Chapter Thirty-Eight
Morris Johnson went to the office where Nikki Randolph worked and learned that she’d called in sick.
He had to ring Randolph’s bell several times and knock twice before she opened the door.
“What do you want?” Randolph asked. Her speech was slurred, her breath reeked of cheap whiskey, and her eyes were bloodshot from crying.
“I’m really sorry about Ray-Ray,” Morris said. “He died in my arms.”
“He died because you and that bitch Wyatt killed him.”
“We think Walter Zegda hired the man who shot Ray-Ray.”
“And why did Walt send someone after Ray?” Randolph asked defiantly. “It’s because he found out that you motherfuckers bailed him out.”
“Nikki, we were going to fly him out of Portland with you on a private plane. We were going to save both of you when he was shot. Karen was shot too, and she still wants to help you.”
“She can help me by killing herself,” Randolph said as she started to shut the door.
“Karen wants to pay you. She knows it won’t bring Ray-Ray back, but it might keep you safe.”
“I don’t want your blood money. Now get off my property.”
“Nikki, Ray said something before he died. He said your name,” Morris lied. “He wanted me to tell you that he loved you.”
Tears welled up in Randolph’s eyes, and her knees buckled. She grabbed the wall to keep from falling. Morris opened the door and helped Randolph to her couch. She dropped onto it, her eyes tightly shut, wailing.
“It’s okay,” Morris said. “He loved you, Nikki. You’ll always have that.”
Morris stopped talking and waited for Randolph to calm down. Eventually, she stopped crying. Her breathing slowed. Morris took an envelope out of his pocket. It was stuffed with hundred-dollar bills.
“This is for you.”
Randolph didn’t take the envelope, so Morris put it next to her on the couch. Randolph focused on the investigator. Her features morphed from sorrow to suspicion.
“What’s the catch? What do I have to do for the money?”
“There is no catch. Miss Wyatt feels awful, because she feels responsible for what happened to Ray.”
“There’s always a catch. What does she want from me?”
“Nothing. Like I said, this is a gift. But I did have a question. You know that Zegda sent a hit squad to kill Ray?”
“I saw what happened at his house on TV.”
“When he escaped, he called Miss Wyatt. We told him we were going to fly the two of you somewhere safe. When he was dying, he tried to tell me the name of the DA Zegda has on his payroll, but he was hurting too much. But he did say something that is puzzling me. After he said he loved you, he said ‘Starlight,’ and I have no idea what it means. Do you?”
Randolph flashed a bitter smile. “I knew there was a catch. The money is for the name.”
“Absolutely not.”
Randolph grabbed the envelope with the money and threw it at Morris. He let it bounce off him and drop to the floor. Randolph stood up.
“Get out.”
“Nikki…”
“Get the fuck out of my house, or I’ll call the cops. And about ‘Starlight.’ I have no fucking idea what that means, but if I figure it out, you can tell your boss I will never tell her.”