“What’s his name?”
Rolo shook his head.“Nuh-uh.That isn’t part of our deal.You can ask about her.That’s all.”
We stared at each other for a long moment. I thought about getting up and leaving then. He didn’t have any more information for me, not that he was willing to share.Plus, he was studying my face closely and that made me nervous.
“You ain’t her daddy,” he said, matter-of-factly.
“Why do you say that?”I picked her picture up from the table and slipped it into my back pocket.
“You ain’t,” Rolo said.“I can tell.You didn’t like hearing about the sex movies, but you sure as hell didn’t act like a daddy who just heard it.”
The door opened and a couple of people walked in.I ignored them and continued to look directly at Rolo.“No, I’m not her father.I’m helping her father find her.That’s all.”
Rolo nodded like he already knew that.“And you sure we ain’t never met before?”
“Positive.”
“Because you look familiar to my eyes.Maybe it was a long time ago.Back when you were five-oh, maybe?”
I shook my head.“Like I said, I’d remember you.”
Rolo snorted.“All those niggers you were busy hassling?You could forget just one.Maybe it slipped your mind, because all us niggers look the same.”
“No,” I said, wondering where this was going but not liking it.“Like you said before, you’re pretty unforgettable.”
Rolo broke into a smile, but it was insincere.“So I did.I did say that.Yes, I did.”
He leaned back and gave a wave toward the bar. The old man who’d come in a few moments ago sauntered over. He held his hat in his hands in front of him.
Rolo jerked a thumb in the man’s direction. “This here is George. Say hi to George, white boy.”
I nodded to the old man.
Rolo gave another small wave and a moment later, two more black guys appeared at the table.The larger of the two was even bigger than Rolo and he remained standing, his arms crossed like a bouncer.The other, only slightly larger than me, slid into the booth next to me, forcing me to scoot over.He grinned at me, revealing gold inlay on two of his upper front teeth.
“You like my grill?” he said, false friendliness dripping from every word.He draped his arm along the back of the booth.
“If it works for you,” I said, turning my gaze back to Rolo.He had the same friendly mask on his face. He glanced at the man next to me.“He strapped?”
Grill ran his hands roughly down my sides and around my waist, jostling me in my seat. “Not unless it’s in his boots.”
Rolo nodded, and turned back to me. “I can’t decide if you’re stupid enough to come in here strapped or stupid enough not to.”
“I didn’t figure this was a discussion I needed a gun for,” I said.
“No shit?” He motioned toward the old man. “How old do you figure George is?”
I shrugged. “Sixty.”
Rolo chuckled.“Sheee-it. Motherfucker is almost eighty. You believe that?” He shook his head. “Eighty. Spent his whole life right here in your All-American city. And you know what that makes him?”
“A patriot?” I asked.
Rolo snorted and shook his head. “No. It makes him better than the motherfuckin’ Internet, that’s what.” He looked at George. “Whatch you think, my man?” he asked, motioning toward me. “Was a cop, maybe ten years ago.”
George turned his bleary eyes to my face. He looked at me, blinking and thinking.
I felt sweat begin to trickle down the sides of my body.On the jukebox, the final strains of a horn solo ended and the piano took over again.
Finally, after what seemed like an hour but couldn’t have been more than thirty seconds, George leaned down and whispered something in Rolo’s ear.
Rolo nodded slowly, looking at me while he listened. When the old man finished, he smiled. “Go ahead and get whatever you want, George. On me.”
The old man nodded his thanks and shuffled toward the bar.
Rolo turned back to me. “You know, you’re right about something. We never met before.That is true as a motherfucker.But,” he tapped his temple, “I knew I recognized you from somewhere.I just couldn’t remember exactly where.”
And now he has.
Shit.
“You’re pretty good, white boy,” Rolo said.“You had me going.You got what you wanted, fair and square.”
“Then we’re done,” I said, shifting in my seat.
Grill’s hand shot down and grabbed the nape of my neck.“You done when the man say you done, bitch,” he growled at me.
Rolo’s expression didn’t change.“No, we ain’t quite finished.See, you got your end of the deal.I don’t know where Star is now, but I told you where she went.I kept my end of the bargain.But where’s your end?”
“We discussed that,” I said.Adrenaline coursed through my body and my heart was racing.Meanwhile, Grill’s finger’s bit into my neck, full of wiry strength.
“Yes, we did,” Rolo said, “But you, motherfucker, are in breach of contract.You know what that means?”
“I know what it means, but I don’t see where-“
Rolo held up his hand and Grill squeezed even harder.I stopped talking.
“It means,” Rolo said, “that you’re trying to fuck me over here.”He leaned forward.“I know who you are now, bitch.You’re the one who shot Morris the Cat up north, way back in the day.Shoot-out at the OK Super Mart or whatever.”
Fresh fear lanced through me.
Rolo held up a finger, “Now, I don’t care about that gang-banging worthless shitbag, but this I do care about.You’re also that stupid mother fucker that let that little white girl die.You could’ve saved her and you fucked it all up.”
My jaw clenched.
“Tell me it isn’t you,” Rolo challenged.“Your lily white face was all over the TV and the newspapers both times.I remember.”He gestured toward the old black man at the bar. “George definitely remembers. So tell me it isn’t you.”
I didn’t answer right away.Grill squeezed harder, pushing my face toward Rolo.“Answer the man!” he ordered.
I tried to say something, but it came out a gurgle.Rolo waved at Grill and he let me go.Rolo waited a moment, then gave me an “answer the question” turn of his hand.
“It’s me,” I said.
“I know it’s you,” Rolo said.“What I also know is there isn’t a pig on the entire force that doesn’t think that you are about the dumbest motherfucker that ever lived.”
I didn’t argue.He was pretty close to right.Another shot of fear radiated sharply from my stomach out to my hands and feet.I wished again that I’d brought my gun.
Rolo leaned in.“That means, there’s nobody you can call that’s gonna listen to one motherfuckin’ word you got to say, whether it’s about me and some sixteen-year-old bitch or how to turn apples into blowjobs.”He pointed at me, leaning back.“You’ve got nothing to trade me.And that is breach of contract.”
“I gave you the fifty dollars,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.
“I told you, that was a tax.” Rolo shook his head at me.“You think you’re some kind of player?That you’d come in here, into my place and play me?”
“I just wanted some inform-“
Rolo looked up at the huge man next to the table.“Leon, if this cracker says one more thing inside this bar, you go ahead and bust a cap right in his fuckin’ face.”
Leon nodded, his hand slipping inside his jacket.
I shut up.
Rolo pursed his lips and leaned in a final time.“Since you paid that tax and since that girl you let die wasn’t a little black girl, I’m gonna go easy on you.But don’t you ever come back in my place again.Now nod that you heard me.”
I nodded.
“Good.”Rolo leaned back and waved to Leon and Grill.“Now show this motherfucker out.”
26
Grill’s vise-like grip on my left upper arm and the back of my neck hauled me out of the booth.Leon lumbered behind us, his hand beneath his jacket.I’d expected us to go out the front, was actually looking forward to it, but Grill directed me toward the back of the bar and through the small pool room with a single table.We headed for an exit at the back of the room.