Chapters (95)
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Epigraph
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Forty-Three
- Forty-Four
- Forty-Five
- Forty-Six
- Forty-Seven
- Forty-Eight
- Forty-Nine
- Fifty
- Fifty-One
- Fifty-Two
- Fifty-Three
- Fifty-Four
- Fifty-Five
- Fifty-Six
- Fifty-Seven
- Fifty-Eight
- Fifty-Nine
- Sixty
- Sixty-One
- Sixty-Two
- Sixty-Three
- Sixty-Four
- Sixty-Five
- Sixty-Six
- Sixty-Seven
- Sixty-Eight
- Sixty-Nine
- Seventy
- Seventy-One
- Seventy-Two
- Seventy-Three
- Seventy-Four
- Seventy-Five
- Seventy-Six
- Seventy-Seven
- Seventy-Eight
- Seventy-Nine
- Eighty
- Eighty-One
- Eighty-Two
- Eighty-Three
- Eighty-Four
- Eighty-Five
- Eighty-Six
- Eighty-Seven
- Acknowledgements
- About the Author
- Also by David Swinson
- Thank you for buying this ebook, published by Hachette Digital.
“Write down any questions you might need to know, like about the club or something. Don’t go fishing. I just want to know if his first name is Willy. That’s all. No drug talk or anything like that. Once you get that, just hang up.”
“What if he gets to really talkin’?”
“Like what, wanting to get together with you?”
“Something like that.”
“I don’t give a shit about that. Just hang up. I wanna rattle him.”
“Well, that’s easy enough, then.”
I tap in the number and hand her the phone.
I hear a male voice answer after a couple of rings.
“Hi, Willy,” she says in her best voice.
I lean toward Darling to see if I can hear him, but I can’t.
“Tamie…you gave me your card, Willy, a few weeks ago. I think it was a Thursday…yes, Tamie, sweetie. I know you remember. Don’t play hard to get.”
Darling turns toward me, shakes her head like it’s not looking good, then I don’t hear him talking at the other end. She disconnects.
“Hung up on me,” she says.
“Well, what’d he say?”
“He asked for my name, said he doesn’t remember giving his card to any girls at the club. Then he said ‘I don’t know you’ and hung up.”
“So he never told you his name wasn’t Willy?”
“No, not once. In fact it sounded to me like I was talking to this Willy guy.”
“That’s good enough for me.”
I reach for my wallet, pull out eight twenties, which is way more than she should get, but I know she needs it.
I hand it to her, then say, “You’re good to go, then. Thanks.”
She takes the money. Doesn’t count it, just slips it into her big purse.
“Can you help me out just a little more, Frankie? I really do got bills.”
“Not gonna go anywhere else, is it?” I ask, even though I know it probably is.
“No, sweetie. I swear.”
I count out another hundred, add an extra twenty. Hand it to her.
“I’ll make it up to you. Don’t worry.”
“I ain’t worried, Tamie. I’ll call Luna for you.”
She opens the door, smiles at me before stepping out and shutting the door. I watch her walk away, her tiny ass moving right to left like she’s trying to impress. Makes me smile.
Sixty-Five
Sixty-Five
On the way home I stop at a corner where an old Hispanic guy is selling fresh mangoes from a cart.
“Buenas tardes,” I say.
“Buenas tardes, señor.”
“Un mango, por favor.”
He grabs one from a basket, lightly squeezes it for freshness, expertly peels the skin, and carves it into slices with a large knife.
He drops the slices in a Ziploc bag, squirts hot sauce on them. Seals it and shakes it up.
“Three dollar, please.”