The Sober Living Coach

My buddy Kool Kat and I sat in a busy coffee shop having coffee one morning and talking....

''So Dig Kev, Me and Chelsea are going to Punta Cana for a week...to celebrate her birthday..." he said..

''Wow man that's great...Take a lot of pictures..."I said as I sipped my tumbler of hot steamy coffee...

"If we uh have time to take any pictures if you know what I mean and uh,I know ya do." he said and winked..

I cracked up laughing...

"Boyyyyyyy you never change.."I said and continued laughing....

''You gonna be able to keep yourself out of trouble while I'm away for a week?  You aint gonna have me to watch your back on these streets.....I suggest you not take on any heavy cases while I'm away.." said Kool Kat...

"I'll try." I said... I had taken on a couple more cases for Olivia and Beverly's cousin, Kayla..

They involved routine investigation... a little surveilience...but nothing dangerous...and like I said..Her law firm paid me well for my services...She was quite pleased with my work... I was getting used to not being involved with gangsters and dangerous folk...

"I'll try not to get into anything heavy Kools." I joked..."Anyway...I have Sepia to watch my back."I joked..

''And speaking of the devil.....here she comes..." said Kool Kat..

My wife, Sepia walked up to where we were sitting...She gave me a soft kiss in the lips and sat on my lap......

"Hi baby, hi Walter" she said to Kool Kat....

I put my arms around her waist....

"Sepia...Walter and Chelsea are going to Punta Cana for the week...He wants you to look after me while
he's away.." I said with tongue in cheek..

"I always look after him....Though it isn't easy.." laughed Sepia..

"Tell me about it...So what you been up to bad girl?" asked Kool Kat...

"Sold a house today.....anddddddddddddd...wait for it... Bonita and I purchased some Lofts and Condos that we are going to be renting ,managing and selling for the future..." she said proudly...

"You're going to be giving Clerow and Owen Todd a run for their money soon baby girl."I laughed..

"They sold them off to us...Just been renovated too! Onward and upward..."she laughed.... Just then..her phone began to vibrate...She got up.."Excuse me fellas...I have to take this." she said.

Kool Kat tossed some money on the counter...

"Hey Kev, Sepia...Gotta go..I gotta call my bookie before I leave town..." said Kool Kat...

"Take it easy big man....but take it." I said...

Kool Kat waved at both of us and walked out....

Sepia walked over to me...

"Baby...that was Lymon....He's got a situation...You wanna take a ride with me?" she asked..

"Awww Sepia..come on...you know I don't care for that guy..."I protested....

''Come on baby, He used to be my doctor...before he uh ,got in a little trouble.."she said.

"A little trouble? Coming to work high off of Heroin...Not once...but THREE times is more than a little trouble..."I said.

The former Dr. Lymon Lemon was Sepia's OBGYN, when she was pregnant with our daughter...He hid a heroin addiction from everybody....Once it was discovered, he was rightfully stripped of his license to practice medicine....After going through rehab...He became a Sober Living Coach and coached athletes ,entertainers and local politicians in the area on living drug and alcohol free...I understand he was making a nice living doing this...but I personally didn't care for the man too much.

"He's over in one of the houses he is renting from us with a famous sports star...Brad Garrison..."said Sepia.

"The Wide Receiver?? For the Eagles?? Now Him, I want to meet!" I said...now interested..

"Uh Huh...Now do you want to go?" she asked..

"If I have to be in Lymon Lemon's company, maybe not."I said..

Sepia gave me a nice slow soft kiss...

''Do it for me Kevin,please....Don't make me go over there by myself...I'll make it worth your while later..I promise." she said.. She knew how to get me to do anything.

"You don't play fair girl."I said.

"I knowwwwwwwwwwwwww..." said Sepia seductively...

II-

We drove up to house.....It looked beautiful...I looked at the sky....It was getting cloudy,like it was going to rain soon, a metaphor for what was about to happen..

''Sepia...you and Bonita own properties that look like this? This is beautiful...WOWW!"I said marveling at the set of homes.

''Every house on this block is one of ours.."said Sepia proudly..

She had come so far since I had met her...She had come to Philadelphia, with nothing more than the clothes on her back and an old ratty car....She was unemployed and a college dropout...She stayed with me and I paid for her to finish her education and get her degree....We got married and I paid for her to get her masters and a real estate degree and license...Today she co-owned her own business and was a partner in mine....Amazing...

"I see I'm going to have to take more of an interest in your business..."I joked..

Sepia smiled seductively...

"That's okay...you handle the business that counts...In the bedroom.." she said and laughed.

''And I'm gonna continue to handle that..."I said and squeezed her behind..

''Ouuuuu..Cut it out nasty man..." she said and laughed...

We knocked on the door and the former Doctor Lymon Lemon came to the door..He was about my height..Brown Skinned...with a shiny bald head and a platinum earing in both ears and very effeminate..

"Oh Sepia..Sepia...I am so glad you cammmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmme..." he said, nearly in tears...

''What is the problem Lymon?" she said..

He looked at me drolly...No love was lost between the two of us..

"Oh...Hello KEVIN!" he said.

"What's up man?" I said very drolly myself...

He was hysterical..

"Oh Sepia....Sepiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa..ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh my god!" he wailed..

I sighed .....

"Lymon..What's the matter?" said Sepia..

"It's Brad...It's Brad...I believe he's dead!" he said..

"Dead?" I said in shock...I had been looking forward to meeting him...He was a wide receiver for the Eagles who had had substance abuse problems lately....

"Brad, tell me what happened.."said Sepia calmly...

"Well...as you know..I am his Sober Living coach...I came over this morning and he was here with another fellow, from the Eagles coaching staff...They were lifting weights...Oh my goodness ,all that testosterone was driving me crazy..ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuu..Anyway after his workout..They went running...The other fellow didn't return....I made his protein drink up...and he drank it and he went in the bathroom to shower and shave....Well my mother called...and if you know my mother she can be rather long winded....She's telling me all about my sister, who is getting divorced and how she is going to D.C. to talk to her and-" he said.

 "Lymon!  Lymon...get to the point." I said.

"Oh...Well...I realized that I had been talking to my mother for close to an hour and Brad should have been out of the bathroom...I went in and well look for yourself..."he exclaimed..

Sepia and I went in the bathroom and saw a fully clothed Brad Garrison laying face down in a pool of water in the bath tub.....motionless...

Lymon looked at us and asked..

"Do you think he's ..he's dead?" he asked..

"Lymon...it's been two hours....He's half submerged in water....If he hasn't moved by now...We can reasonably assume he's dead....You didn't touch anything in here did you?" I asked.

"No..No..I watch television...CSI, the ID channel and Forensic Files on HLN..I know the drill...I didn't touch a thing...I just called Sepia.." he said.

''Well now we'd better call the police.."I said.

"Oh My goddddddddddddddddd!  Oh My godddddddddddddddddddd!  I wonder if he was murdered???...You think he was murdered Kevin?" asked Lymon...

"I don't think so...You were the only one here with him...right?" I asked.

"Yes..and I was on the phone with my mother...I swear that woman talks too damn long." said Lymon..

"Lymon ,why don't we let the authorities determine his cause of death."said Sepia...

"You're right Sepia...Uh Kevin...Could I hire you?" he asked..

"Hire me? Hire me for what?" I asked...

"Just in case this goes sideways.....To look into this...I have money..." he said.

"Why should this go sideways Lymon?" I asked..

"Look...As you know...I used to be a Doctor...I myself had a problem with uh Heroin and Oxi -Cotin..If it is found out that Brad was using again while under my care it could broadly effect my ability to be a Sober Living coach.." he said.

"I see what you mean.."I said.

He left the room and came back with an envelope...Inside it was two thousand dollars in twenties..

"That's a down payment...You know any good lawyers?" he asked..

"Lymon...Lymon...let's see what they find out first okay..Don't Jump the gun honey."said Sepia...

Lymon smiled and rubbed Sepia's arm....

Just then ,his phone rang...

"Oh it's Oliver....uh my uh friend..."said Lymon...

"Oliver...Oliver..I'm not the one today...Don't start it...I'm in crises mode over here...No, I don't want you to come over...Oliver Honestly?  Not today Oliver..." said Lymon...

I looked at Sepia and shook my head....I'd much rather be on the street dealing with gangsters, than this guy.

Sepia whispered in my ear...

"I'm sorry baby...I swear..I'll make it up to you..." she said..

III-

CSI officials were snapping photos and taking pictures...Uniform Police officers had the area roped off and Forensic Investigator, Dr. Hazel Baylor was examining the body with latex gloves on...

"No broken bones...No bruises..no sign of physical trauma to the body...It looks like he filled this tub of water and then collapsed ,face forward before he could take off his clothes...He got one shoe off and a sock....Had he been working out?"asked Hazel..

"Yeah.Lymon said that he and another guy went out for a run after they lifted weights...He then made a protein shake for him and was on the phone for an hour while he went to either bathe or shower...and he never came out of the restroom.."I said.

"Hmmmm, he's 27 years old and looks to be in great health...He shouldn't have just dropped dead like this...He was very athletic and in great shape it appears...I'll know more when I get him to the morgue."she said.

Hazel then looked at me peculiarly...

"Why are you here anyway Kevin?" she asked.

"Garrison was renting this house from my wife...and uh Lymon was his Sober Living Coach...Lymon has uh hired me to look into this ,just in case this uh goes sideways.."I said.

''Hmmm...and why should it?"Mused Hazel...

''Hey Hazel...That's what I said."I said.

"Poor Lymon...He was a great Doctor...He was my OBYGN."said Hazel...

"Yeah?, he was my wife's too, when she was pregnant with our daughter...."I said.

"I was so shocked to learn that he was using Heroin and Oxi.....It got him stripped of his license."said Hazel..

"Yeah,scary isn't it? He's making a killing as a Sober Living Coach...He's written a book and everything.."I hear...

''Second Acts eh?" laughed Hazel.

"Hey..This is America....The land of Opportunity.." I said and we both laughed...

Sepia and I watched as Brad's body was wheeled out of the house and into the Medical Examiner's wagon...

"You gonna take his case lover?" asked Sepia..

I reluctantly sighed...I passed her the envelope...She put all of my earnings as an investigator in our wall safe at home...Between the two of us...My salary as the CEO of Morris Communications and Her Salary as the Co-CEO of  Foxworth and Morris Real Estate..We made more than enough money to cover our bills and living expenses....This was what we called "Mad Money for Fun, Vacations...or private usage..

"I'm going to take it. Tomorrow I'm going to the M.E.'s office find out cause of death....I'm going to interview the guy he was working out with too..Just routine stuff...I don't expect this to be much of a case..

I didn't know how wrong I was...

(TO BE CONTINUED)