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“Ah, yeah, they… they make me drop it in that old library book bin by the abandoned store.”
“Hm,” A said, the sound almost menacing. “That right?” he asked, but it was rhetorical. “Alright. What do you know about the crew?” he asked.
“Nothing. I’ve never seen or spoken to them.”
“How’d they contact you?”
“A call to my shop, telling me where to drop the drugs off. I thought it was a one-time thing—“
“Never is,” he cut me off.
“No, I guess not. The shipments came the next month. So when I didn’t get a call, I just figured it was the same drop-offlocation. And that’s how it’s been going. Until… someone else took my shipment.”
“How?” he asked.
“They dressed up like me. But their wig was just purple, and…” I said, waving at my head.
“Right. And you couldn’t find shit,” he said, looking over at Junior.
“The plates were off a stolen car.”
“Right. So pros.”
“Seems like it.”
“What you want from me here?”
“To know what crew is operating in the area.”
“Why? You gonna set up a meeting? Can’t advise that.”
“More interested in knowing who they are, so I can figure out who would be willing to cross them.”
“Someone with a death wish,” A said. “Anyone willing to fuck with me in my area got too big an opinion of themselves. Which makes ‘em dangerous. So anyone who crosses them is even more cocky. Cocky criminals make stupid criminals.
“But look. I don’t got answers for you today. I’ll look into it,” A said. “Gotta warn you, this is my business now.”
“I don’t care if you take them all out, and solve the problem for us, or if I have to handle it. I just want it handled.”
“Can’t tell you my plans,” A said. “But I don’t tolerate people working in my area.”
“Understandable,” Junior agreed. “And I don’t need to know your plans, but I need to know if or when her life isn’t in danger anymore,” he said, jerking his head toward me.
“It’s fun when they talk about you like you’re not here, right?” Hope asked, giving her man a head shake. “How about we go get a cup of coffee and do our own talking?” she suggested, then started to walk.
Figuring I was expected to follow, I did, into their giant kitchen with an absolutely enormous island.
“They’ll talk carefully around you about this. Better to give them a few minutes to get down to brass tacks. It’s annoying, but their way,” she said. “How long has the cartel been fucking up your life?”
“Since the month after I opened,” I admitted as she turned to the coffee maker and started to put a pot on.
“I know A says it’s ‘just business,’ but he does understand there’s a human element to this. I wouldn’t say he is above involving innocent people like this crew is doing with imports, but you wouldn’t have to worry about him murdering you if something like this happened. If for no other reason than because he would never let someone else step in and steal his shit. His shipments would always be secure.”
“Yeah, it seems careless to involve me without making sure nothing happened. Unless…”
“Unless they were watching and think it was you who stole it,” Hope filled in.
“Yeah. Especially if their disguise was convincing enough. I’ll try to look into things for you too.”
