Drama City

'I'm sayin', he only gonna be out for, like, ten minutes, somethin' like that. He only buyin' a pack of smokes.'

'Who are you?'

'Rico.'

'My question is, what is your relation to Mr Lee?'

'Melvin my father,' said Rico. 'Come on in and wait, you want to. He ain't gonna be but a bit.'

Rachel hesitated. She tried to remember if Lee had a son. She didn't think it was in his file. He had omitted it, maybe, on the form. Not unusual, but still a lie. A violation, along with the weed, if there was any left. If the boy hadn't flushed it down the toilet already.

She needed to note these things for the record. It wasn't enjoyable, but it was her job. She stepped inside the apartment. The boy named Rico closed the door behind her.

They stood, awkwardly, in the living room. Rico did not ask her to have a seat or offer her something to drink.

Rachel looked at her watch. 'I'll wait five minutes. Then I have to go.'

The boy shrugged.

'I was supposed to see Melvin at his place of employment yesterday,' said Rachel. 'But I misplaced the location. He works at that car wash, right?'

The boy nodded.

'Where is that again?'

'You don't think I know?'

'I'm asking. Like I say, I had it written down somewhere—'

'But you mis-placed it.' Rico smiled. There were gaps between his rotten teeth. 'It's that one up there on Georgia.'

'Right,' said Rachel.

'Now you remember, huh.' Rico looked her over. The smile was frozen on his face.

It was hot in the apartment. The window unit is running, thought Rachel, and still it's hot.

Rachel glanced past Rico to the table in front of the couch. Nothing there but a couple of video game controllers and an empty orange soda bottle.

'Lookin' for something?' said Rico.

Rachel said nothing. Rico chuckled.

'How old are you?' said Rachel, feeling a flush of anger.

'Seventeen.'

'And your father is, what, thirty?'

'Bout that, I guess.'

'So you were born when he was thirteen. That means you were conceived when Melvin was twelve?'

'Huh?'

'You father was twelve when he got your mother pregnant. Is that what you're telling me?'

'I ain't never done the math, lady.'

'It's Miss Lopez.'

The boy stepped forward and stood close to Rachel. She could smell his foul breath.

Rachel did not step back. 'What are you doing?'

'Gettin' a closer look at you. You mind?'

Rachel stared into his eyes. If she looked away or backed up, she would lose.

'You old,' said Rico. 'But that don't make no difference to me. I'll fuck you in every hole you got.'

'You're about to get yourself and Mr Lee in a whole world of trouble,' said Rachel. She felt a nerve twitch at the corner of her mouth as she spoke.

'Who gonna cause that trouble?' said Rico. 'You? Or maybe you think your police friend gonna come in here now and cause some trouble. Thing is, he gone, Miss Lopez. Way the smoke came off his tires on Sherman, looked to me like he had to take a call.'

'I'm out of here,' said Rachel, and she turned to go.

She heard Rico laughing behind her.

'Come on, Miss Lopez,' he said. 'I'm just playin' with you.'

Rachel patted the front pocket of her jeans and felt her cell. She began to walk and heard his footsteps behind her.

'Hey,' said Rico, 'you forgot your badge.'