ean the same niggas you were killin’ at random?”
I laughed. “Or not.”
Bobby laughed. “You just don’t know, Mike.”
“Know what?”
“The Vicious Black stories.” Bobby shook his head. “You were still dropping bodies for weeks after you left.”
“I was?” I laughed.
“I tried to kill that talk. Funny thing was, nobody was sayin’ shit about the shit you actually did, but the made-up shit,” Bobby paused and then he started laughing again. “Everybody was talkin’ about that nonsense.”
“I’m laughing, but that shit ain’t funny. That’s how I become a suspect in every open murder,” I said and that was all I needed. And that was when I realized that Bobby had parked at the train station.
“You didn’t think we were getting on the L.I.E. in rush-hour traffic, did you?” Bobby got out of the car. “We’re taking the train downtown and we’re catching the Long Island Railroad to go see Kasim,” he said, and I couldn’t argue with his logic. So, we took the train. I mean it wasn’t like it was the first time I took the train to go talk business.
And that’s all I planned to do was talk and since it was just me and Bobby, I really hoped that’s all it turned out to be. But from all appearances, we were going to a legitimate business to talk to Kasim Rafsanjani, the general manager.
When our train arrived in Syosset, we took a cab to the dealership and asked the hostess if it was possible to speak with him.
“You’re name, sir?” she asked.
“Mike Black.”
She asked if we would mind having a seat while she checked to see if he was available. Me and Bobby were looking at a new Caddy when the hostess came and escorted us to a conference room where we were asked to wait.
“Can I get you anything?” she asked politely.
“No, thank you. We’re fine,” I said, and she left us to wait.
Fifteen minutes later, a well-dressed Persian man walked in the conference room, closed and locked the door. Bobby and I stood up.
“Mr. Black,” he said with his hand out. “My name is Kasim Rafsanjani.”
“My associate, Mr. Ray.”
We all politely shook hands like gentlemen.
“Please, have a seat.”
“Thank you.”
“It is an unexpected pleasure to meet you both,” Kasim began. “Naturally, Mr. Thompson spoke about both of you, but I never expected us to meet. Which is why I am curious to know why you are here?”
“I don’t know if you’re aware of this,” I said and eased into my professional voice; something that my mother stressed the importance of. “Or maybe you do, but Mr. Thompson is dead.” I watched his reaction.
“No, I was not aware of that.” It told me nothing. “May I ask how he died?”
“He was murdered.”
“I see,” Kasim said and then his reaction told me that he was suddenly nervous about me and Bobby being there.
“I was only recently made aware of the business that he had with you, and that there may have been some issues that needed to be resolved.”
Kasim sat back in his chair and smiled. “I understand your concern, and now, I understand your presence here.” He laughed. “Mr. Thompson said that if there was ever an issue, as you called it, that you and Mr. Ray would come calling. Yes, there were some minor issues with our arrangement early on. But I assure you, Mr. Black, Mr. Thompson resolved those issues to my satisfaction and we parted ways quite amicably in fact.”
“I see.”