Dreaming a Music Mystery

CHAPTER SIX

The group gathered at the restaurant at 6:00 p.m. Tonight Louis was going to introduce Darwin, the private investigator to them. If they remember right, she helped catch the Black Dahlia last year, which had hit all the newspapers from the moment they walked her in handcuffs to the courtroom.

Montmartre was a French name, but it served strictly American cuisine. The walls were covered in pictures of the previous owners dating back to 1935. The interior décor had been changed over the years. The tables and booths were placed haphazardly throughout the restaurant. The carpet was muddy brown, with white speckles scattered. The walls were the same muddy brown as the carpet. The space wasn't the place where the up-and-coming holdout, but it served great food.

Darwin was the first to arrive as was her way.  She has dressed in a pinstripe black and white tailored pantsuit, with five-inch black heels and her afro was on point. Her makeup was sedate and not overstated.  Her nails had just been finished an hour and a half before the dinner at her standing nail appointment. Renee was the best there was in London, New Jersey.  Surveying the restaurant and not seeing Louis whom she was supposed to meet with before the rest of the group she went to the hostess to ask about the party.  The hostess stated that Louis was already there and waiting at the bar through the doors for her on the left.   Smiling and thanking her Darwin went to meet him.

Walking into the bar section of the restaurant she sees Louis with the rest of the members.  So much for meeting them early.  Taking a deep breath and plastering a smile on her face she went to greet them.  One by one they were introduced by Louis. He turned to her and explained, “The table isn’t ready yet, so we are at the bar.  If you would come with me I wanted to talk with you first before you talked with the group. Is that okay with you?”

Smiling she said, “I would not mind that.” Turning to the members she said “If you will excuse me.  Louis wants to talk with me and then I can talk with you all at dinner.”  Nodding they all said they would be at the bar nursing their drinks.  This comment resulted in snide remarks being made at the originator of the comment.  Shaking his head Louis turned to them and mouthed “behave” and then led her to the table set up at the end of the bar for exactly that private conversations of the patrons who needed them.

After sitting down and ordering water the two started to talk.  Darwin started by saying, “Tonight I am to meet the boys and get a feel for how they think and work am I right, Louis?” 

Louis answered, “Yes. But it is a little more than that Darwin.  The band wants reassurance that the actual group isn’t suspects.  The boys and I feel like we are being seen as suspects.  And the fact that Abdul is involved doesn’t make us happy.”

Hearing the name, she immediately opened up her briefcase to check some notes she had.  Quickly running her eyes down the page, she sees the name she is looking for-Abdul.  And concerned she looked at Louis asking, “Abdul the security man?  Why would you all be concerned about him?”

Sighing he asked, “You don’t know our story, do you?”  Waiting for her nod he then continued. “Abdul was a member of the band until we had a falling out.  It was due to late appearances and also drugs as well as money issues.  The band agreed with the management that he was to be let go.  The problem is that he was our lyrics guy for most of the songs.  I mean each wrote but to a man we all liked his lyrics better. After he left no one saw him until a few years back.  He spoke with Mark about being let back in the group.  But Mark said no.  Then we started getting lyrics. They were great.  Mark never told us who they were from, but we suspect Abdul. Then this happened.  The song that was stolen was Abdul’s lyrics.  And the song was just about to be released on the radio. Its debut was WK45.7 the newest hip-hop station on the radio.”

When he was done, she nodded her head.  Then she asked again, “Why the concern though?  I need to know before I go talk to the group.  Abdul seems like a godsend and a gold mine here to me.  You need him if you want to solve this.”

Frustrated blowing out air Louis in agreement, “I will defer to your better judgment.  I just think you shouldn’t tell them if you don’t have to.  Okay? Let us go back to have dinner. I see one of them gesturing to me, so we have our table now. Girl you are in for one hell of a dinner tonight. Hope you like seafood.” Smiling he walked towards the group and their table.

Laughing as she followed, she muttered to herself more than it liked me.  At the table, introductions went around the table.  Then one of them, she thinks it was Maurice said, “The girls will be hereafter we are done talking business.  I am to beep, and she will bring the rest. Oh, I hope you don’t mind but Marisol is with them. Which means Abdul isn’t far behind.  She might be pregnant guys.  The girls wanted to celebrate. So don’t be nasty-you hear?!” 

All nodded in agreement.  Dinners and appetizers were ordered, drinks are given around and the talk turned to the elephant at the table.  The theft of their single, the attempted murder of Mark and Abdul’s presence in it all. Darwin tried to allay their fears, but their concern was more of a friendly nature.  All said, “He is clean and out of the crew he ran with.  No drugs and no theft. If those are his lyrics those were gold baby. It is just we haven’t been friendly. We made it difficult for him when he went to work as a security guard. The security company only gave him a chance because Mark vouched for him.  If you think he can help Darwin, then to a man, we are okay with it. Just if he is expecting a baby, don’t mess it up for them.”