Ready. Set. Psycho.

Chapter Eight: Solomon

           

Solomon was leaning against a lamppost and watching the door of the building at 28th and 124th in Queens. A black woman wearing scrubs walked toward the stoop. Solomon waved at her and crossed the street. "Ms. Frogue," he said.

The woman stopped and looked at him, and then continued on. "I'm Detective Roud," Solomon said. "I'm here to ask you about Hyacinth. I don't believe she ran away."

"Well, she did," Ms. Frogue said. "She has done it nine times. She'll be back when she runs out of money."

"Ms. Frogue," Solomon said. "You don't really believe that."

She shook her head. "She isn't the girl I raised. I don't know what happened. I just got off a shift, and I'm tired. What do you want?"

"I understand shift work," Solomon said, taking a seat on the stoop. Ms. Frogue stayed standing. "Which hospital do you work at?"

"Metropolitan. I'm a resident."

"A resident?"

"Yeah. Had Hyacinth young but went back to school. Oldest resident in the program."

"Good," Solomon said. "What do you think Hyacinth is going to be?"

"Dead."

"Any boyfriends that troubled you?"

"No."

"Drugs?"

"Nothing major."

"You'd know the difference?"

"I see enough everyday."

"Strange men calling, hanging around?"

"No. I'm not here that often, though. Just can't be around. Career and children."

Solomon nodded. "Not sure I look forward to having to make that choice one day. It'd be damn hard."

"It is."

Solomon's phone rang. He took it out of his pocket and looked at the name. "I've got to take this, ma'am." He answered. "Hold on, Lisa." He put the phone to his chest. "I'm going to bring her home, ma'am."

"She'll come home on her own, when she runs out of money," Ms. Frogue said before climbing the stoop and going into the building.

Solomon walked east. "Lisa?"

"Found Gyp. I'll text you his address."

"And?"

"Just a dealer, from what we can see. A few arrests for battery, but mostly just busted for dealing. Think he's involved with Psycho?"

"No," Solomon said. "That's not Psycho's MO."

"Know which girl he has?"

"Probably."

"What are you going to do?"

Solomon took the note from Psycho out of his pocket. "I'm going to follow the leads."

"I'm stopping the sting on the Queen Bee."

"Queen Bee? That's new," Solomon said.

"He could be a woman. You don't think a woman can be a criminal mastermind? And it worked better with sting."

"You can't stop the sting. We're close."

"Don't be stupid, Solomon. You're distracted. I've worked too fucking hard on this for you to fuck it up here at the end."

"I'll be fine."

"This was a mistake."

"What?"