‘Billiards on Broadway’ is centered around Broadway Benny's Pool Palace. The richest 9-Ball tournament in history is just a few days away and a cool million goes to the winner. When the word hit the streets heavy hitters and hustlers, backers and stakehorses from around the globe couldn’t wait to slap down the $5,000 entry fee to get a spot on the board.

The Boomerang Bloke phoned in from Australia. Samurai Suki wired from Japan, Pancho and Lefty from Mexico. Chief Red Fox and Black Crow from Sioux City. Chicago Bugs, 3-Ball Charlie, Johnny ‘the Big Ragu’ Ragusa, Mayday Rick May, Fat Bill and many other well-known cueists would put their talents on the line. But the smart money is on ‘The Dream Man’, a player who, in 30 years, has never lost a match.

Our lead character is Grey Shadow, a small time PI who calls his one-man operation The Night Owl Detective Agency. He barely survives from small cases to smaller cases. Because of the large amount of money that will be at Broadway Benny’s a mysterious donor has hired Grey Shadow to provide security until the tournament is over. But it goes beyond that.

Jay began playing pool leagues 1984. That’s when he began gathering material and recording events that are used in his stories. Many behind the scene accounts of players connected with the billiard world have been mentioned throughout ‘Billiards on Broadway’. Stories covering tournaments and features of local celebrities appeared in ‘Ball in Hand’, a publication that focused on local talent.

Jay has been covering Missouri 8-Ball All-Star singles and team championships several years that are held three times yearly. In addition, Jay has many stories that can be reached on the Internet under ‘Jays Corner’ connected with The Missouri 8-Ball Pool League. (Free/reference×com/Jays Corner) or (users×i|×net/Pheasant/JaysCorner/).

Jay resides in Florissant, Missouri and still plays at least one night a week as a member of the Missouri 8-Ball League where he has been a member since 1992.

I wasn’t feeling or looking nearly my best when she burst into the office. She had her usual ubiquitous cheery smile. She walked straight past me and did what I knew she was going to do... and there was no way I could stop her. Mike reached for the window shade as I reached for my ears. I was too late again.

“Wake up,” she chirped. “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood,” doing her bad imitation of Mr. Rogers-- and let fly with the window shade. It ran up the wall crackling all the way up. When it got to the top it made that obnoxious flapping sound as it rotated for what seemed like four hours. And all the while Mike stood there with that cute little grin savoring every second of my agony. I hid my eyes in my arm as the sun came glaringly through the window.

“Why do you get so much pleasure doing that to me?” I groaned. “And don’t do that, either!”

“Do what?” She answered with that look of surprise trying to fake me out.

“Don’t grin so darn loud,” I moaned while covering my ears.

“My, my, don’t we feel chipper this morning. I see you spent the weekend with the Daniels boys again, Charlie and Jack!” She turned off the stereo and replaced the LP in its jacket. Then she said “SURPRISE” as she held the empty bottle five feet above the wastebasket and let it drop. Just my luck, the one time in four weeks the wastebasket was empty. There was nothing there to cushion the fall. The sound pounded inside my skull like a jackhammer. I couldn’t see her but I could tell Mike was enjoying the unpleasant sensations, which were occurring to me in various degrees commonly, referred to as pain.

“I hope you don’t mind me being honest Mr. Shadow, but... you look terrible.”

“Thanks!” I moaned. “You sure know how to begin a pleasant week. It is Monday, isn’t it?”

“In fact,” she continued, ignoring my question, albeit rhetorical, “-- you look like you’ve been shot at and missed... and shingled at and hit.”

“Hey, wash your mouth out, girl,” I said very boss like. “I ain’t paying you for those kind of insults.” It wasn’t even noon yet and for the second time today Mike bestowed upon me that look. The grin was thrown in for free.