Goodfellas

by Carl Weber

  “You were just dealing with so much, Faye, or I would have.”

  “I understand. So Damien didn’t get it?”

  “Hell, nah,” Lee Lee shook her head in disgust. “But get this. Some nosy nigga standing at the bottom of the steps outside heard me cursing him out. Boy gave me five bands to handle my business.”

  “For real?” Faye’s eyebrows shot up. “Somebody in this neighborhood had that kind of money to give?”

  “Yes, girl. The crazy thing is, the next day, everything got settled with his insurance so now I just have all of this money.”

  “You haven’t spent any of it?”

  “Nope,” Lee Lee said. “I’m trying to figure out what I want to do with it. Since you’re leaving, I was thinking about buying out of my lease. I don’t want these to be the only walls that Jaymar sees. I want my baby to grow up in a nice neighborhood. Speaking of that, what place did you settle on?”

  “The three-bedroom condo on the other side of Brooklyn.”

  “Look at you! Out here popping,” Lee Lee smiled genuinely. “I don’t think I’ll be able to get anything that nice, but honestly, anything is better than here.”

  “I heard that,” Faye said, thinking about the second life insurance policy she found out her mother had. That one was for $500,000, and the money had just hit her account the day before. “I’ll help you, wherever you decide to go.”

  “Thanks, friend. So what about Carmen? I saw her sniffing around here not too long ago, but I don’t remember if I saw her at the funeral.”

  “Girl, because that trifling bitch wasn’t there. She came here and pulled the plug on my mama and didn’t even stay to say her last good-bye.”

  “Money hungry.” Lee Lee shook her head.

  “I swear, that shit had me mad tight. Because as soon as she found out that there was no insurance money for her, she bounced like it wasn’t nothing. I can’t stand her ass.”

  “How could you do that to your own mother? Mmmm-mm. What Detective Sell-Out have to say about how it all happened in the first place?”

  “The same thing. Every time, it’s the same shit. That they don’t have any new leads, but they’re ‘working on it.’”

  “Working on it? It’s been almost a month!”

  “My thoughts exactly. They ain’t doing nothing to solve the case, but I knew a long time ago they wouldn’t. That’s why I’m taking matters into my own hands.”

  “Own hands?” Lee Lee raised her eyebrow up at Faye. “Bitch, what you talking about? ’Cause if you’re talking about playing cops and robbers, you’re bugging.”

  “Nah,” Faye shook her head. “I’m not. Somebody murdered her, Lee Lee. This wasn’t some ‘accident,’ and that’s the main reason why I’m so unsettled. Whatever happened that night outside of that nightclub was because of me. I can’t let it go until I have some answers.”

  “Hold up, slow down, and rewind. Because of you? I must have missed a turn or something, because I’m lost.”

  Faye didn’t say anything, she just kissed Jaymar on his forehead again and moved him gently out of her way. She disappeared for a second, going into her mother’s room to grab a folder from the closet. When she came back, she resumed her seat. Jaymar didn’t come back to her. He’d gone to the corner to play with a couple of toy dinosaurs he’d produced from his pocket. Faye scooted her box closer and focused all of her attention on Lee Lee.

  “I found this stuff in my mom’s room. Remember when I told you that I was adopted and that my mom didn’t know who my real parents were? Well, that was a lie.”

  “That you were adopted?”

  “No, that she didn’t know who my real parents were.” Faye handed Lee Lee the red folder. “She knew the whole time, but she kept it a secret from me.”

  “Why does this birth certificate say ‘Regret’?” Lee Lee asked, examining the piece of paper.

  “That was my name when I entered this world. Mama changed it not too long after I came to live with her.”

  “They named you Regret? Yo, that’s some fucked-up shit. But wait, it says here that your birth father is—”

  Her eyes bulged.

  “Greyson Vincent,” Faye finished for her. “That’s not the craziest part. Match my date of birth with the date of birth of his sons and their mother’s name.”

  “Oh my God,” Lee Lee’s eyes got even wider, if that was possible, as she went back and forth between the birth certificate and the Internet article that Faye had printed. “Whoa. This is mad crazy, Faye. I-if they’re twins, and y’all were all born on the same day, to the same woman . . . Y’all are triplets. And wait!” She held the article closer to her face. “This is the guy that gave me the five thousand! Well, shit, one of them, anyway.”

  “What?” It was Faye’s turn to be wide eyed. “They were here?”

  “I think only one of them,” Lee Lee said. “And now a lot of shit is making sense to me if these are Greyson’s sons. Ain’t no secret that they’re moving around what they’re moving around. You’ve been shut away in here, but that apartment down the hall has been seeing a lot of traffic lately. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re trapping outta that bitch.”

  “So, you don’t think he was here for me?”

  “For you? Why would they be here for you?”

  “You didn’t read the letter in that folder, but my mama was trying to blackmail Greyson into giving her money for us. She said in the letter that if he gave it to her, she would stay quiet about my existence. I did some digging and found some information about the club they found her body outside of. Including who the owner is.”

  She pulled out the piece of paper at the bottom. On it was listed the name of the club, Shooters, how much it cost, also the year it was built. She slid her finger across the page from the word “Owner” to where it listed Greyson Vincent’s name.

  “Faye . . .” Lee Lee whispered.

  “He got the copy of the letter that Mama sent him. I think he had her meet him there, and he killed her. And you know what else? Everybody talks about the cops Greyson has on payroll like it’s a joke, but I believe it. It makes sense why Detective Winthrop hasn’t made any breaks in the case—because he doesn’t even plan to. I have to find out the truth on my own. Lee Lee . . . I have to get inside of that club.”

  Chapter 7

  Faye

  “I’ma throw this money like a free throw. You just keep dancing like a freak, ho. Arch your back, put your hands on your knees, ho!”

  The voice of the late Speaker Knockerz filled the entire club, and all of the women on the crowded dance floor did as he said. Shooters was packed that night, and everyone was dressed to impress. The lights were dimmed down low, but the colorful strobe lights made the whole party look lit. Faye and Lee Lee stood at the bar sipping on their drinks. In her glass, Faye had Hen and Coke to calm her nerves. Although she was dressed to have a good time, she was not there do so.

  “Are you sure you want to be here?” she asked Lee Lee.

  When Faye had told her the plan, Lee Lee didn’t hesitate to tell her that she would be tagging along. Faye tried to talk her out of it, but Lee Lee wasn’t having it.

  “Girl, there wasn’t no way I was letting you do this alone! Plus, I needed to get out of the house, shit.”

  “OK,” Faye nodded scanning the club. “Tell me if you see one of the twins.”

  “You mean triplets?” Lee Lee said. “Because they are your brothers.”

  “By blood, but that doesn’t mean they’re my family.”

  “Now that I think about it,” Lee Lee said, studying Faye’s face, “you do look a lot like them. That’s crazy.”

  “No, what’s crazy is that we still need to figure out a way to get upstairs. I think that’s where they keep the camera.”

  “Do you ladies need another drink?” the sexy bartender interrupted their conversation. He was a chocolate dream, and Faye’s eyes lingered on his lips. They were full and looked like they worked wonders at whatever th
ey chose to do. “I’ll even only charge you half the price, because y’all are looking mighty fine tonight.”

  It was true. Lee Lee wore a red strapless dress, while Faye had settled for a black cutout back dress. Their hips were popping, and their asses looked absolutely luscious. Of course, their heels did nothing but make everything sit up and stand out even more. Faye smiled at the bartender and shook her head.

  “I’m not even done with my first glass yet.”

  “What are your names?”

  “I’m Faye, and this is my girl, Lee Lee.”

  “Well, Faye and Lee Lee, y’all aren’t done with your drinks ’cause y’all over here babysitting them. Y’all are too busy gossiping about your baby daddy drama.”

  His last sentence came out like a question instead of a statement. He locked eyes with Faye and gave her a small sexy smile.

  “Well, I don’t have a baby daddy, for one,” she told him and found herself sexily slurping her Hennessey in his direction. “And for two, if I did, why would that be your business?”

  “My bad, shorty, I shouldn’t have assumed,” he said, licking his lips in a sexy “LL Cool J” manner.

  “Shit, I got one,” Lee Lee butted in. “And if I see that slimy-ass nigga in here, I’ma need to borrow one of those bottles, Mr. Bartender. ’Cause I’m going right upside his head with it!”

  “Whoa!” he said, laughing. “Chill, shorty. This ain’t even that kind of party. Don’t ever let no nigga fuck up your groove. If a fuck nigga is a fuck nigga, let him be that. You can’t turn a chicken into a rooster, remember that.”

  “Giving more advice to the ladies, I see, Quez?” a deep voice countered their entire conversation.

  “Chill, Jay,” Quez said, showing off his pearly whites. “You know a nigga always has to keep it real.”

  Lee Lee and Faye turned to see who it was coming from . . . and were face-to-face with Jayden Vincent. Faye turned quickly back around as he reached and dapped Quez up. Lee Lee stepped slightly to the side so she and Faye were back to back. Faye was thankful because now Jayden had no choice but to focus all of his attention on Lee Lee. She had butterflies in her stomach, and when she heard them talking behind her, they turned into knots.

  It was Faye’s first time ever seeing him up close in person. She realized if she had met him before then, she would have known. They were identical strangers. When she looked into his face, she’d seen all of her own features. She thanked God that their eyes didn’t lock because then, her cover would have been blown. Their eyes . . . She wondered if they were their mother’s or their father’s . . .

  “You OK?”

  “Huh?” Faye asked, snapping out of her thoughts.

  “I said are you OK? You look like that hen finally done got to you. Lightweight.”

  “Did you . . . Did you just call me a lightweight?”

  “Yea, unless I’m wrong?”

  Faye looked down at the drink in her hand and took the straw out so she could down the rest of it. It burned her throat going down, but she welcomed the sizzling feeling.

  “Damn, shorty.”

  “Now who’s a lightweight?” she asked when she felt a nudge in her rib.

  “Hey, are you good?” Lee Lee asked when she leaned back. When Faye nodded, Lee Lee gave her a look and said, “OK, cool. Jayden is about to show me the upstairs of the club. I shouldn’t be gone too long.”

  “She can come too if she wants,” Faye heard Jayden say behind her, but still, she never turned her head.

  “Nah, y’all go ahead.” Faye was grateful for Quez’s voice at that moment. “She’s cool right where she’s at.”

  Faye crinkled her eyebrows at Lee Lee, but couldn’t say to her what was really on her mind right then. She wanted to know what the hell her friend was doing. Lee Lee walked off with Jayden, leaving her with Quez.

  “How old are you?”

  Faye turned back to Quez and made a face at his question.

  “Nobody ever told you that it was rude to ask a woman her age?”

  “Yea, but they also said a closed mouth doesn’t learn anything. Confusing, right?”

  Faye tried to purse her lips, but she ended up looking silly because the smile spread across her lips anyway. There was something about him that she couldn’t help but to like. It probably had something to do with his handsome face and nice body. He put her in the mind of a mix between Lance Gross and Kofi Siriboe.

  “I’m twenty-five,” she answered reluctantly.

  “Well, isn’t that a coincidence. Me too. That wasn’t so hard now, was it?”

  “Do you flirt like this with all of the women who come up to the bar?”

  “Only if they’re as fine as you,” he responded, and she rolled her eyes, making to walk away. He caught her hand and flashed her another pearly white smile. “And I have never met anyone as fine as you.”

  “You’re funny,” Faye shook her head at him.

  Why am I flashing my dimple at this man like he’s some sort of comedian? she thought to herself. Why do my nipples keep tingling whenever he smiles at me? I need to stay focused.

  “How am I funny? I’m just being honest.” At that moment, another young bartender, a woman, made an appearance behind the bar. “Welp, looks like I’m off work for the night.”

  “But the night isn’t even over yet,” Faye said, checking the watch on her wrist. “There are still a few hours until the club lets out.”

  “I said I was off work, not that I was leaving.” Quez came from around the bar and grabbed her hand again. “Dance with me.”

  “Oh no,” she shook her head. “I didn’t really come here to dance.”

  “Then what did you come to do? Watch everybody else dance? If you’re worried about your girl, don’t be. Jayden is a cool dude. He’s going to make sure she’s straight. So why don’t you just let loose a little and,” he pulled her close to him, “dance with me?”

  “OK,” was all she could get out.

  He smelled so good, and his body felt heavenly pressed against hers. He walked backward all the way to the dance floor, slowly grinding his body on hers to the music. SZA’s song “The Weekend” was bouncing off of the walls in the club, and once on the dance floor, Faye realized that her body was already dancing to the beat. They wound and grinded together for the duration of the song, catching each other’s vibe and energy. Although they were surrounded by people, Faye didn’t see anyone else but him. Before she knew it, they had danced together for five songs, and she felt the one glass of Hennessey sneaking up on her.

  “You need to sit down?” Quez asked, noticing a change in her energy.

  When Faye nodded, he gently grabbed her hand and led her to one of the tables on the side. He pulled her chair out for her before taking a seat himself and smiled at her.

  “What are you smiling about?”

  “You,” he said. “Where did you come from? I’ve been working here for almost a year now, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in here before.”

  “Because you haven’t. I haven’t really been out much lately.”

  “What, are you one those stay-at-the-house-and-read types?”

  “No . . . My mother just died last month,” she said and wished she hadn’t. Why had she told him that? “This is the first time since then that I really even allowed myself to have a good time.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” he said tenderly, caressing her hand with his thumb. “Loss, especially of that kind, is never easy to deal with. But I’m glad you’re trying to come back to yourself. That’s always the first step in healing.”

  “You’re good at this kind of thing, aren’t you?” Faye didn’t want him to ask her how Chrishelle died, so she switched gears.

  “And this thing would be?”

  “Giving good advice.”

  “I mean, I guess you can say that. My parents had three kids, and well, as the middle child, I guess becoming a mediator became a job. It didn’t pay very well, but, hey, I always got the jo
b done.”

  “Nothing wrong with a man that always knows the right thing to say at the right time,” Faye said. “We all need someone like that in our lives.”

  “Well, hopefully, we can exchange numbers so that I can stay in your life for a while.”

  “That was so smooth!” Faye exclaimed, and they both laughed.

  “Whaaaat?” He dragged out the question pretending like he didn’t know what she was talking about.

  “You know what! Oh my goodness, you might be too smooth for me, I don’t know.”

  “Or you might just be too smooth for me. We’ll never know unless we talk tomorrow, and the day after that too.”

  Faye couldn’t remember the last time a smile stayed on her face for as long as it did when she was talking to Quez. He was smooth all right and spoke like a man who knew what he wanted out of life. She could tell that he was intelligent, but had just enough thug in him to make him appealing to her. And his eyes . . . She could tell that they had things hidden behind them. Things that she would love to explore if she just—

  “Faye! Girl, I’ve been looking all over for you!”

  Faye’s head snapped up, and she noticed Lee Lee standing there. Alone. Faye’s eyes searched around, but she didn’t see Jayden in sight. When she focused back on Lee Lee, she did, however, notice that her girl’s edges had sweated out.

  “I’ve been with Quez this whole time.”

  “Oh well, I hate to cut your night short, but my sitter just called me and said that Jaymar won’t stop crying. I need to go get him.” Lee Lee seemed to be in a rush, and she opened her eyes and jerked her neck slightly at Faye.

  Faye, suddenly catching the drift that something might have happened, jumped up from her seat. Quez, who still had her hand, didn’t let her go until she looked back at him.

  “I’m sorry, Quez, I have to go. I’m her ride.”

  “Give me your phone,” he told her, and she grabbed it out of her clutch. He put his number in it and smiled when he saved it and handed it back to her. “I just called myself and saved your number. You’ll be hearing from me, Miss Faye.”

  Faye gave him one last smile before following Lee Lee and walking fast. Faye maneuvered the best she could through the crowd to keep up, but it seemed as if her friend was almost running to get out of there. When finally they reached the outside parking lot and were out of earshot, Faye had to know what was going on.