When TaTa heard someone about to enter, she sat up attentively and tucked the right side of her chin-length bob behind her ear. The door opened, and in walked Montera Robbins, the detective who had arrested TaTa. She was hard-nosed, with a chip on her shoulder and something to prove. The daughter of a crack addict, she knew firsthand the devastation of drugs. Montera’s mother had overdosed and died the day before Montera’s high school graduation. That’s was all the fuel she needed to enroll in the police academy. In honor of her mother, Montera dedicated her career to locking up drug dealers. She vowed to lock up as many as she could, by whatever means necessary.

TaTa didn’t recognize the red-haired lady who came into the room, but she knew she wasn’t the ADA she had met months back. “Where is Miss Hanson?” she asked Detective Robbins.

“She won’t be joining us today. This is Detective Sorcosky.”

“Why didn’t Miss Hanson come?”

“Well, she’s not ready to sign off on your deal yet.”

“What? Why not?” TaTa questioned furiously, tears filling her eyes. “I’ve done everything that was asked of me. I’ve set up close to thirteen dangerous people for you. Men and women who, if they had an inkling that I was an informant, would have me killed without a second thought.”

“Calm down.” Robbins pulled out a chair and sat next to TaTa. “We appreciate your hard work; we really do. It’s just that Detective Sorcosky here needs a favor, and if you help us with this one last thing, the DA has to agreed to drop all charges against you. That means no suspended sentence, no probation.”

“What’s the big favor?” TaTa snarled.

Detective Sorcosky took a seat across the table. Without a word, she opened a manila folder and retrieved an eight-by-ten photograph, then placed it on the table facedown. She ran her fingers along the back of the picture, then locked eyes with TaTa and smiled. Rapidly, Sorcosky flipped the photo over and placed her left index finger on it.

TaTa’s eyes became big as quarters. “Uh-uh, hell no.” TaTa shook her head while staring at the picture of Kisa, Eisani, and Kennedy eating at a downtown restaurant. “You’re nuts if you think for one moment I’m giving you my sister and my cousins.” She pushed the picture back at Sorcosky.

“Your sister doesn’t really interest me. I want your cousins.”

“First of all, they’re not doing anything. Kisa has been running her spa. Anybody with access to the Internet or a TV knows who Kennedy is and that she’s also married to one of the richest rappers.”