I break into a grin. “Thanks, Big Mike. I’ll get back to you on that.”
Thirty-Seven
Legend
“What the hellare you doing here?” Francine, Rolo’s on-again off-again girlfriend, stares at me through the inch-wide gap between the door and the frame, her beady eyes just above the chain.
“Why do you think? Looking for Rolo.”
“He ain’t here,” she spits out, her voice full of venom.
“Would you tell me if he was?”
“Hell no. You bailed on him after you got what you needed. Real shitty, Legend. You know he thought of you like a brother? And then you turned your back on him. Not cool. Not at all.”
“Listen up, Francine.” Q cuts in, stealing her attention. “Rolo’s got himself into some real bad shit, and it’s gonna bite him in the ass. Unless you want the next time you see him to be in a closed casket, you need to tell us where the hell he is.”
Her mouth screws up into a tighter frown. “Yeah, right. You ain’t got the balls to kill anyone. You’re just Legend’s pussy errand boy.”
Q smiles, and I’ve seen that ticking time bomb before—it’s taking everything he has not to explode. “You better back the fuck up, Francine,” he sings with an obviously over-the-top friendly voice and then waggles his eyebrows at her. Quinterros always seem to smile while they lose it.
She jerks away from the door just as Q kicks out and busts the chain right off it, sending the door flying open.
Francine screams curses at us as she stands back with her arms crossed over her chest. “You piece of shit. Both of you. And that old man with you too. You just breaking into people’s houses now?”
I shrug as I walk right by her and check the kitchen before making a quick circuit of the rest of the apartment.
No Rolo, and no sign that he’s been here in ages.
I come back to the living room and break through Francine’s temper tantrum with a shout.
“Hey. Listen up. You know where he’s at, you call him and tell him that he needs to get in touch with me. Bodhi Black says Rolo just tried to take out his knee to stop this fight, and Bodhi’s on the warpath. You’d rather have me find Rolo first, if you know what I mean.”
Her hands fly in the air, and it’s clear from her bouncing tits that she doesn’t find bras necessary. “Like I give a fuck about some random dude’s knee. Get out of here before I call the cops. I’m gonna have to blow the fucking super to get this door fixed.”
I shake my head at her. “Might want to clean up that crack pipe in your bathroom before you do any of that, Francine. And if you see Rolo, tell him we’re looking for him.”
Turning on my heel, I walk out with Q and Hal at my back.
My phone starts ringing as soon as the door slams behind us.
“You think Rolo knows we’re here?” Q asks as I pull it out of my pocket.
“No way.” I glance at the screen. “Besides, it’s Scarlett.” I tap the glass to answer. “Hey, ladybug. What’s going on?”
“Well, I’m with Big Mike, and we’re headed to the Manhattan Detention Complex to bail out Flynn. If you’re not too busy, I’d appreciate you meeting us there.”
All three of us freeze in front of the elevator.
“Come again?”
“Flynn got arrested. I’m going to get her out. You want to join the party?”
I look up at Q, who is shaking his head, and I can’t help thanking God he already got some of his frustrations out on Francine’s shitty door. “You’re fucking kidding me.”
“Nope.”
“We’re on our way,” I tell her. “Meet you there.”