Chapter 14
Jasper Robinson.
I knew JR from the old days, but I hadn’t seen him in years. Him and Andre were friends, used to run together. He owns a nightclub called JR’s and he ran a poker game, scraps, the usual stuff, in the basement at night. I would roll by there later tonight.
After I checked on a few of our stops, I stopped by JR’s. It was still early when I got there, a few people; probably regulars seated at the bar. I took a seat and signaled for the bartender.
“What can I get you?”
“Johnnie Black on the rocks.”
When the bartender came back with my drink I hit him with my question. “Is JR here?”
“Who?”
“JR, the guy who owns this place, is he here?”
“You a cop?”
“Nope. Old friend.”
“Wait here,” the bartender said and came out from behind the bar. He took another look at me before he went in the back. It wasn’t too long after that when I was approached by two big muthafuckas.
One tapped me on the shoulder. “Who you here to see?”
I turned around on my barstool. “Jasper Robinson. Calls himself JR, owns this place.”
The other man looked at me. “I know you, don’t I?”
“I don’t know. Do you?”
“Yeah, you’re Nick Simmons, you work for Mike Black.”
“That’s right.”
“I’m Jeff Ritchie,” he said like I should know the name. He looked disappointed when I said, “I don’t know you, I just want to talk to JR, is he here?”
“Yeah, he’s here. Follow me.”
Jeff Ritchie led me in the back to the office and he knocked on the door. When JR answered, Jeff Ritchie stuck his head in. “Somebody to see you, JR.”
“Who?” JR asked and I walked in. “Nick, Nick Simmons.”
“What’s up, JR? How’s it goin’?”
“Not bad for an old man. What about you? I heard that you were back in town. I haven’t seen you in what-fifteen years?”
“’Bout that.”
“Come on in, have a seat. Can I get you a drink?”
“Johnnie Black on the rocks.”
For the next hour, JR and I sat in his office and talked about the good old day and I drank his liquor.
“Young bucks these days don’t respect nothing. No respect for the game, no respect for each other,” JR said.
“Tell me about it.”