“Hey, Kai,” he said.
“Good to see you, Vince,” I said. “Can you tell me anything at all about what happened here?”
“I can’t really speak on the record, except to say that seven unidentified bodies were found in the basement.”
“Seven? Oh my God!”
“Yeah, I know. It’s gruesome, even for the D. I’ve gotta get back inside, but I’ll keep you posted on any new developments.”
“I appreciate it, Detective.”
We looked at each other for a moment, with the rain dripping down on us, and we both offered a small smile. There had always been a bit of sexual tension between us, and it was clearly felt by both sides.
“Kai…”
“Yes?”
The look in his eyes told me he wanted to ask me out, but he only said, “Take it easy.”
“You do the same.”
As he walked back into the abandoned house, Madison approached me with an elderly woman at her side, a dark-skinned lady with short, kinky, silver hair. “This is Mrs. Frieda Jenkins,” Madison said. “She lives in the house across the street.”
I extended my hand to the woman. “Nice to meet you, ma’am. Thanks for agreeing to be interviewed.”
Mrs. Jenkins said, “I’ve always wanted to be on television, but Lord knows I never wanted it to be for a sad reason like this.”
Ten minutes later, the camera was pointed at me. Through my earpiece, I heard Frank’s voice say, “Let’s check in with Kai Lewis, live on the city’s East Side.”
“Thank you, Frank. I’m at the corner of East Nevada and John R Streets, where police have made a horrific discovery. In the basement of the abandoned house behind me are the bodies of seven unidentified males. I’m here with Frieda Jenkins, who lives across the street. Mrs. Jenkins, what’s your take on this tragic finding?”
When I held the microphone up to Mrs. Jenkins’s mouth, she said, “Well, I’ve lived on this block for fifty-two years. When I first got here, it was a real nice place to live. I don’t know what’s happened to this neighborhood, to this city. Now, you’re tellin’ me they found seven dead bodies in that house over there! Lord Jesus! People nowadays ain’t got no respect for human life.”
“Have you noticed any strange activity in the house?”
“That house has been empty since the first George Bush was President, and I ain’t never seen no kinda goings-on over there. I just can’t believe anybody would do something so terrible.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Jenkins.” I looked back into the camera and said, “Forensic detectives hope to identify the bodies soon. In the meantime, police would like to encourage anyone with any pertinent information to call Crime Stoppers. This is Kai Lewis, reporting live. Back to you, Frank.”
Through my earpiece, I heard Frank say, “Thank you for that report, Kai. What a sad day for the city of Detroit. Coming up next, we’ll be joining the police chief’s conference, live. Please stay tuned.”
The television broadcast then broke into a commercial break.
“Kai, can you hear me?” Frank asked. “We need to talk.”
I removed my earpiece; I had no interest in speaking to Frank. Even though I hadn’t heard from Deandre since the fateful night he left my apartment a month ago, I was still hopeful that we could reconcile. I refused to allow Frank—or anyone—to complicate that.
My cameraman started to pack up the equipment.
I asked, “Isn’t Madison supposed to help you with that? Where is she?”
“I think she went back to the van.”
I shook my head. “Hmm. It’s not like her to slack off. Is she feeling all right?”
“I think so.”
Mrs. Jenkins, who was still standing there, said, “I sure hope they catch whoever did this. It hasn’t been safe around here for a long time. My purse was snatched so many times that I stopped carrying one. Also, some knuckleheaded kids broke into my house one morning while I was at church. They only stole my diamond ring, though, and it was a fake. My poor husband, God rest his soul, couldn’t afford anything better than cubic zirconia. But this? This is just plain evil. Seven bodies? Seven dead people?” She shook her head and looked down at the sidewalk. “I won’t be able to sleep till they throw whoever did this under the jail! I probably won’t see this city turn around in my lifetime, but I sure hope it happens soon. My children live here, and so do my grandchildren, and I got one great-grandbaby. This just ain’t right—no way, no how. Well, God bless you, sweetheart.”
“You too, ma’am,” I said.
Mrs. Jenkins walked back to her small, single-story brick home.
I felt sorry for her. I knew it was unlikely that the crime would be solved. I also feared that my mother would end up like poor Mrs. Jenkins, an aging woman surrounded by danger and blight. I knew life with Deandre would make it easy for me to move my mama out of the ‘hood. With his NBA salary and my income as a reporter, I would have been able to buy her a brand new house, with the open kitchen she’d always wanted. I was sure I could still make it happen on my own, but it was going to take a whole lot longer.
Madison jogged toward me and said, “Sorry. I was talking to a man who knows something about the case, but he doesn’t want to speak on camera.” She handed me a slip of paper.
I looked down at the note and read: “Meet me @ Banko’s Bar @ 8 p.m. 2nite.”
“Who gave you this?” I asked.
“He wouldn’t tell me his name, but he claims he knows you personally.”
“There are a lot of crazy stalkers out there,” I said, balling up the note. “You’re gonna have to be more careful.”
“He knew you wouldn’t believe it, so he told me three facts about you to prove he’s legit. Is your middle name Sarita? Did you go to Vernor Elementary? Did you have a golden retriever when you were growing up?”
“Uh, yeah, but…he could have Googled that, maybe found it on Facebook.”
She shrugged. “It’s not my place to tell you what to do, Ms. Lewis, but I really think you should meet this guy. He seems to know a lot. I can go with you if you want.”
“No, I’ll handle this on my own.”
CHAPTER 15
The Dramatics’ classic “Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get” played from the jukebox as I walked into the West Side lounge. Banko’s Bar was empty, except for two middle-aged men shooting pool and a plump barmaid with a short afro.
As I sat down on a barstool, the barmaid approached me and asked, “Can I get you anything?”
“White wine please.”
She poured a glass of Chardonnay and placed it on a napkin in front of me.
I thanked her and took a sip.
One of the men shooting pool looked over at me, and I wondered if he was the mysterious man who had slipped the note to Madison. I hadn’t been totally honest with her earlier when I’d said someone could simply search those very personal details about me online; I wasn’t that famous—at least not yet—and I didn’t post that sort of thing on Facebook. Whoever had written the note definitely knew me, but I didn’t recognize the man holding the cue stick.
He walked over to me with a big grin on his face. “How you doin’ tonight, sweetheart? Ain’t you that girl from TV? I’d offer to buy you a drink, but with all the money you make, you oughtta buy me a whole bottle of something real nice!” He laughed until he wheezed, exposing a mouthful of missing teeth.
I opened my purse and pulled a ten-dollar bill out of my wallet. I was anxious to pay for my drink and go home.
The front door opened, and Alfonso “Ace” Brown stepped inside. His hazel eyes lit up as he turned in my direction. He had a caramel complexion and rugged features. His neatly groomed goatee framed his sparkling smile, and his wavy, jet-black hair was done in neat cornrows. He was dressed in a brown leather jacket, a white shirt, jeans, and Timberland boots. Platinum chains adorned his muscular chest.
Ace and I had a history. We’d grown up in the same neighborhood, and he was the first boy
I’d ever kissed with any sort of tongue action. In fact, I’d lost my virginity to him many years ago, when I was only sixteen years old and he was nineteen. He’d held me so close that he had me believing he was going to be my first and only, but a few months later, I caught him in bed with my sister.
I still hadn’t forgiven Ace or LaNaya for their betrayal, but deep down inside, I realized everything worked out for the best. Over the years, he’d been in and out of penitentiaries for selling drugs and a few robberies. I had also heard that Ace had enough baby-mamas to set a new record on The Maury Show. Surprisingly, he still looked just as fine as he had sixteen years ago, when he’d popped my cherry to the sound of Aaliyah’s “One in a Million” playing on my stereo.
As Ace made his way over to me, the middle-aged man with the pool cue said, “You sure are a fine thing, but I’m too old to be getting into brawls over females. My grill wouldn’t be so jacked up now if I hadn’t…” He looked at Ace and said, “Oh! I don’t mean no disrespect, man,” and then he hurried back to the pool table.
Ace wrapped his arms around me and kissed my cheek. He whispered in my ear, “I knew you’d come.”
I smiled. “Actually, I was just about to leave.”
He sat down next to me. “You look good, Kai. How’s the family?”
“Well, Mom’s okay, and I guess LaNaya is too. I can’t say for sure. We both know how she can be.”
“I’m real proud of you. Every time I see you on TV, it brings back memories of me and you.”
“I’m sorry, but I’m not here to walk down Memory Lane with you, Ace. Can you please just me what know about the case?”
“Why you gotta be like that? You can’t just chill with your boy for a second?” He called out to the barmaid, “Lemme get some Rémy!”
“My being here is work related. I’m just following up on a lead.”
“Yeah, you was always about that paper chase. I respect that. To tell ya the truth, I just wanted to see you up close. Damn, you look even better than you do on TV.”
“So you don’t know anything about what happened at that abandoned house?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“What do you know?”
The barmaid brought him his drink.
He took a sip, licked his lips at me, and said, “How bad do you wanna find out?”
I grabbed my purse and stood up.
“Calm down, girl. I’m just playin’ with you. You look uptight, like you’re missing a little of the f-word in your life.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Fun! You used to like to have fun. What happened?”
I rolled my eyes. “Are you gonna tell me about the case or not?”
“Yep, but you gotta promise to answer one question for me.”
“What?”
“You mind sitting down first?”
I sat on the stool in a huff.
He took a long swig of his drink and asked, “Are you still mad about what went down between me and LaNaya back in the day? Be honest.”
“Well, I’m not as mad as I used to be.”
“I was on some real stupid shit when I messed with your sister. One night, she came over to my crib wearing them Daisy Dukes. I was all twisted off some Mad Dog 20/20. I know that ain’t no excuse, Kai, and if I could do it all over again, I’d pick brains over booty. I know you still care. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be mad at me. I know I ain’t one of them six-figure niggas you used to, but what you see is what you get with me. We should kick it sometime, for real.”
I brushed his hand away. “I’m in a relationship, and even if I was single, it would never work out between us.”
“You can’t know till you try, but I know you ain’t tryin’ to hear that right now.”
“Look, I kept my promise, and now it’s time for you to do the same.”
“All I can tell you about the case is what a friend of a friend told me.”
“What’s that?”
“It ain’t no ordinary ‘hood shit. When the truth comes out, some high-profile motherfuckas are gonna take the fall. I’m talking about businessmen, politicians…even some preachers.”
“How are they involved?”
He shook his head. “Baby girl, I can’t tell you nothing else, no names, ‘cause snitches get—”
“Stitches? I’ve heard that before.”
“I wouldn’t be worried about no li’l stitches. You don’t understand, Kai. These people are dangerous as hell. If I say too much, I might end up being the eighth body to be found.”
“Then why are you even here? Why’d you put your life in danger to talk to me?”
“Two reasons. First, I trust you, and I know you’re gonna do your job, even if you find out some foul shit about some powerful people.”
“What’s the other reason?”
“It’ll come to light soon enough.”
“Why so much suspense?”
“It’s safer that way—for both of us. Baby girl, I gotta make my way back over to the East Side. Lemme walk you to your car.”
In the parking lot, we exchanged phone numbers. When I was safely inside of my car, Ace got into his electric-blue Camaro parked at the corner. It had twenty-four-inch spinning chrome wheels, tinted windows, and a vanity license plate that read, “REALITEE.” He waved goodbye, then drove off.
CHAPTER 16
At 2:31 a.m., I woke up to the ringing of my iPhone. I looked at my nightstand and saw Ace’s name flashing on the screen, and I was sure it had to be a booty call. I hesitated. Part of me was still holding out hope for Deandre, but Ace had looked so sexy at the bar that I didn’t think I’d be strong enough to resist him. I turned the ringer off and closed my eyes.
A few seconds later, my phone rang again.
I decided to answer this time. “Hello?”
“What’s up, baby girl? Did I wake you?”
“Yeah.”
“Are you alone right now?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“I’ll take that as a yes. I thought you had a man.”
“I did…uh…I do.”
“He must be triflin’ as hell if he ain’t lying next to you right now.”
“He has to travel, for work.”
“Later about him. What’s up with me and you though? I been thinking about you nonstop since I saw you last week. You looked so fuckin’ sexy. I don’t even know how I controlled myself. I remember everything about you, even that sexy-ass birthmark on your left thigh. I used to love the way you wrapped your long legs around me when I was deep inside you. You told me I was the only man you’d ever wanna be with, baby.”
“Okay. I’m hanging up now!”
“I dare you.”
“Bye!”
“You know what was on my mind when we were in the parking lot the other night? All I wanted to do was put your sexy ass in the back seat of my Camaro, lift up your skirt, and lick all over your pretty-ass coochie. I still remember exactly how it looks. Just seeing you made me so fucking hard.”
“Ace, I’m really hanging up this time.”
“Naw, you ain’t goin’ nowhere. Your pussy’s too wet for you to hang up now.”
“You’re so cocky.”
“Tell me I’m lyin’. Tell me you ain’t thinkin’ ‘bout the way I used to make you cum two or three times with my tongue before I made you cum all over my dick.”
Memories of my intimate encounters with Ace flooded my mind. The man used to eat me out like I was a three-course meal. I sighed and open my legs wide, picturing his handsome face between my thighs.
“Are you touching it for me?”
“Yeah.” I slid my finger into my moist pussy and massaged my clit with my thumb.
“I’m stroking my dick right now, thinking about how sexy you look fingering yourself. Put the phone down there so I can hear how wet it is.”
I hesitated for only a moment, then put the phone near my crotch and let him listen to the squishy soun
ds of my fingers going in and out of my pussy. I put the phone back to my ear and let out a moan. I asked, “Did that get you hard, baby?”
“Yep.”
“How hard?”
“Like a fuckin’ stone…and it’s got your name on it. You need to quit playing and lemme come get at that pussy.”
“We can’t—”
“I know you wanna feel this dick deep inside you, baby. I remember how you used to scream my name. I know you miss it, Kai.”
“Hold on.”
“What?”
“Just hold on.”
I pulled a vibrator, the largest of the three I owned, out of the shoebox that I kept under my bed. For several years, I’d refused to buy one because I’d always thought they were only for desperate, pathetically lonely women, but now I was proud of my sex toy collection. They certainly came in handy when I was between relationships: safe sex on demand! “I’m back.”
“Where did you go, sexy?”
“Not far.” I turned the vibrator on and inserted it in my pussy. The pulsating sensation was so intense that I shut my eyes and screamed. I yelled louder as I stroked myself with the vibrator. After a few deep thrusts, I came all over the plastic, battery-operated dick, and I slowly slid it out of my pussy.
“Did you cum real good, baby? Real hard?” he asked.
“Yeah…with a little help from my vibrator.”
“Why you wanna fuck with a toy when you can have the real thing? Quit playing and gimme your address.”
“Not tonight.”
“Aw, you got me rock hard, baby. Can you at least send me a picture of your titties so I can think about how good it would feel to nut all over ‘em? You got perfect titties. You know that, right?”
“Thanks, but I don’t do pictures.”
“Hold on.”
A few seconds later, I saw a new message on my phone, a digital picture of Ace’s dick. It was long, thick, and caramel, just like the rest of his sculpted body. The sight of it made me want to change my mind about inviting him over; I knew he could make me cum better than all three of my vibrators combined.
“Did you get it?”
“Mmm-hmm.”
“So let me come over so I can make you cum over and over, baby.”
“Ace, I—”
“C’mon, baby. I know you want it. I heard how wet you are.”