Page 17 of Nikki Sinatra: For Her Lover

When Teddy realized Roz was following him up to the man’s front door, he frowned.

“Are you serious, Ma? I told you to stay in the car. Pop is gonna kick your ass if he finds out you was in this neighborhood this time of night to begin with. And now you’re out of the car following me? Pop is gonna kick your ass, Roz.”

“No, he’s going to kick your ass. Then he’s going to kick mine. Either way, our asses are getting kicked. So what’s the big deal?”

Teddy, who would usually laugh at her joke, didn’t even crack a smile. “But only if he finds out,” he said.

“Which he won’t,” Roz said.

And when they made it up the steps and to the front door, Teddy banged on the door as if he was the Police and the man seen with Nikki on the stoop opened the door quickly.

It was Juda. “What bitch banging on my door like that,” he started complaining until he saw who was standing at his door.

“Ah shit ,” he said and tried to close the door back just as quickly as he had opened it.

But Teddy used his shoulder to force it back open and he barged his way inside. Roz went in behind him.

As Teddy grabbed Juda and ran with him until he shoved him down on the sofa, Roz closed and locked the door. Teddy pointed his gun in Juda’s face. “Still think I’m a bitch, bitch?” he asked him.

Juda held up both hands. “I no speaka English,” he said with a heavy accent he didn’t display when he opened that door yelling at them.

Roz laughed. “Give him some gun, Teddy. I’ll bet cha he’ll speaka that.”

“Anybody else home?” Teddy asked.

The man shook his head.

Teddy pressed that gun to his temple and cocked it. “Anybody else at home?”

“No! Just me. Nobody’s here but me.”

Roz, with her Magnum at her side, went to make certain.

Pop is gonna kill me, Teddy thought when Roz went to check out the rest of the house. But it was done now. She wasn’t about to not get her hands in it. That was just Roz.

Juda was shocked. After Mick left that restaurant, he did his homework and looked him up. Now he knew all there was to know about him. “Ain’t that Mick Sinatra’s wife?” he asked.

“I thought your ass don’t speaka English,” Teddy said.

“I’ll be damn. That’s Mick Sinatra’s wife,” Juda said again as his eyes followed Roz’s every movement until she was out of sight. It was as if he still couldn’t believe it. “What’s his wife doing here?” he asked Teddy.

“That ain’t the question,” Teddy responded. “What was my wife doing here? That’s the question.”

Juda held up his hands in surrender. “Man, I ain’t got nothing to do with that.”

“Bullshit! I saw you on that porch hugging her. What you hugging on her for if you ain’t got nothing to do with it?”

Juda didn’t respond. He didn’t know they were being spied on.

Teddy knew he had to slow it down or the guy could clam up. He needed answers, not just some guy bloodied up for refusing to talk. “What’s your name?” he asked him.

“Juda.”

“Juda what?”

“Gavin.”

Roz returned from upstairs. “All clear, Teddy,” she said as if she was enjoying herself.

Teddy removed the gun from Juda’s temple and then sat on the coffee table in front of him. Roz sat on the sofa beside Juda, her gun aimed at him at all times.

“I’m gonna ask you again,” Teddy said. “How do you know my wife?”

Juda exhaled. To Teddy he was either thinking up a lie, or afraid to tell the truth. But he didn’t push the guy. He remained patient. He needed answers.