Do or Die

06.

//Chris

Carter babbled loudly and chewed on her fingers while we walked around the house, following the realtor. Zonnique was all into it and I could honestly care less. I switched Carter to my other arm and followed them into the living room.

The house was nice and it looked like Zonnique was all into it. She had been ready to get out of that complex ever since the day Carter came home from the hospital. If this is what would make her happy, then so be it. Zonnique and the realtor talked about the price range and other important stuff while I stood in the empty living room.

Looking out the window off to the side, I noticed a black car pull into the driveway of the house. Two white men got out dressed in black suits and walked up the walkway to the door. I already knew who they were.

Detectives.

I felt all the color leave my face but I took a few breaths to keep calm. I walked over to Zonnique and passed Carter to her.

"Is she wet or something?" She asked.

"No, I gotta go outside and handle something real quick."

She didn't ask anymore questions and turned around to keep talking. Before the detectives could knock on the door, I went outside and met them there.

"Christopher Brown?" The first one asked, taking off his shades.

"Yeah." I nodded. "What y'all need?"

"We just need to ask a few questions pertaining to a missing persons case." He pulled out a yellow notepad and a pen.

"What about it?" I leaned against the brick wall of the house.

"Do you know the two men missing? Jason Hartwell and Michael Townson?" The second one asked while the second one wrote on the notepad.

"Nah. Ain't heard of em'." I shrugged.

"We've found that Michael is related to one of your close friends. Rodney Johnson."

"Well don't that mean you should go talk to Rodney then?" I pulled a pack of Newports from my back pocket and pulled one out. "How y'all even know I was gone be here anyway?"

"We asked around and another one of your friends by the name of Omari told us you'd be looking at this  house today." He answered and pulled a lighter from his pocket, lighting the end of the cigarette for me.

"Thanks." I nodded and blew a puff of smoke from my mouth. "But like I was saying, if you want some information, go talk to Rodney."

"Oh we tried." He shifted all his weight to his right side. "We were informed of a dispute that took place late last night at his home."

"A woman there was too shaken up to give us any information on who had beat Rodney up that bad. And Rodney decided he didn't want to talk to us so we weren't able to talk to him." The other looked up from writing on his note pad.

"Any reason for your hands to be wrapped up like that?" He asked looking down at my hands.

"Listen, I don't know shit about either one of them dudes going missing. Obviously you need to focus your attention on Rodney and not me. Are we done here?" I took another drag from the cigarette and blew out more smoke.