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The waitress returned with our drinks, served them, and departed quickly. She glanced over her shoulder and smiled at me. I winked in response.
"Black, Bobby and Freeze walked in blastin’. Like they was playin’ a video game and shit." Chilly began making shooting motions with his hands. "Boom, boom, boom. I hear nobody even got off a shot. Must a been eight, ten mutha fuckas in there. They killed everybody quick, except one guy. He said he was layin’ on the floor shakin’ with his gun in his hand. Said Black walked up to him and sat on the floor next to him."
Bet you wanna know why you’re still alive.
"But the boy is so petrified that he can’t even talk; he just shakes he head. He said all Black said was, ‘Tell Chilly to come see me’." Chilly motioned for the waitress. He finished his drink. "Bring us around round," he told her and handed her a twenty dollar bill. "That for you, baby." We both watched her as she walked away. "I might just have to fuck her tonight. Anyway, me and Black always been cool. We wasn’t never close like y’all or nothin’ like that. But Black gave me my respect. And you know how he carried his. I ain’t ashamed to say that the only reason I ain’t dead is because Mike Black didn’t want to kill me. He did right by me."
Damn right, Black let you live to make all that money. "There ain’t too many like Black."
"That’s what I’m sayin’. These young bucks like that bitch made nigga there." He pointed at Rocky. "Ain’t loyal to shit but money."
"It’s a new day. With new players."
The waitress served us another round of drinks. Chilly raised his glass. "To the old days."
"I’ll drink to that." All that talk about honor and loyalty was starting to wear on me for personal reasons.
"Let’s cut the bullshit. I know why you’re here. Same reason I’m here. Jake. I know Gee hired you to find him."
"Rocky tell you that?"
"Naa. But that’s exactly what I’m sayin’. He got no idea who you are or where you come from. That bitch ain’t have no business tellin’ me that you was a private eye. Him and Gee go back some years. He should be loyal to her over me. But as soon as you came through the door, he comes runnin’ to me like a little bitch and told me everything. But you see, Nick, I already knew all about that."
"Did you?’
"Shit yeah! What, you think I just let Gee run wild, doin’ whatever she wants? Hell no! I keeps her on a long chain. I knew she wrote you a check for ten thousand dollars. So I did some checkin’, that’s when I found out you was a private investigator. I figured she hired you to look for Jake. I got me a little honey at the bank. She keeps tabs on Gee’s account for me. Gee will fuck up some money if you let her. But that’s my fault. She was a young girl when I met her. She didn’t know shit. I should have taught her the value of money, instead of just throwin’ it at her. But that’s my problem."
"It’s probably too late now."
"You got that right. You have any luck findin’ Jake?"
"Not a clue," I lied. I started to lay it all out for him. Cut the bullshit. But I thought better of it. "I figure he’s some place hidin’ out, what I don’t know, is why. What was he into Chilly? Was he doin’ something for you? The way I get it, you were the last person to see him before he dropped out of sight." I was pushing my luck and I knew it. But I had that I don’t give a fuck attitude in full effect.
"You take chances, Nick. But I know what kind of nigga you are, so fuck it. I respect a mutha fucka that gets right to it."
"I’m glad to hear that. So what was he doin’ for you?"
Chilly laughed. "He wasn’t doin’ nothin’ for me. I just wanted to talk to him about some shit I been hearin’, that’s all. I want you to find Jake. And I want you to let Gee know where he is. After you tell Gee, then I want you to tell me."
"Why, so you can kill him." It was a statement, not a question.
"No, I’m not going to kill him. You have my word on that. I just want to talk to him. He was into something, I just want to know what."
He reached in his pocket.
I put my hand on my gun.
He dropped a stack of money on the table in front of me. "That’s five thousand dollars there. Take it."
I complied.
"I’ll give you five more when you tell me where he is. And there’s something else I want you to do for me."
"What’s that?"
"In the last three weeks, Gee’s been takin’ a lota money out her account. Cash money, twenty thousand dollars. You tell me where that money went, and that twenty is yours."
I thought about making a quick twenty grand right there and tell him about how Ben Josephs was blackmailing his wife. But what honor I had left, and my loyalty to his wife stopped me. "I’ll look into it."