Page 43 of Wild Idol

“That ain’t none of your business.”

“There are plenty of pictures of you at the event. I don’t know why you’re being evasive.”

“I’m not being evasive. I go to a lot of events. I don’t want to misspeak. Cops love to twist your words around.”

“Nobody’s twisting any words around, just trying to get to the facts.”

“If you knew I was there, why’d you ask?”

“I just wanted to see what you’d say.”

“Typical.”

“Do you know a girl named Haley Reid?”

“No.”

“You sure about that?”

“Positive.”

“That’s interesting, because I have a picture of you with her at the Pearl Room doing lines of cocaine.”

He hesitated for a moment. “How can you tell it’s cocaine from a picture?”

Maybe Deezy wasn’t as dumb as he looked.

“I suppose you two were just snorting baking powder for fun?”

“Man, I don’t need to listen to this.”

“I’m sure you’re aware that Haley Reid is dead. She was found in a dumpster behind Beats. I’m gonna give you an opportunity to tell me your side of the story. If you don’t talk now, I’m gonna come back with a warrant. If you gave her the drugs that caused an overdose, you’re gonna go away for a long time. If I were you, I’d start talking. She didn’t get in the dumpster all by herself. She had help. Now, I’m guessingthat you were at the club with your crew. How long do you think they’re gonna cover for you? I mean, when the heat turns up, people talk. The way I see it, you could be looking at first degree murder. That’s life, buddy. At minimum, manslaughter. That’s 15.

There was a long moment of silence. Finally, Darius said, “I ain’t saying shit to you without an attorney.”

The speaker crackled as he disconnected.

I shared another look with JD.

“That’s our guy,” he said.

I was pretty convinced, too. “Let’s turn up the heat,” I said with a mischievous grin.

23

Isent Paris Delaney a picture of Darius with Haley and told her to get it out there. It would create a lot of public outcry and pressure on the rap star. There would be a public outcry for justice. Maybe some of his comrades might decide to jump ship.

JD and I headed back to Diver Down to grab lunch. We took a seat at the bar and shot the breeze with Teagan.

My phone buzzed with a call from Strathmore Wellington. When I answered, he said, “Have you given any more consideration to my situation?”

“I have. I apologize for not getting back with you sooner. Things have been kind of crazy around here.”

“I understand. But time is of the essence, and I need to know if I need to look elsewhere.”

I felt bad for the guy. “My intel tells me that Solomon is indeed running a wellness retreat on the island of Xaqualta.”

“Fantastic! I knew you’d find him.”