Chapter 2
Lexus Reese rolled her eyes as she watched Mr. Dunson leave the kitchen. Who asks for a phone number after a five minute conversation? She started scribbling in the notebook, and tore out a sheet of paper. She glanced over at Abbey, who was still happily drinking her cola.
“Come on, sweetheart, let’s go.” Abbey sat her can down and took her mother’s hand, and gave her a sweet smile.
“Okay mommy,” She said and started pulling her towards the kitchen door. Lexus smiled at the picture of perfection and followed her out, placing the piece of paper on the counter. They made their way to the front door. Lexus could hear voices in the next room over, and she was sure it was Pastor Carnie, giving his speech for the dead. Sure enough, when she put her ear to the door, she heard him speaking.
“ . . . . and throughout her life she gave joy to others even when they ignored her presence. She was thoughtful and never thought of cheating anybody, because she knew where she was going and knew what she was accomplishing!” His voice was raising now. “She made an effort to be the best woman she could possibly be and she was! Oh, she was. And though her life was cut short, the sentiment was real. We still honor her today not because of the way she donated to charities, or how she helped the homeless! We are here today to honor how much she loved life, how much of a sentiment she held for it. Because it was real! Lordy Lou it was real and she is real! The promise land has opened its doors and she has crossed the threshold into a new world, a great world! A world with no pain and no suffering, but filled with the same sentiment that she held for us and all life. Let us honor Desire Dunson, let us give her the wake she deserves!” Applause. A choir started to sing in the opposite room, and Lexus almost found herself opening the door to join them. But she couldn’t, she had done what she needed to do.
“Come, Abbey,” She said, and she once more grasped her hand as they walked out the door and into the cool fall air
***
Jake sang along with the choir, clapped his hands to the dancing, and churned mouthfuls of food, but his mind was in another place entirely. He was thinking about his mother, and wondering what she was say if she sensed what he was feeling right now. He knew it was a little early to start feeling pleasure, especially when she was just recently killed.
“Cuz you got a minute?” Jake was sucked back into reality by a inquiring Tyrone. “There’s something I need to talk to you about.” He looked pretty serious.
“Sure, what is it?” Tyrone made a motion with his hands.
“Let’s go somewhere private.” He had already made it to the door and pulled it open. Jake shrugged and followed him out. Tyrone led him out the front door and into the yard, where he sat down on one of the chairs clustered around an umbrella table.
“What’s going on Tyrone? Why do you have to speak to me alone?” Jake sat down in a chair across from his cousin.
“Have you ever heard of the Black Bloodz?” He was leaning forward and had a slightly manic look in his eye usually associated with those about to get executed. “They’re a gang that is pretty vicious in Las Angeles right now.”
Jake shrugged and shifted in his seat. “I think so, why does it matter?”
Tyrone gave a look around the yard, as if he didn’t want anyone to hear. “The Black Bloodz killed Desire.”
“What?” Jake stood up so quickly that he knocked his chair back, causing him to trip over it and land on his back. He moaned and pushed himself up to his feet. “The police said it was just a mugger!”
“How many damn muggers carry guns around? It was the Black Bloodz. It was an assassination.” Tyrone looked dead serious, and he leaned back to emphasize. Jake couldn’t help it. He laughed out loud. There was nothing remotely funny about it, but the idea that his momma being assassinated by a gang was just about as ludicrous as her being in one.
“Why the hell would she be assassinated? Stop yanking my chain cuz and quit pissing me off, this isn’t anything to joke about.
Tyrone leaned forward. “I’m not joking. You really want to know why they killed her? Because she was the leader of their rival gang, the Hearse Crimanalė. And you, my cuz, have inherited her leadership.”
Jake laughed again.
***
Lexus flipped her hair and glanced into the rear-view mirror.
I can’t take any more stress, she thought. As if on cue, her cell phone started to ring. She sighed heavily. Keeping one hand on the wheel, she reached over and routed the call to her Bluetooth headset.
“Hello?” She spoke softly, so as to not wake a sleeping Abbey in the backseat.
“Did it work?” A thick southern accent answered on the other line.
“As far as I know. He asked me for his number.” She laughed softly, a slightly manic look in her eye.
“Do you think he bought it?” The voice was harsh and concerning, demanding more with every word.
“I think so. Calm down Devon, we can’t start to panic this early into the plan. He’s going to take the bait, he has to. Besides, who could resist me?” She giggled this time, and glanced back at the mirror in time to see Abbey stir. She lowered her voice. “If it does not work, there is always plan B . . .”
“Absolutely not. We must remove him and only him. For now. Who knows who might try and thwart us? We stay on our feet until the end of this. Okay?”
She rolled her eyes and sighed. “Fine. But I’m telling you, he’ll be protected.” She lightly pressed the brake as she turned in to her driveway. “It won’t be easy.”
A sigh was heard on the other line as well. “I know. But it’s all we can do. Besides, we have you, don’t we? We have more of a chance than you think. Go on, woo that boy and take him out of the picture. Think of what he could do.”
“Fine. I’ll call you tomorrow okay?” She put the car in park, and opened the door.
“Okay. You’re making the right choice, Lexus.” He hung up.
Lexus opened Abbey’s door and picked her up. She closed the door with her foot and carried her up to the house.
“I hope so. . . .” She whispered, and unlocked the door.
***
Chapter 3
Jake surveyed his mother’s den, with garbage littering the floor in disarray. He sighed and started picking up the trash, a paper cup here, a champagne bottle there. And people said his family wasn’t black enough. He chuckled at the thought and walked to the kitchen to get a garbage bag. As he took one out of the cupboard, he heard a noise at the kitchen door behind him. He turned to see Tyrone standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame.
He sighed, and turned away from the door, resisting the urge to spit in his face. “What are you doing here?” He opened the cupboard and pulled out a box of black garbage bags.
Tyrone grinned. “You don’t think I would make you clean this up all by yourself, do you, Cuz?” Jake silently fumed, anxiety pulling at him like a freight train, forming a great pressure on his head. He pulled a bag out of the box and pushed past his cousin roughly, making his way back to the den.
“Why do you have to stay here and ruin my day even more?” Jake shouted down the hall towards the kitchen where a grinning Tyrone still stood. “You aren’t gonna be welcome here for a while. Not after the prank you pulled.”
He started picking up the litter around the room, stuffing it all into the big garbage bag. Someone’s wallet lay wedged between the cushions of an antique armchair. Jake pulled it out, setting it on the table beside the chair; he’d see who’s it was later. He heard Tyrone enter the room and didn’t turn around. He stood upright from the chair, gazing into the garbage bag in his hand blindly. “I don’t need your shit right now Tyrone,” he said, pulling at his shirt collar. “I think you’d better leave now.” He turned around and gazed at Tyrone, his face as cold as ice.
“Listen Cuz, you don’t have to believe me now, you just have to come with me. I can prove it to you, but only if you cooperate.” He looked sincere, and thrust his hand forward, holding it out in front of Jake. Jake shook his head and sighed.
“Look. I love you Tyrone, but I can’t deal with your jokes right now.” Tyrone sighed and withdrew his hand. He looked around the room as if there was someone else that could explain to Jake the big picture, but there was none.
“Just think about it. I’ll tell you what, come over to my house tomorrow night, and eat supper with Dejinay and me. Then I’ll show you something that will change your mind.” And without another word he left the room, and Jake could hear the front door close as he left the house.
I just got invited to dinner through an argument, Jake thought, and he couldn’t help but smile.
Half an hour later, the den was completely clean, the black garbage bag stuffed into a garbage can outside. Collapsing into the soft armchair, Jake reached over onto the side table to get the remote control. Instead he felt the wallet from earlier. Holding it up to his face, he examined the leather pouch. It was a woman’s wallet, with a zipper running across the side for change, and there was an obvious weight of cash in the money bag.
Opening it up, he glanced at the name on the driver’s license. He grinned at the name, and reaching into his pocket, he got out of the chair and almost skipped to the telephone.
***
Lexus looked up and surveyed her work. Abbey had not even stirred as her mother tucked her into bed. Smiling and brushing the hair out of her face, Lexus backed out of the room and closed the door, looking back once at her daughter as she went.
She headed down the hall to the stairs and made her way down to the kitchen. It was a magnificent kitchen, and nobody could compete with her style-copper pots hung from the ceiling too high to be reached, a square room with a large rectangular stovetop mounted in the middle, glistening with stainless steel. There were counters running along the walls, stopping only to make way for the sink, with its tall faucet and ornate handle. Beside the stove was the dishwasher, built into the stove and with richly layered coloring was the contraption conceived. The floor was hardwood, and set off a refreshing contrast to the steel, while complimenting the copper on the ceiling.
Lexus’ heels clanked as she strode across the room to the refrigerator standing on the far end of the room. She gripped the handle and pulled the door open, and took a can of soda from the inside of the door.
She relished the hiss as she opened the can, and chugged the drink down quickly. The house was so hot today, and the repairman for the AC unit wasn’t due for another day. Sighing with satisfaction, she threw her garbage away and moved to the den. Its sight always comforted her. It had a beautiful blue plush carpet, and a blue antique couch and chair stood resolute facing the eighteen inch widescreen television mounted on the wall.
She lavishly sat down on the couch and turned on the television. Nothing very interesting was on, but she continued to flip through the channels and watch aimlessly, stretched out on the couch. She was about to drift off to sleep when her phone started to ring. Reaching into her purse, she pulled out her phone. Checking the caller ID, she frowned. This wasn’t someone she knew . . . Who could be calling her at this hour?
She flipped the phone open and pressed the answer button. “Hello?”
A man answered her. “Hello, is this Lexus? This is Jacob Dunson. I’m sorry I’m calling so late, it’s just that I found your wallet as I was cleaning up the house.”
Instinctively Lexus reached into her side pouch on her purse and sure enough, there was no wallet to be found. “Shit . .” she breathed.
“What?” Jacob said. Slapping her forehead and staring at the television, Lexus silently weighed her options.
“Nothing. Could you hold it for me until tomorrow?” She said warily.
He mustn’t know what’s in that wallet, she thought.
“Of course. Would you like to come here and pick it up or would you like to meet somewhere?” He asked.
Suddenly an idea blossomed in Lexus’ head. “Why don’t you just bring it over to my house, if it isn’t too much trouble? I don’t feel comfortable driving without a license.”
Jacob laughed. “Sure, is noon a good time?”
“That would be perfect. Bring an empty stomach, you deserve a lunch for your chivalrous self.” She giggled.
“I look forward to it.” He said, and they hung up.
Lying back onto the couch, Lexus smiled. It seemed as if everything was working out for her today. She took her phone and hit a speed dial number. It only had to ring once before Devon answered. “Talk to me, Lexus.”
Smiling, Lexus told him of her plans with Jacob the next day.
“Wow, girl, I’m impressed! I didn’t expect you to have a date with him for at least a week, but you got him a couple hours after meeting him!” He chuckled.
Lexus knew that he knew she was blushing deeply now. “Nonsense,” she said, shaking her head. “There is no date, we are only trying to get him away from his idiotic family. To remove him from the Criminalė equation.”
“Well there will be time for wooing men for real later, I suppose.” Devon said in his deep voice. “Take him to the Side’s End Coffee shop down by Trayer’s. We’ll be there for a quick pickup after lunch.”
“Okay. I’ll see you then.” She closed the phone, smiling slightly. Such a quick rise in current events, in such a small amount of time. Criminalė would most definitely fall. But there was something more . . . Something biting at her in her stomach, a feeling of such euphoria . . . But things had to be done. There was no room for error, not this far into the plan. He had to understand that he must be removed. “It’s a shame . . .” she whispered.
***
Jake sat at the kitchen table eating a bowl of butter pecan ice cream. He loved butter pecan, it had such a marvelous taste and texture.
He was thinking about the wallet beside the bowl. Lexus had sounded so hectic about losing it.. . .
No, I shouldn’t, he thought to himself. What harm could it do, though?
He opened the wallet and started rifling through its contents. As he was smiling at a small photo album of Abbey, a piece of paper fell out from between the album pages. Jake unfolded and looked at its contents. In small and thin handwriting a message of sorts was splayed across the page.
The Hearse carries Criminalės everywhere, in and out with dead air.