Girls from da Hood 13

by Ms. Michel Moore

  “That’s exactly why I told y’all two to quit playing. This bitch has gone too far.” Voodo was so mad he was spitting.

  “Okay, um, I know I’m the one who brought the pictures to you, but who is this Tone cat and what’s the word?”

  “That’s what I never got to discuss with you, Moni. Tone is the cat who was getting drugs through Felix. We stole a part of his money that night. According to the buzz Jerell heard in the hood, he’s been trying to find out who killed Felix so he can even the score. He’s dry on dope and out of money,” Voodo said, breaking it down to me.

  “And let me guess the rest,” I sighed, shaking my head. “Your baby mama is probably dropping dimes on us as we speak.” I didn’t want to tell Voodo “I told you so,” but the words were burning to fly off my tongue. I held them in to keep the peace between us, although I knew my body movements spoke volumes.

  “Hey, man, I know that shit has gotten hella personal for you all of a sudden, but how do you want to proceed? If you really think Yolanda would pull a snake move like that, we can’t hibernate over here, waiting on them to pull up.” Jerell was preparing for war.

  “You already know I want to handle Tone. But I can’t give the heat to Yolanda. She’s Alexis’s mom,” Voodo stated, sounding conflicted. “How could I look my daughter in the face for serving her up with bullets?”

  I’d held my tongue enough. “You’re the only one giving a fuck, Voodo. You don’t see her over there screaming you’re Alexis’s dad and she can’t screw you over. From what it looks like, she’s conspiring with the enemy. Like I said earlier, you can’t take her threats lightly.”

  “Stand the hell down, Moni, damn!” Voodo never yelled at me, so I felt weird that he was doing so now. Pissed actually, seeing that it was over Yolanda. “Yo, money, give me and Moni a second to get geared up and we’ll meet you outside. If them niggas are still posted over Yolanda’s crib, we’ll follow them until they’re off her block, then handle our business. If they’re gone, we’ll make our rounds until we find them. I’ma keep it real, bro, I don’t know if she dropped a dime about us, because I never tell her my business. But it ain’t sitting well with me that she’s conversing with him so shortly after storming out of here with a mouthful of threats.”

  “No problem, bro. I’ll be outside ready to make moves. I ain’t trying to make shit worse or nothing, but it might be time to start looking to make a move out of the D. Thangs been getting real messy around here,” Jerell said, speaking his piece. “Chill out, sis, it’ll be cool.” He nodded toward me before walking out to give me and Voodo our private moment.

  “Look, Moni, I know you’re caught up in this by default, and that’s my bad. If you wanna fall back while we ride out, I understand.” Voodo looked at me understandingly.

  “I wish I would fall back while she’s coming hard.” I rolled my eyes at him. “You’re the one who told me to stand down. I’ve been ready to go hard since she was standing in our living room being extra disrespectful. Don’t get me wrong, I can’t jump first because she’s your baby mama. But I can jump with you.”

  “Don’t misplace what I’m about to say, baby, ’cause I appreciate and love the way you’re so loyal to me. Nonetheless, I’m still gonna be the one who handles Yolanda. Our history is too deep and gritty for me to allow you to get confused in it. But I will need your rider skills for ol’ boy as our driver. Me and Jerell will need all our focus to be scoping for Tone. If she did drop him some hints, he’ll be looking for us, so we’ve gotta strike first.”

  “Say no more. Let me slip on some shorts and a wife beater and I’ll be ready to rock and roll.”

  Voodo

  I’d called Yolanda a dozen times, but she hadn’t answered one call. Not once did I tell her my eyes were set on killing Felix, but she knew how gritty I got down in the streets. In addition to that, she’d already asked for some hush money after hearing the news about the fire at Ace of Spades and little Alexis telling her about the super loud noise she’d heard with Daddy. Yolanda might’ve been ratchet, but putting two and two together was never hard for her to do. The more I thought about it and the more she sent me to voicemail, the harder it was for me to stomach that she’d cross me without giving a fuck. No matter how many days I lived a life of crime, I’d never understand a woman’s wrath.

  Me, Moni, and Jerell were riding through the hood in Jerell’s whip with the windows up and the air conditioner bumping. A blunt was in rotation, but none of us were really blowing it. All six of our eyes were zoning in and out, trying to peep Tone and four of his dudes. Since Moni had brought us photos and a video of them from today, it made our search a little easier. They’d stand out quicker.

  Pulling up on Yolanda’s street, we didn’t need to look any farther. Tone and his crew were still posted on her porch right out in the open. Moni parked about a block down so we could watch and wait for them to leave. In the meantime, we made sure every pistol within the car had one in the chamber, was fully loaded with ammunition, and the locks were off. We didn’t need any hesitation when it was time to strike.

  After about fifteen minutes of being posted up, Tone finally made a move. He gave my baby mama a hug and what looked like a few dollars of cash, then walked off the porch and to his car. Chills ran down my spine because I knew Moni was absolutely right. It was definitely fuck me. So once Alexis was finally back with me, it was gonna be fuck her. Neither Jerell nor Moni said anything, but I knew they’d peeped it all. I was embarrassed, pissed, and sad for Alexis. One day I’d have to tell her all about her mom.

  We kept a close tail on Tone as he rode away from her house. I was ready to bust bullets, but the time we struck had to be perfect. They needed to be as off guard as possible. When they swerved up into a driveway and hopped out posting on another porch, we all knew it was time to make a move. Moni dropped her speed and rolled up slowly as Jerell and I rolled down our windows, aiming both our pistols at all five men. They didn’t have time to blink before we began lighting the porch up. One by one they all fell down.

  “Stop the car, Moni,” I commanded, then hopped out running toward the porch. I didn’t even know Jerell was behind me until I felt bullets zooming past my shoulder. I guessed I wasn’t the only one who needed to make sure they were dead. Each guy had caught hot ones, but only three appeared lifeless. Tone and two others were still squirming and fighting for their lives.

  Jerell shot the two who were dead twice more to make sure they’d have funerals, and I popped one bullet each into the other two, leaving Tone to go last. Part of me wanted to leave him alive so he could be a living vegetable who would spook Yolanda, but I knew the game didn’t go that way. Once he was dead, the ticket on me would expire. That’s all that really mattered at this point. Bending down, I whispered in his ear a personal message to take with him. “Felix will confirm that I’m not the nigga to come for.”

  One bullet to his head. Another one connected to Felix had been sent to either heaven or hell.

  Chapter Eight

  Officer Hubbard, Detroit Police

  Three Days Later

  No matter what the season was, a dark gray cloud seemed to sit over Detroit, Michigan. No matter how much money the rich white folks poured into downtown, the inner city was still struggling with high crime rates, poverty, and drugs selling themselves. Chaos and murderous plots were always being played out within the urban communities of the D, but this case that my partner and I were working was irking me more than others. We’d been assigned to find out who killed Felix Carter, our informant about crimes that were taking place, and two of his friends, Jeffery “Rich” Richardson and David Cook.

  My gut feeling told me the guilty party was the couple he’d given information about a week earlier, but we didn’t have anything to stick them with for even arrests. It was hard getting leads since none of the strippers wanted to snitch, the owner of the club claimed he wasn’t there the night of the incident, and the known girlfriend of Felix was staying locked in her a
partment like she wasn’t there. I knew the fire at the strip club was a message sent. I just had to find a way to connect all the dots.

  1300 Beaubien might’ve already been overcrowded with thieves, con artists, and straight-up hardcore criminals, but that wasn’t about to stop me from getting suited and booted to bring the heat to the perps responsible for the three-body murder and double charges of arson. I took to heart my oath to protect and serve the city of Detroit, despite how many cops were dirty and in bed with hoodlums.

  “Richard, Hubbard, I need an update on that burning snitch case,” my boss, Captain Williams, shouted out of his office at me and my partner.

  “Yo, this chump be crazy as hell for calling ol’ dude that. I know he was a certified police’s bitch and all by solving unknown cases in the hood, but that’s just wrong,” my partner chuckled, sliding his chair back, ready to report.

  “The only reason he gives a fuck is ’cause Felix the Snitch put money in his pocket by splitting the reward to ensure his safety and the security of his identity. And with him gone, Williams’s pockets are feeling lighter. That nigga is taking it personal.” Grabbing the manila folder full of Felix’s phone records and surveillance photos done on Naughty to prove she was in fact in her apartment, I led the way into Captain Williams’s office with my partner close behind.

  “Close the door behind you,” Williams commanded. “Please tell me you have some new developments on this case.”

  “I know we’ve been hitting a dead end with the leads not wanting to talk, but I think we’ve made a breakthrough.” I slid the manila envelope across the desk. I’d been working for a couple days straight without sleep, trying to break the case. “Those are arrest warrants for a few of the dancers on charges that they have pending, ranging from traffic violations to prostitution. Plus there’s one in there for the owner because his liquor license was expired. I’m sure one of those warrants will lead to someone talking. No one wants to do jail time behind someone else’s bullshit,” I reported with confidence.

  “Good work, Hubbard and Richard. I’m glad you two didn’t come in here empty-handed or feeding me some bullshit.” He looked over the warrants with a nod. “Now what about the girlfriend? She hasn’t broken her silence? It’s not sitting well with me that she doesn’t want her man to rest in peace by turning in the killer. If she’s in hiding and not banging our door down trying to find out why we haven’t found his killer or killers, I’m sure she knows something.”

  “Those photographs behind the warrants are a few shots we were able to get of her peeking from her blinds time to time over the last few days. She’s locked in her apartment, refusing to answer the phone. Unfortunately, she’s clean when it comes to any pending charges within the system, so I couldn’t pull a warrant for her.”

  He looked at the pictures while rubbing his salt-and-pepper goatee. “Lie and tell her she’s a suspect in the case. Like I said, she should be trying to avenge her boyfriend’s death. The fact that she’s not makes it seem like she’s guilty or at least knows who murdered them. I want her walking through these doors today.” He got loud, handing over the manila folder and its contents. “Do whatever you have to do!”

  “We’re on it. Let’s go, Richard. I’ll drive.” I was more than ready to solve this case.

  Voodo

  Posted on the porch, I was puffing on a Kush blunt and barbequing the meat Moni seasoned like a chef. I couldn’t wait until the food was done so I could stuff my face. The hood was live, especially our block. Everyone was out grilling, chilling, and enjoying the warm sun of June. Summertime had officially arrived.

  If Alexis wasn’t gone back home with her mom, I would’ve been watching her run through the sprinklers or riding her bike up and down the block. It was a bitter feeling not having my li’l one around, but I knew all that would change sooner or later. Once Yolanda touched base with me again, I’d be manipulating her into a trick bag. My mind was officially made up to body her, because I couldn’t trust her slick ass. For now I felt cool, because I knew Tone’s death was a message she’d heard loud and clear.

  “What up, doe boss? Let’s get a game of dominoes or cards going.” Ol’ boy from around the way walked up. We weren’t friends, just associates of the hood. I didn’t keep dudes around because niggas were known to get envious. The only cat I considered my ace was Jerell.

  “Pull out some paper and let’s make it happen.” Since Alexis was gone and Moni was in the house yapping on the phone with her girl, I figured this was the perfect time to hear what’d been buzzing around the way. “Sit down and get the game set up while I flip the meat, my dude.”

  Most houses in the hood had small tables on the porch because many of the families didn’t work but sat outside day in and out, drinking and gambling with what little change they had to their names. Although Moni and I kept cash, we also had a table because it was easier for me to roll up on and for her to set out the hair products she needed to braid hair with.

  Starting a domino game up, I was enjoying the free time. I hadn’t robbed a nigga or caused turmoil within the city for the last three days. Not only was I lying low until everything surrounding all the murders I’d committed blew over, but me and Moni were financially set with the cash we’d stolen from Felix. We’d been looking at spots to have an extended vacation in, too. Both of us had heard Jerell’s suggestion and knew he was right about Detroit being hot.

  “Man, I know you heard about that titty bar getting set on fire. That shit was mad crazy. I ain’t never seen a bunch of naked bitches before on the news, but they aired all that shit that night,” he laughed, then waited for my response.

  “Yeah, dude, I was bugging out about that too.” We took a few turns back and forth without passing conversation between us, then he was right back on it.

  “Word on the street is that they’re having a memorial for Felix in a couple of days. His family had to get some cash together to bury him. You would think his stripping-ass girlfriend would’ve come up with the dough to help his family, but the rumor is that bitch left town.”

  “Oh, straight up? I hadn’t heard.” Cutting him a look then taking a sip of my beer, I was starting to feel uneasy about this guy even being around me. In another few seconds, he was about to get dismissed from my presence despite the game not being over. I didn’t like feeling apprehensive, especially at my own crib.

  “But whatever, I know you’re happy that nigga is iced out. He can’t be a threat to you or your ol’ lady with all that snitching shit now.” He peeked up at me, waiting for a reaction.

  “What the fuck, nigga? Are you the Feds or some shit?” Getting loud and sliding my dominos to the side, I was giving him a clear indication that the game was over.

  “Huh? Hell naw. I was just talking, bro. Chill out.” He seemed shocked by my sudden outburst.

  “Well, you know what they say about motherfuckas who run their mouths too much. I think it’s time for you to rise up out of here. I don’t feel like company or being friendly, ya feel me?” Looking him square in the eye, I wanted him to know I was dead-ass serious about him pushing on. And if he didn’t kick rocks fast, I was gonna throw his ass off my porch by his throat. I didn’t care about me not getting any info about whether folks had identified me and Jerell as being responsible for Tone. This mark buster was no longer welcome.

  “Hold up, Voodo man, I feel you. I don’t want any problems. I swear to G it wasn’t like that.” He stumbled over his words, rushing to get up. Fear was easily recognized in his voice and eyes. That same fear should’ve warned him not to question or test my gangster.

  “You better make sure it wasn’t like that,” I warned, leaving the hint of a threat lingering. “Don’t come back around here with all those damn questions and accusations again. I don’t like it when niggas run their mouths like diarrhea.”

  “I got you, boss. And I swear I didn’t mean no disrespect. I ain’t trying to step on your toes or cross no lines. I’m out, and I’ll see you around.
” He got off my porch with the quickness.

  I watched him rush up the street with anger bleeding through my eyes. If it weren’t broad daylight, I might’ve shot him in the ass to scare him even more. I was beyond irked by the feeling he’d given me. No longer did I have peace of mind. If cats from the hood couldn’t let Felix’s murder die down, I knew the cops probably couldn’t either. Leaving the meat unattended, I went in the house to cut Moni’s conversation short. Me and my girl had to talk.

  Moni

  “Whoa, whoa, hold on, Unique. I’ma call you back in a minute.” I cut my girl off, seeing Voodo walk in looking frantic. “What’s wrong with you, baby?”

  “This cat I was just playing dominoes with rubbed me the wrong way by bringing up Felix. Niggas around here are too nosey and can’t let shit die down.” Moving from the living room to the kitchen, he grabbed a beer then plopped down on the couch. “I was itching to pop that nigga. He made me feel edgy and uncomfortable with the way he was talking.”

  “Are you sure you just aren’t tripping because the news has still been reporting what went down? Or that you and dude had to body them niggas behind Yolanda? Usually you don’t care about niggas from the hood,” I rightfully questioned.

  “Don’t get me wrong, I don’t like that a Crime Stoppers ad is getting run multiple times daily, but ol’ boy was acting real suspect, like he was working with the cops.”

  “I don’t think he’d be gutsy enough to sit in your face and work with the cops at the same time, babe. Everyone knows yo’ ass got a short temper without good sense. Not to mention, if he thinks you had something to do with Felix, he knows it wouldn’t be in his best interest to even tempt you to feel like he’s a snitch too,” I tried rationalizing with him.