I didn't change my routines...I went to work, I came home...I went to Josies...I went to Bottom of The C., et al...If a hitman was after me..He'd have to move quick...I stayed around lots of people....I wore a kevlar vest and a trauma plate at all times and I never went anywhere without packing...My .38 smokeless and my .22, which was strapped to my ankle...Still I worried about the people around me, Like Sean Jackson, Sheila, Sepia, Bonita, Robert Foxworth, Chance Howard..Harry Charles and Bernadette...Innocents who might get caught in the crossfire.
I even worried about Clerow..He was married and a father of two children...I'd feel just awful if anything happened to him or his family...I didn't worry about Kool Kat...The Quiet man had better worry about him!!
I mused.
I knew what my killer looked like. Robert's friend in public records had a photo of him..Several...He had no convictions, but he did have arrests for "suspicion of" and several mug shots...I studied them..and studied him.
He was an ex-Army Ranger...So I knew he was a good shot..a guy who could hit you from a far range...
Because of that, I didn't walk out in the open much and I stayed in crowds..
One night , I believe In saw my killer...I saw a man fitting his description with Lojack...His face still swollen and pufy from the beatdown I had given him...If I was right..Lojack was pointing me out and he was getting a bead on me...I wanted to drive to Dagg's house and beat the fool out of him...but his just desserts was coming.
I hadn't heard from Kool Kat in a week...I supposed he was sleeping good , hadn't had any bad dreams...
Then a peculiar thing happened...Sepia and I got free tickets to see Ingrid Rhodes singing at Mulberry Street,
The rooftop jazz club!!...Here it was...Nobody just sends you free anything and for no reason...I was going to be taken out on the rooftop...I had to laugh...These jumolks had no idea that I knew about them....
I called Kool Kat and told him about the free tickets...He laughed...
"You know it's a set up don't you?" he said.
''Yeah and if I didn't know ahead of time that they were going to hit me...I'd be in big trouble." I said.
''Well go...don't worry..I got you covered..I'll be there." he said.
"What?" I said...
''Just trust me." he said.
II-
I didn't take Sepia...but I was at Mulberry Street myself , a few nights later....Kool Kat and I stood on the rooftop with drinks in our hands , enjoying Ingrid Rhodes in concert and a nice late summer wind...
"This guy is an ex army ranger , so I figure he's set up somewhere across those rooftops with a bead on me." I said..
"Relax Kev...all of your worries are about to be over ,right about now!" laughed Kool Kat...
Just then, I heard a terrific explosion, saw a bright light and heard someone yell....
"Oh my godddd, I don't believe it....I've been shot!"
The person tossed their M-16 rifle up in the air and fell off of a balcony into the street..
I was astounded...He had been right across the street!!!
"Kool Kat!!! What the hell??" I said.
"That my friend, is the last time the so called "Quiet man" will ever set up on anyone." he laughed...
"What did you do?" I asked.
"Kev...I'm standing here with you...How could I have done anything?" he said with all seriousness.
Within minutes..Roscoe and Ralph Mole joined us on the roof...Kool Kat looked at them and nodded...Roscoe smiled.
"What's Up Kev?" he laughed.
"Man, what did you do?" I asked Roscoe.
Before he could answer, Kool Kat looked at me hard and said-
"Kev....Don't ask questions you don't want to know the answer to...You feel me dawg?Sometimes it's just about the law of the street." he said.
I didn't ask anything else....I was convinced that the less I knew , the better.Besides , he was right.
III-
They were searching the rooftops...They wouldn't find anybody or anything...I walked by his body ,all contorted and bloody lying in the street..He had come to kill a man he didn't know and had been killed himself.
"If it makes you feel any better Kev...Jack Killigen killed Roscoe's good friend years ago....So for Roscoe, that was payback." said Kool Kat...
"I feel sooo much better knowing that." I said wryly as we got in my car and headed for Dagg's house. I rang the doorbell....
Lojack came to the door....
"Surprised to see me Lojack? " I said. Kool Kat laughed and then pulled out his .44 mag...
"Aint no need for that man...He's upsairs...He's gone crazy." said Lojack...
"ARGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGH.....ARGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG...NOOOOOOOOOOO....
CORA PLEASE!!!!I DIDN'T MEAN IT...I DIDN'T MEAN IT!!ARGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGH!!"came the scream and the wails from his room...
I called the police...Armed with the information I gave them...They had enough to arrest Dagg Hammerskold and charge him with two murders and solicitation of murder....They brought him out of his house in his pajamas screaming and moaning hysterically....
"CORRAAAAAAAAAAA...PLEASE...GO BACK TO THE GRAVE...YOU'RE DEADDDDD....DEADD...DEADDDDDDDDDD...AWWWWW COME ONNNNNNNNNNN....LEAVE ME ALONE...I DID NOT MEAN IT...I DID NOT MEAN IT...I HAD TO DOOOOOO ITTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT..ARGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH.'' he screamed.
"He's mad" said Kool Kat.
"He's crazier than a crackhouse rat." said Lojack...."White boy claim some broad that been dead for forty years is in the house, holding a baby in her arms tellin him he was gonna pay...Only can't nobody see her but him...He swore she was in the room...but I aint see a thing..Did you?" he continued.
"No, I didn't see anyone." I said.
"Beats me boss" said Kool Kat..
"That dude crazy as a mother." said Lojack.
EPILOUGE:
Dagg Hammerskold was locked up in the psych ward for observation...He screamed and yelled for "protection " from Cora Waters, who he said was haunting him...Despite being in a padded room, he suffered a massive heart attack one night and was found dead the next morning in his cell..His eyes eerily wide open and his mouth open as if he'd ......seen a ghost. He was never tried for the two murders and attempted murder.
One warm Sunday Morning, Gus, Kool Kat ,Chelsea , Sepia and I went to Cora Waters grave and placed flowers on her headstone.....
"She finally got justice...It took forty years, but she got it..I believe she's at peace now...Thanks to you boys." said Gus.
"You think old Dagg really saw Cora in his living room?" asked Kool Kat.
"I don't know...but I think he thought he did...Guilt is a powerful thing man." I said.
"Hey Walter, you still havin bad dreams?" asked Gus...
''Nah man, I been sleepin like a baby."said Kool Kat.
Chelsea walked up and put her arms around him...I put my arms around Sepia and Gus kneeled down and laid another bunch of flowers on Cora's grave.
"For in that sleep of death what dreams may come / When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, / Must give us pause."-William Shakesphere
