Cold Case Blues

''Wow...I've never been in here....Not when it was the Mermaid Club." said Sepia,..,

"And for good reason too...This was a bar full of cut throats...Stick up kids, Drug Dealers, Shot Callers, Heist Guys...The worst of the worst...but now I understand...It's under new management...and it's got a new name..The Mermaid Crab and Ale House.."I said as we stood outside of what used to be "The Mermaid Club"

It was our first time going in since it had closed for a month and re-opened...I had heard a Lawyer and his business partner had bought it and remodeled it and reopened it...

"It looks great."said my wife, Sepia as we walked around inside..

Looking at the crowds and the interior..

The clientele was certainly different...Families, Working people...The Criminal element was definitely no longer welcome here..

For once people were eating and drinking and enjoying themselves...Not plotting their next big heist or drug deal...

"There is Kool Kat and Chelsea at that table..Let's join them.." I said as we walked over and sat down..

"Hey Kev, Sepia...What's goin on? Nice Joint...Never thought I'd be sayin that about this place."laughed the big man..

"Hey Kevin, Sepia."said Chelsea..His wife..

"Hey Chelsea, Walter..."said Sepia..as we joined them..

"Wow, I must say....The owners of this place did a great job...It looks different." I said as a plate of crabs came my way...

"Wowwwww look at that." I said..

"Smells different too." said Kool Kat.

 More Crab Legs

and a plate of oysters arrived..

"Mmmmmmm just look at this spread..

Olivia was right.. She said I'd love this place." said Sepia.

''I saw Olivia and Beverly and Donnie Ray one day a few weeks ago...

They  told me about this place too. Said they'd been here three times."

I said.

"I was living around here shortly before you moved around here Kevin, This area was a dump...Then Chris and Chess and Sepia and Bonita and Clerow and Owen Todd started developing properties and renting apartments, lofts, duplexes,triplexes and condos and they built those 3 shopping centers and that playground and they refurbished and reopened the old Royal theatre and the next thing you know,this area is poppin…Restaurants, Bars and clubs...New houses...the works.."said Chelsea..

"Yeah, remember when Josies was the only game in town?  This area anyway...Now we got Aqua Bar, Stoleys and all these nice places to eat and drink..like this joint...It's been an amazing ten years huh?" said Kool Kat...

"Truly amazing...and a lot of our old friends wound up moving in the area as well as some new ones....Gotta love it...Glad I stayed..."I said..

"Glad I met you and moved here." said Sepia, hugging me...

and giving me a sweet kiss..

''Awwww yall two are so cute.." said Chelsea..

Kool Kat chuckled...

It was a good night...The type of night you savor in between a case....

As we were this afternoon...

Like other nights like this...It was the calm before the storm...






II-

While we were enjoying our night.. a familiar figure was also in the house...a figure who like my wife, Sepia figured into my very first case, so many years ago...Cockraine "Cock" Robbins..a one time semi pro football player with serious prospects for the NFL...At one time both the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles were looking at him...

He played on both teams practice squads and some local semi pro football teams, but his football career never got any further than that...

Today he was a teacher and a high school football coach..

He was happily married , but at one time was romantically involved with both my future wife Sepia and her mother...

When her mother found out what he was doing she and a crooked ,but now deceased private investigator engineered one of the city's most notorious mass murders...It cost six or seven people their lives...He would have made eight if I hadn't of foiled it...

Unfortunately, my future wife's mother and her co-conspirator were both sent to prison for life...The crooked P.I. died inside prison.....My mother in law is still in prison..I  hear her chances for parole look pretty good.

Sepia never held that against me...She placed all the blame on her ex-boyfriend and never forgave him for her mother not only going to jail, but being deceived as well....

She moved in with me soon after that caper was over...I paid for her schooling...She earned an Associates degree from Community College  and a Bachelors Degree from Temple and a Real Estate certificate....

Soon after, We got married and are now the proud parents of a baby girl...Kimberly Morris.

Even her mother forgave me...She thanked me for taking her daughter in and paying for her education and marrying her, but most of all, for giving her a grand-daughter and of course keeping money on her books and with the help of ADA Keith Wallace, placing her in a minimum security women's prison..

But both women harbor a hatred for Cock Robbins that runs deep.

He walked over to our table..

"Good Evening Kevin, Sepia, Walter, Chelsea.." he said..

 "Heyyyy Cock!" I said..

 ''What's goin on mannnn? How's that team lookin? You guys pick up a running back?" asked Kool Kat.

"We got a freshman that looks like a project." said Cock Robbins.

"Can you get us season tickets?" joked Chelsea..

"Come on Chelsea...It's High School...It's cheap enough as it is." said Cock Robbins..

"I'm just joking.." laughed Chelsea.

"Excuse me...I'll be back.. I'm going to the ladies room."said Sepia , who got up and walked away..

"Hold up Sepia...I'm going too." said Chelsea..

"That nasty dog was screwing me and my mama....I didn't know it and she didn't know it at first..."said Sepia.

"Walter told me....That's how you and Kevin met isn't it?  That was the case that started him in this Private Detective side thing of his isn't it?" asked Chelsea..

"Yeah and it cost seven people their lives and my poor mother her freedom...Lousy nasty dog, Cock Robbins...I look at him now and I can't believe I let him kiss me.. let alone do anything else.."said Sepia..

"It's all over now baby...You got a good man out the whole thing who loves you to death...You've got a home in a new city and lots of new friends...a daughter and a thriving business...It worked out girl." said Chelsea...

"I suppose you're right...Maybe I'll forgive him one day...but it's hard.." said Sepia.

"I know girl...I know." said Chelsea..

 At our table a plate of Oysters arrived

and some beers...

"So what's up Cock?" I asked.

"Kevin...Monday I have a woman I want you to meet.."said Cock Robbins..

"Damn, it's a good thing Bad Girl went to the ladies room.." laughed Kool Kat.

"No it's not like that....There is money in this ...For you..."said Cock Robbins..

"What does she want?" I asked.

"Her fiancé...One of my former students...A Football prospect named Brion  Carson went missing....and she wants to know what happened to him.. She's willing to pay.." said Cock.

"I remember him, graduated with honors...Was a promising Tight End..Played for Penn State was in the running for the Heisman a few years back." I said.

"Yeah, I remember him too...He made himself eligible for the draft.. The NFL Draft and never showed up!" said Kool Kat...

"That's right...he never showed up....He hasn't been seen since last summer...."said Cock..

"Anybody report him missing? To the Police ,I mean." I said.

"Yeah...Missing Persons....We haven't heard anything....That's why I told her about you.." said Cock..

"What's in this for you?" asked Kool Kat, laughing wryly...

"She's paying me a finders fee." he said.

"A finders fee?" asked Kool Kat, now thoroughly amused...

"Yeah for putting Kevin next to her..." he said..

Kool Kat busted out laughing..

So did I until he passed me an envelope with 200K in it...

"WHATTT???" I asked..

"She gave me 100 large to get you....That's to cover any expenses you may have...and there is more she led me to believe …"said Cock..

"Okay...Where do I meet her?" I asked.

"She's got a boat down at Penns Landing...I'll give you her cell phone number and directions." said Cock Robbins.

"How did you know I'd be in here tonight?" I asked.

"I didn't...I went to Josies, Aqua Bar, Stoleys, Mulberry Street, all the places you hang out..I stopped by your house even..So this place was next on my list..."he said..

I smiled..

"You want in on this Walter?" I asked.

"Somebody has to watch your back out on these streets...Of course." said Kool Kat..

"Here come your wives...I'll tell her you'll meet up with her on Monday." said Cock Robbins..

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

"No Thank you Kevin.." he said..

Kool Kat laughed..

"How lucky to be him huh?" he said..

"I know right..?" I laughed..

Sepia sat down...I placed the envelope in her purse...

"What is this?" she asked..

"It's lunch money.. put it in our safe." I said.

"He's paying you this to do something for him? I wonder who's mother he's sleeping with this time?" asked Sepia..

 Chelsea laughed..

So did Kool Kat.

"He's not paying me...He's the go between for someone else..."I said..

"Sounds like him...always a middle man, never a player.." said Sepia..

"Tell us how you REALLY feel bad girl" laughed Kool Kat...

As we continued on, eating and drinking at the crab house..

III-

A few days later...

Kool Kat and I went down to the Marina at Penns Landing to meet the woman.. (Her name was Sharon Silver..)

To the surprise of both Kool Kat and myself.. Sharon Silver was a very attractive Black woman....

"One of you is Kevin Morris correct?" she said.

"That would be me.."I said.. "Pleased to meet you and this is my associate, Mr. Walter Jones."I said.

Kool Kat was all smiles...He whispered to me..

"I would have to be married right now...wouldn't I?" he said..

I smiled.

"You guys had lunch?  Come with me...Your lunch is on me."she said..

"Wow, you are serious about this...judging by the money you put out..."I said.

"I want to know what happened to Brion...He was my fiancé...We were to be married the night after the NFL draft...He never showed up last June and hasn't been seen or heard from again...I've heard all kinds of stories , that he ran off with another woman, that he was murdered by pirates....I don't know..I just need to know for my own self.." she said.   "That's why I reached out.I heard from credible sources that you're one of the best P.I.'s in the city...and that you have ties to law enforcement..So I heard that Cock Robbins knew you and I reached out to him to get to you."she said.


"Got'cha...Let's go eat and talk.."I said.

"That's why I rolls with Kev..That's why!" whispered Kool Kat in my ear....He was checking her out and just smiling from cheek to cheek..

I found the whole thing humorous.

We found a nice seaside restaurant and ordered some steaks..

and a bottle of wine for the table..


IV-

"You two have good appetites....That's good in a man." said Sharon Silver...As the three of us chowed down on three of the thickest Sirloin Steaks in the area and drank good wine...

We came up for air to hear her continue..

"My Fiance has been missing for a year now and it seems like nobody cares...I need to know what happened to him...If he really ran off with another woman, or if he's dead....I just need to know.."she said.

Kool Kat and I listened as she continued to talk.. We had finished our meal and was now drinking the wine..

"You might want to start with his brother...Dell Carson...He was the last known person to see him alive...They went out on a boat from here that day...The day after the draft." said  Sharon.

''Just him and his brother?" I asked.

''No..there a young lady with them...A white girl..Her name was Noble...Noble something or other." said Sharon.

''And is she missing too?" asked Kool Kat.

"Yes...Neither she nor my fiancé have been seen or heard from since they went out on that boat...by Dell returned...He claimed he wasn't with them..but I know that's a lie.." she said..

''Alright...Here is my card...This is my business...Morris Communications and Investigations.. This is my number and my cell phone number...I'll need a number from you....Give me a few days...If I don't find anything...I'll refund you your money."I said..

We exchanged information on our phones...

"This is where you can find me during the week..."she said.

"I'll be in touch..."I said..

"Thank you...I'll appreciate anything you can find.."she said and she got up and walked out..

"Thanks for lunch."said Kool Kat with a wry smile on his face..

She smiled at him...

"Don't mention it.." she said as she walked out..

"I hate missing persons cases..."I said.

"Yeah I know what you mean...but look at her...Who wouldn't want to be on her case?" asked Kool Kat...

''She's fine and all, but this case is a year old...The trail is already cold from beginning.....It's going to be hard to heat it up..."I said..

"Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet...She's already got me hot!" said Kool Kat...

"I can see that...you'd better go home and chill out with CHELSEA!" I said.

"Yeah man, you right...That's also why I rolls with you dog, You keep me straight." said Kool Kat.

It was still early afternoon...We were well fed and well paid and about to embark on a cold dark trail..


(TO BE CONTINUED)