ATLANTIC CITY, NJ
My wife Sepia and I and Attorney Robert Foxworth and his wife Bonita were out at a Tony new Bistro enjoying a delicious meal and drinks....This place was a little expensive for my tastes , but Robert was footing the bill...He had just made a killing on some big civil case...It was in all of the papers...He was a celebrity almost....
"Great meal counselor" I said....and I meant it...the food was worth every penny.
''Ouuu yes Robert...you ought to win more cases like this." joked my wife Sepia...
"Yeah, I know....I don't get cases like this that often....but when I do....I like to live it up." joked Robert Foxworth...
"Oh shut up Robert and stop bragging." joked his wife Bonita...
Sepia and I smiled... After our empty plates were cleared, We all wandered over to the bar and ordered drinks...Robert was putting it on his tab tonight...So Sepia and I indulged...While Robert and Bonita danced, Sepia and I stood out on the terrace of this great place...
"Wow, Kevin...it's so nice....Just for one night...Not having any worries....enjoying the good life...." she cooed.
''Yeah and tomorrow, it's back to the hood." I said and we both laughed...
II-
We partied with Robert and Bonita well into the night and then we adjourned to our hotel room...Yes, Robert had rented us and he and Bonita rooms at the spacious Hotel, across the street from this Bistro.....It was truly nice and relaxing....Our room had a jacuzzi and Sepia and I made good use of it...Making slow simmering love in the warm waters all night long and then ordering two fruit salads and Mimosas, which we enjoyed in bed before we drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, I stood in the lobby, waiting for the valet to bring my car around....Sepia and Bonita were still upstairs....Robert Foxworth was on his android in the lobby...He looked troubled....He walked over to me and motioned me outside...
"What's going on counselor?" I asked.
''Ahhh nothin Kev...Well , yeah it is somethin." he said. I knew that it was...
"Listen..when we get back to Philly, you feel like runnin something down for me?"He asked.
"What's up?" I asked.
"Well...All of my cases aren't like that big civil case..I have a few I'd rather not handle....In fact..this was Chance Howard's client...You know Cakeman Raven?" he asked.
"Yeah, I've heard of him...Drug Kingpin....What about him?" I asked.
''Well ,Chance was on a retainer for him....Got him out of jail a couple of times..Also represented him on a couple of legitimate business deals..." said Robert.
"Damn man, you really ought to get a better class of client...You make enough money now...You don't have to rep that kind of lowlife."I said.
"I know...I know...But here's the thing...Cakeman was real rattled the last time he came to my office...Not his usual arrogant self..Kevin, the man was as white as a ghost, like he was scared....He had me and Chance write him a living will." said Robert.
''Yeah? So what?? Somebody probably has a contract out on him...In his line of business, that's not uncommon." I said.
"He wouldn't say anything, but we could tell that he was afraid of something or somebody." said Robert Foxworth.
"So what do you want me to do, find out who's got papers on him?" I asked.
"No...No..That's his business...I need you to find him!" said Robert.
"What?" I asked.
"He had a court appearence yesterday...He never showed up." said Robert. I laughed...
"Robert...Robert...guys like him often do that....He's probably layin low...probably went to ground because somebody's after him..." I said.
"Thing is....Chance went to his house, went to Josie's, The Mermaid Club, Mulberry Street, the Strip club..all of his known hang outs and nobody's seen hide nor hair of him for close to three days!" said Robert.
''He might have skipped town." I said.
"Kev, his court appearence was just for child support....A guy like him doesn't skip town over child support..He's got money...No Kev, he was scared about something.." said Robert.
"Okay...Okay counselor...When we get back..I'll look into it...but young Chance Howard has done a pretty good job...I don't know that I can cover better ground than he..." I said.
"Well, ask around...You know people that he don't know...People that maybe know somethin.." said Robert.
"Okay...but why do you care? Was the money that good?" I laughed.
"Nah...I know what Cakeman Raven is...I know what he does....but he was kind of a nice guy...in a way...Every year around Christmas, he'd send me a nice Strawberry Upside down cake from that bakery that he owns.." said Robert..
''You mean that Bakery that he uses as a front to launder his dirty money." I said.
''Kev!"said Robert.
"I'm just callin it as I see it...besides..everybody knows the deal anyway...." I said.
"Yeah I know Kev....but he wasn't all bad...Could you just find him? I'm concerned...as a fellow human being." said Robert Foxworth....I gave him the side eye...
"Who are you man?" I asked...Robert Shrugged his shoulders.
III-
The next afternoon...Back in Philly....I was at Josies with Clerow and Sean Jackson and his Attorney friend, Conrad Nelson having a few cold beers and talking...
"Robert Foxworth's got me lookin for Cakeman Raven...Apparently nobody has seen him in three days." I said.
"Cakeman Raven has gone missing too?" said Conrad Nelson.
''What do you mean missing too? Who else is missing?" I asked.
"Two of my clients....Kornbread Earl Evans and Fly Tyrone Wallace have both vanished without a trace in the last month...Missed court appearences... Aint been seen in no bars, strip joints, restaraunts, nothin...Fly Tyrone Wallace bought a suit every Friday and always got a fresh haircut...His barber aint seen him..." said Conrad Nelson.
"Were they under indictment?" I asked.
"Nope...for a change...Kornbread had an assault beef I was defending him on....but he never showed up and Fly Tyrone had me on retainer..." said Conrad.
"You know , now that you mention it....Beautiful Bobby Hunter....the guy that took over Eldorado Mack's corners aint been around lately either." said Clerow..
''Funny thing Kev...The streets have been quiet...Too quiet..No gunplay...No shootouts...No nothing...Just quiet and cool." said Sean Jackson.
"Kinda nice aint it?" added Gus with a smile as he served us a second round of beers.
''Any major playas making noise?" I asked.
''A few small time guys, but they aint makin no noise." said Clerow.
''Hmmm"...I said as I sipped my beer and ate some peanuts....
I said my good nights to my guys and headed home...
It hadn't got dark yet and I drove home...The sun was getting ready to go down...I found Sepia, a few blocks away in the little park...I walked up behind her and put my arms around her...
"Is that a gun in your pocket or are you real glad to see me lover?" she laughed..
''It's both.." I said.
"You sure? " she laughed slyly....
"Positive...What are you doing down here?" I asked.
''Mourning the end of summer...and the fact that...we are back in the hood, after living in paradise for a night." she sighed.
''Yeah, how about that?" I laughed.
(To Be Continued.....)
