“He’s a friend of Bruce’s sister.”
Chilly laughed. “I’m beginning to understand this shit now. She’s a bad bitch, and bad bitches make niggas do stupid shit.”
Freeze laughed. “I told him to stay out of your business. But I should have told him that I would handle it.”
“Handle what?”
“I heard that he owed you money and you sent someone to collect.”
“What about that is any of your business?”
“It ain’t. Whoever you sent raped his daughter.”
“Freeze, word is bond, I didn’t know anything about that. Raped little Brandy?” Chilly thought for a second. “Well, I guess by now she ain’t no little girl.”
“That’s still some fucked up shit,” Freeze said. “I know that ain’t how you do business. I know you got more honor than that, and I assured Travis of that. But like you said, bad bitches make smart men do stupid shit. So, I apologize for his disrespect, but I do ask that you do something about that situation.”
“You have my word,” Chilly said as Derrick tapped him on the shoulder. Chilly looked up and noticed that Detectives Kirkland and Richards were standing in front of him. “I’ll get with you, later about that. The police are here,” Chilly said and hung up the phone.
Chapter Thirty-six
“I didn’t mean to rush you off the phone, Chilly,” Detective Kirkland said.
“That’s all right, Kirk. I always got time to talk to you,” Chilly said.
“You mind if we sit down?” Kirk asked as he sat down.
“Have a seat, Kirk. Can I get you a drink?”
“No,” Detective Richards said. “We’re on duty.”
“Shit, I know plenty of cops that drink on duty. Y’all stick around, you might see one or two of them. But enough of this small talk. What y’all want?”
“What do you think, Chilly? I wanna talk to you.” Kirk dropped a picture on the table in front of Chilly. “You know this man?”
Chilly picked up the picture and looked at it carefully. “I know this guy. His name is-” Chilly snapped his fingers. “Let me think. What’s his name?”
“Bruce Lawrence,” Richards said.
“That’s right, Bruce Lawrence. He used to work at the bank where my wife does business. If I’m not mistaken, he got fired from there years ago for stealing.”
“I heard that he works for you, Chilly,” Kirkland asserted.
“Doin’ what?”
“The way I get it, Chilly, is that Lawrence worked for you and he owed you money,” Kirkland said.
Detective Richards picked up the picture and left the table. He began walking around The Spot, showing the picture around.
“He was found dead in his home a few days ago. The house was torn up, like somebody was looking for something,” Kirk continued.
“So what are you saying, Kirk?”
“I haven’t done anything but state the facts in the case. I’m definitely not sayin’ that you had him killed. If I was sayin’ that, you’d have cuffs on. I just wanna know what you know.”
“Kirk, let’s stop this shit. You know who I am and you know what I do. Yeah, I know Bruce, and I told you from where I know him. You know that bitch nigga didn’t work for me. So, what we doing here?”
Kirk laughed. “Okay, Chilly, let’s cut the bullshit. I know the weasel didn’t work for you. Couldn’t. He just ain’t the type. But he was murdered along with his wife. Killers raped his wife before they killed her, and they raped a sixteen-year-old girl.
“I know rape ain’t your style, Chilly, so I don’t believe you’re involved. This Lawrence guy is more likely a user, so I’m thinking that maybe he owed one of your people. They went to collect, things got out of hand and shit happened. Like I said, I just wanna know what you know.”
Chilly sat back and looked at Derrick then back to Kirk. “I hear what you’re sayin’, Kirk.”
“I don’t think you do,” Kirk said, looking around the room to see where his partner was. “I don’t give a fuck if you animals kill each other off by the thousands. Shit, you muthafuckas can all line up against that wall right now and I’ll shoot you fucks myself. You’re all scum, selling death to your own people. You all need to die a slow and painful death, just like the one you’re dealin’ to them. So fuck you, fuck all of you to hell. But when you animals start raping little girls, see, that’s different. I want this guy, Chilly. Follow me now?”
“I think you made yourself clear, Kirk.” Chilly leaned toward him. “And whether you believe it or not, I think a line has been crossed too.”
“Good. I’m glad we understand each other.” Kirk stood up. “So understand this: if I don’t get this guy, and I mean get him soon, shit is gonna get real ugly for you.” Kirk walked away, collected Detective Richards and left The Spot.
As soon as the detectives were out the door, Chilly turned to Derrick. “First that asshole, now Kirk. Where the fuck is Rocky?” Derrick got up right away and came back quickly with Rocky. “Rock, did you send somebody to collect from Bruce?”
“Yeah,” Rocky said quietly.
“You’re tryin’ my fuckin’ patience, Rock. Who the fuck did you send?”
“I sent Miller.”
“Who?”
“Warren Miller. You know Warren. He’s the one they call the ugliest nigger in the world.”
Chilly laughed. “You sent that crazy-ass crackhead to collect my money?”
“He does good work.”
“Where’s the fuckin’ money then?”
“I haven’t heard from him, so I didn’t think he got it,” Rocky told Chilly.
“Well, that asshole y’all just carried out of here and fuckin’ Kirk being in here up in my face about it says that he did. Did you know that muthafucka raped a sixteen-year-old girl?”
“I didn’t know that.”
“So, you find this nigga and bring me his head.”
Chapter Thirty-seven
After a ride that felt longer than it really was, Travis parked his car in front of his house. By now, his face was throbbing and every bone in his body hurt. He opened the car door slowly and gingerly stepped out. After a quick scan of the block for Me’shelle’s car, Travis moved toward the house, holding his back and walking like Fred Sanford.
The house was in darkness when he entered. Having not seen her car, Travis assumed that Me’shelle had gone home. He made it to the bathroom and turned on the light. “Damn,” Travis said out loud when he saw his face.
“Oh my God.”
Travis turned quickly and saw that Me’shelle was standing behind him.
“What happened to you?”
“I went to see if I could find out what happened with your family. You’re looking at the answers I got.”
