The Mike Black Saga Volume 2

by Roy Glenn

  “What up, Freeze!” he yelled over the music. He was a young buck, wearing a wife beater and way too much bling.

  Freeze nodded and Nick put his hand on his gun. “What’s up, Lonnie? You seen Birdie in here tonight?”

  “What you want with him?”

  “I need to talk to him.”

  “What you wanna talk to Birdie about?”

  “What business is that of yours?” Nick asked.

  “Who the fuck are you?”

  “Fuck all that,” Freeze said and got in the man’s face. “Is Birdie here? If he is you go tell him that I wanna talk to him.”

  “Fuck that! You don’t come up in here trying to run shit. The fuck you think you are?” Lonnie yelled.

  Freeze looked at Nick. “There’s always some mutha fucka trying to make rep.”

  “I believe the man asked you a question. He wants to know who the fuck you think you are,” Nick laughed and Freeze punched Lonnie in the face.

  Nick pulled out his guns and covered Freeze as he grabbed the back of Lonnie’s head. Freeze slammed his head face first into the bar.

  “You wanna know who I am?” Freeze slammed his head again. “I’m the mutha fucka that asked you was Birdie here.” He slammed his head again and then Freeze put a gun to his head. “Now, is he here?”

  “What the fuck is going on here?” a man asked as he pushed his way through the crowd.

  Nick pointed a gun in his face, and he put up his hands. Freeze turned and looked at him. His name was Albert Web. He was the brains behind Birdie, and everybody knew it.

  “What’s up Albert?” he asked and let Lonnie go. “I’m looking for Birdie.”

  “He’s not here,” Albert said and looked at Lonnie’s bloody face. “All you had to do was ask.”

  “I did.” Freeze stepped to Albert. “Since he ain’t here, I’ll talk to you.”

  “Follow me. We can talk in my office,” Albert said and walked away. Freeze put away his gun and followed Albert. Nick followed behind them slowly with his guns still drawn.

  Once they reached the office, Albert sat down behind the desk. Freeze and Nick stood in front of him.

  “What can I do for you gentlemen?”

  “I wanted to talk to Birdie about the other night at Cuisine.”

  “Yeah, I’m glad you got there before it got ugly.”

  “I know when he left, he said that she would see him again and she wouldn’t like it. Birdie say anything else about it?”

  “Nah, he just laughed it off. No big deal. Why, she trying to make something more of it?”

  “You know where he was tonight?” Nick asked and leaned over the desk.

  “I haven’t seen him all night. But I can tell you right now, Birdie didn’t mean anything by that. That ain’t even the direction we’re trying to move in. We don’t want any problems between us, Freeze. Problems are bad for business.”

  “You talk to Birdie you tell him I’m waiting to hear from him.”

  Once Freeze and Nick had left the office, Albert sat back in his chair and thought about what just happened. The look on their faces told him that whatever this was it was about more than just the little beef Birdie had with Shy.

  “What has that nigga done now?” he picked up the phone and tried to call Birdie, both at home and on his cell, but got no answer. Albert started to get up, but he picked up the phone and dialed another number. The phone rang five times before it was finally answered.

  “Albert, you know what fuckin’ time it is?” Mylo asked.

  “Of course, I do. Freeze and Nick were just here looking for Birdie. You know what they want? Is something going on that I need to know about?”

  “Slow up, slow up. You say Freeze and Nick came looking for Birdie. They say what they wanted?”

  “Are you listening to what I’m saying? They wanted Birdie. They didn’t say what they wanted, or I wouldn’t be calling you. The only thing Freeze said was about the other night at the club when Birdie and Shy got into it. What happened after we left Mylo?”

  “Nothing happened. Shy chilled out the people that was sitting nearby with free drinks and shit. Me and Freeze left right after ya’ll did.”

  “Did she say anything else about it?” Albert asked.

  “Not to me,” Mylo said. “But Shy don’t talk much to me.”

  “I wouldn’t think so, you are way below her level,” Albert said and tapped his fingers on the desk. “I need to know what’s going on, Mylo. If she wants to make more of this than it was, I need to know.”

  “I’ll see what’s up and call you back,” Mylo promised.

  “I need to know it soon. I don’t need anything fuckin’ up our position. Do you understand what that means?”

  “I ain’t stupid Albert, damn. I know what the fuck it means.”

  “I don’t think you do, so let me break it down for you. You’ve been making big cash with us these last couple of months, so if we get fucked, you get fucked.”

  “I understand,” Mylo said and hung up the phone.

  Albert got up and went into the club. He made his way through the crowd to the bar looking for his men. He found them with two young ladies who were tending to the cut on Lonnie’s face.

  “Can I see the two of you in my office,” he said and walked away.

  Lonnie and Smiley excused themselves from the ladies and made their way through the crowd to Albert’s office. Smiley knocked on the door.

  “It’s open,” Albert yelled from behind his desk. As soon as they closed the door, “What happened out there?” he asked.

  Lonnie took the bloody bar towel away from his face.

  “He said he wanted to see Birdie.”

  “He say what he wanted with him; I mean before he busted your face?”

  “No.”

  Albert looked at Smiley. “Where were you when they were bustin’ his face?”

  Smiley smiled and shrugged his shoulder.

  “They didn’t come over here just to bust your face,” Albert said. “Something is going on. Something big. I need to know what’s going on.”

  “What you want us to do?” Smiley asked.

  “Take him and have someone look at his face,” Albert looked at Lonnie and laughed. “What he do, pistol whip you?”

  “No,” Smiley said quickly. “Freeze grabbed him by the back of his neck and slammed his face into the bar,” he said acting the scene out with his hands.

  Albert shook his head in disgust. “Once you get your face looked at, you two ask around, find out what’s going on and how it involves Birdie. And do it quick. I got a feeling this is gonna be bad for business.”

  Chapter Eight

  Detective Kirkland arrived at his desk ready to start another day, but since he came through the door, he’d had a feeling that something wasn’t quite right. As he made his way through the precinct, it seemed like everyone was talking about him. It was as if something was going on that everybody knew but him, and nobody was willing to tell him.

  He sat down at his desk and picked up a case file. As usual, his partner, Richards wasn’t there yet. Richards was a good cop, had good instincts, but he was always late, and Kirk was getting tired of it.

  Kirk looked around the room; he couldn’t shake the feeling that everybody was whispering about him. He was about to get up and ask somebody when the captain came out of his office to end all the drama. He called Kirk in his usual manner.

  “Kirk! My office now.”

  Kirk got up and made his way to the captain’s office. When half of the detectives stood up, he was sure that something was wrong. “You wanted to see me captain?” Kirk asked as he sat down.

  The captain had a big smile plastered on his face. “Late shift officers from this precinct answered a domestic violence call. When they arrived on the scene, they found a woman badly beaten and shot in the back. Victim was dead when they got there.” The captain paused. “They also found the suspect on the scene, kneeling over the body and the murder weapon with
his prints all over it.”

  “Don’t you just love it when they come to you gift wrapped, captain?” Kirk mused making light of it and wondering what any of that had to do with him.

  “Kirk, the suspect was Mike Black.”

  “You’re kidding?”

  “I’m dead serious,” the captain said.

  “Who was the vic?”

  “His wife, Cassandra Black.”

  “Wow, hold up,” Kirk said and hold up his hand. “You’re saying Black killed his wife?”

  “That’s exactly what I’m saying, Kirk.”

  “What’s he saying? Has anybody questioned him yet?” Kirk said and stood up.

  “Sit down, Kirk,” the captain said, and Kirk slowly reclaimed his seat. “Of course, he said he didn’t do it. Goodson and Harris are on the case.”

  “Goodson and Harris? Those two assholes, you gotta be fuckin’ kidding me,” Kirk said, knowing that Goodson and Harris were famous for cutting corners and at times, just plain sloppy police work.

  “They interrogated him last night.”

  “Last night? Why didn’t you call me?”

  “You know how things work around here; they were up.”

  “Damn it, Gus, you know how long I been waiting to nail this guy.”

  “Luck of the draw, it was you’re night off, they caught the case. Let’s not lose sight of what’s really important here.”

  “What’s that?” Kirk asked.

  “What’s important here is that we finally got his ass,” the captain said enthusiastically.

  “I guess you’re right. I can barely contain myself, I’m so fuckin’ happy.”

  “Look at the bright side, Kirk.”

  “There’s a bright side in this for me?”

  “You mean other than the fact that he’s off the street.”

  “Yeah, Cap, other than that.”

  “You might be able to close some of your old cases.”

  “Yeah, big fuckin’ deal. Damn it, Gus, you still shoulda called me,” Kirk said as he got ready to leave the office, but he stopped at the door. “Can I at least talk to him? Maybe he’ll talk to me.”

  The captain looked at his watch. “You better hurry. He’s being arraigned this morning at nine.”

  Kirk shot his captain a dirty look as he left the office.

  “Thanks.” It was the same dirty look he gave every cop he passed on the way out of the building.

  On the way to the courthouse, Kirk was pissed. He felt that he should have been the one to bring Black in. He had dreamed about that day for years and now it would never happen.

  As he began to calm down a little, he thought about what the captain said about how the officers found Black. The more he thought about it, the more it didn’t make sense to him.

  Why would Black allow himself to be caught at the scene of a murder?

  The Black he knew was smarter than that. He wouldn’t be careless enough to leave the murder weapon with his fingerprints on it laying around for the cops to find. No, it didn’t make sense at all.

  What made the least sense to Kirk was the fact that the victim was his wife.

  Black adored that woman. They always seemed so happy together, so in love with each other. Why would he kill her?

  When Kirk made it to the courthouse, he quickly found out what courtroom Black was being arraigned in and headed in that direction. He arrived in the courtroom and took a seat. He sat through the other cases and laughed at how stupid some of the perps had to be to commit the crimes they been accused of.

  Whatever happened to common sense?

  When he saw Wanda enter the courtroom, he knew they were about to bring Black in. Wanda glanced in his direction and acknowledged his presence. Kirk always had a thing for Wanda, and she was looking exceptionally delicious that day.

  “Docket number 5624. The state versus Mike Black. The charge is murder in the first degree.”

  “Is the defendant represented by council?” the judge asked.

  “Yes, your honor. Wanda Moore for the defense.”

  “The charge is murder in the first degree, how do you plea?”

  “The defendant pleads not guilty, your honor,” Wanda said as she stood by Mike’s side.

  “Remand?” The judge asked.

  “Your honor, the defendant is charged with the brutal beating and murder of his wife. He maintains residences in the Bahamas and Trinidad. The state considers Mr. Black a considerable flight risk. We recommend that he be held without bail,” the prosecutor stated.

  “Ms. Moore?” The judge asked, directing his attention to Wanda.

  “Your honor, my client is innocent of the charges and wants nothing more than to stand and face his accusers,” Wanda said knowing nothing that she said would make any difference at this point. There was very little chance that he would be released on bail.

  Mike turned to Wanda and gave her a, is that the best you got look. Wanda shrugged.

  “I see,” the judge paused and smiled. “I order the defendant be held without bail. Good to see you again, Ms. Moore. Next case.”

  Kirk stood up and left the courtroom as they led Mike away. There was no way he was leaving the courthouse without talking to Black. He talked with a deputy sheriff friend of his and made arrangements to speak with Mike before they took him away.

  Chapter Nine

  Kirk sat alone in a room waiting for the deputies to bring Black in. He couldn’t get past Black getting caught at the scene of a crime with the murder weapon. And not just any crime scene, his wife was beaten and shot to death.

  Black was going to be the main suspect anyway, why make it easy for them by hanging around? Kirk thought. No, this was a story he’d pay money to hear.

  When the door opened, Kirk stood up. When Black saw that it was Kirk that he was being brought to see he almost smiled. Kirk stood by quietly as Mike was handcuffed to the table and the deputy left the room.

  “Good morning, detective,” Mike said as he rubbed his wrist with his free hand.

  “Never expected to see you here.”

  “Neither did I.”

  “And if I did see you here, the only reason would be because I was the one who brought you in.”

  “So, you came here to gloat, detective?” Mike asked.

  “No, Black,” Kirk said as he sat down. “I just wanna know what happened?”

  “I didn’t do it.”

  “Then tell me who did.”

  “I don’t know. Cassandra was dead when I got there.”

  “I hear the case is a slam dunk.”

  “But it’s not.”

  “I don’t know about that, Black. Goodson tells me that you’re a done deal.”

  “Come on, Kirk. You know as well as I do that Goodson couldn’t find pussy in a ho house.”

  “Oh, I don’t know about that, this one sounds pretty solid. I hear they found you covered in blood at the scene, murder weapon’s registered to you, sounds like a slam dunk to me.”

  Mike leaned forward quickly. “I didn’t kill her!”

  “Then tell me what happened!” Kirk shouted back.

  Mike sat back in his chair and took a deep breath, then proceeded to tell his story. “I had just got back from Miami.”

  “What were you doing there?”

  “I had business there.”

  “Wait a minute, you want me to run out and find Wanda?” Kirk stood up. “She needs to be here.”

  “No!” Mike said and Kirk stopped. “Sit down, detective, Wanda has work to do.”

  “Fine by me.” Kirk sat down. “You said that you went to Miami.” Kirk took out a pad and began to take notes. “Did you go by yourself?”

  “No, Nick was with me.”

  “What time did you get back here?” Kirk asked.

  “About ten.”

  “Exactly,” Kirk demanded.

  “Ten minutes til ten.”

  “Somebody pick you up or did you drive there?”

  “Nick drove.”
/>   “He park at the airport?”

  “He drove to the airport and parked his car in long term parking. I don’t remember the space number.”

  “That’s okay; I can find that out easy enough. What kind of car was it?”

  “Black Cadillac XLR.”

  “Nice. Yours?”

  “Nick’s.”

  “You remember what time you parked it?”

  “Tuesday, around nine in the morning.”

  “So, you caught a flight to Miami. Ticket in your name?”

  “Can’t fly without ID, detective.”

  “Not that getting fake ID would be a real problem for you, but we’ll skip that for now. You say you and Nick got back here at ten minutes to ten. What you do then?”

  “I called Cassandra to tell her that I was back and that I was on my way. Than Nick took me home.”

  “You go straight there?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Didn’t stop anywhere. How was traffic?”

  “We didn’t stop anywhere, and traffic wasn’t bad for that time of night. We got there a little after eleven.”

  “You sure about the time?”

  “Yes.”

  “How can you be so sure,” Kirk asked and took notes.

  “I remember when I got in the house the news was on.”

  “Where did you find the body?”

  “In the kitchen.”

  “Was she dead when you found her?”

  “Yes.”

  “What happened then?”

  “The cops came.”

  “Where were you?”

  “In the kitchen, holding her.” Mike dropped his head. “I didn’t kill her,” he said without looking at Kirk.

  Kirk looked at Mike; it was obvious to him that he was hurting over what happened.

  Maybe he’s telling the truth, Kirk thought.

  For him the realization that Black might be innocent was a bitter-sweet pill for Kirk to swallow. On the one hand, here sitting before him in handcuffs, was the man that he’d been trying to lock up for years. On the other hand, Kirk was a cop; a good cop. He had sworn an oath to uphold the law and protect the rights of citizens. If Black wasn’t guilty, then it was his obligation to investigate, and if the facts say he’s innocent then he’s innocent. Kirk took a deep breath.