“Jaime, do you have any napkins or something in your purse?” The lady in the ripped jeans asked while she wiped off what looked like a mocha latte that had spilled on her shirt and had gotten her friend Jaime as well.
“No Brenda, I don’t have anything to wipe this off with,” Jaime said, still wiping and inspecting herself.
“Jaime and Brenda,” Corey said, looking at the name tags they had on, but he was a little confused because the spelling of Jaime’s name threw him off.
“I know, my name is spelled like Jaime, but it’s pronounced Jamie.”
“Oh, that makes sense.”
“Yes, I hope so, because that’s my story and I’m sticking to it,” Jaime said, while Brenda was still busy trying to wipe the spilled drink off her shirt.
“I am really sorry.”
“It’s okay, I was having one of those days anyway, I guess this just tops it off,” Brenda said, while she continued to wipe off the spilled drink.
“I’ve had worse luck in a skank pit.”
“A skank pit? Do I even want to ask?” Corey asked, looking at Jaime.
“You know what a mosh pit is?” Jaime said, still wiping off a few spots of liquid.
“Yeah, I’ve been in one,” Corey said, which made Jaime and Brenda stop cleaning themselves and look at him.
“Well, do you know or have you heard of Ska music?”
“Yeah, I heard of Ska music before.”
“Well, the Ska music has a pit, but instead of a mosh pit, it’s called a skank pit.”
“I thought you needed to be a little bigger to be in one of those pits, I’m 6’5,” and I would think twice about going into one of those pits.”
“I’m tougher than I look.”
“Oh, okay, I guess so. I thought a skank pit was something else,” Corey said with a grin.
“Something you wanted to check out, huh?” Jaime said as she and Brenda began to laugh.
“Hey, you can’t fault a man for wanting to broaden his horizons,” Corey said, laughing.
“Yeah, I think the keyword in that sentence is broad,” Brenda said, and they all laughed even harder.
“I guess we better get back to the hotel and change clothes,” Jaime said as she continued to look herself up and down, checking for spots.
“I tell you what, let me make it up to you, we are right here by all these stores, so let me buy you both an outfit or two,” Corey said.
“No, I’m sure this will come out when I wash it,” Jaime said, looking at the spots on her shirt.
“Yeah, I’m just wet and looking a little tye-dyed, I’ll be fine. Plus, I own my own fashion store. So, I have plenty of clothes to wear.”
“Really?”
“Yes, Brendaboop Fashions. Check out my website,” Brenda said, and she handed him a card.
“Well, at least take this and get yourselves something nice,” Corey said, and he handed Brenda and Jaime both three one-hundred-dollar bills.
“What do you think, Miss Jaime V.?” Brenda asked Jaime while she looked at the hundred-dollar bills.
“I have had worst things happen to me, feel free to bump into us anytime,” Jaime said, and they all laughed again.
“Anyway, I can persuade you to go out to dinner with me, Miss Brendaboop Fashions?”
“I don’t think my husband would like that too much.”
“Oh damn, you’re married?”
“I kind of think when a woman says she has a husband, that means she’s married,” Brenda said laughing.
“Mothafucka.”
“Motha what?” Brenda said, looking at Corey a little sideways.
“Oh, my bad. I didn’t mean you; it’s just something I say.”
“Oh, okay. I was about to go in my purse,” Brenda said, with a smile.
“Mothafucka,” Corey said, and they all laughed again.
“Well, I think we better go before these stains start to set in,” Jaime said.
“Cool, well you ladies enjoy the rest of your day and my bad,” Corey said, and he waved goodbye and started to window shop again.
While Corey made his way down the sidewalk peering into shop windows without any other mishaps, he saw Karen in one of the stores holding a nightgown and looking it over. She was trying to decide whether to buy it or not. Corey looked around to see if Aunt Ledley was with her, but he didn’t see her, so he decided the coast was clear, and he could have a little fun.
“Ooh, you nasty,” Corey said, as he entered the store.
Karen looked up and saw Corey and shook her head.
“I am married. I can be as nasty as I want.”
“You nasty,” Corey said, again as he laughed.
Corey was so busy laughing and having fun at Karen’s expense; he didn’t see three ladies walk in the store and come up behind him. The slap to the back of his head echoed throughout the store as Corey turned around to see Aunt Ledley standing there with two other ladies.
“Corey, how many times do I have to tell you to stop acting a fool?”
“I was just having fun,” Corey said, while he rubbed his head and checked for blood.
“Girl you hit him too hard, that sounded like a gunshot,” one of the ladies with Aunt Ledley said, and they all laughed.
“Girl, his head is harder than the walls in this store. Corey and Karen this is a friend of mine LaVerne and her friend LaShaun,” Aunt Ledley said.
“Nice to meet you,” Karen said, and she shook the lady’s hands.
Corey, just sort of, nodded his hello because he was still rubbing his head and checking for blood.
“Girl, he’s still checking for blood,” LaShaun said, and they all laughed again.
“You know you are too big to be wearing that pink shirt,” Aunt Ledley said, shaking her head, looking a little disgusted at Corey’s choice of clothing.
“This is European style,” Corey said, feeling cultured and proud of himself. The sudden challenge of his taste of clothes seemed to cure his mortal head wound.
“Well, you look like a big ass bottle of Pepto Bismol,” LaVerne said, and they all laughed again, even the lady at the checkout counter was laughing while Karen paid for her items.
“Girl I told you Corey ain’t got no sense,” Aunt Ledley said, shaking her head looking at Corey.
“Mothafucka,” Corey said, under his breath while the entire store continued to laugh at his expense.
Chapter 21
Wherever You Are
While Corey was having to deal with getting roasted by his Aunt Ledley and her friends, Dave was feeling the pressure and heat of saying goodbye without breaking down and keeping his emotions in check while Becky pressed him more than he figured she would.
“Dad, what’s wrong? Seriously, you can tell me. We can find a way to work out whatever it is, I promise,” Becky said as her Dad sat at her kitchen table and she looked at him, stood up and looked out the window at the black sedan parked outside.
“Grandpa! I thought I heard you talking,” little Kat said, and she ran in the room, just waking up from falling asleep in front of the T.V.
“Hey little Kat, I just came by for a quick visit, I brought you some new toys and some old pictures of your Mom and me,” Dave said as his voice began to waver a bit.
“Are you okay, Grandpa?” Little Kat said as she looked at him closely.
“I’m fine, I just got something in my throat,” Dave said as he cleared his throat to help convince little Kat.
“You have a frog in your throat,” little Kat said, then she looked in the bag with the toys and video games in it.
“Yes, I have a frog in my throat,” Dave said as little Kat came over to hug him.
“Thank you, Grandpa,” little Kat said as Dave hugged her and he couldn’t help but let a few tears fall as he saw Becky look at him and he saw her wipe her eyes as she looked away.
“Kat, go play with your new toys, okay?”
“Okay Mommy, bye Grandpa, love you,” little Kat said as she ran to her
room to open her toys.
Becky stood there looking out the window for what seemed like an hour to Dave, but Dave waited, knowing Becky was getting her thoughts in order. He wasn’t in any rush to get this last conversation with his daughter over with. Dave sat at the little kitchen table and tried to memorize this moment as he waited for Becky to speak. It seemed as though an eternity went by before Becky spoke, but she was finally ready, and Dave knew this was the part he would dread the most about his final journey.
“This is it, huh?” Becky said as she turned and looked at him with tears running down her face.
Dave knew what Becky was talking about, but as much as he wanted to respond, he couldn’t speak. The words seemed to be stuck in his throat, so he just sat there and nodded his head in agreement.
“You’re not coming back, are you?” Becky said as the tears began to run down her face more freely.
Dave just sat there and nodded his head as he still couldn’t get any words to come out of his mouth.
“I always knew this would happen, but not like this, can you tell me why?” Becky said as she looked at her, Dad.
“I can’t,” was all Dave was able to say.
“Have you made your peace with God?”
“Yes, I hope it’s enough,” Dave said, looking at Becky as he tried to smile to make her feel better.
“No, Dad. I can’t believe you’re okay with this, no, just no,” Becky said as she broke down and started to cry.
“Listen to me, this is for the best, I have made sure this will set you and little Kat up for life,” Dave said as he held Becky.
“I don’t care about money, let’s just go, we can sneak out the back and go now, okay?”
“No Becky, when you make a deal with the Devil, he will always get his due. I don’t have long anyway, maybe six months tops.”
“What? What do you mean?” Becky asked, taking her head from his chest and looking at Dave.
“I have cancer, I’ve been a dead man walking for a while, the doctors say six months, but I know I have two or three months, at the outside.”
“Can we get a second opinion? Is there some treatment?”
“No, it’s in my bones, I’m done. I’m doing the best thing I can for you and little Kat. When everything is over, sell the house and move away, I have some people that will contact you, and you can change your names.”
“Why would we do that?”
“You will see soon enough. I am not the monster that I will be made out to be, but I am a monster nonetheless, so just take care of yourselves and know I always have and will love you, and if the good Lord forgives me, I will be waiting on you at the Pearly Gates,” Dave said as he let Becky go.
“I love you, Dad,” is all Becky could say, although she wanted to say so much more.
“Wipe your eyes, I have to go and say goodbye to little Kat,” Dave said as he hugged Becky one last time.
“Okay.”
“Hey, little Kat.”
“Yes, Grandpa?” Little Kat said as she ran in the room with a half-dressed doll that Dave had just bought her.
“I have to go, and it may be a while before I come back, so I want you to be a good girl and help your Mom and listen to her too, okay?” Dave said as he bent down and picked up little Kat to hug her.
“I’ll be good and when are you coming back?” Little Kat asked, looking a little saddened that Dave was going away.
“I will try, but if I can’t make it back just know that I will always love you, wherever I am, okay?” Dave said as he saw little, Kat’s eyes start to tear up.
“Promise you will try hard as you can to come back, wherever you are,” little Kat said through her tears.
“I promise,” Dave said as he fought back his tears.
Dave hugged little Kat and Becky and turned around and walked to the door, he knew it was abrupt, but if he didn’t leave at that very moment, he might never have left. Dave walked out to the sedan and got in the back seat and never looked back as the car pulled away. Dave knew it was go time; the game was afoot.
Chapter 22
The End of Ed
The Senator got out of his S.U.V. and headed into the old looking building; the door was already open when the S.U.V. pulled up, the Senator still couldn’t believe the set-up Mr. Donaldson had here which only made him wonder what awaited him when he became the President. The Senator followed one of the two men who were waiting at the door; the Senator was led right to the elevator and got in. The Senator still had a hard time putting this fortress and technology utopia together with the building that you see outside; it was like going down the rabbit hole. When the elevator stopped at the end of the rabbit hole, the Senator got off to familiar surroundings, except this time, the lady waved him right into Mr. Donaldson’s office.
“He’s waiting for you, Senator, go right in,” the lady at the desk said, and she pointed toward the big wooden doors.
While the Senator made his way deeper into the rabbit hole, Sam and Hutch were out “hitting it” like the Captain had instructed them to do. Sam was still a little excited about meeting the Senator and getting his autograph.
“I’m telling you, Hutch, that’s our next President,” Sam said, as she eased onto the freeway.
“You’re probably right,” Hutch said, and he sat back in his seat, getting comfortable.
“Probably?” Sam said, lifting her Locs to get a good look at Hutch.
“You stick with probably when I go to the White House and hand-deliver some fresh Locs to the President, chillin’ in the Oval Office,” Sam said turning her attention back to driving, and not a moment too soon because when Sam was getting ready to change lanes, a wine-colored Jaguar went flying by. The car was going so fast that it pushed Sam’s car back over into her lane.
“What the…,” is all Hutch could get out when he sat up to see what was going on, only to get thrown back in his seat when Sam mashed on the gas pedal and the Hemi engine and all the modifications Sam had done came to life with a roar and even made the tires squeal. Hutch adjusted his seat to more of an upright position while Sam followed the Jaguar in and out of traffic at over 110 miles per hour from what he could see.
“Okay, this fool is going to slow down now, we are coming to the curves,” Sam said, and she inched closer to the Jaguar.
Hutch knew Sam could drive, she drove better than he did any day of the week, even being half tired, but this guy in the Jaguar was pretty good too. The curves came and went, and the speeds went up to over 130 miles per hour, and neither Sam nor this guy missed a beat, weaving in and out of traffic like professional race car drivers.
“When we hit 150, I’m going to light his ass up, won’t he be surprised,” Sam said, and she laughed and bobbed her head to the beat of the music, enjoying the chase.
Hutch was mesmerized when the broken white lane lines became one solid white line, he had been over 100 miles an hour before, but this was fast, real fast. Hutch was thinking if a tire blew that they would die so fast that they wouldn’t feel a thing when Sam hit the siren on the Jaguar.
“Shit, I was pushing 160, it was time to light that ass up.”
“I thought you were going to light his ass up at 150?”
“I lied,” Sam said, and the Jaguar started to slow down and get over to the shoulder of the road.
“Well, it’s almost over now,” Hutch said as both the cars were pulling over to the shoulder of the road and almost completely stopped.
“Yeah and speaking of being over, you can release the death grip on my leg now,” Sam said, and she turned the siren off, while looking at Hutch’s hand on her leg, but left the lights flashing and grabbed the microphone to access the outside speaker.
Hutch hadn’t realized that his hand must have slipped or moved from the center console to Sam’s thigh while the chase went on. Hutch took his hand off Sam’s thigh, but he noticed that her thighs were rock hard, which made him think that’s how she was able to pick him up and body slam Ricco, twic
e.
“Sorry,” Hutch said, and he took his hand off Sam’s thigh and got ready to get out of the car.
“Okay, it’s go time.”
“I’m good,” Hutch said, opening the door slowly and pulling his gun from the holster.
“Driver, turn the car off and put the keys on top of the roof,” Sam said over the loudspeaker.
The driver of the car dropped the keys out the window on the ground, Sam and Hutch looked at each other for a moment and shrugged.
“Driver, put your hands out the window, both hands, but stay in the car,” Sam said over the loudspeaker.
The driver put their hands out the window, and Sam put the microphone down and nodded at Hutch as they both eased up on the car, guns drawn from both sides. While Sam eased down the driver’s side of the car, so she wouldn’t get shot, Hutch eased up the passenger side to make sure it was clear. Sam finally reached the driver side door and instructed the driver to open the door slowly, from the outside handle, with their right hand. The driver opened the door as instructed, and Sam told the driver to get out slow. To Hutch’s surprise, it was a woman, a good-looking woman at that, and to Sam’s surprise, it was her former boss.
“Boss Lady?” Sam said, and she immediately holstered her gun and walked over to her, then she waved for Hutch to put his gun away, looking like she was irritated that he had it out still.
“Where’s the Vette?” Sam said, looking at the Jaguar, and she bent over and picked up the car keys that Boss Lady dropped out the car window moments before, dusted them off and handed them back to her.
“I got rid of it, I wanted this one,” Boss Lady said, pointing at the Jaguar with her very well-manicured nails.
“Why did you drop the keys on the ground?”
“You know I ain’t putting a scratch on my car.”
“I know that’s right,” Sam said, still looking at the Jaguar and laughing.
“You know I work too hard girl.”
“It is nice, and it can move too,” Sam said while she walked around the car looking at it.
“And it handles, not like the ‘Vette, but close enough, and I was getting ready to see how far it would go on the rims, after the spike strip,” Boss Lady said, and Sam took off her Locs to look at her and then started laughing.
Death of the C C K Killer Page 19