Read Online A Good Dude by Keith Thomas Walker - Free Book Online
Authors: Keith Thomas Walker
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streaming down her face when she turned into the apartments. Flashing lights were everywhere. Police had their guns drawn in a hundred directions. Some thugs were running. Others were already on the ground with a knee in their backs. The air was filled with orders: Stop or I’ll shoot , and Hold it right there, asshole!
Amid the chaos, Candace pulled in right behind the unmarked SUV and got out like she had important business there. She ignored orders to remain in her vehicle and get on the ground . She stepped towards Rilla’s car in a daze. The sight reminded her of the D-Day scene in Saving Private Ryan . To her left a skinny Crip had his arm wrenched so far behind him she thought his shoulder would pop. He yelped like a frightened puppy. To her right another ruffian was putting up a good fight against three billy-club-swinging officers.
By the time someone grabbed her arm, Candace had reached the stairway. Eight people were on the ground being roughed up and cuffed. Candace scanned them and found the face she was looking for. Rilla lay flat on his stomach. He struggled profusely, but the deal was done; he was already shackled. A chunky officer squatted on him with a chubby knee on the back of his neck.
Candace tried to run towards him, but the guy holding her jerked her arm roughly.
“Do you hear me?” he screamed into her ear.
Candace turned and saw that she was being restrained by a large man with a long handlebar moustache. He wore a long-sleeved button-down with jeans rather than the black uniform of the Overbrook Meadows Police Department. He did have a badge clipped on his belt, though. He had a gun holstered there, too.
“ What the hell is wrong with you? Do you hear me?”
He had his face close to hers now. They were nose to nose. Candace thought his breath smelled like peanut butter.
“Do you want to go to jail?” he bellowed, and the words startled Candace from her trance. She regarded him queerly, as if noticing him for the first time.
“Get the hell out of here!” he ordered. “ Get back in your vehicle and leave!”
He turned her around and shoved her in the direction of her Sentra—shoved her a little hard, considering she was seven months pregnant. Candace stumbled but didn’t lose her footing. She turned back towards Rilla, but the detective stood before her with his hands on his hips.
“ You got ten seconds to get the hell away from here! ” he barked. “ One! . . . . ”
* * *
Candace got into her car and drove away.
She didn’t know how she made it home, but Trisha found her in the parking lot thirty minutes later. Candace was sobbing uncontrollably, mumbling something about Rilla, the police, and a terrible place called the Evergreen Apartments.
* * *
After a day like this, you’re apt to call your mama, no matter who you are. Candace got ten dollars in quarters from a Laundromat and made her call from a pay phone close to her apartment. Her mother answered after three rings.
“Hello?”
“Mama?”
“ Hello ?”
“Mama, it’s me.”
“ Candace ?”
“Yeah, Mama.”
“Oh, my God, baby . Oh, my God. I can’t beli—oh, baby. It’s really you? Candace, we’ve miss—are you all right? We’ve missed you so much. I can’t believe it!”
“ I’m all right, Mama.”
“Girl, you’ve given us such a fright. I haven’t slept in a year. You should see me. I’ve got gray hairs everywhere! Where are you, baby? Are you ready to come home? Please tell me you’re through with this nonsense.”
Despite everything that was wrong in Candace’s life, her mother’s voice put a smile on her face. “Yeah,” she said. “I want to come home.”
“Oh, my God, did you say yes ? Baby, did you say you want to come home?”
“Yes, Mama. I want to come back home.”
“ Oh, Candace! You don’t know how happy I am to hear that. You should see me, I’m bouncing like a schoolgirl. Are you okay? Where are you? Everything’s all right?”
“I’m
Amid the chaos, Candace pulled in right behind the unmarked SUV and got out like she had important business there. She ignored orders to remain in her vehicle and get on the ground . She stepped towards Rilla’s car in a daze. The sight reminded her of the D-Day scene in Saving Private Ryan . To her left a skinny Crip had his arm wrenched so far behind him she thought his shoulder would pop. He yelped like a frightened puppy. To her right another ruffian was putting up a good fight against three billy-club-swinging officers.
By the time someone grabbed her arm, Candace had reached the stairway. Eight people were on the ground being roughed up and cuffed. Candace scanned them and found the face she was looking for. Rilla lay flat on his stomach. He struggled profusely, but the deal was done; he was already shackled. A chunky officer squatted on him with a chubby knee on the back of his neck.
Candace tried to run towards him, but the guy holding her jerked her arm roughly.
“Do you hear me?” he screamed into her ear.
Candace turned and saw that she was being restrained by a large man with a long handlebar moustache. He wore a long-sleeved button-down with jeans rather than the black uniform of the Overbrook Meadows Police Department. He did have a badge clipped on his belt, though. He had a gun holstered there, too.
“ What the hell is wrong with you? Do you hear me?”
He had his face close to hers now. They were nose to nose. Candace thought his breath smelled like peanut butter.
“Do you want to go to jail?” he bellowed, and the words startled Candace from her trance. She regarded him queerly, as if noticing him for the first time.
“Get the hell out of here!” he ordered. “ Get back in your vehicle and leave!”
He turned her around and shoved her in the direction of her Sentra—shoved her a little hard, considering she was seven months pregnant. Candace stumbled but didn’t lose her footing. She turned back towards Rilla, but the detective stood before her with his hands on his hips.
“ You got ten seconds to get the hell away from here! ” he barked. “ One! . . . . ”
* * *
Candace got into her car and drove away.
She didn’t know how she made it home, but Trisha found her in the parking lot thirty minutes later. Candace was sobbing uncontrollably, mumbling something about Rilla, the police, and a terrible place called the Evergreen Apartments.
* * *
After a day like this, you’re apt to call your mama, no matter who you are. Candace got ten dollars in quarters from a Laundromat and made her call from a pay phone close to her apartment. Her mother answered after three rings.
“Hello?”
“Mama?”
“ Hello ?”
“Mama, it’s me.”
“ Candace ?”
“Yeah, Mama.”
“Oh, my God, baby . Oh, my God. I can’t beli—oh, baby. It’s really you? Candace, we’ve miss—are you all right? We’ve missed you so much. I can’t believe it!”
“ I’m all right, Mama.”
“Girl, you’ve given us such a fright. I haven’t slept in a year. You should see me. I’ve got gray hairs everywhere! Where are you, baby? Are you ready to come home? Please tell me you’re through with this nonsense.”
Despite everything that was wrong in Candace’s life, her mother’s voice put a smile on her face. “Yeah,” she said. “I want to come home.”
“Oh, my God, did you say yes ? Baby, did you say you want to come home?”
“Yes, Mama. I want to come back home.”
“ Oh, Candace! You don’t know how happy I am to hear that. You should see me, I’m bouncing like a schoolgirl. Are you okay? Where are you? Everything’s all right?”
“I’m
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