“Who are they?” Me’shelle asked.
“Cops,” Travis answered.
“How do you know?”
“I can spot ’em a block away.” Travis wasn’t really feelin’ being this close to the cops, but he didn’t want to leave Me’shelle’s side or look suspicious to the cops. They both stood up to meet the officers.
“Ms. Lawrence?”
“Yes.”
“I’m Detective Richards, and this is my partner, Detective Kirkland. We just came from your brother’s house, and I’m sorry to have to tell you this, Ms. Lawrence, but your brother and sister-in-law are both dead,” he said
Me’shelle fell into Travis’s arms and began to cry.
“They were murdered sometime last night, we believe,” Richards continued. “The murders may be drug-related. I understand that your niece was raped. Do you know if she was in the house last night?”
“I don’t know. The doctor told me she’s in shock and hasn’t told anybody anything,” Me’shelle answered.
“Yes, I know, but I thought that maybe you could tell us something.”
“I don’t know,” Me’shelle said tearfully. “I don’t know.”
While Detective Richards tried to get answers from Me’shelle, Detective Kirkland stared at Travis. He couldn’t help but wonder if there was any possibility that this cop recognized him. Travis avoided making eye contact with Kirkland, choosing instead to focus his gaze on Me’shelle and Detective Richards. The detective’s eyes on him made Travis nervous, but he tried not to show it.
Kirkland put his hand on his partner’s shoulder. “I know this is a bad time for you, Miss Lawrence, but we’re going to need you to come in and talk with us.” With that, Richards took out one of his cards and handed it to Me’shelle. “So, when you feel up to it, please give me a call.”
Kirkland continued to stare at Travis as Richards turned and walked away. “Don’t I know you from somewhere?”
“No. I don’t think so,” Travis answered.
“What’s your name?” Kirkland asked. Richards turned around and returned to his partner’s side.
“Travis Burns.”
Kirkland looked Travis up and down then finally walked away.
Me’shelle looked curiously at Travis. “What was that all about?” she asked, wiping away her tears
“I have no idea,” Travis answered as he watched the two detectives leave. But now he was worried.
Me’shelle called her aunts out into the hallway and told them about Bruce and Natalie. They cried together while Travis looked on helplessly. He was really shaken by his encounter with the detective. The thing to do now was to remain calm and call Freeze. He would wait a half an hour before he got up and left the area.
“What was that all about?” Detective Richards asked when they got on the elevator. “You know that guy?”
“Nah,” Kirkland answered. “Never seen him before in my life.”
“You think he might be involved?” Richards asked.
“I don’t know, and to be honest, I really don’t think he is. But you know how these things are, Pat. At this point, we don’t have shit. So, sometimes you gotta shake shit up and see what falls out.”
Chapter Twenty-five
Travis paced back and forth outside the hospital, waiting for Freeze to call him back. It had been almost two months since Travis had spoken to him. When Freeze called back, Travis told him where he was and what was going on, then informed him of his encounter with Detective Kirkland.
Freeze listened to what Travis had to say and told him not to worry. “Kirk is a homicide cop. His thing is drug-related murders. You wouldn’t be on Kirk’s radar. But he’s a smart cop, as far as cops go, so stay out of his way.”
“I plan to do just that,” Travis said, but it was clear that he was still shaken by it all.
“So, what’s goin’ on, Travis? I haven’t seen you around lately. You into something I should know about?”
“Been taking your advice and keeping a low profile.”
“That’s good, but you could still come by the spot and holla at a nigga. Let him know you all right and shit.”
“You’re right, Freeze. My bad. I’m just gettin’ into some other things lately.”
“So I heard. Your girl Jackie tells me you don’t hang with them like you used to. Says you always busy, got something to do or whatever.”
“It’s fucked up, but she’s right. But I got with them both this morning. You know, told them what they wanted to hear.”
“You and me go back some years, don’t we?”
“We sure do.”
“Hey, you remember the time we hopped the turnstile and that cop grabbed you just before you could make it on the train?”
“Yeah, I remember that. He took me to the precinct to teach me a lesson. My pops had to come get me and shit.”
“I remember you said he was sweatin’ you pretty hard to tell him who was with you. But you was a man about it and kept your mouth shut.”
“I wasn’t about to give you up. I got caught and you didn’t. But the next time you see who went over the turnstile first.” Travis laughed, but Freeze didn’t.
“You always was loyal-and smart too. So, I gotta ask you a question, and I want you to think about what I’m askin’ and answer me honestly.”
“No doubt.”
“I don’t even like havin’ to ask you this, but I got to. And understand if it was anybody but you, Travis, I would just come to my own conclusion and do what I gotta do.”
“Ask me what you wanna ask me, Freeze.”
“Hang up the phone and turn around,” Freeze said.
Travis turned around quickly and saw that Freeze had pulled up in front of him and was sitting in his truck waving for Travis to come to him. Travis walked toward the truck. “Get in,” Freeze said.
After they exchanged pleasantries, Freeze drove off. Travis noticed that Freeze had a gun sitting in his lap. “What you wanna ask me, Freeze?”
“I need to know what’s goin’ on with you. See, a man in your position, havin’ done the things that you’ve done, who don’t hang out with his partners no more, only does it for two reasons. Either he got caught and he’s talkin’ to the cops about givin’ somebody up, or he got a woman.”
Travis laughed. “Her name is Me’shelle.”
“I’m glad you said that.”
Travis looked at the nine in Freeze’s lap. “I am too.”
“You really diggin’ this ho?”
“Yeah, really.”
“She the one whose niece got raped?”
“Yeah.”
“She know anything about what you do?” Freeze asked, trying to get a sense for how much, if anything, Me’shelle knew.
“Nothing. As far as she knows, I’m a programmer.”
“How long you plannin’ on keeping up that front?”
“I don’t know.”
“You know she’s gonna feel betrayed when she finds out. Let me give you some advice: be real with her about who you really are and what you really do,” Freeze said as he pulled up in front of the hospital again. “I know this might not be the best time, but I want to meet her. Bring her to Cuisine for dinner one night. We’ve made a lot of changes since the last time you were there, so call ahead for reservations.”
“I’ll do that. Maybe we’ll do that tonight if she’s up to it. Me’shelle loves to eat out,” Travis said as he got out of the truck.
As he walked inside the hospital, he thought about what had just happened. It scared him. He knew Freeze would have shot him if he felt he had rolled over. Travis thought about how much the detective’s conversation had scared him, and now this. He thought back to how he panicked and ran to the Caymans after he saw himself on television. He was starting to realize that he wasn’t built for this life. Travis knew that he had to get out.
Chapter Twenty-six
It was late when Me’shelle finally left the hospital. She asked Travis drive her to Queens to stay with her aunt. She didn’t want to be alone, and felt she needed to be with family at a time like this. Travis understood, and dropped Me’shelle off at the door. “You sure you don’t want me to come in and sit with you for a while?”