had taped to him. Detective Avery hoped that the recording would hold incriminating evidence of the illegal dealings of her father’s business. However, that was the last day anyone heard from Antonio. Their trace stopped at the restaurant where the two went to dine. After sending some men there to investigate, Detective Avery was informed that the wire was found in the Dumpster behind the establishment. He called Antonio’s phone back to back but received no answer; it went straight to voicemail every time.
Detective Avery wasn’t naïve; he knew that if somehow it had come to be known that he was working with the law then there was slim chance to none that the kid was still alive. He knew his whole investigation had just blown up in his face and if, in fact, King David did know that he was being watched then all of his moves would be sharp.
“Dammit!” Detective Avery brought his closed black fists down on the wooden top of his desk before reaching for the landline in his office. He dialed a number and waited for the officer under him to answer. “Reese, I need you to go book Davita Mason right now.”
“Davita Mason?” the officer responded and Detective Avery heard the stall in his voice. “Book her on account of what?”
“She is a suspect in a murder investigation. Find her and get her here now!”
Detective Avery didn’t wait for Officer Reese to respond; he just slammed the phone down and went to take a seat behind his desk. He didn’t care how much pull the Masons thought they had in St. Louis. They had plagued the city long enough and it was his job to take them down.
* * *
“Soooo, how did your date with Mr. Handsome go?”
Day sat in the salon chair at Blessings, the celebrity salon that her family owned, and waited for her nosey hair dresser to put the finishing touches on her blow out and flat iron. She popped the spearmint gun that she was chewing as she examined the shiny pink on her freshly manicured nails. A part of her wanted to roll her eyes when Jes asked the question but she should have known what would happen when she let it slip that she had a date in the first place.
“Mr. Handsome was a lame,” she finally responded. “All these niggas here are lames and I’m starting to lose hope of ever meeting anyone on my level.”
“On your level?” Jes giggled, snipping away at any split end she could find on Day’s head. “Girl, you are too young to be worried about finding somebody on your level, okay?”
“Right!” Shonda, a chubby hairdresser, said from where she stood a couple of feet away. She was in the middle of putting highlights in an older woman’s hair. “Sit up for me, baby, thank you. But anyways, Day, Jes is right! Girl, you too young to be out here tryin’a find love. The men you like are your age, which means mentally they are five years behind you. They aren’t done playing games in these streets! So you better live your life, girl.”
“See, that’s why I knew I shouldn’t have said nothin!” Day smacked her lips and rolled her eyes, causing Jes to yank a strand of hair from her head. “Ow! Jes! What was that for?”
“I ain’t ya mama,” Jes said and thumped Day’s shoulder with her finger. “You not gon’ get smart with me, girl.”
Day couldn’t help but to smile. Although very nosey, Jes was the only woman who had ever laid a finger on Day’s head since she was a very small child. She had come to look at her like an aunt, and growing up Jes was always the one there to give her any advice she needed. The two had a bond that nobody would ever understand, but that was okay. Day talked her father into letting Jes manage the salon and putting her on salary. He would always tell her that he didn’t understand the bond they had, but he was glad she had it with somebody.
“You ain’t have to hit me, though! Or pull my hair out!”
“I grew this shit out, so I can do as I please. Shonda, you remember when this child first sat down in my
Detective Avery wasn’t naïve; he knew that if somehow it had come to be known that he was working with the law then there was slim chance to none that the kid was still alive. He knew his whole investigation had just blown up in his face and if, in fact, King David did know that he was being watched then all of his moves would be sharp.
“Dammit!” Detective Avery brought his closed black fists down on the wooden top of his desk before reaching for the landline in his office. He dialed a number and waited for the officer under him to answer. “Reese, I need you to go book Davita Mason right now.”
“Davita Mason?” the officer responded and Detective Avery heard the stall in his voice. “Book her on account of what?”
“She is a suspect in a murder investigation. Find her and get her here now!”
Detective Avery didn’t wait for Officer Reese to respond; he just slammed the phone down and went to take a seat behind his desk. He didn’t care how much pull the Masons thought they had in St. Louis. They had plagued the city long enough and it was his job to take them down.
* * *
“Soooo, how did your date with Mr. Handsome go?”
Day sat in the salon chair at Blessings, the celebrity salon that her family owned, and waited for her nosey hair dresser to put the finishing touches on her blow out and flat iron. She popped the spearmint gun that she was chewing as she examined the shiny pink on her freshly manicured nails. A part of her wanted to roll her eyes when Jes asked the question but she should have known what would happen when she let it slip that she had a date in the first place.
“Mr. Handsome was a lame,” she finally responded. “All these niggas here are lames and I’m starting to lose hope of ever meeting anyone on my level.”
“On your level?” Jes giggled, snipping away at any split end she could find on Day’s head. “Girl, you are too young to be worried about finding somebody on your level, okay?”
“Right!” Shonda, a chubby hairdresser, said from where she stood a couple of feet away. She was in the middle of putting highlights in an older woman’s hair. “Sit up for me, baby, thank you. But anyways, Day, Jes is right! Girl, you too young to be out here tryin’a find love. The men you like are your age, which means mentally they are five years behind you. They aren’t done playing games in these streets! So you better live your life, girl.”
“See, that’s why I knew I shouldn’t have said nothin!” Day smacked her lips and rolled her eyes, causing Jes to yank a strand of hair from her head. “Ow! Jes! What was that for?”
“I ain’t ya mama,” Jes said and thumped Day’s shoulder with her finger. “You not gon’ get smart with me, girl.”
Day couldn’t help but to smile. Although very nosey, Jes was the only woman who had ever laid a finger on Day’s head since she was a very small child. She had come to look at her like an aunt, and growing up Jes was always the one there to give her any advice she needed. The two had a bond that nobody would ever understand, but that was okay. Day talked her father into letting Jes manage the salon and putting her on salary. He would always tell her that he didn’t understand the bond they had, but he was glad she had it with somebody.
“You ain’t have to hit me, though! Or pull my hair out!”
“I grew this shit out, so I can do as I please. Shonda, you remember when this child first sat down in my
Similar Books
