“What’s up, Sheba?” Floyd asked when he opened the door to let her in.

  “Hey, Floyd.” Sheba came in carrying the kilo wrapped up in a plastic shopping bag.

  “Come on in.”

  “’Sup, Sheba?” Jody said as she came into the living room. “So you know I’m dying to know what you wanted to talk about.”

  Sheba sat down. “With all that’s going on in the family, I need to make some money,” she said, and her cousins looked at one another curiously. “You know Grandma’s got back medical bills and future treatment to deal with, and Demi seriously needs to be in rehab.”

  “For real,” Jody said.

  “How is she?” Floyd asked. He may have been done with her, but he loved and would do anything for Demi. Being the youngest of the five grandchildren, it was Demi who used to keep Jody, Sheba, and Chanel off him when they were kids.

  “Anxious and irritable. If she’s not sleeping, she’s eating.”

  “That’s to be expected. Where she at?” Jody asked.

  “At Grandma’s house.”

  “She’s not alone, is she?” Floyd wanted to know.

  “Chanel is with her.”

  “Good. Don’t leave her alone. Especially once them cravings hit her ass, she’ll be outta there, and she’ll be in the streets trying to find a way to get high,” Floyd warned.

  “I won’t. So far, she’s been cool, but that might change,” Sheba said.

  “So what did you have in mind?” Jody asked. “About making money, that is.”

  Sheba took a deep breath and reached into the bag. “I need to sell this,” she said and handed Jody the kilo.

  “Whoa. Where did you get this?” he asked.

  “Don’t worry about that. Can you sell it?”

  “Hell yeah!” Floyd said, excited about getting free product. “We can break it down, put a cut on it, and sell it,” he said as Jody took a taste.

  “No,” Sheba said quickly. “I can’t wait around for that. I need that money now. Grandma’s house is in foreclosure, and now she got medical bills to take care of. So, no, sell it and get what you can for it.”

  “Damn, Sheba, you sure?” Floyd asked. “We could more than quadruple the money if we break it down, chop it up, and put a cut on it.”

  “I know that, and I don’t care. This is for Grandma to get out of debt and to pay for Demi to be in rehab. So we do this my way or you hand it back,” Sheba said with her hand out.

  “She’s right, Floyd. We need to do this for Grandma and Demi,” Jody said to his brother even though he knew it was the wrong move. “Agreed, Sheba. We do this your way.”

  Chapter 10

  The following morning at ten, Sheba was sitting with Miss Pearl in the waiting room of Dr. Anthony Green, her primary care physician, who Miss Pearl hadn’t seen since before Millicent died. After examining her and refilling her prescriptions, he advised her on the results of the forced expiratory volume level test he had run, which measures how much air a person can exhale during a forced breath. Her level was 64 percent, which represented a mild obstruction. He spoke with Sheba on the way to check out and told her that he had made the emphysema diagnosis months ago.

  “I spoke to your aunt about it, and she was supposed to get back to us so we could schedule the tests Dr. Kulkarni had run. When I didn’t hear from her, I thought that she was getting a second opinion. I had no idea that wasn’t the case. I am truly sorry.”

  “She seems all right now, but can it get worse?”

  “Yes, Miss Styles, emphysema can get worse over time. You cannot undo the damage to your lungs. Over time, she may find that she gets short of breath even when she does simple things like getting dressed or cooking a meal. She needs to relax and take it easy and avoid stress. People who are stressed often feel anxious, or irritable, and that stress may also cause more frequent flare-ups.”

  “I understand. Thank you, Doctor.”

  “See the nurse on your way out, and she’ll schedule her next appointment.”

  After making Miss Pearl’s next appointment, they left the office and took the elevator down to the lobby. “Wait here, Grandma. I’m going to get the car.”

  “I’ll be right here,” Miss Pearl said and sat down to wait.

  “Mrs. Harrison?” a man questioned, and Miss Pearl turned to see who it was.

  On her way to the car, Sheba thought that another thing that she needed to do was take back her rental car. Miss Pearl had a 1999 Chrysler 300 that she hadn’t driven in years. She would check to see if she could get it running, and if not, she would make other arrangements. Sheba got in the car knowing that, either way, the rental was getting returned today. She was thinking that once she got her grandmother home and settled, Chanel and Demi could follow her to return the car. Sheba was about to pull up in front of the building when she saw her grandmother standing outside, all smiles, chatting up a tall black man in a lab coat.

  “Dante?” she questioned as she got closer. “What is he doing here?” she asked herself and put the car in park. “Duh, he works here.” She got out.

  “Look who I found, Sheba,” Miss Pearl said as she and Dante walked toward the car.

  “Hey, Sheba,” he said and opened the car door for Miss Pearl to get in as Sheba came around the car.

  “Hey, Dante. I didn’t know you worked here.”

  “That’s because we didn’t get a chance to catch up.”

  “True. So is it Dr. Dante Manfred?” she asked and wondered why Chanel didn’t mention that.

  “No,” he chuckled. “Not a doctor, just a physician’s assistant,” Dante said as he walked Sheba around to the driver’s side and opened her door. She looked him up and down and inhaled his scent.

  “We do need to catch up,” she said and looked up into his penetrating eyes.

  “So you get a phone yet?” he asked, and this time, Sheba gave him her number. “I’ll call you tonight.”

  “Sounds good,” Sheba said and got in, and Dante closed the door behind her.

  “Dante certainly turned out to be a very handsome man.”

  “Yes, Grandma,” she said and drove off.

  “I thought you two were on your way to getting married.”

  “I thought so too, Grandma,” Sheba said, looking in her rearview in more ways than just the obvious as Dante walked back into the building.

  “And then you up and joined the Marines.” Miss Pearl shook her head. “Never did quite understand that, but I guess you had your reasons.”

  “I did, Grandma.”

  “He said that he’s not married and he’s not dating anybody—”

  “You asked him that?” she asked in shock.

  “Of course I did. I was gonna give him your number, but I thought that was too much.”

  “Thank you,” Sheba said, relieved, but still embarrassed that she did that.

  “It would have made you look desperate. You did give him your number, didn’t you?”

  “Yes, Grandma. I gave him my number, and he’s going to call me tonight.”

  Later that evening, Dante called, and she invited him to come by the house. He had only seen Chanel in passing, and he hadn’t seen Demi in ten years, so the four had a good time catching up and talking about their high school days. It was Chanel who suggested that Sheba and Dante go somewhere, and once Demi promised to be a good girl, Sheba left with Dante. They went to a place called Poor Hendrix and they talked over hibiscus daiquiris.

  Sheba was enjoying herself with him. He was older, wiser, and definitely finer than he was all those years ago, but at his core, Sheba found, Dante was still the same kind, considerate person she’d once loved. She listened as he spoke about his journey to becoming a physician’s assistant and what made him choose that as a profession. And then there were a few seconds of silence between them. Sheba was starting to feel him, and since it was on her mind, she asked.

  “When was the last time you saw Desinita?”

  “Shaw?”

  “You know any other?”

  “No,” he chuckled. “I haven’t seen Desinita in”—he paused to think—“five . . . no, it’s been more like six years since I last saw Desinita.”

  “I thought you two were dating.”

  “Who did you hear that from?” He paused. “Chanel.” He chuckled. “I was with Desinita the last time I saw Chanel, but that was years ago.”

  With a new attitude, Sheba sat up and leaned forward. “What happened with you two?”

  “Once I found out what a psycho she was, I got away from her.”

  “Psycho? Desinita? Say it ain’t so,” Sheba laughed.

  “‘Slashing tires, keying cars, mad-crazy stalker, threatening to kill herself’ kind of psycho,” Dante said and signaled for the server. “Two more, please.”

  “Coming up.”

  “I didn’t know she was all out of control like that,” she said and finished her daiquiri, thinking, Dante must have really put the dick on her.

  “I had to get a restraining order, and even then, she wouldn’t stop.” Dante dropped and shook his head. “This last time, she called me and said that she was lying under my car and was about to disconnect the fuel line to drink the gas.”

  “Seriously?”

  Dante nodded.

  “What did you do?”

  “I hung up and called the police. They said she was under the car when they got there. They arrested her and charged her with vandalism.”

  “Did that stop her?”

  “Nope. When she got out of jail, she came to my house and broke in.”

  “Are you being serious with me right now?”

  “Yes, Sheba. She busted out my dining room window and came on in like she was supposed to be there.”

  “What do you do?”

  “I’m telling you, when she got crazy like that, I learned not to fuck with her. I just call the cops and let them deal with her.” He laughed. “Because if she called the cops, it would be my black ass going to jail.”

  “I hear you.”

  “Wasn’t happening. So while I’m waiting for the cops to get there, she searched the house.”

  “Were you alone?”

  “Yes, I was home alone, but she swore that somebody was there with me.” He laughed. “What other reason could I have for not taking her calls?”

  “Did she feel foolish when there was nobody there?”

  “Nope, that just made her madder. But by that time, the cops were there, and they arrested her for breaking and entering. But instead of going quietly, she ran, and when they caught her, she fought with them. They charged her with resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer, and that day in court was the last I saw or heard from her.”

  “Okay, so she was a little cray-cray,” Sheba laughed. “I hope she got some help for herself.”

  “I’m just sorry that it took all that before she stopped.”

  Sheba laughed. “Or maybe she stopped because she’s still doing time for resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer.”

  “True. She was a little cray-cray,” Dante laughed, and Sheba looked at the time on her phone.

  “I had a good time with you tonight, Dante. But it’s getting late, and Chanel needs to go home.”

  “I understand,” Dante said and signaled the server to bring the check. Once it was paid, he took Sheba back to her grandmother’s house. On the way to the house, Sheba got a call. She looked at the display, and when she saw it was Jody, she answered.

  “What’s up, Jody?”

  “It’s done.”

  “Tell him I said what’s up,” Dante said as he drove.

  “Who that?”

  “Dante. He said to tell you what’s up.”

  “Dante.” Jody paused. “There’s a name I never thought I’d hear again.”

  It was Jody Sheba ran to the night she caught him with Desinita Shaw. Instead of rushing inside to beat Dante’s ass like he wanted to, Jody sat outside holding Sheba while she cried.

  “I didn’t either, cuz, believe me.”

  “I need to get with you,” Jody said, turning back to business.

  “I’m on my way to Grandma’s house now.”

  “I’ll call you when I get there, and you can come out.”

  “No, you come in the house when you get there.”

  “What’s Grandma gonna say about that?”

  “You let me worry about Grandma, and come in.”

  “See you in a few,” Jody said and ended the call.

  “That’s nice that all y’all are still close. I haven’t spoken to my sister in over a year, and we were never close to our cousins in Union City. But y’all always had each other’s backs.”

  “We still do,” Sheba said as Dante parked in front of the house. “It was good to see you, Dante,” she said with her hand on the door handle.

  “It was good seeing you again too. I’d like to see more of you.”

  Sheba opened the door. “You have the number, so call me,” she said and got out. “Good night, Dante.”

  “Good night, Sheba,” Dante said, and Sheba shut the door and walked to the house.

  “Chanel. Demi! I’m back!” she said loudly and got no answer.

  “Sheba.” Her grandmother appeared at the top of the stairs. “She’s gone.”

  “Who’s gone, Grandma?”

  “Demi,” she said as Chanel burst through the front door.

  “Did she come back, Grandma?” she said, and then she saw Sheba.

  “What happened, Chanel?”

  “I went to the bathroom, and she was gone when I came out. I’ve been riding around the neighborhood looking for her, but I didn’t find her,” Chanel said as Miss Pearl came down the stairs. “I’m sorry, Sheba.”

  “It’s not your fault. I shouldn’t have left,” Sheba said as the doorbell rang.

  “Who is that at this hour?” Miss Pearl asked.

  “It’s Jody, Grandma. I asked him to come,” Sheba said on her way to the door to let him in.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked as soon as he saw the look on Sheba’s face.

  “Demi’s gone.”

  “I tried to tell y’all that would happen,” Floyd said, following his brother into the house. “She’s gone to find a way to get high.” Both of them stopped where they stood when each saw their grandmother standing on the stairs.

  “Hey, Grandma,” Jody dropped his head and said sheepishly.

  “You doing all right, Grandma?” Floyd said in the same manner.

  “You boys come here,” she said with a smile and her arms out. Her grandsons rushed to her, and she hugged them both.

  “Love you, Grandma,” Floyd said.

  “We’re sorry we disappoint you, Grandma,” Jody said.

  “You two hush that fuss and go find your cousin,” Miss Pearl said, kissing each one on the forehead before she let them go.

  “Yes, Grandma,” they both said.

  “How long has she been gone?” Jody asked, walking quickly toward the door.

  “About fifteen minutes,” Chanel said. “I rode around here looking for her, but I didn’t see her.”

  “Ain’t no telling where she could be by now,” Floyd said, following his brother to the door, and then he looked back at Miss Pearl. “But we’ll find her, Grandma. I promise.”

  “We’ll talk about that other thing later, Sheba,” Jody said and left the house.

  Sheba nodded, and after they were gone, she went upstairs to get her service weapon, and then she came back downstairs.

  “Come on, Chanel, let’s ride.”

  Chapter 11

  The search for Demi was on. While Jody and Floyd went to check out an abandoned house a couple of blocks from their grandmother’s house, where people were known to come to get high, Sheba and Chanel rode up to the convenience store where you could get just about anything you were willing to pay for. They got out of the car and approached some of the men there that night.

  “What you ladies need?”

  Sheba stepped to him. “I need to know if you’ve seen her,” she said, and Chanel showed him a picture of Demi from her phone.

  He looked at the picture and shook his head. “Nah, ain’t seen her,” he said as two of his boys leaned in to look.

  “Let me see,” Jamarco said, and Chanel handed him the phone. He and Latravis looked at the image and then handed Chanel back her phone. “I know her. I ain’t seen her tonight, but—”

  “Sheba Styles?” a voice came from the darkness.

  Sheba turned toward the voice. “Jordan?” she questioned when he stepped into the light.

  “Couldn’t be nobody else,” Jordan Mitchell said.

  He knew Sheba back in the days when she used to come home when she was on leave. They met in that exact spot, and they got together between her deployments for a couple of years before he got locked up and they lost touch. Those days, he was an arrogant and brash young drug dealer, and Sheba was an angry young Marine who the government was turning into a weapon of war. They were both fearless and thought they could do anything they wanted, and the city belonged to them. Jamarco, Latravis, and Rashard were his boys, and he controlled that spot now.

  “Come show your boy some love.”

  “Hey, Jordan,” Sheba said and gave him a hug and thought back to the days when he used to break her back. “How you doing?”

  “Living the dream, doing what I do. Trying to keep my money right.”

  “I see.” Sheba looked around at the activity and smiled. “You ain’t changed a bit.”

  “Nope. What about you? You still government property?” he asked, looking hungrily at her.

  “Nope.”

  “What you doing up here?” Jordan questioned because everybody there was either selling drugs, buying drugs, or doing what they had to do to get drugs.

  Chanel was quick to shove her phone in his face. “Have you seen her tonight?”

  “That’s our cousin,” Sheba said. “She’s missing, and we’re trying to find her.”

  Jordan nodded and smiled, glad that Sheba wasn’t up there to buy drugs or sell herself to get them. He briefly wondered what he would do if she were. Jordan took the phone from Chanel and looked at the image. He nodded his head and then handed Chanel back her phone.