The Night Gardener

'Hold up,' said Broadus.

'You got somethin you want to say?'

'Cut me free.'

Gaskins produced a Buck knife and sliced the tape around Broadus's hands and ankles.

'Y'all motherfuckers just serious,' said Broadus, rubbing at his wrists.

'Your cash,' said Brock.

'You lookin to bankrupt a man,' said Broadus. He walked to the television stand and picked up one of three remotes that lay upon it.

Broadus pointed the remote at the fish tank and pressed a button. The tank began to rise out of its base. As it did, a small amount of tightly packaged heroin and what looked to be a great deal of money were revealed.

Brock laughed joyously. The others stared at the bounty with varying emotions. Chantel headed for the stairs.

'Where you goin?' said Brock.

'Get something to put that money in,' said Chantel. 'And my things. What you think?'

She returned with two identical Gucci suitcases and a Rolex President watch, which she fitted to Brock's wrist. Brock let the heroin sit and filled one of the suitcases with cash. He picked it up by the handle, his gun in his right hand.

'Don't,' said Gaskins, seeing Brock moving toward Edward Reese, still fully taped. But Brock kept walking, a man intent, pressed the barrel of the.45 to Reese's shoulder, and squeezed the trigger.

Reese shuddered violently and flopped about in the chair. The white Rocawear shirt was shredded and blackened instantly from the powder contact. Then it seeped red. Reese tried to scream but could not get the sound out from beneath the duct tape.

'Smile now,' said Brock.

'Let's go,' said Gaskins, and when Brock didn't move, savoring what he had done, he shouted the same words again.

'You coming?' said Brock to Chantel.

Chantel crossed the room and joined Brock and Gaskins.

'Say your name,' said Tommy Broadus.

'Romeo Brock. Tell your grandkids, fat man.'

'You made a mistake, Romeo.'

'I got your money and your woman. From where I'm standin, it don't look that way to me.'

Out on the street, a spotlight mounted on the door of a car flashed one time. The car turned around in the court and drove away.

'All that gasoline in there,' said Gaskins, as they walked to the cars, 'and you firing off a gun. Lucky we didn't get blowed up.'

'I got nothing but luck,' said Brock. 'Think I'll embroider a horseshoe on the headrest of my next ride.'

'Yeah, okay. But why'd you have to shoot that man?'

'Just a robbery otherwise.'

'What you sayin?'

'The words Romeo Brock 'bout to ring out on the street.' Brock pulled his keys from his pocket. 'My name go

CHAPTER 15

Ramone found Regina in their kitchen, leaning against the island countertop, holding a glass of chardo

'You see Helena?'

'No. She was in bed.'

'I'll go by tomorrow, bring them something like a casserole so they don't have to think about di

'They're loaded with casseroles,' said Ramone.

'I'll call Marita, then. She's a busybody, but she gets things done. Maybe we'll get a schedule together, where a bunch of us can cook something on a certain night and take it over.'

'That's a good idea,' said Ramone. 'Where the kids at?'

'They've eaten. They're up in their rooms.'

'I spoke to Diego on the phone. He seemed okay.'

'He didn't get too emotional about it, if that's what you mean. But he's been kinda quiet since I told him.'

'You know how he is,' said Ramone. 'He thinks he's gotta be hard, even at a time like this. He holds everything in.'

'And you're effusive,' said Regina. 'By the way, the school sent him home a little early today.'

'What now?'

'I'll let him tell you.'

Ramone locked up his badge and gun and went upstairs to Alana's room. She had lined up all her plastic horses in a row and was fitting her smaller dolls, Barbies, and Groovy Girls in the saddles. She liked to organize her things.

'How's my little girl?' said Ramone.

'Good, Daddy.'

He kissed the top of her head and smelled her curly hair.

Alana's bedroom was always in order, obsessively so, because Alana kept it that way. Unlike Diego's room, which was perpetually a mess. The boy just could not get it together, and not only in his personal space. He couldn't remember to make note of his homework assignments, either. Even when he completed them on time, he often turned the work in late.

'We need to get him tested,' Regina had said at one point. 'Maybe he's got a learning disability.'

'He's scatterbrained,' Ramone had responded. 'I don't need to pay someone to tell me that.'

Regina had had Diego tested. The shrink or whatever she was said that Diego had something called executive function disorder, which was why he had trouble organizing his day and thoughts. It was causing him to lag behind in school.

'He doesn't want to do his homework, is all it is,' said Ramone. 'I know what that's about.'

'Look at his room,' said Regina. 'You can't tell the difference between the dirty clothes and the clean. He doesn't even know to separate them.'

'He's a slob,' said Ramone. 'So now they got a big name for it. It cost me a grand to learn a new word.'

'Gus.'

Ramone was reminded of this as he knocked on his son's door, opened it, and saw the explosion of T-shirts and jeans on Diego's bedroom floor. Diego was lying on his bed, his headphones on, listening to go-go as he stared glassy-eyed at an open book. He removed the cans and turned the volume down on his portable player.

'Hey, Diego.'

'Dad.'

'What you doin?'

'Reading this book.'

'How can you read and listen to music at the same time?'

'I'm one of them multitaskers, I guess.'

Diego sat up on the edge of his bed and dropped the book at his side. He looked tired, and disappointed that his father was giving him the same old. Ramone could have kicked his own ass for riding Diego on a day like this, but he had done so out of habit.

'Look, I shouldn't have-'

'It's all right.'

'You okay?'

'We weren't, like, tight-tight. You know that.'

'But you were friends.'

'Yeah, me and Asa were straight.' Diego made a clucking sound with his tongue. It was something he and his friends did often. 'I feel bad, though. I saw him yesterday. We didn't talk or nothin like that, but I saw him.'

'Where was that? Where and when?'

'Over on Third, at the rec center. Me and Shaka were playin basketball. Asa was walking down the street, and then he turned up Tuckerman.'

'Toward Blair Road.'

'Yeah, that way. It was getting late in the day. The sun was fading; I remember that.'

'What else?'

'He was wearing a North Face. Musta been new, 'cause it's too warm to be rockin that coat right now. He was sweatin.'

'What else?'

'He looked pressed,' said Diego. He had lowered his voice and he rubbed his hands together uselessly as he spoke. 'We called out to him, but he kept walkin. I wish he would've stopped, Dad. I can't forget the way he looked. I can't help thinking that if we had made him stop and talk to us…'

'Come here, Diego.'

Diego stood up and Ramone pulled him into his arms. Diego held him tightly for a few seconds. Both of them relaxed.

'I'm good, Dad.'

'All right, son.'

Diego stepped back. 'Is this one go

'No. Another guy caught it.' Ramone stroked his mustache. 'But Diego, I would like to ask you something.'

'Go ahead.'

'Was Asa into anything we should know about?'