No More Tears in the End (20 page)

“It’s just like the man said; two-faced woman and a jealous man.”

“Cause of the trouble since the world began,” Black said finishing the line from the James Brown song then stood up. “I gotta get outta here.” He looked in Rain’s direction and sat back down. “Look, Nick, I know this is none of my business, and far be it for me to tell you who to lay the pipe to. Especially when I’m fuckin’ every woman with a fat-ass and big titties I run into. Just don’t hurt Wanda.” Black stood up again.

“I won’t.”

I introduced Black to Rain and walked with him as he left Cuisine. Since I was hungry, I went back inside and joined Rain for a meal. I would drop her off after I was full.

Chapter 30

I went in the kitchen and had the cook make me a porterhouse steak, medium, smothered in onions and mushrooms. While I ate, I talked to Rain, but mostly I thought about what I was gonna do to Charles Watson and how I would do it. When I finished eating, I thought about Freeze. I could use him for what I had planned.

“You’re kind of quiet,” Rain said. “What you thinkin’ about?”

“I gotta do something tonight. Something me and Freeze woulda handled.”

“You miss your road dog. I know how that feels.”

I looked at Rain. “Yeah, I guess you do. Your road dog’s in jail.” Maybe that was part of the attraction. We needed each other.

“Right.”

We left Cuisine and I headed in the direction of JR’s. “Tell me about your dog. What he go down for?”

“His name is Jarreau, but everybody calls him Jay Easy. He got cracked over some stupid shit. Me and him just got through takin’ care of a problem, you understand. When we split up, I gave him the guns ’cause they was both hot, and told him to get rid of them. But before he got to do it, decides he needs to stop and get some cigarettes. When he leaves the store, he gets pulled over. Cops search the car, find the guns. Guns got bodies on them. Jay Easy goes down for murder.”

“Over a pack of cigarettes?”

“Over a pack of cigarettes. You know that nigga quit smokin’ after that.” Rain laughed. “But the nigga stood tall; never said a word about me being with him.”
 

“That’s how you got around to using me.”

“Shit, I think we make a good team.”

I hated to admit it, but she was right, so I told her. “Yeah, we do.”

“In more ways than one,” Rain said and pushed her lips out at me.

“I been there for you; I been your road dog. Time for you to return the favor.”

“What you want me to do?” Rain asked eagerly.

I explained to Rain what was going on and how I wanted the night to go. She moaned when I told her what I wanted her to do.

On the way there we stopped on Fordham Road. I told Rain that we needed to buy a black scarf, some big dark sunglasses, some leather gloves, and a big purse. “Why?”

“’Cause I don’t need them knowing who you are. None of this needs to link you to me. A black scarf ’cause it will go with that sexy dress. We need the purse to carry the hardware.”

Rain smiled. “You wearing a mask?”

“No, I want them to know who I am.”

We arrived at the Watson house and waited for the lady of the house to get there. It was a big five-bedroom house in a nice neighborhood.

I parked the car down the street, but close enough to see the house. “Come on. Bring the purse,” I said and got out.

I went around to the trunk and opened it. Then I took the panel out of the back. I handed a gun to Rain. “Bersa Thunder .380 compact pistol, semi-automatic; single or double action, 3.5 inch barrel, seven-round capacity. Start with that.”

“Sweet,” Rain said and put one in the chamber. I put the rest of we’d need in the purse and closed the panel. I handed the purse to Rain. “That’s not too heavy is it?”

“No,” Rain said and flexed her muscle.

We got back in the car and watched the house. While we waited, Rain found creative ways to pass the time. I looked at the clock.

“She should be here soon.”

“What’s she drivin’?”

“Silver C class Benz. Two-thirty I believe.”

“Coming down the street right now.”

 
We watched Watson’s wife go inside the house.

“Give her some time to get settled,” I told Rain and she began tying the scarf around her head. When nothing but her round face was showing, Rain put on the sunglasses.

“How do I look?”

“Famous. Can you see?”

“See enough to do what I gotta do. You ready?”

“I’m right behind you.”

We put on our gloves, Rain got out of the car and we made the short walk to the house. While I stood off to the side, Rain rang the bell. When the door opened, Rain smiled. “Mrs. Watson?”

“Yes.”

Rain shoved the .380 under her chin. “Step inside. And do it quietly. If you scream I will kill you right now and not give a fuck.” She backed Mrs. Watson in the house. I looked around and closed the door behind us.

When I got in the house, Rain had Mrs. Watson backed up against the wall and had the gun to her head. “I don’t have much money here,” she said.

“Do I look like I came here for money? You say anymore dumb shit like that I swear I’ll put a bullet in your eye. Understand?”

“Yes,” Mrs. Watson said quietly.

“Understand!” Rain yelled.

“Yes!” Mrs. Watson yelled back and she began to cry.

“Now go in the living room and sit down.”

Rain walked Mrs. Watson into the living room and I followed quietly behind them. She shoved her into a chair, while I took a seat on the couch. Rain put the purse on the coffee table in front of me. I made sure Mrs. Watson was looking at me before I opened the bag slowly. I took out a Kel-Tec PLR-16 semi-automatic pistol: single action, .223 Remington caliber shells, 9.2-inch barrel, with ten-round capacity. I put the magazine in and set it down on the coffee table in front of me.

Then I took out a Smith & Wesson 1911 .45 pistol, with a black and silver finish and handed it to Rain.

“Thank you,” she said and returned her attention to Mrs. Watson. “Do you wanna die tonight?” Rain asked and pointed the gun at her head.

“No.”

“It’s a good day to die, so if you do, tell me now.”

“No, no. I don’t want to die,” she said shaking head and the tears began to flow again.

“Good. The only way to keep me from killin’ you is to do exactly what I say. Understand me?”

“Yes.”

“You be a good girl and do what I say and you might live through the night. But I gotta tell you, there’s more to it then just you.” Rain picked up the phone. “See, you’re gonna call your husband and tell him anything, but get him to come home right away. When he gets here, I need him to be a good boy, so it’s up to you to make sure he does. Of course that ain’t always the easiest thing in the world ’cause you know how boys get? They gotta man up, you know. Act all tough and shit. Beatin’ their chest, you know what I’m sayin’. Let their balls hang,” Rain said and laughed. Mrs. Watson cracked a smile too.

“But that’s the wrong thing for him to do. ’Cause you see, that shit will get both of y’all killed. The last thing you see will be your husband gettin’ two to the head before I shoot you. So you need to convince him that he needs to pay attention. Listen very carefully to what is being told to him and make the right decision. Okay?”

“Okay,” Mrs. Watson said and shook her head.

“But making the right decision is important ’cause make the wrong decision and I’ll kill y’all.” Rain looked at me. “I don’t give a fuck. I’m just the hired help.”

Rain stepped closer and put the barrel of her gun between Mrs. Watson’s eyes.

“You think you can do that?”

Mrs. Watson shook her head with her eyes closed tightly.

“Good. But first I need you to call Clay Barksdale and tell him that your husband wants to see him at the house, right away.”

“What should I tell them it’s about?”

“I don’t give a fuck what you tell them,” Rain said and pressed the gun to her forehead again. “Just get them over here now!” Rain screamed and handed her the phone.

Mrs. Watson did as she was told and called Barksdale. She was surprisingly calm about it for somebody that had a gun to her head. When he said he was on his way, I took a few pairs of plastic handcuffs out of the purse and handed them to Rain.

I stood up with the Tec-16 in my hands and pointed it at Mrs. Watson while Rain put the cuffs around her wrists. Rain left the room and when she came back she had a chair from the dining room. She positioned it in front of the couch, and then told Mrs. Watson to go make herself comfortable.

While we waited for Barksdale to show up, Rain took the chair Mrs. Watson was in and talked shit to her. I stood by the window and watched out for him. I looked at Rain. She got up and was wandering around the living room—talking shit. I liked the way she worked. I would definitely use her again.

Rain stopped in front of a picture of two teenagers.

“These your kids?” she asked.

Mrs. Watson nodded her head quickly. “They’re away at college,” she informed us.

“Good looking kids.” Rain brought me the picture. I glanced at the boy and girl and handed it back to Rain.

When I saw Barksdale’s car pull up in front of the house, I signed for Rain to cut Mrs. Watson’s cuffs and walk her to the door.

She opened the door slowly and Barksdale came in. “Hey Frankie, how you doing? I see Charlie ain’t here yet.” It was at that second that he felt the barrel of Rain’s gun at the back of his neck.

“You just keep walking,” she instructed. I stepped out so he could see me with the Tec-16 in one hand and a .9 miller in the other, just in case he thought about trying Rain. “Sit down in that chair and don’t make a fuckin’ sound,” she demanded.

Barksdale complied with Rain’s request and sat in the chair in front of the couch. I kept my guns on him while Rain put duct tape over his mouth, and cuffed his arms behind his back and his ankles to the chair.

Rain handed the phone to Mrs. Watson. “Call your husband.” She, too, complied with Rain’s request. Rain cuffed Mrs. Watson hands in front of her and sent her back to the couch to wait. Then we made ourselves comfortable.

It didn’t take long before Watson walked through the front door. “Frankie, Frankie.”

Rain was in place and put a gun to his head. “Not Frankie. Why don’t you go inside and sit down next to your wife.” She walked Watson into the living room.

“What’s going on here?” Watson said and Rain hit him so hard in the back of his head that he dropped to one knee.

Rain pressed the barrel against his forehead and got in his face. “You don’t say a muthafuckin’ thing, unless I muthafuckin’ tell you to! You got that?”

Watson nodded his head.

“Now get up and go sit down like I told you to.”

 
Watson got up and Rain pushed him in the direction of the couch. “You better tell this muthafucka what time it is, Frankie. This muthafucka wanna get y’all niggas killed.”

“Just do what they tell you, Charlie, please.”

“What’s goin’ on, Frankie?” Watson said quietly.

“Just sit down and be quiet, Charlie, please,” she pleaded with him. Watson did as his wife said and sat down next to her.

After Rain put plastic cuffs on Watson’s wrists and ankles and duct tape over both their mouths, it was time for the show to begin. I stood up and ripped open Barksdale’s shirt. For the next hour or so, the Watson’s watched in horror as I beat Barksdale and burned his chest with acid.

 
When Barksdale finally passed out, I went and got another chair from the dining room and placed it close to the Watson’s. Once I sat down, I looked at Rain.

“Wake him up.”

Rain reached back and backhanded Barksdale. His head snapped back and his eyes jerked open.

“Now kill him.”

Rain put the gun to his head. You could see the fear in his eyes and terror in the Watson’s. She fired once. The impact knocked the chair over.

I told Rain to take the duct tape off Watson’s mouth.

“Do you know who I am?”

“No.”

“My name is Nick Simmons. Howard Owens works for me.”

“I was goin’ pay him his money. I just need a little more time.”

I looked at Rain. She stepped up quickly and punched Watson in the mouth. “What I say about talkin’, huh? You don’t say a muthafuckin’ thing, unless I muthafuckin’ tell you to!” she said and hit him again.

“You had your chance to pay Howard. You had your chance to pay the two gentlemen I sent to talk to you last week, but you ducked out on them and then you sent that asshole to rough-up Howard’s brother and take a shot at him. That’s why he’s layin’ there dead now. When you shoot, shoot to kill not scare!” I said to the dead man.

“You don’t owe that money to Howard anymore. Now you owe me. So here’s what’s gonna happen. I own ten percent of your business. Tomorrow morning I’m gonna send the same two men around to your office at ten o’clock and you’re gonna be there to meet them. You’re gonna give them the money you owe, including the interest and they’re gonna give you some papers to sign. Sign them. The next morning another man will be there. He is my representative, he’ll explain how things are gonna work. The good news is you still run the company, but you don’t do shit unless you talk to him first. Do we have a deal or do I have to kill your wife?”