“Detective. You really are going to get me and my uncle killed. I gave you what you want.”

“That doesn’t explain shit.”

I need a new tactic. He’s fading out.

I stand up.

“Lean forward,” I tell him.

“Why? What are you going to do?”

“I’m gonna take your cuffs off. Now lean forward.”

He does.

I find the key on my key chain and unlock the cuffs. He stretches his arms out, starts massaging his wrists. It does look like I made them too tight.

I sit back down.

“Is your uncle going to return tomorrow?”

“No. He said he’d call me.”

“How long he pay for you to stay here?”

“A week.”

“How’d your uncle get involved with all this?”

“He’s just trying to protect me. Like you said.”

“So he helps you transport stolen property in his cab? That’s helping you out?”

Biddy actually looks surprised.

“I know more than you think I know, except what you said about Jasper. Why did your uncle help you like that?”

“Officer Jasper caught me for an office burglary. I had a couple of laptops. He took them, took a photo of me with his phone, and wrote down all my information. Said that I’m his new informant and that he’d use what he had for a warrant if I didn’t follow along. He, um, insisted that I let him drive me to where I was staying.”

“Your uncle’s house.”

“Yeah. My uncle was there at the time. It was early. I wasn’t lying when I said my uncle got caught up in all this to protect me. At first I did give Officer Jasper information, but then it didn’t take long to figure he was dirty. He started giving me a shopping list of things he wanted to have, like flat-screens, laptops, jewelry, some of the stuff too big to carry. He got my uncle involved because as good a man as my uncle is, he’s had a tough time paying bills.”

“Does your uncle carry a gun?”

“No. Not him. Never. Doesn’t even have a shotgun at the house.”

“He seems like a good man.”

“Is he going to be all right?”

“That depends on you.”

“It’s all my fault, not his.”

“Tell me more about Officer Jasper.”

“After a couple of months I was introduced to Jasper’s other informants.”

“You mean stable of burglars?”

“Yes.”

“You do jobs together?”

“Sometimes. I mean, not always. Officer Jasper has a line on fucking everything. I mean, he wins both ways because we had to buy all our drugs from his people after we sold the goods. Sometimes trade certain things for it.”

“Where do they live? Just give me a street.” Like I don’t already know.

“Riggs Street.”

“You know anyone who goes by the name Ray?”

“Yes.”

“What’s he into?”

“He slings for Jasper on occasion.”