“You know I'm a pro.” She jokes. “For real, I got this. Handle your business and call me when you’re done.” Jessi assured him.
“Okay, be careful.” Dontae’ slides into his car as Jessi turns and heads back into the building.
CHAPTER V
Dontae walks up the stairs to Adonis’ apartment to find the front door wide open. He pulls his gun and slowly walks in, looking around. Suddenly a woman speaks. “Hey! What are you doing in there?” The woman asks, scaring Dontae’.
“I’m looking for Mr. Sterling. His door was open.” Holstering his gun, he shows her his badge. The woman pulls out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. The older woman looked as she could be someone’s “hood” grandmother. You know, the woman who had children so early in life that her grandkids called her moma and called the actual mom by her first name. Doris Ashford had lived in the brownstone for the last forty or so years. It was hard to remember because she had been there so long, seeing the neighborhood go from crack ridden streets, in which she played a part, to gentrification, causing the value of her once cheap residence to add vastly to her net worth.
“Try the city morgue. He was killed last night. Got hit by a car.” She said as she lit a smoke.
Confusion struck Dontae’s face.
“Right outside. Just ran in the street.” The woman said as she took a pull of a freshly lit cigarette.
“Did you know him well,” Dontae’ asked
“Not really. Techy guy. Helped with my computer a few times. Nice kid though. A damn shame. You guys move a little slow.”
“What?” Donate’ inquired.
“I called last night after it happened,” Doris replied.
“Called who?”
“The police. Someone was in his apartment after he was killed. I thought that was why you were here,” Doris explained, now looking just as confused as Dontae’.
“Okay. Yea. I came as soon as I could.”
“No wonder people are dead when ya’ll arrive.” The old woman laughed-coughed violently.
“Did you get a look at the people that broke in?” Dontae’ asked, ignoring her comment.
“Now baby?” In a hinting question as if Donte’s should have known this already.
“I’m Doris, of course I did. Come on in.”
Dontae walks with the woman into her small apartment. The place was very “grandma”-y with little what-nots laid about the shelves as if it was a collection. But of what? The small items ranged randomly from people to turtles and everything in-between. There was even a little figurine of a mermaid. Dontae’ could also see what appeared to be a Christmas tree hiding behind stacks of, well, stuff. Doris goes to a small table centered in the living area and picks up a cell phone. She starts to finger through.
“I can’t see a damn thing,” She snarks. “Let me get my glasses.” She walks over to a small desk and pulls the drawer, reaching in and pulling out reading glasses. She places them on the tip of her nose. She goes over and takes a seat beside Dontae. She continues swiping.
The elderly lady has a slight grin on her face. It’s clear she enjoys being nosey a little too much. She looks over the tip of her glasses.
“You want something to eat baby?” she mutters in her nice grandma’s voice.
“No thanks,” Dontae’ replies.
“Can you describe-”
She abruptly cuts him off.
“-Hold on now,” she flips for a few more seconds.
“I’m going to do you one better,” she hands him the phone.
Dontae takes the phone, and to his surprise, there’s an image of two men clearly visible going into Adonis’ apartment. The photos appear to be taken from Doris’s barely cracked door. Dontae didn’t know if he should be mortified or amazed at the will or the pure nosey-ness of this strange yet amusing old lady.
“Do you mind if I text these to myself?” He asks.
“Sure, but don’t erase them!” she insists.
“Ok no problem. Also, you will now have my number in case you think of anything else.” Dontae’ stands and heads towards the door. “I think whoever these guys were, found what they were looking for and probably won’t return. But if they do, please stay out of sight. These people are very dangerous,” He suggests.
“Oh I will. And I will call you instead of the regular police.” She laughs.
“Thank you.” Dontae walks out. Doris leans her back on the door.
“I wonder if I can post this on Quest?” She thinks for a second. “Nah”
Dontae walks downstairs and on to the street just as a large cement mixer truck rumbles past. He takes out his phone and zooms in on the image of the two guys. He notices a small tattoo on one of the guy’s neck, but it’s so tiny that it’s not usable.
ZOOOOOMMM! Dontae’ is startled by the same truck zooming by again. This time faster and a little closer to his car than he would like. Getting into his car, he starts the engine and takes off. As he drives, he starts checking out each block. He doesn’t come downtown much. Even when he does, it was like he couldn’t remember the trip very well. He thought about how Sandy always likes to look up at the tall buildings as if she was a child visiting the city for the first time. He reaches for his phone. In a brief moment, he thinks to himself. “This is why.” He then laughs.
He taps the phone to dial Jessi.
“Hello bud.” She answers in an 80’s sitcom voice.
“Really?”
“What’s up?” she asks, laughing.
“Get this, Sterling is dead,” he explains. “Got hit by a car last night.”
“Damn!”
“It’s more than a coincidence. I think he was murdered, and I think it’s related to the ID being in Rochelle’s possession.”
“Taking out the witnesses,” Jessi mutters.
“Anything on the evidence guy?” he asks.
“Oh yea” she responds. “Mr. Harnando Vasquez badge number 2433. It appears that
