Roy Glenn - In A Cold Sweat

When he finally found the house, Bobby’s wife, Pam, let him in and told him that Black and Bobby were in the basement and that he could go on down.

“There he is,” Black said as Freeze walked down the steps.

“Missed the turn didn’t you?” Bobby asked.

“Every fuckin’ time.” Freeze went toward the bar. Once he poured himself a drink and refreshed everyone else’s, he sat down on the couch next to Black. “How you doin’?” Freeze asked him.

“I guess I’m all right. I mean, I don’t feel like killin’ myself or no dumb shit like that.”

“Yeah, but he been cryin’ all damn day,” Bobby added.

“Fuck you, Bobby. I ain’t been cryin’ all day,” Black told him, although he did feel like crying at times that day. “Anyway, I’m glad you came. I want to talk to you about something,” Black said to Freeze.

“What's that?” Freeze was curious to know.

“Me and Bobby been talking about this and I want you to run things,” Black said, but Freeze didn’t say anything. “I know you been handling shit for years, but it’s always been somebody else, me, then Wanda, then Cassandra, callin’ the shots. But that’s over with. It’s your time now. Me and Bobby are here to advise you if you need it, but you make the decisions.”

“What about Wanda?” Freeze asked.

“What I tell you? You got this, without any interference from Wanda. I wish you had come yesterday while she was here so I could have told you in front of her. If you need her advice, ask her.”

Freeze looked at Black, but didn’t say anything. Feeling the way he was feeling, what could he say? Here he had just been handed everything he wanted and he felt empty.

“Bobby. I need to talk to Black for a minute.” Freeze looked at Bobby, awaiting his response.

Bobby picked up his drink and stood up. “Holla when you're done. I’ll be at the top of the stairs listening,” he said and winked.

Knowing how Bobby was, Freeze waited until he heard the door close before he said anything. “There’s something I gotta tell you about the night Shy got killed.”

“What's that?” Black asked and put down his drink.

“I was supposed to go over there that night,” Freeze confessed.

“I know, she told me. Why didn’t you go?”

Freeze didn’t answer. He felt like a fuckin’ fool having to say it.

“What ever it is, go ahead and say it,” Black told him.

Once again Freeze found himself speechless. He finished his drink and took a deep breath. “I didn’t go ‘cause I didn’t like the way she talked to me.”

Black shook his head. “I know that was hard for you to tell me,” Black said and got up to get the bottle. “You think it’s your fault Cassandra’s dead?”

“If I’d just gone over there, she’d still be alive,” Freeze said while Black refilled his glass.

Black poured himself another drink and sat down. “You gotta let that go. It ain’t your fault. They were listening on the phones; they knew you were coming and they went ahead with it anyway. What does that tell you? It means Bart was ready for you. So you drop that shit. You're gonna need a clear head for what you gotta do for me. You carryin’ that guilt around ain’t gonna do nothing for nobody; understand?”

Freeze told Black that he understood what he was saying, and for the most part, he did. But there was a part of him that still believed that if he had been there that night, things would have been different, even if Bart was ready for him.

Before Black and Bobby got to the house, Freeze had spoken to Nick Simmons. When Freeze told him that Black was on his way there, Nick said that he had some information for Black and that Freeze shouldn’t let Black leave before he got there.

Through his contacts, Nick was able to find out that the men that killed Shy were handled by a guy named Rosstein, but he died suddenly before he told who hired him. Now Nick had gotten information about Rosstein that might be useful.

“What's up, Freeze?” Nick said when he came into the office where Freeze and Mylo were.

“What’s up,” Freeze said and seemed to be looking around or past Nick. “You alone?” Freeze asked.

“Yeah, I’m alone,” Nick replied.

“Where’s Wanda?” Freeze asked and laughed.

“Fuck you, that’s where Wanda is.”

Freeze stood up like he was going to shake hands with Nick, but tapped him on the hip. “I’m just askin’, ‘cause usually she be right there attached to your hip.”

Nick slapped Freeze’s hand away. “Fuck you, Freeze.”

Every time Freeze saw Nick without Wanda, he would kid him about it. She and Nick had sniffed around each other and denied that there was anything going on between them.

If you had asked Wanda, she’d say, “Nick? Please, we are just two old friends that like to hang out.”

While Nick had become notorious for saying. “Hangin’ out with her is like old times, you know, when we all used to hang together.”

That was until they finally got together one night while Black was in jail.

Since that night, they’ve carried on a relatively secret relationship. That’s the way Wanda wanted it; she didn’t want anyone to find out, especially Mike Black. The only person who knew was Freeze, and although Nick was proud to have Wanda and wanted the world to know that she was all his, there were times like this that he wished Freeze had never figured it out.

“What's up, Nick?” Mylo said and got up. Freeze looked at Mylo and he started walking toward the door. “I’m gonna see how the game is goin’.”

“Send somebody in with some drinks,” Freeze ordered.

“Johnnie Black, right?” Mylo asked Nick.

Nick nodded his head.

When Mylo closed the door behind him, Nick looked at Freeze. “You got him well trained,” he said and sat down on the couch.

“He serves a purpose. He hears shit; all kinds of shit.” Freeze sat at the desk. “So where is the ball and chain tonight?”

“At the club waiting for me to come back.”

“How long she give you to get back?” Freeze asked and Nick gave him a dirty look. “I’m just sayin’, I’m surprised she didn’t wanna come with you.”

“I told her Black was gonna be here. She doesn’t ever want Black seein’ us together, much less knowing we’re-,” Nick started, but stopped and thought about what he would call their little arrangement. He didn’t wanna just say they were fuckin’, because it was more than that.

They did things together, but it was always in New Jersey or Connecticut. They couldn’t take a trip together because Wanda was afraid of what people would think if they were both out of town at the same time. Nick didn’t like hiding.

“Go ahead, say it,” Freeze said.

“Say what?”

“Knowing y’all in love.”

“Fuck you, Freeze,” Nick said, even though it was the truth. He loved Wanda very much.

“Whatever, but y’all just think it’s a secret. That nigga psychic. Black know all about that shit.”

“He say something to you?”

“No. But think about that shit. Wanda be up in the club every night, actin’ a gotdamn fool every time a woman get near you and you don’t think Tara ain’t told Black?”

“Wanda ain’t worried about Tara.” Nick smiled as there was a knock at the door and Mylo returned with the drinks. Once he was gone, Nick said. “Tara caught us fuckin’ above the stage one night.”

“That used to be her and Black’s spot. I know she couldn’t wait to tell Black about that.”

“Wanda knew that too, so she threatened her job. Wanda gave her a choice; Tara could tell Black and get fired, or keep her mouth shut and get a raise.”

Freeze laughed. “Wanda gangster.”