I sat there for the next ninety minutes listening and trying to place voices with names. Picking up on Chilly was easy. He was the loudest, and did most of the talking. "I don’t think I like him."
Chilly announced that he was going to bed, and awhile after that most of the people left. I got pictures of each of the players as they came out of the house. The lights stayed on downstairs, but I didn’t hear Chilly’s mouth. I switched to their bedroom.
"Gee, you sleep?"
"No. Just watching TV."
"What you watching?"
"Forensic Files."
"That shit again. Forensic Files, The System, Cold Case Files, all that Court TV shit. Why you always watchin’ that shit?"
"So I can figure out how to kill you. And do you always have to turn on every light in the room?"
"I gotta see."
"I know, but why every light? All you need is one."
"Yeah, well, you’ll be a’ight."
I heard Mrs. Childers mumble something under her breath. But I couldn’t make it out.
"I thought you were coming to the club tonight, Gee?"
"I just didn’t feel like being bothered with all of those people."
"So where you been?"
"I went by Chéz."
"What y’all do?"
"Nothing."
"Chésará didn’t have nothing to do on a Friday night? That ain’t possible. What y’all do, Gee?"
"I told you, we didn’t do anything. We just talked."
"She’s good at that. ‘Bout all she good for is talk."
Followed by more mumbling from Mrs. Childers.
"I want you to do something for me tomorrow."
"I have plans for tomorrow."
"Well cancel them. This shit is important."
"And what I have to do isn’t?"
"Nope. Just more of your usual bullshit."
"It’s your usual shit that’s bullshit," she whispered.
"What you say?"
"Nothing, Chilly. What do you want me to do?"
"You just be dressed and ready to go by eleven."
"Yes, your majesty."
"That’s right. I’m the King here. Your ass be forgettin’ that shit sometimes."
There was a long silence. Then, "Stop!"
"You the one that needs to stop."
"Stop it, Chilly. I’m tired."
"Come on, now."
"No, I said I was tired. — Ouch! — You’re hurting me."
"Stop fightin’ me. — Come on now."
"All right, all right. Go ahead."
There was more silence. Followed by a few minutes of Chilly grunting like an animal. Mrs. Childers made no sound. I imagined her lying under him, eyes closed, wishing it were over. Then, "The least you could do is move, Gee."
She didn’t answer.
"Ahhh!"
I started my car and went home. I was sure now. I don’t like him.
----
Chapter Three
Friday, July 10: 7:04 AM
I called Jett and told him to meet me at Monika’s house so I could tell them about the case. When I got there, I laid it all out for them. I left out the part about me listening while Chilly forced himself on Mrs. Childers. "Come on now, Nick," Monika said. "We ain’t no real private investigators. This is just a cover. What you know about finding somebody anyway?"
"It’s no different then them skip trace jobs we did," I said, pleading my case.
"Sounds like fun to me," Jett said. "Besides, Monika, what else do we have to do?"
"Shut up, gray boy," Monika said, rolling her eyes at Jett. "You got a weird sense of what’s fun." Monika frowned at me. "What are you gonna do now?"
"I wanna go back to Jake’s apartment and have another shot at his computer. And I could use some help."
"I’ll go with you, Nick," Jett said, enthusiastically. Which saved me the trouble of having to convince him. "Come on, Monika, it will be a blast. Do something different for a change."
"Let’s go, Jett. I want to get finished at Jake’s in time to pick up a tail on Chilly around eleven."
As we started out the door, Monika said, "Y’all wait up."
"Thought you weren’t interested?" I said smiling at her.
"I’m not. That don’t mean I’m not part of this team," she said grabbing her bag and joining us at the door. "Somebody has to keep you two fools out of trouble."
On the way to Jake’s I filled them in on the rest of what
Chilly announced that he was going to bed, and awhile after that most of the people left. I got pictures of each of the players as they came out of the house. The lights stayed on downstairs, but I didn’t hear Chilly’s mouth. I switched to their bedroom.
"Gee, you sleep?"
"No. Just watching TV."
"What you watching?"
"Forensic Files."
"That shit again. Forensic Files, The System, Cold Case Files, all that Court TV shit. Why you always watchin’ that shit?"
"So I can figure out how to kill you. And do you always have to turn on every light in the room?"
"I gotta see."
"I know, but why every light? All you need is one."
"Yeah, well, you’ll be a’ight."
I heard Mrs. Childers mumble something under her breath. But I couldn’t make it out.
"I thought you were coming to the club tonight, Gee?"
"I just didn’t feel like being bothered with all of those people."
"So where you been?"
"I went by Chéz."
"What y’all do?"
"Nothing."
"Chésará didn’t have nothing to do on a Friday night? That ain’t possible. What y’all do, Gee?"
"I told you, we didn’t do anything. We just talked."
"She’s good at that. ‘Bout all she good for is talk."
Followed by more mumbling from Mrs. Childers.
"I want you to do something for me tomorrow."
"I have plans for tomorrow."
"Well cancel them. This shit is important."
"And what I have to do isn’t?"
"Nope. Just more of your usual bullshit."
"It’s your usual shit that’s bullshit," she whispered.
"What you say?"
"Nothing, Chilly. What do you want me to do?"
"You just be dressed and ready to go by eleven."
"Yes, your majesty."
"That’s right. I’m the King here. Your ass be forgettin’ that shit sometimes."
There was a long silence. Then, "Stop!"
"You the one that needs to stop."
"Stop it, Chilly. I’m tired."
"Come on, now."
"No, I said I was tired. — Ouch! — You’re hurting me."
"Stop fightin’ me. — Come on now."
"All right, all right. Go ahead."
There was more silence. Followed by a few minutes of Chilly grunting like an animal. Mrs. Childers made no sound. I imagined her lying under him, eyes closed, wishing it were over. Then, "The least you could do is move, Gee."
She didn’t answer.
"Ahhh!"
I started my car and went home. I was sure now. I don’t like him.
----
Chapter Three
Friday, July 10: 7:04 AM
I called Jett and told him to meet me at Monika’s house so I could tell them about the case. When I got there, I laid it all out for them. I left out the part about me listening while Chilly forced himself on Mrs. Childers. "Come on now, Nick," Monika said. "We ain’t no real private investigators. This is just a cover. What you know about finding somebody anyway?"
"It’s no different then them skip trace jobs we did," I said, pleading my case.
"Sounds like fun to me," Jett said. "Besides, Monika, what else do we have to do?"
"Shut up, gray boy," Monika said, rolling her eyes at Jett. "You got a weird sense of what’s fun." Monika frowned at me. "What are you gonna do now?"
"I wanna go back to Jake’s apartment and have another shot at his computer. And I could use some help."
"I’ll go with you, Nick," Jett said, enthusiastically. Which saved me the trouble of having to convince him. "Come on, Monika, it will be a blast. Do something different for a change."
"Let’s go, Jett. I want to get finished at Jake’s in time to pick up a tail on Chilly around eleven."
As we started out the door, Monika said, "Y’all wait up."
"Thought you weren’t interested?" I said smiling at her.
"I’m not. That don’t mean I’m not part of this team," she said grabbing her bag and joining us at the door. "Somebody has to keep you two fools out of trouble."
On the way to Jake’s I filled them in on the rest of what
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