After rushing back upstairs, she lifted both of Jada’s windows so the room could start to air out. She then sprayed damn near an entire can of air freshener in the room. After that she asked for her cousin’s car keys so she could park her car down the block.
Before she left the room, Jewels said, “Did anyone see you do that shit? I mean, you know if they can ID you, it’s only a matter of time before they come this way.” She then thought about herself and all the stolen goods inside the house. “Oh shit. Damn, bitch. You done messed around and made us all hot over some dick you ain’t never had, not once. And you do realize they said that old woman is dead, don’t you? Dead as in ain’t coming back and your ass going to jail!”
“Girl, bye. Ain’t nobody about to go to jail.”
In the middle of Jewels’s next rant, Jada reassured her cousin that she had not been seen at the scene of the crime and that Jewels could relax. But hours later, Jewels was wide awake, looking up at the ceiling fan and thinking she heard police cars pulling up, with officers ready to kick the door outta the frame. Jada, on the other hand, was snoring, sleeping just like an innocent baby.
Chapter 23
The crack of dawn and Kalif were no strangers. Like clockwork, he was up for morning prayer and, since he was fasting now, a light workout. For Kalif and his team, there was no question about their newest mission. They wanted to rock out with the CD pills. From all accounts, they’d be semi rich by summer’s end, all driving good. Kalif’s only hope was that Allah would protect them and bless their hustle.
After his workout, Kalif placed a call to Nieem, who he trusted was up for Fajr as well. When Nieem answered, Kalif excitedly informed him that he wanted to meet as soon as possible. Nieem did not want talk on the phone in great detail, so he asked Kalif to swing by the gas station right away, before the sun came all the way up. Promptly, Kalif did as requested. When he pulled up at the gas station, there was no signs of any panhandlers, which was good for them and their well-being, not his. Before he got out of the truck, his cell phone rang. When he held the phone up, he saw that it was Jada calling.
Well, I guess she is finished playing them female games and is ready to explain why she felt the need to run away like a thief in the night, he thought. “I’ma hear her out, because I want her to make some money with this CD shit too. She deserves to win. She done put in work in the trenches. But now is not the time for me to listen. He let the call go to voicemail and made a mental note to call her back later.
After he was welcomed into Nieem’s office with open arms and an Islamic greeting, Kalif let it be known that the testers he and his crew had passed out were fire and already had the streets talking. Nieem was pleased, and so they discussed the terms of their new arrangement at great length. Neither Nieem nor Kalif wanted any misunderstandings to hinder them when things got to pumping. Most great things folded over a slight misunderstanding, something that should have been brought to the table before the venture even started. There would be none of that. This association between the two men would run smoothly and would be beneficial to all involved. Nieem offered his suggestions on how to distribute the product, but Kalif had his own ideas on how to get the job done. Realizing that Kalif or his people would be the ones on the front lines, Nieem yielded and accepted Kalif’s blueprint.
“Now we need to find common ground on the price. One we can both live with,” Nieem then announced. He was pleased with how things had gone so far, and he expected this part of the deal to be cut and dry.
“I guess it’s pretty much up to you to tell me how much you want a pill, and then I can tax in the streets what I need to make sure my people eat and it’s worth their risk,” Kalif replied. He took out his cell and hit the calculator app. “So, um, how much?”
Nieem wanted to get Kalif’s foot in the door. He liked Kalif and wanted him to do well. In reality, the pills he had access to were plentiful and were extremely cheap to make. Even after having them shipped in from Syria or Saudi Arabia, where they were going for five to twenty dollars a pop, he was only paying pennies on the dollar. So anything over one dollar meant he would at the very least double his money. However, no matter how much he liked Kalif, he wasn’t going tell him that. At the end of the day, this was still business. “So since we are just getting going, let’s say that you give me two dollars a pill. How does that sound to you?”
Kalif was elated right off the bat. He was expecting the cost would be way more than that. And if he was going through a middleman, and a black one at that, the price he would get would be triple the cost. “Okay. That’s cool with me. Definitely not a problem on my end.”
“And I know you have your own plan how to get them out into the streets, but as your business partner, can I make a suggestion?”
“Of course.” Kalif was eager to hear what Nieem had to say.
Nieem went under his desk. He then placed a box of off-brand tampons in front of Kalif and asked him to open it. Although puzzled as to why, Kalif played along and did as he was asked. Once the box was open, Kalif then took out one of the tampons. Nieem then instructed him to tear off the wrapper. Awkwardly, Kalif peeled off the thin paper around the tampon.
“What the fuck,” Kalif exclaimed as pills spilled everywhere.
“Yes, son, in the future open each one over a shoebox or a deep bowl. It’s much easier to contain them that way.”
Kalif was amazed as he tried his best to scoop up the small pills. “This is crazy.”
“So my suggestion is this. For a short time only, you offer one pill for eight dollars and two for twelve dollars on a quick flip. If you do sell them one by one, that’s a six-dollar profit on each pill after my cut. Each box has forty tampons, with a hundred fifty pills inside each tampon. That’s twelve thousand dollars a box you will owe me. You can figure out your cash on your end later. As long as I get my payment each week, I’m good.”
Kalif still thought the play and the possibilities were good. There was no front money, just making money. “All right, then.” He reached for the box, ready to hit the streets.
“No, no, this is not for you. My people are waiting in the front for you. I have a whole case of twenty-four of these boxes ready for them to carry to your truck for you. That’s two hundred eighty-eight K in total you will owe me when this is completed. Just make sure you store them in a cool place.” Nieem reached for his cane so he could stand to his feet and shake Kalif’s hand and thus seal their new partnership. “Don’t let me down.”
“I won’t, Nieem. And thanks for the vote of confidence. Now let me go out here, hit the streets, and make us both some money.” Kalif’s head was always held high when he walked. But now his stride would be different. He’d just officially crossed over on his way to becoming a true legendary kingpin of Detroit. It was his time to shine. This was a moment he’d been waiting for, for a very long time, practically since birth.
* * *
Jada was wide awake. She was used to waking up while Kalif said his morning prayers, and she knew this would be a habit hard to break. Having come back to her normal self, she thought about what she’d done the day before. Whereas she hadn’t been concerned about her actions then, she was now. She had not had this type of episode for years and was in denial. Now that she was no longer hyped, the thought that she was solely responsible for an old woman’s death was fucking with her.
It wasn’t her style to let anyone get under her skin and get a reaction, but Stacy and her friends had caught her at the wrong time, when she was feeling hurt and vulnerable. Kalif had her going crazy, the way he was ignoring her, as if she meant no more to him that a speck of dirt on the ground. She didn’t know what it was about him that she loved so much. After all, he was self-centered, self-serving, and had never once shown her affection she yearned for. Now, if the truth came out about the fire, the bottom line was that her cousin Jewels was right. It would not only make the entire household as hot as the Fourth of July, but it would mean that Jada had thrown away her e
ntire life and probably her freedom in the process.
Jada was fucked up and had fucked up. She wanted to call Kalif for advice on what to do next, but she knew from his actions that he had stopped giving a damn about her. Swallowing her pride, she decided that she had nothing to lose by calling him. Despite it all, he was the only person whose opinion she trusted, and she knew he would advise her well on what she should do next. After picking up her cell, she dialed Kalif’s number. His phone rang and rang as she held her breath in anticipation of hearing his voice. But she was met by his voicemail. Knowing how many times the phone rung, she surmised that he’d disregarded her call on purpose.
After watching the sun come all the way up, she turned on the morning news. Jada prayed the reporter from the night before had been mistaken. That the old woman had actually pulled through and even that Stacy’s bitch ass was okay. After a few words about the threat of heavy rain showers today and a commercial break, the local news was up. The tragic deadly fire was again the top headline story. When she saw the house on the TV screen, Jada felt such guilt that it was as if her head might explode. Then a picture of the deceased elderly victim flashed across the screen. Next, an interview with the fire chief indicated that not only had it been determined that the cause of the fire was arson, but that they also had a person of interest they wanted to interview. The news reporter promised to make the images of that person available to the general public as soon as possible.
Jada didn’t know what to do or say next. The only thing she could do was pray that this person was not her, even though deep down inside, she knew she was cooked.
Chapter 24
Jada was depressed. Like her cousin was the night before, she was terrified each time she heard a car drive down the street or noticed sounds she didn’t recognize. As careful as she felt she had been, she knew she hadn’t been in her right mind when followed Stacy and then set her house on fire. Pacing back and forth in her bedroom, Jada went from window to window. Finally, she stopped and looked out. She was far from a dummy, and she felt in her heart that she was going to go to jail in the long run. Not wanting to spend the rest of her life locked up, Jada started devising another plan, a plan of freedom and escape.
After taking from under the bed the same duffel bags she had packed her belongings in back at the hotel, a panicked Jada gathered a few more items. Then she put the bags near the door. She went over to her secret stash, retrieved all the money she had saved the past few months, and put it in her purse. The two glass mason jars she saved loose change in were also placed by the door. Not knowing how much cash she would need on hand while she was on the run, Jada grabbed the purple Crown Royal bag she kept her jewelry in. She’d pawn it all if necessary for her survival.
Okay. Damn. Think, Jada. Think! What else do a bitch need to get? Shit. I know I’m forgetting something.
Her eyes quickly scanned the room for anything else she needed or wanted. She knew there was no way she’d ever return here, so it was now or never. After she walked out the front door, this house would be a wrap. If the police eventually found out it was she who had started the fire that had burned up the old lady, sooner or later they’d find their way to the crib where she laid her head. So she knew she had to hide and hide well. Like Kalif had always told her, “Never, ever help the police do they jobs. Let the lying motherfuckers work for it and earn they paychecks.”
With her bags in hand and a bonnet on her head, Jada went out in the hallway and dragged her bags to the top of the stairs. Then she ducked back inside her bedroom and got her purse, which she zipped up, but not before stuffing inside it a few bags of ultraexpensive Malaysian weave and a few of her favorite wigs. Back in the hallway, Jada was interrupted by Jewels’s bedroom door opening. And then TayTay’s too. Both women glanced at Jada, and the looks on both of their faces gave the impression that they’d seen not one, but two ghosts.
“Why y’all looking at me like that?” Jada squeaked. “I can’t stay here. What if they find out it was me that did that dumb shit?”
“Girl, you ain’t gotta worry about maybe if they find out, ’cause they have found out. Well, at least they think they have.” Jewels had tears forming in her eyes. Her heart was breaking for her cousin, as she knew what Jada had to face.
TayTay finally chimed in, just as shocked as Jewels was. “Jada, why would you do something like that? I can’t believe it!”
“Okay, y’all. I know I fucked up. I know I did. But that’s why I’m about to be out before that shit hits the fan. My bags are packed and everything.”
Jewels took Jada by the hand and led her back into her bedroom. TayTay was close behind, shaking her head. “Cuz, you might wanna sit down for this,” Jewels told Jada. Then she fell silent
Wide eyed, the wannabe fugitive waited for Jewels to say more. When she didn’t, Jada blurted, “Well, what’s the deal? I gotta get going.”
Jewels showed Jada her cell phone. “Do you see this? It’s all on the news and on damn Facebook. It ain’t hard to make your damn face out in this photo. My phone been ringing ever since this shit was posted a few minutes ago. They all telling me this picture look just like you!”
Reality set in. Jada could do nothing other than agree. It was indeed a picture of her at the gas station out near Stacy’s house. She had her baseball cap pulled down some, but those who knew her could easily identify the person in the picture. Between the news and social media, she had to come to terms with the fact that there was nowhere she could run and hide. She was that person of interest the police wanted to talk to. Jada, Jewels, and TayTay all cried, knowing all three of their lives would be forever changed, just as Stacy and her old granny’s lives had been.
About twenty minutes later, Jewels called a lawyer they would always use when they got knocked for shoplifting, and he suggested that they meet him at his office. Jada knew he would advise her to go voluntarily to the police station and clear things up. After the call, Jada dragged her bags back into her room, and then the young fire starter braced herself for the inevitable. She deactivated both her Facebook and Instagram pages. She then gave all her money to Jewels for the lawyer’s fees. After that, she ran hot water in the tub, with plenty of bubbles included, and submerged herself. Closing her eyes, she exhaled, enjoying what would probably be the last bath she took for many years to come.
* * *
Hakim was devastated. He had been at the hospital damn near all night, surrounded by Stacy’s family and friends, all of whom were in shock. This type of thing was inconceivable. It was dreadful enough that a fire had claimed the life of Granny Erma and had Stacy fighting for her life, but finding out that the inferno was not an accident was more than anyone could take. Everyone racked their brains, but no one could come up with a person would be so mean spirited and cruel as to commit such a heinous act.
Exhausted and drained, the weary boyfriend finally made it back home. After receiving a call about the fire from one of Stacy’s friends the night before, he had run out the house with one shoe on and the other in his hand. He’d raced across town to the hospital, several times coming close to getting into an accident, trying to make it to Stacy’s side as soon as possible. As he’d bolted through the doors of the emergency room, Hakim had thought about verses from both the Koran and the Bible. He just wanted God to bless them with a miracle and spare Stacy’s life. When he’d found out that she was at least stable, but still unconscious, Hakim had rushed home to shower, change clothes, grab something to eat, and then he had headed back to be at Stacy’s side. He’d stayed at the hospital until nearly dawn, and now he was back home again. He walked into the kitchen and found his mother there.
“Hey, son. How is she?” Fatima asked as she held one of the twins closely in her arms.
“Mom, it’s bad. It’s really bad. Her grandmother is gone. She didn’t make it. And Stacy’s hands are burned really badly. And her leg. You know she has asthma, so of course, her breathing is an issue from all that smoke she inhaled trying
to get her grandmother out. Man, I just can’t believe it!”
“I can’t imagine how Stacy is feeling . . . and her family. I’m praying for all of them for their loss. It’s been all over the news, on every channel, since last night. They said they have a person of interest and will be releasing their picture this morning sometime.”
“I know. The police was down at the hospital, interviewing everyone.”
* * *
“Well, go get some rest. You look like you really need it. We’ll know more soon.”
Hakim took his mother’s advice and grabbed a few hours’ sleep. When he came back downstairs around noon, he found Fatima in the living room. She turned on the news. Of course the fire was still the lead story. Pictures of the house, Stacy’s grandmother, and Stacy in her cap and gown, seeing how she was only weeks away from graduating and going to the prom, flashed on the TV screen. The next picture they showed had Hakim dropping his jaw. He squinted. He was puzzled. He thought back to the other day in the backyard. This person of interest was almost a carbon copy of the girl Kalif had had with him that day. Sure, this female on television had on a baseball cap and no makeup, but she still looked familiar.
“What the hell? Mom, do you see this? That’s that girl!”
“What girl, Hakim?” Fatima stared at the picture on the television screen.
“That same ratchet girl Kalif had with him the other day. That’s her. I’m sure it is! I’m confused. Why would she even know where Stacy lives? And why would she have a problem with her? I don’t understand.”
Since Fatima had stayed upstairs during Kalif’s surprise visit and had not gotten a close look at Jada, she assumed that Hakim was mistaken. But before she could tell him that, Hakim received a text from one of his classmates. It was a screenshot from a Facebook post. Underneath the same picture Hakim and his mother had just seen on television were comments about how the alleged arsonist looked like someone named Jada. That solidified it for Hakim. His brother’s girlfriend had set Stacy’s house on fire. And Hakim could only think that Kalif had put her up to doing it, since he still blamed Stacy for urging Hakim to denounce Islam, which he loved so much.
Carl Weber's Kingpins Page 17