Hot Chocolate Johnson

The next morning we all gathered in the huge dining room at the Brittington Estate and had Breakfast.....Some of the best Waffles I've ever tasted..

and good hot coffee...

Sepia and I sat next to Nellard Beane , who kept checking Sepia out to the point it became somewhat uncomfortable....

He kept moaning..."UMMMMMMMMMMMMPH!" and looking at me and smiling sheepishly...

"I take it you found your room and THE BED to your liking eh Mr. and Mrs. Morris.?" he said...

"The bed was fine." I said.

"It was very comfortable." said Sepia..

"UMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMPH!" he moaned.....

Sepia stared at him and he smiled slyly!

He turned to Kayla...

"And how about your bed?" he asked..

"My bed?...Uh, Oh...well uh...My Bed..was just fine.." said Kayla Nervously..she was sitting on the other side of him and he was smoothly running his hands up and down her legs...She had discreetly removed his hands several times..He tried to slide them up her skirt...but she then firmly removed his hands and said to him in a whisper..

"CUT IT OUT!"

He smiled sheepishly...

"UMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMPH!"he moaned

"Someone else found THEIR BED quite comfortable....IN THE BEACH HOUSE!" he said looking at Vanessa , who uncharactoristically was smiling..Glowing...

"Oh Nellard Hush up...You're so silly..."she laughed, just blushing...

"Is your house guest coming to Breakfast?" asked Nellard..

"He is..he's more than just a house guest....Last night he asked me TO MARRY HIM!" she gushed...

''Wow ,She really put it on him.."whispered Sepia to me..

I smiled...Until I saw who her house guest was....A Black man about my Father's age with a slight ,graying beard...I knew him from my early days in West Philly...

II-

"OH MY GOD!! KEVIN?? KEVIN MORRIS??YOU OLD HOUND, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" he asked.

"Ronnie...Ronnie "Hot Chocolate" Johnson....I could ask the same of you..." I said..

"God, you know everybody!" said Sepia..."Hot Chocolate "Johnson...Now there is a name for you..." she said laughing.

"What could I say?...Ronald "Hot Chocolate" Johnson was a legend in West Philly at one time...A Detective and later on a Private Investigator and a darn good one too and a con-man of sorts also...I had met him as a young man ,before I went in the service and had run into him again when I got my P.I.'s license...We even worked a case together once.." I said.

"I'll be damned...Look at you....I hear things about you on the street...That you run a company, Morris Communications.." said Hot Chocolate..

"I thought he was a Private Investigator?" asked Vanessa.

"Oh he is..He is..He does that on the side...He  and some partners bought his business a few years back..His company has magazines,both print and digital...Music streaming...Pod casts...They do it all...He does P.I. work on the side." said Hot Chocolate Johnson...

"My Mr. Morris you're just full of surprises.." said Vanessa, smiling and suddenly interested .

''A lot of people are."I said.

"So did you get married? I heard you did a few years back. You still married?" asked Hot Chocolate Johnson.

"I did...This is my wife, Mrs. Sepia Morris...She's a realtor...." I said.

"Pleased to meet you.." said Sepia..

"Kevin, she's gorgeous...You two got any kids?" he asked.

"We have a daughter...She's almost two...Kevin's adoptive daughter is watching her at home." said Sepia.

"Yeah that's right...You adopted Joe Boyd's daughter...a few years back...She's grown now isn't she...??" asked Hot Chocolate..

"Wow you have been keeping up....Shame..I don't know a thing about you." I said.

"What's to know...I've been a Private Investigator myself for a few years...Well...Lawd Jesus, who is this?" he asked as Hortense sat down and began to eat...

"I'm Hortense Robinson, I was Three B.'s caretaker.." said Hortense.

''She's Nobody...She was one of my uncle's playthings...She's under the impression there is something in the will for her." said Vanessa.

He looked at Kayla...

Kayla was once again moving Nellard Beane's hands from under her skirt...

"She's an Attorney from Philadelphia...Uncle left her client a Philanthropic gift..." explained Vanessa.

"And what are you doing up here Kevin?" asked Hot Chocolate Johnson.

"I'm working for her and Ms. Hortense.. Kayla is here to receive her gift...on behalf of her law firm's client..I sometimes do investigative work for her and Ms. Hortense was concerned about the mysterious hound around here and what she believes was an attempt on her life." I said.

''Wow! As juicy a case as I've ever had." laughed Hot Chocolate Johnson.

We continued to eat breakfast in silence..

III-

"Ms. Bennett....Bennett...Are you any relation to Olivia Bennett-Alexander? The Attorney? "

 asked Nellard Beane..As they sat in the Foyer and enjoyed a tumbler of coffee.

"She's My first cousin." said Kayla.

"My goodness...I was one of her professors when she was in law school....That means her niece,Beverly West is your cousin,also..." He said.

"Right again...Beverly is my cousin...We graduated from Girls High Together and were in Penn Law School at the same time, graduated in the same class..." said Kayla.

"Isn't it a small world ? My lord........

Beverly West was one of my students too! I supposed I missed you...You and Beverly were roughly at Penn the same time I gather." laughed Nellard Beane..

''We were...So You got an MBA in Accounting, Then a Law degree and you taught at Penn??" asked Kayla..

"Yes...I had my own practice in Philadelphia too for many years before I met Bailey and began working for him exclusively as his Attorney and Accountant and business partner  for many years..

They sat down and had coffee and talked for close to two hours...They talked about law, Penn, and Mr. Beane's career...Kayla found the old man a fascinating conversationalist..He found her body sexy and fascinating...

While they were talking, I was doing a little digging into all of the players, starting with Nellerd Beane  by Laptop computer, and tablets I brought with me

 and phone relay to my guys back home..Peeping Tom, Lockpick Johnson, Clerow, Sean Jackson,Owen Todd and our five former CIA/KGB spooks....They got me the information I needed..

Nellerd Beane  was telling the truth.. He indeed did have an MBA in Accounting from Columbia and a Law Degree from Harvard...He had taught law at Penn for awhile and then had a practice...a lucrative practice..Then he gave it up to work for "Three B's exclusively...In little over a year, he was himself a very wealthy man...but there was evidence that he may have moved a few figures around, transferred a few funds into his own personal account..

Hortense had told me as much herself..His nephew, Levinson, who we hadn't seen yet and who we were waiting on so the will could be read was not much better...A drunk and a never do well..His uncle was repeatedly bailing him out of jail for misdemeanors and getting abortions for young women he knocked up and paying for their silence...He graduated from Dartmouth and passed the bar, but never actually practiced law...

"He tried his hardest to get in my panties and when I rebuffed his advances...He too tried to turn Bailey against me, but Bailey knew his Nephew, he wouldn't hear of it..." she said.

Niece, Vanessa had a clean record...A Bachelors degree from Fisk , An MBA from Columbia..a series of engagements to bad men who knew who's niece she was and thought they could get her money..Other than that...Nothing shocking or bad about her..

Hortense Robinson was born and raised in Philadelphia.Educated in Philadelphia Public Schools...Graduated with an Associate degree in elementary Education from Community College, worked a number of jobs as Administrative Assistants, Office Manager et al before catching Triple B.'s attention...At a fund raiser..Two years ago...He was smitten..He sent her flowers , sent for her in his limo and soon Hortense found herself his caretaker and his lover...

Neither Levinson, Nellard Beane nor Vanessa approved of the relationship or Hortense..but none wanted to buck the old man.I couldn't see either Nellard or Vanessa as murderers.....Levinson, who I hadn't met was another story,but he seemed to drunk to be a killer either...Maybe they all were in this together...I wondered.

Sepia told me in private...

"Usually I don't like girls like Hortense ,who hook up with a wealthy much older man , but I think she really cared for him...I really do.." she said.

"Why don't you and Kayla go shopping with her...I need to do some more nosing around.." I said.

Meanwhile Kayla and Nellard Beane were finishing their coffee and having a pretty in depth conversation..

''Wow Mr. Beane...I really am impressed...You've lived quite a life.."

"Yes...Now about me and you.." he said.

"Me and You?" asked Kayla..

"Look.. I've been attracted to you since you walked in the door...and you know it...I haven't been able to take my eyes off of you...That dress you had on last night could turn a KKK man into a civil rights worker..And I think you're attracted to me.." he said.

''Oh No..No..No..No..You got it all wrong Mr.Beane.."said Kayla..

"I could put a lot of money in your bank account before the end of the day.....We could have an arrangement if you will...All I know is..I want you and I need you in my bed as soon as possible.." he said.

"You get right to the point don't you?" said Kayla..

"The only way I know how to deal...Believe me...I might surprise you in the bed Kayla..It might be more than you think you can handle." he said..

"Mr. Beane...please..." said Kayla.

"No Kayla, you please...let me make sweet love to you tonight...Don't keep me dangling on a string." said Nellerd Beane..

"I'm not keeping you dangling on anything Mr. Beane..." said Kayla...

"I'm getting excited just talking to you about this." he said...

Just then Sepia appeared in the doorway with Hortense..

"Kayla, you want to go shopping? Kevin gave me the keys to the car?" said Sepia..

"Yes..Yes..Thank You." said Kayla, who jumped up..

"I thought you could use a little save right now." whispered Hortense..

"Ouuu Girl, you just don't know.." said Kayla as the three of them left..

Nellard groaned... "UMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMPH!" as he watched the three of them leave...Such sweet young things, he thought!
IV-

So while Sepia, Hortense and Kayla went shopping.. I did some more investigating...I stopped by the mechanic's shop who repaired Hortense's car...

A 2016 Sentra..

"So this was definitely a case of tampering?" I asked the mechanic..

"Oh yeah...This is a brand new car...A 2016 Sentra...Right off the lot...No way these brakes should have been in this condition...Somebody fooled with them...Somebody was trying to cause an accident.." said the Mechanic..

''Did you report it to the police?" I asked.

"We did.. We have to...They're looking into it.. but they have no suspects.." he said.

"Thanks..." I said.

I next went to Animal control...They showed me the photo of the mangled horse...

"Isn't that strange for a Dog to do this?" I asked.

"It's a big dog , a huge dog, larger than anything I've seen...I'm saying it's either a huge Pit Bull or A Doberman  Pinscher..Nobody I know has seen it...but we've all heard it...We've had men out looking for that dog for two weeks now.." he said.

"Any new residences to this enclave recently?" I asked.

''Every day.. This is a vacation spot.. New people all the time.." he said.

"Okay...Thanks.." I said.

As I left Animal control, I noticed a hulking man following me...He had been shadowing me since I'd gone to see the mechanic...

I kept walking...I walked down an empty street....

The man spoke..

"You been askin a lot of questions pal.." he said.

"What's it to you?" I asked as I turned and faced him..

He answered by punching me in the jaw and then in my stomach...

"Newsy people get hurt.." he said..

I blocked his next punch and punched him in his jaw..

"Oooooooooooof." he groaned..

I followed up by hitting him with several lefts and rights to his face that backed him up...

Within minutes he had a garrotte around my neck and was squeezing hard....

 He was  strong as hell.. He was squeezing the breath out of me and practically lifting me off of the ground...I took what strength I had left and kicked him in his groin as hard as he could...He  grunted, but he loosened up his hold just enough for me to elbow him in his jaw, snapping his head back and sending him flying...

  But I didn't have the time to catch my breath before he was heading toward me again.....He, was silent, didn't waste a lot of time talking..I liked that..

  I landed some good lefts and rights to his body, but he was equally good with his hands...he landed some good lefts and rights to mine also...I countered and landed some lefts and rights to his face, but he equaled me with some well placed lefts and rights to my face...

What I had in my favor was that he was out of shape and I could feel him getting winded...I cracked him hard in his jaw a few times and saw blood trickle from his mouth...I cracked him again and saw the sweat fly off of his face...I hit him in his stomach and he bent down in obvious pain..I landed some more lefts and rights to his jaw which sent him into the wall...

"Awww lawd" he groaned and slid to the pavement....He was beat...His face was swollen, Both of his eyes nearly swollen shut, his lip busted and bleeding and his ribs hurting him....

"Awwwwwwwwwww hell...." he moaned and rolled over...

 .. He lay there for a minute...still conscious and  breathing heavy...I was holding my  neck and still gasping for air...

He got up slowly, put on some brass knuckles and headed toward me again...

I'd had enough of this..I was getting ready to pull out my .38 smokeless and end this when I heard a shot ring out..!!

The man heaved one last time..

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!I-I-I don't believe it...I've been shot...by..by..by...ohhhhhhhhhhhhh!" he groaned and fell the ground, dead!

I looked at my benefactor...It was Ronald "Hot Chocolate' Johnson...

"Good thing I followed you...You had your hands full with that guy...but you handled him pretty well.." he said.

"What did you follow me for?" I asked.

"When you said that someone might be trying to kill that girl, that someone tampered with her car brakes, that peaked my interest...I'm concerned to about the lives of everybody in that estate...and with this talk about a hound that's killed a horse....so I said Why should Kevin have all the fun??..I want in on this investigation." said Hot Chocolate Johnson.

"You got it..Two heads are better than one." I said.

"Now You're talkin babe." he said.

V-

The man who attacked me was an ex- con, A recently released thug with a reputation of beating people up for money named Eric Rutherford... A known trouble maker.. Hot Chocolate and I gave our statements to the police...We produced our P.I. Licenses and licenses to carry...

Kayla came down and bailed us out and got us released...

Sepia was there too..

"I can't take you anywhere can I?" she joked..

"No...I'm just trouble...I'm glad the will is being read tomorrow.." I said.

"Yeah me too!" said Sepia..

"That makes three of us...I don't know if anybody is trying to kill Hortense or not.. but after she and everybody involved gets their money we can all get the hell out of here..."said Kayla..

We heard the Hound beying and groaning in the distance...

"I don't know which dog is worse...That hound or that nasty old dog...Nellard Beane."said Kayla..

Hot Chocolate Johnson laughed...

After Hot Chocolate Johnson left....I took Sepia and Kayla home and I went back out....I found the rental property where the ex con lived...

All those years of working with and watching Lockpick Johnson had taught me a thing or two...It was easy to get inside of this place and look around... I found large bags of dog food.. a couple of leases and a huge leather strap...I found a leather muzzle...Could this be the Hound's owner ,I wondered??

I had on latex gloves and a little flashlight..I dug around and I found ownership papers, I also found cashed checks...That was a real revelation....I found a large cage too...It was empty and the name of a
local Kennell...

The dead man ,Eric Rutherford had close to $2000.00 in cash lying around on his bed and his night stand.. I didn't touch the cash...It was getting late so I let myself out..

Back at the estate ,Nellard Beane had Kayla backed up against the wall in the hallway...

"Mister Beane...I just took my shower...I'm going to bed.." said Kayla..

"Ummmmmmph, you smell like a new born baby..I'm about to take my shower...Why don't you let me stop by your room afterwords..? Or...You could wait in mine until I return..." he asked..

''I don't think that would be appropriate Mr. Beane..." said Kayla as diplomatically as she could..

"It might not be appropriate, but it would be enjoyable.." said Nellard...

"Mister Beane..you're older than my father.." said Kayla.

"I'm not your father though...but after a night with me..You might be callin me Big Daddy though...UMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMPH! "he said..

I was just entering the house at the time...

"Hey guys..." I said.

"Hi Kevin..." said Kayla, who used that as a way to slip away from Nellard Beane and get in her room and close the door..

 Sepia was walking down the hall at the same time...

"Heyy baby...I thought that was you.." she said..

"Heyy Sugar." I said and kissed her..

"Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.." she moaned..

Hot Chocolate Johnson appeared in the hallway too..

"Hey Kev...Where you been?" he asked..

"Oh Just out...Getting a bit of air..." I said...  "Bought the wife a bottle of wine from one of the wineries." I said, Smiling sheepishly... I had been to a winery and purchased a bottle of wine to afford myself an alibi...I didn't want to tip whoever was in this house that might be involved in this conspiracy as to what I was actually doing and where I had really been..

"Awwww thank you baby." said Sepia, taking the bottle of wine from me..

"Oh...and what are you doin in the hallway Nellard?"  asked Hot Chocolate Johnson.

"What are you, the hall monitor? Everybody here is an adult....A consenting adult." said Nellerd.

I put my arms around Sepia and smiled easily...

"Well these two adults are going in our room and drink this wine and do some adult things.." I said.

"UMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMPH!" moaned Nellard! "I HEAR THAT!" he added...

Hot Chocolate Johnson said nothing...He just stood there, staring balefully!


(TO BE CONTINUED)