At 12:43 a.m. Kareem parked the Altima next to the Oldsmobile offered to TJ by Khaled in the Westwood motel parking lot. It was identical to the one currently parked back at the house. The motel room window facing the lot was illuminated. Kareem knocked on the door and waited.
"What's the magic word?" It was clearly TJ's voice.
Kareem grinned. It felt so good to hear the voice of his best friend in person. "Thank you?"
"You know what, I'll take that."
TJ opened the door and embraced Kareem tightly.
"So good to see you, bro," Kareem said, his voice muffled.
"So good to see you too, bro."
Keke appeared behind TJ, overjoyed, and Kareem quickly embraced her as well.
"Kareeeem," she squealed.
"Kekeeeee," he squealed back.
"Come on in," she said. "We've got pizza."
Kareem recognized the smell. "Don't tell me—"
Keke pointed to the pizza box on one of the two beds. "There's a Rosario's in the next town."
"God, I've been dying for some Rosario's!"
"Peperoni," Keke said. "Just the way you like it."
Kareem suddenly heard a flushing sound from beyond the closed bathroom door.
Kareem paused. "Who's in there?"
TJ and Keke exchanged glances and then looked at Kareem. Kareem's eyes widened. Then he made a face of slight disappointment. He sighed. "I take the pizza isn't the big surprise."
TJ and Keke shook their heads with wide grins.
Kareem sighed. "You shouldn't have."
The washroom door opened and a woman stepped out drying her hair wearing a black top and black butt shorts, with seemingly no idea of Kareem's presence in the room.
Kareem swallowed hard. "Jane."
Jane paused and gazed into Kareem's eyes and smiled.
Kareem's heart sank.
"Hello, Kareem," she said.
"What are you doing here?"
She stepped into the room and closed the bathroom door behind her. "Jeez, not much of a welcome."
"No, what I meant was, how did you know? What do you know?"
"I know about the deal, what you're doing here, and the two agents."
Kareem shot another sharp look. "Snitch."
TJ shrugged. "What, she was very persuasive."
"Why didn't you call me?" Jane asked Kareem.
"How could I possibly explain what happened to me without you being repulsed by me?"
She tossed the towel on a rack. "With one phone call and telling me exactly what happened."
"I didn't know how you would react."
"Kareem, I think I deserved to know. Can you imagine my reaction when I found out that you had been arrested?"
Kareem said nothing.
"After the hundredth call to your eternally engaged phone, I contacted TJ, and he explained everything to me. And look, here I am, still. I'm not repulsed."
"Why did you come?"
"Isn't it obvious, silly? When TJ told me that you had called for his help, I wanted to be there as well. After all, the success of this thing depends on whether you get a lighter conviction."
Kareem felt tears well up. He quickly retracted his seeping emotions. "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Silence.
"Excuse me, you're welcome as well?!" Keke said.
Kareem turned to TJ and Keke. "Thank you too, guys. Obviously."
"We bought you your favorite pizza," Jane said. "And I'm famished. Can we eat now? It was a long drive."
Kareem smiled and nodded. "Let's eat."
"Actually, bro, it was her idea," TJ said nodding at Jane.
Kareem smiled at Jane. "I'm flattered. That's very thoughtful of you. Thank you."
Jane smiled.
They sat on the bed in a circle and started plucking out slices. It was hot and delightful.
"Mhm, so good," Keke moaned.
TJ looked at her funnily.
Halfway through their first slice, Kareem said to TJ, "Does, Khaled know about Jane and Keke?"
"Yes, he does."
"And he was cool with it?"
"Yeah, bro. I mean, I was surprised but I guess he didn't see any harm in it. But he made us swear not to leak info out, you know what I'm saying?"
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah."
"I know Khaled as well," Jane said. "He's a regular at the Bunny Club."
Kareem said nothing.
They went for their second slice.
"Bro, there's something you should explain," TJ said.
"What?" Kareem said.
"What does Khaled have to do with this FBI operation? And why are you still in contact with him? You got arrested because of him. And they didn't do shit."
Kareem paused. "That's a conversation for a different time."
All three of them exchanged curious looks.
"Just trust me on this one," Kareem said.
"So, Kareem, why are we here?" Keke said.
Kareem looked at Keke and said, "I need your help to catch a killer before the FBI does. And I can't do it alone."
Silence.
"What?" TJ frowned. "I don't get it."
"I have to catch the killer before the FBI and behind their back. That's all I can say right now."
TJ, Keke, and Jane said nothing.
"I finally managed to get the agents off my back so I have free time," Kareem said. "I want you guys to do some of the legwork for me because I can't be at two places at the same time."
"What do you need us to do?" TJ asked.
"I need you to tail a man named Sean Walker. He's my AP History teacher."
"Why, is he a suspect?" Jane said.
Kareem nodded. "He and his step-sister are on my list. I don't have proof but I have a feeling that they had something to do with the killings."
"So when do we start?" Jane said.
"Tomorrow. He'll be at school the whole day and after that is when it starts. And I also want to buy a burner phone so I can talk with you guys. Khaled gave you the pocket money, right?"
"Yeah, I have it right here. A thousand bucks."
"Excellent. So I want TJ and Keke to get on that in your car."
"OK," TJ said.
"Cool," Keke replied.
"What do you want me to do?" Jane asked.
"Jane, I want you to come with me to meet someone."
"Who?"
"The former principal of Solace High, Mr. Peter Hana."
"Where is he?"
"Kansas City. Probably. I'm not sure. We'll have to find it through public records or something."
"I'll get on it in the morning," Jane said.
"And we should rent a car tomorrow."
"Sure thing," Jane said.
"So you won't be going to school tomorrow?" TJ said.
Kareem cringed at school. "I guess not."
* * *
That night, Kareem set the alarm and went to bed with a smile on his face because he got to see Jane and he was getting to spend more time with her tomorrow. Her eyes, her hair, her legs, her smile. He swallowed hard and his heart started to pound on his ribcage when he remembered the day in his apartment when she whispered to him that he was her protector. She was right. Kareem knew he would do anything to protect her. And do anything to be with her.
But just when his eyes were about to shut for the night, images from the pages of the library book haunted his mind. The hairs on his neck stuck up again. Slaves beheaded, and whipped with spiked whips; children being fed to hellhounds, and wives being hanged and shot in the head.
He spent the next ten minutes staring at the ceiling and then eventually drifted off to sleep with mounting pressure.
