The World in Reverse (24 page)

Dmitry laughed aloud and slapped his knee.  “Real men.  I love it.  Alpha males.  True to the death.”  He sighed. “I can trust him, Anatoly, because once he enters into this agreement with me, he understands what he’s risking.”

The vein’s in Nicola’s neck bulged.  Taking his eyes off of Anatoly, he looked back at Dmitry.  “It’s already at risk. Why do you think that I’m here? It’s only a matter of time before they come after my family.  My wife doesn’t fully understand that, but I do and you do.”

Dmitry nodded. “I do.”

“So, if I’m going to deal with devils…” Nicola said, shaking his head.

“Then you had better deal with the biggest ones,” Dmitry said, nodding.  “Call in Vasily.”

Anatoly grunted and motioned at the guard. “Bring him in here now.”

Dmitry looked at his watch and realized that the conversation had taken him from his guests longer than he expected. “Good then.  Why don’t you come around day after tomorrow, after you have received your official walking papers from the police department and we can get started.  Anatoly and Gabriel will assist you from this point on.  I’m an old man. I’m sure that you don’t really need my direct assistance.  But
these young men can be my eyes and ears and most importantly, my mouth to get you the things that you need.” 

Vasily, Anatoly’s personal guard came into the room, and closed the door behind him.  Standing six-four, he looked more menacing then all the rest with a bald head,  crooked nose and a dark tan.  “Boss?” he asked, respectfully.

Dmitry stood.  “Nicola, what is this girl’s name that you were trying to locate?”

“She goes by the name Roxie.  She was a stripper at The Tie.  I think that she skipped town.”

“Do you have a photo?” Dmitry asked.

“I can get you one,” Nicola said, unsure how this man could track down the girl when he could not.

“Good, get Vasily a picture of her.  When do you need her here?” Dmitry said, clasping his hands together.

“I need her back here immediately. She saw something, and I need to know what,” Nicola answered.

“Vasily,” Dmitry said, turning towards his subordinate.  “Find her and bring her here to me.  Nicola,” he turned back around. “I’ll see you day after tomorrow.  We will have some party favors for you and we’ll introduce you to one of my teams of men.”

“Your team?” Nicola asked.

“You wanted into the real police department. You got it,” Dmitry said with a smile.  “My men will assist you in getting what you need. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to my wife and my guests.  We are getting ready for a wedding.”

Nicola looked confused. 

Dmitry smiled. “It would seem that Anatoly isn’t always such an asshole after all. He actually got a good girl to not only love him but make me a grandfather.” With that, he nodded and bowed out of the room gracefully, leaving the other men behind.

When Dmitry was gone, Anatoly stood up from behind the desk and shook his head.  “Please fuck this up, Agosto.  Please.”  Wal
king to the door, he slapped his captain on the chest and whispered.  “Put a tail on him. Where he goes, we go.”

Vasily nodded and then followed his boss out, leaving the door open as a sign that he wanted Nicola out of the house.

Gabriel stood up and smiled. “After you,” he said, pointing at the door. He followed Nicola out of the room with his fists down in his pockets.   “We’ll see you in two days,” he said when they got to the end of the hall. With a smirk, he disappeared into the house while the guards saw Nicola outside to the porch.

21

DeFarious Washington, AKA, Mooky was an easy person of interest to locate.  In the heart of the poor but proud community of Binghamton was a small housing project called the Hampton Gardens. The fifty-year old complex was packed with people out on their weathered stoops, watching the cars as they drove pass on the main thoroughfare.  Small pockets of drug dealers posted up on the corners, walking from place to place as they flagged down cars.  Uniform police officers patrolled the area with their windows down and their shades on and kids ran back and forth on their bikes ignoring the absolutely dismal environment that they were being raised in. 

Johnson and Steele parked on Tillman in front of the complex and stepped out into
the lava-like heat.  Their presence was immediately recognized.  Those who were up to no good simply disappeared into the many small cracks and crevices of the area, praying that they were not there for them.  Johnson took the lead, walking up the dirty pathway to the small exposed black door of the apartment complex, he looked around before he beat on the door.

“Police,” he said, putting his badge up to the peephole.

He could immediately hear scrambling behind the door.  Beating at it again, so hard that the dust accumulating on the edges fell off, he looked back at Steele, who pulled her weapon and walked toward the side of the complex.

“Police,” Johnson said again, voice booming like thunder.  The people sitting on their stoops and chairs looked over at him, but said nothing.  Finally, the door opened and a small teenage girl with her hair half braided looked out at them.

Johnson bit back irritation just long enough to follow policy and procedure.  Showing her his badge, he looked past her into the dark house.  “I’m looking for Mooky,” he said, eye twitching.  Sweat ran down his brow. 

“He ain’t here,” the young girl answered.

“Where is he?  Has he been here?” Johnson asked.  The smell of marijuana wafted to his nose.

“No,” the girl said with hesitation.  “I h
aven’t seen him.”  She tried to close the door a little more. 

Johnson knew that she was lying.  Placing his hand on the door above her head, he pushed it open.  “Do you mind if I come in?”  he stared at her.  “You sure about that?”

“Yes,” she protested. “Like I said, he ain’t here.” She rolled her eyes. 

“You’re right,” Steele answered from behind Johnson. “He’s right here.” Her voice sounded a ragged.  Pushing Mooky forward bound in handcuffs, she adjusted her belt and wiped the dirt from her jacket.   Mooky appeared to be in pain, evidently from a serious struggle and his lip was bloodied.  She pulled out her iPhone and pulled up a picture of Mooky.  “This is the same guy, isn’t it?” she asked Johnson smugly.  “Or did I just beat the wrong man’s ass?”

“No, that’s our man.”  Johnson cracked a smile at how Steele had handled herself.  Again, her reputation preceded her.  “You wanna invite us in now?” he asked the girl, turning back around.

***

Mooky’s girlfriend sat by him in a pair of jean shorts that barely covered her more than ample behind and applied a homemade icepack to his swollen lip while he sat on the small cloth sofa with his hands cuffed behind him.  Rolling his eyes at Steele, who stood by the door with her arms folded, he mumbled under his breath.

Johnson stood on the opposite side looking into the kitchen and monitoring the window where Mooky had tried to escape from earlier.  “So you gone play ball or what, Mooky? I don’t have all day,” he said sternly. 

His girlfriend instantly gave Johnson a dirty look. 

“Man, look. Like I told this Herculean bitch you brought with you, I don’t know what happened to DeMario.  My lil’ nigga was fine when I left him this morning.”  Mooky winced at the pain of his bound hands and tried to adjust himself.

Johnson huffed.  “Only you, the nurses, Ms. Washington and Councilman Ferris were in that room today.  One of you slipped him something.”

“If someone slipped him drugs, then who said that he got it today?” Mooky asked, quite intelligently.

“We believe that he did,” Steele said, stepping forward.  “And call me a bitch one more time and I’ll do more than bust your lip and ribs. I’ll cut your dick off.”

Mooky pushed back in his seat.  “Keep
her
away from me,
please
.”  He looked to Johnson to restrain his partner.

“Next time, don’t run,” Steele quipped.  “So, who would be interested in killing your cousin?”

“Probably the same cop who tried to kill him before,” Mooky snapped.  “Why are y’all in my ass?  I don’t know shit.”

“Why were you there visiting him today?” Johnson pushed.

“I just came to see how my cousin was doing, man. I just got out of jail, and when I heard what had happened, I wanted to go and see for myself.  I could barely recognize my dude, man.  Y’all should be arresting that pig that did that shit instead of chasing down his folks beating the hell out of them.”  Mooky fidgeted with the cuffs. “These damn things too tight.”

“They aren’t meant to be comfortable.”  Steele wasn’t convinced.  “Who else would want to hurt your cousin?”  She walked over and kneeled down in front of him. She locked on his eyes and softened her voice.  Immediat
ely, she could see the change in his demeanor.  They always changed when they really looked at her.  They were men. “I’m not here to arrest you. You tell me what I want to know, you walk. It’s that simple.  I want to find whoever is responsible for killing your cousin.  Don’t you?  You said yourself that you went to see him.  Tell me who might have wanted him dead.”

Mooky smacked his lips.  “I ain’t saying shit.”

Johnson eyebrow rose in sudden interest.  So the guy did know something.  Instead of intruding on the interrogation, he watched Steele work.  She stood up, took out her cuff key, leaned into his body so that he could smell her intoxicating perfume and unlocked him.  Stepping back only a few inches, she put her hands on her hips.  “Then his killer will get away, and you’ll be a coward.”

“I ain’t no punk,” Mooky snapped again. 

“Then tell me what I want to know.” She pushed him harder. 

“So, I can get killed to?” Mooky shook his head.  “Man, please.”

“It’s off the record,” Steele promised.  “I just want a lead.”

“Off the record,” Mooky laughed sarca
stically.  “Every motherfucker in Binghamton knows that you’re here….
off the record my ass
.”

Steele folded her arms again.  “I’ll give you a get out of jail free card one time and one time only.  Just tell me what I want to know and I’ll walk out of here and act like I never heard a word.”

“And if I don’t,” Mooky asked.

“Resisting arrest, assault on a police o
fficer….” She started to count the charges out.

“Bitch, I didn’t touch you!”

Johnson couldn’t help but chuckle.  “I saw otherwise,” he lied. 

Mooky’s girlfriend got up to move out of the way.

“And I smell marijuana.  Did you have time enough to get rid of it?” Johnson asked the girl.  “You didn’t did you?  So, I’m sure if I toss this place, and I have reasonable suspicion now, I’ll find something.  You already got a jacket, sweetheart?”

“Leave her alone,” Mooky growled.

“How sweet,” Steele said with a grin.  “Mooky, I’ll lock her ass up too.”

“Tell them, Mooky,” the girl said afraid.  She knew that there was more than enough marijuana in the small apartment to get federal time.  Shaking her head at him, she urged him quietly to tell them what they wanted to know so that they would leave.

Mooky put his head back on the couch in frustration. “Fuck!” he exclaimed.

Steele waited. She knew that he was on the verge of telling her what she wanted to hear.

“DeMario got mixed up with some cop and some politician. I don’t know who.  They paid him ten grand to set up that cop, but they couldn’t put the money into an account, so they gave him cash.  I was holding the money for him for a while, but the little nigga just blew threw it on that shit.  I took the last little bit to flip some more work and make some more money, but I got pinched. So…”

Johnson’s mouth watered. “What cop? What politician?”  He had at least one person in mind.  “Councilman Ferris?” he asked.  Did he say that it was Councilman Ferris?”

Steele looked back at Johnson stupefied.

“I don’t know one from the other.  He never told me no damn names.  All he said was that he’d be getting paid when it came time for his lawyer to sue the police department.”  Mooky rubbed his dusty hands over his face. 

“Does anyone know that you know?” Steele asked.  “We can place you somewhere if you testify.”

“You ain’t putting me no where. And I ain’t saying that shit before no judge or no jury or no damned district attorney.  You said that if I told you, you’d let us go.  We about to bounce.”

Johnson pushed the issue.  “Do you at least know what color the cop or the politician is?”

“He said it was a white cop and a black pol
itician.  That’s all I know.”

Johnson looked at Steele.  “We gotta go.”

Steele nodded. “Get out of here,” she said, turning back to Mooky.  “Now, and don’t come back if you know what’s best for you.”

Walking back out into the sunlight from the dark, dingy apartment, Johnson slipped on his shades and shook his head in disgust.  The pieces were starting to fall into place now and it frustrated him to know that if it were Counci
lman Ferris that he had been orchestrating this entire farce right from city hall. 

“These are very serious charges,” Steele said, closing the door behind her.  She looked up at Johnson and saw the determination in his face.  “We have to be very careful about this.”

“I’m not stupid, Steele,” he answered, walking towards the car.  “We’re just going to ask him to come in and answer a few questions for us that might help us track down who slipped DeMario bad drugs.”

“What we think are bad drugs,” she correc
ted. “We haven’t heard back from the hospital.”

“How long have you worked with narco
tics?” Johnson asked Steele, more as a point.

“Ten years,” she answered. 

“What did that look like to you?” Johnson opened the driver’s door of his car and slipped onto the hot leather seats.

“I know what it looked like from five, ten feet away,” Steele said, closing her door.  “But we need confirmation first.”

Johnson was tired of the bullshit.  “Fine, call him and tell him that we want to talk to him.”

“Don’t fuck this up, Johnson,” Steele warned.  “You’re already too close to this. Let me do the talking.”

“You can do whatever you want to do.  If I find out that smug bastard is responsible for all this shit, you might as well just take my damn badge, because I’m going to kill his ass.”

***

Councilman Ferris in a fit of rage and fear, slammed down the phone on his Carpathian elm power desk at his office and stood straight up.  Wiping his face, he looked around for his satchel and eyed it hanging on the back of his door.  The women outside in the main area of the office space looked in quizzically as he stalked over to his bag, grabbed his track phone and closed the blinds to his office.

Cane answered on the first ring.

“Yeah,” he said preoccupied.

“Your plan failed miserably.”  Ferris lo
wered his voice and went to the window to look out at the city.

“What are you talking about?  I just saw the news.  DeMario is dead.  Just one more pill head to add to the coiffeurs.”

“Unfortunately not just one more. I just got off the phone.  Johnson and Steele are now investigating his death and want me to come in and answer questions tomorrow morning about what I was doing there.”

“So lie.”  Cane didn’t see the problem.

“Do you really think that they would call me in for questioning if they didn’t possibly have something, Cane.  Think about this.”  Ferris voiced raised in frustration. 

“It’s just questioning. Some homicide bitch pulled me in for Twist‘s murdered a day and a half ago, and they couldn’t hold me.  I had an alibi for that night that he was murdered.  I was at the basketball playoffs.”

“Well, good for you.  Unfortunately, I was right there in the same room.  And I don’t know if you remember the specifics of our arrangement but everyone goes down with the ship. So, if I burn…”

Ferris didn’t have any idea how badly Cane wanted to kill him but he also knew that if anything happened to the pedophile, proof would surely surface.  “So what do you want me to do about it?” Cane finally asked.

“I want you to do what you do. Handle Johnson and Steele before they unearth this entire operation.”

“You’re not thinking straight,” Cane said, walking into another room where there was more privacy.  “If you don’t think that the police will figure this out.  You have another thing coming.  Killing some cop the day he gets ousted from the force is one thing, because he ain’t no cop no more. But you want to kill two of the most high profile cops on the force tonight?”