Lights out, p.29
Lights Out, page 29
‘You’re lying,’ Noll said.
‘Why would I lie?’
‘Are you okay?’ Rose-Marie asked Ryan.
‘No,’ Ryan said. ‘Actually I feel very shitty suddenly. I think I better lie down.’
‘He needs his rest,’ Rose-Marie said to Noll.
‘If you know who this guy is you’d better fucking tell me right now,’ Noll said to Ryan.
‘I don’t know who he is,’ Ryan said, straight-faced.
‘What about the car? We didn’t get plates, but we have a description from a guy walking his dog of a midsize dark blue car.’
‘No idea.’
‘Think.’ ‘I did think.’
‘He doesn’t know anything,’ Rose-Marie said.
‘Were you buying drugs from Marcus Fitts?’ Noll asked.
‘No,’ Ryan said, as if offended.
‘Were you trying to join the Crips?’
‘What?’ Ryan and Rose-Marie said.
‘Were you out last night with Fitts and whoever else, doing gang initiations? Is that how Jermaine Carter and Kevin Miles were killed?’
‘Who’re they?’ Rose-Marie asked.
‘Yeah,’ Ryan said. ‘Who the fuck are they?’
‘Jermaine Carter was a member of the Crips,’ Noll explained. ‘He was shot to death - brutally shot to death - last night. Kevin Miles was also shot and killed shortly afterward. W e believe the shootings are related to the shooting last night in front of the Thomases’ house and might be related to the shooting today.’
‘I swear to God, I have no idea what you’re talking about,’ Ryan said.
‘Or maybe it went like this,’ Noll said. ‘Maybe you had nothing to do with the Carter and Miles murders. But you did have a fight with Jake yesterday - you had your hands around his throat. You wanted to get into the Crips anyway, so you called your Crips buddies, who happened to be in the middle of a killing spree, and told them to come along with you to Jake Thomas’s house - you’d prove your worth to them. Kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. Then something went wrong. Marcus Fitts was shot and killed - maybe by somebody seeking revenge for the Carter slaying. You and the suspect fled the scene; then the suspect decided you knew too much, so he tried to take you out in a driveby.’
‘Look,’ Ryan said, ‘you’re making absolutely no sense, and I’m really getting sick of this shit.’
‘So then how do you explain how you got shot?’
‘I have no idea.’
‘So somebody shot at you for no reason?’
‘That’s what it seems like.’
‘You’re full of shit.’
‘That’s enough,’ Rose-Marie said to Noll. ‘Maybe instead of yelling at my son you should go out there and try to find the lunatic who did this.’
Noll looked at Ryan for a few seconds without blinking, then stood up, shaking his head.
‘Fine,’ he said. ‘You wanna be an idiot, be an idiot. But I hope you understand, we’re trying to protect you here. You wanna be a stupid son of a bitch and wind up dead, that’s up to you. But I’m telling you right now, I find out you lied to me about anything -anything - you’re in deep shit.’
Noll stormed out of the house.
‘What a horrible man,’ Rose-Marie said. ‘Some maniac shoots at you, you almost get killed, and he starts accusing you?’
Ryan got up, pretending it took more effort than it did.
‘I’m gonna go lie down.’
‘You sure that’s a good idea?’
‘What?’
‘What if you have a concussion?’
‘I’m fine.’
‘I want you to call a lawyer.’
‘Ma—’
‘I didn’t like him asking all those questions, threatening you.’
‘That’s what cops do.’
‘I still want to call somebody.’
‘Forget it. It’s over.’
‘Where the hell’s Dad anyway?’ Rose-Marie was looking at her watch. ‘I called him on his cell phone and he didn’t pick up .. . . Where’re you going?’
‘I told you. T o lie down.’
‘I don’t feel safe here alone.’
‘Don’t worry; there’re cops everywhere. Nothing’s gonna happen.’
Ryan continued upstairs.
‘Don’t fall asleep, whatever you do.’
‘I’ll be fine.’
Ryan went into his room and locked the door and sat on the bed with his head in his hands. Some of it was still foggy, but he remembered sitting at the bar, ripped out of his mind, when Saiquan and Marcus - yeah, that was the name of the skinny guy -came over and started harassing him. It was Marcus who’d tossed away his Spurs cap, and then they started talking about Jake. Ryan wondered if he had told Marcus and Saiquan to go after Jake, or maybe even to kill him. Then, for some reason, Saiquan shot Marcus, and now Saiquan was after Ryan.
Ryan remembered playing ball with Saiquan all those times at Canarsie Park. Ryan knew that Saiquan was a drug dealer, but he’d always figured that he’d just had a rough life and was doing what he had to do to survive. He’d never imagined him going around killing people.
Lying in bed, Ryan tried to relax, listening to Nas, but the throbbing music was giving him a headache. He shut off the stereo and started pacing, wondering if he’d done the right thing by not telling Noll everything he knew. If he’d told Noll Saiquan’s name and what had happened at the bar, they could’ve caught him quickly, and Ryan wouldn’t have to worry about getting killed. Now he’d have to stay in his house, with no police protection, until Saiquan got caught. And it wouldn’t accomplish anything either, because eventually Saiquan would tell his story and Ryan would be fucked. He couldn’t say he wasn’t at the bar last night, because he’d already told Noll he’d picked up Elly there, and other people might remember him. He’d try to explain that he was drunk and was just joking around when he’d told Saiquan and Marcus to go after Jake, or kill him, or whatever the hell he’d told them to do, but Noll would be so pissed off at Ryan for holding back information that he’d press charges against him for something.
Ryan left his room and headed downstairs. There was still a lot of commotion outside - hopefully Noll was still there. Ryan planned on telling him everything; maybe, if he was lucky, Noll would appreciate the cooperation and cut him some slack.
‘There he is - my son, the fuckin’ spook.’
Rocco Rossetti was in the living room, obviously drunk. Another confrontation with his father was the last thing Ryan needed.
‘Leave me the hell alone.’
Ryan headed toward the door.
‘Hey.’ Rocco grabbed Ryan’s arm hard, pulling him back.
‘Get the fuck off me,’ Ryan said.
‘I’m talkin’ to you.’
Rocco’s breath reeked of booze. It reminded Ryan of his own hangover, disgusting him even more.
Ryan jerked his arm free and said, ‘Why’d you even bother coming home?’
‘Your mother said you’re in some gang now; you’re dealin’ drugs.’
‘I never said that.’ Rose-Marie had just entered from the kitchen.
‘So that’s it, huh?’ Rocco said. ‘You’re a fuckin’ drug dealer now? You’re a fuckin’ nigger drug dealer?’
‘Just get away from me,’ Ryan said.
‘What’re you gonna do? Huh? Wanna hit me? Go ‘head - try it.’ Rocco jutted his jaw toward Ryan. ‘Crack me one - gimme your best shot. You better knock me out, ‘cause I’m gonna crack you one right back. My own kid turning into a dirty, drug-dealing spook.’
‘Stop it!’ Rose-Marie shrieked.
She tried to pull Rocco away. He backhanded her in the face, hard enough to knock her into the coffee table and onto the floor.
‘Get your fuckin’ hands off her,’ Ryan said. ‘You gonna hit me? Come on, what’re you waitin’ for?’ Ryan took a swing at his father and missed. Rocco grabbed him from behind.
‘My own kid selling fuckin’ crack,’ Rocco said. ‘Fuckin’ disgracing me.’
‘Motherfucker,’ Ryan said, breaking free. ‘Come on,’ Rocco said, giving Ryan a little come-here motion with his hand. ‘You want some too? Huh? You wanna taste?’
‘Leave him alone!’ Rose-Marie screamed.
‘Come on, let’s see what you got,’ Rocco said.
Ryan charged his father, ramming him back against the bookcase. A hardcover cookbook fell onto Rocco’s head, but he didn’t seem to notice.
‘That’s it, huh?’ Rocco said, smiling, and gave Ryan an uppercut in the gut.
Ryan keeled over, winded, and then felt harder pain when his father kicked him in the same spot he’d punched him.
Rose-Marie screamed for Rocco to leave Ryan alone. Then Ryan, still bent over, trying to catch his breath, heard a loud smack.
‘Stay the hell away from me, bitch,’ Rocco said.
Ryan struggled to his feet. Rocco turned, smiling sickly, and Ryan belted him in the mouth. Rocco went down, spraying blood and spit.
‘Son of a . . .’ Rocco muttered. ‘Cocksuckin’ . . . mother . . .’ Rocco was trying to get up, wiping blood from his mouth. Ryan had his fist cocked, ready to belt his old man again, when the doorbell rang.
Ryan stood there, swaying.
‘Get it,’ Rose-Marie said, blood dripping from her nose. ‘It’s probably the police.’
‘Jesus, Ma. Look what he did to you.’
‘Just get it.’
Ryan went to the door, then hesitated, realizing how crazy this would look to the cops.
The bell rang again.
‘Get it!’ Rose-Marie screamed.
Ryan opened the door and saw Jake standing there. He was wearing dark sunglasses.
‘We need to talk,’ Jake said.
‘It’s not a good time right now,’ Ryan said. ‘Maybe—’
‘Hey, look who it is,’ Rocco said from behind Ryan. ‘The man of the hour. Mr Superstar. Mr Pittsburgh fucking Pirate.’
‘Shut the fuck up,’ Ryan said.
‘ ‘MI talkin’ to you?’ Rocco slurred. ‘I’m talkin’ to my buddy, Jake Thomas.’ He put his hand on Jake’s shoulder. ‘Take a good look at this guy. This is what a pro looks like; this is what a guy who made it looks like. This is what you shoulda been, you didn’t wimp out. You’re a quitter; that’s what your problem is. Arm problems, my fuckin’ ass. You didn’t have what it takes, that’s all. You wanted to be a lazy fuckin’ nigger drug dealer instead ... . Oh, sorry there, Jake. Eh, you don’t care. You’re not a real nigger, anyway - you’re just a halfy, right?’
Jake made a movement with his arm, as if he were about to cock it back to hit Rocco.
‘He’s drunk,’ Ryan said to Jake, like this wasn’t obvious. ‘Look, we have a little family thing going on here, you know? So maybe you should, like, come back some other time.’
Rose-Marie rushed to the door.
‘Hey,’ Rocco said. ‘Where the fuck you think you’re goin’?’
‘Your mother home?’ Rose-Marie asked Jake. ‘Yeah,’ Jake said.
Rose-Marie went outside and stood next to Jake. Then she turned back to Rocco and said, ‘I’ve had it - I’m divorcing you. This time I mean it.’
‘Good,’ Rocco said. ‘Don’t blow me anymore and can’t cook for shit. Wh o the fuck needs you?’
‘Bastard,’ Rose-Marie said, crying. Then she rushed away toward the Thomases’.
A couple of cops outside were watching the scene curiously, but Ryan didn’t see Noll.
Rocco was stumbling around the living room, saying, ‘Where the hell’s my beer? Where the fuck is it?’
‘Let’s go somewhere,’ Jake said to Ryan.
‘Come on,’ Ryan said. ‘Come back some other—’
‘No fuckin’ way,’ Jake said.
Rocco was in the kitchen now, talking to himself.
‘AH right, upstairs,’ Ryan said.
As they were entering Ryan’s room, Ryan said, ‘Sorry my father said that shit to you. He’s such an ass—’
Jake pushed Ryan into the room, kicking the door closed behind him. Then he grabbed a fistful of Ryan’s shirt and lifted him up against the wall.
‘Yo,’ Ryan said, ‘the fuck’s your—’ ‘You fuckin’ little piece of shit. I should fuckin’ strangle you.’ Ryan tried to free himself, but it was useless. ‘Come on, man,’ Ryan said. ‘Just lemme—’ ‘Shut the fuck up and listen to me,’ Jake said. ‘Stay away from Christina. You even touch her again, I’ll kill you.’
‘I’m in love with her.’
Jake forced Ryan up higher and pushed harder against Ryan’s throat. Ryan could barely breathe.
‘You’re lucky I don’t rip your throat out right now,’ Jake said. ‘You don’t know how much I’d love that.’
Ryan tried to talk, but couldn’t, so he spit in Jake’s face. Jake spit right back, into Ryan’s left eye.
‘I’m warning you right now, you fucking scumbag,’ Jake said. ‘You better stay the hell away from me, and you better stay away from Christina too. You hear what I’m fucking saying?’
Jake pushed even harder. Ryan felt like his windpipe was about to get crushed.
Finally Jake let Ryan go, and Ryan crumpled onto the floor, gasping and coughing. Ryan heard the door to his room open and slam shut. He remained on the floor a while, until he was able to breathe normally, and then he got up to his knees. He tried to yell, ‘You’ll never get her,’ but his voice was so weak he barely made a sound.
Twenty
When Saiquan went outside, Manny and Kemar were waiting with their hands in their coat pockets. Saiquan was hoping they’d end this shit quick, smoke him right in front of the building and be on their way, but Manny said, ‘Let’s get the fuck outta here, man,’ and Saiquan knew they had something else in mind.
Saiquan went over there slowly, trying to stay cool. He knew they wanted him to be scared - them niggas got off on that shit -and he didn’t want to give them no reason to get off on nothing.
Manny frisked Saiquan quickly, then said, ‘He’s clean,’ and Kemar said, ‘Let’s go.’
They headed along the walkway toward the street with Saiquan walking between Manny and Kemar. Saiquan didn’t want to start begging for his life because begging was a sign of weakness, and he knew these sick-asses didn’t have no respect for weakness.
A couple of brothers passed by, going in the other direction, and they looked at Saiquan like they knew something was up, but they were smart - they looked away like they didn’t see a damn thing.
Saiquan figured Manny and Kemar were gonna drive him some-place, maybe to tie him up and torture his ass for a while, so he was surprised when Manny said, ‘This way,’ and they led him around toward the back of the building.
When they got to the Dumpster, where nobody was around, Manny and Kemar took out their pieces, Manny aiming his right at Saiquan’s face.
‘Why you shot J?’ Manny asked.
‘I didn’t shoot him,’ Saiquan said.
‘Bullshit, motherfucker.’
‘His bitch was there,’ Kemar said. ‘She said she saw you.’
‘She wasn’t there; she was upstairs,’Saiquan said, trying to stay cool. ‘Marcus capped J, not me.’
‘But you was with him,’ Manny said.
‘That’s ‘cause Jermaine popped Desmond. He was my boy -the fuck was I gonna do?’
‘That Desmond shit came down from up top,’ Kemar said.
‘What about Marcus?’ Manny asked.
‘What about him?’
‘You got him, right?’ Kemar said.
‘Naw, that wasn’t me,’ Saiquan said.
‘Then who the fuck was it?’ Manny asked.
‘Jake Thomas,’ Saiquan said.
‘Jake Thomas? The fuckin’ baseball player?’
‘Yeah.’
‘Man, you’ll say any bullshit to save yo’ ass.’
‘Naw, that’s where Marcus was shot at,’ Kemar said. ‘Front of Jake Thomas’s parents’ house.’
‘I know that, yo,’ Manny said. ‘But that don’t mean this motherfucka ain’t talkin’ outta his damn ass.’
‘Shit’s the truth,’ Saiquan said. ‘I met him at a bar.’
‘You met Jake Thomas at a bar?’ Kemar asked.
‘Now you say you hangin’ with the man?’ Manny said. ‘Who else you be hangin’ with? Stephon Marbury? Jason Kidd?’
‘Naw, man, not Jake Thomas,’ Saiquan said. ‘The white dude -Ryan. Went like this - I was with Marcus Friday night, drivin’ around, right, when we seen this dude looked like Eminem and he was all fucked-up.’
‘The fuck this gotta do with Jake Thomas?’ Manny asked.
‘I’m gettin’ to it, man,’ Saiquan said.
‘You gettin’ to bullshit,’ Manny said, pressing the gun against Saiquan’s forehead. ‘You just sayin’ shit to keep yo’ sorry ass alive.’
‘No, I ain’t,’ Saiquan said. ‘Just listen up. Marcus was high, man. He wanted money for them West Indian bitches. But Ryan, the Eminem dude, didn’t have no money, right, so he was like, “Go get it from Jake Thomas.” So we went there, to Jake Thomas’s house, but he didn’t give it up. He went for Marcus’s piece and he shot him, and that’s the motherfiickin’ truth.’
‘Bullshit,’ Manny said. ‘You capped Marcus and you prolly capped J too.’
‘I’m tellin’ you straight-up what happened,’ Saiquan said. ‘Jake Thomas shot Marcus - I saw it. Why’d I make that shit up?’
‘I don’t think he’s bullshittin’,’ Kemar said.
‘It’s the truth,’ Saiquan said. ‘Why you think Marcus got shot at Thomas’s house? Think about that shit. Man, you know what a sick-ass Marcus was.’
‘What about J?’ Manny said. ‘I know you was there.’
‘I don’t wanna do nothin’ to J once I found out what was goin’ down, but Marcus was crazy, man. J’s bitch told you how Marcus was tryin’ to rape her ass, right? Marcus was goin’ around shootin’ everybody that night. He prolly woulda shot more people, he didn’t get shot by Jake Thomas.’
‘I don’t think he’s frontin’ nobody, man,’ Kemar said to Manny. ‘Let’s just get the fuck outta here.’
Manny was still pressing the gun up to Saiquan’s head, looking like he was about to pull the trigger.
