Anthony knew what was coming next. True to form, Bobby plopped down a thick envelope on the hood of the Audi. Some bills fanned out, all hundreds.
“If you could see your way clear to helping us resolve our problem,” Bobby said, “I’m prepared to give you twenty thousand dollars in cash.”
For once Anthony hoped Bobby’s shady tactics would work but Isaiah was still unreadable. The entire Las Vegas Strip was flashing in Dodson’s eyes.
“Thank you, Bobby,” Dodson said. “That’s a very generous offer. Don’t you think so, Isaiah?”
“Bear in mind,” Bobby said, “Calvin will still be obliged to pay you the fifty-thousand-dollar bonus and you’ll already have twenty thousand from me. What do you think, Mr. Quintabe? It’s a win-win for everybody concerned.”
“Can’t do it,” Isaiah said.
“Why not?” Bobby said.
“Why not?” Dodson said.
“Take it, fool,” Charles said, “you know you want the money.”
“I said why not,” Isaiah said. “I’m not running a game on Cal.”
Anthony was enjoying the back-and-forth but this had to end. “Look, you’re not being fair or realistic,” he said. “You haven’t made any progress on the case and there’s no reason to believe you will. You’re stuck, admit it. Come on, Isaiah, it’s time for everyone to move on.”
“I’ve got a new lead,” Isaiah said, shooting a quick glance at Dodson.
“A new lead?” Bobby said. “What new lead?”
“He’s bullshitting,” Charles said.
“Shut up, Charles. What new lead, Mr. Quintabe?”
“There’s a man who knows Skip,” Isaiah said. “I’m meeting him tonight at JC’s, a bar in Long Beach. Around eleven.”
“Well, what does this new lead have to say?” Bobby said.
“I’ll tell you if it pans out. I don’t want to jump the gun and piss somebody off.”
“Piss somebody off like who? You’re not making any sense, Mr. Quintabe. Can we get back to reality, please? Now will you or won’t you go along with the program?”
“No. I won’t.”
Bobby put his hands on his hips, looked down at the ground, and took a deep breath, Anthony thinking Uh-oh. When Bobby looked up again, his eyes were frozen solid, an ice pick in his voice. “I happen to be a very influential man, Mr. Quintabe,” he said, “and I know a lot of influential people. It would be a shame if something were to diminish your stature in the music community. You know how people talk.”
“There are a lot of communities out there besides music,” Isaiah said, “and none of them give a damn about your influence and I’ll tell you something else, Mr. Grimes. I can’t be diminished by people talking no matter who they are but I will be if I take that money.”
Anthony felt a surge of pride and wished it was for himself.
They were driving down Pacific to Dodson’s place, Dodson staring out the window at his bank statement. “Turn down twenty thousand dollars,” he said, disgusted. “Even for you that was off the rocker.”
“I had to,” Isaiah said.
“No, you didn’t. You got pissed off and lost your common sense just like you did with Skip and fucked up my situation in the process. I got a nut to crack. Turn down twenty thousand dollars. You took the case to make some money and here you are walking away from it? What kind of bullshit is that? And don’t tell me you gonna solve the case. Ain’t nothin’ to solve. We got nothing to go on and nowhere to go, do we? Do we? Shit. You pay your mortgage with your scruples? Buy your damn groceries with it? I tried to spend mine at the supermarket and they told me they only accept money. And what was all that shit about meeting somebody at JC’s? If you making a play the least you could do is tell me about it.”
“Skip is the only lead we have,” Isaiah said. “We have to make him talk.”
“Make him talk how? Waterboard him? My old man showed me how to do it and damn near drowned me. Oh I know. Let’s kidnap Skip’s mama and cut her toes off ’til he talks. Shit. That crazy muthafucka might not even have a mama.”
“It’s not his mama.”
Dodson thought a moment—and then his face exploded into abject terror. “No, unh-uh, forget it. Get that out of your mind, you hear me? I ain’t doing that shit no matter what you say.”
“It’s that or give up the fifty grand.”
“What am I gonna spend it on, my tombstone? I don’t want no part of it and you know why. Let me out of the car. I gotta pick up some ice cream for Cherise.” Isaiah stopped and Dodson got out of the car. “I’m not playing, Isaiah.”
“I know you’re not playing.”
“I’m not doing it.”
“I heard you.”
“No, I don’t think you did. I’m not doing it.”
“Okay, you’re not doing it.”