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Maurice poked Cedric with the.45 saying, "Take us to your leader."
Cedric didn't say anything this time. He took them to the door at the end of the hall where Maurice called out, "Police! Y'all come out with your hands up!" But didn't wait to see if they would. He said, "White Boy," and White Boy swung his ax at the door to smash the lock and the force of it swung the door in. Maurice pushed Cedric into the room and with his.45 waved White Boy and Ke
Gle
The man said, "Police, shit," sounding drunk or sleepy, in a nod.
"Maurice, is that you, dude?"
Maurice lifted his ski mask. So did White Boy and Ke
Gle
"If it wasn't me, Frankie, it'd be somebody else."
The man said, "I'll tell you right now you won't find any product."
"You flush it down the toilet, we won't. No, I don't imagine.
Inez, how you doing, girl? Not too good, huh? Man, you look like you been chewed up and spit out. Frankie, you go
"This is the gentleman I was telling you about use to be a customer, use to wear a suit and comb his hair; hell, use to be Frank, this scarecrow, Frankie and his lovely wife Inez. See what scag can do to a person? Now then, so we don't have to tear up your nice home," Maurice said, "get out the green from where you hid it. I'm go
"You've been wanting to do him, haven't you? Shit, you came to do him."
"You think so, let's try Inez," Maurice said, turning to her as he raised the.45. "Ready for the count?"
Inez was looking right at him, all eyes, shoulders hunched, her hands tightened into fists. She said, "Give it to him!" raising her voice, the words sounding hoarse and scratchy and she began to cough saying,
"Give him what he wants."
"He's go
"Aren't you?"
"Right this second," Maurice said, "you don't tell me where your money's at."
"It's different places in that file cabinet," Frankie said, "the one by Cedric."
Ke
"Go on," Maurice said, "but be quick." Ke
White Bo'y said, "Man, I wouldn't fuck her with your dick."
"All right," Maurice said, pulling the file cabinet open, "let's see what's in here." He poked through the files, finding currency he handed to Gle
"Fuck you," Frankie said, "you're go
Maurice didn't say if he would or not. He didn't say anything at all until they'd dumped all the files from the cabinets, looked in the boxes-some with little crack bottles in them-looked in the desk drawers, looked in the toilet tank, looked everywhere they could look, and when they were done Maurice said to Frankie, "You're right," and shot him twice in the chest-like that, bang, bang, nothing to it-Gle
Maurice said, "I guess we through here."
Gle
Ke
Gle
Maurice said, "Look out," moving into the doorway and raised his big army pistol.
Ke
"Wait. What you doing?" Hurrying then to get his belt fastened.
Maurice extended his.45 into the room and fired and the white stick figure on the bed jumped and its legs came straight out stiff and hit the bed. Maurice fired again and the body jumped again, though not as much this time. Maurice paused.
"She dead?"
Ke
"If she ain't, she ought to be. Man, I never been this close."
"Make sure," Maurice said.
Gle
"She is now."
Gle
They waited, the engine ru
"In there leaving his calling card," Maurice said, and Ke
"White Boy's a shitter."
Ke
Gle
When they got home Maurice peeled off some bills for Moselle. She looked at the money saying, "This is it, huh? I can do better with the police. Was on the radio, they give you a hundred dollars for every gun you turn in, no questions asked."
"You believe that?" Maurice said.
"You believe they don't check the serial numbers, see was any stole?"
"Was on JZZ just now. They wouldn't say it it wasn't true."
"Touch my weapons," Maurice said, "I'll trade you in." He turned to Gle
"You go
Gle
"The fuck're you talking about?"
"So you don't disappear on me."
Gle
"Why would I do that?"
"Like he has the gift," Moselle said to Gle