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.
I grab the blunt and take another drag. It’s good shit. I stretch my hand out to offer it back to him. He steps up and accepts. Takes another quick hit.
“Yeah,” I say. “And judging by the look on your face, I’m guessin’ you didn’t know.”
“For real? You ain’t playin’ me?”
“It’s for real.”
“Fuck” is all he says, then the last hit, and he flicks the blunt to the pavement. A few sparks spring out of it, are lifted, but die out fast. “Naw, I didn’t know. He got robbed or some shit like that?”
“I don’t know. Like I said, I’m not the police anymore.”
“You always the police, just without the power.”
“You’re right there. And I did call a couple of friends, but it’s a sensitive case, and they won’t even talk to me about it. I know how he was found, though. Maybe a burglary gone bad. Like I said, I’ve been watching him for his mom. He never knew I was watchin’. And I haven’t given the police anything about you yet.”
“Fuck that! I ain’t have nothin’ do with that shit. I liked Jiffy.”
“Jeff.”
“I know it’s Jeff, but I call him Jiffy.”
Says that like he’s still alive.
“Why?”
“Fuck, I don’t know. It just come out that way one day, and I liked it so it stuck.”
Fuckin’ Jiffy.
“What’d he call you?”
He hesitates. “Ray.”
Nineteen
Nineteen
Ray’s leaning back on the rear of his car again. I offer him a cigarette.
“Naw. I don’t smoke.”
Got some sense.
“Jiffy piss off anyone you know?”
“Naw, man. People liked him. He was funny.”
“Funny?”
“Wisecrackin’, but not the type that make you want to bitch-slap him. Just funny. Make you smile.”
“Did he use?”
“Use what?”
“Give me a fuckin’ break.”
Smiles like he was playing me. “On occasion, I guess, like most of us. But it wasn’t somethin’ that ruled him. You say maybe it was a burglary?”
“Yeah, but don’t know for sure. Why?”
“Fuck, you know how I do, so I’m gonna be straight with you, too.”
“’Preciate that.”
“But you keep my name outta this shit, a’right?”
“Okay.”
“Because of what I do, I know me some burglars.”
I want to ask about the records and CDs and the stereo, play it like that shit was stolen from Jeffrey, but he’s probably been in Jeffrey’s apartment, so I can’t chance it. He had a flat-screen and some CDs, though. Probably had a laptop, too.