Three the Hard Way: A Play in Two Acts (12 page)

CeCe went to the office where Kevon’s body lay. She got down on her knees, exhaled and pulled the phone from his pocket. She hit the menu button, selected the phone book and scrolled to the Js. There above Jamaica’s name and number her eyes focused on the name that was listed before it.

"Jacara."

She looked at Black and wondered if the woman she’d met was the same one, and if she was, was she a friend of his or Kevon’s. She knew that since Black didn’t have a phone, he used Kevon’s all the time, but she knew this wasn’t the time to ask him.

She got up and went back to the living room, dialing Jamaica’s number as she walked. "What you say, Kevon?" he answered.

"Jamaica, this is CeCe. Black’s been shot, and we need you to come get us."

Jamaica stood up, grabbed the closest gun to him and started for the door. "Where are you?"

CeCe paused. "I really don’t know exactly, but we’re not in Freeport anymore."

When she got back to the couch Black reached for the phone. "Jay. We’re in McLean’s Town."

"—the fuck you doing way out there?"

"Getting shot. We’re in a house off the main road, just before you get to town. There’s a bar on the north road, the turn is just past that."

"I think I know where you talkin’ ’bout. I’m on my way."

"Hurry."

"How bad is it?"

"Just get here as fast as you can."

"Who shot you?"

"One of Cristóbal’s men."

"Who is that?"

"The Venezuelan I told you about. He’s probably heading back to Freeport by now."

"Me put the island on lockdown."

"Right; just get here," Black said. "Jay."

"Yeah."

"Bring a doctor," he said and ended the call then handed the phone back to CeCe.

"What can I do for you now?"

"You need to find something to dress this wound until they get here."

"Like what?"

"Look in the bathroom first, if you don’t find any first-aid stuff, look in the trunk of the limo."

CeCe checked the bathroom without success and then the limo. She came back empty handed.

"Find some clean sheets and a knife or scissors. And you’re gonna need a bowl of warm water," Black told her and she went in search of the objects.

When CeCe returned, she carefully unbuttoned his shirt and slowly peeled the blood-soaked cloth away from the wound. Black told her to cut a piece of the sheet, get it damp and clean around the wound. "Try not to touch the wound."

"I’ll try," CeCe said and did as she was asked.

It wasn’t easy for her. There was so much blood. She thought about the night she came into the living room and found Cash Money and two of his boys shot to death. That night she ran back to her bedroom, locked the door, and called the police.

"What now?" she asked.

"Cut a big piece of the sheet, fold it over and put it over the wound. Then cut a long piece, wrap it around me and tie it."

Once she was done, CeCe laid him on his back and tried to make him as comfortable as possible. All they could do now was, wait.

Chapter Thirteen

The wind began to howl and the house felt like it was shaking. The force of the wind shattered some of the windows. The next rush of wind took out the power in the house.

"We need to find a room or some place away from these windows," Black said as wind and rain rushed into the room.

CeCe helped him get to his feet. "There are no windows in the bathroom. Can you walk?"

"I’m okay. Let’s move," Black said and put his arm around her shoulder.

When they got to the bathroom door CeCe said, "Wait here." And she rushed into one of the bedrooms. When she came back, CeCe had a blanket with her. She helped him into the bathroom, folded the blanket, and laid it on the floor. Then CeCe helped him as he lay on the blanket. "The floor is cold. I didn’t think it was the best thing for you."

"Good thinking. Thank you."

Once he was comfortable, CeCe left Black in the bathroom to see if she could find some candles. When she returned, CeCe called Jamaica to see how much longer it was going to take before he got there.

"The doctor is with me," Jamaica told her. "But the storm, she bad, you know. It hard to see where we are driving. But we come. How is Mike?"

"He’s holding on. I did what I could to stop the bleeding and cover the wound. The storm blew out the windows here, and I had to move him into the bathroom."

Jamaica told the doctor what CeCe had just told him. "The doctor say try not to move him too much more unless you must."

"I won’t. We should be all right in here unless the hurricane gets worse."

"If it means anyt’ing to you, they are saying it’s just a tropical storm."

"No, that doesn’t mean a thing to me. Just hurry and get here."

"We come as best we can," Jamaica said and ended the call.

"What doesn’t mean a thing to you?" Black asked.

"That this is a tropical storm and not a hurricane."

"That does make a difference. Tropical storm winds aren’t as strong."

"Tell that to the windows."

"We should have checked the shutters and closed them before we came back inside."

"You want me to go out and check," CeCe asked, hoping he’d say no. Going back outside was the last thing she wanted to do. But if he sent her, she would go.

"Too late for that now, the damage is done. We should be safe from the weather and flying glass in here. What else did he say?"

"That he has the doctor with him. And I should try not to move you if I don’t have to. He said it was hard to see, but they’re coming."

"Did he say how far they had gotten?"

"No. You want me to call him back and ask him?"

"That’s all right. He’ll be here as soon as he can."

"You mind if I ask you a question?" CeCe asked.

"Go ahead. You’re gonna ask me anyway, whether I say it’s cool or not."

She was going ask him about Jacara, but then she changed her mind. "Never mind."

"Go ahead and ask me."

"How long was it before Cassandra met your mother?" CeCe asked, quickly thinking of something else she wanted to know.

"About three weeks, I guess."

"What? What did you say?"

"There go those pouty lips again."

"I guess you developed that little rule after you met her." CeCe said quietly.

"No. My mother has only met two women that I’ve been involved with. Cassandra being one, and the other was Regina."

"Bobby’s mentioned her a few times."

"Bobby talks too much."

"I told you, Bobby likes to talk to me. He’s just full of fascinating stories about the two of you. You two were together for a long time, so her I can understand."

"For a number of reasons, it took Regina five years before she met my mother, and that was mostly because I was walking down the street with her and we ran into my mother. I didn’t have much choice but to introduce her."

"Was Cassandra that special to you that she got to meet her in three weeks?"

"There was a good reason why they met so quickly."

"What was that?"

"My mother was a nurse and Cassandra needed her skills."

"What happened to her?"

"She was shot, and I needed someplace to keep her safe, with somebody I could trust and know that she’d be taken care of."

"Who shot her?"

"Some guy dressed like a cop."

"Huh? Why did some guy dressed like a cop shoot her?"

"You mean Bobby didn’t tell you?"

"No, that was one he missed."

"When we met, Cassandra was a player in the cocaine game. Back then, she went by the name Shy. The only one who called her Cassandra was me."

Black saw the surprised look on her face.

"I guess Bobby didn’t tell you that either."

"No. I’m gonna have to have a little talk with him about that too."

"Yeah, well, it makes me feel a little better that he’s selective about what he tells you."

"He never talks about y’all’s business or anything like that, if that’s what you’re talking about."

"That’s what I’m talking about."

"So, how’d she get shot?"

"Drug deal gone bad."

"That’s it? ‘Drug deal gone bad.’ I’m sure there’s more to it than that?"

"You want to hear the whole story?"

"We seem to have plenty of time."

"When we met, somebody was trying to kill her. She thought it was me for a while."

"Why did she think it was you?"

"I used to get credit or blamed for a lotta shit that went on those days."

"So what happened?"

"I wasn’t there. But I heard Cassandra tell the story so many times, at times I feel like I was right there with her."

"If you were with her, you would have saved her like you just did for me. I thought I was about to die."

"Now you understand why I try not to involve you in any of this. If I had the slightest idea that anything like this was gonna happen, I wouldn’t have brought you with me. But this was supposed to be a quiet business lunch between legitimate businessmen. I don’t think I could live with myself if something happened to you because of my business."

"You blame yourself for her death?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because it
was
my fault. She was murdered over something somebody felt I was responsible for. I couldn’t take it if that happened to you."

"That may be one of the sweetest things you’ve ever said to me. But go on. Tell me how she got shot."

"She was going to do a deal at some warehouse, but I had a bad feeling about it so I sent Bobby to follow her."

"Why didn’t you go?"

"Because I gave her my word that I would let her handle her business; and I promised not to follow her. But she didn’t say anything about Bobby so I sent him. Anyway, Bobby saw six men in police vests get out of their cars and go in the building. Shit was about to get wild inside," Black said and thought about the story he’d heard Shy tell so many times.