Ghetto Girls Too

by Anthony Whyte

  Sophia was convinced that Eric had stayed out all night because he was avoiding her questions. It wasn’t as if he’d never done it before but this time, he had left after an argument. He was angry that she was not falling for his okie-doke. Sophia knew Eric lost his cool because he was sure that she knew he was hiding something. Up until last night, the doubts remained and she wanted answers. What secrets was her fiancé hiding from her? She wanted to get to the bottom of this so Sophia agreed to meet with Michael. Also, Michael Thompson was someone from her past who she respected and knew well.

  As she put away her compact and stared at a file on her office desk, Sophia figured that if she had dressed like a hoochie, Michael would think less of her. It might even lead him to think that she was coming on to him in order to help cover up Eric’s deeds but she wasn’t. She wanted to look and act dignified, no matter what. Sophia left her office and walked to the bathroom where she fixed her hair. Despite the bump on her head, there were no other physical reminders of Friday night. She examined herself in the mirror but nevertheless felt that the emotional scars might never heal.

  Sophia headed back to her desk. After sitting for a while and looking at her watch every few minutes, she jumped up, grabbed her bag and overcoat then walked to the elevator. Even though she was worried about Eric’s safety, Sophia felt she had to know what was going on. She fidgeted as she waited on the elevator.

  Out on the busy city street, Sophia walked past couples eating lunch and others just walking together. Some were holding hands while others just stood real close, simply enjoying each other. Where was Eric, she wondered? She had purposely refused to call him but strolling down the midtown street with the sun shining on her, she missed him.

  The distraught young attorney cautiously avoided other pedestrians on the crowded sidewalk and looked at her cell phone. Why hasn’t he called? Was the music so damned important? The thought crossed her mind as she hailed a cab. Despite his obsession with his craft, Sophia knew that Eric was avoiding her because he was covering up something. At lunch, she would hopefully find out what exactly he was doing.

  She arrived at Carmine’s, an uptown Italian eatery, a half hour before the set time. The place was empty and Sophia ordered sparkling water with lime. She sat down to wait and turned to the crossword page of her newspaper. She thought about the reason for being here and didn’t like the queasy feeling that overcame her. Sophia checked her cell phone and went back to her puzzle.

  TWENTY-FIVE

  He arrived on time. Michael wore a dark blue Armani suit with white shirt and sky blue tie. The outfit did justice to his athletically built six foot six frame. Sophia immediately noticed that his flashy black wingtips were as shiny as his bald pate. He walked over to her table and flashed a handsome smile when he spotted her. She felt a tinge of happiness as they embraced briefly. It had been awhile but Michael Thompson had not changed any. He towered over her and was strong. She could feel his hard body through the unnecessarily lengthy hug.

  He did not let her go and wrapped his agile body around Sophia as if they were kids. She smiled radiantly, her skin an embarrassing flush, and thought that maybe this would be the best part of their rendezvous. Sophia thought Michael had bad news to give her and this was his way of warming her up.

  “Hey, Michael, how are you doing?” she asked trying not to sound down,

  “I’m doing well,” Michael replied with a grin. Sophia was busy measuring his attitude when Michael caught her off guard. “You’re still as beautiful as ever. For a moment, I thought it was Halle Berry sitting over here. You’re looking really great, Sophia.”

  “All that flattery is only going to cost you lunch. You’re looking great yourself. I can tell that you’re still into working out.”

  “No question but you’re the one, baby.”

  “Yeah, whatever.”

  “I’m being real. You’re still the finest thing walking on earth.” Michael chuckled and Sophia almost did the same until she heard him ask, “How’re you doing?” He waited for Sophia’s answer.

  They had met while attending the same law school but they never really dated. She had managed to stay clear of the dating circle. When they had graduated and he started seeing her in the entertainment news with Ascot, he knew she was definitely not going to be anything other than a friend. Over the years they kept in touch. Michael knew Sophia to be a kind, considerate person. Even though they were never intimate, he had based everything he knew on the strength of their platonic friendship. Michael didn’t want to stand by and see anything bad happen to her. With that in mind, he had made the decision to meet with her. Even though he knew this meeting could compromise the latest project sitting on his desk, Michael did it because he really cared for Sophia. The uptown restaurant was chosen because he wanted to get her out of the downtown circle where he knew she was well known.

  “I’ve been better,” she answered hiding her emotions behind a friendly smile but Michael saw the strain beneath the surface.

  The assistant DA was certain that what he was about to reveal to Sophia would have a devastating effect on her relationship with her fiancé. He took his seat and his eyes immediately dropped to the basket of bread on the table. The two, still holding hands, realized that the waiter was waiting on them. Neither said anything for a beat then Sophia took the lead and released his hand.

  “I’ll have glass of red wine, please.”

  “Make that two glasses of red wine,” Michael said. The waiter departed and Michael resumed the touchy feely by reaching for her hands until Sophia gave in. When he spoke again, it was with both her hands cradled in his. “You’re such a stunningly beautiful woman,” he repeated, his eyes searching hers. Michael released Sophia’s hands once the waiter returned with their drinks.

  “I’ll be back to take your order in a sec,” he said and headed off.

  “Thank you,” they both replied and raised the wine glasses. “Salud.” Their glasses clinked, they sipped and Michael’s expression became gravely serious as he began to talk.

  “This is going to be as much news to you as it was to me when I first found out last week,” he began. Sophia gulped and swallowed hard. “Take it easy, Sophia.”

  “Please, Michael, I’ve waited all weekend long to hear this. Just tell me please.”

  “All right, all right. A few days ago I received a call from a friend...”

  “A friend? Does your friend have a name?”

  “No, with this friend the name is not important but he is an informant.”

  “An informant?”

  “Yes, an informant and will you not disturb me, please? This is hard enough.”

  “Well, continue then.”

  “Anyway, he suggested that we should meet,” he said then paused.

  “Okay...”

  “So I met him.” There was another pause. Sophia was getting impatient and urged him to continue speaking.

  “C’mon Michael, what happened when you met him? Exactly what did he say? Don’t give me the district attorney spin on it.”

  “He told me that the feds were investigating Robert Morgan.”

  “Busta?”

  “Yes, you know him as Busta. Anyway...”

  “Does Busta have any idea of this?” Sophia asked and saw a look of concern registering on Michael’s face. “I mean, why would you tell me of this unless Busta was already in custody? You’re aware that he’s retained me as his entertainment rep.” Sophia saw Michael’s grimace.

  She knew this was not a good sign. Busta probably already had an indictment and Michael came to tell her of it himself. But how does Eric fit into this? Sophia wondered and was about to breathe a sigh of relief when she heard the words dreaded by any friend.

  “Robert Morgan…ah, Busta is dead,” Michael said. Sophia stared at him. The surprise in her wide-eyed expression jumped out at him.

  “Huh? Are you sure? Busta? You could have gotten it all wrong,” Sophia said and Michael was certain of her honesty when th
e tears began to well up. Sophia could only mutter a few unintelligible phrases before finally breaking down and sobbing loudly. Michael reached across and held her hands.

  “I’m sorry,” he said sounding his most sincere. “I’m really sorry. I thought you knew.” Michael held her hands but Sophia pulled away.

  “Please excuse me,” she said and stood. Michael stood also.

  “Are you going to...?” Michael was unsure of what to say and faltered.

  “I’m going to the ladies room. I’ll be right back,” she said and walked away. Pangs of guilt hit him as he sat back down.

  “Damn, what am I doing here?” he uttered below his breath as he watched Sophia walking away. From the way Sophia’s back was hunched, he knew she was crying herself all the way to the ladies room. Michael drank all his wine and signaled to the waiter for two more glasses.

  TWENTY-SIX

  Sophia stumbled to the ladies room. The news of her friend’s death had hit real hard. Her tears continued to flow as she closed the door. After about five minutes, she flushed and walked out determined to face whatever else Michael had to say. She had to hear him out no matter what. She had to find out even if it hurt her and the relationship she had built with Eric. She loved her fiancé but mistrust had crept between them.

  Michael was glad when Sophia returned to the table. Not wanting to upset her any further, he inquired if he should continue the pre-lunch discussion.

  “Really, Sophia, we could do this some other time, you know.”

  “No, we should continue. It was the surprise of finding this out. I had no idea that Busta...” Sophia paused and choked back more tears before continuing, “Its a real surprise, that’s all, Michael.”

  “I’m sorry, Sophia. I mean, if I had...”

  “Eric, I mean, Michael, you didn’t know. I don’t think Eric even knows,” she said and slipped back into tears. Michael offered his white handkerchief.

  “Do you want to...?”

  “Michael, please continue. I’m a big girl, I can take it,” Sophia said interrupting him. Michael checked to see tears still in her eyes but none on her cheeks. He would continue, he decided as he sipped some more wine.

  “All right, this informer named some people that the feds were looking at. They were linked to one guy, Joey Maruichi. Does that name ring a bell with you? How about his brother, Francisco? Maybe the name Frankie rings a bell?”

  “No, they don’t. I really can’t be certain if Eric and Busta are in anyway involved with these people you’re naming because they’re always involved with doing things together. Because of the music, they’re always doing things together.”

  “Maybe you could talk to Eric and he might tell you. You’re going to have to find out. Anyway, the Maruichis appeared on our radar years ago. Frankie is an Italian guy with plenty of street smarts. He used his brains and muscles and has managed to build up something reminiscent of La Cosa Nostra. Except the people from different factions don’t know anything about the others. This way, when one cell gets busted, they can’t sing to the police even if they wanted to because they know nothing of what goes down in the next cell.”

  “This guy is a pretty sophisticated mobster, huh?”

  “He’s not only sophisticated and smart, he knows what to do with it.”

  “How so?” Sophia asked getting caught up in the song and dance. She realized that it was a huge case that excited Michael. She could tell from his body language that chasing this mobster around was important to him. It was becoming important to her for another reason.

  “This guy is into everything illegal,” Michael said as he hunched his athletic frame over the table. “He’s into extortion, gambling, narcotics and murder,” he continued counting off the list of transgressions on his fingers. “Maruichi’s soldiers operate a hit man scheme where people are paid to kill whoever. The only thing they can’t do is kill one of their own. That’s his job. He takes great pride in disciplining his men who fall out of line. He’s ruthless and he’s been known to kill everyone in the family of those who choose to cooperate with the Feds. That includes next of kin as well.” Michael saw uneasiness written all over Sophia’s face as he continued to speak. “Needless to say, he has fewer rats and that’s the reason we’re having problems hooking this particular big fish,” Michael finished and leaned back. He drank the rest of his wine.

  “Michael, I really don’t know what to make of this. What was Busta’s involvement?”

  “Well, it’s not clear. He worked as a small time enforcer in the eighties under Joey’s captaincy. Then, around ninety-three, he began overseeing some clubs and restaurants for Frankie. The Maruichis have legitimate businesses also,” Michael said and could see the withdrawn look on Sophia’s face. He was sure he had touched a nerve. “What is it, Sophie? You remember something?”

  “Well, when I joined the law firm, Busta’s account was already established,” she began and stopped to think about it for a minute.

  “When did you join the firm?” Michael asked cutting into her ruminations.

  “In July of ninety-eight,” Sophia said with a heavy sigh. “I’m sure it was July of that year because it was right before my twenty-fifth birthday. I remember they threw me a birthday party. That was so really weird since I was still new.”

  “You would remember that,” Michael rejoined. “I know I would too if it happened right before my birthday. Things like that hold sentimental value for me,” Michael said with a soft smile.

  “Yep, when I got there Busta was already a client and I took over his accounts. There were several of them,” Sophia said hugging herself.

  “Is there anyway I can get a peek at his files?” Michael asked and knew immediately what the answer was going to be.

  “Now, Michael, you know you’re asking me to do something illegal,” Sophia scolded.

  “Well, you can see this as sharing of information.”

  “Whatever, Michael. You can go ahead and make it sound nice but it still comes out the same way. You’re asking me to do something illegal while accusing others of doing the same thing. That’s a double standard if I ever heard one,” Sophia said and gave Michael the evil eye. He shrugged it off.

  “So there’s no chance?”

  “Save it, Michael. It’s not going to happen,” Sophia said. She thought about it for a second and added, “I will say this. Everything was on the up and up with the cafes and the night-clubs.”

  “Those places, the restaurants and clubs, were just part of the network. The Maruichis have real estate holdings in Staten Island and the Bronx. They have buildings in Harlem and a couple of auto dealerships that appear legit but they’re crafty,” Michael said and sipped on his third glass of wine.

  Sophia sipped her wine as well. When she glanced around, she saw how the lunch crowd had transformed the place into a busy eatery. Food was not on her mind though. Michael had a purpose and she wanted to know what it was. Was she being investigated also?

  She didn’t want to be direct so she waited for him to mention how she fit into this. Again, she noticed the couples and Eric came to mind. She wanted to call him and see how he was but she waited. Sophia wanted to know what his role was and she knew Michael too well to believe that he had brought her all the way uptown just to talk about Busta. He didn’t know how much of Busta’s business she represented but she was sure he had more to tell. It wasn’t long before she heard him starting to let her in on Busta’s criminal past.

  “The feds began investigating Busta and he knew this. It started out as routine just to investigate his connections,” Michael said and paused to answer his cell phone. It must have been on vibrate, Sophia thought because she hadn’t heard it ring. “All right, I’ll call back, thanks,” he said into the instrument then he returned to her. “Where were we?”

  “You were explaining how the feds were interested in Busta,” Sophia answered while examining the change in Michael’s expression. “Is everything okay?”

  “Yeah, everyth
ing is okay.”

  “Just seems like you were going through some changes during that phone call.”

  “No, it’s the new rookie in my office. She feels compelled to call me on every single detail of a case. It’s like I have no time off since she came on board.”

  “Seems like she likes supervision,” Sophia opined as she fidgeted with the utensils on the table.

  “One of the job requirements is the ability to function without supervision but they liked her and dumped her on me.”

  “Maybe she’s a slow learner?”

  “I’d rather not discuss her. We’re both on the clock,” Michael said looking at the Patek on his wrist. “So where was I? Oh yeah…Now Busta has been under the radar. He was doing things for Maruichi, mostly legal,” Michael smiled wryly as he said, “You know, the clubs and so on.”

  “Uh huh, I know all about his legal investments,” Sophia added with a sarcasm that was totally lost on Michael. He continued undeterred.

  “Recently, Busta called in a favor. It was a hit.” Michael saw Sophia’s mouth gaped in astonishment. “He wanted someone killed. It turns out that this particular hit was carried out by police officers,” Michael said. Sophia slowed him with a raised hand.

  “You mean Busta had a connection on the police force? Someone sworn to serve and protect? They responded to a citizen’s request to murder somebody? Michael, it sounds to me like you’re talking about police corruption and you’re trying to pin it all on a dead man,” Sophia said shaking her head but Michael was not through.

  “Well, it turns out, by strange coincidence that the hit was carried out. As a result, two cops are dead and another man, known as Vulcha was killed. Lil’ Long was supposed to be the intended target.”