“Sophia. Sophia?” She spoke softly so as not to startle the driver. She wanted to cause as little distraction as possible. Sophia turned up the music and kept switching the radio channels manually as she navigated through evening’s traffic. From the corner of Sophia’s eyes, Deedee could see her tears blown over her hunched shoulders by the wind. “What do you want to hear, Sophia? The remote is right here,” she said. All the time, she had a keen eye on Sophia.
“Oh, how about some jazz?” Sophia seemed unsure. “Maybe R&B? No, I don’t want that. Whatever you want, Dee. Just make sure it’s loud. You know this car is really fast,” Sophia said as the car shot through the streets. Her cell phone rang but Sophia didn’t bother to look at it. Deedee was happy for that and picked up the ringing phone. She saw ‘Baby Bear’ on the caller I.D.
“It’s Baby Bear,” Deedee said. “Should I answer it?”
Sophia grappled with the question. After biting her lip several times, she still didn’t answer. It really didn’t matter because the phone had stopped ringing. They were stopped at a red light. Sophia seemed to be holding up well despite the circumstances, Deedee thought. I guess Uncle E is going to have to have some explaining to do, she thought as she heard the phone ring again. She picked it up. Once again, the caller ID registered ‘Baby Bear’.
“It’s that same person. Do you want me to answer it?” Deedee asked.
“Baby Bear is my nickname for your uncle. Give me the phone, Deedee,” Sophia said with a certain assurance. Her voice revealed nothing but confidence as Deedee passed her the cell. “Eric, I just want to tell you that you’re the dirtiest and your niece is next to me so that’s the reason I’m going to tell you not to call me anymore. Dammit...” screamed Sophia. She had kept her cool act up until the last part of the conversation when she suddenly screamed. Deedee watched Sophia fight back the tears without realizing what the screaming was really about until it was too late. “Oh my God!” Sophia yelled as she gripped the steering wheel. Deedee felt the car swerve suddenly. She looked up and immediately after, she heard the bang and felt the thud. She saw the car slowly avoid a head on collision with a pedestrian but in doing that, Sophia managed to hit a fire hydrant.
A burst of flowing water greeted both as the bump caused the hydrant to send a spray of water smashing into the windshield. The cabriolet style top of the Porsche was down and water descended on both Deedee and Sophia. “Oh my God, are you alright, Deedee?” Sophia spat water from her mouth as she spoke.
“I’m okay, Sophia. Let’s get out of here before the cops come, Sophia.”
“Good thinking, Dee. Makes no sense staying for a traffic ticket,” Sophia said but was met by flashing lights as she started to move off. “Oh well, here comes the cavalry,” she said. Deedee turned to see the welcome wagon carrying two officers.
“Just act ditsy and cute and we’ll be alright,” Deedee suggested. The officers walked coolly to the car.
“Good evening, ladies,” the one close to the driver’s side said.
“Officer, I was trying to avoid hitting this man and his dog and I lost control,” Sophia said as the officer looked on with disinterest.
“Your license, registration and insurance forms, please.” The officer closest to the driver took the forms from Sophia and then both officers walked back to their car.
“I swear this has been one of the worst days of my life,” Sophia said as she watched the officers get in their patrol car. “The damn man and his damn dog. He should’ve waited for the light to change to red. Oh, what else could go wrong?” she asked as the police officers spoke into their radio.
“...a silver Porsche Boxter S registered to Sophia Sullivan. It’s clean and legal…”
Detectives Hall and Kowalski stared as if transfixed by the radio. Kowalski grabbed the radio and started to interrogate the operator. “Operator, this is Detective Kowalski. Can you tell me the location of that accident?” he asked, nodding and writing as he looked at Hall. After a couple minutes, Kowalski put the radio down and shouted, “Hurrah for justice! She fell for the trap, hook, line and sinker.” Kowalski pumped his fist while Hall drove steadily following Eric’s Range Rover.
FIFTY-SEVEN
Frankie Maruichi called his favorite whipping boy close to him. “Get my son, Eddie, over here right now,” he told him with a voice that was used to having men follow his orders to the letter. A few seconds later, Eddie, decked out in a Sean John velour warm-up suit, made his way quickly to Maruichi’s side. There he stood glued, only nodding periodically in confirmation that he understood his duties. Eddie was a foot soldier on the rise and all who were close to Maruichi knew that whenever Eddie walked quickly, there was something urgent to be done. Maruichi’s oldest son was fat and normally did not move very fast.
Eddie ran to three other guys dressed in similar warm-up suits. Two of them got into an SUV while the others jumped into black sedan and peeled out. Inside the SUV, Eddie was busy barking out orders.
“I specifically want to say, do not, I repeat, do not under any circumstances kill this mug, alright? Scare him. The key word is scare cause dad wants it that way. Now, everyone knows what it is they’ve got to do, right?” Eddie asked.
“Right,” was the unanimous response.
“Alright. As much as I think dad is getting soft, I believe that there’s nothing to stop him from kicking my ass all over this great city,” Eddie said as both cars with liscense plates hidden joined the traffic in hot pursuit of Eric’s black Range Rover. The mission was a simple one, the plan to bring Eric into the folds of the mob might be complicated. How this would turn out depended on how much fear was instilled in Eric. Maruichi figured the police would not be involved. He did not second-guess himself.
FIFTY-EIGHT
They jumped out of the tow truck that had just pulled to a stop in front of Sophia’s apartment building with her wrecked Porsche in tow. Both thanked the truck driver. “Anytime, ladies. But where do you want me to leave your vehicle?” he asked. Sophia glanced around. She saw Paul, the doorman, and an idea took shape.
“Paul, guess what?” Sophia asked as she approached the doorman. He was standing looking pitifully at the wrecked Porsche.
“What?” he asked, sounding heartbroken.
“How would like to own a Boxter S Anniversary Edition? It’s new but it’s got a dent on the left front side,” Sophia said to the doorman who stared at her in surprise.
“Miss Sophia...oh, I’d love that but I can’t afford...”
“Then it’s a done deal. Congratulations, Paul. Enjoy your Porsche,” Sophia said dropping the keys in his hand and walking away. “Paul, please do me one major favor, please. Do not let anyone up to see me, thank you. One more thing. The brown envelope in the seat, please make sure Mr. Ascot gets it. Thanks again and goodnight Paul.” Deedee walked next to Sophia and they made their way to the elevator.
“Okay, will do. Goodnight, Ms. Sullivan.” He heard the words come out of his mouth but did not know how he formed them. Paul stood rooted to the ground watching the tow truck driver unhook the silver vehicle with the cracked up front. She must have had a wee too much to drink. She doesn’t even know what the hell she’s doing right now. Women drivers, he thought shaking his head as the car fell on the black top. He heard himself again, “Hey, man, take it easy. Can’t you tell that that’s not just any car, it’s a Porsche.” Paul drove the car into the garage and walked back with the keys on the inside of his top pocket and the Porsche emblem showing on the outside.
Moments later, Eric rolled up. He looked around trying to see any evidence of what had gotten Sophia so upset. He saw nothing, not the Porsche, nothing. Eric walked to where the doorman was standing
“Hey, how’re you doing?” Eric asked Paul.
“Good evening sir. I’m doing just fine, just fine right now,” he said smiling.
“Hey, you know Sophia, right?” Eric asked.
“Do I know her? C’mon, she’s the best person in the whole world. O
f course, I know her.”
“Did she get a delivery?” Eric asked.
“Yep, sure did.” He whistled. “A pure performance Porsche, I saw it. Helped her cut the ribbon myself.”
“Oh good,” Eric said. “So she was happy?”
“Very happy. Then she went for a spin with another young lady and...”
“She went for a spin with Deedee and what happened?”
“She made it back but the car...Ah, the Porsche suffered slight damage but the ladies were fine.”
“I’d like to go and see.”
“Well, I’m afraid you can’t do that at this time, sir. She’s not having visitors up.”
“My name is Eric Ascot. I’m Miss Sullivan’s fiancé,” Eric started to speak but the doorman raised his hand and stopped him.
“Sir, she left this package for you, sir,” Paul said and Eric had an incredulous look on his face. He stared at the brown envelope in Paul’s hand then snatched it without a ‘thank-you’ and walked away.
Eric stopped in the street and glanced up as he waited for traffic to go by. He looked at the brown envelope in his hand, pulled out his keys and deactivated the alarm to the Range. He made his way slowly to his vehicle and hopped inside. He opened the envelope and allowed the contents to fall onto his lap. Flabbergasted, he glanced at each of the Polaroid shots.
They were photos of him from the night at the strip club. The Geisha twins were prominently featured. So this was the cause of Sophia’s fit, Eric thought then he slid the DVD into the player. He was astounded by the images on the screen. “This is not me! This is some bozo playing a fucking trick on me,” Eric screamed. He glanced up toward the apartment and dialed the number. “Come on Sophia, pick up the damn phone,” he said, looking up at Sophia’s window.
Eric saw the vehicle coming from the wrong side of the street but he didn’t care. He was too busy trying to reach Sophia. He let the phone ring and the SUV continued to drive down the one way street. Suddenly, there was a flash and he heard the bang. Eric jumped to the passenger seat and stayed close to the floor for what seemed like an eternity. The Range Rover was suddenly being strafed by automatic weapon fire.
Sweat poured down his back as he tried to reach for the 9mm under the driver’s seat. Eric struggled before he loosened the Velcro strap holding the gun in place. Without looking, Eric held the gun above his head and attempted to fire. He heard the SUV skid off and fired the gun anyway. Eric was surprised by a series of orders.
“Toss the gun out then get out of the vehicle.” Eric heard the request but did not comply. “This is the police. Do as you’re told. Toss the gun out the window now.” Eric did not budge.
“How do I know you’re not the same people trying to kill me?” He asked instead.
“It’s Detective Kowalski and my partner and I are going to pull out our badges and walk to you. Do not try to shoot,” Detective Kowalski said.
Once he was outside his vehicle, the detectives began reading Eric his rights. “You have the right to an attorney...”
“Hey, I still don’t understand what the fuck is going on! They tried to kill me coming down a one way street and you’re trying to arrest my black ass? That shit don’t make no kinda sense,” Eric protested.
“Watch your head,” Kowalski said. Eric was handcuffed and driven to the precinct where he was escorted into an interrogation room. He spent the next fifteen minutes alone staring at an empty desk. Eric was not aware that he was being watched by the chief along with the two arresting detectives. “Is this our man? Hall? Kowalski? Will one of you answer me, dammit,” the chief demanded.
“Yes that’s Eric Ascot, music producer linked to underworld crime figure, Frankie Maruichi. We picked him up just now after a shoot out in front of his girlfriend’s upscale building.”
“What, trouble now follows that guy around like he’s Tupac? What kind of criminal background did you dig up?” the chief asked.
“Well, ah, sir, chief, what I’m trying to say is...”
“The guy’s a good, hardworking citizen and no jury would convict him or believe either of you over him. What else we got besides the gun charge?”
“Sir, he’s somehow connected to Maruichi and if we could get something linking him and...”
“No, I don’t want either of you fucking with Maruichi. Why? It’s none of your concern. You just follow orders the same way I do. Maruichi is off limits. I don’t want to hear that either of you is snooping around him. I do and I’ll have your badge. That’s fair warning. If you can somehow get a witness to place him at anymore shootings, we may have an airtight case. Let him make bail and go on the gun charges. He’ll mess up again. Until then, find a damn witness to put him at the shooting. Boys, I’m afraid that’s the only way it’s going to stick,” the chief said. Hall and Kowalski looked at each other with raised eyebrows.
“Let’s go find a damn witness then,” Kowalski said as all three walked away.
FIFTY-NINE
Hours later, after being processed and making the perp walk for all the media to witness, Eric was released on bail. He adamantly refused to cooperate with the police even with proper legal representation. He was also in no mood to address members of the media who had gathered. Instead, Eric’s attorney made a public plea urging the public not to judge him and that he was not guilty. When asked about the weapon and the purpose for Eric Ascot having it on him, he stared right into the cameras and said, “The criminal justice system as you know is not perfect and often-times it does more harm than good.” The attorney was very convincing. That’s why Maruichi had sent him to represent Eric. He was able to discredit the police without mentioning anything Eric had done. It seemed like just another police fabrication. The truth would prevail, the attorney promised as he and Eric walked to a waiting limousine. Eric dialed Maruichi’s number.
“Thanks,” he said then listened for awhile. He handed the phone to the attorney who had joined him in the limousine. “It’s Maruichi. He wants to talk with you,” Eric said. The attorney grabbed the phone.
“Hey, things worked out perfectly. Shouldn’t be a problem. Ok, see you later.” He returned the phone to Eric who immediately dialed Sophia’s number. Deedee picked up.
“Uncle E., are you okay? The doorman said your car was ambushed outside,” Deedee said sounding worried.
“It was but they were lousy shooters. They missed. The Range was shot up pretty bad but I wasn’t hit. How’re you doing, Dee?”
“Worried, Uncle E. I thought you had been shot or...I just feared the worst but I’m glad to hear your voice and know you’re alive. Why didn’t you pick up your cell phone?”
“I didn’t have it. It’s a long story. Did Sophie leave for work?”
“Yes, she did. She was involved in some litigation or something but she said to call her at her office.”
“She’s still mad, huh?”
“You gave her a lot of reasons to be angry. I mean Uncle E, those pictures and the video were really awful.”
“Look, the pictures are real. I was in the club but someone switched my head up with someone’s body.”
“Really? Oh, you mean like they did with R. Kelly?”
“Precisely,” Eric said. Deedee felt a little better after hearing the explanation.
“Call Sophia, Uncle. She’s probably worried.”
“Okay, I’ll do that after I hang up from you.”
“Will I see you later, Uncle E?” Deedee asked.
“Yes, you will. Take care.”
“You do the same. Don’t forget to call Sophia.”
“I’m on it right now. I’ll be seeing you, Dee. Goodbye, honey,” Eric said and pressed the speed dial to Sophia’s office. “Hi, may I speak to Sophia Sullivan, please?” Eric said then followed with a ‘Thank you’. He held the cell to his ear and waited. Moments later, he spoke again. “Hi Sophie, how’re you?”
“I’m fine Eric. How’re you? I’m happy that you called but I’m in the midst of something important
right now and I’ll have to talk to you another time. Please, please be careful out there. I’ve really got to go, Eric. Bye.” Eric heard the click at the other end and tried to say something but she did not hear.
“Sophia, Sophie,” he said but there was no response. He redialed. “I was speaking with Ms. Sullivan and we were disconnected. Could you put me through once more?”
“I’m afraid I can’t, sir. You’re going to have to leave a message and I’ll make sure she receives it. Is that alright?”
“It’s Eric Ascot, her fiancé.”
“I’m sorry, sir, but she cannot be disturbed at this time.”
“Thanks a lot,” Eric said.
“You’re welcome. Have a nice day.”
He put away the cellular and gritted his teeth. “You can’t give some people a job. It’s like they wanna run the whole damn company. She could’ve gotten up off her fat ass and gotten her,” Eric said to no one in particular but the attorney was listening all the time and not saying anything. Eric exhaled hard. “Do you have a cigarette?”
“Sure,” the attorney said. “There are lots of changes occurring at this point in your life. It’s understandable for you to be upset,” the attorney said then gave Eric a light before adding, “We all have those days in our lives, Mr. Ascot.” Eric inhaled hard and exhaled a roomful of smoke. He sat back then stared straight ahead, visibly upset.
SIXTY
Coco woke up to the knocking on her door. “Coco? Coco, wake up girl. Are you okay?” It was Miss Katie and it was still early. This wasn’t a school day and Coco had stayed up writing songs all night and wanted to get some sleep. She knew she had promised to catch up with Josephine. That girl wanted to go shopping but it was still too early, Coco thought as she struggled to open the door.
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