by Roy Glenn
“What’d they say X?”
“They said the client wanted them to set it up so that the husband would walk in just in time to find the body and get taken by the cops. They had the whole thing planned out, right down to the police response times.”
“Where are they now?”
“I don’t know.”
“How could I find them?”
“The usual way Nick, you’re no stranger to this, unless this gangster stuff has made you soft.”
“I still got some contacts, but did they give you any idea about who hired them and why?”
“No Nick, and like I said, I didn’t ask. Since I was coming back to the states, I scheduled a flight to New York on my way to Atlanta.”
“What are you going to Atlanta for?”
Xavier got up to leave. “I’ll find out when I get there.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Detective Kirkland walked into his Captain’s office and tossed the thick file on to his desk. Captain Keys was busy on the phone. He looked up at Kirk and rolled his eyes and waved for Kirk to sit down, then jumped right back into his conversation. “I hear what you’re saying,” he said into the phone.
Kirk wondered how long the phone conversation would last, and then he started looking at pictures in the small office. There were two tacked to the wall right above the coffee maker. One was a professionally done five by twelve of President Bush, thumb tacked to the wall, and the other was a similar sized picture of a woman with dart holes in the face, and a dart still lodged in her chest. It was a picture of his ex-wife. It too was hanging by a thumbtack. Finally, the captain hung up the phone. “What can I do for you now Kirk?”
“Mike Black.”
“What about him?”
“He should be released,” Kirk said firmly.
The Captain sighed and rubbed his face with the palm of his hands. “Not this again Kirk. I thought we talked about this, I mean, I thought we agreed Black should stay exactly where he is until we find the real killer,” Captain Keys said.
“That’s why I’m here. I don’t think we can ignore the facts or the evidence any longer. Mike Black didn’t kill his wife and,” Kirk slammed his palm down on the overstuffed folder. He paused for affect. “The information in this file here proves that we’ve got a bigger problem than Black.”
The Captain shook his head. He closed his eyes and then looked up at Kirk. “Damn, I don’t need this right now,” the Captain hissed. The captain picked up the folder. “Well, I’m not about to go through all this shit. So let me ask you this Kirk. You got your shit together in there?” The Captain held up the folder. “I mean, really got your shit together. There has to be undisputable facts that clearly show that Mike Black did not kill his wife?”
“It’s all here Cap. It’s all here in black and white,” Kirk assured his captain.
“Okay,” the captain said reluctantly. “Show me what you got.”
Once Kirk finished explaining in nauseating detail what his investigation had uncovered, the captain sat back in his chair. “What did I say when you came to me the last time?”
Kirk didn’t answer.
“What, you forgot? Well, let me refresh your memory. I said you find out who killed her and lock them up.”
“I know that cap, but—,” Kirk started.
“I believe I said, once we got the killer in custody then we’ll let him out. I haven’t heard or maybe you haven’t got to the part where the killer is in custody.” Captain Keys paused to see if Kirk was going to say anything. “Do you even have a suspect, Kirk?”
“Yes, sir. I do have a suspect.”
“Then why aren’t they in custody?”
“That’s where it gets problematic,” Kirk said and went on to tell the captain about the missing security system, about his visit to see DEA agent Pete Vinnelli and the conclusions he’d drawn. “I think these guys put a contract out on Black and his wife in retaliation for DeFrancisco being in jail and his wife’s suicide.”
“Did you know three members of the Aryan brotherhood attacked Black in his cell?”
“No, I didn’t know that.”
“Yeah, it happened one night after lock down.”
“After lock down?”
“That’s what I said. That means a guard had to be involved. He was supposed to die in his cell,” Kirk said slowly as the last piece fell into place for him.
“I called the DA after our last chat. We had a meeting about this already. Their fear is the same as mine, we’ll be putting a killer back out on the streets and we could have a massacre on our hands. And if that happens, it’s your ass on the line Kirk, you hear me? It’s your ass on the line!”
Kirk could see the veins throbbing at his boss’s temple. He had turned a shade of crimson and was trembling as he delivered his threat.
“I can say with all certainty I believe Mike Black has killed before, but Captain, we do not have the evidence to prove that he killed his wife.”
The captain shook his head, sighed then looked at Kirk again. “Okay, Kirk, I’ll make the call, but as God is my witness, if another pint of blood is shed in the streets of New York behind this shit, so help me, you’ll be on every shit detail there is and I’m talking about some really fucked up shit that I’ll think up just for you Kirk.”
Kirk put his hands up in mock surrender, “Captain, you can trust me on this one.”
Captain Keys reached for the phone and said, “I sure hope so for your sake,” then started punching numbers on the keypad.
“What do you want me to do about DeFrancisco?”
“Fuck him. He’s already in jail, we can put our hands on him anytime we want him. He’s not going anywhere.” The captain stood up. “It’s your case now, Kirk. You and Richards go after Vinnelli. Make a case that will stick, and he’ll hand us DeFrancisco.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Approximately four hours after Captain Keys made the call, Mike Black stood at the cage of the property section in the jail. He was thumbing through the contents of the large manila envelope that held his personal belongings. “It’s all here,” he mumbled to no one in particular.
“And what were you gonna do if it wasn’t?” Sergeant Adams asked.
Black gave her a menacing stare and then he smiled, “I’m getting out of here now, so I’m in a good mood.” Black leaned forward and glanced at her nametag. “Sergeant Adams is it?”
“That’s correct.”
Black nodded in recognition of who she was and what she represented to Freeze. He had no idea what she had done for him, but she was sure he would find out.
“So let’s just say you should be glad you don’t have to find out,” he said, gathered his things, then turned and strolled to the door.
His proud swagger didn’t give any indication about his feelings. With head held high and his back straight, he looked like his time on lockdown hadn’t fazed him at all. But Black had mixed feelings as he walked down the corridor. Sure, he was more than excited about being free, but still devastated by having to go on without Cassandra. He had vowed to find her killers and kill them.
Slowly.
Now that he was free, Black thought about the hours he spent thinking of ways in which he’d kill them. He wanted to avenge his wife’s death with no heart and no mercy.
With his release papers held firmly in one hand, he used the other to push the glass door open. He didn’t even flinch at the sunshine he hadn’t seen in days. When he saw the black stretch limo waiting, he walked directly toward it. The driver hopped out before Black could reach for the handle. The man opened the door and allowed him to step into the back of the car. Black was so glad to see familiar faces smiling at him.
“Damn it’s good to see you Black,” Freeze said. They shook hands, and Wanda handed him a champagne flute. When Black looked at it strangely, Freeze quickly said, “That was her idea Black,” he offered nodding toward Wanda.
“Thanks, Wanda,” Mike said, thinking about the last
time he and Shy shared a glass of champagne together. “But I’m gonna need something a bit stronger.”
Freeze held up a bottle of Remy Martin VSOP, they all laughed and quickly drained the fancy champagne flutes Wanda had brought along.
“So what’s up?” Mike said as he eased back into the leather bucket seats. He was now on his second shot of Remy.
The liquid burned a trail down his throat, but it kept his mind on the revenge he wanted to execute. It had been all he thought about for days. He wanted to look Shy’s killer in the eyes right before he squeezed the last breath from his lungs with his bare hands. Black wanted him to know exactly why he was gonna die.
“You okay Mike?” Wanda asked.
Her voice brought him back to the celebration going on in the back of the limo. He could tell they weren’t sure exactly what to say to him. He may have been down for a minute, but he was back and ready for somebody to feel his pain.
“Oh, yeah, I’m cool, my mind was just somewhere else,” he said. Mike looked at Freeze. “Hit me again.”
Freeze poured another drink from the bottle.
“So much has been going on while you were gone,” Wanda began. “We’ve been busy trying to hold it down but—” Wanda said and looked at Freeze.
“Yeah, but things got a little outta hand Black,” Freeze tossed in.
Black knew that meant that Freeze had killed somebody, but at that moment he just wanted to know if they had found out who had killed his wife, or at least had an idea.
While Wanda talked about everything but what he wanted to hear, Black zoned out as she updated him on what had been happening in his absence. He didn’t give a fuck who Freeze had killed, he didn’t give a fuck about anything other than finding who was responsible for her death.
Finally, Mike grew weary of Wanda’s update and asked the only question he wanted an answer to. “You find out who killed Cassandra yet?”
Silence fell on the limos interior. Wanda and Freeze exchanged glances. “Not really,” Wanda answered.
“So what’s the word on the street? Anybody heard who killed Cassandra?” he asked bluntly.
Black looked at Wanda and Freeze and wondered just what the hell they’d been doing while he was on lock down.
“You mean to tell me ain’t nobody talking about this shit?” he shook his head and took the glass to his lips again. Instead of taking another sip, he moved it away and said, “Somebody somewhere knows what the fuck happened to Cassandra. I would’ve thought y’all were on top of this from the minute they took me in.” Black looked at Wanda and he shook his head.
Wanda looked at Freeze again, hoping that he would just tell him. “Freeze!” Mike said quickly.
“Huh?”
“The way Wanda keeps looking at you, I know you got something to tell me. So let’s hear it,” Mike said to Freeze, and Wanda dropped her head.
“The night before it happened, Shy got into it with Birdie at Cuisine.”
“What do you mean, got into it?” Mike demanded to know.
“I mean, Shy and Birdie got into an argument.”
“About what?”
“I don’t know, but by the time I put my gun to Birdie’s head they up in each other’s face and I heard her say that she don’t know how he get any pussy, as ugly as his ass is,” Freeze informed him.
“That sounds like her,” Mike said and laughed a little.
“Birdie chilled out and left when I put my gun to his head. But he told Shy that she would see him again and she wouldn’t like it.”
“Okay, so you think Birdie killed her?”
“Tell him the rest of it,” Wanda prodded.
“Me and Nick went looking for Birdie, let his boy Albert know we was looking for him and when he didn’t come talk to us, I killed two of his boys. Then they tried to hit me and Nick, but—,” Freeze said, but Black cut him off.
“Did Birdie kill her?”
“No,” Wanda finally said. “After Nick talked to Kirk, we figured that Birdie couldn’t have put it together that quickly.”
“What happened to Birdie and Albert?”
“Me and Nick took care of that last night.”
“So while I was in jail, y’all niggas been fuckin’ around fighting a war with the wrong mutha fucka’s? Is that what the fuck you’re telling me?”
“Yeah,” Freeze said and dropped his head.
Black turned to Wanda. “And you just sat around and let him do it?”
Wanda dropped her head. “Yes, sir.”
“So the two of you have no fuckin’ idea who killed Cassandra. Is that what the fuck you’re telling me!”
Once again, there was complete silence in the limo.
“How’d you get them to release me anyway, Wanda?” Mike asked.
“I wish I could take the credit, but I can’t. They called me and said that you were being released due to a lack of evidence.” Wanda waited for Mike to comment. When he didn’t she continued. “My guess is that Kirk turned up something and they had to let you go.”
“I need to know what Kirk knows,” Black said.
“The only one he talked to was Nick,” Wanda said.
“Where’s Nick?”
Wanda looked at her watch. “Impressions.”
By the time the Limo pulled up in front of Impressions, they were just getting set up for the club to open. When Black stepped into the place with Wanda and Freeze on his trail, the room broke into applause. Black smiled and nodded a few times but made his way up to Nick’s office. He would have come in the limo to meet Black, but he had to get the club open.
“Damn Black, it’s good to see you,” Nick said and got up.
“It’s good to see you too, Nick.” Black turned to Freeze and Wanda. “It’s good to see y’all too.” He stood in front of Freeze. “And I appreciate what you did … even if it was the wrong guys. I never did like Birdie or Albert’s bitch ass anyway.”
Everybody laughed but Black, he was still all business. Black walked over to the bar, Wanda and Freeze took a seat.
“Wanda thinks Kirk is responsible for getting me out. You talked to him, Nick, what did he tell you?”
“You know Kirk; he didn’t give up any info. But he did put me on to the fact that it couldn’t have been Birdie. But I have it from a very reliable source that this was a set up from the start.”
Black put down his glass and turned his attention to Nick.
“What you got?”
“Last night I came in here and found an old Army buddy of mine waiting for me. We worked black ops together; he’s still into it. We were pretty close back then, we’ve saved each other’s life once or twice, so I told him about you, Black. All of you. Anyway, he tells me this story he heard while he was in Singapore. He said he was drinking with two contract killers. They were both drunk, laughing all over each other, telling him about the last job they did. When they got through, my guy asked who the woman was. He told them the name and said it was some gangster’s woman. My guy knew he was talking about you Black.”
“Wait a minute, so you’re trying to tell me this was a hit on Cassandra? Why?” Black said in total disbelief.
Nick shrugged. “He didn’t know, Black. Says he didn’t ask all that ’cause he didn’t think they’d tell him anyway. I asked him how it happened,” Nick said then paused.
Black swallowed dry and hard. He blinked a few times, then looked at Nick. “Go on.”
“You sure you wanna hear this?” Nick asked. The piercing look Black gave told him to continue the story. “Two man operation. One guy picked us up at the airport; let the other know when we were leaving.”
Nick went on to explain how the killers followed Black until they had his pattern down. How they waited until he was home to break in and hid in the basement until he got the call to move. And how the killer handcuffed her to the chair and used some kind of drug on her to minimize the pain.
“Keep going,” Black mumbled.
“After he beat her, he took off t
he cuffs, and led her to the kitchen. He told her if she could make it out the kitchen door he’d let her go. They thought it was funny watching her falling down, trying to get away. Then he shot her in the back.”
Wanda started crying.
“After he established she was dead. He made it look like there’d been a fight in there. Then he waited, because the alarm was still on. He went back into the basement, until you got there and turned it off. When you did, he slipped out the basement door. His guy picked him up right outside. So my guy asked why they went through so much trouble.”
“And?” Black asked.
“Apparently the client wanted it set up, so you’d take the fall,” Nick confirmed.
Black nodded a few times, and then he finally said, “Where are they?”
Chapter Thirty-Six
Two Weeks Later, Miami, Florida
It was just after three in the afternoon when Leon Copeland got off the American Airline jet at Miami international airport, accompanied by his female associates Diamond and Pearl. They had caught the flight in from Jacksonville to do a very big favor for a very old friend.
Before Leon relocated to Jacksonville, he used to work for André. He and Black were good friends, they used to hang out together. So when Black took over from André and established the dead zone, Leon chose not to go to war with him like everybody else.
“I took my business elsewhere.”
“With his blessing and support, Leon. Don’t forget that.”
Leon remembered Wanda reminding him the last time they talked. But he could honestly say that he was more than surprised to get a call from Wanda. He had taken advantage of Wanda’s legal services not too long ago, when Nina Thomas, his cousin’s girlfriend was charged with murder. Being old friends, naturally, Wanda didn’t charge him to represent Nina during her appearance before the grand jury, but Wanda made it plain that Leon owed her a favor.
