Crash Landing

"Fair is fair," she said. She dipped her finger in my pussy until it was slippery and then worked it into my asshole while she ate my pussy. My head exploded with stars in my eyes. I thrashed on the bed until I could take no more, bucking her off.

"My God Sondra . . . what the fuck?" I groaned.

"You have a nice ass Max. I thought you'd like that. I did."

There was only one question I could ask her after that.

"Do me again?" I asked.

She did.

* * *

My usual modus after mind blowing sex was to take a smoke break followed by a drink (or two or three), but that night was different. I couldn't get enough of Sondra. Dirty sex, or just staring at her beautiful body and wondering how I got lucky enough to experience this kind of carnal bliss.

We fucked all night and into the wee hours of the morning. Finally at sunrise Sondra showered, put on her ripped dress using a safety pin to attach the strap, and was ready to leave.

"I have to be in court in three hours," she announced, "and I have to go back to my place to put on clean clothes. Max, you ripped a $1,500 dress."

"That's only three billable hours for you," I noted.

"Two," she said, correcting me.

"You're expensive."

"You can't afford me."

"Was there a charge for last night?" I asked.

"Of course. Lawyers don't work for free."

"How much?"

"A kiss right here." Sondra pointed to her cheek.

"You're right. Too expensive," I said in mock disgust.

"Fuck you Max," she said playfully.

"Ohhh, I'd like you to, but I thought you had to be in court." I gave her a peck on the cheek as her payment.

"See you around Max."

She wiggled her hips and left.

Chapter Three

The First Move

It'd been two weeks since Jumbo's release. Then silence. Dead silence. It scared me more than a gunshot. What was going on? As far as I knew, Jumbo was living in his mother's house and cutting out paper dolls. The drug trade in the West End was business as usual and Lily's crews were still manning all the corners.

Lesley and I were killing time at Happy Donut. Tan was there working with her mother. She brought our donuts and coffee to our table.

"Hey Tan, helping out your parents?" I asked her.

"Spring break. I'm interviewing for summer internships."

"Talking to Saylor, Browning and Bair?" I asked her.

"No. I thought they were primarily corporate."

"They are, but they have a small criminal defense practice. I know one of their partners, Sondra Karlsson."

"I've heard of her."

"You should talk to her. I could ask if they're looking for someone."

"Could you?"

"I'd be pleased to."

Bea came out from the back room. I think she was spying on our conversation.

"I hear you help Tan?"

"You heard right Bea."

She put her arm around her daughter.

"She good girl. Just made mistake going to law school."

Two squad cars and an EMT van with sirens blaring and lights flashing went screaming past us.

"What's up Max?" Lesley asked.

"No idea," I answered. "I'm calling Greta in dispatch."

Greta Bronson was in dispatch for thirty years, the last twenty as its supervisor. She knew everyone and everything that went on at the station.

"Greta, something big going on?" I asked.

"Apparent homicide in the West End, at Adine Williams's residence," she answered in a raspy voice.

Shit. That was Jumbo's mother's house.

"Any details?"

"911 call. Poisoning. African-American male, thirties, big guy, probably three hundred pounds."

Jumbo. The first shoe dropped.

"Max?"

"Yeah."

"Homicide is running the investigation. I'd probably steer clear of the site until they have locked it down."

Useful advice that I'd promptly ignore.

"Thanks Greta."

"And Max?"

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry about Maddy."

"Thanks."

Lesley was standing anxiously next to me.

"What Max?"

"I think Jumbo's dead. We're heading over there right now."

* * *

Lesley drove there post haste. The scene was littered with patrol cars and emergency vehicles. Yellow tape cordoned off a perimeter around the Williams's residence. Officers were screening people before they could enter the crime scene. Lesley and I worked our way through the throng of gawkers to the entrance. Sky was one of the officers handling the perimeter. Fuck, why did it have to be Sky?

"Hey Sky," I said, trying to keep my head up.

"Max, what are you doing here? Authorized personnel only."

"I've got an interest in this. You know that."

"Get the fuck out of here Max."

"Really?" I asked.

Sky pulled her radio off her belt.

"Did you want me to call my supervisor?"

I really did fuck things up with Sky. She didn't even smile at me.

"No, no. That won't be necessary. How did Jumbo die?"

"Jumbo? Jumbo didn't die"

What??

"Then who was it?"

"It was Chili."

Chili was Jumbo's former bodyguard and head of his security detail before he defected to Lily. Chili was one of Jumbo's high school football teammates.

"Chili?"

"Max, are you deaf?"

"No, I heard you the first time. I just can't believe it. Why here?"

Sky rolled her eyes.

"Max, vamoose. You can get the details when you get back to the station . . . when Homicide is ready to release them, and not until then."

"So you know something more?"

"Goodbye Max."

She turned her back on me, literally and figuratively. It couldn't be more over than it was then and there.

* * *

I walked back to our cruiser with Lesley with my tail between my legs.

"God, you really screwed the pooch with Sky, didn't you Max?" Lesley asked, stating the obvious and rubbing it in.

"Super screwed," I said. "When I fuck something up, I do it right."

"Amen to that."

"So Chili? Poisoned? What the fuck is going on?" she asked.

I couldn't come up with a reason. It didn't make sense. I did know who would know. Lily. Dare I ask her?

"I know what you're thinking Max," Lesley said as we got in the cruiser.

"You do? What am I thinking?" I asked, challenging her mind reading skills.

"You're thinking about visiting Lily," she said, as she started towards the station, leaving the West End.

Shit. Lesley could read my mind.

"She would know, wouldn't she?" I argued.

"Of course she would know. Chili was her guy. Why the fuck would she tell you? Wait a second. What am I saying? She'll tell you after she fucks you."

She laughed. She was going to get a lifetime of enjoyment out of that story.

"Thanks for your vote of confidence partner," I said. "But I guess I deserved that. Maybe I can have a conversation with her that doesn't involve me taking my panties off."

"Can I go?"

"No Lesley. I think she'll be more forthcoming if I go alone."

"And of course you're not going to tell Odette or anyone in Homicide."

"Of course not."

"Because that would be following procedure."

"When have you ever known me to do that?"

"Stupid me."

"Just drop me off. I'll call you when I'm done."

"Give me one good reason why I should go along with your harebrained scheme?

"Because deep down inside you love me."

"That's a reason, but it's not a good one," she said.

"Do you want to know what happened or not?" I asked, playing my ace in the hole. There was no way that Lesley didn't want to know why.

"Shut up Max." She whipped the car around and started driving to the West End, and to Lily's.

* * *

The grocery store housing Lily's office was closed, even though it should have been open. There was no movement in the front and the lights were off.

"Go to the alley in the back," I said to Lesley. There'd be action there, certainly.

She turned off the main drag and down a side street. The alley was a half block down. She stopped at the alley's entrance. I could see that the alley was blocked by a black Escalade. There were two men leaning against the SUV's hood, both with shotguns.

"Are you sure you want to go?" Lesley asked.

"More than ever. I smell a turf war."

"Do you want to be the second casualty?"

"Not if I can help it," I said.

"Then don't get out of the car."

She was salving her conscience to warn me. Deep down inside she, like me, sensed we were onto something big. She didn't argue anymore. I got out and then leaned inside the door to talk to her.

"Just drive down the block a ways. I'll call you in a bit. If you don't hear from me in half an hour go see Odette, OK?"

Lesley looked at me hopefully. She knew I was walking into the jaw of a lion. But I mated with the huntress of their pride.

"OK Max. I hope you know what you're doing."

I didn't. But I was trusting my gut.

* * *

One of the two men guarding the back entrance was Mr. Tattoo. I could hear him snarl as I approached, being in uniform and all.

"What the fuck do you want?" he asked, brandishing his shotgun. His compadre had his piece pointed at me as well. I was making an unexpected and unwelcome visit.

"I want to see Lily," I said.

Mr. Tattoo smiled. I could see one of his gold teeth.

"She's busy. Fuck off." That was the second time in an hour that I was told to fuck off. I had a one "fuck off" limit.

"I don't think I can do that," I said.

He smiled again and his gold tooth flashed in the sunlight. "Why don't you ask Mr. Shotgun here if he agrees?"

Mr. Shotgun tipped his piece to point it at my head.

"Go ahead," I told Mr. Tattoo. "Killing a police officer is the electric chair for you and your friend. I don't think your boss would be too pleased to have the wrath of the Cincinnati police department come down on you . . . not when Jumbo Williams is also trying to kill your sorry ass. Call your fucking boss errand boy."

I folded my arms and stood there.

"I'll call, but I'm sure the answer is no," he said gruffly. He dialed on his phone and had a short conversation in Vietnamese. Then he hung up and put his phone back in his pocket.

"Well?" I asked.

"You have five minutes," he said, disgusted.

"Lead the way," I said.

His partner lowered his weapon and stayed with the SUV while Mr. Tattoo led me to the back entrance. He punched in an access code and then looked into a retinal scanner. The door unlocked. He opened it.

"You know where to go," he told me. "But the two of us aren't done."

"I know," I said. "I still have to wipe that smug smile off your face for killing my friend Maddy."

He sneered at me and slammed the back door after I went in.

* * *

There was an armed guard at Lily's office door, which was usually left open. He opened the door for me. Lily was sitting behind her desk, sipping a cup of tea as if nothing was amiss. Jasmine, as usual, was kneeling in the corner wearing her diamond obedience collar and a loose fitting black robe.

"Ah Max, I've been expecting you," she said, standing up from behind her desk.

"You know me too well, Lily."

"On these matters I do. I presume you've found out that Jackson is dead."

Jackson was Chili's given name.

"I have."

"And you want to know if I did it."

"I have to admit, none of this makes sense."

"Mr. Jenkins was carrying out an errand for me. He was unsuccessful."

That meant that Chili was sent by Lily to poison Jumbo, but somehow Jumbo got wise to it and poisoned Chili.

"Your 'permanent solution' to the Jumbo problem didn't pan out," I said.

"Apparently not," she acknowledged.

"So now you're preparing for Jumbo's retaliation."

"You're wise beyond your years Max."

"It's what I was afraid of . . . a turf war."

"It was inevitable Max. Two objects can't occupy the same place at the same time. One of us has to go."

"And us?" I asked.

"I'm not sure if there is an 'us' Max." There was only sex. And since you took up with Sky and now with Jumbo's attorney, I don't think it's a possibility."

Of course she knew about Sondra, even though the only person I told was Lesley.

"So now you're saying we're done?"

"We're done."

I might as well live in a fishbowl. My life was an open book to . . . well everyone. I sensed though that she was lying about us. The last time I saw her she'd left the door open for something more with me and now she was disclaiming it. Maybe she was jealous.

"Take care of yourself Lily."

"Max, your five minutes is up. Goodbye."

I wondered if that would be the last time I'd ever see Lily.

* * *

Lesley eagerly awaited my arrival.

"What happened?"

"Lily sent Chili over to poison Jumbo and it backfired. Now there's going to be a full scale turf war."

"And you and Lily?"

"That's over with a capital 'O'," I declared confidently. I actually wasn't so confident.

"Wow. So Lily tried to off Jumbo. I guess you can't blame her for trying. He's going to try to kill her anyway."

"That he will."

"Homicide will figure it out. Will they arrest Jumbo for murder and Lily for attempted murder?"

"I'm sure they'll get to that point, that is if they're alive to arrest them."

"But finding proof is going to be hard."

"It'll probably be impossible. Lily's smart enough to cover her tracks and I suspect Jumbo is just as clever."

"So we're just going to be collecting bodies."

I was in full agreement.

"That's what it looks like, partner."

Chapter Four

The New Enemy

I called Sondra, fully expecting she'd tell me that we couldn't see each other anymore, given that Jumbo was likely a "person of interest" and that she was his attorney. I got her personal assistant, the comely Janet.

"Is Ms. Karlsson in?" I asked.

"She's in a meeting right now. May I take a message?"

"Just tell her Max called."

"That would be Officer Pemberton, correct?"

Maybe I shouldn't have been so familiar. Janet probably didn't know that I hooked up with her boss.

"That's right," I acknowledged.

"I'll let Ms. Karlsson know."

So I got the "she's in a meeting" excuse. She probably told Janet she wasn't going to take my call. It was the business way to tell someone to shove off. I was sorry I wasn't going to be able so see Sondra. It was a dream being with her, but I assumed if I persisted the dream would turn into a nightmare. But this time I was proved wrong. Not five minutes later my phone chimed.

"Max, I heard you called."

"I did Sondra. Can we speak?"

"Of course. I'm sorry I didn't take your call. I was just wrapping up a meeting."

So Janet spoke the truth. So much for my cynicism. I thought since I was wrong about her meeting, maybe I was wrong about our relationship ending right after it started.

"Are you free for a drink tonight?" I asked hopefully.

"Maybe. I've got a couple filings I need to finish."

"So you're not conflicted by your representation of Jumbo? You heard about Chili Jenkins."

"Most unfortunate what happened to Mr. Jenkins. But I'm not representing Mr. Williams anymore."

"By his choice?" I asked.

"No, by mine," she answered.

Wow. Did she choose me? I had to ask the next question.

"Why?"

"Need you ask Max?"

"I guess I do."

"I'm fond of you Max. I'm not ready to cut off our relationship before I give it a chance. And besides, I'm not really keen on representing clients involved in capital offenses. I really prefer white collar crime. It usually bloodless and victimless. I took his parole hearing because I have the right connections."

"So Bailey's . . . at nine?"

"I'll text you if I can make it."

I hung up the phone. Life throws you a curveball every now and again. Fortunately this time it wasn't thrown for a strike.

* * *

Sondra surprised me. She hadn't texted me but was sitting at the bar at Bailey's when I arrived.

"Just catching up with your friend," said Candy, pointing to Sondra, "but for God's sake I don't know what she sees in you."

"Thanks Candy for the vote of confidence," I said to her.

"Candy told me the whole story about Maddy," Sondra said. "I can't believe DaVanna was behind all of that. Could anyone be that evil?"

"I don't think so," I answered, "but I'm pretty biased since Maddy was my best friend."

"Maybe Lily did us a favor when DaVanna committed suicide." Sondra used air quotes with her fingers around the last word.

"Lily's an interesting person," I said. "She's a criminal, but it's not all black and white with her. Instead, everything's a shade of gray."

"So I've heard," said Sondra.

"So the two of you are dating?" Candy asked. I waited for Sondra to answer. I didn't know what she was going to say.

"We are. We're still getting to know each other but Max is the most unique individual I've ever known."

"Unique is right," said Candy. "And just to be clear, in a good way. She's definitely into some weird shit, like living in that dump of a motel, but her heart is in the right place."

"Hey guys," I said. "I'm standing right here."

Candy jumped in. "Max, we haven't said anything that isn't true."

"Sometimes the truth hurts," I said.

"Did I hurt you?" Candy asked, concerned that she really did hurt my feelings.

"No," I admitted. It was a bit uncomfortable but what she said I'd already been told to my face many times.

Candy started to move away from us. "Look, I'll leave you two lovebirds by yourself. Got other paying customers to attend to."

Then she turned to me. "I'll bring you both something special to drink."

"You really helped Candy," Sondra said after Candy had left. "She was really left with a pile of shit and you saved her. You helped her save this bar."

"I was happy I was able to help."

"See Max? When you asked me why I was interested in you, this is why. You're a good person."

Then she leaned over and whispered in my ear. "And you're a pretty good fuck too."

Candy came back with our drinks. "I see you two are getting along. I've brought you something out of the back room that Maddy was saving. I'm sure she would have wanted you to have it. It's a twenty-five year old Scotch."

She put a cut crystal glass in front of each of us.

"Compliments of the house," she said.

I took a whiff before sipping the smoother than silk beverage.

"Thank you house," I said.

"You're welcome," Candy replied. "I wish I could have given you more than just good scotch."

* * *

We enjoyed the rare scotch before ordering another round of more pedestrian fare, a twelve year old scotch that was Sondra's everyday drinker. The more we talked, the more I liked her. She told me about her divorce, and how she discovered she preferred women to men. I told her that mine was a similar story, though I didn't have any children. She had a few steady girlfriends, but nothing serious, and her workload really prevented her from meeting anyone new. She said that I was the first new friend she'd made in years.

Our conversation drifted from personal to business.

"So tell me what happened at Jumbo's today. I heard it was bad," she said.

I told her about Chili, and how Lily had sent him to Jumbo's to poison him, and how Jumbo somehow got wind of it and made Chili take it instead. I told her about Lily, and her conclusion that either her or Jumbo had to die. Sondra was on the edge of her seat as I relayed the details, of course leaving out the critical detail that Lily and I had a sexual relationship.

She shook her head. "Now you know why I had to decline continuing to represent Jumbo. These capital cases are ugly, really ugly, and there isn't enough money in the world for me to get in the middle of that kind of hurt. Give me an embezzlement case any day. It's just money. What you're talking about here is people's lives. Frankly, I don't know how you do it. Working with the lowlifes in the West End on a daily basis."

"Sometimes I wonder myself," I confessed. "But I grew up in that area, and I understand them. Most of them are just people, wanting to find a sliver of happiness. The bad guys are . . . really bad. And that makes living there pretty harsh. I think I'm helping. At least that's what I tell myself."