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A long minute passed as Donnie seemed to picture that. Then he said, “Or what?”
This is one of the things I love about Conklin. He’s a trustworthy dude. His goodness comes through, even to punks like Donnie.
“Look, we need to know about Valdeen,” my partner said. “Why was he shot and who do you think did it? Help us and we’ll tell the DA you cooperated. That will count at sentencing. I promise you that.”
A lot of quiet time gathered in the small interview room. I did my best not to fidget as Donnie thought over his options. Then he said, “How am I supposed to help you? I wasn’t there. I don’t know why anyone would do that to Rascal.”
I had to step in.
“Donnie. Your friend Rascal Valdeen was executed. You see that, don’t you? He wasn’t shot while holding up a store or stealing a car or screwing someone else’s woman. He was shot in his bed. While he was asleep.”
“No, nuh-uh, no, no.”
“Yes. And this is what I’m thinking, Donnie. Ralph knew something and someone didn’t want him to talk.”
After a long pause, Donnie said, “He might have known something that I don’t know.”
I pressed on. “Did he know who shot up Wicker House? Do you?”
Wolfe looked up at the camera, then back at Conklin. He said to Conklin, “Not with that.”
Conklin left the room and when he came back, the red camera light was off.
“Go ahead, Donnie,” Conklin said.
“Cops did that Wicker House deal.”
“What cops?” I asked.
“They was cops. Rascal and me, we told this one of them when the drugs were moving out for distribution. It was just supposed to be a heist. We didn’t know they were going to shoot. They didn’t tell us that, I swear on my baby’s soul. I just needed money to go away and that’s all.”
Real tears were filling his eyes. He wiped them away, and again I saw the kid in him.
“How do you know they were cops?”
“They wearing jackets saying police.”
“That’s all? Did you see a badge? Were they cops you knew?”
“They talk like cops. They walk like cops. They cops,” Donnie said.
“How many?” I asked.
“I only met the one that made the deal with me and Rascal. I hear on the street could be, like, five more in the crew. I told the one that paid me. I say, ‘Watch your ass.’ I say to him, ‘Those drugs belong to the King.’”
“Kingfisher? And what did he say?”
“He say, ‘No problem.’ Like, ‘I got this.’”
Conklin said, “What’s this cop’s name? We need his name.”
The silence went on for long seconds as Donnie Wolfe thought about his odds if he gave us a name, and his odds if he didn’t. I think it came out as a draw.
“What does he look like?” Conklin said.
Donnie shook his head again, then made a decision.
He said, “Both times I see him, he sitting in a car. White guy, wears a police cap and big shades. You can only see, like, his nose. And it’s just a regular nose.”
