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ChapterFour
As a detective, Laz had witnessed the scene many times Immediately, he went on alert. The punks were getting ready to make an exchange if the way they kept glancing around was any indication. As soon as the thought filtered into his mind, two of them went on watch while the other two exchanged money and a couple of small packets.
A wave of unease crept through Laz, and he maintained a firm grip on Arielle’s hand as he discreetly glanced around.
The punks did it smoothly enough, but it bothered him that they were doing this in broad daylight. That meant they didn’t care much if anyone saw them. Only a few cars were driving by periodically, and Laz noticed a handful of people going in and out of some of the businesses across the street. No one appeared to be paying them any mind.
Except for him.
“I wanna go, Daddy,” Arielle said, looking up at him with innocent eyes.
“Okay, one second.”
Laz picked her up into his arms, despite her protests. He debated taking her back into the building because he’d seen enough of these exchanges to know they could quickly turn violent. All it would take was for one of the guys to get mad at not receiving enough money or one to find something wrong with the product.
Laz had seen it all. Too many times, the situation didn’t end well.
Before he could return to the building, the guys dispersed. Two walked in the opposite direction, away from him, and the other two started across the street, talking it up as if nothing had happened. One of them glanced his way, but it was quick as the man continued laughing with his buddy.
“Daddy?” Arielle’s questioning tone snagged Laz’s attention.
“Okay, let’s get going,” he said and started for his SUV again.
“Laz! Hey, Laz, wait up.” Someone called out from behind him just before he reached the truck.
Laz glanced over his shoulder and saw a man in his mid-twenties jogging toward him. He slid his sunglasses down his nose and peeked over the top of them. It wasn’t until the guy got closer that Laz recognized him.
“Nazir? Dude, it’s been a long time,” Laz greeted. He shifted Arielle in his arms and gave the man a fist bump.
The former drug addict appeared to have finally gotten his act together. His tawny brown complexion gleamed under the sunlight, and his dark eyes held a bit of humor. So used to seeing the guy with red-rimmed eyes, Laz was a little taken back.
Today, Nazir looked like a new man with his hair cut low and tight on the sides, and he was clean-shaven, giving him a boyish look. Gone were the ratty clothes that he used to walk around in for days at a time. Clearly, that was no longer the case. He was neatly dressed in a long-sleeve T-shirt with a local restaurant logo in the upper left-hand corner. The name-brand jeans and a pair of the latest Nikes told Laz that the kid had cleaned up well.
“What do you think?” Nazir lifted his arms and turned back and forth. “I’ve been clean for forty-eight months, two weeks, and three days,” he said with a laugh. “Basically, over four years, and that’s all thanks to you.”
They had first met about five years ago when Laz busted him for disorderly conduct. After a few more encounters and arrests, Laz had helped him get into a drug treatment center.
Laz slipped his sunglasses on top of his head. “Nah, man. Don’t give me the credit. You’re the one who did the work, and it looks like it paid off.”
“It did, and I ain’t gonna lie, it was hard,” he said with a chuckle and smiled at Arielle. “Hey, cutie.”
Arielle gave a little wave, then laid her head on Laz’s shoulder. She was shy at first meeting people, but she usually warmed up quickly.
“Is she yours?” Nazir asked, and Laz nodded. “She’s beautiful. She must take after her mother.” He burst out laughing, and Laz joined in.
“Yeah, you’re making jokes, but it’s actually true,” Laz said and smiled down at Arielle. The February temperature was warmer than usual, but there was a strong breeze, and he pulled her lightweight jacket closed.
“Walk with me to my truck and tell me what’s been going on,” Laz said. “I have to get out of here, but I have a few minutes to talk.”
As they strolled to the SUV, Laz listened as Nazir told him that after going to rehab the first time, he fell back into bad habits. Getting clean from any addiction wasn’t easy, and listening to the kid proved that. His family had given up on him, and his mother, a single parent, regrettably had to kick him out of the house.
“Things got worse before they got better,” Nazir said. “It took me three stints in rehab to get to this point.”
“I’m glad to hear you didn’t give up,” Laz said.
When they reached his truck, he used the keyless entry to disarm it. He had purchased the vehicle the day after Arielle was born, wanting to ensure he had something safe and dependable to drive her around in.
He opened the back passenger door and placed Arielle in the car seat.
