SEVENTY
Rightchus sat in the back of the Caprice staring wide-eyed at both detectives. He could not believe what he had just heard. They were planning to set him up as the next drug kingpin if he turned over Eric Ascot.
“Well, I know that him and Busta was up to no good…”
“You said Busta? You can connect him to Busta?” Kowalski asked excitedly.
“Man, let me speak. Lemme tell you sump’n and this is strictly on the hush, hush end. Really down low. Eric and Busta, they hit up Lil’ Long and Vulcha.”
“Why? Tell us why.” Kowalski was beside himself with excitement. “This is what we needed all along, Rightchus, you…”
“Let him talk,” Hall said cautiously. “Rightchus, why did they wanna get even? Drug turf?”
“Nah, it wasn’t even none o’ that. You know E-money just about da beats and the music. He not into no drug deals.”
“So, what was the war about?” Hall asked.
“It wasn’t no war. Nah, it started when Lil’ Long and Vulcha pushed they stinkin’ dicks up in my man’s niece’s guts. They raped her. They raped Deedee and that pissed off my man so much, he brought it to the wrong peeps. Deja, may his soul rest in peace, was killed on account of that bullshit.”
“By who? Killed by who? Who did it?” Kowalski asked. He pulled out a bag filled with crack vials. “Look, you’re gonna be smiling all day for the rest of your life.” Kowalski threw the bag in Rightchus’ lap. It had to contain over five hundred crack vials. “Talk and we’ll let you live high off the hog, Rightchus,” Detective Kowalski said.
“It’s all simple, guys. Eric’s niece was raped and he didn’t want to fuck wit y’all. Y’all did him and his brother wrong so he got his man, Busta, to do the dirty deed, you hear? That’s it, two bodies.”
“So who shot da cops?”
“Probably Lil’ Long. I know it wasn’t Vulcha cuz he was toe-tagged already. I feel it’s Lil’ Long.”
“But it could’ve been Eric Ascot. Why couldn’t he have them murdered also? They could’ve pissed him off just the same.”
“I don’t know. I ain’t sayin’ it couldn’t happen that way but I personally believe it was Lil” Long.”
“Alright, we heard enough. Listen, you stick around and don’t go anywhere too far, alright? You’re our star witness, boy.” The car sped off and stopped in front of Rightchus’ building. “Okay, star witness, you take it easy, now.” They rode off leaving Rightchus feeling great. He snuck a look into the bag and grinned from ear to ear.
“One man goes down and the other rises.” Rightchus pranced into the building where he was met by the super.
“Hey, Rightchus, when you gonna pay me the rent for the past three months for that room of yours?” the super asked, blocking Rightchus’ entrance to the elevator.
“Jose, my main man, what’s going on, papichulo? Listen, give me couple a weeks and I’ll pay you all that,” Rightchus said shifting from leg to leg.
“You told me that last month. You told me that the month before that. When are you gonna come up with the damn rent? I’m gonna have to evict you.”
“My word is my bond and my bond is my life. I’ll give my life before my word.”
“Listen, Rightchus, save all that preaching for them people who don’t know no better. I want the rent. Money talks, bullshit walks.”
“Ahight, my word will not fail, Jose. I’ll have all that rent for you, my man.”
“I’ll believe it when it happens. But you will be out as soon as I get the eviction papers,” Jose said. As the elevator arrived, he got in and smiled. “It’ll happen,” he said and stepped off the elevator and into his apartment. He searched for a little until he found his pipe, sat back, and lit it. “Ah yesss,” Rightchus hissed as he exhaled.