Lights Out (26 page)

‘Come on, let’s see what you got,’ Rocco said.

Ryan charged his father, ramming him back against the bookcase. A hardcover cookbook fell onto Rocco’s head, but he didn’t seem to notice.

‘That’s it, huh?’ Rocco said, smiling, and gave Ryan an uppercut in the gut.

Ryan keeled over, winded, and then felt harder pain when his father kicked him in the same spot he’d punched him.

Rose-Marie screamed for Rocco to leave Ryan alone. Then Ryan, still bent over, trying to catch his breath, heard a loud smack.

‘Stay the hell away from me, bitch,’ Rocco said.

Ryan struggled to his feet. Rocco turned, smiling sickly, and Ryan belted him in the mouth. Rocco went down, spraying blood and spit.

‘Son of a . . .’ Rocco muttered. ‘Cocksuckin’ . . . mother . . .’ Rocco was trying to get up, wiping blood from his mouth. Ryan had his fist cocked, ready to belt his old man again, when the doorbell rang.

Ryan stood there, swaying.

‘Get it,’ Rose-Marie said, blood dripping from her nose. ‘It’s probably the police.’

‘Jesus, Ma. Look what he did to you.’

‘Just get it.’

Ryan went to the door, then hesitated, realizing how crazy this would look to the cops.

The bell rang again.

‘Get it!’ Rose-Marie screamed.

Ryan opened the door and saw Jake standing there. He was wearing dark sunglasses.

‘We need to talk,’ Jake said.

‘It’s not a good time right now,’ Ryan said. ‘Maybe—’

‘Hey, look who it is,’ Rocco said from behind Ryan. ‘The man of the hour. Mr Superstar. Mr Pittsburgh fucking Pirate.’

‘Shut the fuck up,’ Ryan said.

‘ ‘MI talkin’ to you?’ Rocco slurred. ‘I’m talkin’ to my buddy, Jake Thomas.’ He put his hand on Jake’s shoulder. ‘Take a good look at this guy. This is what a pro looks like; this is what a guy who made it looks like. This is what you shoulda been, you didn’t wimp out. You’re a quitter; that’s what your problem is. Arm problems, my fuckin’ ass. You didn’t have what it takes, that’s all. You wanted to be a lazy fuckin’ nigger drug dealer instead ... . Oh, sorry there, Jake. Eh, you don’t care. You’re not a real nigger, anyway - you’re just a halfy, right?’

Jake made a movement with his arm, as if he were about to cock it back to hit Rocco.

‘He’s drunk,’ Ryan said to Jake, like this wasn’t obvious. ‘Look, we have a little family thing going on here, you know? So maybe you should, like, come back some other time.’

Rose-Marie rushed to the door.

‘Hey,’ Rocco said. ‘Where the fuck you think you’re goin’?’

‘Your mother home?’ Rose-Marie asked Jake. ‘Yeah,’ Jake said.

Rose-Marie went outside and stood next to Jake. Then she turned back to Rocco and said, ‘I’ve had it - I’m divorcing you. This time I mean it.’

‘Good,’ Rocco said. ‘Don’t blow me anymore and can’t cook for shit. Wh o the fuck needs you?’

‘Bastard,’ Rose-Marie said, crying. Then she rushed away toward the Thomases’.

A couple of cops outside were watching the scene curiously, but Ryan didn’t see Noll.

Rocco was stumbling around the living room, saying, ‘Where the hell’s my beer? Where the fuck is it?’

‘Let’s go somewhere,’ Jake said to Ryan.

‘Come on,’ Ryan said. ‘Come back some other—’

‘No fuckin’ way,’ Jake said.

Rocco was in the kitchen now, talking to himself.

‘AH right, upstairs,’ Ryan said.

As they were entering Ryan’s room, Ryan said, ‘Sorry my father said that shit to you. He’s such an ass—’

Jake pushed Ryan into the room, kicking the door closed behind him. Then he grabbed a fistful of Ryan’s shirt and lifted him up against the wall.

‘Yo,’ Ryan said, ‘the fuck’s your—’ ‘You fuckin’ little piece of shit. I should fuckin’ strangle you.’ Ryan tried to free himself, but it was useless. ‘Come on, man,’ Ryan said. ‘Just lemme—’ ‘Shut the fuck up and listen to me,’ Jake said. ‘Stay away from Christina. You even touch her again, I’ll kill you.’

‘I’m in love with her.’

Jake forced Ryan up higher and pushed harder against Ryan’s throat. Ryan could barely breathe.

‘You’re lucky I don’t rip your throat out right now,’ Jake said. ‘You don’t know how much I’d love that.’

Ryan tried to talk, but couldn’t, so he spit in Jake’s face. Jake spit right back, into Ryan’s left eye.

‘I’m warning you right now, you fucking scumbag,’ Jake said. ‘You better stay the hell away from me, and you better stay away from Christina too. You hear what I’m fucking saying?’

Jake pushed even harder. Ryan felt like his windpipe was about to get crushed.

Finally Jake let Ryan go, and Ryan crumpled onto the floor, gasping and coughing. Ryan heard the door to his room open and slam shut. He remained on the floor a while, until he was able to breathe normally, and then he got up to his knees. He tried to yell, ‘You’ll never get her,’ but his voice was so weak he barely made a sound.

When Saiquan went outside, Manny and Kemar were waiting with their hands in their coat pockets. Saiquan was hoping they’d end this shit quick, smoke him right in front of the building and be on their way, but Manny said, ‘Let’s get the fuck outta here, man,’ and Saiquan knew they had something else in mind.

Saiquan went over there slowly, trying to stay cool. He knew they wanted him to be scared - them niggas got off on that shit -and he didn’t want to give them no reason to get off on nothing.

Manny frisked Saiquan quickly, then said, ‘He’s clean,’ and Kemar said, ‘Let’s go.’

They headed along the walkway toward the street with Saiquan walking between Manny and Kemar. Saiquan didn’t want to start begging for his life because begging was a sign of weakness, and he knew these sick-asses didn’t have no respect for weakness.

A couple of brothers passed by, going in the other direction, and they looked at Saiquan like they knew something was up, but they were smart - they looked away like they didn’t see a damn thing.

Saiquan figured Manny and Kemar were gonna drive him some-place, maybe to tie him up and torture his ass for a while, so he was surprised when Manny said, ‘This way,’ and they led him around toward the back of the building.

When they got to the Dumpster, where nobody was around, Manny and Kemar took out their pieces, Manny aiming his right at Saiquan’s face.

‘Why you shot J?’ Manny asked.

‘I didn’t shoot him,’ Saiquan said.

‘Bullshit, motherfucker.’

‘His bitch was there,’ Kemar said. ‘She said she saw you.’

‘She wasn’t there; she was upstairs,’Saiquan said, trying to stay cool. ‘Marcus capped J, not me.’

‘But you was with him,’ Manny said.

‘That’s ‘cause Jermaine popped Desmond. He was my boy -the fuck was I gonna do?’

‘That Desmond shit came down from up top,’ Kemar said.

‘What about Marcus?’ Manny asked.

‘What about him?’

‘You got him, right?’ Kemar said.

‘Naw, that wasn’t me,’ Saiquan said.

‘Then who the fuck was it?’ Manny asked.

‘Jake Thomas,’ Saiquan said.

‘Jake Thomas? The fuckin’ baseball player?’

‘Yeah.’

‘Man, you’ll say any bullshit to save yo’ ass.’

‘Naw, that’s where Marcus was shot at,’ Kemar said. ‘Front of Jake Thomas’s parents’ house.’

‘I know that, yo,’ Manny said. ‘But that don’t mean this motherfucka ain’t talkin’ outta his damn ass.’

‘Shit’s the truth,’ Saiquan said. ‘I met him at a bar.’

‘You met Jake Thomas at a bar?’ Kemar asked.

‘Now you say you hangin’ with the man?’ Manny said. ‘Who else you be hangin’ with? Stephon Marbury? Jason Kidd?’

‘Naw, man, not Jake Thomas,’ Saiquan said. ‘The white dude -Ryan. Went like this - I was with Marcus Friday night, drivin’ around, right, when we seen this dude looked like Eminem and he was all fucked-up.’

‘The fuck this gotta do with Jake Thomas?’ Manny asked.

‘I’m gettin’ to it, man,’ Saiquan said.

‘You gettin’ to bullshit,’ Manny said, pressing the gun against Saiquan’s forehead. ‘You just sayin’ shit to keep yo’ sorry ass alive.’

‘No, I ain’t,’ Saiquan said. ‘Just listen up. Marcus was high, man. He wanted money for them West Indian bitches. But Ryan, the Eminem dude, didn’t have no money, right, so he was like, “Go get it from Jake Thomas.” So we went there, to Jake Thomas’s house, but he didn’t give it up. He went for Marcus’s piece and he shot him, and that’s the motherfiickin’ truth.’

‘Bullshit,’ Manny said. ‘You capped Marcus and you prolly capped J too.’

‘I’m tellin’ you straight-up what happened,’ Saiquan said. ‘Jake Thomas shot Marcus - I saw it. Why’d I make that shit up?’

‘I don’t think he’s bullshittin’,’ Kemar said.

‘It’s the truth,’ Saiquan said. ‘Why you think Marcus got shot at Thomas’s house? Think about that shit. Man, you know what a sick-ass Marcus was.’

‘What about J?’ Manny said. ‘I know you was there.’

‘I don’t wanna do nothin’ to J once I found out what was goin’ down, but Marcus was crazy, man. J’s bitch told you how Marcus was tryin’ to rape her ass, right? Marcus was goin’ around shootin’ everybody that night. He prolly woulda shot more people, he didn’t get shot by Jake Thomas.’

‘I don’t think he’s frontin’ nobody, man,’ Kemar said to Manny. ‘Let’s just get the fuck outta here.’

Manny was still pressing the gun up to Saiquan’s head, looking like he was about to pull the trigger.

‘I ain’t lyin’ to you, man,’ Saiquan said to Manny. ‘I didn’t shoot nobody. Marcus did all the fuckin’ shootin’, man, not me.’

Manny still looked like he was gonna do it; then Kemar said, ‘Oh, shit.’

Saiquan looked over and saw the two cops - the Latina and the black one from before. They both had their guns out, and then the black cop yelled, ‘Drop your weapons and get your hands on your heads!’

‘Fuck, man,’ Kemar said.

Saiquan put his hands on his head.

‘Drop the fucking guns!’ the Latina cop screamed.

‘Now!’ the black cop said.

Kemar dropped his gun, but Manny was still holding his.

‘Drop the weapon now!’ the black cop shouted.

‘Just drop it, man,’ Saiquan said.

‘Yeah, just give it up, yo,’ Kemar said.

‘I wanna see that weapon on the ground!’ the black cop yelled.

Manny didn’t move.

‘Just do it, man,’ Kemar said. ‘The fuck you waitin’ for?’

Manny turned slowly toward the cops, looking like he was about to drop the gun; then all of a sudden he started shooting. Saiquan saw the Latina cop get hit in the leg, and the black cop was shooting back. Shots were going everywhere and people were screaming. Saiquan, keeping his head down, was trying to go hide behind the Dumpster. He made it a few steps, and then he felt the pain rip through his back and chest. He tried to keep going, but he couldn’t, and then he went down hard onto the concrete.

Ryan lifted the window shade, sunshine stinging his eyes. Then he checked the time on his cell phone: 7:58 A.M.

‘Shit.’

He got up slowly, his stomach still very sore from where his father had kicked and punched him. His neck hurt too.

After taking a long leak, he headed downstairs. He could hear commotion outside, and he wondered if the cops were still there, investigating the shooting.

He pushed open the swinging door and went into the kitchen and saw his mother sitting at the table, having her usual breakfast of coffee and a bowl of cornflakes with bananas. The area under her left eye was black and blue, and her nose was swollen.

‘Jesus,’ Ryan said.

‘Good morning,’ Rose-Marie said as if nothing were wrong.

‘I can’t believe he did that to you.’ Then Ryan remembered how Rose-Marie had stormed out of the house yesterday, threatening to leave for good. ‘What’re you doing back here?’

Of course, Ryan knew exactly why she was back - because she always came back. For years she’d been talking about leaving Rocco because of his drinking and abuse, but she hadn’t gone anywhere and never would.

Rose-Marie continued eating her cereal, ignoring the question.

Ryan went to pour himself a cup of coffee. As he lifted the pot, Rose-Marie said, ‘So you heard the news, right?’

‘What news?’ Ryan said, wondering what else could possibly go wrong in his life.

‘Didn’t you wonder what all the commotion outside’s about?’

‘I figured the cops were still here ‘cause of yesterday.’

‘There’s news trucks from all the networks, reporters everywhere. It’s insanity.’

‘What’s going on?’ It annoyed Ryan the way his mother was dragging this out, keeping him in suspense.

‘It’s probably gonna be the top story for weeks. I bet it makes the cover
of People
magazine.’

‘You gonna tell me what’s going on or not?’

‘Jake was accused of rape.’

Ryan spilled hot coffee from the pot onto the counter, and some went onto his bare left foot, but he didn’t feel any pain.

‘Fuckin’ son of a bitch - I’ll kill him. I’ll kill him right now.’

‘Look what you did,’ Rose-Marie said, getting up.

‘When did he rape her?’ Ryan asked. ‘Last night? After he left here?’

‘Are you okay? It’s dripping on you.’

‘I said when did he fuckin’ rape her?’

‘I don’t know - a few months ago, I think. Why’re you cursing at me?’

Ryan was lost. ‘A few months ago?’

‘Yes. He met some Mexican girl at a nightclub - 1 think it was in San Diego, they said. She was underage - fourteen. I can’t imagine Christina’s gonna want to marry him now. Poor Donna. She was so happy when she found out Jake had a wedding date. She thought that’s what he needed, to settle down. It’s really so terrible.’

The news was starting to set in -Jake was a rapist, a
child
rapist. Finally the whole world would know the truth about that lowlife. N o more talk shows and screaming fans and street parties for Jake Thomas - now
he’d
be the big loser. He’d lose his endorsement deals - hell, he could even go to jail. When he got out, he’d probably have to move back in with his parents and become a fucking housepainter.

‘What’s so funny?’ Rose-Marie asked.

‘Nothing,’ Ryan said. ‘Nothing at all.’

‘What about your foot? Doesn’t it hurt?’

It didn’t. ‘No, I’m fine, Ma. Thanks.’

He kissed her on her unbruised cheek.

‘What’s that for?’

‘What? I can’t kiss my mother?’

‘But I didn’t even have a chance to tell you the good news yet.’

‘The
good
news?’

‘Before I left Donna’s house, that nasty detective called. You know, Noll. He said the guy they were after, the one they think shot at you and killed that other guy - he’s dead.’

‘Excuse me?’

‘He’s dead. The police shot him at the project where he lived. Isn’t that weird?’

‘You sure about this?’

‘That’s what Donna said Detective Noll told her. Noll thinks he tried to shoot you, then went back to the projects. There was some shoot-out or something and he was killed. It sounds crazy, doesn’t it?’

‘Yeah, it sounds really crazy. Are they sure that’s what happened?’

‘Donna said Noll was sure. So at least now we don’t have to worry about going outside anymore, right?’

‘Yeah,’ Ryan said. ‘I guess not.’

‘You really have no idea why he was shooting at you?’

‘Honestly, Ma, I have no clue. Maybe he was just nuts.’

‘Noll did say he had a long criminal record.’

‘Did Noll tell Donna what the guy’s name was?’

‘Yeah, it was a funny name. Sackon Harrington or something like that. Why? You know him?’

‘Nope,’ Ryan said.

He kissed his mother again and left the kitchen. Rose-Marie called after him, ‘Where’re you going? Aren’t you having breakfast?’

Ryan went upstairs and put on baggy jeans, a DREXLER 22 jersey, and his LeBrons. If he’d gone out and talked to Noll last night he would’ve been screwed, but finally something had gone his way. He knew Christina would take him back now - there was no way she’d stay with Jake after what he’d done, and she’d have to realize the huge mistake she’d made. He wanted to go over to her house and talk to her, but then he decided to play it cool. Instead of his rushing over there again, acting desperate, it would be better to let her make the first move. He didn’t want to make her think he was too obsessed or anything.

He went downstairs and outside. It was an even bigger scene than he’d imagined. Ten news trucks must’ve been there, and hordes of reporters and other people were jammed in front of the Thomas’s house. The
WELCOME HOME JAKE, OUR HERO
banner was still hanging there, and looking at it, Ryan couldn’t help smiling.

Jake’s cell started farting, jolting him out of a deep sleep. When he noticed it was still dark outside he knew this couldn’t possibly be good news.

‘Yeah,’ he mumbled.

‘Jake?’ Stu asked.

‘What is it?’

‘I wake you?’

‘No, I’m always up at four o’clock in the fucking morning. What’s going on?’

‘Sort, but I thought you’d want to know ... . The Fernandez story just broke.’

‘What?’ Jake heard him perfectly but he was still disoriented from sleep and hoped he’d gotten something wrong.

‘Marianna Fernandez,’ Stu said. ‘Her lawyer did some kind of press release - the DA’s office in San Diego is probably going to get involved. I don’t know the details, if charges are gonna be filed or what, but I just thought you should know ASAP.’

‘You sure you’re getting all this right?’ Jake asked.

‘Positive. Her lawyer just called Ronald, and Ronald’ll be in touch with you, I’m sure, as soon as he gets all the facts. What I’m gonna do right now is get on the horn with Ken and try to .. . ‘

As Stu went on, Jake understood for the first time how serious this situation really was. A fourteen-year-old girl was accusing him of statutory rape. Last night he thought his problems were over when that detective called the house and said that Cornrows was dead, but the media was going to jump all over the rape story, try to ruin him, and he could forget about his big multiyear contract and any career in Hollywood. He didn’t know why he didn’t see this coming.

‘Listen to me,’ Jake said, cutting Stu off. ‘You have to take care of this. Just do something to make this go away.’

‘Look, Jake, I’ll try to—’

‘Fuck trying. Just do it.’

‘I realize how upset you are right now, Jake, but there’s a limit to what I can—’

‘Just do it, man. And next time you call you better have some fuckin’ good news or you’re fired.’

Later, as Jake lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, he knew it was his fault, not Stu’s. If he’d just stuck to the team’s curfew, if he hadn’t gone out clubbing that night in San Diego, if he’d thought with his head instead of his dick and realized that Marianna was fourteen, not eighteen, he wouldn’t be in this mess. He knew his only way out now was Christina. He needed the PR bump more than ever, and he had to do whatever he had to do to make sure the engagement was solid.

At around five A.M. he heard voices outside, and he knew this was only the beginning. Soon there would be a media frenzy, with reporters from all over the country showing up at the door, and the phone ringing nonstop. This would definitely be the worst day of his life.