I move around her car and get in the passenger side before she pulls away from the curb and back into traffic. It's a pretty crappy four door sedan she's driving and I
figure it's for her stakeouts as I wait for the lecture.
"What the hell were you doing trying to buy a gun here," Detective Escalante asks in a slightly hostile tone.
"I'm pretty sure I'm not allowed to incriminate myself," I keep it short and she's not happy.
"Buying an illegal firearm is not the way to solve your problems if this has anything to do with those other students you claimed stabbed you," she states, trying to take the moral high ground.
"And what is the right way, just trust the police to do their job and it'll be fine? Or how about I report them for the beatings they gave me to the principal and let him take care of it," I ask and she winces at my accusations," Yeah that's going to work so well in your perfect world but unfortunately authority only works when it's abused."
"There was no evidence," she wanted to explain and I cut her off.
"That your crack team of investigators could find. Then there are the students who wouldn't talk when I was beaten and they either thought it was funny or just kept quiet for their own safety. Oh even better, how about when I try to do business and they surround me and I get punched in the face and have my phone taken away before being told that nobody will testify that I was assaulted and I shouldn't call the police," I state my facts and she is ready.
"Buying a gun won't solve your problem, and when were you assaulted," the Detective asks fishing for information.
"What does it matter, you won't do anything anyway. Pull over," I tell her and she doesn't," STOP THE CAR!"
My shouting has her slam on the brakes and after hitting my seat I open the door and exit her sedan. I walk about five steps and hear her coming after me on foot, a hand on my shoulder stops me from walking.
"We're not done," she informs me and I wait for her to finish," What you are looking to do is escalate a situation where someone will get hurt and possibly killed."
"I have been hurt, I have been nearly killed. I need something to defend myself," I get the words out and she cuts me off.
"So killing Carlos or Hector or one of their friends is going to fix everything? If they are as bad as you claim they are the second you do they'll come after you and they won't care who gets in their way," Escalante is concerned, it's stupid concern.
"You think I was going to go after them? I was going to keep it and when they came to attack me AGAIN I was going to defend myself," I explain and she shakes her head.
"With an illegally purchased firearm," she states skeptical.
"A firearm purchase takes up to two weeks; I need one a week ago. If I shoot them and I have a registered weapon I immediately go to jail because I shot someone with MY legally registered firearm. If it's not legal I can destroy it and there is no connection," I explain and she gives me a shocked look," what you think I haven't thought this through? They are coming after me now that they have nothing to worry about thanks to your amazing investigation."
"You said you were assaulted recently, why didn't you report it," she asks and I shake my head.
"Here's what would have happened, you and your people would have shown up and asked a bunch of questions. The people involved would have lied about Hector and his buddies being there and me getting hit in the face," I point out my mostly healed bruise," and about my phone being held from me so as to prevent me from calling. Then after 'extensive' deduction I would be told that there isn't anything more you can do since there isn't enough evidence and you'd drop the case. Sound familiar?"
The expression on Detective Escalante's face is one that I can only describe as frustratingly defeated. I know she can counter with 'the law' but honestly there are holes in that argument that I could lead a Thanksgiving Day parade through. I turned away from her and continued walking about twenty feet to my car at the paid parking lot I left it at. I had her stop for a reason despite my need to not have a conversation with her. I get to my car, I love it save for the paint job and when I try to get in I see the Detective standing at the back of my car waiting. I leave the door unlocked and wait for her to say her final piece.
"What were you doing the day you were stabbed? You've avoided the question with vague answers but I know you held back what you were actually doing," she asks and I'm full throttle tired of it.
"You want to know, I was meeting a girl I paid for sex. Does that help; does it give you some great insight into how pathetic it has been for me? I couldn't get a girlfriend in high school because everyone laughed at me as a fucking whipping boy so I had to pay a girl there for sex," I tell her a little loudly and a bit harsh.
"Why not say that in the first place, we could have interviewed her," she adds but catches herself," You already talked to her."
"Yeah, she thanked me for not getting the police involved and ruining her money making opportunity and she didn't have anything to do with it," I state and get an odd look from the detective.
"How can you be so sure," she asks and I shrug.
"I'm pretty good at reading people, she was thankful that I didn't expose her but not guilty like she was hiding something. Is there anything else because I'd like to get at least one of my errands done today and since buying something to defend myself with is out I have to find a place to get my car's paint done," I explain and hope to end the conversation.
She wishes me good luck with my legal errand and leaves me alone for her police work. Maybe she'll actually get a lead and catch someone but honestly I don't care if she does, I have my own problems. Another two hours looking at places to get my paint job done, one ended up with me at a house and some guy offering four hundred to do the whole thing. Yeah I'd end up with a stolen car there. I head to the mall to think, it's only two in the afternoon and I need lunch. I get settled in the food court and get some Asian food, not sure if it's Japanese or Chinese honestly. I've got to find a way to get a gun but if the detective is watching me it's going to be almost too difficult. I'm halfway through my food when a female, kind of familiar then immediately terrifying, sits down across from me.
"Hey there, we didn't get a chance to talk the other day," the female mechanic says with a smirk.
"Leave me alone and go back to your boyfriend or I'll call the police," I tell her and she shakes her head.
"We're just talking," she says and I don't acknowledge her statement.
"I asked you to leave, now please leave," I ask again and she settles into her seat.
"I'm sorry I hit you, and held you down with a knife. I didn't know who you were until my cousin told me later. Carlos would like to talk with you," she says and I feel my heart begin to beat faster in my chest.
"And I'd like for Carlos to get gang raped by gorillas and his boys to be flayed alive," I state in a low tone.
"Easy , no need for hostility," she holds her hands up in mock surrender.
"Hostility? Your cousin has had his boys beat the shit out of me for three years and then they jump me a couple months ago and stab me then leave me for dead in an alley. Now that the police are gone Hector makes it a point to try to push me around and you attack me with no provocation. No need for hostility, your people have made hostility towards me a fucking pastime," I state letting my anger creep into my voice.
"Wow, MY people," she asks and I counter.
"Fucking gang members, little fucking groups that make it a point to single out people so they can feel fucking better about themselves so yes. You people," I clarify, cutting off the racist card before she can pull it.
"They ain't a gang," the mechanic tries to explain.
"The coordinated clothing colors, traveling in packs and the general level of violence they bring really say 'we're not a gang'," I'm using logic, I don't know if it sticks.
"You don't know them, don't pretend to label them after the shit they've been doing to clean up the neighborhoods," she says and I shake my head.
"Yes because I've been such a threat to their hood for the past three years that they needed to beat me and leave me for dead," again my logic is based on experience.
"Okay so what about your sister threatening Carlos," she is trying to counter me but I have no clue what she's talking about," that cheer bitch telling Carlos that if anything happens to you she'll fuck up his sister Marta."
"What the hell are you talking about," I ask and she laughs a little.
"You didn't tell your cheerleader sister to have her girls fuck up Marta if anything happened to you," she says it as a statement instead of a question but her confidence morphs to question," Wait you didn't, did you?"
"Why would I want anything to happen to Marta? She's never done shit to me except turn a blind eye to her brother and his goons kicking my ass," I state my case and she seems to believe me.
"Well your sister did it anyway and you need to do something about it if you're so damn innocent," she says and I agree.
I pull my phone out and make the call, right here and now. I don't feel like waiting and if I make a phone call it will be more private but still make my point to this woman sitting across from me. It takes a second for Beth to pick up.
"Guy, what's going on bro," Beth asks.
"Hey, I just got word of something and I need you to stop it right now," I state firmly.
"Stop what," Beth asks and I hear some confusion.
"No going after Marta, no revenge on my behalf," I state for the record as the mechanic listens in.
"How did you find out? Did Carlos tell you," she asks and I have to cut her off.
"Beth, please. Marta did nothing and if you hurt her it doesn't stop anything. She didn't do anything to me and I'm asking you, brother to sister, please let your plans go," I'm being sincere and the mechanic's face is one of surprise.
"But they can't get away with what they have been doing," Beth wants to argue.
"Please, let it go and if you have something planned, stop it. For me," I ask quietly.
"I just wanted to help you," she counters and I nod even though she can't see me.
"I know, but not like this. This doesn't help me; it just hurts more people who don't deserve it. Promise me it's over," I ask expectantly.
"I haven't started anything but I won't do it Guy, okay," she asks and I nod to the mechanic.
We say our goodbye and I hang up my phone before putting it away as the female mechanic watches me with interest.
"So that's it then," she asks and I nod," Carlos still wants to speak with you, settle things man to man."
"Well fuck him," my change in demeanor has the mechanic surprised.
"Easy it won't hurt anyone to talk and that's all he wants to do is just talk and I think apologize to you. I can have him come here," she asks and I shake my head," Why
won't you just sit down and speak with him, let him say his piece."
"Because he had his boys beat the shit out of me, humiliate me and leave me for fucking dead in an alley. There is nothing he can say, no apology he can make that will change what has been done," I state what happened again, seems like I'm doing that a lot but people aren't understanding how big it is for me.
"Well there's no getting you to be the better man or whatever and sit down to talk," she says and I laugh a little again.
"Not really and as for the better man, your cousin Carlos isn't a man. He's a thug and a bully, just like your boyfriend Hector," I get that far and she cuts me off.
"Hector is not my boyfriend; he doesn't have the balls for that. And my cousin is a better man than you are. He admitted when he screwed up and is trying to at least apologize," she tells me and I shake my head.
"Are you done? Because honestly there is nothing you can say will change the simple fact that your cousin is a bully and a thug," I say my piece and stand up to leave.
She doesn't stop me; she got what she wanted and doesn't have a reason to stop me. She got what she wanted and I'm actually glad I didn't learn her name. I don't want to know if she's associated with Carlos, Hector and their gang. My heart is pounding and I'm feeling a little shaky as I get to my car when I hear someone walking up to me and I turn to see someone from my past, the old nurse from high school, Ms. Kim.
"Guys are you alright," she asks concernedly.
"I don't know," I reply as my hands begin to shake.
"Take a minute and close your eyes," she instructs and I follow," Now deep breathes."