Page 81 of Quasim III: King Inferno

Mitch was so handsome that it hurt to look at him. His chocolate skin covered with tattoos and his thick beard often made me question how he was put into this position. Then again,you had Governor Johnson more tatted than the subway, so anything could go.

“Mitch, I just really had a lot going on… I’m shaking back.”

“The only time I wanna hear shaking is when somebody is shaking ass in my face… I don’t want to hear you shaking back, Parker. That witness that works at the corner store has called this station every day this week about giving a statement.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah, shit… you need to go to the fucking store and get the fucking statement. He doesn’t want to come here because he runs a fucking store and doesn’t have time… this could help in the investigation of that journalist case, and you don’t give a fuck.”

“I’m sorry… I’m going to get it together, Captain.” I promised and quickly headed toward the door.

“Thin fucking ice, Parker!” He called behind me as I left his office and went to my desk, snatching up my coat.

“Hill, we have to go.”

She covered her mouth while chewing her food and went to grab her coat. I rolled my eyes at her, snatched the keys to the car, and headed out. I was forced to work when I wanted to hide or get on a flight to a country where they wouldn’t find me.

It was only a matter of time before Mercer opened his mouth. I was torn between going to his bail hearing or going to pack and hide. Running would only make me look guilty and I didn’t need that right now.

Maybe he wouldn’t say anything, and I would be able to just live.

“Oh, the niggas are out,” Irie muttered with a smirk on her face, and I looked over at her.

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The tattoos on her weren’t missed. She used makeup to cover them up, but with a lift of her arm, or her bending over to get something, I could see that she had tattoos.

Detective Hill presented herself like she was a good girl, and I knew better than that. She was only pretending to be what she showed me, but deep down, she dealt with these scum bag men that we pulled up on.

They were out front talking and when they saw us pull up, they looked at the car and then went back to their conversations. I wasn’t used to them not scurrying away like the roaches they were.

I’ve come to enjoy seeing them nervous and not knowing what to do. The fact that they remained and even looked annoyed that we were there meant I couldn’t just peacefully walk by. I was the authority, and they needed to respect me, not tolerate me.

“What the fuck are they up to?”

Detective Hill looked out the window. “Literally minding their business… not against the law, Parker,” she was the first to climb out.

“Good afternoon, Gentlemen,” she greeted, and they turned to look at her.

One of the men, he was familiar. Brown skin, short cut with waves, and a mouth full of gold. “What up, Ms. Cop lady.” He smirked as he looked down at Irie.

She smiled. “Mr. Wraithe, I am a detective now… have you been staying out of trouble?”

From the smirk and shrug, I could tell he hadn’t been out of trouble. “I may need to get in more trouble so you can patrol these parts again.”

Irie laughed with him and then smiled at the other men. “Stay out of trouble… I don’t want to have to arrest you again, Mr. Wraithe.”

“I look forward to putting those cuffs on you, Officer Hill.”

“Detective,” she shot back with a wink, as she walked into the store.

We went inside and asked questions, and the owner of the store told us he saw a man that might fit the description come into his store. He claimed that he bought water and then asked to purchase gum.

“He purchased water and gum, and you thought that was enough to waste my time with a statement?” I blurted.

Hill looked at me, shocked. “Is there anything that you can remember that seemed off about him… there’s a reason that you wanted to have a statement made.”

She was babying the witness, and it was annoying me. “This is why I continued to call because my memory isn’t that good.”

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