When we got back uptown and got in Bobby’s car, we rode around to a few places, talking to people about Vance and what his connection was to Whitey.
It was after two in the morning when Bobby parked in our spot in the alley across the street from The Late Night. We had been hanging out at Cynt’s, so it had been a couple of days since we’d been there. In addition to the regulars that come there just to be seen standing outside, there was a line to get in both The Late Night and The Blue Room.
Me and Bobby waded through the crowd, saying what’s up and shaking hands with the fellows and got hugs and kisses from the ladies until we got inside. The first person I saw was Detective Kirkland, in my spot, and he was coming straight at me. “Mike Black,” he yelled over the music.
“Detective.”
“And you must be Bobby Ray.”
“I am. And you must be Detective Kirkland.”
“Kirk will do,” he said and turned to me. “Where you been, Black? I’ve been looking but hadn’t seen you around for a while.”
“I’ve been traveling, Detective. I needed to get away, so I spent some time in the islands.”
“Had to get away, huh?” the detective nodded. “Is there someplace where we can talk, and I don’t have to yell?”
“We can talk in my office,” I said and led the way. And with that, I knew that he wasn’t there to arrest me. Cops only wanna talk when they don’t have anything solid to go on.
“I’m gonna run to the bathroom and join you two in a minute,” Bobby said.
“Don’t get lost,” the detective told him.
On the way to the office, I saw Freeze, made eye contact with him and he started making his way through the crowd to get to me.
“Everything all right?” he asked.
“Let’s hope,” I said and discreetly handed him my guns.
I continued walking toward the office and when I passed the bar, I saw Detective Sanchez. He was Narcotics, a nice guy as far as cops are concerned, but he was a no-nonsense cop. If both him and Kirk were here, it wasn’t good for me.
“Black,” Sanchez said and fell in behind us.
When we got in the office, I took off my coat and sat down on the couch. Sanchez sat down next to me, while Kirk chose to stand in front of me. I looked at him, tried to get the measure of the man that stood before me. The fact that he had hooked up with Sanchez spoke volumes.
“What can I do for you, gentlemen?”
“I wanted to welcome you back to the city,” Kirk began.
“Thank you.”
It said that he was coming for me and I had to be ready for him. One thing I know about good cops, and this guy was apparently one of them, they got every day, all day to get you if they want you, and Kirk seemed to want me bad.
“Where’d you go?” Sanchez asked.
“Spent some time in the islands.”
“Did you go to Puerto Rico?” Sanchez asked.
“Didn’t make it there.”
“You should go sometime. It’s a beautiful island.”
“I will, next time I travel.”
“You know, Black, before you left on your trip, there were a string of drug related murders.” Kirk paused and looked at me like I was supposed to have a reaction to the fact that a bunch of niggas were dead. I mean, it wasn’t like it was news to me. When I said nothing, Sanchez jumped in. He reached in his pocket and took out some pictures.
“Wilson Goode.” He laid the crime scene photo on the coffee table in front of me. “Billy Ronin, Ed Davis,” Sanchez said as he laid each photo on the table. “Dexter Corey, Lamar Butler, Marlo Collinwood and Jesse Hall.”
“And let’s not forget about Butler Griffin,” Kirk threw in.
“Who’s that?”
“A pimp named Silky,” Kirk informed.
“Okay … and Butler Griffin,” Sanchez said.
“Then you left the country and the murders suddenly stopped.”
“Now you’re back,” Sanchez added.
“What does any of this have to do with me?” I asked.
“It means that you killed them, Black. All of them.”
“Me? I didn’t have anything to do with any of that.”
“Come off it, Black. All of those men are connected to Andre Harmon. You’re Andre’s enforcer,” Sanchez said, as Bobby came in with Wanda. Kirk’s eyes bucked open at the sight of her.
“I miss anything?” Bobby asked.
“Nothing much. The detectives just accused me of being a mass murderer,” I said.
“That’s terrible,” Wanda said and sat down on the couch next to me. “Did they present you with any evidence?”
I pointed to the pictures on the table. “Nothing but those.”
Wanda leaned forward and glanced at the pictures.
“Oh.” Wanda sat back and looked at Kirk, whose tongue was all but hanging out. “So, I imagine that you gentlemen were about to either tell him what evidence you have, or arrest him for the crimes you’ve accused him of committing?”
“And you are?” Kirk asked.
“A concerned citizen,” Wanda began. “Concerned that you have accused a man of a crime and you have no evidence.” She paused. “Much less a warrant for his arrest and yet here you are harassing him.”
“Are you his lawyer?” Kirk asked.
“Like I said, Detective Kirkland, I’m just a concerned citizen,” Wanda said defiantly, and I was so fuckin’ proud of my girl.
Kirk and Sanchez looked at each other.
Wanda stood up. “If there’s nothing else, Detectives.”
Sanchez stood up. When he did, Bobby went to the door and opened it. Sanchez smiled, shook his head and started for the door, but not Kirk. He stood there looking at me.
“See you around, Black,” Kirk said.
“I’m sure you will, Detective,” I said and stood up. We looked each other in the eye.
“Damn right you will,” Kirk said and then he left the office.
“Thank you, Wanda,” I said the second the door was closed.
“You’re welcome,” she said and sat down.
Wanda looked at the pictures on the coffee table. She shook her head and looked at me.
She mouthed the words; did you?
I nodded my head.
Wanda shook her head and then rested it in the palms of her hands.
“I’m about to get outta here,” I said.
“Where you goin’?” Bobby asked.
“Cynt’s.”
“Who Cynt?”
“She’s the one who’s been running Roscoe’s.”
Wanda leaned close to me. “She the one that killed him?” she asked in a whisper.
“Yes.”
“And you have her running the spot now?” Wanda asked.
“She just kinda took over,” Bobby said. “I mean, she stepped up and did what needed to be done.”
“I see that I need to go with you so I can meet this woman you two have got running a spot for us,” Wanda said as she followed me and Bobby out of the office.