Hot Rock

Kool Kat, Bonnie and I went back to my headquarters...Morris Investigations...It was a Saturday ,so my administrative staff was off...My five new investigators were gone too....Only Peeping Tom was there...I swear, I think he lives here sometimes...

He was sleeping on the couch when we walked in...He looked up and yawned...

"Hey Kevin, Walter....Ms. Shay....I meant to go home last night...I guess I dozed off.." he said..

"I'm glad you're here Tom...I can use your help." I said... I explained to him about the theft of the Blue Moon Diamond and how the thief did it and how he used a magnetic device to bypass the security system and mercury to bypass the back up system in the safe....

Tom smiled..

"Oh this guy is good, real good...I trust he disabled the hotel's camera systems too huh?" he said smiling..

''Right out of Lockpick Johnson's playbook.."said Kool Kat...

Peeping Tom smiled..

"Most of these Hotels have back up camera systems...Let's see how smart our guy really was.." said Tom..

We hacked into the hotel's system...and sure enough...Peeping Tom was right...The Hotel had a back up camera system....We not only caught a glimpse of the suspect....It turned out... I knew him....I smiled..

"Kevin...you know this guy don't you?" said Bonnie Shay...

"I sure do....I thought he'd gotten out of the business....He's the best I ever seen..." I said..

"I recognize him....That's Robinson, Christopher Robinson, the guy who stole the Golden Panties..." said Kool Kat...

Bonnie cracked up laughing...

"The What?" she said.

"You have heard of the Ms Panties lingerie and beauty pageant...haven't you? It's an annual event..." I said..

"Yes I've heard of it...My husband tried to get me to enter that thing several years ago....."said Bonnie..

Kool Kat smiled wryly....He had seen Bonnie in her panties , a few years ago when they shared a hot steamy night together.....He could see her in that contest...

Bonnie blushed something crazy...She knew what Walter was thinking...

"There was a Gold Panty and Bra set...valued at over a million dollars...It was a prize....This guy stole it and hacked into the accounts of the late gangster Frank Burke...Took him for 12 million...."I said.

"Frank Burke, the King of Strawberry Mansion and he lived to talk about it?" said Bonnie in disbelief...

"Not only lived....He engineered a series of events that led to Frank Burke being slain by one of his men....Burke was sleeping with his driver's fiance....Christopher kind of whispered in his ear about it...The driver did the rest, took out Burke and the entire crew before he himself was killed." I said..

''And he escaped with the money?" said Bonnie..

"Nah, he didn't want the money...He gave it all to the United Negro College Fund and several HBCU's...His thing was his hatred for Burke...He just wanted to stick it to Burke..."I said..

"Hey Kev...I got him, Got his car...It's a rental....and I ran down an address..." said Tom...

''Wow, you guys are scarily good.."said Bonnie...

''So is he...And if I know right...He's fenced that rock by now...It's not still in his possession..." I said..

"Let's Split up....I know a fence, one guy who handles high stakes merch like that....And you know him...."said Bonnie...

"Good idea..." I said..

''We'll meet back here in a few hours." said Bonnie, who was escorted out by Tom...

Kool Kat looked at me..

"Kev, you trust her? She is working for his old man...." he said.

"I trust Bon Bon...She's Family..."I said.

"Okay, but I got a photo of that rock and I know some fences too!  They're all connected guys.... I'll stop by and pay em a visit..."said Kool Kat...

"Okay Big Man, but uh no rough stuff...okay?"I said.

"Kev, when have you not known me to be anything but a gentleman?" he said and laughed menacingly..

Kool Kat was the most persuasive man I knew.


II-

Some Hours later, Sepia drove by...She had our daughter Kimmie with her..

"Hi baby....You got time for lunch?" she asked..

''I've always got time for my two favorite girls.." I said, smiling..

I kissed Sepia passionately......

She whispered...

"No bedroom kisses in front of the baby..." she said and smiled..

Bonnie stopped at a boutique and bought herself a sexy red dress that hugged every one of her curves...

 She then went to Bernadette's and got her hair styled just right and then she was off to a very tony Jewelry store..

She walked in and looked around....The Proprieter....a Black man named Tony Rhome walked over to her, he was all smiles...

"Lawddddd today....Bonnie.....Bonnie is that youuu? " he said..

"Hello Tony, how are you?" she said seductively.....

"I'm fine, but not as fine as you...Lawddddddddddddd!" he said, checking her out from top to bottom..

They knew each other from her days in New York City, when she was an Assistant District Attorney...

"You live in Philly now?" he asked..

"Yes...I've been back for two years now...." she said...

"I take it you're no longer with the D.A.'s office...?" he asked..

"No,I'm not.." she said...

"You're in uh Private Practice?" he asked..

"I'm an Insurance Investigator......I still practice law....occassionally...." she said..

"Dammmm girl, you still look good..." he said, shaking his head...

He couldn't take his eyes off of her huge breasts , her curves and the way this red dress was hugging her every curve....He remembered how he tried in vain to romance her when she was in New York and the D.A.'s office was investigating him...He was a Jeweler there too...It was a front for what he really was...A Fence and one who only dealt in high end merchandise...

He smiled..

''So I don't have to worry about you trying to put me in jail...huh?" he said.

"No, but you know I didn't just happen to drop by here...." said Bonnie,looking around..

"You have nice things here....." said Bonnie..


"I've got something nicer in my pants for you..." he said and took her in his arms...

Bonnie broke free..

"Be Nice.." she said..

"I'm being as nice as I can...Bonnie you know I've always wanted you..He said..

He had sent her flowers to her office for weeks and called her asking her out...but she always politely turned him down...It would have been a conflict of interest...Her office investigating him and she dating him...

They never made a case against him, but they did catch two thieves who were trying to sell him merchandise...

"Tonyyyyy, I'm married now!" she said..

He stared at her wedding band and straightened himself up....

"Married?" he asked...The huge erection he had that was making his trousers stand out like a circus tent had now drooped...

"Yes...When I returned to Philly, I ran into my ex-husband and we got to talking and one thing led to another and we wound up getting married again...We've been together for two years now." she said..

"So....Married for two years....Insurance investigator /Attorney now....What do you want with me?" he asked, a little angry now...

She showed him a Photo of the Blue Moon Diamond....Just from his reaction....She knew she had hit pay dirt...

"My client wants that diamond back...It was stolen from his son's hotel suite....It's worth millions...He hasn't reported it to the police yet...but once he does....It could mean trouble for anyone attempting to move it..."said Bonnie..

''What makes you think I know anything about it...I run a reputable business." he said.

"Let's not play games Tony...You're a Fence..."said Bonnie..

"You sound like a cop....I'm totally legit now..." he said..

He knew she didn't believe him....

''Well, here is my number....If someone should contact you....You will give me a call won't you?" said Bonnie seductively....

Her voice gave him a huge and hard erection again....

"Yeah...I'll give you a call..." he said..

"Thank you....Nice seeing you again Tony....."said Bonnie as she left his Jewelry store...

"Nice seeing you too Bonnie...All of you...."he said ,leering at her butt...

"Be nice!" she said...

"I am being nice...Glad you can't read my mind..." he said..

"I am soooo glad I can't." said Bonnie ,laughing...

III-

Christopher Robinson got a knock on his door....He answered the door and was floored to see me staring at him..

"Long time no see Mr. Robinson..."I said..

He smiled...

"You!  You are good....The best I've ever seen." he said..

"That's what I've said about you..."I said..

"How did you know I was in town?" he asked..

"A little thing like the Blue Moon Diamond vanished from Henry S. Lott Jr.'s hotel suite...He hired me to get it back...." I said..

"And you think I took it.." said Christopher Robinson...

"I know you took it...You used a magnetic device to short circuit his high tech security system and you used Mercury to keep the electrical current from being cut while you blew the safe....You disabled the hotel cameras....Need I go on?" I said..

He smiled..

"That's brilliant, You should be a box man....So What gave me away?" he said..

"These high priced hotels all have back up security cams in case the main system is disabled...I caught you on the back up camera....And I caught you on the street and traffic cam...I followed your rental car and got this address.."I said.

"Damn...you are good Kevin..."

"I thought you were out of the game..." I said..

"I tried to get out...I swear....but I was into this guy for a lot of dough...." he said..

"Still gambling Chris?" I asked..

"Yeah....man.....He gave me a job....I stole that rock for him...." said Christopher...

"I need it back..."I said..

"I haven't got it....I fenced it....I got a cool three million for it.."said Christopher..

"You paid off your gambling debt?" I asked..

"In full...gave him his end and still had a little cash on the back end.. All and All a wine -win for everybody involved." he said..

''Who is the Fence?" I asked.

"A guy named Tony Rhome...This is his address..." said Christopher...

"Thanks....I don't suppose I'll run into you again huh?" I said..

"Nah...I'm outta here..." he said..

''A word to the wise Christopher...Join Gambler's Anonymous...."I said.

He smiled..

"That's good advice...Tell  Ms. Sepia...I said hi." he said...

I smiled..

"You sweet on my wife?" I asked..Laughing, I knew he was....

"A little bit...I'm envious..." he said and smiled..

"Have a nice life Mr. Robinson..." I said and left..

IV-

I met with Kool Kat a little while later...

''What's good Kev...I visited a few high line Fences I know....They knew about that rock and they got visits from your boy Christopher Robinson...None of em wanted to touch that rock...It's the hottest rock in town..."said Kool Kat...

"It hasn't been reported stolen...The cops don't know anything about it...How is it so hot?" I asked..

"In addition to Bonnie Shay and Cyclops Insurance looking for it...Mr. Lott has his own enforcer looking for it...A guy called "No Fun"  He has got all these local fences...scared to death...They wouldn't touch it....But I heard there is one guy...a Fence who only deals in High End Merch who might touch it...He owns a huge Jewelry store here in town...His name is Tony Rhome...He's a New Yorker...It is said he's connected..."said Kool Kat..

"Interesting...because Christopher Robinson told me that that is who he fenced it to..He's been paid already..."

"You believe him?" asked Kool Kat...

"We have a mutual respect for each other...He's not of the habit of lying..He mentioned that a third party hired him to steal it...A Gambler he owed money to...He stole it , Fenced it and paid off his debt and gave this Gambler his cut...I need to visit him and get this guy's name.."I said..

Bonnie walked in just then...

"Tony Rhome....He's a Fence....I talked to him this afternoon...Naturally he said he hadn't seen the Blue Moon Diamond, but I don't believe him...." said Bonnie Shay...

"That's the name my sources gave me and that's the name the actual thief gave to Kevin..."said Kool Kat...

"Kevin, I know we are kind of working for different sides..but I would never cross you....I just wanted you to know that...You and your wife have been too good to me.."said Bonnie..

"I never thought you would...So our next move is shadowing Mr. Rhome...I need to send the team to his shop...to wire it ,Listen to who he talks to...Scope out who visits him....I suspect he hasn't moved that rock yet...It's too hot..."I said..

"That's a good idea....I'll follow your lead..." said Bonnie...

V-

Bonnie, Kool Kat and I went to Christopher Robinson's apartment...It was empty!!!

"I didn't expect him to clear out this soon...I just saw him a few hours ago.."I said..

"You spooked him Kev....You were on to him...It wouldn't be in his interest to hang around..."said Kool Kat...

"His rental car is still in the parking lot....and they said at the front desk that he hasn't checked out yet or paid his bill..."said Bonnie..

''Well That's strange..." I said..


Something was definitely off kilter...I didn't know what...but I felt a sense of great dread at the moment..

(TO BE CONTINUED)