Sins of a Siren

by Curtis L. Alcutt

  Trenda set her fork down. “Hell yeah! What you got?”

  “Remember I told you about Pam, the girl I normally work with who is out on maternity leave? Well, after I bitched to management about how overworked I am, they asked if I know of someone that could cover for Pam. It’s only until she comes back in about six months, but at least you’ll have something until you find a better gig.”

  Trenda barely let her finish telling her about the job before she said, “Hell yeah I’ll take it! When can I start?”

  “Cool! I’ll give you the manager’s number and you give him a call. He will hook you up. It only pays ten bucks an hour to start, but the job is easy as hell. The only fucked-up part is your days off are scattered. I have Wednesdays and Saturdays off. The good thing is they are cool about you taking other days off—without pay—if there is somebody to fill in for you.”

  “Girl, I owe you big time! Thanks a lot.”

  “Don’t sweat it. The manager’s name is Jeff Wright. His number is 510-555-6776. He’s expecting your call. It’ll be good to have somebody to talk to at work besides Jason’s horny ass.”

  Trenda laughed as she took a pen out of her purse and wrote down the number on a napkin. “I told you if you give him a taste, he’ll pay your rent.”

  “Bullshit! I’ll use a carrot before I’d fuck that weird bastard. Hey, you still gonna come to Ladies Night at Fat’s with me tonight?”

  Trenda recalled her offer. “Oh, yeah. Can you still come pick me up?”

  “Yeah, I can do that. I’ll swoop you up around nine. The dress code is casual so you ain’t gotta get all fine.”

  “Girl, you a nut! Give me a call when you are on your way and I’ll meet you at the curb in front of the hotel. Thanks again for the job info.”

  “Like I said, don’t trip. We gonna kick it, I promise. Peace.”

  “One love.” Trenda hung up with a grin as the mid-morning sun warmed her face through the restaurant window. For the first time in years, she felt like things could finally be going right in her world. She had a new friend she felt she could trust and the beginnings of a new lifestyle. She thought about the troubles she’d left behind in Baltimore. “Fuck you, Darius; fuck you, Piper. Y’all ain’t ever gonna see me again.”

  Eighteen

  That same afternoon, thirty minutes before the start of his graveyard shift, Darius entered the police officers’ locker room. “What the fuck is this?” he asked himself as he removed the envelope taped to his locker. He opened the envelope and read the note inside.

  Officer Kain, report to Captain Kelly’s office at the start of your shift.

  He looked around at the other officers filing into the locker room before folding up the note and putting it in his pocket. I wonder what the hell is going on? He looked across the aisle at Tyrone’s locker. It had no note, but there was no sign of Tyrone. Usually both he and Tyrone arrived a half hour early. He removed the cell phone from his hip and called Tyrone. Once it rolled to Tyrone’s voicemail, he hung up. He closed up the phone and put it back in its belt holster. I don’t like this. He headed out the locker room and to the elevators.

  While waiting for the elevator, Terrence from Internal Affairs rounded the corner. Darius did a double-take. “Yo, Terrence, what’s goin’ on?”

  Terrence stopped then looked around. “Man, the shit has hit the fan. Do you know the girl Piper Langford that Trenda cold cocked? Her father had the mayor to call Captain Kelly personally and demand he find out who assaulted Langford’s daughter.”

  “I wonder if that has anything to do with the note I found on my locker telling me Captain Kelly wants to see me.”

  Terrence looked around nervously. “I’m willing to bet it does. Your partner is already in Kelly’s office with one of our agents.”

  “Please tell me it ain’t that cold-hearted Ms. King-Bey.”

  Terrence nodded. “That’s the one. I suggest you say as little as possible…you might wanna get yourself an attorney since they saw you on video. I think they are going to put you two on administrative leave.”

  The elevator arrived. “Good lookin’ out.”

  “Watch your ass, Darius…watch your ass.”

  He stepped inside and watched Terrence walk away as the doors closed. On the way up, he wondered what his grandfather, Floyd Kain, would think if he saw the grandson he raised having his dick sucked on tape by a known felon. While on duty no less. He recalled how he was raised in New York as a child. After his heroin-addicted mother overdosed and left him with his father, a big-time pimp, he grew up watching how his father handled women.

  At the age of ten, a dope addict murdered his father in a robbery attempt. Darius watched the entire event take place from the backseat of his father’s Jaguar. The junkie shot Darius’s father in the head as he tried to get out of the car. His father’s favorite prostitute, Suga, jumped out and ran, leaving Darius. The junkie then pointed the gun at Darius and pulled the trigger. Fortunately, the cheap pistol jammed. The junkie took Darius’s father’s watch and wallet before running off. From that point on, his grandfather, a former Baltimore police chief, moved him to Baltimore and raised him.

  Many of his grandfather’s friends in law enforcement still helped Darius out as a tribute to the love they had for Floyd. Darius went on to join the police academy as soon as he was able. His hatred of lowlifes did little to keep him from morphing into one himself.

  Before getting to the eighth floor of Captain Kelly’s office, he had an epiphany. He grinned and pressed the button for the fifth floor. He exited and headed for the Human Resources office. Before entering, he called his brother in Hackensack, New Jersey. Damn, I hope his spot is available! “Wassup, Pete?”

  “Not much, bro. What up?”

  “Hey, is anybody renting out your vacation cabin in Avalon?”

  “When?”

  “Right now.”

  “No, it won’t be booked for a few weeks, around May first. Why? You know somebody that wants to rent it?”

  Perfect, Darius thought as he brainstormed. “Yeah…I wanna use it for a week or two.”

  “Cool, but I’m gonna have to charge you a lil’ somethin’; this economy is cuttin’ into my profits.”

  “No worries…but I need you to keep this on the down-low—I don’t want Beverly to find out.”

  “Ahhhh, I see! You’re trying to sneak some pussy…boy, don’t have Beverly come up there and tear my shit up!”

  “I got this; don’t trip. I’ll meet up with you later, get the keys, and give you your pay. Peace.”

  Satisfied his alibi was in motion, he entered the office and smiled at the middle-aged Human Resources supervisor. “Hey, Cathy, how have you been?”

  She returned his smile. “I have been great, Darius. How can I help you?”

  “How much vacation time do I have on the books?”

  She typed his info into her computer. “It appears you have two weeks available.”

  “I wanna take both weeks, starting today.”

  She adjusted her cat-glasses. “You sure you want to use it all?”

  He knew that if he took vacation, he would be under none of the restrictions he would be if he were placed on administrative leave. “Yup, both weeks.”

  She punched in the necessary information and printed him out a vacation verification slip. “Here you go. Are you going anyplace in particular?”

  He folded up the sheet and put in his pocket. “Yes, gonna go to Jersey and stay in my brother’s beachfront rental. Spend the next couple of weeks enjoying the sound of the waves.”

  “Have fun, Darius.”

  He smiled. “I’m gonna do my best.” He left and went back to the elevators. At the eighth floor, he stepped off and walked down the corridor leading to Captain Kelly’s office. He straightened his Pierre Cardin shirt, then knocked on the door. Captain Kelly’s baritone voice sounded. “Come in.”

  He pushed the door open and walked inside. He nodded at the solemn-faced Tyrone. He glance
d at the attractive hot chocolate-colored woman seated next to Tyrone, then to Captain Kelly. “Wassup?”

  Captain Kelly cleared his throat, ran his large brown hand through his gray hair and looked into Darius’s eyes. “We have a problem.” He looked in the direction of the Internal Affairs investigator. “Agent King-Bey?”

  The petite, slightly graying woman rose from her seat. She walked over and extended her hand to Darius. “Hello, Officer Kain. I’m glad you made it.”

  He looked into her brown eyes and shook her soft hand. “Thanks.” He walked over and sat down in the last vacant chair across from Captain Kelly’s desk. “So what’s this all about?”

  An hour later, Darius and Tyrone exited Captain Kelly’s office. On the way to the elevator, Tyrone grimaced. “I knew it! I knew you fuckin’ with that bitch Trenda was gonna get us in trouble!”

  Darius pressed the elevator button. “Shut the fuck up. You ain’t no better; out there beatin’ on those hoes like you some kinda pimp when they don’t wanna suck you or fuck you for free.” He followed Tyrone inside. “Now, quit trippin’. I told you they ain’t got shit without Trenda’s statement. They can’t prove me and her weren’t involved in a sexual role playin’ game. Anyway, all they got you on anyway is suspicion of being an accessory.”

  Tyrone glared at him. “Did you forget Trenda mentioned me robbing her? How about Diamond? Did you forget how he choked to death on his own blood after we beat his ass in the Lighthouse? That bitch was there, remember? I sure as fuck didn’t.” He pounded his fist on the elevator wall. “This thirty-day suspension is gonna be nothing compared to what will happen if they do find her and she snitches.”

  Darius relived that night when he and Tyrone kidnapped the area’s largest heroin dealer, Diamond, and ended up beating him to death after he decided he wasn’t going to pay their new extortion rates. Unfortunately, Trenda was riding with Diamond when he and Tyrone forced them into the back of their patrol car. Trenda never asked what happened inside the Lighthouse while she was locked in the patrol car, but Darius knew she was smart enough to figure out what had happened—especially after she had watched them stuff Diamond’s carcass into his car.

  The following day, the media reported that Diamond’s body was found burned to death in the front seat of his car, blocks away from the Lighthouse. “Relax…you are still getting paid. Consider it a month-long paid vacation. Besides, our voices were so muffled on that video that they need a statement from Trenda or else all they can do to us is discipline us.”

  “I don’t see how you were able to file for vacation today, right before this meeting. You skated on getting put on leave like I did.”

  “That was pure luck; I ran into Terrence on the way to Captain Kelly’s office. I’m gonna find Trenda before they do. They have no idea she’s in California.”

  “How can you be so damn sure? For all you know they could have her locked up already and be waiting to build up enough evidence to fire our asses or throw us in jail. What if they find her and she tells them everything…including information about our ‘side jobs’?”

  Darius shook his head. “As bad as the captain wants me gone, he would have let Agent King-Bey grill us alive. They have nothing. Trust me. I can tell by how pissed off he was when I handed him my authorized vacation slip.”

  Tyrone mulled it over as the elevator came to a halt. They stepped out and entered the parking garage. “You take shit too lightly. Not everybody has a wife with a good job to fall back on, and a grandfather that left them a large chunk of money.”

  Darius swung around, grabbed Tyrone by the front of his Morehouse college sweatshirt and pushed him up against a concrete pillar. “Don’t you ever bring up my family again, you hear?”

  Tyrone tried, but couldn’t break Darius’s grip. “Get your fuckin’ hands off me!”

  Darius glared at his partner a moment longer, then let go. “Just keep your mouth closed and lay low. I’m gonna give you a call later.”

  Tyrone straightened out his sweatshirt and pointed at Darius. “You had better be careful about who you grab on! I ain’t one of them dope fiends or hoes you like fuckin’ with.”

  Darius smirked, turned and walked toward his Escalade. “Like I said, I’ll call you later, partner.”

  Nineteen

  Fifteen minutes before her appointment, Trenda walked through the lobby and found the manager’s office. “Thanks for working me into your schedule and interviewing me this afternoon, Mr. Wright,” Trenda said as she stood and shook hands with the manager of the Waters Edge Hotel.

  The lanky, middle-aged man’s blue eyes sparkled in appreciation of Trenda’s sexiness. “No, thank you! It would be great to have you come aboard. You come highly recommended by Lollie.” He opened a manila folder on his desk and glanced at the applications inside. He then closed it and returned his eyes to Trenda’s tight gray sweater. “I do have a few others I was considering for the job, but what the hell.” He smiled and did his best to keep his eyes on hers and not the outline of her impressive nipples. “I’d like to formally offer you the job, Mya.”

  Trenda returned his smile, adjusted her short charcoal skirt and shook his hand again. “I really appreciate this. What’s the next step?”

  “Come in tomorrow morning at eleven and meet with Connie, our HR person. She will have a few forms for you to fill out. Once that’s done, come to my office and I’ll get you set up to train with Lollie.”

  She shouldered her black purse. “Great! I’ll be here at 10:59 in the morning.”

  “I look forward to it. Have yourself a great rest of the day, Ms. Collins.”

  Trenda sauntered out, making sure Mr. Wright got a nice view of her swaying hips. This is workin’ out cool! She exited the building, pulled out her cell phone and called Lollie. “Hello, Lollie, guess what; I got the job!”

  Lollie laughed as she sat in the manicure shop having her nails done. “I told you, you would get it! Now we really gotta celebrate tonight. Remember, I’m gonna pick you up at eight.”

  “Cool. I’ll be ready.” Trenda hung up and walked to the bus stop on Broadway. While waiting for the bus, her cell phone rang. She read “Secrease Funereal Home” on the caller ID. “Hello?”

  “Hello, Sexy Red! What are you up to?”

  “Not much, Mr. Man. Just leaving a job interview. What’s goin’ on?”

  He smiled, leaned back in his chair and put his feet up on his desk. “No wonder I couldn’t find you. How did it go?”

  She sat on the bus stop bench. “It went well. What did you mean when you said you couldn’t find me?”

  “I stopped by the hotel this morning with intentions to take you to breakfast with me. Unfortunately, when I got there I got no answer when I knocked on the door.”

  Trenda’s smile faded. “So, you just showed up this morning without callin’ me?”

  “Well, yes. I wanted to surprise you.”

  Oh hell naw, this fool got shit twisted. “Uhhh, Mr. Secrease, I really do appreciate what you did for me, but I’m not real cool with you just showin’ up on my doorstep unannounced.”

  “Hmmm, I had no idea my little surprise would cause so much drama.”

  Trenda was no fool. She knew she had to be diplomatic in her approach. “It’s all good, I just hope that from here on, you can give me a lil’ heads-up. You feel me?”

  “No need to be paranoid. I assure you I have no intention of stalking you. Anyway, where are you? Are you free to hang out with me for a while?”

  This fool is lyin’ his ass off. I can already tell he’s one of those possessive brothas. “I’m kinda busy right now; can I get with you later?”

  He paused, then sighed. “Okay. I was hoping to take you to Sausalito with me for a late lunch.”

  She read a mix of disappointment and annoyance in his voice. “I’m sorry, Boo. I have a second job interview to go to. As a matter of fact, I have to get movin’ so I won’t be late. I promise I’ll make it up to you, okay?”

 
“Okay. Call me when you’re done. I’ll be waiting. I’ve been craving a taste of you all day.”

  She smiled at his admitted horniness. “Is that right? Well, in that case, let me get goin’ so I can help feed that craving. I’ll call you later.” She hung up, saw the bus approaching and got to her feet. She rode the bus back to the hotel thinking of how she wanted to further wrap Mr. Secrease in her web of pussy. Back at the hotel, she picked up a copy of the Oakland Tribune and a copy of the Classified Flea Market from the lobby and took them to her room. She entered her room, kicked off her shoes, turned on the TV, sat on the sofa and began scanning the papers’ classified sections. I need to find me a cheap ride. I hate not having my own transportation.

  She circled a few promising car ads, then yawned. The low hum of the room’s heater coupled with the sound of Oprah’s voice and the muffled sound of the traffic below her suite caused her to nod off. She put the papers on the coffee table, stretched out on the sofa and slept.

  She awakened three hours later to the sound of her cell phone ringing. She sat up and picked her phone up off of the coffee table. She read the name on the caller ID, grinned, then answered. “Hello?”

  “Wassup, girl? It sounds like you either just woke up or just got some dick!”

  “You are half right. Just finished takin’ a nap and need some dick.”

  Lollie laughed. “You are a natural fool! It’s about ten to seven. I’ll be there at eight to get you. I’m about to drop my sister off in El Cerrito, then I’ll be heading your way. Are you gonna be ready?”

  El Cerrito…now why does that name sound familiar? “Yeah, that’s cool. I’m about to get ready now. I’ll meet you in front at eight.” She ended the call and walked back to her bedroom. A smile etched on her face. Now I remember; Mr. Box lives in El Cerrito! The memory of the sweet taste of his cum almost made her salivate. She stripped off her clothes, entered the bathroom and started the shower. I’ll have to call up my teddy bear and see how he’s doing.

  Forty-five minutes later, after a hot shower, Trenda stood in the bathroom mirror admiring how nice her jeans made her hips and ass look. Even the scratch on her face was healing well. It was barely noticeable. The cut on her shoulder looked better, but was still a bit sorer than it should be. She went to the closet and put on her new Triple 5 Soul, form-fitting navy blue hoody. It fit her like a mini skirt over her tight jeans. She sat on the bed and pulled on her black Steve Madden Latchh Boots. After packing her butterfly knife into her boot, some cash in her front pocket, she put her fake ID, room key, and cell phone in her small black leather purse. On the way out, she gave herself the once-over in the mirror mounted over the room’s desk. She smiled. Trenda, you are ready to get ya party on!