Yuletide Defender. Sandra Robbins

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СКАЧАТЬ you have some additional information for me?”

      “Maybe.” His fingers tightened on her shoulder. “Let’s see now, in that last story, how many you say died?”

      When Rachel didn’t answer, his index finger jabbed her. She gulped a big breath of air and sat up straighter. “Five before today. Now there’s six. All of them shot to death. The police think rival gangs are killing each other.”

      The man behind her exhaled a long breath. “The popo don’t know nothing.”

      Rachel frowned and tilted her head. “You mean the police?”

      “Yeah.”

      “What makes you think that”

      “It ain’t what I think. It’s what I know.” His lips grazed her ear.

      His nicotine-scented breath filled her nostrils and she turned her head away. “And what’s that?” Rachel asked.

      “They’s two gangs here in Lake City, the Vipers and the Rangers. The Vipers, them are my brothers. We take care of our hood. The Rangers, they on the south side of town, and we don’t mess with them.”

      Rachel started to say she knew how the Vipers took care of their neighborhood—drugs, shootings, robberies—but reason told her not to anger him. “I know about the two.”

      “If they found out I was talkin’ to you, I’d be dusted by mornin’.” A trace of fear trembled through the man’s words.

      “Your friends would kill you? Why?”

      A small groan came from behind her. “We ain’t ’posed to talk to nobody ’bout gang business.”

      “Oh.”

      “The popo think the gangs be fightin’ each other in a war. That ain’t true, but I ’spect somebody wants to start one.” He paused for a moment and Rachel tensed, wondering if he expected her to say something. When she remained silent, he continued, “You ’member the last murder two weeks ago? The Viper that was killed in front of that pizza place on First Street?”

      “Yes, I wrote a story about it.”

      “Well, what you didn’t write was that there was another guy with the one killed, but the shooter missed him.”

      Rachel thought back to the story. No mention had been made by the police about another individual being present. “Who was it?”

      “Me. I saw the guy right before he shot and he weren’t no gang member. I ran and he chased me. I hid in a Dumpster, but I seen him.”

      “Then you can identify the killer?”

      “Naw, but I knows he’s a white guy.”

      Rachel’s shoulders sagged. “That just reinforces what the police think. The Rangers are white. It was one of their members.”

      “No,” he hissed. “This guy didn’t have no flag.”

      Rachel sat up straighter and frowned. “He wasn’t wearing gang colors?”

      “No. If he been a Ranger, he would’ve been proud of the hit and woulda been showing ’em off.”

      Rachel thought about that for a moment. What he said made sense. “Then who do you think he was?”

      “Ain’t got no idea. But like I said, I been thinkin’. The popo ain’t questioned why they so many deaths of gang members in Lake City all of a sudden. They say that just no-goods killin’ each other. What if somebody who ain’t in a gang’d like to see the two go head-to-head in a war? So he starts killin’ Vipers and Rangers, hoping that’ll happen.”

      Rachel’s eyes widened. “A vigilante? You think there’s one on the loose in Lake City?”

      “Now you catchin’ on.”

      “But why are you telling me this? Why not go to the police?”

      A laugh rumbled in the man’s throat. “I can’t do that ’cause we don’t talk to no popo. They wish we’d all disappear from the face of the earth anyway. I expect they figures if we kill each other off it’ll just make their job easier.”

      Rachel’s breath caught in her throat. A vigilante? She’d never thought of that. “What do you want me to do?”

      He leaned closer, and she could feel him pressing against the back of the bench. “I’m tired of the killin’. I wants you to write a story ’bout what I told you. Then see what happens.”

      Rachel shook her head. “I can’t do that just because it’s what you believe. I need some kind of evidence.”

      Out of the corner of her eye, she saw an arm appear next to her shoulder. A piece of paper dangled from long brown fingers before it fluttered to the bench beside her. “This here the name of a cop on the take and where he meets up with a Ranger for his payoff. He’ll be there at midnight tomorrow night. Check this out first. See if I’m tellin’ the truth about this. Then maybe you’ll believe me about the vigilante.”

      Rachel reached for the paper. “Okay. How do I get in touch with you if this lead proves true?”

      The man laughed. “Don’t worry. I be watchin’, and I gonna be callin’ you ’cause there’s somethin’ I want out of this.”

      Goose bumps raced up Rachel’s arm. “And what’s that?”

      “I wants you to help me get outta town. Start a new life somewheres else.” He was silent for a moment. “I know the gang life ain’t for me no more. I wish things would change, but I done decided ain’t nothin’ gonna change where I live ’til Jesus comes back.”

      A gasp escaped Rachel’s throat. “Are you a believer?”

      He exhaled a long breath. “My mama taught me lots of stuff. Don’t think she’s too proud of me now, though.”

      His words felt like a kick in the stomach. She knew what it was like to disappoint your mother. “If you’re really serious, I’ll help you whether or not the story pans out.”

      “I knowed you was a good woman. I be talkin’ to you.”

      “Wait! Don’t go!” she said. However she sensed no one stood behind her any longer. She counted to ten before she slowly turned and stared at the tree line behind the bench. Again she was alone in a deserted park.

      She grabbed the piece of paper, stuck it in her pocket and ran toward her car. Once inside she locked the door and leaned her head against the steering wheel. Tonight she’d been more scared than at any other time since she had begun working at the newspaper.

      She straightened in the seat, pulled the paper from her pocket and stared at it. Walters and Branson. Another street corner on the run-down south side of town.

      Her hand shook and she jammed the paper back into her pocket. She had no idea what would happen tomorrow night, but she did know one thing. She’d be there to witness whatever СКАЧАТЬ