The Mystery Of Higgins House

 PROLOUGE_

This is a story about a day....One Day in the life


At a Bed and Breakfast in near by Bayside....Henry Higgins received a punch in the stomach and then another punch in his face..

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu..ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.." he moaned..

The man who punched him was Avril Rayd....known on the street as ''Roach" , a vicious and murderous thug...An enforcer for loan sharks...He was so brutal that a number of the juice men or loan sharks didn't want his services...He had allegedly killed two people already..You know you're brutal if even the loan sharks don't want to work with you..

"Now Higgins...are you gonna tell Mr. Monroe...What he wants to hear...?" asked Roach...who slugged him again...

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.."moaned Henry Higgins..

They were in a small office on the first floor of the property.. Mr. Monroe or Vernon Monroe, a realtor who had had his eyes on this property for months sat and watched...
Finally , he stopped ''Roach"

''Any more of your brand of interrogation and Mr. Higgins won't be able to tell us what we need to know.." said Vernon Monroe..

Roach looked at him and snarled..

"Well how would you go about getting him to talk?" he said...

Vernon Monroe stared at Henry Higgins , who was bloody, having been beaten to a pulp..

"Now Mr. Higgins... Who did you option this property to?" he asked softly...

"I told you...Two nice young ladies from Philadelphia... Sepia Morris and Bonita Foxworth

....The deal was already done.....They made me a nice offer and I took it.." he said, spitting out blood..

''Did you tell them about anything else?" asked Vernon Monroe..

"There-There is nothing else...I -I-I don't know what you're talking about.." he said..

''Let me have a crack at him Vern...I'll get him to talk.." said Roach...

"I think you've had enough cracks at him Roach." said Vernon Monroe.

Vernon Monroe looked at Henry Higgins...He had already been beaten worse than he needed to be beaten..He felt a twinge of pity for him..He despised men like Avril "Roach" Rayd...but he needed his services and he did have a way of getting his tenants , who were late with their rent to pay up rather quickly...

He was very good at collecting the "juice" he had on the street....Vern Monroe was the most successful loan shark in Bayside...He was the only one...He was also a fence of stolen goods and a shot caller...He set up successful heists in the area...He got a cut of every illegal dollar made in Bayside..A suburb of Philadelphia...All done very quietly....If anybody made any noise or bucked his system , Mr. Roach came to visit them...and the outcome was painful...It could be murder!!

"Now look Henry....You already need medical attention....Don't make it worse...Where is the money??The safe..?? That's what I want..." he said..

Henry Higgins spit out more blood..

"There isn't any safe...I don't know what you're talking about.." he said..

Roach put on some Brass knuckles..

"I'm gonna knock your teeth out." he said..

Henry Higgins kicked him as hard as he could in his groin..

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu,Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmph.." groaned Roach..

Henry then pushed Vernon Monroe away and took a  nearby steel tray and crowned Roach....Knocking him down.....

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" moaned Roach as he fell to the floor..

He then ran for all he was worth out the door and across the street into another building..

Roach was still groaning in pain , when he got up off the floor...

"I'll kill him...I'll kill him...Where is he?" he groaned..

Vernon Monroe held back the urge to laugh...

''He ran across the street into that other empty property.." he said..

Avril ''Roach"Rayd pulled out a .45 and gave chase..

He fired three times...one time breaking the window....

Vernon Monroe grabbed him..

''Are you crazy? You want the cops to come?" he asked.

"Who you callin crazy Vern.?" snarled Roach...who couldn't be reasoned with when he was this angry....He went from 1-10 very easily...He always had..

"Listen...He's in that old house...grab some guys and search it..He couldn't have gone that far...at best he's in the basement or sub-basement...In his condition he's not gonna go far."said Monroe..

"I'll kill him...I swear,I'll kill  him..."Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu,Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmph.." groaned Roach..

"No you won't...We need him alive long enough to call those two women...Sepia Morris and Bonita Foxworth and tell them the deal has been cancelled ,so that they won't come out here." said Vernon Monroe..who thought to himself...After the money was found and his ownership of this property was a forgone conclusion... He was going to have to kill Mr. Roach....His volatile nature was bad for business.

II-

A Tony Steakhouse in Downtown Philadelphia..

My wife, Sepia Morris and I, Kevin Morris...were having lunch ,if you can believe it with her partner, Bonita Foxworth and her husband, Attorney Robert Foxworth at a tony Steakhouse in downtown Philadelphia..

"Oh My God, This food is delicious...and this wine.." said Sepia..

"Oh My God...I'm not used to eating like this for lunch, I might sleep the rest of the afternoon at work.." I said..

"Then sleep...It's your company Kev...and besides...You and me haven't hung out in a long time, ever since you started your company and your investigative agency and all...You don't need my contacts anymore...And now you do investigative work for Kayla Bennett and Glenda Bryant..."said Robert Foxworth..

''Robert Stop it...Don't make Kevin feel guilty..He just did some investigative work for you last week.."said Bonita...

"My girl...Always got my back..."I said and high fived Bonita...Robert's sexy little wife and my wife, Sepia's best friend and business partner in the Realty business..

I had indeed done some investigative work for Attorney Chance Howard and Nelson East,both of who worked at Robert Foxworth's law firm in the past week and Kayla Bennett and Glenda Bryant, two other Attorney's I did work for..

I now how an investigative agency...Five additional investigators... (four were ex-CIA, one was ex-KGB) plus Peeping Tom, Lockpick Johnson and the occassional help of my friends, Sean Jackson, Clerow, Owen Todd and Kool Kat...complete with investigating and crime fighting software and equipment that could rival many modern police departments... I had a full administrative staff of about 30 people...  It was located in the sub-basement of the building that housed my main business..a Multi media company that published magazines, newspapers both digitally and in print , a music streaming service, a satellite radio and television stations.

We had just finished the best sirloin steaks I'd eaten in a long time, Loaded Baked Potatoes and a great spring salad...

.


Now we were drinking some fine wine...

"Oh my god this is too much..." said Sepia....

''We deserve it girl, ...Look at us...Our businesses are booming..We both have beautiful little girls and men who can't keep their hands off of us...We have it all..."said a happy Bonita.

"We kinda do, don't we?" laughed Sepia..as she sipped more wine..

We had all come a long way from our humble beginnings..

"I heard you girls just bought your first outside property.." I said..

''Yeah...It's a bed and breakfast....It's in Bayside...There is a slight problem.."said Sepia..

''What kind of problem?" asked Robert Foxworth...

"We have to talk to the owner...Henry Higgins...we need him to sign the final bill of sale...Sepia and I have been trying to set up a meeting with him...But we can't seem to get in touch with him...We've called him, texted him and emailed him and he hasn't responded.."said Bonita..

"Maybe he's out of town.."said Robert Foxworth...

"I drove out there last week..None of his neighbors have seen him and mail seemed to be piling up on the property.....The Electric company and The Gas company have been trying to get in touch with him too..I hope everything is alright.."said Sepia..

"Give me the address....I'll go out there tomorrow and check it out..He probably went on a lightweight vacation and might be back..."I said..

"You sure Kevin?" asked Sepia..

"Yeah,I'm not doing nothing.."I said..

''Awwwwwwwwwwww thanks Kevin..."said Bonita..

''Kevin is bored..He smells adventure...You haven't been in danger since you last tangled with our old friend, Mr. Tickle.."laughed Robert Foxworth...

''Going out to check on one of their clients isn't exactly dangerous work....He'll probably be there when I get there.." I laughed..

I had no idea how wrong I would be...

III-

The next morning...I drove out to the Bed and Breakfast in Bayside...I looked it over...It looked nice...It could use a little work...But I knew Sepia and Bonita...they were going to hook this spot up...before they sold it..

I knocked on the door... Twice...Then I rang the bell... The mail that Sepia and Bonita said was piling up had obviously been moved...meaning Mr. Higgins had returned...

A Brown skinned, Sandy haired man answered the door..

"Mr. Higgins?" I asked..

" Uh..Uhhh yes..."may I help you?" said the man..

"Oh, I'm Kevin Morris...My wife, Sepia Morris and Bonita Foxworth have been trying to get in touch with you for about a week..They asked me to come out here and check on you...Just to make sure you are okay...They were a little worried.."I said.

"Ohh I'm fine I uh...I uh left town for a few days.."said the man..

"That's what I thought..."I said..

I didn't know what Mr. Higgins looked like so I assumed I was talking to him...

"I meant to call your wife and tell her that unfortunately....I uh am not going to go with her...I have found another realtor who has made me a better offer..These things happen often in this business.." he said..

"Wow...They were really excited about your offer..." I said..

"Yeah,I know,I'm sorry..." he said..

Just then...a familiar figure walked up behind me...Bonnie Shay..Attorney and Insurance Investigator for Cyclops Insurance..

"Hey Kevin...What are you doing here?" asked Bonnie...

''Heyyyyyyyyyyy Bonnie.... I just came out here for Sepia and Bonita, they have optioned this property from Mr. Higgins...They hadn't heard from him, so I said I'd check it out...but unfortunately he's closed the deal..He's going with someone else.."I said.

"Cyclops has the insurance policy on this place...I've been trying to meet with Mr. Higgins too..He called me a week ago..He sounded like something was wrong...I meant to get out here sooner.."said Bonnie...

Just then somebody walked up who I did recognize...Avril ''Roach" Rayd..known on the street as ''Roach" , a vicious and murderous thug...An enforcer for loan sharks..It was rumored but never proven that he had already murdered two people..

He knew me and I knew him...We did not like each other..That was putting it mildly!

The man I had been talking to looked at Roach....

"This is my associate, Mr. Rayd....Uh you two look like you know each other" he said.

''We have been known to cross each others path from time to time.." I said and peered around the room...I saw stained blood on the floor...All of a sudden this didn't look too kosher..

"Could I speak to Mr. Higgins please?" asked Bonnie.

"This isn't Mr. Higgins?" I asked, now realizing I had been conned...

"No...I met Mr. Higgins two weeks ago...This is not him...I know him.I don't know who this man is."said Bonnie..I was glad she was here..

Roach grimaced..

"You know a lot sugar britches for a woman with no defenses." he said...

"I know a lot myself Roach....That intimidation act works with women and some of your victims..but it don't work with me..."I said..

Roach pulled out his .45....

"I never liked you anyway....Let's see if this works with you..." he said..

"That's right hide behind a gun...."I said.

"I DON'T NEED TO HIDE BEHIND NOTHIN!!!! " he snarled...

Before he could do anything...Bonnie hit him in the face with her purse and kicked him hard in the groin..

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU, UmMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMph....." he groaned and fell to the floor..

 ''Run Bonnie, Run.." I said

The two of us ran out of the bed and breakfast..Three men pulled guns out and fired at us and gave chase...

I pulled out my .38 smokeless and returned fire..

The three men ducked behind cars...

Bonnie and I ran into the house across the street that appeared empty... I took my gun, broke out a window and fired at Roach and Vern Monroe...They both ducked.. The three men fired a fusilade of shots..I fired over their heads...They took cover...I reloaded....

''Come on Bonnie...Let's move.." I said.

"Right behind you Kevin" she said and she covered us with gunfire from her .22

An Hour later, Vern Monroe and Roach were on the street...

Roach was furious...

"Let's get some matches and burn em out...That place is closed up anyway.."he snarled..

Vernon Monroe looked at him....

''Are you crazy? You want the cops out here?" he asked..

"We searched that house from top to bottom...Higgins has escaped.."he said..

Vern Monroe smiled..

"No he hasn't....He's in no shape....Had he escaped...The police would be here by now...My guess is he's in the basement or sub-basement of that house....and so are our two guests....You seemed to know that man....He said his wife is one of the realtors..."said Vern Monroe..

"He's a Private Investigator from Philly...His name is Kevin Morris...He's bad news...I tell ya..." said Roach..

"That other woman was from the Insurance company.....Find them, kill them both....Quietly....leave their bodies in that sub-basement....but don't kill Higgins, we need him alive...For now!"said Vernon Monroe..

""With Pleasure.."said Roach...

"Oh and Mr. Roach...I suggest if you ever want to have children, you uh wear a cup around your privates..."said Vernon Monroe, who laughed a bit...

Roach was furious....

"Come on boys...Let's flush em out.." he said..

Bonnie and I found a basement and an entrance to a sub -basement...

It was damp and smelled like hell.

''We'll be safe here for awhile..Bon-Bon..."I said..

''How long though?" she asked..

"I don't know..." I said..

''Kevin who are those men?" asked Bonnie.

"The one masquerading as Mr. Higgins I don't know...but his associate,I do know...They call him Roach...He's an enforcer for the juice men....That means loan sharks.."I said.

"I know what it means...I'm a former Public Defender and Assistant District Attorney...I've  worked with detectives..."said Bonnie, smiling.."Plus,I'm from West Philly." she added, smiling..

I smiled..

''I keep forgetting...Sorry Bon-Bon..." I said.

''That's okay...Question is what do we do now?  It won't be long before those men come down here and find us.."said Bonnie..

''And I'm not going to lie to you...They're going to try and kill us...like they've probably done Henry Higgins for whatever reason.."I said grimly...

We heard some moaning....

"Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...come with me..." came a voice...

I turned around...and saw a man, a man who had been beaten bloody standing in a doorway..

"MISTER HIGGINS!"said Bonnie, who had actually met him..

"You're Henry Higgins?" I asked..

"Yes....I know Bonnie, but who are you ?" he asked..

And the day was half way underway!!!


(TO BE CONTINUED)