Takedown (10 page)

“If you had nothing to hide, why'd you run?” Chang asked.

“Why do you think? I thought I was gonna get shot.”

Chang's eyes narrowed. “Why's that? Has your cover been blown?”

So Chang knew that I was an informant. That was a relief. Then why the hell did they beat on me like that?

“My cover's intact. But when the unmarked car came after me, I figured it was one of Tony's goons, or maybe the Bloods. I wasn't going to stand there while someone rolled down their window and shot me.”

“We're onto you, Darren,” Chang said. “You don't need to play innocent. We know you set up Prescott.”

“That's bullshit. I'm his informant. We were—” I almost said “friends,” but I knew they wouldn't buy it. “We were cool.”

Chang's mouth twisted in disgust. “He trusted you, and you hung him out to dry.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

“You CIs, you're all the same.” Fattie sneered. “Snitches can't be
trusted. I've seen it a million times. CI gives a tip or two and makes a quick buck, then turns on you. I bet you gave up every bit of information you knew about our operation, and convinced Walker that Prescott was his enemy. Did Walker give you a bonus for that?”

“If he knew I was a CI, I'd be dead by now.”

“How do we know Walker didn't plant you?” Chang asked. “According to your file, you came to us.”

“If you think I'd . . .” I didn't even know what to say. And then, suddenly, I did. “Check Prescott's cell phone. I called him last night and left a message saying he should watch out.”

Chang didn't blink. “There weren't any messages on his phone. I checked myself.”

“That's impossible. I know I left that message. You have to check again. Maybe he erased it.”

A hand smacked the back of my head. I hadn't seen it coming, so I sprawled across the table like a rag doll, smacking my cheek against metal.

I told myself to stay calm. I wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of seeing me lose it. But as I stared at the cold metal table, I felt a rush of panic. Were they going to charge me as an accomplice to murder? I couldn't get locked up again. I couldn't.

“Don't think you're getting away with this, Darren.” Chang loomed above me. “It's just a matter of time before we find evidence
to put you away—as an adult this time, I promise you. You'll be eighteen before you see trial.”

I lifted my head. “If you're done threatening me, I'd like to talk to Prescott's partner, Detective Kessler.” I hoped I'd gotten the name right. Prescott had only mentioned his partner once, and it might've been a slip.

Chang exchanged a not-so-subtle glance with Fattie. “You're dealing with us, not Kessler. Got it?”

“Tell Kessler if he wants to bring down his partner's murderer, I'll help. Tell him he's gotta check the cell phone records.”

“Tell
him
? Kessler's a woman, you dumbass.” Fattie cackled. “Sounds like you and Prescott were really close.”

“I take it you're not charging me. 'Cause if you are, then I'll need a lawyer.”

“We're not charging you yet, Darren. But we will. Prescott was a good cop, but he never should've trusted you.” Chang leaned close to me. “Did you know he had two babies at home? Babies that don't have a daddy anymore. Doesn't that tear you up?”

“Eleanor and Grace,” I said quietly.

He got in my face. “What's that?”

“Eleanor and Grace. And yeah, I know they don't have a daddy no more. And it tears me up.”

I glanced from one cop to the other. “If you want justice for Prescott, you'll stop dicking around and go after Diamond Tony hard. From what I see, Prescott was the only one in this department with the balls to do that.”

This time I knew the slap was coming. And I didn't care.

W
hen I got home, Kiki was watching
Dora
and Tasha was doing her nails on the couch. She swung around. “Where have you been? It's your day to get Kiki. Noreen had to call me to come get him.”

“Sorry.” I was glad she hadn't heard that I'd been picked up. “I got a detention and forgot to call.”

“Mom ain't gonna be happy about this. I won't tell her if you pick him up every day next week.”

“Fine.” And because I knew Kiki was listening, I said, “I like picking up Kiki.”

I dropped my knapsack and threw my coat on a chair, then
went to see him. “Sorry, man. Hope you didn't miss me too much.”

He was staring at the TV, riveted. I wondered if that Dora chick had some sort of mind control going on.

“Kiki? You're not mad at me, are you?”

He flicked his arm to shoo me away. He didn't seem mad. He just wanted to watch his show.

“Okay, little brother. I got you. I better go start my homework.”

I went to my room and sat on my bed.

Prescott's protection had died with him. Now I had two enemies—the cops and the Walker gang. And no allies. How was I going to bring Diamond Tony down with the cops determined to bring
me
down?

Should I walk away, abandon my mission? If it was the only way to save myself from getting arrested again, I'd have to. Problem was, by now Tony would know that the cops had brought me in. What would he think if I just up and quit?

He could get suspicious and end me like he ended Prescott.

Unless . . .

Kessler. Maybe she would listen. I didn't need those other cops to help me contact her. I'd find a way to do it myself.

I turned on my computer. I'd bought it hot a few weeks ago. A necessary expense, since Tasha and Mom were always on the other one, and it was really slow.

I opened Google and typed in
Kessler Toronto Police Department
.

Score! The third entry that came up was her LinkedIn page, which she'd put up five months ago. It must mean she was looking for a new job. Not only was there contact information, but I could see where she'd worked over the last few years and where she graduated from college. Turned out she was from Vancouver.

I made some notes before calling her. I
had
to convince her to deal with me.

She answered on the first ring. “Kessler.”

“This is Darren, Prescott's CI. I really need to talk to you.”

There was a pause. “I don't know what you want, but I can't help you.”

“I didn't sell him out to Diamond Tony. You have to believe me.”

She sighed. “Look. Everybody's upset right now. If they didn't arrest you, they've got nothing on you. That's all I can say.”

“Wait—please. I want to finish what I started. I'm already in with Tony Walker's operation, and it won't be easy to get out now. I need the cops to stay away from me. I can still help you get evidence on Diamond Tony.”

“You were Ed's CI, and whatever deal you had with him is over. The department thinks you're involved in his murder. Even if they can't prove it, they're never going to work with you again.”

“I spent two years in juvie because of Tony Walker. That's why I became a CI. Prescott understood. He said he had instincts
about people. He knew right away he could trust me.”

“Maybe I don't have his instincts. Why should I trust you?”

“I called Prescott about nine o'clock last night to warn him that he could be in danger. The cops that picked me up said there were no messages on his cell phone. Maybe Prescott got the message and erased it. There's got to be a way you can check it out.”

“I'll do my best. How can I reach you?”

“This number. It's the secret cell phone Prescott gave me.”

“Okay.” She hung up.

I sat on my bed and said a little prayer for Kessler to clear my name. For all the good praying did—it had never helped me before.

A
few minutes later, the intercom buzzed, making me jump.

“Darren!” Tasha called. “Some guy named Fry is downstairs!”

“Tell him I'll be right down,” I shouted back.

Fry. It was one of Vinny's many nicknames. It came from nonstick frying pans, because charges never stuck to him.

“Who's Fry?” Tasha asked when I came out of my bedroom.

“A kid from school who's supposed to give me his history notes. Charges twenty bucks, but I should ace the test.” At the mention of school, she lost interest and turned back to her manicure. I glanced at Kiki, who was still staring at the TV.

When I got downstairs, Vinny was waiting outside the building. For once, he wore a hoodie instead of his fur coat.

Vinny and I started to walk.

“We heard,” he said. I figured
we
meant Diamond Tony and his executives. “How hard they lean on you?”

I snorted. “Same old shit. They promised they'd be watching us pretty good.”

“Why'd they think they can lean on
you
?” Vinny didn't pull any punches.

“They saw me around and figured they'd try to spook me. Don't worry, Vinny. I gave them nothing. You know me.”

“I do, soljah.” He clapped a hand down on my shoulder. “What they say about the cop murder case? They got any ideas about it?”

It was as good as an admission that Diamond Tony was behind it. Not that I needed confirmation.

“They're saying it was a revenge murder. They think the cop who got killed pissed off DT. Sounded to me like they had nothing. But you know how it is. They'll be on us for a while. Point is, everybody needs to be careful.”

“We'll be running a tight ship these next couple weeks until we can give the cops what they want.”

“How you gonna do that?”

“South Side, Darren.” There was that sly grin, the one that
had freaked me out last night. “We got peeps willing to testify that Andre made the call to kill the cop.”

I was stunned, but raised my eyebrows, trying to look impressed. “Very nice. Hope it works out.”

“It will.”

“That'll be good for our man DT.”

“Good for us all.”

H
undreds of uniformed cops came out for Prescott's funeral. A picture of his grieving wife and his twin baby girls took up half a page in the
Star
. I brought the paper home with me, tore out the page, and tucked it under my mattress. I'd look at it in case I ever forgot what my mission was.

I spent every second of the next few days expecting the cops to make good on their threat and arrest me. Detective Chang was probably right—they'd charge me as an adult this time.

Maybe I'd even meet up with my old buddy Jongo.

Jessica sensed something was bothering me, though I kept denying it. She saw through me like no one else. My strategy was
to avoid giving her the chance to ask questions. That meant more time sitting with friends at school or hanging out in the living room with Kendra. But I missed my alone time with Jessica.

It was a whole week until I heard from Kessler. I got home from my corner late one night to find that the secret cell had gotten several calls.

When I phoned her back, she picked up right away.

“I found the message you left on Ed's phone. The guys at the station know you weren't involved in his death.”

Relief flooded through me. I sprawled backward on my bed. “How'd you find it? They told me it got erased.”

“Don't be concerned with the details. Just be glad I found the message.”

“Thanks for taking care of it.”

“You were right about Ed. He had instincts about people. He'd have wanted me to check out your story. I suggest you call it quits, Darren. You've done some good, but you should move on. Get as far away from the Walker gang as possible. I'm sure it's what Ed would want.”

“He wanted to see Tony's operation shut down. I'm not ready to end this. But if I don't have a contact in the PD, I'll have to.”

“It's up to you, Darren. If you have information, I'm listening.”

“I do have information.”

“Go on.”

“I will. But we've got to meet in person.”

*  *  *

The sight of Kessler took me by surprise. On the phone, she sounded kind of tired, kind of old, but in person she was cute, with a curvy body. She had light brown skin and no makeup, making her look clean,
au natural
, and her hair was pulled back tightly, like a sexy librarian.

I bet Prescott noticed all of this too. Any red-blooded man would.

Kessler and I met at a vegan coffee shop downtown. She must've chosen it thinking that peeps from my neighborhood would never walk into a place like this. No doubt she was right.

Kessler was drinking funny-smelling green tea. She put an oatmeal square and a bottle of organic guava juice on my side of the table. I bet it cost ten bucks.

“Go ahead,” she said. “It's gluten free.”

I took a bite. It was good, but a little dry. “No offense, but I've never seen a granola cop. Prescott was all about the brownies.”

She cracked a smile. “I tried to get him to lay off those things. So many empty calories.” Her smile drained away. “I should've let him enjoy them.”

There were a few seconds of silence. I finished the square, washing it down with the juice.

“Ed didn't tell me much about you,” she said. “Just that he had a kid on the inside of the Walker gang. ‘A kid who had a beef with them,' is what he said. He worked with a number of CIs over the years, but kept it as quiet as possible. The fewer people who knew, the better.”

“Makes sense.”

“Ed knew that going after the Walker gang was ambitious. And dangerous. One time he let on that he was worried for your safety.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. But he said you were determined. I guess you and Ed were alike that way. So tell me, Darren. What's this intel you've got for me?”