"Senator now. But yeah, that night began our long association. Anyway, I went there to pick him up. He wasn’t ready when I got there, so he got in the shower and told me to pick him out something to wear. I walked in the room and Camille was in the bed. I apologized for walking in on her, but she didn’t seem to care." Wanda let out a little laugh. "She invited me to join her in bed."
"That was Camille."
"She was poison, Nick."
"You couldn’t possibly understand."
"Yes I can, Nick. More than you know."
"I was sick when I left there that night, Wanda, can’t you see that?"
"I know. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that night. Bobby with his gun in your mouth. Screamin’ he was gonna kill you. Mike with his gun to Bobby’s head. He just kept sayin’, ‘Bobby put the gun down.’ I remember lookin’ at his face, his eyes. I could see the pain he was in."
"My two best friends. Bobby was ready to kill me. And Black, shit! I can’t even imagine where his head was, with a gun to Bobby’s head. Him and Bobby are like brothers. And the reason was Camille. I called her when I left there. Told her what happened. She didn’t care. She laughed at how she had us. And she had us. She told me to come fuck her. I was on my way, but I needed a drink first. Three really. Camille was dead when I got there. Two shots to the head."
"Camille," Wanda said as she got up from the couch. She walked slowly, thoughtfully toward the window. "Oh, Nick. There is so much you don’t know about that night."
"Why don’t you tell me about that night. I’ve been talking all night. You talk for awhile, Wanda."
"Do you remember passing Freeze on your way out?"
"Yeah."
"I mean really, remember, Nick? Do you remember him carrying a large envelope?"
"I remember."
I remember it all.
"Bobby put the gun down," Black yelled.
I felt Bobby’s hand tighten around my throat.
"I’ll kill you!" Bobby screamed.
Black put his gun to Bobby’s head. "Bobby please," he said quietly. "Take the gun out of his mouth and put it down."
Black moved his gun away from Bobby’s head. Bobby let go of my throat and slowly eased his gun out of my mouth.
I reached for my throat and took a step away from Bobby.
Bobby stared at me. "Don’t think this is over."
I started to walk away, trying to catch my breath.
"I’m kill you!" Bobby shouted. "And that bitch!"
I left Black’s office at the Late Night and walked across the dance floor on my way out the club. Wanda ran after me. "Nick wait." she said.
I saw Freeze coming, "Yo, Nick, you’re gonna wanna to see this." But I just kept walking.
"I remember."
/> Wanda walked toward me and held her hand out. "There’s something I want you to see." I accepted Wanda’s hand, and she led me into the bedroom. "Don’t even think about it."
"Furthest thing from my mind." I looked Wanda up and down and I smiled. "Not until you brought it up."
Wanda led me to her dresser and let go of my hand. She removed the picture from the wall and opened her safe. She took out an envelope and handed it to me. "This is what he wanted you to see."