Chapter 7
Chapter
Seven
Fortune
Something had to be done about Myron’s bitch ass. We had no proof that he was behind everything, but Perrae and I knew it was all his doing. If only we could catch him in the act.
Perrae said his name was Myron Burrs, but that wasn’t correct. One of my guys did a background check on him for me. A bunch of Myron Burrs surfaced, but none of them were Perrae’s neighbor.
That meant one thing. Myron wasn’t who he claimed to be. Some undercover work had to happen. We needed to know who he was and what his secret was.
In order to know that, I had to break into his house. It was the only way. I was dressed in all black and parked a couple of houses down from Myron.
At this time of the night, I knew Perrae and her kids were asleep. Plus, I was well aware that her cameras would catch me going through his front door. I hated crooks who entered through the front door, especially if there was another way to enter a house.
I jogged toward his backyard then dipped around the back when I made it. The moment I landed in his backyard, an awful stench hit me immediately. Whatever it was carried a funky ass smell.
My eyes looked around the backyard. It was messy and held kids toys and your usual gardening supplies. There was a wheel barrel right by a tree.
It sat on a small, almost unnoticeable pile of fresh dirt. I crept over there. The barrel was empty, but the smell was more prominent there.
My heartbeat picked up. It smelled like death over there. I had an agenda tonight, and it didn’t include digging.
As bad as I wanted to, I didn’t want to spend my whole time here when I came to get information on Myron. I snapped a few pictures of that barrel, then continued to his back door. All the lights were off.
I removed my small tools and unlocked his back door. It made a slight creaking noise, but I made sure to be as still as possible. When I was inside, I was thrust into almost darkness.
The moonlight streaming through the kitchen helped a bit, but I brought my trusty small flashlight that lit up a space pretty well. We used them at work. I closed the door and locked it.
I took careful steps as I moved my light around the kitchen. It was filthy and funky. Dishes were piled high, and old food was leftover on several plates and bowls.
They lived in absolute filth. I knew squatters who lived way better than this. Bugs flew around. I waved them away.
It was summertime; of course Myron should’ve known filth was a bug’s paradise. Damn he was a nasty person. I moved over to the counter space where I found a stack of mail.
Quietly, I sifted through the mail. My brows scrunched together. The letter mail was for a Bill and Shirley Packer. Who the fuck were they, and why did he have their mail?
I took a few letters and shoved them in my back pocket. Afterwards, I continued my trek to the living room. There wasn’t much to see, because there was so much garbage that covered his furniture and floor.
I eased up the creaky and dirty stairs. There was trash that littered all the steps. It was like wherever they ate or drank, they threw the wrapping down there. It was crazy.
I’d made it to the top stair when Myron yelled out. “AJ, get yo’ ass in the bed and off those damn stairs!” His words slurred. He was liquored up as usual.
I looked at the door that he shouted from. The door was partially opened, and a small light could be seen. I eased toward his room and peered through the crack.
Myron was stretched out on his bed and crying. He held a photo frame to his chest and gripped a big bottle of liquor in the other hand. Somebody he loved died. That was evident.
I had sympathy for him, but that didn’t give him the right to constantly hurt my woman. He’d get no support from me. If we never got any proof of his dealings, then Myron would just have to die.
There was no way that Perrae would give up her home. She shouldn’t have to. So, he’d have to die.
I walked away from his room and back down the stairs and out of his house. Myron was off just like Perrae thought. There wasn’t much information I could find on him, but maybe there was something on Bill and Shirley Packer.
<<<
“Hey, Perrae. It’s so nice to finally meet you. Welcome to our home,” Lina voiced excitedly.
“Thank you, Lina. It’s a pleasure to meet you all. Fortune has mentioned only good things about you,” Perrae stated.
“Hey, Fortune. Nice to see you too,” Lina added.
“Dang. I’m chopped liver now that you have a buddy,” I teased her.
“Exactly,” they announced in unison then giggled just like women did.
I shook my head. “Where’s the wine?”
Right when I asked, Jason walked into the kitchen, rolling up his sleeves. “Hey, everybody! You must be Perrae. Welcome to our home.”
Jason walked over to Lina and kissed her cheek. He shook Perrae’s hand then came over and dapped me up. He smirked at me. “She’s hot, man,” he whispered with a big grin.
I couldn’t hold back my laughter. Jason would always be Jason. I needed wine ASAP. “Thanks, man.”
Lina handed me and Perrae a glass, and I filled them. I knew her preferred wine choice, so there was no need to ask. We took our party of four outside on their deck where the kids were.
We introduced Perrae’s kids to Jason. Afterwards, the girls ran off to play, and JJ lounged in a chair with his legs up and headphones on. Jason drank from his wineglass and jumped right on their propane grill.
He grilled really good if you asked me. Tonight’s menu was grilled lemon salmon and chicken, golden potatoes, and grilled veggies. Perrae made a lemon cake for dessert. I didn’t even know she could bake.
I was glad I knew now. Lina got the music going, and Maxwell crooned throughout their backyard. Maxwell was definitely a favorite of mine.
Lina took the seat across from us. “Perrae, I can’t thank you enough for how you take such good care of Madison when she’s with you. She adores y’all so much.
“Her dad used to be her only talk, now it’s all about you, Tahari, Tahiri, and her JJ. She likes having a big brother. No pressure on you guys, but those are her words, not mine,” Lina revealed with a chuckle.
Perrae and I looked at each other and laughed.
“I’m glad she feels safe with us and enjoys herself.
You give me too much credit, Lina. Madison is a great kid.
I look at her just how I look at my kids.
She's a part of Fortune, and now she's in my life. You can rest assure knowing that Madison will always be covered with love and care,” Perrae professed.
“I second that,” I added. I leaned over and kissed her forehead.
“Aww. You guys are too cute. Thank you, Perrae. I hope you know that your kids are more than welcomed over here. How can I not accept them when Madison adores her new siblings. Again, her words, not mine. If we're going to be a blended family, and that’s exactly what it looks like, then we all have to be in this thing together,” Lina encouraged. She took a sip from her wineglass.
I nodded my head. “I'm with it. That was my plan all along. Perrae and I are locked in, so it's good to have you and Jason on board,” I affirmed.
“We sure are. I'm down. I'm with it all,” Jason voiced in his chipper, proper English tone.
Perrae, Lina, and I locked eyes and chuckled discreetly. I never broke out in a full laughter because I wasn't in the business of making people feel like they didn’t belong. Jason was a good guy. He was just corny, and that was fine too.
Our evening went on, and we all enjoyed our night of food, drinks, and family time. Once we wound down, I helped Jason bring out their projector and screen, and we watched a funny family movie.
Perrae relaxed between my legs while we lounged in a chair. I kissed her head and cheek repeatedly, as I cradled her body against mine. I still couldn't believe I pulled a baddie like her. She was all mine. I refused to share her with anyone other than her kids.
<<<
“JJ, you did a great job today. Now you can add fencing and plumbing to your résumé. If you'd like to come to work with me again, all you have to do is reach out.” I removed my wallet and handed him two hundred dollars. “That's today's pay.”
His eyes widened. “Oh, wow! Thanks, Fortune. I appreciate it.”
“No problem, son. You gotta get paid for working.” My phone rang. I looked at the ID. It was my tech guy, Chris.
The day after I broke into Myron's home, I gave Chris the mail I'd stolen. I wanted a full search on Bill and Shirley. This was an important call. I thought about not letting JJ know, but I thought better of it.
It pertained to their safety, so he needed to know. I hit the green phone icon and put the call on speakerphone. “What's up, Chris?”
“Hey, I just got in that information you wanted. Apparently, Bill and Shirley are both retired educators. They didn’t have any kids or close relatives. It was just them two.
“They had pretty outgoing lives, even in their ripe age of eighty. Both played tennis and golf together. A little online shopping was present as well, but the last six months, it's like they've been ghosts.
“The Packers have not spent any money out of their accounts, no visits to the country club they're a part of, yet their electric and gas bills have skyrocketed.
Something is definitely fishy about it. The Packers don't have any relatives to do a wellness check on them, but it needs to be done.
That's just my personal opinion. I've emailed you this information. I hope it helps. Good luck,” Chris spewed.
“Thanks, man. I appreciate your help.” I ended the call and exhaled. Shit looked bad. It was just what I'd speculated. Myron Burrs wasn't who he said he was.
“Is everything alright, Fortune?” JJ probed.
“No, it’s not. I have reason to believe that y'all neighbor is not who he says he is. Let me ask you a question.”
“Shoot,” he replied.
“When you all first moved in four months ago, do you remember seeing Myron and his son there?”