Chapter 26

An hour later, when the plane arrived in Charlotte, the old man sitting next to Jennifer shook her. “Hey, it’s time to get off the plane. We’re here.”

Jennifer didn’t move, so the man shook her again, but still there was no response. He called the flight attendant.
The woman with the short hair came, and an older blonde woman with a nametag that read: ‘Peggy’ took Jennifer’s pulse. “Oh my God! She has no pulse. Somebody get a doctor.”
A tall white man with graying hair announced that he was a doctor. Everybody made room for the man. He loosened his tie and checked for Jennifer’s pulse. Nothing. He checked her heart. No sign of a heartbeat. The man tilted Jennifer’s head back and performed CPR, but she still did not breathe.
The captain came to the back where everybody was staring.
The doctor looked into the captain’s eyes and announced, “I’m afraid she’s dead.”
“Oh no,” Peggy said.
“My guess is that she has been dead for at least ten minutes,” the doctor said.

*****

Twin had just arrived in Charlotte when he got the call from Barb, Jennifer’s mother. When he saw the number on the caller ID, he was inclined to ignore the call, but then decided that it would be best to advise her not to call him again. “Hello.”

“You black muthafucka. I know you killed my daughter.” “What are you talking about? Nobody’s dead, stupid bitch.” “Jennifer’s gone, and I know you had something to do with it.” “Who told you that?”
“The hospital called me today and said she had died on a plane

from Miami, and I know that’s where you took her.”
“Are you serious? This is no time to be playing games, woman.” “Do you think I would play games with you like that … about my

daughter, my flesh and blood?”
“How did she die?” Twin asked. He began to feel emotional. “You killed her. That’s how she died, and that’s what I’m going to

tell the police, and that’s what I’m going to tell the hospital … that your sorry ass killed her.”

Twin moved the phone away from his ear as Barbara kept shouting obscenities. Finally he hung up. He called Tommy.
“Hello.”
“Jennifer died.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Her Mom just called me and told me she died on the plane from Miami.”
“Are you serious?”
“That’s what the bitch said.”
Tommy sighed. “I wonder do Morgan know.”
“She couldn’t know. She’s still on the road.”
“Have you checked on her to make sure she hasn’t been pulled over or anything?”
“No, but I’m going to call her in a minute.”
“Don’t tell her about Jennifer just yet. You know how women can get all emotional and shit.”
“Yeah, you’re right. I’ll talk to you later,” Twin said and hung up the phone. He began to pace. He thought about Jennifer and what she had meant to him. He thought about the good times they’d had in the beginning of their relationship. He felt like they were meant for one another. Although she was white, she could identify with his struggle. She was an outcast, too. Her family was poor, as was his; and she had an occupation that people frowned upon. So did he.
He picked up a picture of Jennifer and himself taken at an amusement park. They were so happy then. He remembered all the stares he would get from black women, but he didn’t care. He was with someone who truly understood him, regardless of color, and he believed that Jennifer truly loved him. That was before the big money, the trips to Miami, and the kilos of cocaine ... before Tommy got the major connection with Manny.
He’d always hustled, but never on a major level. He was considered small-time when he met Jennifer, selling an ounce of cocaine here and there to supplement his income. He had been a city sanitation worker, but he always dressed nice and drove nice cars, so women always thought he was a big-time hustler.
The money came, and so did the problems. Jennifer would complain that they weren’t spending enough time together. So he’d give her money to keep her mouth shut. He’d buy her new purses and jewels to make up for lost time together. And then it was new cars, and he’d even given her the money to buy her new breasts. This kept her quiet for a few weeks, but then she wanted to go to Miami. Twin had initially told her that she couldn’t come, but she was adamant, even accused him of seeing “some bitch” in Miami. After weeks of opposition, Twin finally let her come. She became part of the operation. Jennifer became a drug-trafficking mule. The money had changed Twin, had changed his relationship, and had replaced the love of his life. He’d gotten to the point where he needed then money more than Jennifer.
Twin picked up another picture of Jennifer. She was smiling brightly. It was her 25th birthday. He kissed the picture, and the tears continued to fall.

*****

Twin hopped in his the truck and drove to JoJo’s house. Nia answered the door. She invited him in.
“What’s up, Twin? Why you look so down?” JoJo asked. “Jennifer died.”
“What?” JoJo said. “Come in and have a seat.”
They sat in the living room. Nia stood beside Joe. Nobody said

anything for about a minute. Finally JoJo asked, “How did she die?” “I don’t know. All I know so far is that she passed out on the
plane.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Yeah, I know. This whole thing has made me realize that life is
too short, and I think you and Tommy should try to work out your
differences. We’ve been friends for too long.”
“I’m willing to put all the bullshit behind us,” JoJo said. Twin sighed, then he glanced at Nia.
“Hey, Twin, I’m sorry Tommy had to get hurt … I really am. I
mean, we all know Tommy’s a good person. The man wears his heart
on his sleeve, and we know there’s nothing he won’t do for anybody,”
Nia said.
“I know, and that’s what’s fucked up about the whole situation,”
Twin said. “Even though Tommy said he was thinking of moving to
San Fran with Alicia, we don’t want him holding a grudge.” “You’re right, I think I should call and talk to him first,” Nia said. “I think I should talk to him first,” JoJo said.
Twin stood. “I have to be going. I have to find out what happened
to Jennifer.”
JoJo and Twin hugged.

*****

A task force comprised of state and local police and the DEA, was waiting along the Little Rock Road exit, looking out for a blue Chrysler 300, with a white female driver.

Mark Pratt, received a call. “Hello. Pratt speaking.”
“This is vice detective, Brad Thomas.”
“How’s it going, Brad? Haven’t heard from you in a while.” “Yeah, I know, almost a year.”
“What’s up?”
“Bad news.”
“What’s wrong?”
“One of your informants died. OD’d off X. Balloons filled with X

were discovered in her stomach.”
Ken Clarkson walked over. “What’s going on, Mark?” “Who?”
“Paige Howard.”
“Oh no!” Mark said.
“Yeah. She died on a plane inbound from Miami.”
“Dammit, man. That’s bad!” Mark said, sniffling. “How do they

know she OD’d?”
“What’s going on, Mark?” Ken Clarkson asked again. “Paige died.”
“How? When?”
“Yesterday. She was obviously smuggling X. It was found in her

system.”
“X?”
“Yeah. She died on a plane.”
“Do you think her boyfriend put her up to bringing the X back on

the plane?”
“I don’t know. Anything’s possible. Remember the time he had
her call in and give us a tip on the two girls so Paige could smuggle
the coke successfully?”
“Yeah. The guy is a real winner,” Ken said sarcastically. A uniformed cop approached Mark and Ken. “A Chrysler 300 has
been spotted about two miles away.”
“Hopefully, Morgan will have all the answers,” Mark said.

*****

A state trooper in a blue Mustang pulled Morgan over. She looked at the man in disbelief when he told her she was swerving.
“License and registration please.”
“This is a rental.”
“Okay. Where is the rental agreement?”
Morgan opened the glove compartment but found no rental agreement. She checked the console but still no sign of an agreement.
“Hey, listen; I don’t know where the agreement is, but here is my license,” Morgan said, handing the man her license.
The tall trooper looked at the license, passed it back to Morgan, and asked, “Ma’am, would you step out of the car?”
Morgan looked as if she was about to cry. “Sir, what the hell is going on?”
A second trooper pulled up beside them, then an unmarked car pulled up. Mark Pratt and Ken Clarkson presented their badges.
Morgan started crying. “I don’t understand what’s going on?”
“Ma’am, we have reason to believe that you are trafficking ecstasy.”
“Somebody lied on me. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Why are you crying?” Clarkson asked.
“Because you’re just picking on me.”
“Do you mind if we search your car?” Mark asked.
“Hell no, I don’t want you to search my car.”
Ken opened the car door, popped the trunk, and searched two suitcases before finding an overnight bag. He dumped the contents on the ground. Thousands of pills covered the ground. “Let me guess: You have a headache and this is your medicine,” Ken said.
“Fuck you!”
“No, fuck you. We’re going to put you away for a long time.” Ken laughed.
Mark ordered the trooper to cuff Morgan.
Tears filled her eyes. “Don’t take me to jail. Please don’t take me.”
“It’s too late for that,” Ken said.
“Take the cuffs off her,” Mark requested. “Morgan, take a walk with me.”

*****

Inside the red SUV, Mark and Morgan sat and talked. She told him how she started dancing after she left home. Morgan was from Connecticut and had attended community college but never completed school. She went to work at Hooters for two years and made good money, but was told that the real money was in exotic dancing; so she started dancing at Twin Peaks. Most of the patrons were rednecks and Mexicans with very little money. She found her home in the Uptown Carousel. It was a clean club and most of the girls were very pretty, and this brought the elite clientele—athletes, businessmen and, of course, the hustlers—all of whom had money to throw away. She had taken a liking to Paige because Paige had showed her the ropes, the ins and outs of the club, the customers with the money, and the ones who didn’t have. Morgan broke down into tears when Mark told her that Paige had died.

“You’re lying. Please tell me you’re lying.”

 

“I’m afraid not. I wish it weren’t true, but she died on the plane.

They found X in her system.”
“What?” Morgan looked surprised.
“Yeah, they found X in her system. She had swallowed three

balloons filled with pills.”
Morgan’s face was the color of a tomato. Her eyes were puffy.
She couldn’t control her crying.
Mark hugged her then said, “Morgan, it’s too late for Paige, but it
isn’t too late for you.”
“What do you mean?”
“I need you to help us bring Tommy, Twin, and JoJo down. They
are the bad guys. You hear me?”
Morgan looked Mark in his eyes. “Yeah, they are the bad guys.” “Now, I’m going to need you to get one of them on the phone and
tell them that everything is okay, and that you want to deliver the
goods.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Why can’t you do that?”
“I don’t want to get anybody in trouble.”
“Listen. Your friend is dead because of these guys.” Morgan wiped her face then looked out the window of the SUV. “I
can’t do it.”
“What do you mean? It’s your life here. Do you know there was a
girl who got busted last week with five pills and got a year for each
pill? You have thousands of pills and only one life.”
“I understand what you’re saying, but I can’t do it. I’ll just have to
get my dad to get me a good lawyer.”
“This case is federal. There’s nothing a good lawyer can do for
you.”
“I made my bed. I’m going to have to lie in it.”
“Are you sure you know what you’re talking about?” She thought about it. And thought about it. She wasn’t sure at all.
She would have to think long and hard about it on the way to the
federal building.