Part 24 (1/2)
CHAPTER 16.
Crutchfield stepped off the elevator in a busy precinct.
”Good morning.” A beautiful uniformed officer stood at the automatic coffeemaker. ”Ford has been calling you since my s.h.i.+ft began. You two got a thing going on?”
He couldn't keep eye-to-eye contact with this woman because her silicone b.o.o.bs were magnets. ”Did you know that your left t.i.t is bigger than the right?” He strolled off to his desk, leaving her looking from one breast to the other.
He kicked his feet up on a dented metal desk and placed the phone to his ear. ”What do you want, pillow-biter?”
Ford sat atop a lab stool with his legs crossed. ”Hey, you asked for my a.s.sistance. I haven't been calling you to chitchat.”
”h.e.l.l, it's only been two days. I didn't expect to hear from you for a week.”
”Well, I'm good at what I do. Literally. I cracked the code to your mystery watch.”
”Give me what you got.”
”Oh no, this is much too good to talk about over the phone. You should come visit me.”
”I'll be there in five minutes.” He hung up and dashed to the elevator.
”I see you took the liberty of cleaning yourself up.” Squeeze came in with a breakfast tray. ”The outfit fits you well.”
Kitchie turned away from the window. ”You've never liked GP from the time we were all in job corps. Why would you even give your money to someone you don't care for?”
”I always cared for you, though.” He set the tray at the foot of the bed. ”Come have a seat.” He patted a spot on the bed next to himself.
Kitchie was hesitant but figured she should comply in case there was any chance of her walking away from this with her life.
He admired her beauty as he always had. ”I'll tell you what: If you answer just one of my questions honestly, I'll answer one of yours.”
”You first.” She avoided his probing gaze.
He took a large gulp of air and let it out slowly. ”I was the popular one. Me, n.o.body else. It was me who had all the girls. I'm the one who sent you expensive gifts. You couldn't even p.r.o.nounce half the s.h.i.+t I bought for you. GP was a n.o.body; ain't much changed.” He fell into thought. ”I let him borrow money for bus fare to take you to a free movie. Why did you choose him over me? What did I do wrong?”
”It's not that you did anything wrong. You're just not GP. He's the apple of my eye. From the time that I was a little girl, I fantasized about the man I'd spend my life with. The moment I saw GP, I knew it was him.” She looked him square in the eyes for the first time. ”When you get your money, you're still going to kill me, aren't you?”
”You don't kidnap people and give them back. That script only happens in books and movies.” He reached out to touch her but she withdrew. ”Didn't you just hear me say I care about you? I can't hurt you...Hector's gonna do it.”
”All because I chose GP?”
”At this stage of the game, that isn't a factor. This falls under the categories of business and my favorite-self-preservation.”
He placed the tray of food between them. ”You should eat something.” He lifted the lid to each dish as he called it out. ”An omelet with cheese...b.u.t.termilk biscuits...turkey bacon-bet you didn't think I would remember that. And for the main dish.” He lifted the stainless-steel lid to reveal a cell phone. ”Call GP. I want my f.u.c.king cash or you won't be the only Patterson to die.”
”Homeboy, f.u.c.k this s.h.i.+t.” Jewels yawned. ”We've been out here all night, like we were hustling crack on the block. Motherf.u.c.kers are on their way to work. Let's go check out the new apartment, the group home, and my crib again. If she still hasn't shown her face, then it's time you file a missing person report.”
The pay phone rang.
GP was overwhelmed with an instant sickness. He let the phone ring twice before bracing himself and easing the receiver to his ear. ”h.e.l.lo.”
”Missing something?”
His heart dropped. He began to shake as if he had Parkinson's disease. ”Squeeze, where is Kitchie?” His words were slow and deliberate.
”She's in real good hands.” Squeeze looked at Kitchie, who had Hector's huge hand clamped around her mouth. ”Where the f.u.c.k is my cash?”
”Let me speak to my wife.”
”Business first; play later.”
Jewels was pacing, driving a fist into the palm of a hand.
”I just gave you twenty grand. I-”
”You thought I wouldn't find out it was counterfeit? You tried to play me; I did you a f.u.c.king favor. Your games is gonna cost you more than you're willing to lose.” He winked at Kitchie.
”I don't know anything about counterfeit money.” GP's nerves were blowing fuses by the dozens.
”Too bad you don't. This phone will ring again tomorrow evening at six. Have two hundred thousand cash or you'll never see this pretty b.i.t.c.h again.”
”I'll have it. Please just let me hear her voice.”
Squeeze put the phone to her ear and Hector removed his hand.
”He's gonna kill me, GP.” Her voice had been stripped of its fire and strength.
”That's enough.” Squeeze disconnected the call.
”Kitchie!” The phone went dead. GP tapped it against his palm, then stuck it to his ear again. ”Kitchie!” This time there was a dial tone.
Jewels watched a single tear roll down his face. ”Well, what's going on?”
”That money you got from Conrad was fake. Squeeze wants two hundred grand by six tomorrow evening or he's gonna kill Kitchie.”
She sighed as grief overcame her. ”He kidnapped her; he's gonna kill her whether he gets the money or not. There's no doubt about it.”
”I'm not gonna risk not trying. There's always that chance.”
”I say we kill him first.”
”We'll have to find him, which we don't have the time to risk. Six o'clock tomorrow will be here in seconds.”
”I know a couple of home invasions we can do, but I don't know if we'll come off with that type of money. Homeboy, it's your call. What you wanna do?”
”If something is wrong, Jewels, and I have the ability to take action, then I will. I gotta do what I gotta do,” GP said with conviction. ”When push comes to shove, I steal. I know where we can get all the money in one shot.” He strolled a few feet away and held the door of the costume shop open. ”I got an idea. You down?”
Squeeze turned the phone's power off. ”Hector, give us some privacy.”