“Times change, JR After awhile there won’t be a place in the game for things like honor and respect,” I said and thought that this would be a good time to talk about what I came here for. “While we’re on the subject, JR, there is something I need to talk to you ’bout.”
“You know, Nick, I been in this game a long time, which means I know enough to know that you ain’t come here just to drink my liquor and talk ’bout the old days.”
“I meant no disrespect.”
“What’s on your mind, Nick?”
“Last week there was a robbery at one of Black’s businesses. Place called Paradise Fish and Chicken. Two people were killed.”
“I hadn’t heard anything about that. Now I’m wondering why you wanna talk to me about this?”
“My sources tell me that the bandits were connected to you.”
“I see. How much money was taken?”
“About two hundred dollars.”
JR laughed. “Nick,” he said and tried to stop himself from laughing. “You have to excuse me for laughin’. I didn’t mean you any disrespect. I know this is a serious matter, or you wouldn’t be sittin’ here. But I can assure you that I had nothing to do with it. I ain’t about to fuck with Black over chump change.”
“And believe me; it’s not about the money. Two people were killed, civilians, just standing in line waiting for their food. That type of thing is bad for business.”
“I understand.”
“To be honest with you, JR, I don’t believe you knew anything about it, ’cause if you did, the people involved would be dead for bringing that kind of weight on you for that little bit of money. But the word is out there that it was your people. All I’m asking is that you ask some questions.”
“You have my word on that, Nick. If I find that it’s true, I’ll call you before I put a bullet in the back of their heads,” JR promised and I took him at his word.
Chapter 15
Just then, there was a light knock at the door, and it opened slowly. A young woman walked in. She was attractive, if not pretty, but she had a body that screamed LOOK AT ME!
JR sprung to his feet, so I stood up too. Besides, I had said what I came here to say and I was ready to go.
“Sorry, Daddy,” the woman said. “I didn’t know you were busy. I’ll come back later.”
“No, no. It’s all right, Lorraine. Come in. I want you to meet somebody.”
She went and stood next to her father and I could see the resemblance.
“Nick, this is my daughter Lorraine. Lorraine, this is Nick Simmons, he’s an associate of Mike Black.”
Lorraine smiled like somebody told her that she had just hit the number. “I’ve heard a lot about you, Mr. Simmons. It’s an honor to meet you.”
“It’s Nick, and it’s good to meet you too, Lorraine.”
“Call me Rain,” she said and went to the bar to fix herself a drink. “I’m just gonna get a drink and then I’ll be out of your way. We can talk later, Daddy.”
“It’s good that you’re here, Lorraine. Nick was just tellin’ me that one of his places was robbed, and the word is that we had something to do with it. You hear anything about that?”
“Nope,” Rain said quickly, “how much money we talkin’ ’bout here?”
“About two hundred dollars.”
Rain laughed just like her father did. “I can tell you right now that we wouldn’t be involved in no small-change robbery like that.”
“All the same, Lorraine, I want you to talk to Jeff Ritchie about it and ask around. Two people were killed: Innocent people, just waitin’ to get their food.” JR turned to me. “See Nick, this is exactly what we was just talkin’ ’bout. There was a time when something like this would never happen. Killin’ civilians over some chump change, shit, every player in town would be all over this, tryin’ to make it right ’cause it makes all of us look bad,” JR said angrily.
“I knew you would understand, JR I’ve taken up enough of your time. If you hear anything let me know,” I said and started moving toward the door.
“I’ll do that, Nick. You have my word on it.” JR turned to Rain. “See Mr. Simmons out, would you, baby, and tell Jeff Ritchie that I need to see him.”
Rain kissed her father on the cheek. “I’ll see you later, Daddy.”
Rain looped her arm in mine and walked with me out of her father’s office. As we passed the bar Rain turned to me. “You in a hurry, Nick?”
“Not especially.”
“Good. Then you have time to have a drink with me.”
“Sure,” I said and Rain led me to a table near the back of the club and signaled for a waitress.
I had Johnnie Black of course, she had straight tequila. After we ordered, Rain took a deep breath. “I wasn’t exactly honest with you back there in the office.”
“Honest about what?”
“The robbery.”
“What about the robbery?”
“I heard the same thing. That it was some of our people that did it.”
“Why didn’t you say that then, and the better question is why are you tellin’ me now?”
“You probably couldn’t tell it to look at him, but my father ain’t in the best of heath. He’s been sick a lot lately.”
“I couldn’t tell. What’s wrong with him?”
“Doctors don’t know. Bunch of fuckin’ quacks. All that fuckin’ money we give them and other than him havin’ high-blood pressure, they can’t tell us shit.”
Rain stopped talkin’ when the waitress returned with our drinks. Once the waitress left, Rain shot her tequila. Not wantin’ to be punked by this young girl, I shot mine.
“I don’t like to bother Pops with shit like that. I ain’t tryin’ to make his pressure go up. You see how upset he was gettin’.”
“I can understand that. But my question is what you gonna do about it?”
“I can take you to the place where they hangout.”
“I don’t need you to take me anywhere. You just need to tell me who they are and where to find them.”
“No deal.”
No deal?
Has this little girl lost her fuckin’ mind?
“What you mean no deal? This ain’t no fuckin’ negotiation. You’re gonna tell me what I need to know and I’ll take care of it.”
“Good luck findin’ them without me then.”
I had to admit, the little girl had heart, I just wasn’t gonna admit it to her.
“Look, Nick, if these are my people. I’m the one who needs to make this right. Not you, me. So here’s how it’s gonna go. Me and you gonna roll by they spot, and I’m gonna handle my family’s business. And I’ma tell you why. See, I ain’t no stranger to you and how you handle your business.”
“Really?”
“Really. Niggas is still talkin’ ’bout some of the shit you and that nigga Freeze used to do: Burnin’ bitch-niggas with acid and shit; throwin’ muthafuckas off rooftops and shit. Y’all was the type a niggas that would shoot first and never get to the ask questions part. See, if you do that, all it’s gonna do is make muthafuckas wanna bust back for they homies. Then y’all gonna come at us and that ain’t how this shit need to go. Am I right?”
I didn’t answer her ’cause she was right. The way I was feelin’, I wouldn’t be askin’ how and why. I might just walk up on whoever it was and put a bullet in their brain and we’d be at war over some bullshit when Black, not to mention Wanda, are making plans to move us away from all this.
“Okay.” I stood up. “We’ll do it your way.”
“I knew you’d see the logic in my point,” Rain said and started for the door.
We got in my car, she told me where to go and I headed in that direction. I started to call some people to handle this shit for me, you know, since I was boss now. But I wanted to do this myself. I needed to let out some of this rage I was feelin’ over Freeze being dead and it being my fault. And besides, I was the one who promised Mrs. Phillips that I would see that whoever killed Zakiya would get what’s coming to them.
On the way, Rain told me about the stories she had heard about me and I told her which ones were true. “I gotta admit that I always wanted to meet you. I met Freeze a couple of times. That was one scary nigga, may he rest in peace; and relentless. Once he was on to something you might as well lay down ’cause you was good as dead.”