You seen the Post today? Puddin’ made it to Page Six.”
“Get out of here!” Regina grabbed the newspaper Yvonne handed her and quickly flipped through. Sure enough, there was a smiling Puddin’ posing over an unconscious Rob-Cee and holding a bottle of champagne and flashing a victory sign. The caption read “Unidentified woman knocks out gangsta rapper Rob-Cee at listening party. Sources say the unnamed woman, who was Rob-Cee’s date for the evening, conked the rapper over the head with a bottle of champagne after he insulted her and her friends.”
“Damn,” Regina said. She closed the paper and put it down on the table next to her food. “Puddin’ just found her fifteen minutes of fame, huh?”
“I wonder why it ran a day late.”
“Don’t know.” Regina shrugged. “The photographer probably got it to the paper late.”
“She’d better be glad you came up with the idea of bringing Little Joe to the listening party. Otherwise she’d be six feet under right now,” Yvonne said with a little laugh. “Hey, I know I’m a little late, but you could have waited for me before you ordered.”
“You’re almost twenty minutes late, and I have an appointment in a half hour,” Regina said, slicing into her broiled chicken breast.
“Hello, Regina. Long time no see.”
Regina looked up at a tall light-skinned man wearing an ill-fitting blue suit. “Robert?” She shot Yvonne a “what the fuck” look before she could stop herself, and immediately hoped Robert hadn’t noticed. If he did, he chose to ignore it as he sat down next to Yvonne.
“I came to take Yvonne out to lunch, and she told me she was meeting you, so I asked if I could tag along,” he said laconically. “I hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all,” Regina said quickly. “It’s good to see you again.” Boy, does he look bad. Robert was always thin, but now he looked almost skeletal. His hazel eyes were dull and sunken, his cheeks hollowed, and his skin, which used to have a reddish tint, was now a dull yellow. Even his short wavy hair seemed dreary and dry. He still had a hint of his once good looks, but he was a far cry from the dashingly handsome law student they had all met six years before. Time and drugs had not been kind to Robert.
“It’s good to see you, too.” Robert reached over and patted Regina’s hand. “How long has it been? About three years now? How’s little Camille?”
“She’s doing fine, thanks. And how are your kids?”
“They’re fine, I suppose. My ex won’t let me have any contact with them, but that’s another story,” Robert said with an inappropriate laugh. “Let’s just say divorce can be hell.”
Regina nodded but said nothing, since she could think of nothing to say. After all, she didn’t blame Robert’s ex; she wouldn’t want a dusthead anywhere near her child, either. And Yvonne was crazy for letting him around her twelve-year-old son, Johnny. “Well, um, how’s the job? I heard you’re with the Bronx D.A.’s Office.”
“It’s going fine, thanks,” Robert said with a smile as he took Yvonne’s hand. “It’s different, going from defense attorney to being on a prosecutorial team, but I’m adjusting.”
“Good,” Regina said, feigning interest. “Do you have any cases yet?”
“He’s only been there a week, so he’s kind of familiarizing himself with the office,” Yvonne responded for him. “But I’m sure he’ll be arguing cases soon.”
“Well, let me know when you do. I’d love to come to court to show you my support,” Regina lied.
“Well, right now I’m assigned to family court. And those are closed hearings,” Robert said in an almost embarrassed tone. “But I’m sure I’ll work up to Homicide in no time at all. After all, I do have three years’ litigation experience.”
“I’m sure you will,” Regina said, and took another bite of her chicken. “Hey, are you guys going to order or what? I have to split soon.”
Yvonne picked up one of the menus the waiter had placed on the table while they were talking. “I think I might just have a salad. Maybe a large Caesar salad. What about you, Robert?”
“I’m starved,” Robert said, flipping through the menu. “I’m thinking a steak. Do they have prime rib?”
“I’m sure they do. Maybe I’ll have the same,” Yvonne said, then closed her menu.
“Okay, babe. Why don’t you order for me while I go to the little boys’ room.” Robert leaned over and kissed Yvonne on the cheek. “I’ll be right back.”
“Why don’t you let this be my treat?” Yvonne said after Robert left. “You got the last one, didn’t you?”
“No, Puddin’ did,” Regina said simply.
“Well, whatever, it’s on me this time.”
Regina looked at Yvonne but said nothing.
“Oh, all right,” Yvonne said as she slammed the menu on the table. “Don’t say shit, okay? I’m treating because Robert hasn’t gotten his first paycheck yet. All right, smarty-pants?”
“I didn’t say a word.”
“Yeah, well, I heard what you were thinking.”
Regina shrugged. “It’s true he just ordered prime rib on your dime, but you know what Mama Tee always used to say. If you love him, I adore him.”
“And you really would if you gave him a chance.” Yvonne leaned over the table. “He’s really sweet, Gina. And he’s treating me like a queen. Fixing me breakfast in bed on the weekends, going food shopping with me . . .”
“With your money.”
“Don’t start, Regina,” Yvonne said in a threatening voice.
“Sorry. Go ahead. You were telling me how great Robert is.”
“Well, he just is. And I hope you and Puddin’ and Tamika would just give him a chance. If you were around him more, you’d see how great he is.”
“Uh-huh, and how does he treat Johnny?” Regina asked in an innocent voice.
Yvonne shifted in her seat. “Well, actually, Johnny’s been spending a lot of time with Mama Tee lately. They haven’t really been around each other. But when they do see each other, Robert treats him good.”
Regina shrugged. “Like I said, if you love him, I adore him.”
“Um, hey, baby. Did you order yet?”
Regina looked up to see a wide-eyed Robert standing over the table, shifting from one foot to the other, like he couldn’t keep still.
“No, sorry, sweetie. The waiter hasn’t come back yet,” Yvonne said, and patted the seat next to her.
“Well, um, look. I’m gonna have to take a rain check,” Robert said, scratching his neck and looking around. “I, uh, got a phone call from the office while I was in the bathroom. Um, my office. I, uh, gotta get right over there for, um, a meeting.”
“Oh. Well, okay,” Yvonne said with a crestfallen face. “I’ll see you tonight, then, okay?”
“Yeah, baby. I’ll try to get home early,” Robert said as he continued to scratch and fidget. “Um, come on and walk me outside for a minute.”
Yvonne got up without looking at Regina, picked up her pocketbook, and headed to the door with Robert, who left without bothering to tell Regina good-bye.
He was in the bathroom either smoking crack or getting zooted up on angel dust, Regina decided. He wasn’t going to keep his job long if he kept going to the office high. But chances were he wasn’t going back to the office. He was going to hole up somewhere and finish his high. Damn, Yvonne was really biting off more than she could chew this time.
She reached into her pocketbook, took out her cell phone, and dialed Tamika’s number.
“Hey, Mika,” she said when her friend answered. “I’m sitting here having lunch with Yvonne, and, girl, we’re going to have to have a serious sit-down with girlfriend.”
“Gina? Are you home? Can you get over here real quick?” Tamika said in an urgent voice.
“No, I’m on 57th Street at Jimmy’s Downtown. I can jump in the car and get to you in like twenty minutes, though.”
“Don’t worry about it, then. Let me call you right back,” Tamika said quickly. “I’m dealing with something right now.”
“What’s up? You okay?” Regina asked, concerned at the distress in Tamika’s usually calm voice.
“I don’ know yet. I’ll give you a callback in a little bit. I gotta get off the phone now.” The line went dead.
Regina snapped her flip phone shut just as Yvonne got back to the table. “Look, girl, I gotta split. There’s something wrong at Tamika’s, and I’m gonna shoot over there real quick.”
“Why? What happened?” Yvonne said as she sat down.
“I don’t know, but it sounds serious. So I’m on my way.” Regina picked up her pocketbook and car keys. “You said you’re getting the bill, right?”
Yvonne waved for the waiter. “Hold up,” she told Regina. “I’m coming with you.”
“Tamika, what’s going on? Are you okay?” Regina said as she and Yvonne entered the brownstone and saw Tamika’s tearstained face.
“Yes. I mean, no. I mean . . . damn, I don’t know what I mean,” Tamika all but wailed.
“I can’t believe this shit.” David’s voice boomed from another room.
“Oh my God, did David hit you?” Yvonne said, rushing over to hug Tamika.
“What? Oh come on, Yvonne,” Tamika said angrily. “No. Of course, he didn’t hit me.”
Regina shot Yvonne an angry look, wondering why she would even go there. To Tamika, she said, “Okay, you need to calm down and tell us what the hell is going on.”
“You guys aren’t going to believe this,” Tamika said in a weary voice. “Two thugs came to my door demanding to see Darren. When I told them he wasn’t here, they told me that he had their drugs and they wanted it back.”
“What!” Regina all but shouted.
“Get the hell out of here,” Yvonne said as she sank down in a chair. “Darren?”
“Yeah, Darren.” David’s towering frame suddenly appeared in the doorway. The six-foot-three man who Regina always thought looked like a teddy bear now looked like an angry grizzly. “Tamika,” he thundered, “did you go through the clothes hamper in the bathroom?”
“No, I didn’t get to it yet.”
David disappeared, and the women could hear him tearing through the bathroom.
“Start from the beginning,” Regina said, sitting down next to Tamika.
“Okay,” Tamika responded. “These two young thugs came to the door this afternoon and said that Darren had their drugs. They said they had paid him to hold the drugs for them.”
Regina nodded. “I know they do that a lot. Get young boys to hold or run for them because if they get caught, they won’t get any real time, since they’re underage.”
“Yeah, but Darren?” Yvonne said skeptically. “That boy isn’t into anything but video games. How the hell did he get into drugs?”
Tamika shook her head dismally. “All I can figure is that he was trying to get money to pay for some video station, the Xbox 360, that I refused to buy for him last week. He musta been approached and decided to go for it to raise the money himself.”
“Well, where is Darren? What’s he saying about all this?” Regina demanded.
“He and Sissy spent the night over at Mama Tee’s. I’ve been trying to get him on the phone all afternoon since this happened, but there’s no answer.”
Yvonne nodded. “Mama Tee took all the kids to Great Adventure this morning. They probably won’t be home until late tonight.”
“Regina, you should have seen those guys. They were polite, but they were serious. They said they didn’t want any trouble, but they wanted their drugs back. They said they were going to stop by again tomorrow. I called David right after they left, and we’ve been tearing up the house looking for the drugs ever since.”
“Tamika,” Yvonne said slowly, “what kind of drugs are they talking about, and how much?”
Tamika started crying again but wiped at her eyes. “Crack. One hundred vials.”
“Good Lord,” Regina said in a whisper.
“Okay.” Yvonne stood up. “You checked his bedroom, I guess. And David got the bathroom covered. Anyone checked the kitchen yet?”
Tamika nodded. “And the living room and den, too.”
“Okay, Regina, you take the closets, I’ll take Sissy’s room.”
“I already checked the closets,” Tamika said as they all stood up.
“Well, I’ll check them again,” Regina said, heading for the closet in Darren’s room.
This was no time to be neat, Regina decided as she checked shoe boxes and coat pockets, throwing things on the floor after they’d been checked. It wasn’t until she moved to the hallway closet and found Darren’s favorite jacket that she hit pay dirt.
“I got it,” she shouted.
Tamika, Yvonne, and David came running as Regina carefully spilled the stash of little glass crack vials onto the floor.
“Where was it?” Tamika asked.
“In this jacket,” Regina said, pointing to the lightweight green jacket.
“I looked in there,” David said.
“There’s a secret pocket in the lining,” Regina said. She picked up one of the vials. “I know because I bought it for him for his birthday last year.”
“Will you look at all this shit?” Yvonne picked up another vial. “I wonder how much it’s all worth. Did they say, Tamika?”
“No, but I know it’s worth a lot.” Tamika began scooping the vials up.
“Give me those,” David said gruffly.
“What are you going to do with them?” Yvonne asked.
“I’m turning them over to the police.”
Regina and Yvonne looked at each other, then at Tamika.
“Um, David, do you think that’s a good idea?” Regina asked hesitantly. “I mean, those boys are going to be back here tomorrow for their product.”
“And when they do, we’ll have the police waiting for them,” David said, and hugged Tamika around the shoulders.
“Yeah, but, well . . .” Regina looked at Yvonne for help, but her friend just grimaced and said nothing. “David, you don’t know this type. You get them arrested, and that won’t be the end of it. The people they work for are going to come after you, if only to save face. They might decide to make an example of you.”
“Regina’s right,” Yvonne broke in. “It might just be better to give them their shit and call it a day.”
“Well, I don’t see it like that,” David said as he hugged Tamika more tightly. “Remember, as a lawyer, I’m an officer of the court. I’m not turning over this poison to these young punks to peddle on the street. And I’m not going to be intimidated, either.”
“Oh God.” Tamika started crying softly.
“Baby, please don’t tell me you think they’re right,” David said. “You don’t really think we should just cave in to these punks.”
“No, David,” Tamika whimpered. “But I don’t want to put Darren, and even Sissy, in any danger. They said as long as I gave them back their stuff, they’d just call it even. Maybe we could—”
“No,” David said emphatically. “That’s not going to happen. I’m the man of this house, and I’m going to protect my family. And I’m not going to do that by bowing and kowtowing to a bunch of drug dealers. If they come back here, I’ll be ready for them. And that’s that.”
“David,” Regina broke in, in a hesitant voice. “There’s one more thing you might want to consider. If you go to the police, won’t they implicate Darren? I mean, he’ll probably get off easy, but . . .”
“But he’ll just get a police record,” Tamika wailed. “Oh no, David. I don’t want my son to have a record.”
“Tamika, calm down. If anything, he’ll get a juvie record, and I can get it expunged.”
“David, I don’t want my son to get in the system.” Tamika beat him against the chest as she talked. “I’ve seen what can happen. I’m not going to let it happen to my son. You can’t let it happen. You can’t.”
“Okay, Tamika, okay.” David grabbed Tamika’s hands and pulled her into a hug. “I won’t turn the vials over to the police. But I’m not turning them over to those thugs, either. I’ll get rid of the crack. I’ll throw it down the toilet or burn it in the fireplace or something. Everything’s going to be okay, all right?” He kissed Tamika on the cheek and tried to wipe the tears from her face, but she buried her head in his chest.
“Ladies, thanks for coming over, and thanks for helping out,” David said as he cradled Tamika in his arms. “But maybe you should leave now. We’ll take care of it from here.”
Regina nodded, and she and Yvonne walked back to the living room and gathered their things.
“Morally, David’s doing the right thing,” Yvonne said as they stepped back into the fresh air.
“Yeah, but I just hope their morals will keep their asses safe,” Regina said dismally. “Come on. I’ll give you a ride home.”
“Mama Tee, aren’t you tired? We’ve been to seven stores already, and you’ve only bought one dress.” Regina tried to keep the grumble out of her voice, but her feet were hurting and her head was aching, and she knew that her day was far from over. Tamika, Sissy, and Darren were all at Regina’s, since the thugs had promised to visit Tamika’s house again. Camille and Renee were there, too, so Regina had a full house awaiting her.
When she had promised to take Mama Tee to 125th Street to do some shopping, she thought they’d be finished in an hour, but two hours had already passed, and the seventy-year-old woman still didn’t seem ready to go home.
“Hmph. You be too young to be complain so much, mon,” Mama Tee said as they strolled out of the children’s clothing store. “Look at me. I be old nuff to be you nana and me still be walking straight and strong. De Lawd don’t be making women like me He don’t. Push me first baby out when I was forty. Still be pushing dem out if me man Sefton ain’t die.”
“Yes, Mama Tee,” Regina said, following the older woman, who was walking at a pace that was unbelievably fast for even a woman of fifty.
“Mon, look at dis,” Mama Tee said, pointing at a mannequin in one of the women’s clothing stores. “Blumstein’s used to be here dis spot. You know dem was de first store on dis street with black dummies in the window.”
“You mean black mannequins?”
Mama Tee nodded as she moved down the street with Regina at her heels. “Black dummies and de first black Santy, too. Me and you mama brought you and Yvonne to sit on he lap.”
“I remember,” Regina lied.
“Course dem only did it ’cause of Adam Clayton Powell, may the Lawd bless his sainted soul.” Mama Tee stopped at one of the many vendor tables on the street. “How much you charge me for dis?” she asked, tapping on a hardcover book.
Regina gasped. “Mama Tee, since when did you start reading Zane’s books? You’re old to be reading this!”
“I charge you twenty dollars for it, auntie,” the vendor said in a Nigerian accent. “They sell for twenty-four dollars in the store.”
“How you be calling me auntie and den charge me twenty dollars?” Mama Tee asked in an indignant voice. “Mon, you gimme dat book for sixteen dollars or I take me damn money elsewhere.”
“Auntie, I got to feed my kids,” the vendor protested. “Give me eighteen dollars.”
“Mama Tee, do you know what this book is about?” Regina said, snatching the book from the table. “I don’t think you want—”
“Me give you seventeen dollars, mon, and not no more,” Mama Tee said firmly.
“You robbing me, auntie. You want a bag?” the vendor said, taking the book from Regina’s hand.
“Wait. Gimme dis one and dis one, too.” Mama Tee picked up two more hardcover books. “Same price.”
Regina looked at the titles and shook her head. “Mama Tee, do you know what kind of books Zane writes?” she asked as they continued down the street.
“How you do what de girl be writing ’less you read dem?”
“Yeah, I do, but—”
“Dem good enough for you and not for me?” Mama Tee chuckled.
“Mama Tee, those books are erotica. You don’t—”
“Girl, hush now. Me know what kind of books dem be. Done read five of Zane books already. Good books.” Mama Tee stopped at another vendor stand, picked up a package of incense, and made a face before throwing it back down. “Me like Zane. If me Sefton ain’t die, we be doing dat stuff dat girl be writing, mon. Just ’cause me ting be old don’t mean it be dried up. Me still got the juice.”
Regina tried to keep a straight face but inwardly laughed. Mama Tee was a mess.
“Blumstein’s still were not no good store,” Mama Tee said, resuming their earlier conversation as if they had never changed subjects. “Dem ain’t hire no colored folks . . .” She paused. “No black folks till Mr. Powell made dey. And dem charge too much money for dey stuff.”
Mama Tee stopped in front of another stand, picked up a small plain copper bracelet, and waved it in front of Regina’s face. “You got you baby one of dese yet?”
Regina nodded, causing Mama Tee to smile. “You mama trained you right,” she said. “Copper bracelets keep a child in good health. Dat and a spoonful of castor oil every day. You be giving dat baby her castor oil?”
“Yes, Mama Tee.”
“And her cod-liver oil?”
“Yes, Mama Tee.”
“Good girl. Yvonne don’t be give the stuff to my grand, but Johnny gets it when he comes stays with his nana.” Mama Tee put the copper bracelet back down on the stand.
“You don’t want no bracelet, miss?” said the stand vendor, a light-skinned man with shoulder-length dreadlocks.
“No. Don’t be needing it,” Mama Tee said as she prepared to move away.
“Makes me sick when people be poking around my shit and they ain’t intending to buy,” the dreadlocked vendor told a teenager standing next to him. “Old fucking hag.”
“I beg your pardon, mon?” Mama Tee turned to face the vendor. “What you be calling me?” she asked, fixing him with a stony stare.
“You’ve got some damn nerve.” Regina stepped up close to the man and pointed her finger in his face. “You’d better—”
“If you don’t be wanting people to pick up you wares, you don’t be putting dey out here to be picked. Every mon be selling on dis street know dat,” Mama Tee snapped at him. “And you best learn some respect for you elders.”
“This man disrespect you, auntie?”
Regina looked up to see the man from whom Mama Tee had bought her books.
“Called me out me name, de bloody clot.” Mama Tee spat on the ground. “De boy got no raising. He need be thrashed.” She turned to the book vendor. “Go to it, mon. Thrash him good.”
“Miss, I didn’t mean no harm,” the dreadlocked man said, putting his hands in front of him as if in surrender. “I wasn’t even talking about you.”
Regina grunted. “Yes, he was. The coward. It’s easy enough to talk shit to an old lady, but I see you change your tune when a man steps to you, huh?”
“Tut, tut, tut. Just leave him be,” Mama Tee said, waving her hand dismissively. “Dis nancy man not be worth me time. Come on and we go.”
“Well, you come and see me next time you come to 125th Street, auntie,” the book vendor said, gently patting her on the back. “You know I’ll treat you right.”
“God bless ye, mon. Me back when me finish me books,” Mama Tee said as she started down the street.
“Never did like no light-skin dandies,” Mama Tee said when they were almost half a block away. “Just like that damn Robert me Yvonne be spending time with. She be telling me he don’t live with her, but every time I be at her place he be there in he undershirt. Me own daughter tink me stupid.”
“Well, Mama Tee, I don’t think that—”
“Chile, hush you mouth. You girls always be lying for each other, and me done hear enough lies lately,” Mama Tee said, not bothering to turn and look at Regina. She stopped at another stand and picked up a pair of cowrie shell earrings. “Yvonne got dese already,” she said, putting them back down and moving on, with Regina still trailing behind.
“You put your holes in your baby’s ear yet? Her be too young for you putting holes in she ear. She . . .”
Her feet were hurting so bad by the time Regina finally dropped Mama Tee off that she took her shoes off, threw them in the backseat of the car, and drove herself home in her bare feet. Luckily, she got a parking spot right in front of her brownstone, so she wouldn’t have far to walk. In fact, she decided, she didn’t even have to put her shoes back on. The rough sidewalk was preferable to trying to squeeze back into her heels.
She saw Tamika running the steps before she got out the car. “Walk me over to my house,” Tamika said. “David’s still over there by himself, and I’m just worried.”
Regina groaned, looked at Tamika, then her shoes in the backseat, and groaned again. “Okay. But you have to give me a foot massage when we get back.”
“Gina,” Tamika said as they walked the half block to her house, “do you think we’re handling this right? Give those guys the drugs back or just turn the matter over to the police?”
Regina hesitated. “Well, like we said yesterday, getting the police involved would have involved Darren, and nobody wants him to get caught up in it. I don’t see how else we could handle it. Just give them the product back and let’s go on with our lives.”
Tamika sighed. “David and I argued all night about it. It goes against everything he believes in, but then, he wasn’t raised around here like we were. He doesn’t know what people like these are capable of.” She opened her door with a key, and they walked in. “David,” she called out, “it’s me and Regina.”
David appeared in the hallway. “Hey. What are you doing over here? I thought we agreed you were going to stay at Regina’s until I called and said everything was over with.”
Tamika walked over and kissed him. “I know. I just had a funny feeling, so I got Regina to walk over with me. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”
“I’m fine. I was just making myself a sandwich.”
Tamika nuzzled up to his chest, and he obligingly put his arms around her in a hug. “Well,” Tamika said, “I promise to make you a great big dinner as soon as we’re allowed home. How’s that?”
David stroked her hair. “Sounds good. How about you make—”
Buzz.
David, Tamika, and Regina all froze at the sound of the doorbell. It wasn’t until it rang a second time that David pushed Tamika away and walked toward the door. “Ya’ll get in the living room,” he told them over his shoulder.
“Where’s the stuff?” Tamika ran down the hall after him. “Don’t let them in. Just give them the stuff through the door and let them leave.”
David pushed her away. “Get in the living room,” he said roughly. “Now!”
Tamika ran back down the hallway, grabbed Regina, and pulled her into the living room doorway.
“What the hell’s going on?” Regina whispered. “David’s decided to flip the script?”
Tamika shrugged, then put her finger to her lips, signaling Regina to be quiet so they could hear what was going on.
“Yo, man. We don’t want no trouble, either. I came to your house all polite yesterday and me and your lady had a nice little convo, and I’m just following up on our agreement. Now you telling me you ain’t giving me my shit?” Regina heard a teenager’s voice say.
“If you don’t want no trouble, there won’t be any trouble,” David answered. “I told you we don’t have your stuff, and if you come around here bothering my wife or son again, I’m going to handle this in a whole other way. You’re lucky we didn’t have the police waiting for you today.”
Regina and Tamika stepped out in the hallway just in time to see a teenager pull a gun and push David back against the vestibule wall.
“Gina! Quick! Call the police,” Tamika said before running toward the front door.
“We’re lucky, huh? Motherfucker, you’ll be lucky if I don’t blow your fucking brains out,” the teenager snarled. The voice was different from that of the other teen and twice as frightening. “I was trying to be nice, but hand over my shit before your fucking luck runs out.”
Regina pulled her cell phone from her pocket and frantically dialed 911.
“Leave him alone. I’ll get you your stuff,” Tamika shouted when she reached the men. She tried to pull the teenager’s arm away from David, but another teenager grabbed her.
“Get your hands off her,” David roared. He tried to get past the teen with the gun, but the boy pushed the gun against his jugular and cocked the trigger.
“Man, ain’t nobody trying to hurt the lady,” the teenager holding Tamika said. “We ain’t come here to hurt nobody. We just want our shit.”
“Miss, get a police car out to 219 West 119th Street. Quick. There’s a man with a gun and he’s holding people hostage.” Regina snapped her cell phone shut and walked into the hallway.
“Listen, the police are on the way, but we can settle this real quick,” she said in as even a voice as she could manage. “David, just tell me where these young men’s stuff is and let me give it to them and then they’ll be on their way.” She looked at the teenager holding Tamika. “Right?” Regina asked.
The teen nodded. “That’s all we wanted. I said it before: we didn’t come up here for any kind of shit.”
“David,” Regina said calmly, “where’s their stuff?”
David looked at her from the corner of his eye, since he was unable to move his head because of the gun pressed against his throat. “We don’t have it. I flushed it all down the toilet.”
“Oh God no,” Tamika said before her knees began to buckle. The teenager holding her struggled to keep her on her feet.
“Jerry, man. Let me put a cap in this motherfucker’s ass,” the teen with the gun said.
“No!” said the now recovered Tamika. “You shoot him, and you’ll all wind up in jail. My husband works for the District Attorney’s Office.”
“And if you shoot him, you’ll be bringing the heat down on you like you don’t even know what,” Regina added quickly.
“Just tell me how much the stuff is worth, and we’ll pay you for it,” Tamika pleaded with the one named Jerry. “We don’t want any more trouble.”
“Hell no,” David croaked.
“Shut the fuck up,” the teen with the gun said.
“Lady, give us a thou, and we’ll call it even,” Jerry said angrily. “But hurry up.”
“I don’t have that much in the house,” Tamika said frantically. “But I can write you a check.”
“Miss, you really think we’re stupid?” Jerry said with disgust. “Come on, y’all, let’s get outta here.”
The teenager holding the gun against David’s throat glared at him angrily, then uncocked the trigger. He pulled the gun away from David’s throat, then slammed it against the side of David’s head, knocking him to his knees.
“David!” Tamika cried out. She struggled out of Jerry’s loosened grip and ran over to her husband, who was trying to stand up. Regina tried to help, but David groggily pushed her away.
“Miss, you know we came to you right when we first came to you,” Jerry said as he stood over Tamika and David. “It’s not our fault this shit went down like this, but I’m going to tell you it ain’t over yet. Not by a long shot.”
With that, he walked out the door, followed by the other teenager.