by Kiki Swinson
Meanwhile, he threw the question I was expecting at me. “So, what brings you by here?”
“I was in the neighborhood,” I lied.
“So, you just decided to stop and check out the scenery, huh?” he asked sarcastically.
“Yep, that about sums it up,” I replied, giving him the exact same tone he gave me.
“Well, have you run across any evidence that we may have overlooked?”
Hearing this man ask me about evidence they may have overlooked got my stomach all messed up. The way he was looking at me as he waited for me to answer his question was intimidating like a muthafucker. I wished I could have just vanished right then because I honestly didn’t know what to say,, especially if he decided to search my handbag and found the diary. And if that happened, boy, would I be in a world of trouble! I mean, this man had the power to arrest me at any given moment, if he wanted to. So, I had to play it cool and act like I had some damn sense if I wanted to sleep in my own bed tonight. I began that process by saying, “No, I haven’t. But, the way this investigation is going, I sure wish I had.”
The detective hesitated a moment, I guess to study my body language as I responded to his question. He asked, “Hear anything on the streets?”
“Nope. I haven’t heard a thing. But, as soon as I do, you gon’ be the first person I call.”
“I hope so,” he replied skeptically.
“Oh, believe me, I would. But, let me ask you this.”
“What is it?”
“How did you know I was here?”
“I didn’t.”
“So, what made you stop by?”
“Remember there’s still an investigation going on and your cousin’s place is the murder scene. So, I come here more often than I would like to. As a matter of fact, I know the neighbors around here are sick of me knocking on their doors and asking them the same questions over and over again. But hey, it’s my job and I’ve got to do it.”
“Well, do whatcha do. But, keep me posted on any new developments,” I said to him as I opened my car door.
“You do the same,” he insisted as he held my door open for me and closed it the moment I got into my car. “You still got my card, right?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“Okay, good,” he said.
Instead of making another comment I smiled and waved goodbye as I drove off.
And as I drove away, I watched him through my rearview mirror watching me until I was out of sight.
Cruising down Kempsville Road, I could think about nothing else but that conversation I just had with that detective. He really was creepy and I hated when I was around him. He made me feel like I was the one who pulled the trigger and killed Kira especially the way he kept questioning me. I just hoped he found the real killer soon because I just didn’t know how much longer I was gonna be able to take this.
19
Getting My Weight Up
Syncere Speaks
This was my fifth time trying to call Nikki and she wasn’t even home to accept my damn call. It was 9:30 at night, where the fuck was she at? She wasn’t at the beauty salon because I had my peoples from the outside call there for me on three-way. When I had them call her cell phone, that shit went straight to voicemail on the first ring The way I feel right now I am going to fuck her up the second I see her silly ass. That’s my word!
“Thirty minutes until lockdown,” said this ugly-ass female C.O. named Patterson. After she made her announcement, I stood there and watched her as she instructed one of these dumb-ass niggas in here to turn off the
TV. When she turned out the cell lights from the switch on the outside of the block, I watched her closely as she walked off. What’s so unbelievable about this whole scene is how unattractive this chick is. But there is one thing I can’t take from her and that is how phat her ass is. Niggas in here be hollering at her all the time, trying to swell her head up, but she had to know that the top part of her was truly fucked up. I wouldn’t fuck her if she paid me because I wouldn’t be able to get over how ugly her face was. Fuck throwing a bag over her head and bending her over, ‘cause that shit wouldn’t work for me either. Instead of entertaining her ass like all the other cats here, I took a seat on the bench near the only two pay phones in the block and waited for one of these niggas to free the lines.
This one nigga, who everybody called Butch, was holding the phone up, crying to his girl, asking her all the questions cats normally asked their chicks while they were caught up in the trap. From the way he was acting, I could tell she was feeding him a whole lot of bullshit lies and whether he wanted to believe it or not, she was gonna do what the fuck she wanted to do regardless if he gave her permission or not. That’s just how hoes were which is why I ain’t gon’ let myself get all fucked up in the head over a broad I left on the streets. She is either gonna do right or she ain’t.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I would cuss a bitch out if she tried my patience or neglected to take care of my business like she was supposed to. But, I would never put myself out there and question her about who she’d been fucking. Niggas won’t admit it but information like that broke cats down behind these walls. And police wanted to know why there was a lot of domestic violence? Shit, I got the answer for ‘em. Bitches just didn’t want to act right after their man got bagged up. Don’t string a nigga along and tell ‘em you gon’ be faithful and wait for them after they got hit in the head with a five-ten- or fifteen-year sentence. Just be straight up! Tell ‘em you ain’t built for that type of ride and bounce. It ain’t that hard to do.
While I continued to listen to this crybaby-ass nigga scream on his girl, this little frail-ass buster walked up to me and asked me if I was in line to use the phone. I nodded my head and told him yeah. He took a seat on the bench next to me and started some small talk.
“They been on the phone long?” he asked.
“Yeah. Both of ‘em time should be almost up.”
“Good, ‘cause I need to make a quick call to my sister before one of them C.O.s cut the phones off. I gotta make sure somebody shows up to court for me tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow’s your sentencing day?”
“Yep, and I’m hoping the judge take it easy on me and let me walk out of here on time served.”
“Whatcha in here for?”
“A parole violation.”
“Whatcha do?”
“Dirty urine.”
“How long you been on paper?”
“Three years but I got two more over my head.”
“How long you been locked up?”
“Ten months.”
“Whatcha P.O. say about it?”
“Man, that bitch is crazy! She told my lawyer that she’s gon’ recommend to the judge that he give me all my time back and send my ass back up the road.”
“Damn, nigga! She’s out to get you.”
“Tell me about it. That’s why if the judge fucks around and let me get out of here, I’mma see if I can get the Parole Office to switch me to another P.O.”
“I wish you luck, homeboy.”
“Thanks because I’m gon’ sure need it.” Then he said, “Yo, it looks like Butch is about to hang up.”
“Yeah, I see,” I replied and stood up from the bench.
After Butch cursed his girl out one last time, he slammed the pay phone down on the hook and walked away. I grabbed the phone and called Nikki’s home telephone number again. I didn’t know exactly how much time I had left to make this phone call, but I figured it couldn’t be less than five minutes which was more than enough time for me to get some shit off of my chest.
The phone rang only two times before I was connected and when I heard Nikki say hello, I went into venting mode.
“Where the fuck you been at?” I asked her, gritting my teeth.
“Out trying to take care of your business.”
“This time of the night?” I asked, getting more aggravated by the second.
“Yeah, I was talking to Quincy.
I just left from up the car wash about an hour ago. Before I seen him, I had the two appointments with the attorneys.”
“So, where did you go after you left Q.?”
“I stopped by my grandmother’s house,” she told me.
“Yo, Nick, you know I don’t like to keep calling you and can’t getcha on the phone.”
“I know that. That’s why I told my grandmother I couldn’t stay long.”
“So, what was the two lawyers talking about?”
“Broccoletti said he’d charge you thirty-five hundred for the bail hearing and fifteen grand to pick up your case.”
“What about the other lawyer?”
“Taliaferro said he’d charge you seventeen hundred to get you a bail hearing and ten grand to represent you. So, I was thinking we should go with him.”
“What did Q. say about it?”
“He was leaning toward Taliaferro but said it really didn’t matter because it’s what you want.”
“A’ight, then.” I paused and thought for a second. “Let’s go with that Taliaferro cat. Make sure you get with Q. tomorrow morning so he can get you some dough. That way you can take it over to Taliaferro so he can get busy working on my shit.”
“Okay.”
“Oh yeah, and when you talk to him, ask him how quick he can get me the bond hearing?”
“I already did.”
“And what did he say?”
“He told me that if I got him some money in the next forty-eight hours, he could have you in front of a judge by the end of the week.”
“A’ight, word! Don’t forget to get with Q. in the a.m. and make sure you get Taliaferro that dough by tomorrow evening.”
“I’m on it.”
“A’ight. So, is everything else okay?”
“Yes, everything’s fine.”
“Oh yeah, did you go up to the car wash and check up on how steady the business was?”
“Yeah.
“So, how was it?”
“Well, it was crowded up there when I went.”
“What time did you go?”
“It was about one-thirty and I was only there for about thirty to forty minutes.”
“Was Q there when you went?”
“He wasn’t outside. But his car was there, so I’m assuming that he was on the inside.”
“A’ight, that sounds good. I’m gon’ call you tomorrow night about eight o’clock so be home.”
“Okay.”
“Oh yeah, I want you to keep looking out on my place if you don’t mind.”
“Nah, I don’t mind,”
“A’ight. Well, I’mma talk to you.”
“Love you.”
“Yeah, you better, or else I’ll be wasting my time,” I replied and hung up.
20
The Chopping Block
Nikki Speaks
After that slime ball-ass nigga hung up, I sat back in my chair and replayed the words, ‘Yeah, you better, or else I’ll be wasting my time, in my head and got an instant attitude. This cat was acting like he really had it going the fuck on. But, he ain’t got shit going on and I don’t even love his ass! I only told him that to make him feel like something, wit’ his insecure and controlling ass!
The nigga was a loser for real! And the only reason why I was fucking with him was because he had a little bit of dough. Love ain’t have shit to do with it. Always trying to give me orders and tell me what to do. Then if I took my time or didn’t perform the tasks to his expectations, the nigga went ballistic and acted really immature. It made me wonder how the hell his mama raised this know-it-all muthafucker. But, then again, he didn’t even matter because his simple ass would be all right. As soon as I got enough information on him about these murders, I was gon’ deliver that bastard to the police on a silver platter! Mark my words!
I got an early-morning phone call from Rhonda telling me to meet her at the salon by eight o’clock. The tone of her voice was urgent so I asked her what was going on but she refused to go into details over the phone. I wanted to demand that she tell me but before our conversation ended, I conceded by telling her I would be there. It only took me forty minutes to shower and get dressed. Before I realized it, I had twenty-five minutes to get to the shop so I grabbed my car keys and handbag and headed outside to my car.
I arrived at the salon a couple of minutes before eight and when I appeared at the front door, Rhonda gave me this funny look. Immediately after I unlocked the door and walked in I asked, “What’s wrong with you?”
“We gotta talk,” she said.
“Yeah, I know that. But, what about?”
“It’s about you putting everybody in this shop in danger.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” I asked, about to snap on her.
“Nikki, I know you snitched on Ricky and his crew to get out of jail and I also know that Kira helped you do it.”
“And so what?” I asked defensively. “Those niggas had it coming to them. Him and that no-good-ass Brian left me downtown in that jail to fucking rot. They didn’t give a fuck about me. They turned their backs on me the second they found out I was locked up. What was I supposed to do? Just sit there like I’m some damn fool? No ma’am, I think not! And as far as Kira was concerned, she was against it when I first ran everything down to her. When she finally realized how grimy her husband was and that he really didn’t give a fuck about her, she came around and paid his good-for-nothing ass back.
“She may have been against it in the beginning, but she sure changed her mind very quickly. And look where it got her.”
“That shit that happened with my case had nothing to do with Kira’s murder. Whether you know it or not, Ricky got killed way before Kira did so how could he have had something to do with her murder?”
“Brian and the rest of his homeboys aren’t dead.”
“Okay, you’re right. but dem niggas are clowns. They ain’t got no clout; what kind of strings could they pull behind bars?”
“Don’t be surprised if they pulled something. I truly believe with all my heart that they’re gonna come after you next. That’s the real reason why I’m worried about you being here.”
“Well, that’s too damn bad because I ain’t going nowhere!”
“Come on, Nikki, let’s not take it there.”
“I’m sorry, Rhonda, but it’s too fucking late for that! Because on some real shit, you’re standing there trying to play me like I’m some ol’ gullible ass bitch! And it ain’t that type of party with me.”
“I’m not trying to play you. I just don’t want to get caught up in the crossfire if a whole bunch of niggas decide they wanna run up in here.”
“Well you know what, Rhonda? It ain’t gon’ happen so get over it.”
“You don’t know that for sure.”
“Look, I don’t know what else to tell you. But, I will tell you that I’m not going nowhere, so deal with it.” I threw my right hand over my hip and dared her to say some smart shit.
“You need to wake up,” Rhonda retorted.
“And what the fuck does that mean?”
“Nikki, you are not Kira and you will never be. So, stop walking around here trying to fill her shoes.”
“You are such a hater, Rhonda, and that is not cool!”
“Call me whatcha like. But, at least I’m not fucking running around here snitching on everybody and their mama to get out of doing hard time.”
“Oh bitch, please! Save that shit for somebody who wants to hear it. Trust me, if the shoe was put on the other foot, your ass would’ve sung like a bird too.”
“No, I wouldn’t have. I’ve got more sense than that.”
“Okay, where were your senses when you let Tony come up here, kick your ass and disrespect you in front of everybody?”
“That’s nothing you need to concern yourself with. What you need to worry about is that nigga you’re fucking with.”
“Oh, trust me, he’s fine.”
“That ain’t what K
ira said in her diary. She thinks he’s a fucking nut case. She also didn’t trust him because she believed he had something to do with her and Mark getting shot outside her apartment.”
Surprised by Rhonda’s comments, my mouth dropped open and my heart fell into the pit of my stomach.
“You sneaky bitch,” I yelled. “You did have Kira’s diary that night I called you but you sat right there and lied to me. You read every word she wrote, witcha nosey ass!”
“Get out of my face Nikki.”
“Bitch, I ain’t in your face yet.”
“Trust me, Nikki, you don’t want none of me.”
“Nah bitch, you don’t want none of me,” I warned her. “You got one more muthafucking time to fuck with my shit. Then, I’m gon’ crack you upside your head and then I’m gon’ put your ass out the shop!”
“Don’t wait until I go through your shit again. Do it now,” Rhonda dared me.
When I looked into her face, I realized that this bitch was serious. If I didn’t go upside her muthafucking head, she was going to go behind my back and tell every bitch in this shop she punk’d me out! I couldn’t let that happen, because if I did ain’t nobody in this place gonna respect me. Without thinking about it any longer, I lunged and hit her dead in her right eye, catching her dumb ass off guard. Before she realized what I did it was too late. Her eye swelled up and closed shut on her that instant.
“Bitch, you hit me in my muthafucking eye,” she screamed and immediately retaliated.
She could only see through one eye and that was her left one so when she swung on me, I blocked the blow and managed to grab the bitch by her shirt. With both hands I pushed her back up against the cabinet top of her station as hard as I could. Curling irons, flat irons and spritz bottles started falling all over the place.
“Get the fuck off me, bitch,” Rhonda roared as she threw a combination of punches back at me.
We were tagging each other like we were in a boxing ring. At one point, it seemed she was getting the best of me because this hoe got one of her bumpers and started hitting me in my head with it. That shit was hurting so badly, I got an instant headache. Then my head began to ring like a damn bell. I was barely functioning but I mustered enough strength to grab the curling irons out of her hand. Believe me when I say that the moment I got them in my hand, I struck that bitch back as hard as I could.