Страница 91 из 105
CHAPTER 55
Rakkim and Sarah walked up the apartment steps just as two women came out the front door. They embraced. “You take care of yourself, Jeri Ly
“If I don’t, who will?” said the short brunette. She waited until the blonde eased down the steps. “You here for Fancy’s wake?”
“Yes, we are,” Sarah said quickly.
“Come on in,” said Jeri Ly
Sarah and Rakkim followed them into the living room. A couple of other women sat on the couch-a chubby teenager with a baby on her shoulder, and a he
“Girls, this is…Sorry, I didn’t catch your name,” said Jeri Ly
“I’m Sarah and this is my friend Rakkim.”
“Little mama’s Ella, and that’s Charlotte,” said Jeri Ly
Pleased-to-meet-you all around. The baby let out a deep, rumbling fart and everyone smiled. His mother patted him on the back. “Feel better now?” She stood up, popped a cheese ball into her mouth from the paper plate on the coffee table. “We got to go home and start working on di
The he
Jeri Ly
The previous night Rakkim and Sarah had driven into Los Angeles and headed straight for Disneyland. It took them a few hours to find someone who could tell them about Fancy’s girlfriend, and even then, they only got a general idea of where the two of them lived. Someplace on the outskirts of New Fallujah, almost to Orange. None of the other rent-wives had ever been invited to visit. It seemed to a
Jeri Ly
Sarah and Rakkim sat on the lumpy, corduroy couch. It was still warm from the other two. The living room had a few pieces of cast-off furniture, a small wall screen, and a giveaway hologram of President Kingsley on one wall. A family holo of Fancy, Jeri Ly
Jeri Ly
“We…we were with her when she died,” said Sarah. It was probably a good idea to get it over with, but Rakkim would have approached it more obliquely.
Jeri Ly
“Yes,” said Sarah.
“Cameron, why don’t you go in the kitchen and fix yourself something to eat?” said Jeri Ly
“I’d rather take a shower first,” said Cameron. “If it’s okay?”
“Second door on the right. Let me know when you’re done and I’ll get you some clean clothes. You’re about Dylan’s size.” Jeri Ly
“We’re very sorry for what happened,” said Sarah. “Fancy was-”
“My kids are coming home from school in about an hour. I don’t want you here upsetting them. They’ve already been through enough. Cameron can stay. The kids like Cameron.”
“The men who killed her…they were trying to stop us-”
“I haven’t even been able to bury her.” Jeri Ly
“We would-”
“The local mosque wouldn’t help us. They said Fancy wasn’t a Muslim anymore. I don’t blame them. She prayed at home, but she was too ashamed to go to mosque. Muslims have their rules. Body has to be buried within twenty-four hours. Fine.” She kept twisting her ring. “Catholics are no better. I’m Catholic, but I’m not their kind of Catholic. So they won’t bury her.” She looked at Sarah. “My kids keep asking when they can put flowers on her grave, and I keep telling them soon.” She kept her eyes on the holo portrait of her and Fancy holding hands. “We had a good life before you people showed up looking for her. Not a perfect life…She hated what she did and so did I, but that was her night self. That wasn’t who she really was, that was just a game she played. The rest of the time, we were a family and we were happy. We were happy.”
“We’ll pay for the funeral,” said Sarah. “No strings.”
Jeri Ly
“Did Fancy own a necklace from when she was a little girl?” said Sarah. “A small, round medallion with Chinese characters on it?”
“What do you want that thing for?” said Jeri Ly
“Could I please see it?” said Sarah.
“It’s not for sale, I don’t care how much money you got. Fancy’s going to be buried in her favorite dress. In her favorite shoes. She’s going to be buried with her hair fixed just right, and her makeup perfect…and with that medallion around her neck.”
“That medallion is part of an investigation,” said Sarah. “That medallion-”
“What are you, cops? The cops are the ones who killed her.”
“Cops didn’t kill her,” said Rakkim.
Jeri Ly
“His name is Darwin,” said Rakkim. “I saw him do it. I tried to help, but-”
“The police shot Rakkim,” said Sarah. “He almost died.”
“Why did this Darwin do it?” Jeri Ly
“That’s what he does,” said Rakkim.
“Could we please see the medallion?” asked Sarah. “Help us, Jeri Ly
“Jeri Ly
Jeri Ly
“We know the medallion is here,” Rakkim said to Sarah. “At a certain point we have to stop asking.”
Sarah placed a small pile of $100 bills in the wooden bowl. “We’re not at that point yet.”
“You’re the one who thinks the medallion is the answer to all our prayers.”