Chapter 29

Tommy was in his Porsche truck, on his way to Alicia’s place. He decided to call Don to fill him in on what was going on. The Mercedes dealership had just repossessed the Maybach. He dialed Don’s number and an automated recording revealed that the number was no longer in service. Tommy looked at the number then dialed it again, reaching the same message. He immediately dialed Alicia’s number. Her number was out of service, too.

A neighbor walked over. A small white lady with freckles and thick glasses. “I think she moved out yesterday.”
Tommy looked puzzled. “What do you mean, moved out?
“I saw a big moving truck outside and a couple of guys taking all of her stuff out.”
“Did you find out where she was going?”
“Didn’t think to ask. I really didn’t know her; we just kind of spoke here and there in passing.”
Tommy walked off without thanking the lady. He got back in his truck and drove aimlessly. He was just trying to take it all in. Alicia was gone and nobody knew where the hell she was. Her phone was disconnected; her dad’s phone was disconnected; and he had $750,000 of Tommy’s. He called Alicia’s school and asked for admissions. “I need to know if you have an Alicia Anderson still enrolled.”
“Hold on a second, I’ll take a look,” a voice on the other end said.
Tommy held onto the phone, fuming. He wondered what the hell was going on. He wondered whether he would get his money back. For the first time, he felt as though Alicia and her father might have been crooks. He was hoping he was wrong.
The woman came back on the phone. “Sir, are you still there?”
“Yeah.”
“I searched all my records and I don’t have an Alicia Anderson.” “Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
“What the hell is going on?” Tommy said.
“Sir, why are you cursing?”
“I’m sorry. I was just thinking out loud.” He terminated the call. His mind drifted back to their first conversation about money. Most people steal somehow or another. My understanding is that very few get it honestly.

Tommy met his dad with a big hug. “Man, I’m glad to see you on the other side of the fence,” Tommy said.
“He’ll, I’m glad to be back.”
“Let’s get in the car and ride. I have some things I need to tell you.”
When they were in the car, Tommy fired up the ignition and turned to his father. “Dad, I think I’ve been robbed.”
“Somebody broke into your house?”
“Not that kind of robbed. You remember the girl I was telling you about, the fine one from California?”
“Yeah, you said you were investing your money with her dad.”
Tommy looked in his father’s direction but avoided his eyes.
“Come on with it, son, what happened?”
“I think I’ve been had.”
“What do you mean?”
Tommy made eye contact with J.C. “Well, I gave her dad $750,000 and now I can’t find him.”
J.C. was speechless for a moment, then he said, “Pull this muthafucka over right now.”
Tommy pulled over to the side of the road.
“Nigga, how in the hell can you give a muthafucka that much money? Do you know that I ain’t seen that kind of money in my life?”
Tommy took a deep breath but remained silent.
“Boy, what the hell were you thinking?”
“I don’t know, Dad … I don’t know. All I know is that I went out to Cali with Alicia, and her dad had all these Benzes and shit like real expensive jewelry. I thought he was legit.”
“Oh my God. You still got some money don’t you?”
“Only product.”
“Only product? Well, you need to get rid of the product and get some money.”
“I got one problem.”
“What’s wrong now?”
“I don’t actually have the product. I was supposed to meet the white girl yesterday to get the dope that she brought back from Miami, but then Twin was murdered.”
“What does this have to do with you getting your shit?” J.C. ran his fingers through his braids. “I’m not understanding.”
“Dad, it’s something strange going on with the white girl. I don’t know but my gut is telling me not to meet her.”
“Well that settles it; don’t meet her. What ever you do, don’t go meet that girl.”
“But I ain’t got shit.”
“We got each other, and that’s all we need.”
“I know that but, Daddy, you don’t know how I feel,” Tommy said as tears rolled down his cheeks.
J.C. turned Tommy’s face toward him. “Now you gonna stop all that whining and shit. You gotta be a man, and money don’t make you a man. What makes you a man is what you stand for, and all this shit these niggas did was just to show you that they are cowardasses, including the man that took your money.”
J.C. had always had a way of making Tommy feel like everything was going to be okay. Tommy remembered when he’d tried out for basketball in middle school and had gotten cut. He’d cried and cried for three days. J.C. pulled him aside and explained to him that since he was a little overweight, he would probably make a better wrestler. Tommy later tried out for wrestling and made the team. He went on to become the state champion. J.C. had never had anything to give to him, but he had been there for him. He’d taught him how to be a man.
Tommy hugged his father. J.C. whispered in his ear, “Everything is going to be okay.”

Mark Pratt met Morgan at Dean & Duluca for coffee. They sat in the back.
“So you’re the guy that used to meet Jenny here, huh?” Morgan asked.
“How do you figure?”
Morgan played with her hair. “Just guessing. She once told me about this fabulous man that she would meet for coffee sometimes.”
Mark smiled but didn’t say anything.
“This is crazy,” Morgan said.
“What’s crazy?”
“The fact that Jenny’s been on the inside the whole time.”
“I wouldn’t exactly say she’s been on the inside … more like playing both sides of the fence.”
“Is that what you call it? Let me ask you something, Agent Pratt?”
“Go ahead.”
She looked him straight in his eyes. “This is kind of a personal question.”
“What is it?”
“Do you miss Jenny?”
“Why do you ask that?”
She twirled her hair again, looking innocent. “Just curious.”
“I hate that she’s gone, if that’s what you mean.”
She smiled. “That’s what I meant.”
He sipped his coffee. “I need you to get Tommy, and he’ll lead us to JoJo.”
“I don’t think Tommy and JoJo are speaking now.”
“They aren’t. I know this.”
“Damn, you know everything. How did you know this?”
“Telephones. They can be your best friend or your worst enemy.”
“Okay, I’m going to need you to wear a wire.”
“A wire?”
“Yeah. I’m going to need to have his voice recorded during the transaction.”
“Couldn’t you just bust him when I deliver him the drugs?”
“Yeah, but we want to make sure the case is airtight.”
Morgan stared at Mark then asked, “Do you have a conscience?”
Mark laughed. “Of course I have a conscience. Why do you ask that?”
“Because you’re ruining people’s lives.”
“People are ruining their own lives with the decisions they make. I didn’t tell you to traffic drugs; you decided that on your own.”
“Agent Pratt, you’re a cold-hearted individual.”
Mark grabbed his cup of coffee, sipped it, then left.

Tommy picked up his cell phone and noticed that he’d missed four calls. Three calls were from Morgan. He went against his gut feeling and called her.

She answered on the first ring. “Yeah.”
“Talk, but watch your language.”
“Okay. Tommy, I have something that belongs to you.” Tommy didn’t say anything.
“Tommy, are you going to meet me or not?”
“I don’t know; let me call you back.”
“You know what, Tommy, just forget it. I’m just going to flush

them all.
“No!”
“Well, let’s meet.”
“Let me call you back in five minutes.” He ended the call. JoJo called again. Tommy answered the phone. “Hello.” “Can we talk?”
“We’re talking. What do you want?’
“I know this might be a fucked up time to talk about business, with

Twin being dead, but we need to put all our differences aside and make some money.”
“You know what, Joe? Fuck you and fuck Twin.”
“Twin is dead. Why are you talking like that about him?”
“Nigga, Twin was the one having us robbed all the time.”
“I don’t believe it.”
“Like I didn’t want to believe you was fuckin Nia.”
“Tommy, are you serious?”
“Come on, man listen. I get robbed then you get robbed, but this nigga never got robbed.”
“So who told you this?”
“J-Black, the nigga that robbed us.”
“Do you think J-Black had something—”
“Let’s meet out somewhere.”
“Where?”
“Downtown, the parking lot across from the RockBottom Café.”
“How long will it take you?”
“Twenty minutes.” *****

Tommy stood in the middle of the parking lot. J.C. was in the car listening to the radio.
JoJo pulled up in his Porsche truck and walked over to Tommy. “What’s up?”
Tommy looked around suspiciously.
“What the fuck you all nervous and shit for?” JoJo asked.
“Man, it’s the ninth inning; this game is about to be over.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Meaning it’s over, Joe; the game is over. There is nothing else to do.”
“What am I supposed to do about money?”
“Well at least you got some.”
Joe looked at Tommy oddly.
“Remember the real estate guy that I was telling you about in Cali?”
“Your girl’s father.”
“Yeah. He fucked me out of all my dough.”
“How?”
“He won’t return my phone calls and neither will she. She’s moved and I’ve given this man $750,000 but ain’t got shit to show for it.”
“What about the product you and Twin went to get in Miami?”
“The white girl keeps calling me to come get it, but I’m just kind of leery, you know? I just don’t feel right about it.”
“If you decide to go get it, I know somebody who will buy it all, and you can make at least three hundred grand … it’s just a thought. I mean, everybody is wanting the butterflies.”
Tommy took a deep breath. “I’ll call her later today.”

Morgan was surprised when Tommy called her and said that he needed to see her.
“Do you still have that?”
“Yeah, of course I do. Why wouldn’t I have it?”
“Well, you said you was going to flush them.”
She laughed. “I was kidding and kind of emotional. You know after what happened to Jenny.”
“Yeah, I feel ya.”
“Can you meet me at my job, maybe in the parking lot? Then I can go on in to work.”
“I’m on my way.” He ended the call then pondered for a while. His plan was to get the pills, sell them to JoJo, and take his dad to Atlanta, Georgia or Dallas, Texas to start a new life. Perhaps he would buy a boat so that he and his dad could go fishing in the ocean. He looked up to the sky and said to God, “If you let me get through this situation without going to jail, I promise that I will never knowingly and willingly do anything wrong or illegal.” He felt bad after saying that because, though he wasn’t a big bible reader, he’d read somewhere that you weren’t supposed to test the Lord.