The Blown Safe

Vernon Monroe looked at the three of us, Bonnie Shay, Sepia and myself as well as Henry Higgins and shook his head..

''Well look at this...What are we to do with you four?" he asked. "Over the course of the day,I've actually grown quite fond of you Mr. and Mrs. Morris and Mrs. Shay...On the other hand Higgins,you're an entirely different matter." he said.

Henry Higgins merely shrugged his shoulders...

"Unc...Look...They're basically unhurt...We don't have to kill them..." said his nephew, Tony Starks..who was equally fond of Sepia and Bonnie and who had a grudging respect for me after the way I had wiped the sidewalk up with Roach...

"They know about the wall safe.."  said Vernon Monroe.

"So what? We don't know where it is...And neither do they...They're not hurt....We could let them go...No laws have been broken here.."said Tony Starks..

"Actually it has...Unlawful containment...and in Mr. Higgins case...Felonious Assault..and kidnapping, Isn't that right Mrs. Shay?" he said, looking at her and knowing she was an Attorney..

"That's right."said Bonnie defiantly...

After what we had been through today...No way we could just forget about this and let these people go free..

Vernon Monroe shook his head..

"And you Mr. Morris...Mr. Roach has told me that you're a Private Investigator with ties to the Philadelphia Law Enforcement community...No way I could depend on you to let today's events go could I?" he asked..

 "Not a chance.."I said...I already had my .22 and was planning to shoot him at any time now....

"See...We can't just let them go...It's a shame this had to come to this...I genuinely like Mrs Morris and Mrs. Shay..and I have no beef with Mr. Morris...He was only helping out his wife..but you Higgins is a different story..They know that even if I let the three of them go free...I'd have to kill you Henry." he said angrily...

He looked at us...

"I sincerely regret having to do this to you good people.." he said..

Just then, a beaten , battered and bloody Roach entered the house...

He was furious as usual...He stared angrily at Tony Starks..

"YOU!!! You backstabbing bastard....you left me out in the street....I wake up sprawled across that god forsaken ,smelly drive way...Trash cans all around me...YOU LEFT ME! Laughing during the fight. " he snarled..

"You were sleeping so peacefully after Mr. Morris cleaned your clock for you, I just hated to wake you.. And as for laughing during the fight...Wasn't much of a fight...Your face really hurt his fists though!" he said and laughed hysterically.....

"Calm down Roach?" said Vern Monroe softly...

''Yeah calm down Roach , or I'll have Mr. Morris knock your ass out again...HAhahahahahahah!"laughed Tony Starks.

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH YOU THINK THIS IS FUNNY HUH?" snarled Roach , who aimed his .45 at Tony Starks and fired three times point blank in his chest.....Ignoring Vernon...

"LAUGH AT THAT PUNK!" he said...

Tony Stark was mortally wounded...HE stared at his uncle....blood was running out of his mouth...but he couldn't say anything....He fell to the floor , dead!

Vernon Monroe sighed...

"You just killed my nephew, you do realize that don't you? He's a cop!" he said calmly...

Roach now realized the weight of what he had done..He had a look of genuine fear in his face for the first time since I'd known him...

"Look, he-he was mocking me all day..I-I-I lost my head..." he said..

"You do that quite a lot..."said Vernon Monroe, who turned his .45 towards Roach and fired just one time..hitting him in the chest.....He didn't blink....

"I DON'T BELIEVE IT.!!!!!..I'VE BEEN SHOT! Vern, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" he moaned and then fell to the floor, dead...

Vernon Monroe then frowned...

''Looks like I'll have to leave here...There's been enough killing for one day...Good Bye...You're All free to go ,once I'm gone!"he said.

Oh, that was nice of him!

With his gun still aimed at us...He exited out the back door...He got in his car and pulled off!

"He got away.."said Bonnie Shay...

"Let him go....He's got a whole lot of places to run and nowhere to go really!" I said...

"Let's get Mr. Higgins to a hospital and get home." said Sepia.

II-

The Body of Detective Anthony Starks was brought out first....I gave a full report to the Homicide Detectives on the scene...

An Internal Affairs Officer was also on the scene..

''We've been watching this guy for about a year now...He worked for his Uncle..He was  a collector. His Uncle Vernon, in addition to being a realtor was also the Crime Kingpin of the West side of Bayside...He was a loan shark and a reputed shot caller, putting down robberies and jewelry heists...He was a slick one...We didn't have any evidence against him until now..We got him for murder....He'll turn up.." he said..

The Body of enforcer Avril "Roach" Rayd was brought out next...His hateful angry ass was finally at peace, I thought to myself...

One Police Officer said..

''I feel like clapping . That guy was suspected of two murders as well as numerous brutal beatings...but no one would testify..I know a lot of people who will breathe easier, knowing this piece of crap is dead." he said.

We took Henry Higgins to the hospital.....

"You get some rest Mr. Higgins...We'll talk later." said Sepia..

"Yes...This has been one heck of a day..." said Bonnie Shay..

He looked at me..

"Thank You Kevin, for all of your help...but Monroe...He'll come back...He'll try to find that safe..."said Henry Higgins...

"If he does, the cops will nab him ."I said..

"You don't understand...Unless he opens that safe just right..."he said before he drifted off to sleep, The sedative he was given finally kicked in...

I looked at Sepia and Bonnie Shay..

"Come on ladies...let's get out of here....Go Home.."I said.

"I just called Ronnie and told him the whole story...He's waiting on me..See you guys."said Bonnie as she got in her car and pulled off..

 "You ready to go home?" I asked Sepia..

''Never more ready.." said Sepia, who kissed me softly...as we got in our cars and pulled off.

Like I said, this was a hell of a day...I was glad it was all over...Philadelphia never looked better.
This case wasn't quite over yet, as we'd find out...

III-

Sepia and I couldn't wait to get back into our home before we started kissing passionately...Robert and Bonita were keeping Kimberly until the morning....So we made up for lost time..

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Sepia...Thank you for coming to see about me.."I said...

''Always baby...alwayssssssssssss.." she said ,continuing to kiss me and help me out of my clothes..

I hurriedly unstrapped her bra...

"Is this new? I like this." I said..

"No silly..." she laughed..

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu...ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Kevin...Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..." moaned Sepia...

We were soon in the bed...making sweet love..

  SEVEN TO EIGHT HOURS of hot sweaty sex seemed to drift aimlessly by...


Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu...""Ohhh baby, give it to meeeeee....ummmmmmph..."she screamed.....

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.... Sepia......Sepia .....ouuuuuuuuuu, more, more... ohhhhhh..."I said.

"Give it to me daddy...ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..."she moaned.

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh gooooddddddd lawdd it's soooo goood...ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh damnnn girl...ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh sweeeeet jesusssssssssss  ..arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.."I cried ...out!!"Morrre...Morreee....morrre...ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.."

"Kevin..ouuuuuu..Kevin....OHHHHHHH. baby I'm cumming...ohhhhh my goodness..ouuuuuuu!"she wailed...
 She was sweating profusely....So was I.....

"Ohhhhhhh,ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, here it comes...here it comes....ohhhhhhhhhhhh." I yelled...

"Yesssssssssssssssssssssssssss..ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu, husband!!!!" she yelled...

  We were rocking so hard...I thought the headboard was going to seperate from the rest of the bed..

  We both began shaking and holding each other...We were both climaxing.....My bottom lip was quivering...Sepia was shaking and sweating profusely....breathing heavily.....

"Oh My god, Kevin..ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.." she screamed.

She held me tight and kissed my shoulder and my neck....which made me cum even harder.....

It took a few minutes, 15 or so before we were kissing again...

 "Ouuuuuuuuuuuuu Husband....Husband....."said Sepia...

I lifted her up and entered her slowly, softly...She put her arms around my neck and held me tight as I began to thrust slowly....

"Yesssssssssss..ouuuuu give it to me, give it to me...give it to me strong.....Ouuuuuuuuuu"she moaned..

"Oh" I moaned...

I only had enough gas in the tank for ONE MORE HOUR of serious lovemaking before I came and came hard...

Sepia was cumming so hard, tears were flowing from her face, mixed with sweat....

We collapsed on the bed..

Sepia lie in between my legs...I played in her hair...

"I love you Kevin." she whispered just before she fell asleep...

"Love you too babes." I said, holding her tightly..

IV-

The next morning... Sepia and I sat around the house lounging...It was Thursday, but neither one of us was in any condition to go to work today.....

''Kevin I just thought about something..." said Sepia..

 ''What's that?" I asked.

''Vernon Monroe is out there...The cops didn't catch him....He was far smarter than anybody he had working for him."said Sepia.

 ''Forget about him....He's as good as done...The Cops want him for Murder, he has no gang of enforcers...They're all dead or in the wind....He's got nowhere to go...But I do remember Henry Higgins trying to tell me something about that safe.."I said.

 ''Where is the safe?" asked Sepia.

"I don't know....He never said...All I know is he said something about if it wasn't opened a certain way...."I said.

''What?" asked Sepia..

 "I don't know..." I said..

At this very moment....under the cover of darkness...Vern Monroe had slipped back into the bed and breakfast and found the safe.....He wasn't about to try and pick it....He lined the entrance to the safe with some light explosives that would blow the door open...

"That money is mine....Nobody is going to keep me from it...It's mine!" he said over and over..

He had no idea the safe was booby trapped....When the door was blown open, the safe exploded...

The massive explosion ripped his arms and legs off as well as his head...It also leveled the Bed and Breakfast completely....

The firemen put the fire out.....The explosion destroyed the money and the jewelry completely....and there wasn't enough of Vern Monroe's body left for an open casket funeral...

It took them three days to positively identify him.....What was left of him was cremated....No one claimed his ashes...

A sad end to a greedy man's career..

EPILOUGE-

A week later... Bonita, Sepia, Bonnie Shay , Henry Higgins and I stood at what was left of the Bed and Breakfast.... It was still smouldering...

 "Well there goes that deal...Up in smoke, literally."said Bonita.

 ''Wow , we could have turned this into some lofts...or condos ,made a killing.." said Sepia..

 ''Wow..Well Mr. Higgins...It is insured...You'll be getting a check.."said Bonnie Shay...

I was speechless..

Henry Higgins shook his head...

"That money and that jewelry was worth far more than the check I'll be getting..Damn it Vern...You just couldn't let it go..." he sighed...

No he couldn't and it killed him....Literally!

Not Your Day

Like I said...This was turning out to be one hell of a day...

The Mysterious Homeless man that Bonnie Shay, Henry Higgins and I encountered in the sub-basement across the street from the Bed And Breakfast my wife and her partner were trying to sell was an enigma in himself..

"Believe it not...I was a Doctor in my other life " he said...

I might have thought this was a crazy man talking...except that he had built what appeared to be...Well..an apartment ,down here below the surface...in this sub-basement...He had a toilet and a sink and running water...Free Electric...He had a small refrigerator, full of food..a hot plate and photos of his past life and his medical diploma and license....

His name was Charles Chesterson....

"How long have you been living down here?" I asked..

"Oh about 15 years.....The stress of being a surgeon got to me..  I had a nervous breakdown....I knew I couldn't live that life anymore..."he said.

"Do you get a pension?  Anything?" asked Bonnie Shay..

"I do...I have a post office box....Every now and then,I go up on the surface...I cash my check and I buy groceries and I come back down here...It's peaceful." he said..

"I hear ya." I said..  In a small way I envied him...No stress, no responsibilities...

"You have a wife, kids?" I asked..

"I did at one time...It didn't work out...A Wife I mean...I have no children...." he said..

He had bandages...He wrapped Henry Higgins's ribs....and applied a cool rag to his head..

"This will sustain him for awhile...but he needs some medical attention." he said..

He allowed us to make sandwiches and he offered us some cold sodas.....Bonnie, Henry and I were astounded...

He didn't have a radio or a television, but he had a laptop....

Bonnie and I were astounded..

"So what do you guys do first off and why are you down here disturbing my peace?" he asked..

It was a fair question....

I explained to him that I owned Morris Communications and Investigations....I told him where we were located  and the services we provided....I showed him our website.... I also showed him my P.I's license and explained to him about my wife and her partner and their attempt to option off  Mr. Higgins building and how Monroe, Roach and some others encroached on that and chased us out by force with the threat of imminent death.....

He shook his head...

Bonnie explained to him that she was now an Insurance Investigator, had been a Public Defender at one time and an Assistant District Attorney...

"WOW!that is something...I hate to sound unhospitable...but you guys know you can't stay here much longer....I don't want to be found or exposed...." said Charles Chesterson...

"I understand....and I thank you....Is there another way out of here, to the street?? "I asked..

"It is...I can show you....but you must give me your word you won't tell anybody about me being down here.." he said..

Bonnie and I and Henry Higgins all gave our word.....

"Okay, follow me... I'll lead you to it....Good Luck you guys... Get him to a hospital or a clinic as soon as possible..." he said..

"Oh we will, thank you for everything.."said Bonnie..

"I'd like to say you're welcome....but you understand....you're not!" he said and then smiled.. "I'm kidding.....It was nice talking to some human beings for a change.." he said..

"Good Luck Doctor...and thanks for everything.." I said..

II-

Sepia sat in Vernon Monroe's office...Vernon Monroe had a loaded .45 sitting close to him...He looked at Sepia...

"Mrs. Morris...You seem like a very intelligent woman...So I know you won't do anything stupid to force me to kill you."he said softly..

''Where is my husband and my friend?" asked Sepia, as she sat across from him....He had her gun and her smartphone...She didn't have an ace to play...She knew that..

Vern Monroe smiled..

"If you are patient...You'll be reunited with your husband, Mrs Shay and Mr. Higgins shortly.." he said.

Though she didn't show it, she was more terrified of the man known as Roach than she was of Vern Monroe and his horndog nephew , Detective Anthony Starks...who had been smiling at her and talking softly to her about "Being nice to him.." the entire time they were there...

She sensed that Neither he nor Mr. Monroe cared for Roach too much, but that they needed him around for his muscle and his particular way of handling things...

"Mister Monroe...Look...You're a realtor like I am...My partner and I get out bidded on a property from time to time...It's part of the business, why are you going through so much to get this property?" asked Sepia...Then she smiled..

"Theres more to this isn't it?   Something here or about this place that's worth more than is being said.." she said.

Vern Monroe smiled..He really liked Sepia...She not only was as sexy as hell ,he thought..She was a smart, capable and loyal woman...He could see himself married to her, partnering with her in business. He really hated that he was going to have to eventually kill such a capable woman as well as me, her very lucky and fortunate husband, he mused..

"Mrs. Morris, you are exactly right...apparently your partner ,Mr. Higgins didn't tell you and Mrs. Foxworth about the wall safe hidden somewhere in here...filled with money and jewelry worth millions...left there by my late brother, who sold this place to him years ago instead of me.." he said.

"No he didn't....So I suppose he just got tired of you guys bugging him about selling, So he came to us.."said Sepia..

''Yes...He was going to loot the safe and leave..You and Mrs. Foxworth would be the new sellers/owners what have you and nobody would be the wiser...Had he of co-operated earlier today...None of this would have happened...You and your husband would be back in Philadelphia enjoying life as would Mrs. Shay..." he said.

''Well let's look for the safe...You and me....and put an end to all this foolishness..?I don't care about the proceeds....We just want this place....You find your safe....Get your loot and everybody wins!" said Sepia.

Vern Monroe smiled..

"Nice try Mrs. Morris...I like you, you're smarter than Mr. Roach and my horny nephew...Your husband, Kevin Morris is a very ,very lucky man to have you..." he said...

III-

Henry Higgins, Bonnie Shay and I made our way upstairs to yet another empty building..

''Wow, we made it out...It's nice to see sunlight..." said Bonnie Shay...

"I'll say...It's only been two hours....but it feels like it's been three days."said Henry Higgins...

''We've got to get Henry to the hospital....and I've got to call Sepia...I know she's worried sick.." I said.

Bonnie looked at her phone..

"Yeah, I've got five missed calls from Ronnie...." she said as we walked outside..

We took a deep breath....Nice to smell and breathe fresh air!!  It was almost afternoon!

That was all short lived...

We heard two guns click!!

We turned around and saw Roach and another guy, a younger guy in a suit who I did not know...The younger guy had a Glock Nine on us...Roach had a .45

The younger guy was smiling...

"You must be Kevin Morris....I've met your sexy little wife....Who is this fine dark chocolate thing you have with you here? Ummmmmmmmmmmmm  Umph" he said, nearly drooling over Bonnie Shay....

We said nothing..

"Hello Mr. Higgins.." he said....

Henry looked at us...

"Kevin, Bonnie,That's Tony...DETECTIVE Tony Starks, the nephew of Vernon Monroe...Crooked cop, undeserving detective..." he said icily...

He pinched Bonnie's behind...

"Ouch." she said..and glared at him...He giggled...

"You can call me Tony brown sugar...You gotta nice rack too!  Lawd!" he said.... "Damn girl, you got some curves on you!"he said.

"Leave her alone you horn dog!"said Henry Higgins...

''Awww Hankie, is that anyway to greet an old friend....I'm hurt..." he said..

"You're no friend of mine.." said Henry Higgins...

"SHUT UP!   Higgins...when we get back, you and I got some business to settle up." snarled Roach..

"Leave him alone Roach.....You know, you're good at beating the hell out of people smaller than you or less skilled....Wonder how you'd do against someone....Who's not afraid of you and who can handle themselves?" I said..

"You mean like you?" he said..

"Yeah like me.."I said.

"Roach...He's trying to goad you..."said Starks...

"SHUT UP!  THIS IS BETWEEN ME AND HIM!" said Roach who handed his gun to Starks...after he took my .38 smokeless, his .45 which I had taken the other day and Bonnie Shay's .22...

"Now tough guy, we are all even.."said Roach...

''Roach...come on..we gotta take them back.." said Starks..

''We will, after I tune this guy up.." he said..

"Tune me up OR GET TUNED UP? " I said..

"Awwww I been waitin years for this.." said Roach...

I punched him in his face almost immediately...

"You gonna talk or fight?" I asked him..

Tony Starks cracked up laughing...

This was a fight that had been building up since we first saw each other, hours ago..

He charged at me..I crouched and I landed about 12 good lefts and rights to his face.....I caught him with an uppercut that damn near ripped his head off and then clocked him in his jaw and sent him flying.... He quickly got to his feet and charged me again...throwing haymakers...I dodged them all and ripped his midsection with well placed lefts and rights and then cold cocked him in his jaw, sending him spinning around...I attempted a swift kick to his solar plexus , but he caught my foot , twisted my leg and sent me falling to the ground...

He lifted me up by my neck and put his massive hands around my neck..I kicked him as hard as I could in his privates and he let me go...

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU...UMMMMMMMMMMMMph!!" he groaned..

I again punished his midsection with 10-12 lefts and rights and then planted more lefts and rights to his face...He fell to the ground.......I thought I had time to catch my breath....but he was up again and charging at me...

 He punched me in the jaw.... I was stunned...He tried to  throw another haymaker, but I blocked his second punch and landed a hard punch to his jaw...He swung wildly again..I blocked this punch and tore his mid section up with a series of lefts and rights...I then landed some more lefts and rights to his face that sent blood and sweat flying....

He bent over in pain....

Tony Starks was beside himself with laughter....This made Roach even more angry if that was possible..

 He charged at me again..I crouched and I landed about 12 good lefts and rights to his face.....I caught him with an uppercut that damn near ripped his head off and then clocked him in his jaw and sent him flying yet again....... He quickly got to his feet and charged me again...throwing haymakers.

He was telegraphing his punches...He had picked up some bad habits since his days in the ring... I dodged his wild swings  and ripped his midsection with well placed lefts and rights and then cold cocked him in his jaw, sending him spinning around..He fell up against the wall....

"Hey Roach, why don't you quit while you're ahead...This guy is beating the tar out of you..."said Starks who was bent over in hysterics,laughing at the beating Roach was taking..

Both Tony Stark and Henry Higgins were laughing at him.....

"SHUT UP STARKS!!   I GOT THIS!" he snarled..

"Oh is that how you see it?  Your face tells a different story.." said Tony Starks..

Henry Higgins busted out laughing...Surprisingly, he and Tony Starks high fived each other..

Roach's face was swollen horribly, his left eye was nearly closed and his lips were swollen, with blood pouring from his nose and lips...

Now Bonnie Shay and Henry Higgins were openly laughing at him...He was incensed...but not eager to continue mixing it up with me....He realized he was no longer a match for me..

"Had enough insect?" I sneered...

He swung wildly again, he missed...but I didn't....I landed about 10 lefts and rights to his face...He tried to charge me, which led to another vicious upper cut that nearly took his head off...He was wobbling and spitting blood...and swinging wildly and missing...I hit him about 5 more times in his face....

The laughter got louder....

He wasn't in good shape and was wheezing and blowing and my next punch sent him backwards into a row of stacked trash cans and  to the ground and out for the night.... He lie face up in the drive way of the abandoned building...Over turned trash cans all around him...

Tony Starks was laughing his head off...

"Well, Well, Well...If my hands weren't full I'd clap...I have never seen anybody handle old Roach the way you just did...and I have to say...He had a butt whipping like this coming a long time....I'm glad I got to see it.. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA..Wait til I tell Unc...Okay...now get to steppin...All of you." he said pointing both guns at us.....The short truce between us was over..

"Man, this was worth half my life....Remind me to give you a pound....I enjoyed seeing ole Roach get his ass kicked..." he said, still laughing as he marched the three us down the back streets...

"What about him?" asked Bonnie, looking at Roach lying on the pavement, his face, a bloody pulp and snoring...

Starks grimaced...

"To hell with him...Let him sleep it off...Now Move.." he said..Still laughing..

"I can't believe it..Roach got his ass kicked...HAhahahahahahahaha!" he laughed..

Roach was still lying there on the ground....trash cans around him, out like a light!!!!

IV-

Vern Monroe stared at Sepia...without saying anything..

''What?" she asked..

He smiled..

"You're very attractive..." he said..

"Thank You.." she said softly...Just what was he getting at?..she wondered...

"You make a man think things.." he said..

"Oh really? What kind of things ?" she said softly...

"All kinds of things.." he said...

Just then, he heard the door opening...Sepia breathed a sigh of relief!

"Unc...I got em, got em all." said Detective Tony Starks as he marched me, Bonnie and Henry Higgins into the parlor...

Upon seeing me.., Sepia rushed into my arms...

"HONEY BUNNY....I WAS SO WORRIED ABOUT YOU!" said Sepia, with tears in her eyes..

She gave me a passionate kiss, so passionate that I suppose it made everyone around us blush....

"Sepia...what are you doing here?" I asked..

"I was worried about you...So I came here to find out what happened to you and I uh met these nice people.." she said glaring at Vern Monroe and Tony Starks..  "Oh Hi Bonnie girl." she said..

"Hey Sepia...I don't have to tell you about the day we've had.You can imagine!"said Bonnie..

Vern Monroe looked around..

"Where's Roach?" he asked..

Tony Starks was cracking up....

"He's sleep" he said.

"Sleep?" asked Vern Monroe..

"He insisted on fighting this guy here...Mr. Morris and he got his clock cleaned....I mean knocked the hell out...He's laying in the street asleep...You shoulda seen it Unc....He beat the crap out of Roach..."said Tony Starks..

Vern Monroe shook his head..

"This has not been Mr. Roach's day..." he said..

(CONCLUSION NEXT)