Daddy Dearest (10 page)

“Now get your stupid ass back in your car before I show you what a real gun looks like.”

June didn’t need to be told twice. He scurried to his car with the air pistol.

As soon as June’s car turned off the street, Ron slapped Ching with the same fierceness. “Tell me where Cataya’s at, or you’re going to get found in the worst way.

 –—Chapter Ten–—

“Hello?”

“Hey, Mrs. Kim. Is Ching there?”

“Is this Ca…Cata…”

“Yes. This is Cataya, Mrs. Kim. Is Ching there?”

“He no come home last night. You no see?”

“No, I haven’t,” she responded. “His cell phone is off, too.”

Mrs. Kim burst out into a wail. “Something bad wrong. I call police.”

The line went dead.

Cataya sat on the couch feeling herself becoming more and more distraught by the minute. She attempted to reverse her state by focusing on only positive thoughts. There had to be a logical explanation to Ching’s disappearance.

Maybe he had an argument with his father and stayed gone out of spite?
she thought.

Rafeal entered the living room singing in an off-tone melody. “Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone. Ain’t no-Oh! What’s up, Taya? I thought you would be still in the bed, being that it’s Saturday.”

Being that she was out all night fucking and sucking
, the voice said, loud and clear to Rafeal.

“Oh, no. I can’t sleep like that. I have to get up.” Cataya confessed.

“Can’t say the same thing about Dee. Between me and you,” he whispered. “I think that she’s on something.”

You’re always trying to sugarcoat shit. Tell her that bitch smokes crack. That gray shit. That hard white shit. That butter and popcorn shit. That shit that clogs up the pipe. Tell her!

“No! I’m not telling her that!”

Cataya frowned. “Huh?”

“Oh, nothing. I was talking to…Anyway, I didn’t know you meditate. My psychiatrist told me it was a good way for me to relax.”

He smokes that shit, too. Yellow ass teeth.

“I wasn’t meditating. I was just thinking about something.”

I told you! This bitch is scheming on getting you committed so she can get your room. Choke her ass out and put her ass in her suitcase. You can tell everybody that she went back home. The perfect murder.

Rafeal studied his niece a moment before turning his back to her. “I can’t do that. She’s the good one; LeLe’s kid.”

Cataya panicked when she heard this. She rose from the couch and readied herself. This was a scenario that she had often thought about since she learnt of her uncle’s condition…

And now that her thoughts had turned to a reality, she found herself unable to bolt like she saw herself doing.

Rafeal was not approaching her with his arms out. “Come here, Taya.”

“No, Uncle Ra-Ra. Got to take your medicine.”

Break her goddamn neck for all the people that got committed on false pretenses! You can do it easily.

“I’m straight, Come here.”

Cataya surveyed her surrounding for an escape route. She was only a few feet from the door, but knew that she wouldn’t get the deadbolt lock off before he got to her.

“What do you want?”

Rafeal didn’t respond. He just advanced towards her in a way that made her hold out her hands in a defensive position.

He grabbed her by the shoulders. “One thing that you don’t never have to worry about is me harming you…”

You sucker ass nigga! Got me all hyped up for nothing Should’ve known.

“…Now them crackers at my old job,” he said, pointing at the window,” that’s a different story. Understand what I’m saying?”

Cataya nodded, awkwardly.”

“But you, I love you. It’s hard for me to when you look like LeLe.”

LeLe wasn’t shit. All she had was a fat ass.

Cataya began to relax. “Were you and my mom close?”

“Was we?! We use to go everywhere together. I was with her when she first met your crazy ass daddy.”

“Hold up! I thought Aunt Fannie was with her when she first met my daddy.”

“Who told you that?”

“Aunt Fannie?”

That is the lie-est bitch that ever waked the Earth! She’ll say anything.

“Hell nah! Fannie wasn’t there. It was just me and LeLe. I remember it like it was yesterday. We were at the old Wheels on Roxobro Road when your dad and Ron skated up on us like it was a takeover.”

And your bitch ass had a little accident in your drawls. Don’t lie!

“Oh. I didn’t know that.”

“When your mom died, it drove me crazy. Literally. I …I feel like it’s partly my fault.”

She didn’t fully comprehend what Rafeal was saying. But she could relate because the burden that she was carrying over her mother’s death, was driving her crazy also.

It had, in ways, deprived her of her childhood, because instead of enjoying the love that Granny gave her, she had been too busy hating her father. And now with Ching missing, she prayed that she didn’t have another reason to hate her father.

* * *

Chaplin Stephens listened attentively as only as a Chaplin could as Hammer told him about the information that he had learned via Ron. He trusted the Chaplin greatly, but was still extra careful to exclude how Ron had gathered his information…

He was careful because for one: He didn’t want to compromise the Chaplin’s job or his own freedom because the staff’s policies mandated that employees had to report any crime or potential danger that an inmate imposed.

For two: He didn’t want to jeopardize Ron’s freedom. “The news that you bring me is very disturbing, Bobbit.”

“Tell me about it. It’s driving me nuts.”

“I know that kids act out as a way to cry out for help but Cataya’s actions shock me I would’ve never in a million years imagine that she would do something like this. Do you think she’s on drugs?’

“Hell…I mean, absolutely not! That’s not in the equation.”

“What could it be then? I know that she just didn’t go off the edge because she didn’t want to stay with Ron for a few weeks.”

“That’s basically what she did.”

“But why? What has Ron done to her so terrible that would make her act other than herself?’

Hammer wiped his face. He made eye contact with his friend, and wanted to get the burden off his chest badly.

“What is it, Bobbit?’

“Nothing.”

“You know that you can talk to me about anything. I don’t think it would be wise to discuss a crime unless it’s really weighing on you. I could keep a secret for the sake of our friendship.”

“I…it’s no…it’s nothing like that. I…I just suspect Cataya fear that she would be left in the world alone when my mom got sick. She already lost her mom, you know?”

“Have you ever talked to her about her mother’s death?”

“No. It’s sort of a touchy subject for the both of us.”

“Why?” he probed.

Hammer started to feel really uncomfortable. “Because…I ki..it’s a long and complicated story. I want my daughter away from those crazy people. The aunt is obsessive, and a compulsive liar. The uncle is a coo-coo for real. And I’ve heard so much about the cousin, I couldn’t repeat any of it to you and sleep well tonight.”

The Chaplin observed Hammer’s leg shaking. “It hurts me to see you like this. I wish there was something I could do for you.”

“It’s okay, Ron is on it. He has never failed me.”

“I hope that he doesn’t get into any trouble in the process. He won’t be any good to you if he’s in here, also.”

That was Hammer’s least concern. Ron wasn’t the type to get pointed out and convicted. He was the type to tie up all loose ends and go to his grave with the secret.

 –—Chapter Eleven–—

Dehila’s computer was on when Cataya walked in her bedroom. She glanced up briefly before resuming typing.

“Let’s go to the mall, Dee, before it closes.”

“I don’t have any mall money. You going to lend me some?”

“You already owe me twenty bucks. I can’t give you any more.”

“Well, we ain’t going to the mall.”

Cataya sucked her teeth. “What are you going to do, play on the computer all night?”

“You’re still the same,” Dehila retorted. “Asks a lot of dumb ass questions that don’t matter.”

“What’s your problem?”

“You’re my problem! Got all that money and won’t loan me none!”

“That’s crazy!”

Cataya sat down on the section of the bed that put her the closest to her cousin. “I know where all your money is going.”

“You don’t know shit,” she said, wiping her nose.

“I saw you on the back porch last night snorting that white powder.”

“You was spying on me?” She jumped to her feet. “I can’t believe you!”

“No. It’s not like that. I came looking for you so we could talk, like we use to do.”

A wave of emotion seemed to wash over Dehila, and Cataya pushed on. “You need to leave that stuff alone before Aunt Fannie finds out.”

“She ain’t going to find out, and it better stay that way!”

“I’m not going to tell her, but Uncle Ra-Ra might.”

“Ra-Ra don’t know shit unless you told him!”

“I don’t have to tell him nothing; he already knows.”

“How’s that?”

“Go look in the mirror and see how raw your nose looks. You don’t think he notices that? You don’t think he notices how you always be sniffing and playing with it?”

Dehila unconsciously squeezed the tip of her nose. “Man, Ra-Ra doesn’t know his asshole from his navel. He’s crazy.”

“Even if that’s true, that doesn’t make him dumb. He has plenty…”

She cocked her head to the window when she heard some commotion.

They went over and seen Rafeal outside on all fours, confronting a full-grown dog.

“Hee-eyy, Poochie Baby. You’re so handsome, yes he is.”

The dog was barking wildly, threatening to attack. Rafeal wasn’t discouraged though. He continued his advance.

“You’re so dark and handsome, so I know you’re one of us. Give me hug.”

“Don’t do it, Uncle Ra-Ra!” Cataya heard herself say. It was too late. All the girls could hope for as they ran to their uncle’s aid was that he wasn’t hurt bad.

* * *

“How was everything, sir?”

Ron studied the waitress and was wondering why a fine woman like her was working at Cracker Barrel. “Everything was delicious, Miss. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” she smiled liked she knew something that he didn’t. “Can I get you anything else?”

Is she making a pass at me?
he thought. “No, thanks. Jus the check, please.”

She handed him the check before walking away.

“One more thing, Miss.”

“Yes?”

“Are there any pay phones around here?”

“Yes. They’re outside the dining room on the left. You can’t miss them.”

He handed her an additional ten dollars. “Thank you, again.”

“No. Thank you, handsome.”

Ron wanted to follow through on the woman’s flirts, but he didn’t. He was on official business. Pleasure could wait.

Once he located the pay phones, he went to the Pocket Expression section of his Blackberry, and scrolled to the phone book section. He then typed in the name that Hammer had given him and seven candidates popped up.

He then began the task by dialing the first number on the pay phone. It was a known fact that a homicide detective always pulled the victim’s phone records in search of a lead. Ron didn’t want any fingers pointing at him when everything was said and done.

The phone rang four times before someone answered.

“The Johnson’s residence. Fredricka speaking.”

“Is this Fannie?” he asked, in his friendliest voice.

“Excuse me?”

“This is Slick Red. Am I speaking to Fannie?”

“I’m sorry, sir. You have the wrong number.”

Ron got the same results for the next three calls. He struck gold on the fourth.”

“…this fool done lost his everlasting mind! Hello?!”

“May I speak to Fannie?”

“She ain’t here! Who is this?”

Ron placed the phone on its receiver smiling.

* * *

“Oh, my damn! They turned the dogs loose on me! Lock the doors!”

The voice in Ron’s head was laughing uncontrollably.
I told your ass that there was a such thing as a racist dog I told you! You should’ve see your face when he started shaking your ass! Oh, shit! Oh, shit! That was another You Tube classic. You got to buy me a camera phone.