himself as a young detective. But as he shook his head and smiled at the young lieutenant’s cocky attitude, Hillman couldn’t help wondering about Leroy.
If he knew that he was wanted, he could probably elude the police for days without ever leaving the neighborhood.
But Hillman knew all too well that Leroy could never escape from his real enemy—himself. And that, more than anything, would be his weakness. That is, unless he had a lot of help.
Chapter 7
C larisse looked at Black like he was crazy.
It wasn’t as if he had asked her to kill herself or anything. But they needed her, and he didn’t think the request was all that unreasonable.
“You want me to do what?” Clarisse asked in disbelief.
“I want you to let us hold your car,” Black said. “And maybe some of your clothes, so we can make it out of the city.”
Leroy and Pookie, fully dressed now, stood next to them in the dining room and listened, knowing they could only make matters worse if they interfered.
“Well, y’all might as well kill me now,” Clarisse said. “Because there is no way I’m letting you and him and this bitch go anywhere in my new car.”
“I got your bitch,” Pookie said.
“Shut up, Pookie,” Leroy said, and she immediately fell silent.
“Clarisse,” Black said, pausing for a moment. “The only way we can get out of here is in a car. And we can only do that while it’s still dark. Now, I know you think we killers, or whatever you think. But I ain’t kill nobody, and neither did Leroy. Five-o ain’t tryin’ to hear that, though. You heard what they said, right? Two black males wanted for a shooting and an assault on a police officer.
“Assault on a police officer,” he repeated, emphasizing each word. “You know what that mean to a cop? That mean shoot a nigger now, ask questions later. If we walk out that door, we won’t live five minutes and you know it.”
Clarisse looked at him hard and said, “So what.”
“Oh, so what we did tonight ain’t mean nothin’ to you?”
“Nigger, please. You know just like I know that it didn’t mean anything. And even if it did, you don’t have a job or a place to live. Plus you’re smoking. What can you do for me, Everett, or Black, or whatever your name is? So why don’t you do me, and you, and all of us, a favor. Save the drama for your mama, ’cause I ain’t tryin’ to hear that shit.”
“That’s what they teach y’all in nursing school?” Black said. “How to cuss people out?”
“That’s what they teach you in real life, Everett. How to survive.”
“So what I got to do to get you to help us?”
“Nothing,” she said. “Because I’m not going to help you.”
“Look. Don’t even let us hold the car. Just give us some coats and hats to put on over our clothes and drive us somewhere—anywhere. You can drop us off and drive yourself back home.”
“You’re going to ride around wearing women’s coats and hats?” she said, stifling a grin.
“That’s right. Not unless you got a better idea.”
“And what about her?” she said, nodding toward Pookie.
“They ain’t lookin’ for her.”
“They’re not looking for her
yet,
” she said.
“They lookin’ for two guys walkin’. Not four sisters in a ride. How they gon’ recognize us if we shave and take showers and put on some of your clothes?”
“They probably wouldn’t. Too bad I’m not going to let you shave and take showers and put on some of my clothes.”
“I’ll pay you,” Leroy said.
“This isn’t about money,” Clarisse said, folding her arms and turning her head.
“Clarisse,” Black said. “If we was killers you woulda been slumped by now. We woulda just took whatever we needed and left you up in here dead.
“Now, I like you. If things was just a little bit different, I could probably love you. But this here is life or death. And if you think I’m lettin’ you stop me from gettin’ outta here ’cause you don’t wanna be involved,
If he knew that he was wanted, he could probably elude the police for days without ever leaving the neighborhood.
But Hillman knew all too well that Leroy could never escape from his real enemy—himself. And that, more than anything, would be his weakness. That is, unless he had a lot of help.
Chapter 7
C larisse looked at Black like he was crazy.
It wasn’t as if he had asked her to kill herself or anything. But they needed her, and he didn’t think the request was all that unreasonable.
“You want me to do what?” Clarisse asked in disbelief.
“I want you to let us hold your car,” Black said. “And maybe some of your clothes, so we can make it out of the city.”
Leroy and Pookie, fully dressed now, stood next to them in the dining room and listened, knowing they could only make matters worse if they interfered.
“Well, y’all might as well kill me now,” Clarisse said. “Because there is no way I’m letting you and him and this bitch go anywhere in my new car.”
“I got your bitch,” Pookie said.
“Shut up, Pookie,” Leroy said, and she immediately fell silent.
“Clarisse,” Black said, pausing for a moment. “The only way we can get out of here is in a car. And we can only do that while it’s still dark. Now, I know you think we killers, or whatever you think. But I ain’t kill nobody, and neither did Leroy. Five-o ain’t tryin’ to hear that, though. You heard what they said, right? Two black males wanted for a shooting and an assault on a police officer.
“Assault on a police officer,” he repeated, emphasizing each word. “You know what that mean to a cop? That mean shoot a nigger now, ask questions later. If we walk out that door, we won’t live five minutes and you know it.”
Clarisse looked at him hard and said, “So what.”
“Oh, so what we did tonight ain’t mean nothin’ to you?”
“Nigger, please. You know just like I know that it didn’t mean anything. And even if it did, you don’t have a job or a place to live. Plus you’re smoking. What can you do for me, Everett, or Black, or whatever your name is? So why don’t you do me, and you, and all of us, a favor. Save the drama for your mama, ’cause I ain’t tryin’ to hear that shit.”
“That’s what they teach y’all in nursing school?” Black said. “How to cuss people out?”
“That’s what they teach you in real life, Everett. How to survive.”
“So what I got to do to get you to help us?”
“Nothing,” she said. “Because I’m not going to help you.”
“Look. Don’t even let us hold the car. Just give us some coats and hats to put on over our clothes and drive us somewhere—anywhere. You can drop us off and drive yourself back home.”
“You’re going to ride around wearing women’s coats and hats?” she said, stifling a grin.
“That’s right. Not unless you got a better idea.”
“And what about her?” she said, nodding toward Pookie.
“They ain’t lookin’ for her.”
“They’re not looking for her
yet,
” she said.
“They lookin’ for two guys walkin’. Not four sisters in a ride. How they gon’ recognize us if we shave and take showers and put on some of your clothes?”
“They probably wouldn’t. Too bad I’m not going to let you shave and take showers and put on some of my clothes.”
“I’ll pay you,” Leroy said.
“This isn’t about money,” Clarisse said, folding her arms and turning her head.
“Clarisse,” Black said. “If we was killers you woulda been slumped by now. We woulda just took whatever we needed and left you up in here dead.
“Now, I like you. If things was just a little bit different, I could probably love you. But this here is life or death. And if you think I’m lettin’ you stop me from gettin’ outta here ’cause you don’t wanna be involved,
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