by Londyn Skye
“Well, well, well, lemme guess, eitha’ that sweet, sweet, little honey you been wantin’ to fuck ain’t gave you no pussy yet, or y’ur sweet, sweet, little business meetin’ didn’t go so well?”
“What the fuck do you want, McCormick!?” Elijah bit back.
Tucker had been sitting in his usual spot at the end of the bar, drowning his sorrows, until he spotted Elijah there. As always, he did not want to pass up the golden opportunity to make someone else feel as horrible about himself as he did. “Well damn, I guess both ‘a the sweet lil’ thangs you’s wantin’ done rejected ya’!” he laughed.
“I said, what the fuck do you want?!”
“I can think of about two hundred little things I want from you,” Tucker replied in an angry, yet hushed tone, so as not to attract too much attention to the fact that he was talking to a Negro. “And with interest that numba’s growin’! I noticed you skipped town awful fast with that little whore when ya’ got the chance, and I do believe it’s ’cause you’s doin’ all you can to avoid payin’ me my goddamn money.”
“I’ll get you your money,” Elijah promised. “I’m just gonna need a little more time now.”
“More time!?” Tucker suddenly erupted. He then looked around to see if he had caused a scene. Everyone was so used to him causing a ruckus, they did not think twice about how loud he had just become, but he lowered his voice anyway. “More time? My payday is long ova’due! You done been workin’ with that piano playin’ bitch for months now, so you can’t tell me you ain’t made enough to give me the money you owe me!”
“I said I’d get it!” Elijah stood up and towered over Tucker. “But if you don’t get outta my face, you’re gonna have a hard time holdin’ it afta’ I break your fuckin’ neck!”
Tucker began to snicker as they stood staring each other down. “If y’ur relyin’ on some banker to turn his money ova’ to a nigga’ then you betta’ start lookin’ for anotha’ method!”
As much as Elijah disliked Tucker, he inwardly admitted that he was right. Based on a previous deal that was made between the pair, he should have paid Tucker months ago. Still though, he could not resist the urge to be nasty over the matter. “I’ll get you your cash before I leave town tomorrow mornin’, now get off my ass about it!”
Tucker stared at Elijah a moment longer then finally walked back to the shot glass of whiskey that was waiting for him at the other end of the bar, in front of a stool that his posterior was all too familiar with.
Even more aggravated now, Elijah tugged hard on his jacket lapels before he sat back down and quickly swallowed every drop of the whiskey awaiting him. Just after guzzling it, he looked down the end of the bar to get the waiter’s attention again, but the sight of a familiar face suddenly distracted him. While the wheels suddenly began rolling in his head, Elijah continued to stare at the patron who sat there. When the contemplative wheel stopped spinning, he suddenly threw the money for his drinks down on the counter and got up to walk down to the opposite end of the bar toward a stool that no other man in town had the liberty of using during the last several months.
“Unless y’ur here to make good on y’ur payment, I suggest you march y’ur brown ass outta this establishment,” Tucker said, his speech a little more sluggish than earlier.
Elijah sat down next to Tucker anyway. “You see that fucker at that end ‘a the bar?” Elijah asked, discreetly motioning his head in that direction.
“How can I not see his fat ass?” Tucker replied without even needing to look. “What about ’em?”
“That’s Lily’s owna’.”
“Who the hell is Lily?”
“The piano playa’, dumb-ass.”
Tucker leaned over and looked past Elijah’s shoulder and peered over at Jesse as he took a swig of his gin. “Schoolboy’s daddy?”
“Thee one and only.”
“So?”
“He was at William’s house today lookin’ for Lily. From the sounds of it, he has no idea where she is or what she and pretty boy have been up to.”
“Get to y’ur fuckin’ point.”
“The point is, he wants to know where they’re at, and I want you to tell ’em.”
“Talk to ’em y’ur damn self,” Tucker replied, waving a dismissive hand at him.
“He don’t strike me as the type ‘a guy that would talk to…”
“A lyin’ no good nigga’ like you. He’s a smart man. Wish I’s smart enough to abide by that rule a few months ago. Hell, if it wasn’t for the fact that I can’t stand that piece ‘a shit uppity schoolboy as much as you, I’d’ve neva’ bothered dancin’ to the bullshit tune you been playin’ all these months. But I’ll be damned if I’ll be stupid enough to play y’ur puppet again!”
“Trust me, the feelin’s definitely mutual, McCormick. If I didn’t hate that slave ownin’ fucker as much as you did, I’d’ve neva’ gotten involved with you eitha’. But what’s done is done, so would you just listen…”
“No! You listen!” Tucker lashed back in a harsh but hushed tone. “Now you done already swore you’s gon’ pay me a hundred dolla’s for goin’ to that school and diggin’ up dirt to slanda’ that nigga’ lova’ in that newspapa’ article, and then anotha’ hundred for filin’ those bullshit charges and havin’ him locked up! Not to mention all the strings I had to pull with sheriff Tolliva’ to see to it that schoolboy had a nice long stay in that hellhole, just so you can have that little brown bitch all to y’urself! And all I got to show for my hard work is a set ‘a empty pockets and goddamn busted lip! So, what the hell makes you think I’d wanna partake in any more ‘a y’ur bullshit games?”
“A thousand dolla’s makes me think you’d want to.”
“You ain’t even given me a measly two hundred yet, but you s’pect me to believe that shit?!”
“Yeah, well you pissed me off with that bullshit stunt you pulled, bringin’ the sheriff to Lily’s show claimin’ she was a runaway! You fucked yourself when you did that! Nobody said that was part ‘a the plan!”
“Why the fuck does it matta’ to you, huh? I lived up to my side ‘a the bargain! What happens afta’ that shouldn’t make no damn difference in whetha’ or not you pay me my money!”
“Look, to hell with all that! It’s obvious we both want somethin’ outta this. You wanna see Lily’s reign come to an end, and we both wanna get paid. You can kill two birds with one stone with this. Hell, afta’ seein’ her fallin’ all ova’ that greedy white boy, I can’t say that I don’t wanna see that show ‘a hers come to an end too any damn way.”
“Why should I be convinced y’ur gonna make good on this?”
“’Cause if you shut the hell up and listen, you’d hear me tell ya’ that they’d be puttin’ the money right in the palm ‘a your hands.”
“Y’ur a goddamn liar!”
“Look, I’ve been travelin’ with Lily’s show. I know how much money her masta’s pocketin’ on a regula’ basis. Unda’ normal circumstances, it’s a pretty substantial amount. But the show she’s doin’ Christmas night sold out in forty-eight hours at triple the normal price, in a venue twice the size as what we usually play in. I’m tellin’ you, if you do what I need you to do, it’s gonna make that two hundred dolla’s seem like pocket change.”
“All that shit don’t mean nothin’ to me until you explain how that money’s gonna be laid right in my palms!”
“It’s simple, just listen…” Elijah whispered, as he began laying out a plan that would quickly eliminate his need to go through the humiliation of being denied by another venture capitalist, while simultaneously resolving his debt to Tucker. Once the plan was finalized, Elijah sent his puppet to the other end of the bar to talk to Jesse.
… Now, after that plan had come together flawlessly, Elijah stood in an alleyway waiting on Tucker to hand him the cut of money they had agreed upon. Tucker spit some more sunflower seeds into the snow and took his time pulling the bag of money out of his overcoat.
“Would you hu
rry it up!” Elijah demanded impatiently, nervously looking back over his shoulder.
“Hold ya’ horses. It’s right here,” Tucker showed him.
“Well, hand it ova’!” Elijah replied, trying to grab it.
Tucker snatched the bag from his reach. “Ya’ know, on second thought.” He wagged a finger at Elijah. “While I’s standin’ here freezin’ my ass off, I just couldn’t help but think about the fact that I did everythang you asked me to do a few months back. Every time, though, you fed me some bullshit excuse about why I had to wait for my money. I went diggin’ up information on that nigga’ lovin’ white boy at that fancy school for ya’ … and patiently I waited,” he reminded Elijah. “I submitted that article … again I waited. I even had schoolboy arrested and convinced Tolliva’ to keep ’em locked up for days and … well you know the cycle by now.”
“What’s your fuckin’ point?!” Elijah demanded to know.
“The point is, it seems to me like you get to break deals with me wheneva’ ya’ want to, for whateva’ little bullshit reason you feel. So t’night … I think I’ma play by y’ur rules.”
“Don’t fuck with me, McCormick! We made a deal to resolve all ‘a that bullshit back in Ohio! I said I’d give you half tonight! That’s what I promised, and that’s what I plan to do! Afta’ that, you can go your way, I can go mine, and we neva’ have to deal with each otha’ eva’ again! Trust me, I’m lookin’ forward to that just as much as you!” He reached for the bag again, but Tucker snatched it away.
“Monkey see, monkey do!” he taunted, dangling the bag in front of Elijah. “Patience my little brown friend. Don’t worry, I’ma give ya’ what I think y’ur worth.” He looked through the scattered bills in his sack. Out of the thousands of dollars in the bag, Tucker took out a five-dollar bill and tossed it toward Elijah. “I’d say whateva’s left in this here sack just about adds up to what you owe me in interest from all the time I done had to wait to get paid … Wouldn’t you agree?”
Elijah never took his cold eyes off Tucker as his five-dollar bill floated to the ground.
Tucker pointed to the money lying near Elijah’s foot. “Ya’ might wanna pick that up, ’cause I can promise ya’ that’ll be the most money you’ll eva’ get out of a white man to get that shitty little business ‘a y’urs ‘a runnin’.” Tucker tipped his hat. “You have y’urself a wonderful night now, ya’ hear?”
The truth of Tucker’s words and his sudden burst of mucus-filled, maniacal laughter elevated Elijah’s anger tenfold and instantly robbed him of a conscience. Revelling over Elijah’s rage, Tucker continued laughing and turned to walked away. With that simple motion, he had unknowingly made the second of two mistakes. The first was being yet another white man to cheat Elijah after making a deal, and the second was simply turning his back. The moment he did, Elijah pulled a revolver from within his coat pocket and shot Tucker at point blank range in the back of the head, instantly ceasing the irritating sound of his manical laughter.
Elijah crouched and pried the bag full of Lily’s hard-earned money out of his puppet’s dead hand. He then greedily picked up the five-dollar bill that was tossed at him and placed it inside the sack with the rest of his stolen cash. When his grand theft was complete, he stood up, and looked down at the life he had just claimed without feeling the slightest twinge of guilt. He simply put his signature, single-brimmed, cloth hat back on and callously stepped over Tucker like he was nothing more than a dead rat. He then calmly stepped out onto Broadway and hid in plain sight amongst the thousands of people exiting Winter Garden, pretending to wonder along with the rest of the crowd where the sound of gunfire had originated. That simple maneuver worked. Despite committing four of the seven deadly sins and destroying an innocent woman’s life in the process, Elijah never suffered a single repercussion for any of it. By the time Tucker’s body was found, Elijah was back at his hotel room, counting Lily’s money, and daydreaming about Blazing, all while the woman he claimed to love was experiencing the nightmare of being dragged back into the bowels of hell.
Chapter Six
Slave Code
Article VIII Section XI
No slave is permitted to work for pay, or to keep horses; or to own a wagon or carriage; or to buy or wear clothes finer than “Negro cloth.”
One hour after leaving Winter Garden
While Elijah was enjoying the financial fruits of Lily’s labor, she sat inside the warmth of her carriage staring out the window into the darkness. She was reliving the broken-hearted memory of William falling helplessly to his knees after his attempt to save her. Jesse and James, in turn, sat at the reins, heartlessly guiding her further and further out of her beloved mentor’s life. One of the accompanying deputies stayed behind to deal with the bloody scene in the alleyway near the theater. The other was now trotting alongside Lily’s carriage, ensuring that the idea of escaping remained far from her mind. He had no need to worry about such a thing, though. Lily was far too preoccupied with feeling like a fool for not realizing the way that James was manipulating her, especially considering that Elijah had warned her. James’s lack of opposition to the collapse of her life and career left her mind ravaged by confusion and shock. She simply could not believe that Elijah seemed to have judged James far more accurately than she had. Her shock would have been tenfold if she were to learn that she had actually been given a small window of opportunity to save herself from the abysmal fiasco at Winter Garden. Her fate would have been far different had she only answered differently to one simple question: “Do you love him?” …
Right after Piers LeRoux had wrangled Elijah away from an impending altercation with James at the Manhattan Art Museum, Elijah quickly left there in a rage. He sat in the darkness of Lily’s room, thoroughly intoxicated, staring at her bed, imagining himself making love to her like he had on many occasions. When the erotic visual climaxed, Lily continued running rampant through his mind. He thought back to the intimate time they had spent together alone in Branaugh Theater that had ignited his feelings for her. He closed his eyes, envisioning Lily’s beauty, and the way her smile seemed to illuminate the theater. He smiled at the memory of the childlike laughter they shared while tinkering on the piano together. He recalled the many candlelight dinners they shared that were always proceeded by long conversations sitting together out in the middle of a sea of empty theater seats. After spending that intimate week with Lily, Elijah had fallen helplessly in love with her. He left Branaugh Theater wanting to spend the rest of his life with her building a family together, as well as a lifetime of wealth and success.
Elijah Ridley was a man who had been obsessed with achieving entrepreneurial success since trotting through the gates of William’s estate as a boy and seeing the sort of lavish life he was living. However, he did not want William to hand him success on a silver platter. He wanted to work hard for it, feeling as though he would be prouder of his achievements that way. His idea to improve the steam train’s fuel system was his first attempt at wealth and notoriety. After that idea was stolen, Elijah felt like he had been kicked down the mountain of success and forced to start his ascent all over again, pathetically crawling on his hands and knees.
After reluctantly accepting that there was nothing he could do about his stolen opportunity at financial freedom, Elijah crawled to his feet and began chasing yet another dream. He initially started out on a path where distinguished men walked tall with their heads held high, feeling full of determination as they went about conquering the obstacles on their way to success. As he walked that upstanding path, though, Elijah quickly began to realize that the world outside of William’s protective walls was a very venomous place. After being burned by many people and accruing a multitude of failures, he began to rationalize that cut-throat tactics and stepping on others was probably needed to build the sort of legacy he dreamed of, especially for a man with the misfortune of dark skin. Mentally weakened by years of mounting frustrations, Elijah suddenly began to lose the strength to resis
t abandoning the path walked by upstanding men. He began to contemplate changing course to one that required a man to slither his way up the treacherous mountain to success.
Fortunately, meeting Lily had reignited Elijah’s hope and helped him fend off the urge to lie down with snakes for a little while, especially after joining the cast of her show. He loved that he and Lily worked effortlessly together while collaborating on certain elements of the show. Working so closely with her further convinced him that they could build a life together and turn their attributes into an empire of riches. Once The Dream Symphony phenomenon faded from the spotlight, Elijah was praying that Lily would become his wife, as well as the main act at his bar and restaurant, Blazing. Over time, though, it became clear that her show was gaining steam; and despite all his underhanded efforts to win her affections, so too was her relationship with a man that Elijah detested.
Through the lens of extremely jealous eyes, Elijah could do nothing but watch as Lily’s relationship with James blossomed and her fame grew to a level that could never be stuffed into a small-scale establishment like Blazing. Elijah tried to force himself to be happy for Lily, but he was bitter over the fact that he had been given so many advantages in life, yet someone who was a lowly slave was easily achieving her dreams. He felt he might somehow have been able to stomach Lily’s ascent into fame had it not been for the white man he loathed receiving all the benefits of her success, financially and intimately. It was for that childish reason that Elijah finally abandoned the path of honorable men, laid down on the path of low-life snakes, and slithered his way into his plans with Tucker.
It was not until he had listened to Lily’s emotional reading of the Queen’s invitation at the art auction, that Elijah began to second-guess the deal he had made with Tucker. Elijah looked at Lily standing at the podium that night as her tears began to fall. He then turned and caught a glimpse of the man who had been like a second father to him. He suddenly thought about the fact that he was looking at the tear-filled face of a man who had selflessly spent thousands of dollars to set him and his family free. Elijah became sick to his stomach when he realized that he was about to betray that incredibly compassionate man by casting another slave back into the horrible life that William had rescued him from. He felt that sending the most phenomenal woman he had ever met back to the filth of a cottonfield would be the equivalent of spitting in William’s face.