The Hound Of Martha's Vineyard (Part 1)

Nothing Like sitting around the table ,eating some good food....With family!  Such was the case for me on a cozy Sunday afternoon...

Me? My name is Kevin Morris...I'm a business owner...I own Morris Communications...We have several magazines and newspapers...in print and digital....We publish Blogs and Podcasts....We have our own music streaming service  as well as a television station and a radio station and we recently purchased a recording studio that could possibly lead to a small record label or imprint... That's my day job..... In the same building is the offices of my other profession....I'm a licensed Private Investigator...

Sure, it's a lot to have on one plate, but I manage....I actually make a good living between my two jobs...

My wifey, Jo-Ann "Sepia" Morris is also a business owner...She and my friend, Attorney Robert Foxworth's wife, Bonita

are the co-owners of a very successful Real Estate Business...They sell homes and rent Apartments, Condos and lofts...

The two of us, along with our daughter, Kimberly were enjoying a fine Sunday dinner of Fried Chicken, Mac and Cheese, Greens and Sweet Potatoes and Cokes... Our dinner guest was my other daughter, My adopted daughter, Ms. Josie Boyd...

I adopted Josie rather late in her life...After her father, Gangster Joe Boyd, who was a client of mine was shot and killed...I promised him...I'd look after Josie...and I had...I got her a job being the office manager for Attorney Olivia Bennett-Alexander and her niece, Attorney Beverly West and fellow Private Investigator, Donnie Ray Alexander, Olivia's husband... our good friends..who lived and worked just three or four blocks away from us.

Josie didn't live too far from us...She too had first lived in an apartment after she sold her house and moved into this part of the city...Recently..

Josie had bought a house from Sepia and Bonita that wasn't too far from here...She'd bought herself a nice car too!

With the money her father left her and the money she was making working for Olivia and Beverly...She was doing quite good for herself.. She came over and had Sunday dinner with us every Sunday...Unless she was either out of town or otherwise busy...I liked when Josie came to visit and was sorry I didn't visit her enough...

I was worried about some slick guy trying to take advantage of her...but so far that hadn't happened.. She was dating another friend of mine...Paris.. I'd known him and Blake since I first moved around here...
Having my "girls" around me always made me feel relaxed... I hadn't had a big case in awhile...

That was all about to change....

II-

"Oh my god Sepia....Dinner was delicious. Let me help you with the dishes..." said Josie..

"I wouldn't hear of it...Relax..You're company...But you can hold Kimmy, keep her busy..." said Sepia.

"Sure....Come here little rascal..." said Josie...Kimmy laughed as Josie tickled her and hugged her..

''So How is Liv and Beverly...I haven't seen them in a minute?" asked Sepia.

"They just got back from Puerto Rico a few weeks ago...They had a big case down there and a few weeks before that...I went with them to New York recently too." said Josie.

"Oh wow...You've been with them oh three or four years now...You like it there huh?" asked Sepia.

"They're the best...It's almost not like work....I love it...Love them..." said Josie.

"They are good people...Me and Livy hit it off as soon as we met...we just clicked...She's so cute and so down to Earth!

and I just love Beverly..."said Sepia.

"Me too! They're both like sisters to me." said Josie..

"I'm glad you found a job that you love and good friends to boot." said Sepia.

The doorbell rang...

"I'll get it." I said.

To my surprise... It was Attorney Kayla Bennett....Olivia's cousin...

"Hi Kevin...I hate to bother you on a Sunday..." she said..

''Nonsense Kayla, come on in...You're practically family!" I said.

"Hi Kayla...We were just finishing up dinner, but there is a little left...You want me to make you a plate?" asked Sepia..

"Oh No that's okay Sepia...Hey Josie! Hey Cutie patootie" said Kayla...smiling at my daughter, Kimberly.

''Heyy Kayla.." said Josie.

''So what brings you by?" I asked.

"I need your services..."said Kayla...who looked kind of distraught!

"Okay" I said...

I had no idea what I was about to get myself into...but it once again would be a case...A strange and dangerous case that I wouldn't soon forget.

III-

"Have you ever heard of Bailey Brittington...?" she asked.

"If You mean Barrington Bailey Brittington or "Three B's" as we called him in West Philadelphia..Yes I have..."I said and smiled..

Barrington Bailey Brittington or "Three B's" as we called him in West Philadelphia was a Black man, who made a fortune without selling drugs....He started a small manufacturing company that grew and employed several people in Philadelphia all the way to Chester....After he made his fortune, Naturally, he moved out of Philly to the Main Line, then to New York and then Martha's Vineyard...He sold his company to a larger conglomerate for far more than anyone could ever imagine and spent his days as a major philantrophist, donating money to the United Negro College Fund and other worthy causes....I had heard of him most of my life...My Father and Gus admired him greatly..

''Well he died last week.. He was 102 years old." said Kayla.

"You don't say?" I said.

"Yeah he did...He left a rather large gift agreement to a client of our firm....and I represent this client...He can't go to Martha's Vineyard for the reading of the will..." said Kayla.

''And you being the proxy as an Attorney have to go..?" I said smiling..

"That's only part of it...." she said, looking a little uneasy...

''And this is where I come in right?" I said.

"There has been some strange goings on up there.....The person I'm suppose to meet, Hortense Robinson ,asked me if I knew a good investigator..In addition to us..by us..I mean my firm, She is prepared to pay you." said Kayla.

"Pay me for what?" I asked.

"There have been some strange goings on up there...They found a horse on the road last week ,torn to shreds....No explanation....and at night, they swear they hear a large hound baying....It has scared the crap out of most of Three B's relatives...They live in a very remote area on the island....It's not that many of us up there you know.." said Kayla.

I was laughing now...

"Kayla...that sounds like a job for animal control.." I said.

"Kevin, Don't make fun...She looks afraid." said Sepia.

"Okay Kayla....I'll go with you to read the will...Is there anything else?" I asked.

"Hortense , my friend and Mr. B's former caretaker thinks that somebody up there ,Somebody in Barrington Bailey Brittington 's family means her harm....and that she might not make it to the reading of the will..She claims there was an attempt on her life made last week.." said Kayla.

"Okay...This sounds intruiging enough to peek my interest...When do we leave?" I asked.

"Saturday...The company has a commuter plane for us at Northeast Airport." said Kayla.

"Could I go? I've always wanted to visit Martha's Vineyard." joked Sepia.

But I wasn't joking....I wanted Sepia to go with us..

''Sure...I was hoping she would go....The more the merrier...I asked my boyfriend to go...but he can't make it...He's going on a fishing trip."

She said of her boyfriend, Ray St. Jacques...Also an Attorney..I knew him...I was beginning to wonder about him..

"Sepia,I'll watch Little Cutie for you that weekend!" said Josie...

''Would You? Awwww Thank you Josie..." said Sepia.

"Thank You so much Kevin and you too Sepia.." said Kayla.

"Okay...Saturday.....We'll meet you at Northeast Airport." I said.

Kayla passed me an envelope with money in it.. I was surprised, because I usually signed a contract and her law firm wired my money to my bank account..

"This is from Hortense....I told her I'd ask you...I didn't promise her you'd accept...but since you did..This is kind of like a down payment..." said Kayla...Who then passed me a formal contract from her law firm.  That was more like it... I signed it and passed it to her...

She kissed me on the cheek...

"Thank you Kevin, Thank you so much...I just want to get up there, get this will read, get this money and come on back.." she said.

''For sure." I said.

IV-

Saturday Morning of that week...Clerow drove Sepia and I to the Airport...

"Not like Philly International at all." I said.

"Want me to stay boss?" asked Clerow..

"Nah, we'll be alright...Kayla should be here any minute with our tickets.."I said.

"Here she comes now.." said Sepia..

"Hey Guys...Sorry I'm late...You haven't been here long have you?" she asked..

"Relax Kayla...We just got here..." said Sepia, who hugged her...

"Okay Clerow...Mind the store for me.." I said.

He smiled that toothy grin of his...

''Sho thing! Have a safe flight!" he said and pulled off..

We looked at the planes in the horizon...

"Well Guys...That's our plane right there.. We can take off now .." said Kayla.

Sepia and I followed Kayla onto the small plane and got on...We took off within the next 15 minutes.....I liked that..I didn't feel like waiting..

It was roughly a three hour flight...It was nice smooth weather...

We touched down without a hitch...

I rented a car and we drove to a small place to eat breakfast...We found a small quaint little place right off the interstate..

While we waited for our food... I heard a loud haunting wail....It sounded like a wolf or a hound...

I noticed the faces of the residences there...They looked terrified...Men were sweating.....Women were nervous...The cooks and the waitresses all looked weary....The manager locked the door and pulled the windows down...

It was almost like an omen...The sunny weather soon subsided and the wind started blowing

 and a light rain began to pour...

I looked at Sepia ...She was stone faced...

I then looked at Kayla, who looked terrified..

I then looked at everybody else...

The haunting sound of that dog or wolf or whatever it was that was wailing continued..

"You ladies aren't scared are you?" I asked.

Sepia and Kayla were shaking, but they both said- "No...We aren't scared.."

I said-

"Good...at least two of us aren't!"


DEFINITELY TO BE CONTINUED!