by Roy Glenn
“What you do that for?”
“Because you’re my friend,” Nick answered. “I told her how you felt about it. She had no idea. She called you over there to apologize to you.”
Freeze didn’t say a word after he heard that. What could he say? All Freeze knew now was that he couldn’t carry that burden around any longer. He had to tell Black the truth. If he had been there, Shy would still be alive.
When he finally found the house, Bobby’s wife, Pam, let him in and told him that Black and Bobby were in the basement and that he could go on down.
“There he is,” Black said as Freeze walked down the steps.
“Missed the turn, didn’t you?” Bobby asked.
“Every fuckin’ time.” Freeze went toward the bar. Once he poured himself a drink and refreshed everyone else’s, he sat down on the couch next to Black. “How you doing?” Freeze asked him.
“I guess I’m all right. I mean, I don’t feel like killing myself or no dumb shit like that.”
“Yeah, but he been crying all damn day,” Bobby added.
“Fuck you, Bobby. I ain’t been crying all day,” Black told him, although he did feel like crying at times that day. “Anyway, I’m glad you came. I want to talk to you about something,” Black said to Freeze.
“What's that?” Freeze was curious to know.
“Me and Bobby been talking about this and I want you to run things,” Black said, but Freeze didn’t say anything. “I know you been handling shit for years, but it’s always been somebody else, me, then Wanda, then Cassandra, calling the shots. But that’s over with. It’s your time now. Me and Bobby are here to advise you if you need it, but you make the decisions.”
“What about Wanda?” Freeze asked.
“What I tell you? You got this, without any interference from Wanda. I wish you had come yesterday while she was here so I could have told you in front of her. If you need her advice, ask her.”
Freeze looked at Black, but he didn’t say anything. Feeling the way he was feeling, what could he say? Here he had just been handed everything he wanted, and he felt empty.
“Bobby. I need to talk to Black for a minute.” Freeze looked at Bobby, awaiting his response.
Bobby picked up his drink and stood up. “Holla when you're done. I’ll be at the top of the stairs listening,” he said and winked.
Knowing how Bobby was, Freeze waited until he heard the door close before he said anything. “There’s something I gotta tell you about the night Shy got killed.”
“What's that?” Black asked and put down his drink.
“I was supposed to go over there that night,” Freeze confessed.
“I know, she told me. Why didn’t you go?”
Freeze didn’t answer. He felt like a fuckin’ fool having to say it.
“Whatever it is, go ahead and say it,” Black told him.
Once again Freeze found himself speechless. He finished his drink and took a deep breath. “I didn’t go because I didn’t like the way she talked to me.”
Black shook his head. “I know that was hard for you to tell me,” Black said and got up to get the bottle. “You think it’s your fault Cassandra’s dead?”
“If I’d just gone over there, she’d still be alive,” Freeze said while Black refilled his glass.
Black poured himself another drink and sat down. “You gotta let that go. It ain’t your fault. They were listening on the phones; they knew you were coming, and they went ahead with it anyway. What does that tell you? It means Bart was ready for you. So you drop that shit. You're gonna need a clear head for what you gotta do for me. You carrying that guilt around ain’t gonna do nothing for nobody; understand?”
Freeze told Black that he understood what he was saying, and for the most part, he did. But there was a part of him that still believed that if he had been there that night; things would have been different, even if Bart was ready for him.
Before Black and Bobby got to the house, Freeze had spoken to Nick Simmons. When Freeze told him that Black was on his way there, Nick said that he had some information for Black and that Freeze shouldn’t let Black leave before he got there.
Through his contacts, Nick was able to find out that the men that killed Shy were handled by a guy named Rosstein, but he died suddenly before he told who hired him. Now Nick had gotten information about Rosstein that might be useful.
“What's up, Freeze?” Nick said when he came into the office where Freeze and Mylo were.
“What’s up,” Freeze said and seemed to be looking around or past Nick. “You alone?” Freeze asked.
“Yeah, I’m alone,” Nick replied.
“Where’s Wanda?” Freeze asked and laughed.
“Fuck you, that’s where Wanda is.”
Freeze stood up like he was going to shake hands with Nick, but he tapped him on the hip. “I’m just asking, because usually she be right there attached to your hip.”
Nick slapped Freeze’s hand away. “Fuck you, Freeze.”
Every time Freeze saw Nick without Wanda, he would kid him about it. She and Nick had sniffed around each other and denied that there was anything going on between them.
If you had asked Wanda, she’d say, “Nick? Please, we are just two old friends that like to hang out.”
While Nick had become notorious for saying. “Hanging out with her is like old times, you know, when we all used to hang together.”
That was until they finally got together one night while Black was in jail.
Since that night, they’ve carried on a relatively secret relationship. That’s the way Wanda wanted it; she didn’t want anyone to find out, especially Mike Black. The only person who knew was Freeze, and although Nick was proud to have Wanda and wanted the world to know that she was all his, there were times like this that he wished Freeze had never figured it out.
“What's up, Nick?” Mylo said and got up. Freeze looked at Mylo and he started walking toward the door. “I’m gonna see how the game is going.”
“Send somebody in with some drinks,” Freeze ordered.
“Johnnie Black, right?” Mylo asked Nick.
Nick nodded his head.
When Mylo closed the door behind him, Nick looked at Freeze. “You got him well trained,” he said and sat down on the couch.
“He serves a purpose. He hears shit; all kinds of shit.” Freeze sat at the desk. “So where is the ball and chain tonight?”
“At the club waiting for me to come back.”
“How long she give you to get back?” Freeze asked and Nick gave him a dirty look. “I’m just saying, I’m surprised she didn’t wanna come with you.”
“I told her Black was gonna be here. She doesn’t ever want Black seeing us together, much less knowing we’re…,” Nick started, but stopped and thought about what he would call their little arrangement. He didn’t wanna just say they were fuckin’, because it was more than that.
They did things together, but it was always in New Jersey or Connecticut. They couldn’t take a trip together because Wanda was afraid of what people would think if they were both out of town at the same time. Nick didn’t like hiding.
“Go ahead, say it,” Freeze said.
“Say what?”
“Knowing y’all in love.”
“Fuck you, Freeze,” Nick said, even though it was the truth. He loved Wanda very much.
“Whatever, but y’all just think it’s a secret. That nigga psychic. Black knows all about that shit.”
“He say something to you?”
“No. But think about that shit. Wanda be up in the club every night, acting a god damn fool every time a woman get near you and you don’t think Tara ain’t told Black?”
“Wanda ain’t worried about Tara.” Nick smiled as there was a knock at the door and Mylo returned with the drinks. Once he was gone, Nick said. “Tara caught us fuckin’ above the stage one night.”
“That used to be her and Black’s spot. I know she couldn’t wait to tell Black about t
hat.”
“Wanda knew that too, so she threatened her job. Wanda gave her a choice; Tara could tell Black and get fired, or keep her mouth shut and get a raise.”
Freeze laughed. “Wanda gangster.”
When Black and Bobby got to the gambling house, he headed straight toward the office until he saw Jackie at the table. He stopped to watch her play out the hand while Bobby continued to the office.
When the hand was over Jackie pushed back from the table after racking in a hundred thousand dollar pot. She got up and walked over to where Black was standing.
“Well hello, Mr. Black,” Jackie said and stepped close to him.
Black kissed her on the cheek and Jackie felt herself get a little wet.
“How you doing, Jackie? I didn’t know you played here. I see it’s going all right for you.”
“It has,” Jackie said nervously. She wanted to say something more, but she couldn’t think of anything clever.
“You done for the night?” Black asked.
“No, I just came to holla at you. I haven’t seen you since—you know. I just wanted to know…if you…were all right?”
Black flashed a smile. “I’m okay, Jackie.”
When Jackie saw him smile, she wanted to offer herself to him on the spot. “I’m glad to hear that.”
Black looked around the room and then back at Jackie. “I want you to do something for me.”
“What’s that?” Jackie asked, hoping that he wanted her to bend over and grab her ankles.
“I need to talk to Nick right now, but don’t leave. We’ll talk when I’m done,” Black said and walked toward the office where Nick and Freeze were waiting.
After he dispensed with the pleasantries and Mylo brought him a drink and left the room, Black turned his attention to Nick.
“So what you got for me?”
“You remember the guy that told me how Shy was killed?”
“Yeah, Xavier Assante. What about him?”
“He told me that Rosstein had a girlfriend.”
“So.”
“It’s a long shot, but she might know something. Maybe not who hired him for that job, but she could tell us who he met with around that time.”
“Where is she?”
“Hong Kong. X said he’d be there for a couple of weeks and will help you find her.”
Mike sat down and thought for a minute. “What do you think, Bobby?”
“Worth a shot,” Bobby said.
“Good, because you're coming with me,” Black told him.
“I’ll set it up,” Nick said and got up to leave.
“Tell him we’ll be there in a couple of days. I promised my mother that I’d bring Michelle down there for a while.”
Freeze stood up. “Where you rushing off to, Nick?”
“I need to get back to the club,” Nick said and gave Freeze another one of those looks.
“We might come through there later,” Black said to Nick as they all walked out of the office together. Freeze walked out with Nick, while Black stopped to wait for Jackie. She folded as soon as she noticed him waiting.
“What?” Bobby asked.
“I need to talk to Jackie,” Black replied as she walked up to them.
“Hi, Bobby. How you doing?” Jackie asked him, but it was obvious to Bobby that she was looking at Black.
“I need a drink, that’s how I’m doing, Jackie. I’ma go get me a drink.”
“I’ll be outside,” Black said to Bobby.
“I’ll be in the car waiting,” Bobby said and walked off.
“Come on.” Black took Jackie by the hand and led her out of the house. They walked down the street a little ways before Black stopped. “There’s something I need you to do for me, Jackie.”
“Just tell me what you want,” Jackie said eagerly.
“I want you to keep an eye on Mylo for me.”
“You don’t trust him, do you?”
“No.”
“I don’t trust him either,” Jackie admitted.
“Why don’t you trust him?”
“I just don’t like the way he looks at me.” Jackie laughed until she looked at Black and he was looking at her the same way. Only now it didn’t bother her, in fact it excited her. She knew she was hot for him, but she always thought that Black looked at her like a kid sister. Now to see that, I wanna fuck you look in his eyes gave her hope that maybe one-day her Mike Black fantasy would come true.
“You keep an eye on him for me. I’m gonna be out of the country for a couple of days, but we’ll talk when I get back. This is between you and me; no Freeze and no Travis, understand?”
“I understand,” Jackie said, excitedly because she knew it would give her a chance to use some of the surveillance techniques that she had learned while working with Nick and Monika.
“I heard Travis got shot. He all right?” Black asked.
“He’s doing a lot better,” Jackie said.
“Tell him I asked about him and give him this,” Black said and then he handed Jackie the roll of bills he had in his pocket. “We’ll talk soon.”
Jackie watched Black until he got in the car with Bobby. She was overjoyed that Black thought enough of her to ask her to do something like this. It was better than sex, although sex with him would be good too.
“Trust before sex. What a concept,” Jackie said to herself as she walked back to the house.
Chapter Eight
Mike Black
“Jackie’s fine ass wanna fuck you,” Bobby said to me as soon as I got in the car.
“What you talking about?” I asked him even though I knew.
“Don’t play stupid. You know what I’m talking about. I can see it in her eyes; the way she looks at you. Jackie wants to give you some of that pussy, and you know it,” Bobby said.
“I like Jackie.”
“So…what's the problem?”
“I don’t wanna like anybody right now.”
And I didn’t. I don’t know if I ever could or even if I wanted to feel for another woman what I felt for Cassandra.
“You a single man now. Get you a box of Jimmy’s and fuck as many ho’s as you can.”
“Not worth the effort.”
“What, fuckin’ a bunch of ho’s?”
“No. Fuckin’ a bunch of ho’s with condoms. It’s not worth the effort.”
“How you figure that? I really need to know why you think fuckin’ ain’t worth it. because I love fuckin’,” Bobby damn near testified.
“I love fuckin’ too, all I’m saying is that I don’t like condoms. I don’t know how you do that shit.”
“You strap that mutha fucka on and go for it. How the fuck you think?”
“But I don’t feel anything, Bob!” I said louder than I needed to, but I got my point across. But just in case I didn’t, I continued. “I hate them damn things, because I don’t feel a damn thing. And they’re tight.”
“Get Magnums,” Bobby said quickly.
“They’re tight too.” I could deal with the whole tight thing, but unless I feel it, it’s like I’m just going through the motions, and after a while, I just lose interest.
That was another reason why I missed my baby so much. I loved fuckin’ her. I couldn’t get enough of her. There was never any need for anyone else. Everything I wanted; or could have ever imagined was right there.
I loved everything about Cassandra. The way she walked turned me the fuck on. Her eyes, her beautiful smile, the way she talked. Everything about her screamed, Fuck me, Michael!
“Whatever,” Bobby said. “You’ll get used to it.”
“What ever happened to the happily married man you used to be?” I asked more to keep him off me than anything else. Once Bobby gets on to something, there’s no stopping him.
“Cat happened to him. That’s what happened,” Bobby said, talking about the woman he had an affair with. “Since her, let’s call it, unfortunate incident, Pam hasn’t felt like having sex.”
“I didn�
��t know. I thought, you know, once she got out of the hospital that, you know, it would …”
“I did too. But since it didn’t go that way, I gotta do what I gotta do. Now, I give them some money, bust a nut, and be back in time to pick the girls up from ballet.”
I started laughing so hard I didn’t notice that Bobby had started driving toward the Major Deegan like he was headed for the house. “Where you going?”
Bobby looked over at me and smiled. “Where you wanna go?”
“I hate people who answer questions with questions.”
“Just answer the damn question,” Bobby insisted.
“I was thinking we could ride by Cynt’s,” I told him, knowing he’d be down for it and knowing I’d have to listen to him talk shit about it on the way.
Bobby made a U-turn in the middle of 233rd street. “I was hoping you’d say that. All that talk about I don’t like rubbers. Bullshit! I bet you used one on that Amazon Shy look alike!”
“You’re right, Bobby, I did.”
Her name was Maria Harrow and she dances at Cynt's where she goes by the name Mystique. She’d been dancing at Cynt's for years and I always marveled at how much she looked like Cassandra. The first time I saw Mystique wasn’t long after I met Cassandra. I was at Cynt’s with Bobby. We were at the bar talking to Sammy when something drew me like a magnet to the stage. I remember losing myself in the seductive manner that she moved her hips. The longer I stood there watching her, the more Mystique reminded me of Cassandra. I ended up giving her a hundred-dollar bill as a tip.
I ran into her about a month after Cassandra died. I had been in the city to talk to Wanda and was on my way back out to Bobby’s house, when I stopped to get some gas.
“Hey, Mike Black.”
I was startled when I looked in the direction of the voice and saw what looked like my wife sitting in the car across from me. I thought my mind was playing tricks on me. At that time, I was having the dream all the time and it seemed so real. Like being awake without her was the nightmare that I just couldn’t wake up from; because it was. But that day, I thought I had really snapped until she got out of the car.
Mystique was bigger than Cassandra was. Taller. Five-eleven maybe, heavier, but there’s not an ounce of fat on her. Her complexion, lips, facial structure, and her eyes; she had the same beautiful eyes. I wondered if Mystique and Cassandra could be sisters.
