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Bailey froze for a split second before she turned to me and said, “If you even think about using him against me, I will fucking cut you.”
“Calm your tits. I’m not going to use him against you. Just want to know about him.”
“What’s to know? He’s my cousin and I have custody.”
“What about his disability? Does he have any function?”
“Some,” she whispered. “He never received the services he needed growing up. The doctors tell me it’s too late for him. That he will never learn everything that’s required to function in society. That the best thing is to just make him comfortable, but I don’t believe them. Jamison is smart. Smarter than anyone I know. Did you kill Ray?”
“Don’t ask me a question if you aren’t ready to know the answer to.”
“I’ll take that as a yes. Thanks, by the way.”
“How’s the hand?”
“It’s alright.”
“Look Bailey, I know you don’t trust me and I’ve given you no reason to, but I am trying to help you.”
“I can take care of myself.”
“Don’t doubt that, but Dog asked my club for help. Why would he do that?”
“Because he was an old man and still believed that a little ole woman like me needed a big man’s help. Who the fuck knows?”
I chuckled at that. Honestly, she probably was right. Dog was very opinionated when it came to women and what they could and couldn’t do. The fact that Dog taught Bailey his craft said something about the man. He respected her, but if that was the case, why send me the letter? Nothing made sense except the fact that Dog was Bailey’s biological father. The man had already lost one daughter. I would have thought he would have jumped at the chance to claim Bailey, but he didn’t. Why? Unless he was protecting her.
“Bailey, you worked for Dog for a while.”
“Yep. Almost two years until he died.”
“What was Dog like before he died?”
“What do you mean?”
“Before he died, was he still the same crotchety bastard, or was he acting strange?”
She grinned. “You can say that. Dog was Dog. Bastard didn’t like anyone telling him what to do. He was right all the damn time. He hated drama and kicked several customers out of the shop for fucking up his day, as he would say. But when it was just us, he was nice, I guess. He helped me open my first bank account, helped me get my GED, he even taught me to ride his motorcycle. But the best thing he ever did was teach me how to tattoo.”
“What about right before he died?”
“I don’t know. I spent most of my days with customers. When I hit it big, Dog took over the running of the shop and left me alone.”
“Was the shop making good money?”
“Always in the green. We were even talking about opening a new shop in South L.A.”
“What stopped you?”
“He died,” she deadpanned.
“How soon after he died did Czar show up?”
Bailey looked at me and for a hot minute I thought she wasn’t going to say shit, then she surprised me and said, “That night. He came into the shop and threatened me. Told me if I told anyone, he would slit my throat. I got the message loud and clear when he killed the young boy who cleaned up the place with me at night. Andy was only eighteen. He was saving money for a car. I left shortly after that. Why?”
“Tell anyone what?”
Bailey shrugged her shoulders. “I thought it was about what he did to Andy. Look, King, I don’t know what you’re fishing for, and it doesn’t matter. Czar was crystal clear with me. After that night, I haven’t said shit to anyone about anything. I sold everything and got the fuck out of California. I shouldn’t even be talking to you about this. I need to get back to town.”
