into him.
He thought back to what Jerome had told him about shape-shifting and deliberately fought back his rising panic. He really didn’t know if he was bulletproof, but would just as soon not find out today. Somehow he knew that if he startled this group by going into an involuntary shape-shift, they’d shoot first and not bother about asking questions.
There was nothing for Griffen to do but stay relaxed and try to bluff it through. Maybe the wheels would catch a patch of dry gravel.
“Little Joe,” he said by way of greeting as he approached the table. “I heard you wanted to see me?”
“Griffen.” Little Joe nodded back. “Got a couple folks here who want to meet you. This is TeeBo and Patches. They’re brothers.”
From the family resemblance, Griffen assumed the two really were brothers. What was surprising, however, was how young they were. TeeBo was about Griffen’s age, while Patches was a good half dozen years younger.
He nodded politely at each of them in acknowledgment of the introductions.
“TeeBo. Patches,” he said. “Is there something I can do for you gentlemen?”
“You can keep yo’ white-ass nose outta our business…” the younger man began, but his brother cut him off.
“Patches!” TeeBo said. “Remember I’m gonna handle this.”
He continued to stare at Griffen.
“Little Joe here tells me that you’re a reasonable man who likes to talk things out if there’s a problem,” he said finally. “So let’s talk.”
“Do we have a problem?” Griffen said.
“That’s what we’re here to find out,” TeeBo said. “I’ve been told that you won’t let your people deal our product. That true?”
“I’m afraid you’ve been misinformed,” Griffen said.
“I have?” TeeBo seemed genuinely surprised.
“Well, only partially informed,” Griffen said. “I’m not telling them not to handle your product, as you call it. I’m telling them not to handle anyone’s product. At least, not while they’re working for me. If they want to deal, fine. I can’t stop them. But not while they’re on my payroll.”
TeeBo leaned back in his chair and cocked his head to one side.
“So you ain’t doing this to give someone else an exclusive with your crew,” he said. “Maybe like someone named T.J.?”
“Never even heard of the man,” Griffen said.
“See. I told you,” Little Joe said.
“Shut up,” TeeBo said. “I’m talking to Mr. Griffen here. I wants to hear about it from him.”
“He’s lying.” Patches put in. “Everybody’s heard of T.J.!”
“I’ve only been in town a couple of months,” Griffen said. “To be honest, I never heard of you two until just now when we were introduced. We travel in different circles. All I’m interested in is learning Mose’s gambling operation.”
“So what you got against dope?” TeeBo said. “You want us to cut you in or somethin’?”
“I’m not wild about it personally,” Griffen said. “But that’s not the point. I’m not stupid enough to try to stop it or to waste a lot of time and energy trying to save people from themselves. I only brought in this new policy when it started to interfere with my operation.”
“How you figure that?” TeeBo said.
“Do you know an old gentleman named Reggie?” Griffen said.
“Oh, yeah. I heard ’bout that,” TeeBo said. “He worked for you?”
“Only part-time as a stringer,” Griffen said. “But working for me isn’t what got him killed.”
“So it’s like that, huh,” TeeBo said.
“I hear that you’re fireproof,” Patches said. “Are you bulletproof, too?”
“I really don’t know,” Griffen said. “Am I about to find out?”
“Shut yo’ mouth, Patches,” TeeBo said. “You might learn something.”
He turned his attention back to Griffen.
“If you don’t mind my asking,” he said, “what’s that you’re wearing around your neck?”
Griffen reached up and fingered the beads.
“This?” he said. “It’s a charm someone gave me.”
“Someone
“A woman named Rose,” Griffen said. “Why? Do you know her?”
“Heard of her,” TeeBo said. “Mr. Griffen, you get those before or after your little trip?”
Griffen blinked, both at the “mister” and the reference. He shouldn’t have been surprised considering how rumor spread in the Quarter.
“You heard about that?” Griffen said.
“Yeah, word is, someone’s real mad wit you.”
Another surprise. Griffen realized that the George could use a rumor mill as yet another way to taunt. Or even as a weapon.
“After.”
TeeBo nodded as if that had been what he expected.
“You see what I’m talkin ’bout, Patches?” he said to his brother.
“Well, lookee here!”
A middle-aged black man in a suit had just come through the front door. Following in his wake were four young athletic looking blacks. What was notable about them was that they were all wearing long trench coats despite the heat outside.
“I had my suspicions, but now I know,” the man continued.
Tension danced through the room like chain lightning.
“Chill out, T.J.,” TeeBo said. “You just think you know. We had our suspicions, too. That’s why we’re here.”
“So you’re telling me he’s not cutting me out to deal with you?” T.J. said.
“He’s cutting us all out,” TeeBo said. “We thought he was makin’ a deal with you, but he told us he never even heard of you.”
“Bullshit,” T.J. said. “Everybody’s heard of T.J.!”
“Well, he’s not dealing with us and he’s not dealing with you,” TeeBo said. “He says he’s making his people choose between working for him or dealing because of what happened to Reggie.”
“That a fact?” T.J. said. “And you believe him?”
“That’s right,” TeeBo said. “You want to know why? Ease over here and take a look at what he’s wearing around his neck.”
T.J. glanced at his men and gave a quick jerk of his head. They moved sideways, fanning out along the bar to give them a clear line of sight, and fire, to both the brothers and the table of their supporters. Then he sauntered casually up to Griffen and peered at the beads…then jerked suddenly erect as if he had seen a snake.
“Is that for real?” he said to TeeBo.
“He says that Rose gave it to him,” TeeBo said. “He’s a white boy only been in town a couple months. I don’t see him making up a story like that.”
“If he is or if he’s lying, he’s too stupid or too bold to be afraid of anything we might run at him,” T.J. said, stepping back.
“That’s the way I read it,” TeeBo said.
The two men looked at each other, then nodded.
“Mr. Griffen,” TeeBo said. “I thank you for taking the time to clarify the situation. Now, if you’ll excuse us, T.J. and I have a few matters to discuss in light of this new information.”
Griffen took this as a dismissal, and, nodding respectfully to the principals, headed out at what he hoped was a dignified pace.
