Memphis Streets 4: Skeletons

Chapter 30- Shaniqua

I stare out of the door's peephole with my heart hammering in my chest until the police car pulls out of our driveway.

"Niqua, I know that you fuckin' hear me," Tombstone barks behind my back. "You want to tell me why those fuckin' pigs were up in this bitch?"

The coast is clear. I expel a long breath, giving relief to my burning lungs. 'Shaniqua!"

"Fuck, Tombstone, get out of my ear with all of that hollering. I done told you to stay out of my business. The shit don't concern you."

"Don't concern me? I know you like to play like you done lost your mind, but I know muthafuckin' better. I can't have the goddamn cops up in here—especially with the whole damn street seeing and buzzing about it. It just takes one muthafucka thinking our asses is snitching about some bullshit to set shit off and change all of our breathing habits. I sure as shit can't roll out of here not knowing what the fuck is going on."

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

"Now who in the fuck is that?" Tombstone explodes.

I whip around to peek out of the peephole. "It's Li'l Bit." I snatch open the door, grab her arm, and pull her inside. "Get in here."

"Shit, girl. They went to my house, too. My grandma is pissed as shit. What did they say?" I take her by the arm and attempt to drag her to my bedroom. But Tombstone blocks our path.

"Shaniqua, I swear to God. If you—"

"Tell me what happened over there at that tattoo shop," I challenge him.

"Wh-what?"

"You know, that tattoo artist you and your secret dream girl chopped up a few days ago." He makes a threatening step forward.

"You keep your mouth shut about that shit. It doesn't concern you."

"How about you take your own fuckin' advice when it comes to my shit?" I shoulder my way past him, dragging Li'l Bit with me.

"Sorry," she squeaks when she moves around him.

We make it to my room and I quickly close my busted door and then collapse behind it. "Shit. Shit. Shit. I think I fucked up."

Li'l Bit's eyes widen with alarm. "You didn't confess to anything, did you?"

"Don't you think that they would've hauled my ass to jail if I had?" Sometimes my girl isn't operating with a full deck.

"Oh." Her body deflates with relief. "Then what did you do?"

"I fuckin' lost my temper—because they were snooping around here like they owned the damn place."

"Oookay," she says, not understanding. "I didn't confess, but they knew that I was lying."

I toss up my hands. "Shit. I haven't lied that bad since finger-painting all over the walls when I was six years old."

"Oh. Fuck. Me," Li'l Bit whispers.

"Yeah. Exactly. They even asked me about the baby."

"They did?" Eyes doubling in size, Li'l Bit drops onto the edge of my bed looking like she's about to hyperventilate.

"What did you say—exactly?"

"Nothing." I shrug. "I mean. I don't know. I just played dumb and thank God my pain-in-the-ass brother showed up when he did or that bitch cop would've pulled me all the way out of my character."

Li'l Bit stares at me. "Look. It's okay," I reassure her. "Next time, I have to be on my p's and q's with them."

"Next time? You think that they're coming back?" I guarantee it.

"I don't know. Maybe I'm just freaking out for nothing. I wasn't expecting them to just pop up like they did." Li'l Bit looks like she's going from bad to worse.

"All I'm saying is if she comes back, I'll play it cooler. That's all."

"But your temper," she says, shaking her head.

"I'll be fine. You got to remember to play it cool, too."

"Me?" If her eyes get any wider, they'll pop out of her head.

"You said they went by your house, too, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well. Then, they are going to want to interview you, too."

"Aw, shit. Aw, shit." Li'l Bit bounces on the bed. "I don't know about this, Niqua. I'm not a good liar either. And if you couldn't handle her, then—"

"You'll be fine," I tell her.

"I was just taken off guard. Now that I know that they don't have shit, I can handle it better." "But why did they even show up here?"

"They're fishing because Tyneshia's parents got pissy and suspicious because we didn't go to her funeral yesterday."

"That was yesterday?" She looks horrified. "I thought it was tomorrow."

"Don't sweat it. The point is that they got nothing. As long as we keep our mouths shut, nothing is going to happen."

"But what about Adaryl? Have they gone and talked to her yet?" My heart drops.

"I don't know—but I'm sure that Adaryl is gonna keep her mouth shut, too. The bitch doesn't want to go to jail any more than we do."

"But she's been acting funny the last few days—real funny. She won't take any of my calls or respond to my texts."

Damn. I'm getting a bad feeling about this. "It's going to be okay," I say, forcing on a smile.

"Adaryl may be feeling some type of way, but she's not stupid. All right?"

"And if she becomes a problem, I'll take care of her". Li'l Bit looks like she wants to keep arguing, but she's run out of words.

"All right?" I press. She nods, but her doubts are written all over her face.

"By the way"—she glances around the room —"where is Jayson?"