The Aftermath

by Anna J.

  “Well, it’s shit like that that I need to know. That man had major chips, and I know she walked away with a nice piece of it.”

  “Maybe you should write a list of questions so I know what to ask her specifically. That eight you gave me ain’t covering any detective work.”

  “Well, what it cover?”

  “Good pussy, nigga. Who fucking you like I do? The information you want I can definitely get, but what do I get out of it?”

  “What you talking? Chips?” I was trying to decide if it was worth the money and aggravation. It only took me three seconds to decide it was.

  “Major chips, but for right now we have some unfinished business.”

  I knocked Yoyo off real quick and left. She was upset because we were supposed to be spending the weekend together, but she cheered her ass right up after I promised her a shopping spree. On the real, I had to get back on the block. I totally trusted my right hand man, but just like with me and Rico, a dude got to watch his back because your main man will be the first to do you in. Now that I knew what’s good with this Monica chick, I needed something to get Judge Stenton off my damn back.

  I pulled up to one of my many safe houses about a half hour later, and apparently right on time. Walking into a heated debate between my main man, Jesus, also known as The God, and his man, Hector, I just took a seat at the table and let them continue as I tried to piece together what was happening.

  “That nigga’s a fuckin’ rat.”

  “All I’m saying is how the hell that same nigga keep coming up short? Think about it, man.”

  “You know the block he on is slow. Especially since Rico got knocked.”

  “Slow ain’t got shit to do with counting chips. He’s either taking off the top, or he smoking the supply.”

  I listened to them go back and forth while I grabbed a glass of juice. I made it a rule to always let them handle their own problems, but I knew if I allowed them to continue someone would be lying in blood and I wasn’t in the mood.

  “So, what exactly happened? Who’s the problem?” I asked both men as I took a seat at the table. They looked hesitant to talk and I remained silent until they were ready.

  “There’s a snake in our camp.”

  “Who?” They both looked at me, then at each other before responding. I didn’t think I would be shocked by who it was, but more hurt by the situation.

  “Well,” The God began. Looking as if he wasn’t sure he wanted to be the one to say it. I surely wasn’t going to make the situation any easier.

  “It’s that fuckin’ lowlife-ass, Arturo,” Hector blurted out. He was so upset that you could practically see steam coming from his ears. The God just dropped his head in defeat, bracing himself for what was to come.

  “God, I thought you had that situation straightened out. Didn’t we have a problem with him before?”

  “Yeah, but I . . .”

  “Fuck all that! He’s been fucking up his money for the past six weeks. I told you not to fuck with those young boys. Now look at us,” Hector exploded, looking like he was ready to take The God out. Out of all the men I had on my squad, Hector was the main one who was willing to ride or die for me regardless of the situation.

  “I told you I’d handle it.”

  “When? After you finish getting your cut?”

  “You calling me a thief?”

  “If the vest fits—” Hector’s thought was cut short before he could even finish his sentence. Just that fast The God had snatched him up by his throat. The one thing I could say was this: The God was calm but quick. With him, one second you’d be breathing and the next you’d be meeting your maker. That’s why we called him The God. He could give you life or take it away in a heartbeat.

  After two grueling minutes, The God finally let Hector’s throat go, leaving him gasping for air as he tried to catch his breath. I formed a plan in my head to find out exactly who was doing what. If there was a snake present, his ass would be dead before sunrise.

  “We’ll meet up here tonight at about nine. Right now I’m going to set the block up to see exactly what’s going on.” Just for my own curiosity I had to put some eyes on the street to see what the real deal was. There is usually more than one rotten apple in a bunch, and it was time to start weeding them out. I also had to find men I could trust to watch Monica and not try to snake me for their own come up.

  “Do you want squad or just us two to come?” The God asked as he took his seat again. I could tell he really wanted to whip Hector’s ass. But that could be handled another night.

  “For now, just us until I see what’s what. We’ll talk later. Hasta la muerte, que exista honor.”

  Both men replied in Spanish first, then English, “Till death, let there be honor.” We all knew that if Arturo wasn’t on point, death would surely come. There was no honor amongst thieves, and no room for shiesty niggas in this game.

  Monica

  Speak of the Devil

  “Sheila, I need a favor.”

  I knew I was definitely the last person Sheila wanted to hear from, especially since I’d been the sole reason for her demise, but she owed me. If it weren’t for me, she wouldn’t be in the position she was in. There was no way she would’ve been able to continue to work with Jazz, so what was she going to do for income? Like I said, she owed me—her life.

  “Monica, I was wondering when you were going to call. It’s been, what, four months now?”

  “Just about, but enough of that. I need a favor.”

  “I’m done with favors, Monica. That’s the reason I’m where I am now.”

  “You are in a way better position now. Did you really think you were going to advance at that law firm?” Now I was starting to get heated. I had saved her from an awkward situation, and she was making way more money now. Didn’t she know who I was?

  “It’s not about me advancing, it’s the principle. Besides, I’m sure you didn’t call me to discuss my financial status, so what is it that I need to do now to pay my lifelong debt to you?”

  “Oh, so we have a backbone this year. Cool, I’m just calling to see if you could be my partner in Lamaze class. I start next week.”

  “Lamaze class? You’re pregnant?”

  “What other reason would I have to go to Lamaze classes?”

  “I’m just shocked. I had no idea that you actually got pregnant. Is it James’s?”

  “Who else’s would it be? You know the history.” I was getting sick of this conversation with Sheila. We were all on that kitchen table that night, and even before that when we had the first threesome she knew how we got down. So why was she acting all clueless all of a sudden?

  “Why would you keep it? You know James is not going to want that baby, and Jazz is going to have a fit.”

  “Since when did you become president of the Jazz and James fan club? They don’t give a damn about you, so why do you care?”

  “That’s not what I’m saying, Monica. All I’m saying is why bring a child in this world you know you don’t want? That child didn’t ask to be here.”

  “So what do you suppose I should do, since you like playing Dr. Fucking Phil? Tell me what I need to be doing.” By now I was extra pissed. Like I needed her throwing in my face what I was doing. In the back of my mind I knew it wasn’t right, but my heart still belonged to Jazz. I just needed to get her to see things my way, that was all.

  “All I’m saying is it’s cheaper to spend three hundred dollars now, than three million during a lifetime.”

  “What?”

  “Get an abortion, Monica. It’s better that way.”

  “Abortion? Are you serious? Look, I need you to help me at the Lamaze class, and it starts Monday. Will you do it?”

  “I’ll be there Monday. Where am I meeting you?” She sounded defeated, but ask me if I gave a damn.

  “Meet me at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital on the fifth floor. It starts at 4 o’clock.”

  “I’ll be there.”

 
; “Of course you will. See you then.”

  After hanging up I made my way to my room. I was always able to think better in there, and now would be the perfect opportunity to have some alone time. Rico had been on my mind lately, and I needed to find out what went down with him. From what I understood, he hung himself in prison, but my gut was telling me otherwise. Maybe I needed to take a trip up to the prison to see what exactly went down. I didn’t want to call the judge again, but who else could get me up there without a problem?

  I went past his house, and when I didn’t see his wife’s car outside I went to ring the bell. His car wasn’t there either, but I was hoping maybe his son had it and he was really home. Pulling my cell phone out of my pocketbook, I dialed the judge’s number, hoping his wife wouldn’t answer. The phone rang five times before the answering machine came on. I didn’t bother to leave a message; I just simply called the courthouse. I didn’t want Sheila in my business, but she just may prove to be useful later on.

  “District Council—”

  “Sheila, put Stenton on the phone.” I cut her off dead in the middle of her sentence.

  “Who may I tell him is calling?”

  “Who’s calling? Girl, put the judge on the phone. You don’t recognize my voice by now?” Sheila didn’t answer; she just clicked over immediately. A minute later the judge’s deep baritone voice came through the other end of the receiver.

  “Monica, long time, no hear. To what do I owe the pleasure of this call today? Do you have the lead on any more drug dealing boyfriends I should know about?” the judge said with a hint of hope under his laughter. Busting Rico put him on the map, and he was rewarded handsomely, despite the money he took up front during the bust.

  “Not today, Judge, I just need some info on Rico’s stay in prison. I just need to know how he came to hang himself.”

  “Well, sweetie, I wasn’t exactly there to witness it, but the guard on duty at the time said she found him hanging there when she was doing her rounds. He was in the cell by himself, so it was just assumed that he did it himself. Why? Do you think there was someone in there who wanted him gone?”

  “He was a damn drug dealer—kingpin to the fullest. Of course there was someone who wanted him dead. Shit, plenty of people were waiting for that. I just need to know who got to him. You and I both know that Rico would never hang himself. Let’s be real.”

  “OK, so what do you want me to do? Have every man in the entire prison put on a lie detector? Monica, you need to explain yourself better than this.”

  “No, I’ll just talk to a few people if you let me, but first I want to talk to the guard. She was the one on duty, so I’m sure they exchanged some kind of conversation.”

  “Listen, give me a couple of days to set it up for you. I have to clear it with the warden first. I just can’t allow you to waltz up in prison and start questioning people. You act like you work for the D.A. or something.”

  “Do what you have to do, but get back to me by the end of the work day. And don’t let the guard know I’m coming. I don’t want to give her time to get her story together.”

  “As you wish, master,” the Judge responded in a mock genie voice that almost made me laugh. Almost. “I’ll give you a call by six.”

  “Looking forward to hearing from you.”

  “Yeah, I’m looking forward to sleeping with you, too.” He hung up before I had a chance to respond.

  I thought of what I could ask the guard, and not sound like I didn’t know what I was talking about. The information she would be giving me could get a ton of people swept off the streets, and I needed to go about getting it the right way so I could make my next move. I raced home to wait for the package from Stenton. I knew this was my only shot at finding out what really happened with Rico, and I had to do it right.

  The ringing phone woke me up from my sleep. When I looked at the clock it was six on the dot. When did I fall asleep? I hurriedly reached for the phone, hoping it was the judge calling.

  “Hello?” I answered, trying to sound alert and not like I had just drooled on the side of my face and had a nasty taste in my mouth.

  “Monica, it’s me, Stenton. I set the meeting up for tomorrow at ten thirty in the morning. The warden OK’d it, and the guard will just be starting her shift. She will be told to report to . . .”

  The judge broke everything down for me on where we would meet and how much time I had to question her. He also told me what I should wear, like he really had to. He sent me a badge from the D.A.’s office via FedEx, and it arrived around seven that evening. He tried to get me to commit to seeing him over the weekend, but I rushed his ass off the phone, telling him I would get back to him soon.

  The next morning I was up bright and early and on my way to the prison, stopping like a hundred times to go to the restroom. If being pregnant was like this I swore I would never do it again. I arrived at ten after ten, leaving enough time to go to the restroom once more and be seated in the office before the guard got there. I had a list of questions I would ask her and a small tape recorder.

  At ten thirty the guard walked in looking like a deer caught in headlights. I had to give it to Rico, she was a pretty woman. A little on the shy side, but she was pretty.

  The second thing I noticed when she walked in was her protruding belly. I didn’t know if it was a beer gut or if she was pregnant, but I would find out in time. She said nothing, just sat down in front of me with a scared-ass look on her face and her hands folded across her stomach. She wouldn’t look me in the eye, though. Her eyes shot around the room like she couldn’t focus—nervous energy. The eyes told everything.

  “My name is Samantha, and I just have a few questions for you. I will be recording our conversation, and if necessary this tape will be used in a court of law. Any answers you give need to be accurate to the best of your knowledge. Do you have any questions?” I spoke to her clearly and precisely, opting to use an alias just in case she had heard something about me.

  “No . . . no I don’t.” Her voice was shaky.

  “OK, there’s no need to be nervous. Just answer the questions to the best of your ability. I will be starting the recording now.”

  She looked like her heart would burst out of her chest and sprint halfway across town. I kept a straight face and questioned her like I was a damned detective.

  “State your name for the record.”

  “Alexis Cook.”

  “How long have you been working in this facility?”

  “Four years.”

  “What did you know about Enrique Casarez?”

  She didn’t answer right away. She sighed and held her breath like she was trying to hold back tears. I didn’t know what all that emotion was about. Rico was only in jail for two months before he was found dead, so what kind of relationship could they have had?

  “We only spoke a couple of times when he needed to use the phone. I would let him use the one in the supervisor’s office. I knew about Rico way before he got here from what people said on the street and from what I saw the few times I saw him on the block. He seemed like a cool guy, so I didn’t see the harm in letting him make a call.”

  “Who did he call? What was he talking about?”

  “Well, it sounded like he was calling friends of his. He said something about being set up, but I really wasn’t paying attention. While Rico would talk on the phone I would ride him backward until I came. That was my payment for me letting him use the phone.”

  “What about the setup? Do you know who was setting him up?”

  “I’m not really sure. He mentioned some woman’s name, and was telling a friend that he thought she was the reason why he got locked up.”

  “When did y’all last talk? Share what you feel comfortable in telling me, I just need to know the circumstances surrounding his death, and anything too personal will stay between me and you. I just need you to be as honest as possible.”

  “The last time we talked was right before Juan, or the Cage as
we call him, gave me a letter to give to Rico. He found out some information and wanted me to pass the letter to Rico. I was going to see Rico anyway because I found out I was pregnant, and I wanted him to know he would be a daddy. When I got there he was hanging from the ceiling.”

  “Do you still have the letter?”

  “Yeah, it’s in my purse in my locker. If you’d like I can go get it for you.”

  “Sure, you can get it after the interview. How many months are you?”

  “I’m sixteen weeks pregnant. I just found out I’m having a boy yesterday.”

  “OK, thanks for your time, Alexis. You can go get the letter now.”

  I watched her walk out of the room. I was taking notes as we talked, but I would definitely be listening to the tape when I got home. By the time she came back I had already put everything in my bag, and was standing. She gave me the note and her phone number. She said if I needed to know anything else to give her a call.

  When I got out to the car I unfolded the letter and began reading. Apparently, Rico felt I had something to do with his set up and got in contact with Carlos to investigate. I drove home in silence trying to decide what angle I would use to get at Carlos. I would definitely go see the judge to give him the info I had because my ass might need some witness protection after this. For now I was on my way to the Cinque household. If I waited on them they would never talk to me.

  Jasmine

  Truth Be Told

  I was released from the hospital three days later with well wishes from the staff, tons of literature to look at for my pregnancy, and a whole lot of stress and anxiety thinking about what I was gonna do since I was carrying twins from what was literally a late morning quickie with two guys I hardly even knew.

  At three months, I had a ways to go before I would begin buying anything, and I hoped that the time would go by as quickly as possible. I still couldn’t believe I was pregnant with another set of twins, and I couldn’t help but wonder how Jalil and Jaden would feel. But for obvious reasons, that was the least of my worries. Yes, it had just been them for the last four years. They were not accustomed to competing with other kids for our attention, but I was sure that wasn’t the only problems I was facing. My mind was all over the place. I had to plan their birthday party in another two months, and Lord knew I didn’t feel like being around a bunch of kids with a huge belly.