by Kyle West
Rome snaps, "Hold up! Hold up! Fuck that two more shit! I let that slide three times now. You tryin’ to say I popped Jesse?!"
McKenna snaps back, "Is that what I said?!"
"No motherfucka, but that's what you're thinking! Just ask me! I'll tell you if I did! Don't be a bitch about it!"
McKenna throws his hands up, "I'm not gonna ask you! That's your business! It doesn't even matter now! Fuck it! Here drink, drink!" Rome slaps the glass of 7&7 that McKenna is pushing towards him off the table, onto the floor.
An angry Rome says, "Look Greg, I'm gonna tell you. I'm fuckin' kind of spooked out about all this shit right about now! I feel like behind every tree and bush there's someone from Intelligence with a fifty caliber Black Talon Rifle aimed right at our fuckin' heads man! Sorry about the drink man, but we gotta grab this cash and jet! No bloodlust shit here, but Jesse’s wife and her brother, we gotta put them down! McKenna takes a moment to respond, "Look. We'll do what we have to do. How ‘bout that?"
McKenna picks up his drink, "Oh, and Keith ain't Vivian's brother, he's Jesse's brother."
Rome, with a confused look on his face, says in a low voice, "Jesse's brother and how much you wanna bet he knew about that money before Jesse got whacked? That's why we moved on them tonight ‘cause they would've been long gone by morning." McKenna takes a moment to think, then softly says to Rome, "We'll do what we have to do…and you owe me a drink motherfucker."
3:45 am
Back at the Westin Hotel, Vivian, Keith and Starr are in the hotel room, sitting at the dining table, playing the card game Five-hundred. Starr and Keith are having a few beers. Vivian is shuffling the cards…"If you're from Philly like me, you play Spades, Tonk and Five-hundred…not Solitaire. I ain't met anybody 'cept my momma that can beat me at Five-hundred!" Vivian says to the two men, "You guys want to make a little wager? Let's play for nickels."
Keith who is puffing on a cigarette, responds, "When you say nickels you mean 'five spots', right? Five dollars?"
"Do you know what a nickel is?"
Starr reaches to grab the cards, to cut the deck and says to a laughing Keith, "C'mon, playa. You and me. Five card stud. Deuces wild, twenty dollars ante up." He deals the cards to Keith.
Keith says to Vivian, "Sit back and watch a real card game, with real stakes!"
As Starr deals the cards to Keith, Vivian notices Starr's cufflinks and says, "Those are beautiful cufflinks. Jesse had a pair just like them." "24-carat white gold. Gold Wings is what they're called. President Clinton himself gave us these. All of us on the (M.I.C.O. military) team got a pair." He shows Vivian his left wrist so she can get a glimpse of the cufflinks more closely. Vivian is uncomfortable with Starr reaching towards her, jumps back. After a second or two, she relaxes a bit and leans over to look at the cufflinks.
"Jesse never wore his. He kept them stored away like they were medals."
Remembering Jesse for that brief second made Vivian upset. She gets up from the table and walks over to the living room area to sit on the sofa.
Meanwhile Keith and Starr are playing their game of poker. As they play, Starr asks Keith questions about how Jesse was growing up. "Was Jesse a damn know-it- all even as a kid?"
“Most definitely"
Starr asks more questions and Keith gives basic one-worded answers, and never makes eye contact with Starr. After about five minutes of questions, and non-responsive answers, Starr grows angry at Keith's disinterest and non-participation in his conversation.
Keith snaps in a profane outburst, "Look, dude! I don't wanna discuss Jesse with you!
Just leave it alone, man!"
Starr, who has consumed about four beers by now and is slightly drunk, picks up his pistol from the dining table, points it in Keith's face and says, "Who you think you're fucking talkin' to man? I will take your ass out right here! I don't give a fuck…try me!" Starr stands up from the dining table and continues, "I've been wanting a reason to empty a clip in your slimy ass!" He jams his pistol into Keith's forehead. A terrified Vivian jumps up, turns around and slowly walks over to the men. In a soft voice, so as to calm Starr down, Vivian says to Starr, "What Keith is trying to say is that we loved Jesse a lot and that it hurts to talk about him right now, with anybody you can understand that can't you? No offense, but we definitely do not want
to talk about Jesse with you or your friends. So please, put the gun away. It’s almost morning, let's relax and be ready for your friend when he gets here." Vivian continues, "C'mon guys, game over. You both can use a little nap, c’mon." Vivian takes two pillows from the sofa and throws a pillow to both Keith and Starr to get comfortable wherever they will rest.
Starr did not try to catch the pillow, which hits him in the side of the head, which he is oblivious to. Staring at Keith, Starr quickly grabs his beer off the table, turns and walks to the sofa. Vivian takes a deep breath and says to Keith, "Good, good. Now you."
Keith with an attitude snaps, "I ain't tired." As he gets comfortable in one of the dining area chairs and takes a sip from his beer.
Starr kicks his feet up on the glass coffee table and takes out his eight-inch hunting knife out of his boot, sticking it deep into the couch cushion. Vivian walks over to Keith and whispers to him, "Y'know that's like his sixth beer. There is nothing worse than a maniac like him with a gun in his hand, a butcher knife by his side and a six pack in his belly."
Keith quickly whispers, "Vivian if he gets real juiced up, be ready to take off."
Vivian disagrees with that plan and tells Keith, "No, just go tell him to quit drinking!
I don't want to have to be looking over my shoulder for these psychos for the rest of my life Keith. Just tell him we ran out of liquor or something."
Keith responds, "Ain't no days like that. You see that 13mm German Glock he got on his lap? He can add the scope on that mutha too. I'm staying right here on the other side of the room from him."
Starr is sitting on the couch watching TV. Keith continues, "Look how he holds that thing. Two-finger grip, not three. That's a military grip. You have to have strong hands to shoot a gun like that. If you don't, the gun will jump up and jack you right in your face."
Vivian says, "Um. A gun can't jump."
Keith corrects himself and says, "Kick. I mean kick. You know what I meant." Vivian sarcastically smiles as she turns and walks to the kitchen to get a glass of water.
4:00 am
Back at Rick’s, McKenna and Rome are sitting at their table as the club manager passes by and says, "Alright guys. Closing up shop! Your wives are waiting!"
Rome looks at his watch and says, "Hey, it’s only four? I thought you was open to five tonight? What's up with that?"
Rick’s manager tells Rome, "Night got slow, shutting it down early. Your last drinks are on me, buddy!"
Rome is upset. McKenna tells Rome how tired he is and tells him to get ready to leave. Rome seems to be preoccupied with something else. McKenna says to him, "Hey, wake up! I'm talking to you!"
Rome responds, "Oh, sorry man, I'm just feelin' good."
McKenna says, "Let's get out of here before they lock us in here." McKenna lays ninety dollars on the table as the two men get up to leave.
Rome tosses McKenna the keys to the Suburban and says, "Check it. You see that fine ass sista over there? She slipped me the numbers earlier. I'm gonna go see what that’s all about. I'll meet you at the hotel a little later ‘G’." As he looks at his watch.
McKenna tells Rome, "Jerome it's late, c’mon man. We have work to take care of… Your dick is just gonna have to starve tonight. Plus I had too much to drink, I need you to drive."
Rome responds, "Like I didn't?! I drank your ass under the table tonight! Just roll the damn windows down and blast the radio. You'll be cool, you're a big boy! I'm out!"
As Rome walks away, McKenna shouts, "Alright, if I run into a fucking telephone pole, I'm gonna haunt your skinny ass 'til you die! Do not be late getting back in the morning!
Jerome, do not be late!" McKenna waves his hand in frustration at Rome, who is now walking out the front door of Ricks'.
Chapter 13
4:20 am
Back at the Westin, in the hotel room, Keith is trying the best he can to get comfortable in the dining room chair.
After a minute of fidgeting he stands up. As he stretches out his back and neck, he looks over and notices that Starr has fallen asleep with his gun in one hand, and a bottle of beer in the other. The TV is on ESPN Sports Center, with no sound playing. Keith decides he wants to take the gun away from Starr. He slowly and carefully lurches towards the couch, then turns around and goes back to the dining table to pick up an empty beer bottle to hit Starr with in case he wakes up. Keith approaches Starr on the couch with the bottle held high above his head. As Keith gets one step away from Starr, Vivian comes out of the kitchen with a cup of coffee and whispers loudly, trying not to wake Starr, "Keith!" He is startled and steps back from the still sleeping Starr.
Keith skips over to Vivian to tell her to keep quiet. She loudly whispers to
"Are you out of your mind?!"
Keith continues the whispers to Vivian, "Grab your things and let’s go! C'mon!"
Vivian grabs the bottle from Keith and says, "What the hell are you thinking?! Those other guys are probably still downstairs in front of the hotel for all we know!" Keith grabs Vivian by the arm and tells her, "Look, we need to get out of here, now! Vivian, what if we can't find that money tomorrow? We gotta get the hell outta here!"
"And go where?! Explain all of this to the police? To Roussel? Forget it! If Jesse put that money somewhere safe, together we should all be able to find it! So that these psychos can be out of my life for good! No, we're stayin' right here so we can get this all over with!"
Keith doesn't respond.
Vivian looks over at Starr, who is still fast asleep. His once perfectly pressed Armani suit is one huge wrinkled mess. A half empty bottle of beer has mostly spilled in Starr's lap. Vivian turns to Keith and with a disgusted look on her face, sarcastically says, "Look. This is what protects our country."
Keith then asks Vivian how she feels. "I'm tired, but there's no way I can sleep. Especially with this nut case up in here. I won't lie though. I’ve been dyin' to get in that Jacuzzi. That thing is the size of a small lake!"
Keith comments, "Well, we do have two hours 'til we gotta leave. Go relax in the Jacuzzi, I'll be out here with this dude. Don't worry."
Vivian smiles and walks towards the bathroom, passing Starr on the couch. Vivian suddenly stops and loudly whispers back to Keith, "Make sure he don't come nowhere near the bathroom. And don't start no fight with him either. Just leave him be!" Keith assures Vivian that Starr will not disrupt her Jacuzzi bath. Vivian continues into the bathroom, closing and locking the door. Keith walks over to the bedroom area of the spacious hotel room, and lays down on the bed. The room phone rings, Keith quickly sits up, looks at the alarm clock, which reads 4:22 am. He looks around to see if Starr has awakened or if Vivian comes out of the bathroom as he answers the phone.
It’s Rome on the phone. He is calling from a pay phone on Bourbon Street. He tells Keith, "Yo, put my man on the phone." Keith tells him that Starr is asleep.
Rome snaps, "Wake him up motherfucka!"
Keith looks over at Starr and shouts, "Hey, my man! You up?! Phone!" Starr doesn't respond. Keith puts the phone down on the bed and goes over to wake Starr up, shaking him.
Meanwhile Vivian is still in the bathroom, she cuts off the Jacuzzi jets and soaks in the tub. She reaches for a towel on the towel rack to cover her hair. In doing so she knocks the bathroom phone extension off the hook. As she picks up the phone from the white marble bathroom floor, just about to hang the phone up, Vivian hears Keith on the phone with Rome.
She decides to listens in on their conversation.
After a minute of Keith trying to convince Rome that Starr is sound asleep, Rome says, "Yo, so my boy here told me that you are Jesse’s brother. Yea! All this time I thought you was
Vivian's brother! Is that right?"
Keith simply responds, "Yeah."
Rome again asks, "So again, you ain’t Vivian's brother, your Jesse's brother right!"
"Look, when your boy wakes up, I'll tell him to call you."
"You from St. Louis?" Keith doesn't respond.
Rome adds, "Damn, you don't even sound like you from 'The Loo'. I went to Vashon (HS) back in St. Louis."
Keith responds, "Cool. Cool."
Rome continues, "I was two years behind Jesse, he went to Vashon too. Oh damn, you already know that you're his brother, right? I swore I heard you say you was Vivian's brother when we first met. I'm damn sure of that."
"Anything else you want, man? Your boy ain't waking up,” Vivian is still on the phone extension in the bathroom, listening to Keith and Rome's conversation.
Rome continues, "So you and Jesse lived on Biddle (St). Carr Square right? I know Jesse lived on Biddle St., 1808 Biddle. I lived at 1802 Biddle, in St. Louis M-O! Yeah, two doors down from Jesse. And I'm gonna tell you something else. Jesse had two fine ass sisters, Tammy and Mona, but no damn brother, not a goddamn one!"
Keith remains quiet. Vivian is still listening in the bathroom, is stunned at what she has just heard. She tries not to splash water in the Jacuzzi, or make any noise for Keith and Rome to overhear.
Keith responds, "Man, you don't know what the hell you're talking about."
Rome responds, "I know exactly what the fuck I'm talking about! I grew up with Jesse Baylor! Dated his sister, played ball with him since I was ten. He got me in the service when I was fuckin' up after high school! Jesse Baylor was damn near my brother, so motherfucka tell me who did you say you are?"
Back in the bathroom, Vivian carefully and quietly hangs up the phone, panicking.
Wrapped in nothing but a towel, she quickly rushes over to the bathroom door, making sure its locked. Vivian then rushes to the window to see if she can climb out to escape. Opening the window she is quickly reminded that she is on the fifth floor. Vivian is now wondering who Keith really is! She frantically looks around the bathroom for a weapon, an escape, a solution, something!
Keith is still on the phone with Rome. Keith is trying to keep his voice down so as not to wake Starr or alert Vivian to what is going on. Keith tells Rome, "Alright! Alright! So what, man! What difference does it make who I am. Vivian trusts me and has already told me where Jesse hid the money, that's all that counts!"
Vivian is still in the bathroom and after a few minutes of quiet panic, rushes to the bathroom door. She puts her ear to the door in order to hear what Keith is saying. She overhears him say, "Alright! Damn, I heard you! I heard you! I'm on my way! Fifteen minutes."
Vivian's face tells how scared and shocked she is after a few seconds of trying to understand what is going on. She hurriedly starts getting dressed. A few seconds later, there is desperate, but soft knock on the bathroom door. Vivian again rushes over to make sure the door is locked.
Keith whispers through the door to Vivian, "Hey, it’s me. You alright in there?"
Vivian is not about to open the door for Keith after hearing his conversation with
Rome, so she nervously responds through the door, "What is it? I'm not dressed."
"Just checking on you. I'll be back. I'm just going down to the lobby. Be back in a minute. Dude with the gun is still asleep. Stay in the bathroom 'til I get back if you can." A terrified Vivian doesn't respond. She is so scared that she's not worried about Starr one bit.
Keith again asks if Vivian is okay.
With a quiver in her voice, she answers, "Damn, can't I take a bath in peace?" Keith again lets Vivian know that he is stepping out. Vivian again with her ear pressed against the bathroom door, hears Keith leave the hotel room and lock the door. She unlocks, and slowly opens the bathroom door. Dressed in her jeans and bra, she peeks out into the room and sees Starr still asleep on the couch. She then shuts and locks the bathroom
door again as she throws on her shirt and shoes. Vivian is now ready to escape. She hurriedly finishes dressing and grabs the bathroom phone to make a call, but notices that the bathroom phone has no dial pad. She hangs the phone up and thinks to get to her cell phone on the dining room table.
Vivian then quietly and slowly unlocks the bathroom door again. Now ready to just rush out of the hotel room, she quickly swings the bathroom door open, only to find Starr standing right in front of the bathroom doorway.
Vivian goes into shock! She is unable to scream! With a look of terror in her eyes, Vivian starts backing away from the doorway. Starr slowly walks into the bathroom towards Vivian calmly saying, "Where is Keith?" Vivian trips over and onto the toilet seat. Now sitting, she starts to hyperventilate…Vivian suffers from asthma.
Starr stands in front of her and in his best soothing voice says, "Breathe. Breathe deeply. Relax. That's it. It's okay. Where the fuck is Keith?" Vivian bent over towards the floor and is gasping for air, tries in vain to speak! She turns to reach for her asthma
inhaler, which is on the sink. Starr notices it, grabbing the inhaler first.
With Vivian's asthma inhaler in his hand, Starr calmly asks, "Vivian, it looks like you need this medicine here. I need to know where Keith is. Let's help each other out here."
Vivian, still gasping for air, pulls on Starr's arm for her inhaler. She is turning blue!
She cannot answer Starr which makes him frustrated and angry. The hotel phone rings,
Starr looks at the bathroom phone and sharply tells Vivian, "Pick up the phone. Pick it up!" Vivian is about to pass out and falls to the floor. Starr, cursing under his breath, steps
over Vivian and answers the phone. It’s McKenna calling to see if there is any trouble.
Starr tells him, "Just chilling Greg. Watching movies, playing cards, man. Everything is good." Starr doesn't tell McKenna that Keith has slipped out. He then tosses Vivian's inhaler onto her lap. She quickly takes her medicine which gives her immediate relief.
