Slap Comics

Recap- “After his mentor is killed, A cartoonist investigates a crime that involves his father. It leads him to his father’s partner and Ella Monroe who tell him his father left town. The assistant tells him Ray was involved with crime and she’s Ray’s Wife. Looks for evidence. Then his dad gives him some info with real evidence. Then two cops are at his door. After getting grilled he finds out that the real Ella is died. His father’s partner Vito leads him to Vince, Ray’s partner in crime.”

After getting hit in the gut yet once again I decide to get a plan together for when I talked to Ray’s partner Vince. I need to know who is behind these killings and why are they are doing this. Most importantly Who in the hell is Ella Monroe? Or at least her real name. I tried calling her but no answer. Actually, the number was disconnected. To be honest I am not sure what to say even if she did answer. So, after a quick stop at my place, it’s time to hit Vince’s place. 

Vince’s place is called the Cat’s Meow. It doesn’t sound like the type of place I would want to frequent. Then again, I am not much a bar guy. Usually I am a “drinking myself at home and getting drunk off my ass” type of guy. It’s in the Village neighborhood in lower Manhattan. A very flashy place. It’s the type of place where Huggy Bear from Starkey and Hutch may want to call home. Shag carpet, light up Disco floor, and for good measure: A giant Disco ball. Also, photos of Disco Legends like Donna Summer, John Travolta (in his Saturday Night Fever days) and the Bee Gees. This guy really loves the 70’s. 

I never met Vince before, but I would assume that the guy sitting at the booth at the far end of the club was Vince. Big guy with a very 70’s outfit. He had a baby blue polyester suit with a very open collar, two or three buttons too low with a carpet popping out, and if he wasn’t tall enough (6’4 barefoot by my estimates) he wore 3-inch platforms. He’s a very imposing man even with a very ridiculous time warped outfit. 

I say down surprised that his muscle didn’t intervene. He spoke first. “Vito called me that you would be stopping by”. That explains the lack of body searches. “So, I hear that Ray was a friend of yours”. I nod and tell him he was more than that. He was my mentor and family. He nods and says “Well my condolences I considered him a friend as well as a business partner. We shared a love for the 70’s. He would tell me stories from the era and talk about old movies. Boy I will miss that man”

I get down to the matter at hand. “So, what was Ray involved with?”. I nod with understanding. He starts “Well me and him were money laundering and counterfeiting. He would make the paper and launder it though his store and my many businesses”. I ask him if Vito was involved. “Yes, in a way. He got his cut. Everyone was happy…well almost everyone”. I ask what that means. “Me and Ray had partners, you know so things will go smoothly” I asked him who these partners were. I had a feeling I knew the answer. “Vito’s muscle Rob and his main squeeze. A real fox. Problem was they wanted a little more than they were getting”.

Now everything started to fall into place for me. I asked him about Ella, if she was really Ray’s wife and if he knew her real name. “Well, she definitely wasn’t his old lady. I met Ray’s wife, nice broad, small, petit and cute. Never got her name…or maybe I did. Don’t remember”. So, Ray was married. “As for Rob’s main squeeze. Well, I could never forget her. Curves that go on forever” I asked again if he knew her name. Yeah, yeah. Her name was Brittney Song or at least that is what she told me.” It sounded fake but there is nothing i can do about that now. 

I asked him if he heard of Rob’s death. He said yeah. I asked if he thinks if Brittney had to do with Ray’s and Rob’s death. He said No. I was stumped. Who else could it be? Vito? Gino? Neither one seemed likely. With Ray’s Death, Vito loses income. And when Gino kills someone, he makes someone disappear and doesn’t leave evidence behind. 

“Oh, I forgot, there’s one guy that may be responsible, their other partner”.  Partner?? There was a third partner? “Yeah, kind of a silent partner. A cop… A detective. His name was Thomas. Thomas Rodgers.

To be Continued…