Jaz took a deep breath. “I know that having this all bottled up inside me can’t be good.” She got up and came over to the sofa and sat next to Kaylin. “I told Faheem I would handle everything. Y’all know that he’s in no condition to put in any work. Hell, he is still not right mentally. He had lost little Faheem, so I felt that he should not have to be bothered with this bullshit. What was I here for? He always underestimates me.”
“Jaz, what do you mean by ‘he’s in no condition to put in any work’ and to let you ‘handle everything’?” Kaylin asked her.
I was already reading between the lines. I knew Jaz. And I knew that she was getting ready to tell us about some outlandish shit that she had done. She didn’t call us way down there to “vent,” as she called it.
“All I’m saying is, I stepped up to the plate and helped him.”
“Helped him do what?” Kaylin asked.
“So where is he now?” I wanted to know.
“He’s locked up.”
“Locked up for what?” I asked. Jaz was beating around the bush, and it was starting to irritate me. And the plot thickens, I thought to myself.
Kaylin had eased up to the edge of the sofa. “You helped him do what, Jaz?”
“It’s me that they should be questioning. But Steve said they should be releasing him today. They are questioning him about Oni’s murder.” She glared at us.
“Jaz, she got murdered? Are you saying that is why they should be questioning you?” I asked.
“Shit,” Kaylin mumbled. He then leaned over and whispered into my ear, “Her ass took her out or had something to do with it.”
I looked over at little ol’ Jaz and couldn’t wrap my mind around her killing somebody. So now that made two of us in the clique who’d committed the deed. But did she really actually do it?
“Angel, I see the wheels in your head turning. Chill out. I didn’t do it, I got someone else to do it. That’s how I know that they are going to have to let Faheem go. They don’t have anything on him.”
“What’s Faheem saying about all of this?” I asked, but I already knew the answer.
“You know Faheem. He’s livid. That’s why I called y’all down here. Kaylin, I need you to talk to him. He already knew about the first one but just found out about Oni when they came and picked him up.”
“Oh, my God, Jaz! Who was the first one?”
“Who do you think? That nigga responsible for lil’ Faheem, Steele. He was the first one, and he deserved to die, just like she did. Don’t judge me, Angel.” She looked at me with one eyebrow up and one down.
“Jaz, cut the bullshit. You know I’m not judging you. But if you think I can just sit here while you tell me you had your hand in bodying two people and me not be stuck on stupid, you must be crazy.”
“Angel, please.” Kaylin raised his hand, putting it in my face. Translation: Shut the fuck up. “Jaz, so what do you expect me to say to Faheem?” Kaylin asked her. I knew that he was just as surprised as I was.
Her eyes got big, and she began to frown. I could tell that she was shaken at the thought of dealing with Faheem on this. “I’m not sure. I just need you to talk to him before he talks to me. I only did what I did because it needed to be done. What else was I supposed to do?” Jaz popped up off the couch and started pacing back and forth.
“I’ma be straight up with you,” Kaylin began. “You acting like what you did ain’t no big thing. Have you thought about the moves your opponent would make? I can tell you right now, that’s gonna be Faheem’s beef. You can’t do what you did and not overthink your opponent. You can never plan for the worst, let alone the unexpected. I mean, it is what it is. And I’m sure Steele had people. You don’t think they comin’ after you?”
“Are you done? Can I talk now?” Jaz asked in a condescending tone.
“Go ahead. I’m just keeping it real with you. That’s why you called me down here, ain’t it? I’m anxious to hear your logic.” Kaylin was talking to Jaz as if she rode the small yellow bus.