Crackhead II: A Novel by Lisa Lennox Page A

Margaret welcomed the company. She had always liked Sonny. He’d developed a dope habit in 1965 and had lost everything, including his relationship with his mother and his brother, Jay. When he was confronted, he took the coward’s way out and burned out. He wasn’t there for his mother’s funeral or Jay’s college graduation, marriage, or death. Margaret was big on family because she had a small one, and so she’d searched the streets for her husband’s only brother. Once she found him, she vowed to help him and never turn her back on him.
    Margaret put Sonny through rehab, visited him, and helped him turn his life around. She even helped him get a job at the local supermarket, but after being clean for a year, he woke up with a jones he couldn’t shake. Margaret was brokenhearted that he wanted to go back to his habit, but if he hadn’t run into Laci that day at the crack house, who knows what could have happened.
    “Hi, can I help you?” he asked the officer who stood in front of him.
    “Good evening, I’m Officer Terrance Jones,” he displayed his badge, “and I’m looking for Julacia Johnson.”
    “Why are you looking for her?” Sonny asked in a harsh tone, followed by a worried look on his face. He noticed the officer had an envelope in his hand.
    “Is she here?” the officer asked again, in an attempt to look past Sonny.
    “Look, officer, no disrespect,” Sonny said, “but I’m not going to let you see her or talk to her until you tell me what you want.” Sonny knew it was pointless to argue with the officer, so he tried his best to cooperate without coming across as defensive.
    “I’ll come back later,” the rookie officer said, despondent. He knew something was up and hoped that getting answers wouldn’t be a problem. It was Friday evening, and he was afraid this would be the start of a long-ass night.
    “Officer,” Sonny spoke before the officer got to the second step on the porch, “my niece has gone through a lot in the last few months. If something is wrong, I’d like to know.” He extended his hand in a formal introduction. “I’m Sonny Johnson and whatever’s happening, I’d want to be the one to tell her instead of you. She doesn’t need any stress added to her life.”
    Officer Jones stopped and looked at Sonny. He handed him the envelope he was carrying. Sonny stepped outside on the porch and closed the door slightly in case Margaret came looking for him. He would rather he handle this than his sister-in-law. Sonny opened the envelope and looked inside. He saw pictures of five girls, one of whom was Laci.
    “Do you know these girls?” the officer asked.
    “Just my niece,” Sonny spoke after looking at the picture, “butthese have to be those little bitches who—” Sonny stopped talking, realizing his anger was getting the best of him.
    “Who what?” the officer asked.
    Sonny looked at the officer. “Nothing. What do you want to know about my niece?”
    “I’m curious how she knew these girls and if she knew anything about who may have set up Crystal Moore. That’s the girl right here.” He pointed to Crystal’s picture.
    “What happened to her?”
    “I really can’t go into details because I’d like to question your niece, sir. But if you would,” he reached into the breast pocket of his uniform shirt and pulled out a business card, “could you have her call me? My number’s right there.”
    Sonny took the card. “Is my niece in any type of trouble?” he asked.
    “Honestly sir, it’s too soon to tell. Her name came up and we need to question her about her involvement with these girls and see if she can tell us anything about the incident involving Crystal Moore.”
    “I’ll see what I can do,” Sonny told the cop, “but I can’t promise you anything.”
    “Well, as long as you try, that’s all I can ask; but if you can’t, then we’ll have to put a search warrant out on her.”
    “A search warrant?”
    “I’m sorry, but yes. It’d