"The police."
"Yes, the police, Mrs. Childers."
"What do the police know about Jake?"
"They know he’s missing."
"So they’re looking for him?"
"In connection with these overdose’s. Pamela had Jake’s card on her when the police found her body. LaShawn, whoever she is, died about the same time Jake is supposed to have disappeared."
"And you think that has something to do with Jake disappearing?"
"I don’t know, Mrs. Childers, I was hoping you would tell me."
"I don’t know." She looked away.
"Well tell me something you do know."
Mrs. Childers looked back at me and smiled playfully. "I know how you know so much," she said, as if nothing that I was sayin’ had any importance.
"Excuse me."
"I know some people too, Nick."
"And what are they telling you?"
"That you used to roll with Mike Black. Not only that, y’all came up together. Lived on the same block. They tell me that you were his enforcer. You were good at it too."
"Oh really."
"Yes, really. André’s muscle. Let me see." She was having fun with this. Too much fun. But at least she had a playful side. She always seemed so distant. Like there was always something else she was thinking about. But she was all smiles now. "It was you, Vicious Black, Bobby Ray, Jamaica and Freeze. You and Freeze used to work together." She laughed. "So you’re no stranger to how Chilly does his business. You used to work the same way. I heard you and Freeze were bad boys back in the day." She waved a chastising finger at me. But she was right; me and Freeze have done some shit for Black.
While André focused his attention on selling drugs, Black chose to make his money on gambling, prostitution, loan sharking, and number running. More so after Vickie OD’ed in his apartment. I remember one New Years Eve, Black closed all the gambling houses, in spite of the money he knew he’d make that night, and had a party for everybody that worked for him. Which was nice, or so we all thought. The party was held at one of the house that was run by Gary Banks. Like everybody else, Banks made a pledge to Black not to sell drugs, which to Black was rule number one.
The party was wild, with plenty of food, drink, and woman naturally. Everybody was having a good time, except Black and Bobby. They, for the most part, sat at a table in the back of the room and talked quietly amongst themselves. At one point in the evening, Black walked up to me at the bar and asked, "You havin’ a good time?"
"Yeah, man, shit, havin’ a ball," I said to a very serious looking Black. I then turned my attention back one of the women that worked at the house. I began to walk off and take her upstairs to one of the rooms, when Black grabbed me by the arm.
"Nick! Have fun, but you and Freeze don’t drink too much tonight, I got something important I want y’all to do later."
"No problem. Drinkin’ ain’t what I got in mind right now," I replied then went on to handle my business.
At midnight everybody got together in the main room to drink champagne and bring in the New Year. Black said a few words, and then he went and reclaimed his seat next to Bobby. About three in the morning, Wanda went around and said goodbye to everyone and Black walked her to her car. When he returned he looked at Bobby and nodded his head. Bobby got up and the two of them started goin’ around room to everybody and handed each one an envelope. After receiving it, each one quietly left the house. I called Freeze over, "Something’s about to happen," I said.
"What you talkin’ ‘bout, Nick?"
"Check it. Everybody’s leavin’. Either Black or Bobby hands them an envelope, and then they leave."
"I know. Black just givin’ everybody a little somethin’, you know, breakin’ them off a little change."
"Oh, okay, cool," I said to Freeze, but I had a feelin’ that it was more than that. He waited until Wanda was gone, which meant he planned to do something that he wanted Wanda to have no part in. Black always has been very protective of Wanda and her involvement in the business. His waiting until she was gone only meant one thing.
After a while, almost everyone was gone. All of the women, which let me know the party was over, except Cynthia. Cynt is still the only woman that runs a house for Black. In fact, the only people left were the ones who ran houses and a few of the guy’s that ran numbers or did loan sharking.
Jamaica walked over to the band and sent them home. He said a few words to Bobby and left with them. Once Bobby locked the door, it was on. Black got up and walked to the front of the room. "I wanted to thank everybody for comin’ out and spending the New Year with us."
"We gonna get a bonus too, Black?" Banks yelled out.