After All I've Done For Him...

Avery Byers and Wendell Hawkins sat in Roxy's Bar....I hadn't been in here in about two years.....Like the last time I had been here,They had a nice little crowd...No live music...no DJ...You went here to drink, talk and watch sports or videos.. The crowd was much younger...A Hipster joint...

Most of the customers sat at the bar with their smartphones or their laptops glowing and a beer nereby..

Kool Kat and I walked in and sat at the bar and ordered two beers...

"This spot is nice Kev...I mean...It aint a dive...but not my kind of place..." mused Kool Kat.

"It's a nice place to bring someone if you want to talk quietly and not be noticed.."I said..

"You ever bring Sepia here?" he asked.

"Yeah...she said it was too quiet for her tastes." I said and gave Kool Kat the side eye...

He looked at me and laughed...

"Did my numbers check out?" asked Avery...

"Boy did they? And I sold , just like you said....We made a small fortune Avery."said Wendell, smiling snidely...

''What I tell you huh? I could have kept this to myself...but I decided to break my boy off a piece...And the best part is ,nobody will know...We just lay low and chill and in a few months , we find another opportunity and exploit that."said Avery.

" You're good at uh exploiting opportunities aren't you Avery?" said Wendell..."

"Yeah...I'm a straight businessman....Is that uh ruh, all you are talking about?" asked Avery..

"Uh yeah...yeah..."said Wendell...

"You sure looked surprised to see me today...You looked like you'd seen a ghost."said Avery..

"Uh who ? Me??" asked Wendell...

"Yeah you?  I don't know if you heard or not...but the uh other night , this little freak I'd been bangin got herself shot to death in my chill out spot..." said Avery..

"No kiddin?" asked Wendell..

"Yeah...and the strangest thing too....Somebody stole my sports car...My Thunderbird that same afternoon...I reported it stolen to the police..So I aint even have any transpo...My wife, she was out somewhere with the other car and the next thing I know..The babe is shot to death in my spot."said Avery...

"No kiddin?" asked Wendell..

"She probably came back to either get some more of this good wood or to pick up the rest of her things..and walked in on a robbery...That's what I figure.Anyway..I didn't feel like talkin to no cops...So I laid low for a few days.."said Avery..

"Avery ,they gonna question you and Deb eventually."said Wendell..

"I know...I'm gonna turn myself in tomorrow..." he said.

''Where you been ?" he asked.

"I been stayin with this other broad I'm bangin..Don't say nothin.." he said.

"Damn...women come so easy for you don't they?" said Wendell..

"Wendell my man, you can lose a lot of money chasing women....but you never lose women when you chase money...I chase and make money...The women come to me."laughed Avery...

"Where's Deb?" asked Wendell..

"I don't know...She's not answering my phone calls to either of her cell phones or the home phone.." said Avery...

"Maybe she heard what happened and she's upset too!"said Wendell..

"Why would she be? She don't know nothing about that apartment...Never seen it, Never been in that part of town to my knowledge.."said Avery...

II-

At this point..both Kool Kat and I made our move...We saddled over to Avery Byers...

 He looked at Kool Kat and then me and looked a bit afraid..

"Mr. Byers ,can we have a word?" I asked.

"You guys cops?" he asked..

"I'm a Private Investigator."I said, deciding not to lie..

Wendell nervously stood up..

"Uh,I'll talk to you later Avery..." he said..

"Yeah...Yeah..See ya around Wendell."said Avery...After Wendell left, he looked at Kool Kat and me..

"Guy is such a fat little wimp...I've carried him since we were in high school...His wife, you ought to see her...Fine as hell...I don't know how he got her...Even she thinks he's half a man..."he laughed..

"Mr. Byers...You know of course that a young lady was killed in a property you own a few nights ago."I said.

He hung his head..

"Yeah, that's a shame...but I had nothing to do with it...I wasn't there.."he retorted... "Hey...how did you even know about that place?" he asked.

"Long Story...."I said..

Kool Kat dropped a glossy in front of him...

"That's my car." he said.

"The one you reported stolen...leaving the murder scene ,just minutes after the murder.. I pulled that up off of a traffic cam....and it's time dated..."I said.

He looked as white as a ghost...

"That's midnight....I didn't have a car...my car was missing..."he said.  "That's not me driving." he said.

"Who is it?" I asked.

"I don't know...Somebody stole my car and drove to my spot and shot a girl.....Did you know, the police called me and reported that they found my car the next day...Not a fingerprint on it and no damage..Parked at the airport..." he said.

"I do know this...and I know that detectives are checking the Street,ATM,Traffic Cams and Business cams in that area...They're going to see that that is your car..." I said.

"I swear...I wasn't there..." he said.

"Where were you?" I asked..

"I was here until about 11:00 pm...I was with another woman, not my wife...I didn't have a car..so she picked me up and she took me to her place and I was with her until the morning...I swear..."he said.

"She got a name? An Address??" asked Kool Kat.

"Yeah...This is her name and address....She'll vouch for me..." he said.

Kool Kat took the address..

"You guys aint cops...You said you're a P.I. right? Who hired you and what do you care?" he asked.

"Not for you to worry about..."I said.

Kool Kat and I left.....

III-

A few hours later, I was sitting in my living room with Sepia and Debbie...

"Well Kevin...What did you find out?" she asked..

"Your husband did not kill that girl...His credit and debit cards show that he and a young lady were at Roxys until 11:00 pm, then they were at Jakes, having a hot dog until after midnight and then he spent the night with her...Leaving in the morning...It's the other side of town...He couldn't have done it..He didn't have a car...His car was stolen..."I said.

"My god, he was sleeping with yet another woman??I 'd better get myself checked out, make sure I didn't catch anything.." said Debbie..

Sepia smiled..

"Girl, I know that's right." she said.

"I checked your financials...while I was at it...You left us at 10:30....You went to a Gas station....On the other side of town....11:54 pm....and then you stopped in a bodega at 12:12 am...You were too far away to have committed the murder.." I said.

"I went home after that and was there all night.." said Debbie..

"Anybody see you?" I asked..

"My next door neighbor...I didn't see my grimy husband's car and I asked her if she'd seen him...She told me that the police had been by here and that he reported his car stolen...and that somebody else drove by here and picked him up earlier...I figured he was out drinking with Wendell..." she said.

"Who is this Wendell fella? He was sitting with him when I talked to him today, but he left.." I said.

"Poor Wendell....Wendell has followed him around like a lap dog since High School....When we all lived in L.A. , after my divorce...Wendell and I dated for a short while...Wendell was quiet and nice...but not really exciting....I met  Avery and Avery was aggressive, assertive...and well kinda sexy...and before I knew it...Wendell and I drifted apart and I wound up marrying Avery..." said Debbie..

"Oh wow...and they're still friends? " asked Sepia..

"I'm surprised....but he remained his ever faithful friend.....He met and married a beautiful woman, Annalise Thornton...but she treats him like crap...Avery is the only family he has I suppose....But here we all are...back in Philly." said Debbie...

I just listened...but said nothing...Made me wonder though...

IV-

 A week later at the courthouse....

"Olivia, Beverly...I can't thank you enough." said Debbie...

"You did our work for us...It's very rare that a client comes to us with the evidence of their spouse cheating on them."said Olivia..

"Yeah...Our investigator here didn't have much work to do." said Beverly ,laughing...

My friend and fellow Private Investigator, Donnie Ray Alexander, Olivia's husband and her and Beverly's investigator smiled...I patted him on the back...

''Donnie Ray...it was bad enough that I found out about Mr. Byers and the young woman who was unfortunately murdered....but you found out about him and yet another woman.." I said.

"Yeah, but Kev...you had the virtual smoking gun..." laughed Donnie Ray....

"I got the house and both cars and half of his estate...That creep didn't even bother to show up..."said Debbie.."Thank you so much for recomending Olivia,Donnie Ray and Beverly to me.."she said.

"Glad everything turned out well for you Debbie..." I said..

"Where are you going? I thought we might celebrate with a celebratory drink?" she said..

"I have to take a raincheck on that Deb...I have something I have to take care of..."I said.

V-

Avery Byers and Wendell Hawkins sat in Roxys....Avery was in a bad mood....

"I don't get it...I don't know how she found out about my chill out spot Wendell....She had photos, and a damn video of me and that damn girl making love...I couldn't argue with that...plus..." he said.

"Plus what?" asked Wendell...

"Why don't you tell him Avery?" I said...

Avery looked at me with white hot hatred...

"YOU!!! You're the P.I. my wife hired..That was you that got that DVD and those photos.."he said.

"Yes, Guilty as charged...She hired me...but even I didn't know about your other activities...Tell Wendell..Although I think Wendell already knows..."I said.

"Wendell!! Look, let me explain..."said Avery...

"It wasn't enough for you to take Debbie from me...You had to screw Annalise...You could have your pick of women...You had to take her too?" said an angry Wendell...

Avery looked at me...

"You told him that?" he asked..

"He didn't tell me nothin..Annalise told me...Told me that you used her and then threw her over for another woman..."said Wendell, now visibly angry....

"There is a three dimensional copier in your office Wendell...You have to use your ID card to get access.....On the night of the murder...You used your card around 8:45 pm to gain access...There was no reason for you to be in the office at that time..You made a copy of his car keys and of the keys to his love nest....You stole his car and you let yourself into his love nest and you shot that girl didn't you? Oh yeah and you also have a permit for the very gun used in the murder..." I asked.

Wendell looked at me...Tears were welling in his eyes...

"I went there to shoot him...I was hoping to catch him there..I didn't know she was going to be there.."he said dryly....staring daggers at Avery..

Avery looked shocked.....

"Wendell, how long we been friends?? How long we been boys?? You tried to kill me?? and you allowed me and my wife to be questioned by the police about a murder we didn't committ?" he asked..

"For as long as I've known you...You've disrespected me...You've taken every woman from me that I ever wanted..You took Debbie from me and then you took Annalise from me...You pompus bastard!"he said.

"Oh My God, Wendell...You hate me that much?" he asked.

"Avery...You made it so easy." said Wendell...

Lt. Sissy Van Buren ,Detectives Tyriq Pile, Carlotta Rodriguez-Wallace, James Barlow, Sirena Pile , Tony Hopkins and three uniformed policemen walked in just then....

 "Thanks again Kev."said Tyriq.

"Anytime Rico." I said.

 "It is so nice to come back from a short vacation and close a murder case." said Carlotta.

"I was only too glad to help you guys out." I said.

 "I keep tellin ya Kev...You'd fit in just great in our unit.."said Jimmy...

 "He's right..but you like your private eye thing better Kev...I know you." said Sirena..

"You're right Sirena...It pays quite well at times." I joked.

 ''I hear that...At any rate...We are all glad you're on our side.."said Hop.

I looked at Sissy... "You got it?" I asked. I had been wearing a wire..

"I got it" she said.

The Detectives and officers handcuffed Wendell and read him his rights and walked him out...

Sissy kissed me on the cheek...

"Thank you Kevin....Looks like you and I are still closing cases huh?" she said.

"Still closing em Siss." I said.

She and her guys quietly left....I drove back to Roxys, a little while later.

Avery Byers looked at me...

"Imagine that huh? This guy killed my girl ,stole my car.....After all I did for him?  I been carrying that guy all his life..."he said...."Now because of him,I'm ass out...After All I've done for him." he huffed..

''Are you serious man? You cheated on your wife ,not with one woman, but three...You sleep with your best friend's wife....and you have the nerve..you have the gaul to blame HIM FOR THIS??  That girl might still be alive today if you hadn't slept with HIS WIFE and then tossed her aside..And you'd still be married ,have a nice house and two cars if you'd treated your wife a little better." I said.

"Look at you, Mr. Judgemental...You're partially responsible for this."he scoffed.

"Everybody is responsible for your pain but you."I said and walked away...

He sat the bar and nursed his drink.....


EPILOUGE-

 Wendell Hawkins was convicted of  2nd Degree Murder and Sentenced to 25 Years to Life...

Avery Byers was later arrested and convicted of Insider Trading, thanks to Wendell's testimony and sentenced to 10 years in Federal Prison...

A grateful U.S. Attorney reduced Wendell's sentence to 10 years for his help....

With any luck, both men will be getting out of Prison around the same time .....They can buy each other a drink.

Sepia was smiling at me as I drove up in front of the house...She was holding our daughter....who laughed when she saw me.. I kissed her and smiled at her...

"Case closed?" she asked..

"Case Closed...The real killer is behind bars..." I said.

"Debbie told me to tell you thank you and goodbye again.."said Sepia.

''Goodbye?" I asked.

''She's moving back to L.A...Olivia and Bev are going to handle the transfer of the money and the sale of all of the cars she won in the divorce settlement and Bonita and I are going to put her house up for sale..." said Sepia..

''Wow! Talk about take the money and run."I laughed..

"I guess it was too many bad memories and no reason to stay...Kind of like the reason I left North Jersey and started anew here.."said Sepia...

I nodded...

"Yeah" I said.

"You Okay?" asked Sepia...

"Couldn't be better...Let's take the baby someplace fun tonight...and grab some food..."I said.

"Chuck E. Cheese?" asked Sepia..

"Chuck E. Cheese, it is.." I said smiling...

And Sepia buckled the baby into the child seat and got in the passenger side and the three of us pulled off into the sunlight of the ending day...