"We’ll talk about that when we get there."
So there I was sitting alone in the interrogation room, waiting. It had been more than an hour before the door opened and Detective Kirkland walked in with that shit-eating grin on his face.
"Nick Simmons. What’s it been, ten years?"
"Ten years, Kirk.
"Pat, this is one of Vicious Black’s old foot soldiers. But he dropped out of sight ten years ago."
"Where you been, Simmons?" Detective Richards asked.
"Army training, Sir."
"Oh. Another smart ass, huh."
"Yeah, yeah, Kirk. What’s this all about?"
"I just wanted to see you, Nick. It’s been a long time. So when I heard you were in here, I just had to stick my hand in. And what do I pull out? Do you know?"
"No. But I’m sure you’ll enlighten me."
"Tell me something, Nick, what were you doing when the detectives picked you up?"
"Visiting a friend."
"They tell me that you’re some type of private investigator. You working on something? Maybe something having to do with your friend?"
"Just visiting, Kirk."
"What’s your interest in those women in the picture the detectives took off you?"
"They were cute. I happen to like women."
"Why do you say, were?"
"Excuse me."
"I’m sorry. I forgot you went to Vicious Black University. I’ll break it down for you. Why are you referring to those women in the picture in past tense?"
"I didn’t mean anything by it. Why?"
Richards dropped the picture I took from Jake’s safe on the table in front of me. "What’s your interest in these two women?"
"Why?"
Richards drew back his hand to hit me, but Kirk grabbed him. Vintage good cop bad cop. Corny, but I played along. "What’s with him, Kirk? I just wanted to know why. Am I being changed with something having to do with those two women?"
"Nick, I know you know something you’re not telling me. I’m thinking that since you call yourself a private investigator, that you got a case and you’re trying to protect your client."
"So far your right."
"I thought as much." Kirk pulled out a chair and sat down next to me. "But here’s the problem with that, I know more about these two women than you do. So you need to know what I know."
"I’m still with you."
Kirk held out his hand and Richards handed him more pictures. He handed them to me. The same two women, but these weren’t taken at some party. These were taken at the morgue. "Both of them died of an overdose of cocaine."
"You think I had something to do with it?"