I’m at Gracies, a little hole in the wall across town. I’m looking for someone in particular, but I have to take my normal turns with the courtesy hello’s and how you doings?
Mack is at his usual table near the pinball machines. A bright light swings slightly above his head, casting a glow on his otherwise drab look. He sees me coming and motions for me to sit.
“Hey Jackson.”
“Mack. How are you.?”
Mack takes a pack of playing cards out, shuffles them and starts dealing. I take my hand, playing the game.
“Better than you I suppose. You know Lee was looking for you.”
Two threes, and nothing but trash in my hand. I fold.
“Yeah, you know why?”
“Had something to do with a little bird, what I heard.” Mack takes the cards, deals again.
“Yeah, Sparrow Sprite. What I’m trying to figure out is why he’s involved.”
“You really don’t know? Man Jackson, when you fell off the map, you fell off.”
I shrug my shoulders. I left this scene for a reason, and while I was gone, I stayed gone.
“He was dating her man. While you were in the slammer for Rahkim’s thing, they were a hot item.”
That explains a lot, but makes me wonder about one thing.
“Well shit. I guess I’m lucky I don’t know where she is. One more thing Mack, you know anything about that 7-11 holdup a few days back? The one that went sour?”
Mack eyes me curiously. “The one on Lexington? Heard it was some gangbangers. Didn’t end well for the clerk at all. Funny thing about that robbery. Nothing was missing.”
“What?”
“Yeah, when the store did the inventory, everything was accounted for. Kids must have scattered when the trigger went off. Something must have spooked them.”
Do these ‘gangbangers’ have Sparrow? Are they afraid of her being a witness? Would they have the ability to pull her off stage in front of a crowd of fans? It wasn’t Lee. I doubt it was some kids with guns. Something doesn’t add up. But I’m at a loss for answers.