“She has it.” He laughed, not a lick of worry in his tone. “That’s my oldest girl. She’s home to help an old man out for a while. Been all over the fucking world doing God knows what.”
When she let the one on the glass go and pointed to the door, I finally looked away from the camera, giving Lee my undivided attention. As far as I knew, he had three daughters: a paramedic who’d helped me out, a flower shop owner, and the one he always bragged about, the soldier.
Lee tapped away on his screen before he sighed. “They’re always updating all these damn programs and systems. Trying to put an old man like me out of business.” He laughed and put a walkie-talkie to his lips.
“When you’re done up there, lock up for a minute and come help me out right quick.”
She didn’t respond and he didn’t flinch. His attention was on me instead. “So, how’s death treating you, son?”
I laughed. Lee had this dark ass humor that folks only understood when they got to know him.
“Well. Went to my own funeral today.”
“That’s cathartic, considering the way you died, huh?”
I was about to respond, but the door opened and all of my attention rested on the beauty who entered. I recognized the long, Pop Smoke type braids and shape from the camera. No way this little motherfucker was who just put both of them on alert.
“What do you need help with, Pops?” she asked, her voice just as alluring as her visual. She gave me a brief glance before her eyes were on her father.
Brown skin, slightly slanted eyes, full, two-toned lips, and a presence out of this fucking world.Damn.
“City records. I need to make sure the changes I made are in effect.”
She nodded, then leaned next to him and took control of the computer. Unlike him, she seemed to know what she was doing.
“Damn, my bad. Liora, this is an associate of mine. Associate, this is my daughter, Liora.”
She laughed at her father’s ploy at ambiguity. “Damn, Associate can have my name, but I can’t have his?”
I chuckled.
“It’s the business we’re in, baby girl.”
“Nah, old man. That’s your business. I don’t operate on American soil.”
He laughed, but she didn't, which let me know there was some seriousness to her words. She popped up seconds later and looked from me to him.
“System update. Their security must’ve been updated. I need ground access to restore it here.”
That threw me off.
“Nah, that's too risky. I’ll go through a different channel.”
“I’m not you, Pops. I’ll handle it.” She sighed.
He tilted his head to the side, eyes on her for a minute before he nodded. “Thought you didn’t operate on American soil.”
“As far as you and Associate here know, I don’t.” She leaned forward and pulled a USB from the desktop computer and turned to leave through the same door I’d come in. “It'll be a few hours.”
Lee shook his head, watching the door close behind his daughter before his eyes landed on me. “Well, like she said, it’ll be a few hours. You are welcome to chill around here, but I gotta go up there and open the shop.”
I nodded. “Nah, I gotta handle something. I’ll come through a little later or in the morning.”
“Okay, handle yours and stay outta sight, son.”
He didn’t have to tell me twice, but I had a couple more stops to make before I took it in for the evening. I dreaded this because I knew the answers to my questions before I asked. I also knew the outcome.
I felteyes on me the very moment I walked into the church, condemning me. It was kind of heavy, probably why I stopped letting my mama drag me in them when I was younger. It didn’t matter what religion. I felt judged for everything I had ever done and all that I would do.
