“This is for Cobra, scumbag.” The hand around Danny’s throat disappeared briefly and reappeared a few seconds later with a big, sharp butcher knife that sliced across Danny’s throat, leaving a red trail from left to right, almost decapitating him.
“You live like a pig, and you die like one.” The man eased back onto the backseat of the car, the knife in his hand dripping blood. He watched as Danny’s lifeless body slumped over toward the passenger seat, his head at an awkward right angle. A smirk on his face, the man pulled a small, black towel from around his neck, wrapping the murder weapon in it like it was a gift. And as quietly as he appeared, he disappeared after alighting from the car.
On the car’s stereo, Bob continued singing that now he saw the light.
* * *
“You heard the news?” Daddy Lizard asked Suave as he sat across from him on the couch in Suave’s living room.
Suave nodded his head. “Yup. Someone took out Danny last night.”
Daddy Lizard stared at him. “Any idea who?” He took a sip from the cup of strong, black Blue Mountain coffee he held in his hand.
Suave frowned as he returned Daddy Lizard’s look. “We are partners in this. Our best friend was just murdered. You think I would make a move like that and not tell you about it?”
Daddy Lizard sighed deeply and ran a weary hand down his face. “My bad, Boss. This whole thing just has me on edge. But if it wasn’t us, then who?”
Suave gazed at Daddy Lizard and watched as Daddy Lizard’s eyes opened wide as it finally hit him. “And no, he never said anything to me. But...” He spread his hands wide as if to say, who else could it be?
Daddy Lizard smiled for the first time since hearing of Cobra’s death. “One down and three more to go.”
“Four.”
“Huh?” Daddy Lizard leaned forward.
Suave took a deep breath. It had been a week since he overheard the conspiracy between King Kong and Queen Bee. It had taken him a few days to accept Queen Bee’s betrayal, and enough time to plan what to say to Daddy Lizard without revealing his sick secret about Pat.
“You know, I went by Queen Bee’s the other day to do some business,” Suave lied. “Well, before I pulled up to her gate, I noticed a familiar car parked a few feet away from the house. I circled around, parked a few houses down, and doubled back on foot.”
Daddy Lizard was staring at Suave’s mouth as if he were lip reading.
“I almost wet myself when I heard King Kong and Queen Bee talking behind the big gate.” Suave then told Daddy Lizard everything he had overheard at Pat’s house, which was now at Queen Bee’s house.
Daddy Lizard didn’t speak for a while when Suave was finished. He took slow sips of his now lukewarm coffee as if it were scorching hot. “Queen Bee.” It was a statement, not a question.
Suave nodded. “The one who has enough dirt on us to put us away for a lifetime.”
Daddy Lizard chuckled, his eyes as cold as the Antarctic Ocean. “No. The one we have enough dirt on that we are going to send away for a lifetime.”
A smile worked its way on Suave’s face. “I like how you think, partner.”
“It’s kill or be killed, my friend. Queen Bee decided her fate when she joined forces with the gorilla. The same bastard who killed Cobra!” Daddy Lizard jumped to his feet, spilling a little coffee on the floor.
“She underestimates us,” Suave remarked. “The little—” Just then, Suave’s personal cell phone began to ring beside him on the couch. He held up a finger for Daddy Lizard to be quiet. “Suave.” He listened a few seconds. “Cool. Thanks.” He flipped the phone closed, ending the call.
“Who was that?” Daddy Lizard asked, lowering himself back onto the couch.
“One of our workers over at the bar. Detective Bird and two other detectives were there looking for us.”
Daddy Lizard fired off some choice curse words.
“They’ve been trying to talk to us since Cobra was murdered. And now that Danny was killed last night, their search for us will only intensify.”
“You know they’re going to think we did it, right?” Daddy Lizard asked.
“I know. But last night I was with Monica and our kids, and you . . . ”
“I was with my girl all night.”
Suave nodded in approval. “There you have it. Let’s head on down to the police station to hear what these pigs want. The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can deal with the rat and the gorilla.”
“We’ll take your ride,” Daddy Lizard said as they walked out to the garage. “I’ll come back and get mine later.”
Suave nodded in agreement. Almost thirty minutes later, the two men were being escorted by Detective Bird to a small back room at the Half Way Tree Police Station.
“Gentlemen, please have a seat.” Detective Bird waved toward two lopsided metal chairs on one side of the equally hideous, small, scratched up metal table, while he took a more comfortable chair on the other side facing Suave and Daddy Lizard. “Thank you for coming.”
Suave and Daddy Lizard nodded.
“First, let me tell you how sorry I am to hear about the murder of Cobra.”
Suave and Daddy Lizard nodded again.
“I’m the detective assigned to the case, and that’s why I’ve been trying to get ahold of you two. I want you to help me find the person responsible for this and to get justice for your friend.”
Suave chuckled at the baloney that the detective was spitting. You would think that after all this time the man would know who he was dealing with.
“Something funny, Suave?” Detective Bird asked in a cold voice, the pleasantries now forgotten.
“There he is.” Suave
