A Little Boy At A Gas Station

I was washing my car early one morning, when a familiar face came walking down the street, Cock Robbins...Once a semi- pro and pro football player and now of days, a teacher and a football coach at the local high school...

"Hey Kev....I bet you didn't know that I play baseball in the off season did you?" he said as he sat on my steps...

"No, I didn't know that...I thought Football was your sport." I said.

"Oh it is...but I play some baseball... Semi-Pro Baseball....I'm on the Chestnut Hill Tigers..." he said
proudly.

"Everything is semi-pro with you, isn't it ?" I joked...

"Yeah, oh well...it pays a little bit....You should come out and see us play...it's really a good time.
bring Sepia a long too...she'd love it." he said.

"Okay Cock...When is the next game?" I asked...

"Two nights from now....I'll email you the driving directions.... It's cheap...$5.00 a person." he said.

"It's a deal." I said.

Cock Robbins wasn't lying.....Sepia and I attended his game two nights later and we had a great time...It was only ten bucks for the two of us and we had good popcorn, a couple of chili dogs and some cracker jacks and we saw a good baseball game with a lot of action too...

Cock hit a line drive single, two doubles and struck out twice...His team won the game, 10 -7....
During the game, I saw a guy I recognized and a cute little boy , who looked to be about seven.
I pointed them out to Sepia.

"See that guy over there...with the kid?" I said.

"Yeah, what about them?" she asked.

"That's the guy I told you about....that I went to see fight two weeks ago...That's Sailor Mike McCulley... He knocked this young kid out, who everybody said was the hands on favorite in the first round...He's been around awhile...I didn't think he had a chance against this kid, but he knocked him out." I laughed.

"Oh really???...Gives you hope huh??" she laughed....

"Oh hardy har har....one of these days Alice....To DA moon..." I laughed...

Sepia laughed too, as we filed out of the game....We saw Cock Robbins in the hallway.....

"Great game Cock..." I said.

"Thanks for coming Kev, Sepia....Hey did you see Sailor Mike, the boxer?? He was here tonight."
said Cock.

"Yeah...I noticed..." I laughed.

A little while later , We were driving home , when I noticed that my gas gauge was on "e", so I decided to stop at a near by gas station.

I accidentally qued in the wrong zip code , my work zip code instead of my home zip code and the
machine refused to take my ATM card...it told me to "See the Cashier"

"What's the matter Kevin?" said Sepia.

"I gotta go in and show my card to the cashier....I'll be right back.." I said.

"While you're in there, could you get me a Sprite?" she said.

"Sure." I replied.

"Hey Kevin...there's that boxer you were telling me about...Sailor Mike..." she said.

Sure enough...Sailor Mike was putting gas in his car....The little seven year old boy was with him.

I walked into the store , picked up a Sprite and told the girl inside to put twenty dollars on pump
number nine...when I heard a succession of gun shots!!!!!

I counted five....I ran to my car and crouched down....Sepia was already out of the car and ducking down behind the passenger side....I opened up the door and got my .38 smokeless out the glove compartment....I looked up....I saw Sailor Mike running after one guy...He had his pistol drawn.....Then I saw another guy get out of a car and run after Sailor Mike....I heard seven
shots....Then I saw the second guy run back to his car and pull off....The first guy was running down the street.....The car stopped...the door swung open and he jumped in... The car went flying
recklessly off into the night!!!

I ran over to Sailor Mike....He was laying face down in the street...in a pool of blood...He was dead! I heard a little boy screaming in horror.......Sepia put her hands over the little boy's face and held him close to her...

An hour later.....The police took statements from me, Sepia and the little boy....whose name was
Eddie. None of us got a really good look at the two guys except to see that they were black males and looked to be in their mid to late twenties...were wearing black slacks, black shoes and white t-shirts....Apparently, Sailor Mike had been robbed...but from the way this went down...This wasn't a robbery...this was a hit....I knew enough to know that...even if the cops didn't think so at the time.

A young, very attractive and shapely woman drove up a few minutes later...She came running over to the little boy, Eddie with tears in her eyes.......

"Oh my God, Oh My God, Eddie are you alright...Oh my God..." she was screaming...

"I'm okay mommy..I'm okay.." he said as he ran to her..

Sepia and I walked over to her....

"Is it true...Is Mike hurt?" she asked.

"I'm afraid he's more than hurt miss..He's dead." I said as she began to weep.....It was never easy to have to tell someone something like this...

I didn't know this woman or her son...but I could tell that they both had a lot of love for Sailor Mike. I didn't know who would want to kill him or why...but whoever it was...I was going to get to the bottom of this and make them pay.

(To Be Continued....)

The Other Side Of The Wall

This place was cheap, the walls were paper thin, but Mabel thought it was kind of romantic...When you've got a girlfriend that has curves like hers and looks as good as she does...You don't worry about things like ambience... They call me "88", I play the piano in a jazz band...Reed Nelson's band... We were off a few days...We had just come back from our West Coast Tour....

Mabel let her sisters, Corrie ,Anita and Vickie run her restaraunt and we left Philly and drove to Atlantic City.. We found a place near the boardwalk...It was okay, but not nearly as nice as I would have liked. I could afford better..I made good money now...but Mabel picked this place on purpose...She said the money and the material part didn't matter.

She was sexy and she was deep. She could cook too...She had cooked a batch of Fried Chicken and some of her Sweet Potato pie...and other goodies for us to eat....She told me to go out to the car and bring them in...

I walked out to the car and I noticed another car parked behind me...Two men got out of the car.. I had seen them before ...In Philly...but I didn't know where..and to tell you the truth, I didn't care..They were staying in the bungalow right next to us...A short skinny guy was at the door...He looked around as if he was looking to see if anyone was looking at them and then he ushered the two other men into the bungalow.

I got the food and then walked into our little place. I put everything in the refrigerator and then
walked into the bedroom...Mabel was wearing only a black bra and black bikini panties...she looked ravishing...She must have seen how my mouth dropped and she laughed....

"88, it's not like you've never seen me naked or near naked before." she said.

"Everytime seems like the first time baby." I said..

"Awww that's sweet.. Do you want to eat first or?" she said with a sly wink.....

"What do you think?" I said....

I buried my tongue in Mabel's waiting mouth as she matched me , kiss for kiss...moan for moan...

"You stupid mugs...I thought your fighter was going to take the dive.." came a voice from next door..

"He was supposed to...I paid him just like you said."

"Yeah, well he didn't take it...he knocked my fighter out."

"He gave the money back."

"I don't care about the money....I lost big money on that fight.."

"These walls are paper thin Mabel...I can hear their conversation as if I'm in the room with them." I said.

"Yeah, I didn't know the walls were going to be that thin....but don't worry about them..I'm sure they aren't worried about us..." said Mabel.

"Yeah, you're right." I said.

"Come here, let me take your clothes off..." said Mabel seductively.... She unbuckled my belt, unzippered my trousers and pulled them down around my ankles......

"My lord....I mean ,it's not like I haven't seen it before but I swear "88" , it looks larger than ever....whooooooo...I do that to you baby?" she said...

"I'm afraid you do." I said sheepishly....

"Let me rescue that.." she said as she helped me get my shoes and socks off and my trousers and my boxers....All I had on was a wife beater undershirt...I pulled her close to me and began kissing her again....I smoothly unbuckled that huge bra and tossed it over by the window....Mabel wiggled out of her panties and slipped my wife beater off... We walked over to the bed and I sat down...

Mabel got down on her knees and looked up at me lovingly...She began licking and massaging my testicles in her mouth...nearly bringing me to climax...but stopping short of that...I moaned and ran my fingers through her hair... She planted soft kisses on the shaft of my penis as I fell back on the bed...

She took as much of me into her mouth as she could without choking...

"Ughhhhhhhh....yessssssssssss..." I said..

We got up on the bed and I turned her around...so that she could continue and I could reciprocate....

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh "88"...ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh...." she moaned...

Finnally, I couldn't take anymore teasing....I sat upward and Mabel crawled toward me and positioned herself on top of my massive erection...and began to move up and down...slowly at first and then faster.....

"OHHHHHH MYYYY GODDDDDDDDDDD!" she screamed........

"look, here's the money...the cat gave it back."

"I don't want your damn money...I got people in New York mad at me because your boy didn't take the dive...keep your money....I want a message sent."

"Message? What kind of message?"

"That fighter of yours has got to fall..."

If I could hear their conversation this clearly, I know they could hear us..maoning and the bed squeaking and all, but whoever they were , they seemed too preccupied to be worried about Mabel and I....

Mabel was now on her back staring at me, kissing me and hugging me......and moaning loud and
throaty as I drilled myself into her.......I swear we both climaxed at the same time and I can't honestly say my screaming was any less louder than hers...

We both laughed and lay in each others sweaty arms.....

"Ohhh "88" I needed that so bad...that's why I wanted us to rent a little dive off the boardwalk so that neither of us would be distracted by the glitter and glam of Atlantic City...." she said.

"Wow Mabel, I never knew you were so deep." I laughed as we both lie in the bed staring at the ceiling fan...

"Hahahaha...sometimes ,I surprise myself ." she laughed.

"You heard what I said...now both of you, get out of here...and when I get to Philly next week,I better hear that that goon of yours has fallen."

"Okay, Okay..we on it."

"Get out of my sight."

"Wow, wonder what that's about? " asked Mabel.

"Nothin that concerns us." I said as I climbed back on top of Mabel and began kissing her again..

Guess

Broke my heart in June
just as the flowers began to bloom
oh me
oh my
seemed like we had just met
and you were telling me goodbye..
I found another love...
someone to bide the time...
we both know that this isn't right...
we should be in the same bed..
on the same nights.../

I hear that you've found someone else...
baby
what were we doing to ourselves??
you were really the only girl for me..
open your eyes
can't you see?/

guess it was just one of those
summer things
guess it was just one of those
flings...
to get you have to bring...
guess it was just
one of those summer things../

the leaves began to fall off of the trees...
and I wondered if you'd ever come back
to me...
with September and the rumor of fall...
I sat around waiting for a text or a call...
I heard that you broke up with him...
and I broke up with her too...
September and October came and went...
Here it was Fall and I was just getting your call.../

Now anyone with any common sense would say..
Nah baby, that's okay....
but...I figured that by now...
You might be seeing things my way...
So predictably......
I was back with you..and you were
back with me..../

Guess it was just one of those summer
things.
guess it was just one of those
summer things
guess it was just one of those
flings...
to get you have to bring...
guess it was just
one of those summer things../

The Sure Thing

I was sitting in Josie's sipping on a margarita and talking to a beautiful young lady one night...

"So tell me gorgeous, what have I got to say to get you to go home with me?" I asked, smiling slyly.

"You're an attorney right?" she asked...

"Yes I am, Robert Foxworth,Attorney at law at your service." I said.

"And that's your car outside right?" she asked again..

"That's one of em, yeah..." I remarked.

'Well then say no more...I'm there." she said...

Why did I do this?, It was just too easy sometimes...Maybe that's why I wasn't in anything resembling a relationship right now... Just as I paid my tab and was getting ready to escort the young lady out the door....That trumpet player, the one I don't like, named Symphony Sam walked in...

"Robert...Robert my man......have I got a peice of business for you...Hey Gus..you too..come over here man...." he said.

"What is it Sam...I gotta business to run..." said Gus, who didn't take fools lightly.

"Listen...I got a piece of this fighter....His name is John Henry Armstrong.....Tough as nails...Undefeated....He's fighting "Sailor Mike" Friday night.....Now is the time to put some money on this guy....He's the next champ...I'm tellin ya...The next champ....Joe Neptune over the Mermaid Club, put a G. down..What you got?" asked Symphony Sam.

"I got nothin...I aint a sportin man." said Gus.

"Gus?, Gus? I'm tryin to put you down with a sure thing..." said Symphony Sam.

"Yo look man...I'm like Gus...I don't bet....on nothin..." I said.

"Aww come on shyster....come see my boy fight and then tell me you won't put some money down on him." said Sam.

"What's in it for you?" asked Gus.

"Nothin....I already got a deuce on him.....I'm just tryin to put my guys down on a money makin
proposition." he said.

"Remind me one day, when I feel like talkin to you, to tell you how I almost lost my house, this bar and the shirt off my back bettin on the horses." said Gus.

"Gus, this aint no horse..This is John Henry Armstrong, all American, next Champion...He's 28 and oh...Never been defeated." said Symphony Sam.

"Oh yeah..Well Sailor Mike has been around, he's had sixty or seventy fights....He's no slouch." I retorted.

"Yeah and he's lost about 14 of those 70 fights...He's old, he's punch drunk..." snorted Symphony Sam.

"I tell you what...I come watch your boy fight...He does good with Sailor Mike......I'll put a little money on him next time." said Gus.

"Next time....Gus man, Robert....Next time. he'll be in Vegas fightin for the title." laughed Symphony Sam as he walked out of Josie's...

"Hey counselor...where's your date?" asked Gus...

I turned around and the young lady I had been talking to was nowhere to be seen...She had left while we had been fooling around with Symphony Sam. Gus cracked up and walked away.

Friday Night, practically everybody was at the Arena to see John Henry Armstrong fight "Sailor" Mike McCulley...... I saw Fathead, Roscoe, Ralph Mole and several beautiful ladies sitting
in the crowd, Chris Thompson, Chess, Donald Smooth, Kevin, Clerow,Sean Jackson, Conrad Nelson, Cock Robbins, Chance, Paris ,Blake and Joe Neptune were sprinkled amongst the crowd of boxing fans also...

"In this corner....From West Philadelphia......Undefeated in twenty eight bouts, weighing 228 pounds....The master of disaster.....the captain of calamity....John Henry Armmmmmstrong.....
(Loud applause) And in this corner... also from West Philadelphia and the U.S. Navy, weighing
225 pounds....with a record of Seventy eight wins and seventeen defeats, plus thirteen ties....
"Death from the sea......" "Sailor " Mike McCulleyyyyyyyyyyyyyy...(more applause), Nowwww, let's get readdddy to rummmmmmmmmmmbllleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee."

The fight began...both fighters circled each other....John Henry was tall, sinewy and chisled....His
muscles looked like they had muscles...He landed a right cross, then followed up with a left...Sailor Mike bobbed and weaved and landed some body punches of his own...then a left and a right combonation...It looked pretty good so far....

Then Sailor Mike moved in and landed a hard right hand ,high and hard to John Henry's temple..
John Henry was staggered..Then Sailor Mike cracked him in his jaw... John Henry fell to the ground like a tree that had been chopped down in the forest... The room got silent!

"one...two...three...four...five...six...seven...eight....nine...ten!...he's ouuuttttttttt...The winnah, byyyyyyy knockout! Sailor Mike McCullllllleyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy! YOWSAHHHHHH!"

Fathead, Roscoe and Ralph Mole walked over to Symphony Sam, whose mouth was hanging open.....

"It's a good thing I didn't bet any money on this bum...or I'd have killed you Sam." He said as they walked out...

I just shook my head....I was glad that I hadn't bet any money either...Gus had been on to something after all.... I looked around.....He was in the doorway shaking his head. Joe Neptune
however wasn't a happy camper...I saw him pull out his .38 and load it and start heading toward
Symphony Sam...

I tapped Sam on the shoulder....

"Hey Sam...If I was you..now would be a good time to exit, stage left." I said.

"Damn man, I just lost two g.'s man...on this bumb with a glass jaw." screamed Symphony Sam.

"Better to lose your money than your life man." I said and pointed to Joe Neptune who was fastly approaching.

"Good Looking out Robert...I owe ya." said Symphony Sam as he darted toward the exit.....

"Don't mention it.." I said with a laugh.

Big Man on Mulberry Street

The Band was on fire tonight , "88" was playing out of his mind.....and I was blowing a trumpet solo that had people on their feet...In the crowd at Josie's..I could see Chris Thompson in his black shirt,black pants, black shoes and Black shades clapping his hands...His partner, Chess and his wife,Rell clapping also....My main man, Kevin and his wife Sepia, Cock Robbins and his wife, Vanessa, Clerow and his wife, Corrie, 88's girl, Mabel , Deacon Larry Weatherford and his wife,Victoria and Conrad Nelson were also in the crowd and on their feet cheering us on.

I peered the audience and saw my girl, Debbie ,looking as sexy as ever laughing and conversing with Gus the bartender/owner of Josie's. There was someone else in the crowd...A Heavy set ,light skinned Black man with freckles and reddish brown hair. He was wearing a White Linen suit and a straw hat....This was Papa Dock....A new playa on the Philadelphia scene.....I knew who he was...Everybody knew who he was and what he really did for a living. Like Most gangsters ,He hid behind a vaneer of respectability.....He owned one of the hottest new clubs in Philadelphia...Mulberry street....It had a roof top bar and concert area and was attracting a lot of top rate talent. It was said that he was gobbling up a lot of "real estate" and was Fathead Newton's top competition... The two hadn't gone to war...but there was no love lost between them.

We played our last set....I saw Conrad Nelson and his wife Jill conferring with Robert Foxworth and some woman he was with in the corner.. Robert's young understudy, Chance Howard and his
friends, Paris, Blake and their dates had just entered the club... Behind them was a dangerous man I knew from Patterson, New Jersey...His name was Basil....a stone cold killer, he was...he walked over to Papa Doc and passed him an envelope... I turned away from them and finished up
my solo....

After my number was over, I bowed to the gracious applause and walked over to the bar...Debbie gave me a kiss and passed me a drink she ordered for me....Gus patted me on the back..

"Nice work Reed....You packed em in tonight...." he said.

"Thanks Gus...that's what you pay me for." I laughed..

"Yes indeed." he laughed back.

Basil walked over to us...

"What's Happening Reed ? Long time huh?" he laughed.

"Not long enough Basil....What rat hole did you crawl out of ?" I asked.

"Aww Reed, is that anyway to talk to a homeboy? We both from Patterson.." he grinned.

"What do you want Basil?" I asked.

"The gentleman over there in the corner would like a minute of your time."he said ,pointing to Papa Dock.

"What's he want with me?" I asked.

"Go see...I'll keep your lady friend here company." he grinned.

"Uh, No thanks...I'm fine right here by myself." said Debbie without a hint of a smile.....I smiled then.

"Why don't you lead the way Basil?" I said.

He frowned and shrugged..

"You always did like those high brow type broads." he said.

I walked over to Papa Dock's table and sat down...

"What's up?" I asked.

"Reed Nelson....You guys were great....I loved you.....Listen...You know I've got a new club....
Mulberry Street dont'cha?" he said.

"Yeah,I heard of it." I said.

"Well...I'd like to book you guys for five nights....I'll double whatever Gus is paying you." he said.

"We got a five night booking at Ciro's next week.....I don't think we can make it." I said.

"Ciro's???...Fathead's joint? You aint heard?" laughed Basil.

"What?" I asked.

"It's closed....License and Inspections raided them last week.....They found the strip club on the top floor and they caught underage girls in there drinking.. They had surveilence photos and everything...Damn shame.....Fathead has got two or three lawyers fighting in court right now. He also got hit with a number of other violations....They gone be closed for a long time." said Basil.

I was no fool....I pretty much knew that Papa Dock's people put a bug in somebody's ear at L&I, but that that had nothing to do with me...That was between him and Fathead.

"You gone pay me double what Gus is paying me eh?" I asked.

"Yeah babe....You play for a week...You like it...We'll book you for more time." said Papa Dock.

My mother always said that when something seems too good to be true....it usually is. I didn't listen. Gus paid us good bread....but Papa Dock was offering double that....I'd be a fool to turn that down...So I booked a week at his spot......I felt like I had just sold my soul to the devil.

The day before we played our first gig, I sat in the diner with Chris and Chess....I told them about the gig and about my suspicions about Papa Dock.

"Hey Reed...I don't blame you for taking the gig....Fathead's joint is closed down...You guys wouldn't have gotten paid...Now you won't have to miss a weeks work. Don't worry about anything else...You just workin....It's business...Fathead will understand." said Chris.

"Yeah, but I don't want to be in the middle of anything." I said.

"You aint...Just play the trumpet....Anything else is none of your concern...That's between Papa Dock and Fathead." said Chris...Chess nodded in agreement.

The next few nights, We played on the rooftop bar....All of our friends from Josie's ,including Chris and Chess and Smooth were there.....On our next to last night, Even Gus came out...
After our set he came up to me...

"You big timin it kid....Can I book you for next Friday night?" he said.

''Sure Gus."I said.

"I gotta feelin you'll be needin the work." he said.

"Huh?" I said.

Gus patted me on the back...

"Keep your nose clean Reed and make sure that jamolk pays you." he said and walked away.

Our last night, we played to standing room only.... After our set...Papa Dock came over and paid us. He then took me to the side and peeled off a couple of more hundreds from a wad of cash he
had in his pocket.

" That's a little extra for you, Reed. You guys did great....can you come back next Friday?" He asked.

"Gotta gig next Friday." I said.

" Gus huh? I understand. Okay....well, let me know when you can come back.....They love you." said Papa Dock.

"Where's your boy, Basil?" I asked.

"I haven't seen him since Wednesday Night...probably chasing some bimbo." laughed Papa Dock
as he walked away laughing and whistling. Not a care in the world. He didn't seem like a bad guy,but I knew he was a killer.

A few days later, Debbie and I were enjoying breakfast at Mabel Jenkin's Soul Food joint...Kevin walked in and plopped a Daily News on the table... "You ought to find this development quite interesting Reed ." said Kevin as he sat down with his wife Sepia at a table across from us and placed his order with Anita Jenkins.

There was a photo of Basil on the front page....His bullet riddled body was found in the trunk of a car out by the airport.... Police were looking for Papa Dock for questioning....They found his car in front of his house with his wallet and his drivers license on the front seat and his straw hat and his avaiator shades.....but no sign of him. The paper said that he hadn't been seen for days.

His club was closed...It never opened again and to my knowledge, no one ever saw or heard from
Papa Dock again......I know that he didn't kill Basil and I know that he would have never left his wallet, full of cash and credit cards and his drivers license in the front seat of his car. The car keys were on the front seat of his car too, but no sign of him anywhere!

Fathead had gotten even!

That night, Debbie and I lay in bed, sweaty and spent after some heavy lovemaking....

"Reed, you think Papa Dock is ....is....dead?" she asked..

I gave Debbie a sweaty kiss on the lips.....

"Let's just say ....I'm glad he paid us..." I said with a wink...She smiled slyly and laid her head on my chest.


For SLC

Hot Water

Funny what you think about when you think you're going to die. I awoke , went back to sleep and woke up again...It was dark....My hands were tied and there was a gag in my mouth....It was dark and I was certain I was in the trunk of a car...I was also certain that I was going to die...If I told you that I wasn't afraid...I'd be lying. So this was how I was going to meet my end...At the hands of a sick psychopath who I had bested twice.. Once on a ship and again in the city...I had put him on death row and it couldn't hold him...and now, Leonard Culpepper, brilliant ,demented serial killer that he is had finnally bested me...It was kind of funny when you thought of it.

I had been having a blast, cracking cases, outsmarting the cops and sending people to jail who otherwise wouldn't have been caught...but I had apparently met my match in Leonard Culpepper.
Well, at least if I had to die...It wouldn't be at the hands of the jive ass high school principal or that arrogant Lockjohn or that killer cop or the Junkyard Doggie or Fiddler...At least I was going to be killed by the best.

I couldn't believe I was going to die....Sepia would be all alone...We would never have children.....
Clerow and Sean Jackson would probably go back to leading regular work day lives...They would miss me, they would miss the excitement I brought....Lockpick Johnson and Peeping Tom would still have work...Robert Foxworth would find plenty of work for them....Gus...poor Gus....He would mourn me... Chess, Chris, Smooth and Roscoe would sit in the diner and in Josie's and talk
about my exploits..well into their old age...I smiled thinking about that...

Lt.Sissy Van Buren and Agent Frank Cotton would do all they could to bring Leonard Culpepper to justice...I could be sure of that... but Sepia ....poor Sepia....she'd be all alone...I wondered if she'd move back to North Jersey or if she'd stay in Philly? I thought about my father and mother...Soon ,I'd see them again in the hereafter.....Funny what you think about when you're about to die...

Then I got a revelation....Why give up? I saw Gus in my imagination for some reason and he was pissed at me..."So this is it boy? You just gonna call it a day huh? I thought you had more piss and vinegar in you than that? Figure somethin out...you always have...don't let this jamolk call it a day...you got more adventures and capers to crack...people need your help son...Don't be a bitch...work it out." he said. Then there was darkness. I saw my long deceased mother...."It's not your time yet baby...don't give up...the answer is closer than you know...closer than you know...closer......." It was then that I came to my senses. Yes...Here was a long shot, but it was worth a try. I was in my pajamas and my bathrobe....I kept a fingernail clip and file in my bathrobe pocket...I wiggled my hands with all of my might...the ropes were cutting into my wrists..but I got a hold of the finger nail file...I began sawing on the ropes....It was feeble...but it was worth a shot...I kept at it..the entire ride and I managed to cut away most of the ropes...just enough that with a little effort, I could snap them completely...I wanted him to still think that he had me.

I put the fingernail file back in my bathrobe pocket....I fell back asleep. I don't know how long I was asleep...but I finnally woke up...The car stopped..Leonard opened the trunk up and pulled
me out by my collar...He pulled the gag out of my mouth...

"Get up...Walk Kevin... Scream all you want..Nobody will hear you." he demanded...as I walked into the building...The gym.....

"Hey Leonard, the gym is closed...why don't we come back tomorrow?" I laughed...

"Still the smart ass huh...You never learn do you? You won't be cracking wise much longer..." he
yelled.

We walked up the stairs to the room where the pool was.

"I got a new heater in the pool...it's bigger and better than the old one Kevin...Hahahahahahaha."
he laughed.

"Oh yeah? Is this the Eastern European Model or did you get this from Acme?" I asked.

" Go ahead laugh it up, you won't be laughing when you're burning in that pool..and you're going to get in the pool and burn......and I'm going to watch you boil...hahahahahahaha."
he laughed maniacally...

"Nah...I don't think I wanna." I said...

"You don't really have much of a choice." he said.

"Yeah, I think I do...in fact..I'd rather see you in the pool." I sneered...

"What?" he said...

Before he could make a move, I snapped what was left of my bonds and hit him hard in his stomach...He spun around and I delivered a swift kick to his solar plexus and he
fell backward into the pool of hot water with a splash! The water was much hotter than before..
I jumped back myself as some of that scalding water hit me...


"OHHHHHHH I DON'T BELIEVE THIS ,DAMN YOU! DAMN YOU! DAMN YOU!! I DON'T BELIEVE THIS, I DON'T FREAKIN BELIEVE THAT I AM IN THIS WATER!!!OHHHHHHHH OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH LAWDDDDDD...ARGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, IT'S HOTTTTTTT..OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU..OHHHHHHHHH , OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
HELPPPPPPPP!...I'm BURNING...OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH LAWDDDDD JESUS!!!
ARGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH.....MY TOES...OHHH MY LEGS...OHHHHHH MY BACK..AGGGGGHHHHHHH, Urgghhhhhh!...OUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"

I was enjoying watching him burn in that water....Soon, I saw smoke coming from the pool and watched as Leonard's lifeless corpse went under and then floated to the top.... Poor Leonard...he hadn't bested me after all....I sat there by the side of the pool and just watched his body floating
and you know what...I laughed....I laughed my head off...For some reason...this was funny...Funny what you'll laugh at, when you think you're going to die...and you don't.

An hour later the police came and lifted his body out of the pool...he was still sizzling.....The water had literally cooked some of his skin off.....FBI Agent Frank Cotton and my friend Clerow was standing at the pool as the water was drained from it...

"What a way ta go...." exclaimed one cop....

"Yeah...He was boiled like a potato." said another..

"I was trying to call you last night Kevin to warn you that Leonard Culpepper had escaped from prison." said Agent Cotton.

"Yeah, well you were three weeks late." I said.

"So was I...the minute I read about it in the paper..I figured that he was behind this...I remember when we tangled with him before." said Clerow....

"Wow...I was uh kind of busy...Sorry I missed both of your calls....." I said.

"That's alright , as usual, you've saved the taxpayers some money." said Agent Cotton as he walked away.

"Close one eh boss?" said Clerow.

"Yeah man, you don't know how close...Let's just say I'm glad most of the people we deal with aren't as smart as Leonard Culpepper." I said.

Later that night, I was lying across the bed with my arms around Sepia.....

"How you feelin Kev?" she asked....


"Like the luckiest man alive." I said.

"I guess so...I woke up and you were gone and I didn't know what to think....Leonard Culpepper
huh? Well, he's dead now....He's out of his misery...." she laughed...

"Well, at least he's not in hot water, but I'm sure it's plenty hot where he's at." I snickered...

"I married a sick and demented man..I really did...oh my God.." said Sepia with a laugh as we both lay across our bed.


For Carlene