his gun out, but Carlo blasted him two times before he could get a shot off...The force of the shots knocked him backwards across the floor...Then Carlo dropped his gun and attempted to walk to the front door as shocked patrons ducked under their tables and behind the counters...He was bleeding profusely from his wounds....

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhh lord.....I don't believe it...I-I-I've been shot...awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.."he moaned...

Unfortunately....Carlo collapsed at the door and died himself...

An hour later ,Kool Kat and I stood on the side and watched as the bodies were taken out of the Bar...

"Damn Kev...I often wondered how Frank Burke's story would end...Would he retire like Fathead Newton did? Or would the cops finally lock his old hateful ass up...I never thought one of his own guys would do him in."said Kool Kat.

"Yeah...How about that?  He was sleeping with his long time driver's fiance...And I guess the guy just snapped...Killed Burke and all of his goons...And they lit him up so bad, he died too.." I said..

It was a bloody ,grisly scene..Six people shot to death...blood everywhere... Lt. Sissy Van Buren stood to the side with ADA Nina Rios..who was vomiting on the corner at the gruesome sight..

"It's alright Nina...Get a hold of yourself.." said Sissy as she rubbed Nina Rios's back...

"Oh My God...Aye Mios Dios...So much blood!" she exclaimed...

Detective Edwin "Duke" Baylor was standing on the corner writing the entire thing up and talking to some uniformed policemen..

 "End of an era.....The last of the big bosses takes a fall.." said Duke.

"Duke, a lot of the independent drug crews are probably rejoicing today...They hated having to kick up their profits to this guy....but we police loved it..He kept em in line..Kept things quiet around here..With the old man gone..It's gonna be the wild wild west around here." said an Officer..

"I know man...but he was bad news himself for a long time...You can't say you didn't see this coming." added Duke..

"Yeah you right...but it had been years since a murder was attributed directly to him." said the officer.

His partner..Detective Angela Belton-Barlow  and Forensic Investigator, Dr. Hazel Baylor watched as the last of the bodies was loaded onto the Medical Examiner's van...

"Damn, what a mess.." said Angie..

"I know....I lived in Strawberry Mansion for awhile when I was a little girl...and Frank Burke has always been the man in power...Hard to believe he's gone.I can't remember what it was like before he took power..." said Hazel...

"Come on Kools, Let's go....This story is over." I said as we got in my car and pulled off...The King of Strawberry Mansion was dead!  Long live the King!

EPILOUGE-

 The Next day, Christopher Robinson packed one bag and prepared to leave his apartment...You can imagine his surprise when he saw Sepia standing there...

"I take it you're leaving ?" she said.

He smiled..

"Mrs. Morris...And if you're here....Your husband can't be too far behind!!"he said ,before I stepped out of the shadows...

''So at last we meet" I said.

He smiled...

"Wow...You are good...You found me..." he said.

"I did...It took awhile...but I did..."I said.

He smiled and shrugged his shoulders...

"I suppose the cops aren't far away huh?" he said.

"Cops?? For what?? They have no evidence against you for anything..The Golden Panty and Bra set you stole have been returned and Frank Burke and his crew are dead...They did it themselves...You're free and clear....I just came to say..........Thank you....Game well played...You were a worthy adversary Mr. Robinson.."I said.

He shook my hand....

"As were you Kevin...blocking my hack and nuking my system and almost discovering my whereabouts....I've never faced anyone quite as good as you Kevin...I'm glad you're a Private Investigator and not a cop or Fed."he said.

"By the way....That thing with Frank Burke sleeping with his driver's fiance...That was you wasn't it?" I asked.

He smiled..

"It was Fabersham's dad actually...He hated Burke and he hated that Burke owned his restaurant and bar that he had worked so hard for..He mentioned to me that Burke had been sleeping with his own driver's fiance for close to a year and that the driver didn't know it...I made sure he knew it and I figured he'd either go to the cops and betray his boss or handle it himself..(Carlo was a known hot head...)Which as it turns out..he did..So it worked out just fine..better than fine."said Christopher Robinson..

"Well played..Well Played..I couldn't have done that any better myself."I said.

"He wasn't ever gonna give you those panties and that bra set back."said Christopher Robinson...

"I know...I was planning to steal them..but you beat me to it.."I said.

"Yeah....I felt as though I owed you that! Oh and that suitcase with one million dollars and a half that you paid Burke...It was delivered back to Dag Fabersham this morning..With the entire content intact... He can open those dummy accounts and uh do whatever he wants to do with that money now..." he said.

"So what now Mr. Robinson?" I asked.

"I'm going to a new city....Somewhere far, where the beer is cold ,the air is warm and I don't know any of the players...Maybe I'll find me what you have...a wife like Sepia and settle down...Do something different with my life...I got a half a milli of Burke's money in cash...and over a million in jewelry...That's good enough to start over with anywhere."he said and winked at Sepia.

"Sepia's a once in  a lifetime woman."I said smiling at my wife..

"No Doubt!" he said.

Sepia smiled...

I shook his hand...

"Good Luck Mr. Robinson....Be Easy."I said.

"Goodbye Mr. and Mrs. Morris...You two be easy too." he said and walked out of his apartment and got in a cab that was waiting for him and pulled off..

Sepia and I watched as his cab drove off into the Philadelphia afternoon..

"Think we'll ever see him again lover?" asked Sepia..

"A man like that? Who can say?" I said....as I hugged my wife and gave her a wet,sloppy kiss.....