'Next time you hear that shit, you tell mutha fuckas that it ain’t true. You know I ain’t no fuckin’ drug dealer, Eddie,' Black told Eddie. He knew when he agreed to Angelo’s proposition that this might happen.
'Whether you are or not, that’s the word. I don’t think Cruz will make a move.'
'You know where I can find him? Just to talk.'
'I’m not sure where he’s livin’ now, but call me tomorrow and I’ll have something for you.'
'Thanks, Eddie,' Black said and left the men’s room.
Bobby looked up and saw three men standing over him. He put his hand on his gun.
'You’re Bobby Ray, ain’t you?' one of the men asked.
'That’s right,' Bobby replied.
The three men sat down at the table.
'I don’t remember askin’ you to join me,' Bobby said.
'That’s ’cause I didn’t ask.'
'So who are you?' Bobby asked.
'Lex.'
As soon as he said his name Bobby knew exactly who he was, and what he wanted. 'Do I know you?'
'You know Ivillisa Ortiz?'
'What about her?'
'I’m surprised she never mentioned me to you,' Lex said.
'I guess Ivy had other things on her mind,' Bobby said and smiled.
Lex was not amused. He banged on the table. 'Ivillisa is my woman-and you’re gonna forget you knew her!'
Bobby held up one hand and put his gun on his lap. 'Calm down, Lex. If you wanna claim her, she’s all yours, kid.'
'I ain’t no fuckin’ kid,' Lex shouted and pulled out his gun.
'Everything all right?' Black asked and put the barrel of his gun to the base of Lex’s skull.
Bobby brought his gun up from under the table and stood up. 'Yeah, Mike, everything’s fine. Lex here was just explaining that Ivillisa is his woman, and I was about to tell him that I was done with her ass anyway, so he can have her,' Bobby said and came around the table. Black took Lex’s gun from him and followed Bobby out.
'You know, there was a time when I would’ve just shot that mutha fucka and wouldn’t have gave a fuck,' Black said as him and Bobby got in the car.
'You’re gettin’ old. Shit, we both are. Back in those days, I woulda shot him as soon as he sat down and opened his mouth with that bitch shit,' Bobby said and drove away. 'You get anything from Eddie?'
'He says the same thing. Cruz wants to make the move uptown, but he won’t ’cause he thinks we back Stark.'
'I knew that shit was gonna happen. Soon as Angelo came to you with that shit, I knew this was gonna happen; whether we did shit or not.'
'That’s the word. We’re back in the drug business.'
'I wouldn’t be surprised if Stark was puttin’ that shit out himself,' Bobby speculated. 'Makes his position stronger.'
'Don’t you think Angelo knew that when he suggested it?'
'You probably right.'
'I know I am. This is what fuckin’ Angee wanted all along. ‘You can be a stabilizing influence, Mikey.’ I knew it was a mistake, but what could I do?'
'You couldn’t tell him no; not after all the shit Angelo’s done for you.'
'I know.'
'So what now?' Bobby asked.
'Eddie said he’d have something on where we can find Cruz tomorrow. So until then, we wait.'
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Kirk and Richards returned to the scene of the crime and began re-canvassing the building. They had been knocking on doors and then they got a break.
'I’m Detective Richards and this is Detective Kirkland.'
'What y’all want?' the woman asked. She was very slender, her eyes were prominent and her hands shook a bit.
'Can we come in?' Kirk asked.
The woman rolled her big eyes and stepped back from the door and led them into the living room. There wasn’t much in the way of furniture in the small apartment. A couch, a small TV that sat on a dining room table and one chair was all there was.
'We’re investigating the murders that happened in the building tonight,' Richard said.
'I don’t know nothin’ about it,' the woman said and turned up the volume on The Daily Show. 'And if I did know something why would I tell you?'
Kirk pulled out a twenty-dollar bill and dropped it on the floor in front of her. 'Anything you can tell us would be helpful,' Richards said and laughed a little.
When the woman started to reach for the bill, Kirk put his foot on it. 'I don’t know who killed them boys,' she said.
'What do you know?' Richards asked.
'You know who they were with?' Kirk asked.
'I heard them say they was with PR.'
'PR? Who’s that?'
'I don’t know who he is?' she said and pulled on the twenty.
'You know where we can find this PR?' Richards asked and Kirk moved his foot.
'I don’t know nothin’,' she said now that she had the money.
Both detectives laughed as they left the apartment. Kirk took out his phone and called Detective Sanchez. 'Gene, its Kirk. You got anything on somebody called PR? Might be the new player behind tonight’s victims.'
'Name isn’t familiar, but I’ll float it around and see what comes back.'
'Thanks, Gene,' Kirk said. He hung up the phone and got in the car.
'Where you wanna go now?' Richards asked.
'You call it.'
'Let’s go see Stark,' Richards said and drove off.
According to information they had gotten from Sanchez, Stark could be found at a cafeteria-style sit down restaurant called Fat Larry’s. It was a chicken and rib joint that he had taken over from a guy name Larry Mills. He kept Larry around as a front, and besides, he was a great cook; nobody made ribs like Fat Larry.
In one of their many conversations Black recommended that Stark buy or open a business. 'Makes you a business man, not a drug dealer,' Black told him. 'And makes it a cash business.'
When they arrived at the place there were a few people enjoying their meal. 'Smells good,' Kirk said to his partner as they entered Fat Larry's.
'What; you wanna stay and eat?'
'Maybe another time. I’ll come and checkout the food,' Kirk said as they approached the hostess.
'Two?' she asked.
'No,' Richards said and flashed his badge. 'We’re looking for Bruce Stark.'
The hostess picked up two menu place mats. 'Follow me, please.' Kirk and Richards looked at each other and then followed the hostess as she led the detectives to a table. 'Can I get you something to drink?'
'No thank you,' Kirk said.
'Okay, I’ll let Mr. Stark know that you’re here. Someone will be with you soon,' she said and walked off.
