Big And Bad (Book Two)

Chapter Four

 I parked in front of a light green house. A light skinned woman got out of her yellow BMW, holding a blue and white cooler. I took photos of her with my black digital camera. The woman looked behind her before she went inside the house.

Of course, she didn't see me.

I put my camera down in the passenger's seat. My phone vibrated on my lap. It was Boone calling. I answered the call.

"Hello?"

 "What's up, Brandon?" Boone replied.

"Did you find Maula and Axel Woods?"

"Send me the address."

"Alright. Bye."

My phone vibrated on my lap again. A message from Boone appeared on the screen. It was the address to that new house. I smiled.

This will come in handy later.

The woman came out of the house, adjusting her black crimped hair. She took a red duffel bag out of her car. I took a couple more photos of her with my digital camera. She looked behind her and clapped her hands in excitement.

I snickered. It was funny that she thought she was alone.

She rushed inside the house. I leaned back in my seat, staring at that almost neon house. If I was any closer to it, I would've needed shades.

I felt sorry for the neighbors.

My phone vibrated. It was a certain number. The call happened earlier than I expected. I answered.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Cherry."

"Good afternoon to you too, Mr. Gray. Did you get the proof yet?" Ms. Cherry said curiously.

"Yes. I just need to take a closer look."

"That's what I like to hear."

"I'll meet you back at the office."

"Deal. Bye."

"Bye."

I got out of my car, and snuck around the side of the house. The kitchen window was wide open. The woman opened the cooler and took out five tubes of clear liquid. She let out a sigh.

Boom. I got her ass clear handed.

She put the tubes of clear liquid on the counter. I took a couple photos. My camera's flash was on mute, so she wouldn't notice me. When she took out silver darts and black guns, I took a couple more photos.

Alright. I got all the proof I needed.

I hid in the bushes until the woman left the kitchen. As soon as the coast was clear, I walked back to my car. I put my camera down in the passenger's seat and drive out of this neighborhood. 'I Spy' by Lol Yachty started playing on the radio.

A breeze blew on my face through the open window. I hummed along to the music. While I was at a red light, someone honked at me. I glanced at the dark red Hyundai next to me. 

 It was just Merlot sitting in there, waving at me. I waved back. If he was just a stranger, I would've flipped him off.

He smiled in my direction. Then, he pointed at his windshield. The light was already green when I looked through my own. I drove down the road.

Damn. He distracted me.

Anyway, I silently drove past a hotel and a library. I parked in front of a grey building. The sun was about to set, so I rushed out of the car with my evidence. Ms. Cherry wasn't here yet, so I had twenty minutes. Shay watched in shock from her desk as I briskly walked to my office.

Right after I closed the door, the photos from my camera came out of my white printer. I put them all in a big yellow envelope. The black phone on my desk rang. I picked it up right away.

"Yes, Shay?"

"Ms. Cherry is here to see you, Mr. Gray," Shay said.

"Send her in."

"I will."

 I put the phone down on the receiver. The door slowly opened. Ms. Cherry came in, with a smile on her face. She sat on the black chair in front of my desk.

"Here's the evidence you need," I said, handing her the envelope.

She opened it. "Thank you, Mr. Gray."

"You're welcome."

She looked through the photos and papers intently. Then, she looked at me, putting them back in the envelope. But her smile was gone. Things got quiet as she zoned out and frowned.

A chime from my computer made her flinch. I closed the white blinds and sat down on my brown swivel chair. She opened her mouth to speak.

"I'm sorry. I just had something on my mind."

"That's fine. Don't worry about it," I assured her.

"Okay. Good."

Ms. Cherry gave me $200 in cash. I smiled at her. She glanced out the other window behind me and stood.

I looked out that window too. The sky was already dark, and there was a half moon out tonight. Thank God. I turned back around to face her.

"Thank you. Have a nice night, Ms. Cherry."

"You too. Good night," she replied, leaving the room.

After she closed the door, I put the cash in a white envelope. I hid the envelope in my brown jacket pocket. The room filled with silence.

Until, someone knocked on the door. Hold up. Didn't Ms. Cherry just leave? She didn't forget something, did she?

"Come in!" I yelled.

 The door opened. But this time, Merlot and Shay stood in the door way. I looked at both of them with a raised eyebrow. What the hell was he doing here?

"I'm sorry. He insisted on coming in here," Shay said, not hiding her discomfort.

I clenched my fists. "That's okay. You can go."

She walked past him quickly. Merlot touched his chest after her braids hit him on the chest. He closed the door behind him. He stared at me, crossing his arms. I cleared my throat.

"Why are you here?"

"I just wanted to know something," he stated, approaching my desk.

"Like what?"

"I know how you can find your shooter."

Well shit. He knew about the shooting too? The last thing I wanted was to get him involved in that whole mess. I barely knew him.

He might make the situation messier. Besides, I was already working with Boone to handle it. We got this.

"Before you say no, I have an offer," Merlot said, reaching into his black jeans pocket.

I leaned forward. "What is it?"

"This, of you let me help you find the shooter."

He held a thick wad of cash. For a minute, I was quiet. The only other time I've seen anyone hold that much cash was to flex on Instagram. This was offer was hard to refuse.