The Big Fix

Stephen Bristol was a man of habit...He had only been out of the hospital a few days....recovering from gunshot wounds...He got up , brushed his teeth, shaved and showered and then dressed and headed to the barbershop in his building. After getting his fresh haircut, he headed for the tony restaraunt where he often had his meals alone. He bought a newspaper and sat down to wait for his order to be taken.. His Blackberry and His Android were on the table beside him...

"What will it be today Mister Bristol?" asked the waiter.

"Two eggs , scrambled light, Bacon, wheat toast , orange juice and a cup of coffee." he replied with a smile.

"Comin up" said the waiter.

Bristol's Blackberry and his android rang constantly while he waited for his food... He held court.

He paid a wide network of informants good money to give him good information on a variety of things like NBA Basketball teams, NFL Football teams, NHA Hockey, Women's Basketball, Horse racing...Even Nascar....He put down bets on these sports...He never bet on anything of which he didn't already suspect the outcome....Which was why he made lots of money...Why he had at least three condos in Philadelphia and allegedly, one in Atlantic City in which he was said to lay his head. He didn't appear to work anywhere, yet he was always dressed to the nines and immaculate in dress...He also ,always seemed to have cash. He traveled alone...an oddity for someone who carried as much cash as he did...No muscle, no bodyguards...not in the streets anyway. He stood on the corner of his block and conversed on one of his two phones or he sat in his favorite restaurant and met with people.

He was a cautious man , who never talked business at home, but always out in public...away from bugging devices. He had never been incarcerated in his life and he planned to keep it that way.
It was said that he was a mathematical genius...an expert at odds and averages..Which was why he was such a good gambler and odds maker. Today..He had a visitor... A visitor, who was like him, a gambler and a one time , major playa in the Philadelphia underworld. Albert"The Bossman" Attles....

Albert Attles had been a big time playa in the late 60's and 70's and had retired with a small fortune...He had made the mistake of marrying a woman much smarter than he. She had hired a private detective who had found out about his other women.....Although that Private Detective vanished ...never to be seen again..It was not before he delivered the devesating evidence to his wife.... She divorced him and took one half of his fortune....

Attles then moved to Atlantic City where it is said he blew every dime he had on woman after woman and drinking and making bad bets....He was forced at an old age to get back in the streets

and to begin hustling again.... This time , the streets and his luck had not been so kind to him...Yet still, he was a very widely respected man amongst Philadelphia players...Which brings us to this meeting with up and coming ,would be playa, Stephen Bristol Jr.

"Mr. Attles... Pleased to see you..." said Bristol as he stood and shook Albert Attles hand. The old man smiled and sat down.

"Can I bring your guest a menu?" asked the waiter.

"Nah..Nah... Just bring me a cup of coffee...light cream, extra sugar." said Albert Attles.

"Heard you just got in from Miami." said Bristol...

"Yeah...I been back in town awhile....Long enough to hear some stories about you..Stories that trouble me a bit." he said.

"Stories? What kind of stories?" asked Bristol.

"I heard you tried to take the payroll from the Jazz Festival that they were throwing a month ago...You bring in some cowboys from New York City and they get themselves killed....Then Chris Thompson almost killed you and got the money they did steal back.....Not good.....Then you waste good money and good talent trying to knock off some Private eye and you get two good hitmen killed and another one arrested and manage to get yourself shot in the meanwhile...

I gotta tell you Bristol...People in New York are pretty upset with you...Nobody up there wants to touch you....You don't do gangster moves...You aint no gangster...You foolin with street people and they know their business apparently better than you do....Leave that stuff alone...Hitmen, shootouts..Stick up kids that aint you...You're a businessman...The thing is, as a businessman....We take people's money without them even knowin they was robbed." he laughed.

"Alright Bossman, I get it...It's old business..You're here to talk about the new business." said a now flustered Bristol....He didn't like being lectured to by an old bust out who once was a big time Playa...Respected or not. The man had put him on to a potential gold mine and that was what he would rather discuss, instead of his failures in recent dust ups with Chris Thompson, Chess and Kevin Morris...They were formidable opponents all. There was no money to made and therefore
no percentage in continuing to do battle with them...He had decided to leave them alone and go about his business..The business of making money, illegal and quick money...Quiet money that didn't attract cops, reformed do gooding ex-gangsters or a certain crusading private eye and his network of friends!

"That's right...I'm here to talk about the new business...Did your guy uh, take care of that uh,ruh little thing?" asked Albert Attles.

"Indeed....He hired a guy who made contact with the Jockey...The race is as good as in the bag."

said Bristol.

"Heh, Heh, Heh...good job....There is big money on this horse... I stand to win 50 million dollars on this race." said Albert Attles..

"What's the split?" asked Bristol.

"80 my way, 20 your way." said Albert Attles.

"WHAT? I thought we agreed on 60- 40?" said Bristol, uncharacteristically raising his voice.

"60-40....What? Me ???With YoU?? Come on now Bristol.....I gave you this score..." said Albert Attles..

"Yes...but I hired the guy who hired the guy that contacted the jockey, who is going to throw the race...I had to put out a good deal of money to pay him and his guy, I had to reach out to a lot of people to set this thing up...." said Bristol.

"Look..I had to reach out to people to even get into the bidding on this race...I'm throwing you a bone just by letting you be involved in this.....People in New York don't want to touch you." he said.

"New York?? What have they got to do with this? This is Philly Bossman?" said Bristol, suddenly lowering his voice as his food arrived and Albert's coffee arrived.

"I have people in New York and Atlantic City I owe money to....and then I pay you your twenty and the rest goes to my retirement fund... Look Bristol...do right on this and I'll get my New York associates to cut you in on some big time things...Big time!!!" said Albert.

"Big time? You? Hah...You aint been big time since the Jackson Five had a number one hit on the charts....if anything, I'm doing you a favor." scoffed Bristol.

"Indeed....You're still a little guy Bristol...tryin to be a big boy....You'll be a big boy eventually..but these things take time...Your old man understood how these things work." he said.

"Don't bring my dad in this." said Bristol , still obviously angry....

"Am I interupting anything?" came a voice....

Bristol turned around and saw ........His future.... She was tall, built so well, she looked as if someone drew her....Long hair down her back and a dress so tight and so short hugging so many curves that he thought his eyes would pop out of his head....He had never seen a woman so fine!!

"Calm down boy....This is my chippy here....Tamika. Tamika, meet Stephen Bristol..He's the man I was tellin you about...that's workin with me." said Albert Attles...

"Ohhhhh, pleased to meet you." She said.

"The pleasure is mine." said Bristol thoroughly enchanted and entranced by Tamika....

"Yeah Bris...That's why I only wanted coffee...I'm takin Tamika here shopping....After we win all of that money, She and I are going to get married and retire to this little island in the Bahamas."laughed Albert.

Tamika looked coolly away...Bristol and her eyes met....There was an insant attraction..She liked the way he smelled, liked the way he dressed...Liked that he knew what an android was and just liked him period...She looked at him and smiled.... Bristol was in love!!!! He forgot that he was angry at being short changed by Albert for a half second...All he knew was that he wanted to see her again..

"Uh excuse me Bristol.... Can't drink all this coffee without nature taking it's course...Excuse me

Tamika...When I come back from the men's room, we'll be leaving." he said.

"It's that way." pointed Bristol as Albert got up and walked to the restroom.

No sooner than he was gone, Bristol made his play...

"What is a fine woman like you doing with that old bust out?" he asked.

Tamika laughed uncomfortably...

"You don't have to answer....but I know......" he said.

"You know what?" she said curtly.

"I know that you should be with a guy like me, I'm what's happening...." he said.

"You don't waste your time do you? You get right to it." she laughed.

"Tamika...Time, next to information is the most valuable of commodities...I try not to waste either." said Bristol.

"Really? I'll remember that." she laughed.

"Give me your android..I know you have one....." he said.

She went in her purse.....she pulled it out and he took it, put his phone number and address in it and took a photo of himself...

"When you're ready for a change...give that number a call....I'll clear all of my appointments for you baby." he said.

"Really?" she said with a laugh.

"Just remember that number." he said and sat back. The man's confidence and supreme arrogance was turning her on in a way she hadn't been turned on in a long time.

Albert Attles returned to the table...He kissed Tamika in the lips fully , in front of Bristol and then sneered....

"She'll never leave me...So don't get any ideas....You aint yet big enough...your pockets aint deep enough yet youngin." he laughed... Bristol showed him the palms of both of his hands and shrugged innocently, while staring past Albert into Tamika's eyes...She was getting moist just looking at Bristol and quickly looked away...She had never felt this way before..

"Come on Tamika...We are going to Tiffany's." he laughed. "Take care Bris....I'll see you on Friday."He said as they walked out.Tamika turned and winked at Bristol without Albert Attles seeing her as they left. Bristol smiled and finished his food..He pulled some money out and left it on the table and walked down to the corner...He saw Albert pulling off in his 2011 Nissann 280Z.

"That cheap ,lying snake...80-20 split eh? I'll fix you...I'll take your woman..She'll make up for the 80 percent you're gettin on this fix...You'll see." he smirked as he finished his meal...

"Cheap bastard...He didn't even pay for his coffee." he thought as he wiped his mouth.

(To Be Continued...)

Tell Her Tomorrow

There she goes again
walking by my window
I wanna say
I wanna say
but I don't dare
I only told a friend
how I feel about her
he said -"hey man you're
gonna blow...
don't let that fine girl go.../

I can think of a thousand
things to say
I can write
one thousand things that
I'll never say.../

I'll tell her tomorrow
pretty girl ,I think I want you..
I'll tell you tomorrow
pretty girl ,I think I'd like to make you mine..
I'll tell her tomorrow
pretty girl, the thought of you haunts me..
I'll tell you tomorrow
I've been feeling this way for a long,long time../

She's walking by me again..
I'm still checking her out on the sly..
she's passing by me once again..
I wanna say
I wanna say
something...
but I'm tongue tied..

my best friend said..
my best friend said
"man you're out of your head
you're gonna blow it, if you let that fine young
thing pass you by.."
but here she comes again..
and there she goes again....
I should have said something...
I just don't know why../

I can always think of a thousand things
to say when she's not around..
but then she passes by me and not a
syllable or a phrase can be found.../

I'll tell her tomorrow
pretty girl ,I think I want you..
I'll tell you tomorrow
pretty girl ,I think I'd like to make you mine..
I'll tell her tomorrow
pretty girl, the thought of you haunts me..
I'll tell you tomorrow
I've been feeling this way for a long,long time../

I think I'll tell her tomorrow
pretty girl ,I think I want you..
I'll tell you tomorrow
pretty girl ,I think I'd like to make you mine..
I'll tell her tomorrow
pretty girl, the thought of you haunts me..
I'll tell you tomorrow
I've been feeling this way for a long,long time../

Dead Ringerz!

Clerow and I drove up in front of Portia Hawkins house....Ralph Scallion was in the back seat, My wife, Sepia was sitting next to him...It was daybreak....We had gone and gotten him out of Fathead's safe house...releiving Donald Smooth... Now that the two killers, Buster Williams and Raif Collins were indicted for First Degree Murder and locked up with no bail...It was safe for him to come out...He asked us to drop him off at Portia's house....

She had two Doberman Pinchers in her front yard....The dogs were not barking, they were moaning...an awful long and dreery kind of moan, the kind of which I'd never heard before.. Clerow looked spooked...

''What's the matter Clerow?"

"Man....when dogs moan like that....it means someone is dead...." he said.

"What?" I said.

"Kevin, you from up North....I'm a country boy...I'm from Louisiana....I had Dogs....That's a death moan...I'm tellin you." He said.

"Nonsense man...I just talked to Portia an hour ago...Those her dogs..They know me...I been here before." said Ralph . He got out of the car and walked to the door.. He rang the bell. There was an eerie silence...We sat in the car and waited for Portia to open the door...but she never came. The dogs laid in the yard...docilely and continued to moan...Ralph tried the door...It was open!!!

Clerow parked the car....He and I both drew our guns.....

"Sepia..lock all of these doors...There's a .22 under the front seat...Don't hesitate to use it if anybody comes near this car." I said. She shook her head..

Clerow, Ralph and I entered the house....It was dark, but unusually neat....Everything was in order downstairs. We walked up the stairs and entered all of the bedrooms...Beds made up, everything in order....As though no one had been here...Incredible.

"Well.....She just out....I'm sure it's all good....Kevin she just texted me , a little over an hour ago
and told me to meet her here..." said Ralph...

"Come on Ralph...We'll take you to your car...If she calls you...Come on back later..Something about this doesn't seem right." I said.. Once again, those two dogs began to moan and pace.

He didn't argue and we all drove off..... After we dropped him off, Clerow dropped Sepia and I off at our house and he went home....I sat in our kitchen at the kitchen table deep in thought...

"What's bothering you Kevin?" asked Sepia.

"Something about those dogs....Something about that text message....Why didn't Portia just call him?" I asked.

"Oh Kevin , because she texted him doesn't mean anything..." said Sepia...

"Come on." I said.

"Where are we going?" she asked...

"We're going to take your car...We going back to Ralph's.." I said.

We jumped in the car and drove back to Ralph's house...He was still up...

"Ralph...let me see that text Portia sent you." I said.

He showed me the text message it read-

"Ralllphhhh....you'd better come and get this...while the getting is good...I'm at home."

Then there was a photo of her nude laying across the bed that she'd sent...She was an extremely attractive woman...I didn't know a man who could get a message with a photo like that and be able to resist....A further look at the photo revealed something else though....The room, the bedroom it was taken in was markedly different then any of the rooms I had been in ,in Portia's
house...This photo had been snapped somewhere else!! Of course...that body on her would make any man forget about that little detail...

"We are going back to her house." I said.

Ralph, Sepia and I drove back to Portia's house...I put on Ralph's coat and hat and walked up to the door...I rang the bell...This time..Portia answered the door...She was stunned to see me!!!

"Hello Porsche...How's tricks?" I said.

"WHAT? What are you doing here?" she said.

"You were planning to lure Ralph here and kill him weren't you...the final peice of your revenge eh...An alteration you might say....I know it all...I know it was you who sent Raif Collins and Buster Williams after him....I know that you put them on me too....I knew it as far back as when you said you drove past the lot that night and saw Ralph's car.....You couldn't know that he and Jack had switched cars....Just like you didn't know your sister was out with Ralph across town at Josies...You just wanted him dead....It's all over..." I said.

"Think so huh?" she said.

That's the moment when the bad guy thinks they have you......

"I know about the guy you had outside with the gun, waiting to come in here too....My friend, Walter has him under control......" I said...( I had called Kool Kat and Clerow and told them to meet us here.. )

"My Kevin, you're just a little brainiac..aren't you..What else do you know?" she said..

"I know two of your sister's friends who would love to meet you." I said and I opened the front door and let the two Doberman Pinchers in...Now the dogs weren't moaning ...they were barking and growling and headed right for the horrified Porsche...

"Oh My God...Oh My God... Arrrrrgrgrggggggggggggggggggggggggggh....eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee...HELP!
HELP!...HELLLPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!...OKAY..OKAYYYYYYYYYY....I'll tell it all...I'll tell it all......YESS...I was behind the wholllleeee thing...ARRRRRRRGHHHHHH, get these dogs...Get them ..ARGgggggggggggggggggggggggggh......EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE....." she screamed....

Clerow and Ralph came in and corralled the dogs....Lt. Sissy Van Buren and three Philadelphia Policemen walked in and put the handcuffs on Porsche Hawkins....Some medics came too..she had multiple dog bites and her clothes had been ripped to shreds...

Outside, Kool Kat had corralled yet another would be shooter...A guy named Gerald Atkins...

"I don't know how you do it Kevin...but I like that you do it." laughed Sissy Van Buren as she put Porsche and Gerald in the patrol car...

"Yeah...I brought you live perps this time huh?" I laughed...

"Yes...that's always good...Glad things are back to normal." she said with a laugh.

EPILOUGE:

 
The body of her twin sister, Portia Hawkins Collins was found out near the zoo...She had been strangled...by Gerald Atkins on orders from Porsche Hawkins... Raif Collins was sentenced to death for the murder of Fat Jack Greenwood.. Buster Williams received a life sentence for his part in the murder and the attempted murder of me.. Gerald Atkins received a life sentence for killing Portia and for her part in masterminding the mayhem...Porsche Hawkins also received a death sentence. Case closed!

Sepia and I, Clerow and Cora beth, Kool Kat and his lady friend, Chelsea sat in Josies at the bar telling Gus about the entire affair that night...

"Man oh man...Kevin...you oughta write a screenplay or a book or somethin...You have had some adventures that would make a person's hair stand up these past few years." said Gus.

"Yeah...It all started when I met her" I said kissing Sepia on the cheek...

Just then , Ralph Scallion walked in, with yet another fine young thing on his arm......

"Hey folks...This is Amanda...Amanda..This is Kevin, his wife Sepia, Clerow,his wife Corrie and Walter....and I don't believe I caught your lady friend's name?" said Ralph..

"Chelsea" she said.

"Gus..Can we have a bottle of white wine and two tumblers? oh and a round for all of these good people on me." said Ralph.

"Big spender tonight Ralphie?" said Gus.

"Yeah...I'm celebrating life and love" he said as he and Amanda went to their booth...

"I see he got over his greif rather quick." said Gus...

I looked at Gus and we both laughed out loud!

(For Rosalyn)

Wooden Sex

Sepia ,Bernadette and I sat in my living room drinking a few tumblers of coffee and munching on some Krispy Kreme Donuts the next day..

"Kevin...I couldn't talk while she was in there....By she ,I meant Porshe Hawkins, but she and Ralph Scallion were hot and heavy for awhile..." said Bernadette.

"What? Her and Ralph? " I said.

"They were engaged to be married....I always think Ralph just did that so he could get her in the bed...He wanted her in the worst way...You said that you saw him and Portia together in Josies that same night too?" she asked me.

"Well yeah, Kevin and I were sitting two seats from them...They were kissing and he was putting his hand up her dress and everything." said Sepia.

"Ohhhh, so you did see that?" I said , laughing.

"Of course I saw it...Who in there didn't the way they was goin at it??...They needed a room." said Sepia.

"Well, Portia is Raif Collins's wife." said Bernadette.

"Wife?" said Sepia and I in unison.

"Yes...They're seperated...She went back to using her maiden name Hawkins and she doesn't wear her wedding band anymore, but technically they're still married."she said.

"Hmmm, so Ralph was going with one sister and tossed her over for the twin...and it turns out the twin is the wife of one of our shooters....She told me that she drove past the parking lot and saw Ralph's car...Want to make a bet that she called Raif and Buster? Only she didn't know that Ralph and Fat Jack had switched cars...None of them knew." I said.

"And an innocent man, my friend..had to lose his life..and they almost killed my husband." said Sepia, very visibly angry...

"Well just sit tight...They're going to pay...This time ,I won't get caught off guard....but Bernadette...I want you to do something for me." I said.

"What Kevin?" she smiled-"I know you got something devious up your sleeves."

"Put the word out that Ralph and Portia are going to spend the night together at his house...you know, just kind of mention it in a gossipy way so that Porsche

hears it." I said.

"You think she's mixed up in this?" asked Bernadette.

"Up to her neck..She sent those two after Ralph....And she's the only person who knew where Sepia and I were going to eat yesterday...She sent them after me...

Probably thinks I'm dead...She's going to be in for a surprise." I said.

My Blackberry went off!

"Hello." I said.

''What up, what up?" It was Kool Kat.

"What's going on man?" I said.

"Me and Clerow found Ralph Scallion....He's somewhere safe..." he said.

"Okay..What about the house?" I said.

"Peeping Tom and Lockpick Johnson wired it for sound and we've got two manequins in the bed, just like you asked for....and they hooked up the sound system..." he said.

"Okay.. I'll be out there soon... This ought to be fun." I said.

"You should just let me find em and kill em" laughed Kool Kat.

"I should not." I said.

"I know ,I know."he laughed.

That night at Ralph Scallion's house.....

"OHHHHHHHHH...OHHHHHHHHH RALPH...Give it to me....Give it to meeeeee....OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH...ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu."

"Oh baby, Oh babyyyyyyyyyy... darling...sweetie, it's sooooo gooooodddd...ohhhhhhhh"

"Oh Ralph,it' so big, it's so gooood.....ohhhhh my goddddd...I'm losing my mind.....ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...."

The sound of the bed squeaking was so loud, it didn't sound real.....People were walking by looking up at the window...One drunk man gave the power sign....Another guy said -'Go head boy...wax dat tail.....yeah!"

The Grand Torino which had been sitting there for a half an hour was quiet...Raif got out and cocked his gun... Buster Williams got out too...He too had a pistol...

"That son of a bitch, Ralph Scallion....Screwing my wife eh? I'm gonna blow his brains out." screamed Raif as he and Buster emerged into the house and pumped several rounds into ....manequins....The sounds they heard was a recording....Including the bed squeaking.....In digital sound!

"What? This was a trick.....What the hell was this?" screamed Raif.

"If you're a trick...You get tricked." I said as I flicked on the lights....

"YOU?????? awwww come on mannnnnnn...you're deadddd......deaddd...deaddddddddd!" he said ,almost crying.

"See Buster, I told you I'd remember what you said." I said, ignoring Raif. Buster shrugged!

Kool Kat and Clerow walked in the room, Guns drawn.....

"Take Buster out of here and get Raif's gun....but leave him here....He and I have some business to finish...Turn off the cameras and the recording devices..." I said. Clerow was grinning and Kool

Kat did as I asked.

"How did he escape the trap we set for him? What'cha gone do to us?" asked Buster.

"Man, questions aint in your vocabulary right now." said Kool Kat as he and Clerow grabbed Buster and dragged him downstairs...I heard them punching him and him groaning and the sound of things being broken and him being slammed against the wall...

''Alright tough guy...I do believe , we got some unfinished business." I said ,looking at Raif...

He attempted to swing, but I blocked that and hit him with all of my might, knocking him into the wall and then began pummeling him senseless , until he was unconscious...I grabbed him by the collar and revived him and began pummeling him some more....Finally, I tired of beating on him.

"Not so tough now, are you Raif, without your buddy and without a gun?" I sneered.I doubted if he heard me in his state.

I dragged him down the stairs and tied him up and deposited him next to his buddy Buster, who
was still bloody and unconscious after the beating Kool Kat and Clerow had given him...These two jerks had tried to kill me after all! I had gotten all of my anger out of me...I sent Kool Kat and Clerow home and I called the police.

II-

 Lt. Sissy Van Buren arrived a little while later with three uniformed policeman and a paddy wagon....My guys were all gone...Buster Williams and Raif were tied up and lying face down on the pavement when the Detectives arrived..

"Oh My goodness Kevin...they look like you beat the hell out of both of them....Oh my godddd...look at this guys face...both of his eyes are closed shut and his face is a bloody swollen mess...and look at this one over here.." she said.

"Nahhh, they tripped and fell down the steps...It was dark." I said winking at her. She looked at me and smirked.

"Okay you goons, on your feet...You have the right to remain silent....Guess you guys aren't in the talking mood huh?" she said as they struggled to their feet..Neither of them even looked my way.

She went on and read them their rights and then she marched them to the waiting paddy wagon, where two uniformed officers and a medic tended to them.

"Over there is your murder weapon, here is film and audio evidence and that there is the Grand Torino that witnesses described seeing the night of the murder....You have more than enough to make a solid murder case against them..." I said.

"Wow, thanks again Kevin...You've helped me close this case." she said.

"It's not closed yet...there's one other person...the mastermind behind this entire affair.., I'll deliver her to you soon." I said.

''Thanks Kevin...." Shee said as she then got in her car and followed the paddy wagon that held the two killers.

That night I lay in bed with Sepia....

"So you got em huh?" she said.

"Yup...I got both of em..and this time, it'll stick....They both go down for Fat Jack's murder...." I said.

"What about Porsche?" asked Sepia...

"We'll worry about her tomorrow." I said as I turned over and went to sleep...a peaceful sleep.

(Conclusion Next)

Sometimes The Bear Gets You!

Clerow and Kool Kat always told me about going solo....But today, I couldn't find Kool Kat and Clerow had to take Cora-beth to the hospital for a check up...Sean Jackson and Robert Foxworth weren't street guys ,so I didn't bother to call them at all...I did a little digging myself. I went to the Mermaid club and questioned a few guys who knew Raif Collins and asked them where he worked and where he might be found. He worked at a Beer Distributor. I went there and they said that he hadn't been seen in days..

I staked out his house and there was no sign of him there either..and then I stopped by the Beauty Parlor to pick up my wife , Sepia who had a hair appointment and found out something interesting. The woman who Ralph had been with the night before was in the parlor getting her hair done.

"Hey Portia right?, Portia Hawkins!!! You were with Ralph the other night....It's important that I get in touch with him." I said.

"I'm not Portia...That's my sister." said the woman who looked so much like her it was a shame.

"That's Porsche Hawkins Kevin...I told you Portia has a twin sister." said Sepia.

"You saw Ralph with my sister?" she asked.

"Yeah...the night that that guy got murdered in the parking lot at Bottom of the C. We saw Ralph and Portia at Josies a few hours before."

"Oh Really? That's funny because I drove by Bottom of the C earlier that night and Ralph's car was in the lot." she said.

"It's a long story...Ralph and the dead guy were friends...they switched cars...Ralph wanted to impress your sister, so he took that guys Escalade and that guy took his car...The two losers who shot that poor guy thought they were shooting Ralph probably...At least that's my theory." I said.

''I heard the cops caught one of them." she said.

"Yeah, with my help. Do you know where Ralph might be?" I asked.

"Not my turn to watch him." she replied.

"Oh well..I'll find him."I said.

Sepia and I joked around with Bernadette and we left. We stopped at a cafe to grab a

bite to eat....

"Let me put some money in the meter..Wait for me inside." I said.

"Okay babe." said Sepia.

No sooner did she walk inside, but a car pulled up in front of the cafe....A car I'd seen before!

A Black Grand Torino....with a bullet hole dent in the side....Out of the car popped someone I knew, Buster Williams...he was smiling and had a .45 drawn on me....Getting out on the passenger side was the man of the hour...The one I'd been looking for, Raif Collins!!

"Well, Well, Well...Looky here....Didn't think you'd see me this soon did ya Kevin?" said Buster Williams.

"When did they let you out?" I asked.

"Soon as my cousin posted bail." he said.

"This the nigga that been all up in my business?" said the other man.

"That be him Raif.." laughed Buster.

He wasted no time....He punched me in my gut and I felt it ....and then he cracked me in my jaw so hard that I don't remember much else! When I woke up ....I was tied up and it was dark......I assumed I was in a trunk...The trunk of a car....I couldn't hear the talk going on...but I was in deep trouble....My stomach and my ribs hurt and my jaw felt like mush....It felt like we had been driving forever....I sure wished Kool Kat or Clerow had been with me...I wished I had the pocket knife I had used to free myself the last time I was in a jam like this...I wished I had a chance to even things up with Raif and Buster...

The car stopped...I looked down...We were at the Strawberry Mansion Bridge , facing the Schuylkill River!!! They had my hands tied behind my back and my legs tied at my ankles...and a couple of free weights on me. Raif dragged me out of the car...

"End of the line hero...I've heard about you....You fashion yourself as some kind of super snoop huh...always gettin in people's business, always askin questions, eh? Well, you stuck your nose in the wrong person's business this time buddy...Goin to my job...drivin by my house...You won't be snoopin no more." he said.

"Raif...you and Buster killed the wrong guy, you killed an innocent man." I said.

"Yeah, I know...that was unfortunate...but Scallion will get his.....I'm gone lay low and when he least expects it...I'm gone pop him." he said.

"I'll try an remember that." I said.

"What you gonna remember that for? You gone be dead soon....." laughed Buster Williams.

"Well you guys better hope so....because if not...I'll see you fellas again and it won't be pretty."I said.

''Ahhhhh shut up snoop" said Raif...With that, they lifted me up and tossed me over the side of the Schuylkill Bridge.... I dropped downward and the cool December afternoon wind hit my face...For some reason, I didn't feel afraid....If I was going to die...that was cool...then I'd be free...none of this would matter any more....Soon it would all be over...

Contrary to what they tell you, I didn't see my life flashing before me...I just felt wind and then the cold water of the river hitting me as I went down......down...down...down......It felt cool, refreshing... I hated to die though....I wanted to wrap this case up...make those guys pay...It was cool though...Kool Kat would find them...Kill them both!!!!Then I'd kick their asses in the afterlife! Funny how I could think of doing something like that on the verge of sudden death!

Just as everything was becoming a blur.....I saw what looked like.....a woman???? I didn't believe in mermaids..... It wasn't.....It was a beautiful Black woman in bikini panties and a bra...with some kind of blow torch swimming toward me...As she got closer...I looked into her face and I saw....It was my wife!!!!! Sepia....She had a blowtorch...the kind that works underwater!!! I had purchased this just weeks before...She had asked me why I bought it and I had told her that I had a hunch I'd need it one day..She laughed....It was in the back of my car..

She used it to cut through my bonds and to disentegrate the weights and then she pulled me and swam with me to the surface....We lay on the side of river bank for what was a long while..She gave me mouth to mouth ,Her warm full lips felt good on mine as they usually did...and basically revived me...

"Ohhhhhhh..arrrrrrgggggh....cough,cough...Sepia...you saved my life..." I said...

My Car was parked up on the bridge...Her skirt, her blouse and pantyhose and heels lay on the side of the river bank....

"If I'd had on less clothing, I would have gotten to you sooner.." she said.

"You mean you took the time to undress? I could have drowned." I said.

"That suit cost me a mint...I wasn't gonna ruin it." she joked.

"I didn't know you were such a good swimmer." I said.

"Yeah...I was on the swim team that won the New Jersey State Swim competition...You used to read my blog...You saw the photos of me in that white String Bikini when I won..." she laughed.

"Yes lawd..I did.....I remember now..." I said.

"Oh shut up silly..Is that when you started commenting on my posts all the time and then e-mailing me?" she asked.

"It coulda been...I know I was an avid reader from that post up until I finally met you." I said with a laugh. Sepia laughed too!


"I saw those guys when they abducted you ..I was coming back to tell you what the special was.. and I saw them putting you in the trunk. I followed them....I had your other gun and that blow torch...Finally found a use for it." she laughed.

"Yeah and you didn't know why I bought it...I knew it would come in handy one day. You're out of breath babe..Come on...let's get out of here....I'm loving you so much right now." I said.

"Ummmm,I'm loving you too....glad that you're still amongst the living..."she said.

"Me too." I said.

We kissed for a long time......Finally we got up, She dressed and we drove home....

The next day, I was sitting in Josie's with Clerow, Kool Kat and Gus discussing the events of the last day...

"See man, I told you about goin solo...Why didn't you call me?" said Clerow.

"You were with your wife." I said.

"Well man, if I wasn't around...you coulda sent a text message and just of sat tight." said Kool Kat.

"Yeah well, Iwasn't exactly alone....I was with Sepia." I laughed as my wife walked in, put her arms around me and hugged me... Gus, Clerow and even street hard Kool Kat laughed and smiled.

(To Be Continued....)

Sometimes You Get The Bear

Sepia was beside herself with grief...She called Fat Jack's next of kin...She identified the body and made a statement to the police and she accompanied Fat Jack's body back to West Orange ,New Jersey for the funeral. She had been gone for two days....I missed my wife, but we texted ,e-mailed and talked on the phone daily.

I was sitting in Josies with Gus , Clerow and Kool Kat drinking beer and discussing what had taken place.

"So you say , as soon as he left Bottom of the "C" and was gettin in his car, dude just came up and slumped him right?" said Kool Kat.

"Yeah man, that's about how it happened." I said.

"No conversation...No argument?" he asked as if he was a homicide detective. I smiled a little bit
and then I answered his question.

"They didn't talk....Fat Jack didn't even see the guy...He got out the car...walked up to him and shot him twice in the head." I said.

"Hmmm, so they were waiting for him....This was definitely a hit." said Kool Kat.

"Yeah, but something has got me thinkin.....He was gettin in Ralph Scallion's car.....Ralph and him had switched cars that night...but nobody knew that....What if ...these killers weren't looking for
Fat Jack? What if he wasn't the target?" I thought out loud.

"You mean...you think Ralph was the target?" asked Clerow.

"It aint like it's impossible...He tries to get in the panties of every woman he sees..regardless if they got a man or not...A guy like him makes a lot of enemies." said Gus.

"Didn't we just bail his dumb ass out awhile ago...Maybe we should let these guys get him Kev, he got it comin." laughed Kool Kat as Gus and Clerow joined in.

"Normally I would...but these jokers killed a friend of my wife...A nice guy too..He didn't deserve that." I said. All three men stopped laughing....Their moods got somber...I could tell that they agreed with me.

"You think they know they got the wrong guy?" asked Kevin.

"I'm sure if they've read the newspapers or seen the news they know."I said.

"Then all we gotta do is shadow Ralph and he'll lead us to em." said Clerow.

"Hmmm." I said.

Just then , Robert Foxworth , the attorney and his young protoge' Chance Howard walked into the bar....I signaled for Gus to get them two cold beers on me.

"Evening Counselor...what'cha got good for me?" I said as we sat at the bar.

"It's too good to be true Kevin....That licensce plate number you gave me was pure gold.. I gave it to my guy over at the DMV....That car is registered to a cat named Buster Williams...He's from West Philly....I got another friend at the Police department bureau of records....This guy, Williams is a stick up boy....Got a sheet on him a mile long...Runs with a guy named Collins, Raif Collins...Raif has no record of any kind.." said Robert Foxworth..

"Great...Now all we gotta do is find them." I said.

"Easier still" said Chance Howard. "I got adresses on both of them...in West Philly and I asked around...You'll never guess where they hang out at? Joe Neptune's joint..The Mermaid Club." he said.

"I gotta talk to Joe...every two bit gangster in Philadelphia hangs out at his joint...He's gonna have a bad reputation soon." laughed Gus. At that, we all laughed and had a couple more beers.

Later that night.... Kool Kat and I sat in his car outside of the address in West Philly where Buster Williams was said to live. Clerow was sitting outside of the Mermaid Club looking for signs of Raif Collins....We communicated by cell phone.

A quarter of twelve..We saw Buster Williams, drunk and stumbling towards his house.. Chance Howard, who came along with us gave Kool Kat and me the high sign...Then he started walking behind Buster...Buster, a street hardened ex-convict knew when someone was on him and he turned around and stared at Chance...

"What'cha want young boy?" He said.

"You got a light old head?" asked Chance.

"Nah...I quit when I was in the joint. Them things will kill ya." he said.

"A lot of things will kill you, like a needle to the arm in the state pen, when they strap you to the table." I said.

He turned around and Kool Kat and I had our pistols drawn on him.....

"What the hell is this?" he said , incredulously drawning his weapon....

"You really don't want to be doing that son...I might get nervous...and shoot you with my bigger
gun." Said Kool Kat who was carrying a .44 magnum.

"Man, you got it wrong....I robbed them drug boys...but I aint know they was connected to Fathead.." he said.

"Man, this aint about Fathead....This is about a murder....The other night...in the parkin lot at Bottom of the C." I said.

"Oh that....Well man, I just drove...I aint shoot the dude...My man just needed me to drive." he said non-chalantly."

"Your boy Raif Collins huh? He took a couple of shots at me." I said.

"Oh dat was you huh, tryin to be a hero huh?" he said.

''Yeah that was me...Where is your boy Raif?"I asked.

"Hell if I know,I aint seen him." he said.

"You're a liar, but it doesn't matter...I'll get him, eventually." I said.

"You think so huh?" he said with a laugh.

"I got you, didn't I?" I said.

''What you guys gonna do with me?"he asked.

Kool Kat looked at Chance and they both started laughing.........

I had been wired and the entire conversation had been caught on tape...It was enough to turn him in to the Police and for him to be held on Accessory to murder charges...As for Raif Collins, there was no sign of him at all...He never showed up at the Mermaid Club and never showed up at his house.... He'd show up sooner or later, I wasn't worried.

Sepia returned to Philadelphia the next day...I met her at the train station.

"Heyyy baby.." I said as I gave her a passionate kiss.

"Wow, somebody really missed me" she said.

"Guess what..Me and Kool Kat caught one of the killers last night." I said.

"You did? Wow!" she said.

"Yeah, the driver...not the actual shooter...and guess what? They shot your friend for nothing..It was dark...They thought they were shooting Ralph...He was getting in Ralph's car...Nobody except them knew that they had switched cars that night...They shot the wrong guy." I said.

"Oh my God...That damn dog, Ralph Scallion...what has he done now? Got an innocent man shot. I wished they'd have gotten him." said Sepia.

"Come on now...That's not right....Anyway...Let's go home...I'm tired." I said.

"Tired? It's 9:00 in the morning!" exclaimed Sepia.

"I'd think you'd be tired too." I said with a wink.

"Ohhhhhhhhhhh...yeahhhhhhhh....got'cha." said Sepia with a smile..We kissed again and got in my car and pulled off.

(To Be Continued........)