Page 95 of Smooth Moves
“I wouldn’t be surprised if someone recorded it and posted it all over the place. It was really embarrassing.”
“What an asshole.” Teachers should never berate a kid for trying. “You weren’t screwing off or anything? Didn’t provoke the guy? Not that that makes it right, what he said. I’m just trying to get the picture here.”
“No, I was actually trying to learn. I think he must have been having a bad day or something. But after he went off, I said something about him not giving it to Marge enough. You know, Marge, Homer?”
Cash covered his grin. “I get it.”
“Then he kicked me out, and I took off. Juan was outside in the stairway, and he hates Simpson. So when I told him what happened, he offered me a ride.” Rafi paused. “We, uh, went to a bar to hang out. It was cool.”
“And illegal, which makes it that much cooler.”
Rafi flushed. “Yeah. I had a beer, was talking trash with the guys. He’s got five or six friends he hangs with. Some go to our school, some go to a school near us. All are seniors, I think. Anyway, he just whips out this bag ofheroinand hands it to his friend to sell. They’re all watching me while the guy takes it. Then Juan hands out more baggies. He starts bragging about how he’s friends with Paul Lasko, and everyone knows Lasko works for WSW and Toto.”
Cash knew those names. Unfortunately, West Side Wolves had been on the news nightly since a big drug bust a few weeks ago.
“Then Juan’s telling the guys I’m cool, no snitch. I’m with him. I kind of had to take the baggie. I mean, they were talking about some guy who’d bailed on them before and how Lasko took care of him. Like,took careof him.”
Cash nodded. “I get you. So now you’re out of school. If you don’t sell drugs, he’ll gut you. And he’ll hurt Jordan?”
Rafi nodded. “I tried to get out of it, later, when it was just Juan and me. But he said if I didn’t, I was a fool and a narc. And nobody turns on WSW. Then he said he knew about my pretty sister and it would be sad if something happened to her.” Rafi scowled, looking more angry than scared. “I mean, he threatened my sister.”
“But this Juan kid, he’s not actually a gang member.”
“I don’t think so. But, hell, I thought he was just always talking a big game. I didn’t know he really knew Lasko or had drugs and stuff. It’s just… None of it seems real.”
“Man, you’re in a shit sandwich for sure.” The cops in the city were cracking down on drugs and gangs, hard, lately. “What’s the plan?”
“Plan? There is no plan.” Rafi sat up, clenching a tissue. “Maybe if I run away, they’ll leave Jordan alone.”
“And maybe they won’t.” Cash wanted to do the right thing. “So we could call the cops.” As much as he wanted to get the law involved, he didn’t want Jordan’s brother dragged down with Juan’s group, and he had no doubt Juan would be shitty enough to try to drag Rafi under the bus with him.
“No cops. No.”
“Because that will get you a target on your back. No cops.” Cash didn’t want Rafi having to fear Toto. “You never met Lasko or Toto? Just Juan and his flunkies?”
“Yeah. A bunch of rich kids pretending to be tough. That’s all I thought they were.”
“And maybe that’s all they really are.” Though Juan had to be getting drugs from someone. “Go get me your baggie.”
Rafi sighed and left, returning with the bag in question. Cash studied it. “I’m no expert, but I think this is heroin.”
“Yeah.” Rafi paced, hugging his arms to his chest. “Heroin. Jesus, I have a bag of H in my house.” Rafi paused. “Your house.”
“Hey, it’s a rental. Doesn’t count.” Cash stared at the baggie, wondering what the hell to do. “I should tell Jordan,” he thought out loud.
“Are youcrazy?” Rafi stared at him. “My sister will march to Juan’s house and think she can make him do the right thing. But she can’t. Juan’s parents are rich. Like, serious moneybags. They don’t care what he does. And Juan gets away with everything. I think the only reason he was even at summer school was to deal drugs.”
“Makes sense.” And, yeah, Cash could see Jordan on her soapbox, the ex-Army MP taking a stand on doing the right thing and putting away a drug dealer with ties to WSW for good.
Cash would rather leave that shit to the police. Let them deal with gangs and drugs. Only Rafi and this mess with the potential to hurt Jordan concerned him.
“Okay, this is what you’re doing to do. When I tell you to, you’re going to call Juan. You’ll tell him you want to see him at his club. That you can’t deal drugs for him, but you’re happy to hand them back in person.”
“I can’t do that.”
“You can, and you will.” Cash stood, towering over Rafi. “Because I’m gonna go have a chat with your friend.”
“They might have guns.” Rafi looked worried.
