Slipping Into Darkness by Maxine Thompson Page A

up now though. That mulatto-looking heffa, Appolonia, found out and came down here and raised hell a few weeks ago. David cut me off”–she snapped her fingers–“just like that. I never thought he was that pussy whipped. Just because she one o’ his babies’ mamas and ’cause she raisin’ them other two kids, that don’t make her his wife. She just wifey.”
    I didn’t say anything. Now I was getting curious about this wifey, Appolonia.
    â€œYou don’t understand. I love David. That gold-digging bitch don’t love him like I do.”
    Something inside told me Chutney didn’t know anything about my brother’s disappearance and I didn’t press the issue, either. So Mayhem had an outside woman, but I wasn’t that surprised. Drug dealers possessed rock star celebrity status in the ghetto.
    I finished the evening talking to the bouncer, Bone, but I couldn’t pick up any information from him. He was the muscle at the club, but he wasn’t too informative. I could see why they called him Bone, because he was truly a bonehead.
    I decided to try the massage parlor next.

Chapter Thirteen
    I drove over to the massage parlor, not knowing what I would find. The first thing that surprised me was what looked like a crew of cameramen. They were pushing high-definition digital camera equipment and looked like the crews I would see on the streets whenever a Hollywood movie studio was shooting a film on location in L.A.
    â€œWhat are you doing here?” I asked a man standing nearby the door. He ignored me. Then I noticed a former police officer I used to work with named Officer Leonard Jackson. I gave him a knowing look. Jackson gave me a sheepish grin. I could tell the way he was dressed that he was not on a security job, but on a pornography job. He was wearing suspenders with a pair of tight Speedo pants.
    â€œHey, Jackson, is it?” I asked. “What are you doing here?”
    â€œWhat are you doing here?” He answered a question with a question. He slid his hand over his bald head in a nervous gesture.
    â€œI’m here as part of an investigation.” I flashed my ID and I could see his eyes almost jet out his head, almost cartoon-like. “Who is the manager ?”
    He stammered when he spoke. “That’s Mr. Dickinson, but he’s not here at night.”
    â€œWell, who is the night supervisor?”
    â€œHis name is Lester.”
    â€œWhere is he?”
    â€œHe’s down the hall.” He pointed down a corridor.
    â€œSo are you working here?” I probed.
    â€œSort of,” he mumbled.
    â€œYou still with the department?”
    â€œYes.” Then he thought of a way to try to back me off. He didn’t want me to know he was a porn star during his down time from the police department. “I heard what happened to your partner and what happened with you. I’m sorry to hear about it.”
    I wasn’t sure if he was talking about my getting fired or my getting shot in the line of duty. I studied him and realized he was referring to me being fired. The old me would have been too ashamed or embarrassed to talk about it. He wasn’t going to be able to back me down with that one. I was no longer ashamed.
    Not one to be deterred, I didn’t let it floor me. “Well, it’s all good. I’ve developed a second career from that tragedy, so not everything is a curse. I’m here tonight because of a case I’m working on.”
    He nodded.
    â€œSo they shoot pornography here?” I shot from the hip. I pointed at the cameras, which went behind closed doors.
    Jackson didn’t answer. He just rushed into a back room and closed the door.
    I walked down the hallway and noticed most of the doors were closed where patrons were supposedly getting massages. I could smell incense and scented candles. Soft music played over the intercom.
    I tapped on a back door to Lester’s