The Game of Deception

by Victor L. Martin

  “Hell yeah. And if you were a few seconds late I woulda had that dick all up in me.” Jazmine slapped her hip. “His dick is big!”

  “I bet that’s what your slutty butt wanted.” Skyy threw a pillow at Jazmine.

  The two had set Ghetti up. Skyy assumed or figured that Ghetti had caught feelings, so by doing what she did with the help of Jazmine, she was able to kick his ass to the c-u-r-b. Game didn’t recognize game. Deception unseen.

  Weird. That’s what ran through Ghetti’s mind the second he ended the call with Jazmine. She sounded upset, but something did not sit right. She explained how she had calmed Skyy down and how he needs to keep the incident a secret from Fly. After speaking with Jazmine, he called Fly to come pick him up. Ghetti made up a lie and said he fucked up and called Skyy by another bitch’s name when she came back with Jazmine. Fly had picked him up, teasing him all the way back to his crib. Fly dropped him off then left to go handle his never-ending hustle. Ghetti went straight to his room, flopped down on the bed then tried to call Skyy. Hell, he didn’t fuck Jazmine, but he wanted to, but it didn’t happen. Skyy never picked up. Damn! Now he felt like one of those dumb ass dudes that he heard about cheating on a celebrity dime piece. How could a sane man cheat on Halle Berry and now Skyy? His greed of pussy had cost him something special with Skyy. This being on the run was not sitting too well with Ghetti. What would he do next week or next month? What if Fly got knocked? Would he keep his mouth shut about having a fugitive under his roof and not use Ghetti for a bargaining chip? This made Ghetti face reality. He only had so much money on hand. In his rush to leave North Carolina, he only got his hands on $8,700.00. How long would his freedom last? He sure as hell couldn’t get a legal job. Now he was beginning to stress his situation. He realized he should have never told Fly anything about the murder. By now, Ghetti should know that a friend would be the first to turn on him. Prime example, Poo-Man.

  *Durham, North Carolina*

  If there was a reward for slickster of the year, Poo-Man would win hands down. After talking to both homicide detectives a few days ago, he had somehow convinced them that he could find Ghetti. Detective Carter was not feeling his idea, but she went ahead and spoke to the D.A. after Detective Hartford’s urging. The rules were strict, but Poo-Man told everyone what they wanted to hear. He even asked if there was a way that his record could be cleared so he could one day enter the police academy after he helped them bag Ghetti. Picture that. The scam worked and Poo-man was let free. His first move was getting up with Rasta Mark to buy a gun. Kicking out $150, he copped a brand new .38 revolver. His form of transportation was his cousin’s glossy blue Yamaha YZF-R6. Leaving Raynor Street, he rode around for a minute as his anger steamed up toward Maria. Just the mere thought of her fucking Ghetti caused his young mind to think of hurting her by bashing her face the fuck in! He knew he would surprise her because no one knew he was out.

  *Goldsboro, North Carolina*

  2:36 P.M.

  Stewart was running the barbershop today until Mance came in later. He was sweeping up some hair when the phone rang. The receptionist was off today and Jay and Shasta were busy cutting hair, so he answered the phone.

  “Fade Away Barbershop, Stewart speaking.”

  “Um, may I speak to Mance?” Verenity asked.

  “He’s not in right now, but if you have an appointment with him he’ll be in around four.”

  “Is Sincere in?”

  Stewart became suspicious when she used his alias. This was a name that only certain people knew about and it had nothing to do with anything legal. “Who’s calling?”

  “Verenity.”

  “Where does Sincere know you from?”

  “Look. Um, this shit is getting on my damn nerves. Can you just tell Sincere that I got a message from his friend that rode with him to Memphis last year?”

  Stewart only made one trip to Memphis last year and the only person who knew about it was the person who rode with him. “You calling for Ghetti?”

  “Yes. Now may I speak to Sincere?”

  “This is he.”

  “Really?” she said unsure.

  “Yeah, now what’s up?”

  “Um. He wants you to put up his car for him.”

  “Put up his car? Where Ghetti?”

  “Look. I’m doing Ghetti a favor. I haven’t seen his black ass in two weeks and then he calls me this morning. He told me to pick his ride up from RDU and to give it to you or Mance. I’m tired, I’m hungry, and I’m getting pissed off!”

  “Calm down. What you say your name was?”

  “Verenity,” she snapped.

  “Where you at right now?”

  “I’m in Goldsboro. I’m parked in the back parking lot at the mall.”

  “Listen. I’m on my way now. I’ll be in a black and silver Avalanche with chrome rims.”

  “Don’t have me waiting too long.”

  “Nah, I ain’t gonna play games. I’m coming now.”

  After Stewart hung up, he told Jay and Shasta that he needed to step out for a minute.

  When he reached the mall, he found Ghetti’s Chevy with ease. After speaking with Verenity, he was still in the dark about what was really up with Ghetti. Verenity seemed agitated with his questions. Given that she was simply running an errand for Ghetti, he gave up and told her to follow him. They ended up at a brick house in a small town called Dudley. She parked Ghetti’s Chevy in the backyard then rode back to Durham with Stewart. He remembered that she said she was hungry so he stopped at a Wendy’s drive-thru to buy something to eat. Along the way, she tried to call the number that showed up on her phone from Florida but no one picked up. Dropping her off at the campus of North Carolina Central University, he headed back to Goldsboro trying to figure out what was going on with Ghetti.

  While Stewart was on his way back to Goldsboro, Maria was at home watching TV and folding clothes. Nothing positive had changed with her brother being in jail. She had told her brother about Poo-Man, but nothing could be done because the two were housed in different blocks. She told Carlos about her suspicion of Poo-Man telling the police about Cortina’s true address. When she mentioned the detectives, he stopped her because he knew their phone calls could be recorded. Poo-Man had called her nonstop, but she refused to talk to him. The last few days for Maria had gone by at a slow and dull pace. She couldn’t help but think of Ghetti. Sometimes she got emotional because she felt a connection with him. In reality, all he wanted was pussy. Once he got it, he was out. Another life lesson. What’s done is done, she thought. When her doorbell chimed, she muted the TV.

  “Who is it?” she shouted without moving an inch.

  The reply was low and muffled through the door so she got up. Learning her lesson of slinging doors open without finding out who it was had led her to look through the peek hole. Since she was so short, she had risen up to the tip of her toes. On the front porch was a little black boy bundled up in an NFL winter jacket and a matching cap. She unlocked the door and was met with a strong icy gale that bit at her exposed arms.

  “May I help you?” she asked, taking notice of the bag from Wal-Mart he held. He looked to be no more than nine or ten.

  “You Maria?” he asked with a sneering look trying to be hard.

  “Yeah, Why?”

  “Here.” He held out the bag. “Your boyfriend um, Ghetti is gonna call you later so turn it on and leave it on,” he said in a demanding tone.

  Maria’s heart began to pump faster when she heard Ghetti’s name. She looked toward the road, no sign of Ghetti. “Who gave you this?” She took the bag, looked inside, and found a cell phone.

  “Hey girl! Just do what I said.” He took off running toward a bicycle. Before she could stop the kid, he was pedaling away like Lance Armstrong. The anticipation of Ghetti calling her had her in a giddy mood. She ran to the sofa, snatched the phone out, turned it on, and saw it was fully charged with 200 minutes. She made sure the ring volume was at its highest setting then tried her b
est to be patient. She was happy. Ghetti did care. Ghetti had spent the rest of the day in repentance for his fuck up with Skyy. It was now 7:13 p.m. and Fly was still out in the streets. The only good news that Ghetti could bank on was the fact that Verenity had done her deed. He read her text, but didn’t respond. He was pushing Skyy from his mind as he thought of what to say to Maria and later to Mance. The weather had changed outside, matching Ghetti’s state of mind. Dark and gloomy. Something had to give. Rolling to his back for the umpteenth time, he picked up his cell phone. San had sent him a text, so he knew everything was set up and that Maria now had the phone in her possession.

  CHAPTER 8:

  Poo-Man’s Rage

  Durham, North Carolina

  Saturday Night

  Unbeknownst to Maria, a pair of hateful eyes had watched her. Hiding in the cut, Poo-Man had seen the unfamiliar kid ride up on his bicycle and pay Maria a quick visit. He was able to see Maria’s expression when she looked in the bag. Whatever it was, it made the bitch happy, he thought. Everything had him suspicious. He was playing it safe. Fuck the police; he was worried about Ghetti. He saw no sight of Ghetti’s Chevy or the Infiniti. He made a mental note to tell the pops about the Infiniti. It had slipped his mind because Ghetti scarcely drove it in the streets of Durham. The instant the kid ran to his bicycle, Poo-Man quickly moved from his hiding spot and waited for the kid in front of a vacant house. When the kid neared him, Poo-Man tossed on a friendly smile and waved the kid down.

  “Yo, what up?” Poo-Man knew he had to act quickly. “Um, you know anybody lookin’ for some puppies?”

  “What kind?”

  “Uhh, I got some Boxer pup’s in a box.” He nodded toward the vacant house.

  “How much?”

  “Thirty a piece.”

  “Lemme see ’em. My uncle might get one.”

  Poo-Man waited for the kid to get off his bicycle. He led him to the backyard then suddenly spun around grabbing the kid by the front of his jacket. Poo-Man slammed him roughly to the wet uncut grass.

  “Be still fo’ I kick your teeth in!” Poo-Man said with his boot planted firmly in the middle of the kid’s chest. “What the fuck you just give that Mexican bitch awhile ago?”

  “Huh?” The kid was filled with fear.

  “Fool, you heard what the fuck I said! Now tell me what the fuck was in that bag you gave that bitch?”

  “Leave me alone, man.”

  “Answer my question!” Poo-Man added pressure to his chest.

  “Uhggg . . . Man . . .I . . . can’t breathe.” Tears filled the little boy eyes.

  Poo-Man blanked out by pulling out his .38 and pointing it at the boy’s face. “Answer the question.” He removed his boot from the boy’s chest. The little dude was scared. Sobbing and choked up, he began to talk. “I gave her a cell phone.”

  “What the fuck fo’?”

  “Her boyfriend, umm, Ghetti is gonna call her.”

  Poo-Man’s heart rate blew off the charts when he heard that Ghetti would be calling Maria. “Stay right where you at and count to one hundred if your little bad ass can count.” Poo-Man looked around to make sure no one was looking.

  “I’ma . . . tell my uncle . . . on youuuu.” The kid sobbed.

  “Tell your uncle to kiss my black ass. Now shut up and count.” Poo-Man walked away in a calm manner. Once he reached the YZF-R6 he knew what he had to do next. His rage was building. He revved the engine about to pull away from the curb when five rapid loud taps bounced against his helmet. It scared him, nearly causing him to fall off the motorcycle. Snapping his head around, he found the source. The bad ass little kid was pedaling away furiously while busting over his shoulder with a .45 replica BB gun.

  Poo-Man waited until the time was right. After parking the motorcycle up the street, he then crept through some backyards until he reached Maria’s crib. With the house key in his back pocket and the darkness as his ally, he moved toward her bedroom window. The crisp weather made his hands numb, but his grip on the .38 was tight. Slowly, he rose up to peek into her bedroom. The lights were on, but she wasn’t in the room. Bending back down, he moved slowly toward the back door. These lights were also on which gave him a view of the empty kitchen. He slid back a bit to stand in the darkness. He watched and waited. She was in either the living room or the bathroom. Pulling out the key, he glanced back over his shoulder then moved forward. Gradually, he slid in the key, turned it, and then eased inside the welcoming warmth.

  Maria had nearly tripped over the vacuum in her rush to answer the ringing cell phone. Her heart was beating a thousand times a minute as she pressed the answer key.

  “Hello! Ghetti, is this you!”

  “Whut up, baby?”

  Maria helped Ghetti’s mood improve as she made her excitement known. “Ghetti!” she said, charged up with a hand held over her heart. “Where are you? Are you doing okay? Oh my god! Oh my god!”

  “That’s not important right now. But calm down because I need you to listen to me for a minute and then I’ll explain what’s going on, okay?”

  “Okay-okay. I’m listening.” She was still breathing rapidly.

  “First off, where are you?”

  “Um, I’m home,” she said, pacing back and forth. “I’m in my brother’s room looking for some papers for him.”

  “Good. Now tell me how you’re holdin’ up?”

  She chewed on her hair because she was so keyed up. Pulling her hair from her mouth, she sat down on the bed. “I’m not doing too good.” She sounded sad. Any anger she had toward him was slowly dissipating at the sound of his voice.

  “Maria, I’m sorry for how I rolled out on ya, but shit is fucked up right now. I know you got a million questions fo’ me, right?”

  “Yes I do,” she replied softly.

  “For all it’s worth, I’ve been thinkin’ of you.”

  “Ghetti,” she said, finger combing her hair in a nervous gesture. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine,” he assured her.

  “Really? Do you need any money? I still have most of that money you gave me.”

  “That’s yours to keep. Trust me, I’m straight.”

  “Who are you staying with? You’re not out on the streets, are you?”

  “Never that,” he said. “Maria, don’t stress yourself over me, okay.”

  “You’re too late for that,” she replied sadly.

  “Well, now you see it was all over nothin’ because it’s all good. Answer this. Have you heard anything from the police that was lookin’ fo’ me?”

  “Unfortunately yes,” she said, dispirited. She had traveled from being happy to holding back tears.

  Ghetti picked up on her emotions. “Maria, you gotta keep your eyes dry and your heart easy.”

  “I’ll be fine. Okay . . . so after you left, I went to my friend Cortina’s place to chill.”

  The next few minutes she told him about the surprise visit she received from the white homicide detective. “They have no idea what your real name is nor where you stay and I can relate to that.” She smiled weakly.

  “Are you sure?” he pressed. He needed to know everything just so he could stay two steps ahead.

  “I’m positive,” she replied. “Will you turn yourself in?”

  “Hell no!”

  She was silent for a few seconds. “Te extraňo mucho,” she said, looking down at the floor.

  “C’mon baby, you know I don’t understand your language. Whut you just say?”

  “I miss you so much.”

  “Oh, I miss you, too. That’s why I made these moves to get this phone in your hands. I was lookin’ forward to spendin’ some serious time wit’ you. Like I said, shit is just fucked up right now.”

  “Do you trust me, Ghetti?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Ghetti, I know things happened really fast between us, and I want you to know that I don’t regret anything.”

  “Talkin’ ’bout how we kept goin’ when we ran out of condo
ms?”

  “Yes.”

  “That’s when I was enjoyin’ it the most.”

  “I’m sure you were. But seriously, I see you’re in some type of trouble so all I ask is that you don’t sell me any false dreams and please don’t lie to me. I’ve been through too much, Ghetti. My brother is still in jail and I’ve been lonely. And before you even ask about Poo, I threw all his shit to the curb a few weeks ago so it’s over between us.”

  “He still in the county, right?”

  “Yes. I know his probation will be violated so he’ll be gone for a year or so.”

  “I heard he might be snitchin’ so I won’t be surprised if he duck that violation.”

  “He better hope Carlos don’t catch his ass.” She then told Ghetti about the last phone call she had with Poo-Man. “Are you mad that I told him about us?”

  “Fuck him! His bitch ass got to see me sooner or later. So, that good pussy still got my name on it?”

  She began to blush. “Don’t go there.” She crossed her legs. “When will I see you again?”

  “Honestly, I don’t know.”

  “Can I come see you?”

  “Maria, I’m on the run from the pops,” he reminded her. “I got to play this thang safe. Hell, your crib might be under surveillance right now, you feel me?”

  “Yes,” she said dejected.

  “Yo. I’ma do my best to get this shit in order and when I do, I’ma come see you.”

  “Is that a dream?”

  “Nope, it’s a fact.”

  “You hardly know me Papi,” she said. “How do you know we’re even compatible together?”

  “Maria that’s whut time was made for. In time, we can get to know each other. So whut, we done had sex. If anything, one thang we both know fo’ sho’ our sex will be off the mizzap!”

  She smiled, wishing he were able to hold her. She was not looking forward to another lonely night in her bed. She cared for him, but she wasn’t foolish to jump out and put her life on hold for him. He was on the run from the police and she knew if her feelings sprung up, she would only be on the road to a broken heart.