"Damn," Bobby said when he saw him.
"What’s up, Black? What’s up, Bobby?" Luke said as he eased down in a chair.
"What happened, Luke? Who hit you?" Black asked.
"I don’t know who it was. We had just left the club," Luke began.
"Who? Who’s we?" Black asked.
"Me, Kenny, Duck and Ed. Me and Kenny left in one car, and Duck and Ed was in the car behind us. I looked back and saw a truck hit their car. Then a Ford 350 pulled up behind me and slammed into my rear end. I tried to get away from the truck, but it kept coming. The 350 slammed into us again. That’s when I hit my head on the steering wheel."
"That’s how you fucked up your head?" Bobby asked.
"Yeah," Luke said. "They ran us into a telephone pole. I got out of the car and got shot in the shoulder and caught another in my thigh. I got off a couple of shots," Luke lied. "But they went after Kenny."
"What about Ed and Duck?" Bobby asked.
"They dead too."
"But it was Kenny they wanted. They left you and went after him," Black said.
"I may not have seen who was doin’ the shootin’, but I know who sent them," Luke announced.
"Who?" Bobby asked.
"Cruz Villanueva."
"Who the fuck is that?" Bobby wanted to know.
"He’s Hector’s nephew," Black told him.
"You mean, Hector, you fucked his wife, Hector?"
"Yeah, Bobby, that Hector." Black turned to Luke. "What Cruz got to do with this?"
"Before we left the club, Kenny had words with Cruz. Whatever was said was said, and Kenny put his gun in Cruz’s face."
"You know what it was about?" Black asked.
"Kenny said that Cruz was talkin’ about makin’ a move uptown and wanted Kenny to get down with him. But Kenny wasn’t tryin’ to hear that shit."
"So Cruz had him killed," Bobby said.
"That’s what I think," Luke said.
"Let’s go." Black stood up. "Feel better. Anything you need, you let me know."
When Black and Bobby left Luke’s apartment, they went looking for Cruz. They didn’t know where to find him, but Black knew somebody who might have an idea.
They went to a Salsa bar off of Grand Concourse looking for Eddie Domingas. Black had known Eddie since the days when Black worked for Andre. Once they were inside, Black took a look around for Eddie but didn’t see him.
"I could use a drink," Bobby said. He went and found a table and then a waitress brought them drinks. While they were drinking, Black saw Eddie come out of the back. Once Black was able to make eye contact with him, Eddie motioned for Black to follow him.
"I’m goin’ to talk to Eddie," Black got up and followed Eddie into the men’s room. When Black left the table three men walked up.
When Black walked in the men’s room, Eddie was standing by the sink. The two men shook hands. Black asked him if he knew anything about what happened to Kenny. Eddie said that he hadn’t heard anything about it.
"I been hearin’ that Cruz is makin’ noises about movin’ uptown. You hear anything about that?"
"That’s all it is, is talk. Cruz thinks your boy Stark is weak."
"He ain’t my boy," Black said.
"The word on the street is that you stand behind him."
"Next time you hear that shit, you tell mutha fuckas that it ain’t true. You know I ain’t no fuckin’ drug dealer, Eddie," Black told Eddie. He knew when he agreed to Angelo’s proposition that this might happen.
"Whether you are or not, that’s the word. I don’t think Cruz will make a move."
"You know where I can find him? Just to talk."
"I’m not sure where he’s livin’ now, but call me tomorrow and I’ll have something for you."
"Thanks, Eddie," Black said and left the men’s room.
Bobby looked up and saw three men standing over him. He put his hand on his gun.
"You’re Bobby Ray, ain’t you?" one of the men asked.
"That’s right," Bobby replied.
The three men sat down at the table.
"I don’t remember askin’ you to join me," Bobby said.
"That’s ’cause I didn’t ask."
"So who are you?" Bobby asked.
"Lex."
As soon as he said his name Bobby knew exactly who he was, and what he wanted. "Do I know you?"
"You know Ivillisa Ortiz?"
"What about her?"
"I’m surprised she never mentioned me to you," Lex said.
"I guess Ivy had other things on her mind," Bobby said and smiled.
Lex was not amused. He banged on the table. "Ivillisa is my woman-and you’re gonna forget you knew her!"
Bobby held up one hand and put his gun on his lap. "Calm down, Lex. If you wanna claim her, she’s all yours, kid."
"I ain’t no fuckin’ kid," Lex shouted and pulled out his gun.
"Everything all right?" Black asked and put the barrel of his gun to the base of Lex’s skull.
Bobby brought his gun up from under the table and stood up. "Yeah, Mike, everything’s fine. Lex here was just explaining that Ivillisa is his woman, and I was about to tell him that I was done with her ass anyway, so he can have her," Bobby said and came around the table. Black took Lex’s gun from him and followed Bobby out.
"You know, there was a time when I would’ve just shot that mutha fucka and wouldn’t have gave a fuck," Black said as him and Bobby got in the car.
"You’re gettin’ old. Shit, we both are. Back in those days, I woulda shot him as soon as he sat down and opened his mouth with that bitch shit," Bobby said and drove away. "You get anything from Eddie?"
"He says the same thing. Cruz wants to make the move uptown, but he won’t ’cause he thinks we back Stark."
"I knew that shit was gonna happen. Soon as Angelo came to you with that shit, I knew this was gonna happen; whether we did shit or not."
"That’s the word. We’re back in the drug business."
"I wouldn’t be surprised if Stark was puttin’ that shit out himself," Bobby speculated. "Makes his position stronger."
"Don’t you think Angelo knew that when he suggested it?"
"You probably right."
"I know I am. This is what fuckin’ Angee wanted all along. ‘You can be a stabilizing influence, Mikey.’ I knew it was a mistake, but what could I do?"
"You couldn’t tell him no; not after all the shit Angelo’s done for you."
"I know."
"So what now?" Bobby asked.
"Eddie said he’d have something on where we can find Cruz tomorrow. So until then, we wait."
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Kirk and Richards returned to the scene of the crime and began re-canvassing the building. They had been knocking on doors and then they got a break.
"I’m Detective Richards and this is Detective Kirkland."
"What y’all want?" the woman asked. She was very slender, her eyes were prominent and her hands shook a bit.
"Can we come in?" Kirk asked.
The woman rolled her big eyes and stepped back from the door and led them into the living room. There wasn’t much in the way of furniture in the small apartment. A couch, a small TV that sat on a dining room table and one chair was all there was.
"We’re investigating the murders that happened in the building tonight," Richard said.
"I don’t know nothin’ about it," the woman said and turned up the volume on The Daily Show. "And if I did know something why would I tell you?"
Kirk pulled out a twenty-dollar bill and dropped it on the floor in front of her. "Anything you can tell us would be helpful," Richards said and laughed a little.
When the woman started to reach for the bill, Kirk put his foot on it. "I don’t know who killed them boys," she said.
"What do you know?" Richards asked.
"You know who they were with?" Kirk asked.
"I heard them say they was with PR."
"PR? Who’s that?"
"I don’t know who he is?" she said and pulled on the twenty.