Jury of Peers by Troy L Brodsky Read Free Book Online Page B

in a big, soft looking chair; and a half dozen guys clustered around a game console in front of the huge television.  Vesper sat behind a desk, on the phone as usual. 
    He smiled and waved Saul over.
    Again, he just ended the call in mid–sentence.
    “Saul,” he said.
    Saul was quiet.  He tensed up his gut so that he wouldn’t squeak.
    Vesper smirked., "You got it?”
    “Yeah,” Saul said and then stooped down to take off his shoes.
    It had taken about three hours to cut down into the foam, carve it out, and create a cavity in both shoes, and while they wouldn’t fool everyone, they did fool most, even lots of cops. Vesper leaned over his desk and peered into the shoes.  “You do that?”
    “Yeah,” Saul said.  “Better than comin’ up here with nothin’.”
    A laugh.  “How much you got there?”
    “About two grand.”
    “Exactly how much?”  Vesper leaned back.
    “Twenty twenty.”
    “You ever seen that much scratch?”
    Saul shook his head.
    “You gonna miss havin’ it in your kicks?”
    “Yeah, made me taller.”
    A moment passed and Vesper’s eyes brightened.  It was the first time Saul had ever heard him laugh, really laugh.  Everyone looked, even the girls.
    “You know why I sent you around collecting?”
    He nodded, “Yeah.”
    “How’s come then little man?”
    “You wanted to see if I’d bring it all, twenty twenty.”
    Vesper squared the stack of bills away and told Saul to count it out.  “Why’d you bring it all?  I know your momma ain't gettin’ no extra down at the laundry.”
    Saul finished counting out loud and looked up.  He was scared; his gut ached from keeping it pent up, and thus his voice was tight, “I knew you’d check with everybody, and I know what I want.”
    “Bold shit,” Vesper said and slid the stack over.  “Whatcha want Saul?”
    “I don’t wanna sleep on no more floors.”
    A nod, "You ain’t gonna.  Not you, not your momma.  You know what I like about you Saul?  You’re smart, and you don’t talk the street.”  He broke the stack of bills roughly in half.  “You know what I don’t like about you?”
    Saul shook his head wondering if he’d played this right, or if it was all over before it began.
    “You’re smart and you don’t talk the street.  You ain’t gonna stop at sleepin’ in no bed.  Your gonna want more.  And even if ya don’t think so now, you’ll be wantin’ more once you get a taste.  That’s what I don’t like.  You gonna fuck with me Saul?”
    “I just don’t wanna sleep on no more floors, that’s it.”
    “Aight,” Vesper said and pushed half of the stack back across the table.  “Like I said, you won’t.  That’s for you and your momma, get it back in those kicks and you’ll be taller for real.”
    “Thanks,” Saul said, afraid to touch the money.
    “It ain’t ‘bout thanks little man, you know it.  It’s business.  Your dome ain’t gonna take you the whole way, smart or not," he tapped Saul's head.  "You gotta get wet sometime.  You know that too.”
    Saul nodded and took the money.  And that was the deal.  He was moving up, he’d done it right, but like anything in life, it wasn’t free.  Soon he'd have to go out with the dog they called Bolo and make a hit.  Death was just part of life.
      His mom took the money, didn’t ask where it came from… and no one slept on the floor anymore.
     
    *               *              *
     
    Now, the television in this same room showed the front of a big brick house, and despite all of the cops clustered around, the white Escalade was still visible, parked just so on the brick driveway.  “You do that?”
    “Fuck,” Bolo said.  "It ain’t no big deal, just a hit for your boy here like I said.”
                  “You better get your eyes checked motherfucker,” Vesper said.  “And then tell me why FOX is runnin’ your jump for the little man here.  Tell me