No Sin in Paradise by Dijorn Moss

to ask Knott.”
    â€œWhy would I ask him?”
    â€œBecause there wasn’t any dead preachers until he got involved. They’ve had their conferences for years, no problems. Then all of sudden, this year, there’s bloodshed.”
    Â 
    I hate to admit this, but part of me believes him. He doesn’t have a reason to lie to me. He could bury me somewhere on this island where no one will be able to find me and not lose an ounce of sleep. Demetrius confessing to me that he didn’t kill Cole means that there is something he needs from me.
    â€œI’ll make sure to ask Knott, but what’s the point of me being here?”
    â€œTwo things. One, the girl you visited yesterday, don’t ever go to her house again.”
    â€œWhy is that?” I ask.
    â€œI’m a friend that doesn’t want her to be bothered.”
    That means Elisha has a connection with Demetrius, which means that Demetrius didn’t kill her father. I’m back at square one with no real leads. Tomorrow, I’m going to have to go back to Elisha’s place and deliver the check from Pastor Bryant to her.
    â€œWhat’s the second thing?”
    â€œThe second thing is since you’re a minister and Knott can’t tell the difference between one preacher and another, I want you to find out what he’s planning, and then report back to me.”
    â€œSo I work for you now?”
    â€œGod, no. Work would imply that I’m going to pay you. No, this is a favor.”
    â€œA favor? A favor will imply that you will owe me one, then,” I say.
    Demetrius puts his cigar out in a nearby ashtray. He still has plenty of cigar left. Either he’s wasteful or he put out the cigar to illustrate a point.
    â€œYou find out what I need to know and I won’t stop by Adele’s house for some of her coconut cake. Which, I hear, is quite good.”
    I will never forgive myself for getting Adele involved in my mess. I have a home, and I can get up and go back at a moment’s notice. Adele, on the other hand, has to stay on the island with this monster.
    There are not too many ways I can play this, and I can’t negotiate from a position of weakness. I have to convince Demetrius that I have the upper hand, when, in actuality, I don’t.
    â€œI don’t think you would want to show up at Adele’s house uninvited, and you don’t have to make threats to convince me to help you. Threats are usually made by someone who doesn’t have power.”
    Demetrius takes a step closer. He is now in striking distance, but I doubt there is anything I could do that would even stun a behemoth like him. Physically, I’m powerless.
    â€œYou’d be even more of a fool if you think that I don’t have power.”
    â€œYou don’t, because if you did, you would know what Randall Knott has planned, but you don’t,” I say.
    â€œYou’re just a big-time gangster on a small island. You’re no match for someone like Randall Knott who can crush you without leaving his breakfast table. You don’t want me to spy on Knott for you; you need me too.”
    After my last comment, I took a deep breath and braced for Demetrius to plummet me. He balled up his fist and even looked like he was going to do it, but he didn’t. Instead, he swallowed his anger and let his smile take over.
    â€œI like you, Nic. You got guts, I’ll give you that. You’re right, I do need you, but I don’t need Adele or that old man or that sweet girl that you’ve been walking around with. So what’s it going to be?”
    I love how he frames that question . . . as if I have a choice in the matter. I don’t. Tomorrow I would have to go knocking on Randall Knott’s door to see what I can find out about Pastor Cole’s death. As far as Demetrius’s first request goes, after I deliver the money to Elisha, we can go our separate ways.
    â€œI’ll look into