meeting somebody here, but I guess they’re not going to make it."
"Then this must be my lucky night." I sat down next to her and signaled for the bartender. "Johnnie Black, straight up. Can I get you something?"
"Hennessy Martini, with a twist."
"So tell me, Mrs. Childers, what man would be foolish enough to stand up a beautiful woman like yourself?"
Mrs. Childers turned away and made one last look around the room for Ben, shrugged her shoulders, and turned to face me with a smile. "Who said I was waiting for a man? So, Nick, have you found out anything about Jake?"
"Not really. I did have a chance to look around his apartment. Do you know if he was working on something?"
"No. I really didn’t get into all that stuff he was into. A little too far over my head."
I reached in my pocket and took out the picture of Jake and the mystery woman. "Do you know who this is in the picture with him?" I handed her the picture. She glanced at it for a second.
"I’ve never seen her before. Where did you get this?"
"That doesn’t matter. Has he ever mentioned dating any other woman, other than Lisa Ellison?"
"I’m not my brothers keeper. He’s very private."
"So how do you know Lisa?"
"He’s been seeing Lisa for years now. He brings her around to parties, family gatherings, things like that."
"Now let’s talk about you, Mrs. Childers."
"Me? What about me?"
"You haven’t exactly been honest with me."
"What do you mean? I’ve told you everything I know."
"About your husband, Mrs. Childers."
"Chilly. What about Chilly?"
"Well, Mrs. Childers, he’s a little more than just involved with drugs. He controls most of the drug traffic uptown."
"And?"
"Don’t you think that was worth mentioning?"
"Yes."
"Then why didn’t you?"
"I didn’t want to scare you off."
"I don’t scare easily, Mrs. Childers. But that does change things."
"You want more money." She frowned and looked away, then turned back with fury in her eyes. "Is that what this is all about? Money?"
"No, Mrs. Childers, it’s about you telling me what I need to know to do what you hired me to do."
"What do you want to know?"
"Well, let’s start out with what I know and you can fill in the blanks. Chilly was a forth-level dealer for André Hammond until him and Ricky Combs were assassinated ten years ago. Vicious Black declared a dead zone where he wouldn’t allow them to sell drugs." Mrs. Childers sat up straight in her chair. I had her attention now. Funny how the words Vicious Black have that affect in people. "Stop me if you want to add something."
"No, you’re doing just fine," she said while playing with the straw in her drink.
"When Jimmy Knowles, Charlie Rock, and Vincent Martin attempted to kill Black, that started a war between him and what remained of André’s and Cazzie Riley’s organizations. Well, Black was successful in eliminating his enemies and Chilly took over. He made peace with Black and agreed to respect the dead zone."
"How do you know all this?"
"I have my sources, Mrs. Childers. So with all that history out the way, let’s begin again. Why do you think that Chilly has something to do with your brothers disappearance?"
"Like I said, it’s just a feeling, that’s all." I could tell that I was making her uncomfortable, but she was cute when she squirmed, so I continued my line of questioning.
"That’s not good enough, Mrs. Childers, there must be something else. Something you’re not telling me. I’ve heard that if Chilly had something to do with this, I should be looking for a body."
"Don’t say that, please. Jake is not dead."
"How do you know that? You know how your husband works. Public execution is his style. So if he were involved, a simple kidnapping wouldn’t cut it. Now you tell me, what did Chilly want to see Jake about?"
"I don’t know!" she said louder than she needed to. I finished my drink and waved the bartender over to bring me another.
"And one for the lady?" the bartender asked.
"No,
"Then this must be my lucky night." I sat down next to her and signaled for the bartender. "Johnnie Black, straight up. Can I get you something?"
"Hennessy Martini, with a twist."
"So tell me, Mrs. Childers, what man would be foolish enough to stand up a beautiful woman like yourself?"
Mrs. Childers turned away and made one last look around the room for Ben, shrugged her shoulders, and turned to face me with a smile. "Who said I was waiting for a man? So, Nick, have you found out anything about Jake?"
"Not really. I did have a chance to look around his apartment. Do you know if he was working on something?"
"No. I really didn’t get into all that stuff he was into. A little too far over my head."
I reached in my pocket and took out the picture of Jake and the mystery woman. "Do you know who this is in the picture with him?" I handed her the picture. She glanced at it for a second.
"I’ve never seen her before. Where did you get this?"
"That doesn’t matter. Has he ever mentioned dating any other woman, other than Lisa Ellison?"
"I’m not my brothers keeper. He’s very private."
"So how do you know Lisa?"
"He’s been seeing Lisa for years now. He brings her around to parties, family gatherings, things like that."
"Now let’s talk about you, Mrs. Childers."
"Me? What about me?"
"You haven’t exactly been honest with me."
"What do you mean? I’ve told you everything I know."
"About your husband, Mrs. Childers."
"Chilly. What about Chilly?"
"Well, Mrs. Childers, he’s a little more than just involved with drugs. He controls most of the drug traffic uptown."
"And?"
"Don’t you think that was worth mentioning?"
"Yes."
"Then why didn’t you?"
"I didn’t want to scare you off."
"I don’t scare easily, Mrs. Childers. But that does change things."
"You want more money." She frowned and looked away, then turned back with fury in her eyes. "Is that what this is all about? Money?"
"No, Mrs. Childers, it’s about you telling me what I need to know to do what you hired me to do."
"What do you want to know?"
"Well, let’s start out with what I know and you can fill in the blanks. Chilly was a forth-level dealer for André Hammond until him and Ricky Combs were assassinated ten years ago. Vicious Black declared a dead zone where he wouldn’t allow them to sell drugs." Mrs. Childers sat up straight in her chair. I had her attention now. Funny how the words Vicious Black have that affect in people. "Stop me if you want to add something."
"No, you’re doing just fine," she said while playing with the straw in her drink.
"When Jimmy Knowles, Charlie Rock, and Vincent Martin attempted to kill Black, that started a war between him and what remained of André’s and Cazzie Riley’s organizations. Well, Black was successful in eliminating his enemies and Chilly took over. He made peace with Black and agreed to respect the dead zone."
"How do you know all this?"
"I have my sources, Mrs. Childers. So with all that history out the way, let’s begin again. Why do you think that Chilly has something to do with your brothers disappearance?"
"Like I said, it’s just a feeling, that’s all." I could tell that I was making her uncomfortable, but she was cute when she squirmed, so I continued my line of questioning.
"That’s not good enough, Mrs. Childers, there must be something else. Something you’re not telling me. I’ve heard that if Chilly had something to do with this, I should be looking for a body."
"Don’t say that, please. Jake is not dead."
"How do you know that? You know how your husband works. Public execution is his style. So if he were involved, a simple kidnapping wouldn’t cut it. Now you tell me, what did Chilly want to see Jake about?"
"I don’t know!" she said louder than she needed to. I finished my drink and waved the bartender over to bring me another.
"And one for the lady?" the bartender asked.
"No,
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