"Man, man, man," Janet said, "I can see now they don't hire police for their brains, that's for sure." She stared right at the policeman who wanted to arrest them.
"Well, I just hope the hell you do take us down and charge us with some bullshit," Daddy Cool said.
Officer Bill shook his head. He wasn't about to let his partner shove them into something that would make them the laughing stock of the police station. The other two officers stood in the street undecided. If they were going to book the couple, it was up to them to drive the arrested couple down to the station. Neither man wanted any part of it. They could see the relationship between the father and daughter.
"Mack," the driver of the cruiser said, "I think you had better listen to your partner on this one, man. This thing can get out of hand, and I for one don't like the idea of being made a fool of."
Despite the warning, Mack still hesitated. He knew he could force the issue, but if he did he would be going against the wishes of all three of the other officers. He hadn't been on the force long enough to want to arouse the anger of the men in the squad car. As far as the black officer he worked with, he couldn't care less about what his partner felt.
In fact, if he had his wish, he wouldn't even work with the black man even though the Negro had never done anything against him. He just didn't like the idea of having a black man for his partner.
Anxiously, Mack stared at the two white officers, trying to find support for his actions in their faces. Each man only stared at him coldly. It was obvious that none of them wanted the trouble Mack was starting. He tossed his hands in the air. "Okay, okay, if you guys want to let this fluff get away, it's up to you. I won't force...."
That's as far as he got. Daddy Cool roared loudly, his voice drowning out the policeman's. "That's it! I've had enough. I want all three of you other officers to be my witness. I've listened to this ignorant-ass bastard insult my daughter too many times! I've had enough. He can't pay common courtesy to a black woman; well, I'm going to find out why he can't," he stated as he took out a pencil and began to write the officer's badge number down.
The officers stared from one to the other bashfully. They knew that now the shit was in the fan. If the man reported it, they would have to go up on the carpet and make out a report. Mack's ass would be in a sling, whether or not he knew it. Insulting a child in front of a parent wouldn't go down lightly with the captain.
"You wanted to find out if she was my daughter, well, you damn sure will, 'cause I'm going down to the station right now and report this. This officer has called my daughter a whore and worse, in front of me, and not just one time but numerous times. Even after I've informed him that she's only sixteen." Daddy Cool was breathing hard and there was no doubt in the policemen's minds now whether or not this was the father. They knew he was.
Bill tried once more to smooth things out. "Come on now, Mr. Jackson, let's let sleeping dogs lie. It's all been one big mistake, but I believe we can all forget it. No one has been hurt, so let's just go our own way."
Finally Mack realized that he might have put his foot in his mouth, but his pride was too much to let him apologize.
"Come on, Daddy," Janet said, "this has been a wonderful birthday present for me. Listening to you give these officers hell was enough. Let's forget about it and go have that dinner you were promising me, okay?" She hoped desperately that he would do what she asked because she knew Ronald wouldn't like the idea of her going down to the police station. Once she did that, every time she hit the streets, one or the other of the officers would be harassing her or picking her up and taking her down to the station. Even now she knew she was marked. She wouldn't be able to work the streets here any longer.
Actually, Daddy Cool didn't really want to go to the station, but he would go if he was pushed. The less he came in contact with the police, the better off he was. Policemen had a tendency to remember faces, so it was best he kept his out of sight.
"Come on, then, honey," he said sharply, "I don't like the idea of givin' in to them, but if you insist, we'll let the matter go this time. But I can't stand any more of this shit." Daddy Cool waited for Janet to get into the car. "I hope you boys realize," he added, staring coldly at the policemen, "how lucky you are, because I believe I could have somebody's ass for this shit!"
None of the policemen spoke. They just stared angrily at the couple in the car. Each man was busy with his own thoughts. None of them wanted any part of the captain's office.
Daddy Cool started up the motor of his car. "I wish you would change your mind, Janet. I'd like to follow this mess up. I don't like the idea of them talking that way to you."
She blushed. It gave her a warm feeling to know that he cared for her that much. She knew that he had seen her working, but he never let on that he had. From his behavior, she reflected, in all probability he might not have realized that she was really working. Maybe he had just thought she was trying to get a ride. But his very next words made her realize how foolish this thought had been.
"If you're going to do that kind of work, child, you should try and get in a house instead of out on the street. Anything can happen to you, but I don't want to lecture you, Janet. You're a woman now, so whatever you do is your business. If you like that kind of thing, it's nothing I can do about it but pray that one day you will see the light and realize that you don't have to do nothing like that."
He removed a white envelope from his pocket and tossed it in her lap. "That's your birthday present from me. It's cash. I don't know, maybe you need it. I'm hopin' it will stop you from doing what you've been doing." He hesitated, then continued. "There's two thousand dollars in there, Janet. It's enough to keep you off the streets for quite a while. If you should ever need any more, all you got to do is pick up the telephone and call me. I'll see to it that you get all the cash you need." He pulled over and parked behind a cab stand. "Maybe it will be better if you took a cab home, unless you want to go home with me."
She heard his words and was tempted, remembering how safe she felt in his arms. She knew he was waiting patiently and praying that she would accept his offer. He wasn't trying to force her to come home, just offering it to her. But she knew in her heart she couldn't accept. She didn't believe she could live without Ronald.
Janet slowly opened the car door. There were tears in the corner of her eyes. "I'll remember, Daddy. I swear I will. And if I ever need anything, you'll be the first person I'll call." She took a quick glance at him as she closed the car door. For a brief second she thought she saw tears in his eyes. But she refused to accept such an idea. Daddy Cool would never cry.
That much she was sure of.
14FTER HIS D A UGHTER got out of the car, Daddy Cool sat silently behind the steering wheel and watched her in his mirror as she got into a cab. For a brief second he was tempted to follow her, but just as quickly disregarded the idea.
Janet sat back in the seat of the cab, huddled up like a small rag doll. Tears rolled down her cheeks, but this time she wasn't concerned with her makeup. If her father had only taken her in his strong arms and made her go home. No, she reflected, it wouldn't have done any good. She only would have slipped away at the first chance she got.
The way he did it was the best way. He was allowing her to make her own mess out of her life, giving her free room to make all the mistakes she wanted to. He had also told her that there would always be a place waiting for her. So she knew, if she ever got tired of the life Ronald was making her live, she could go back home.
But she had other ideas now. With the large sum of money her father had given her, it was enough for Ronald to settle down and take care of her. They had enough to buy them a small store or something. She daydreamed as she rode home. Now all they had to do was get married. She planned on bringing it up as soon as Ronald came to get his trap money.
This time he would listen to her. She would make him listen. None of his other women would be able to give him as much money as she carried. It was enough, she
believed, for them to make another start. One thing she was sure of, she was finished with the street. There would not be another night like tonight. She remembered the shame she felt when she realized her father knew what she had been doing.
And then he asked if she liked doing it. He didn't seem to think she was doing it for the money, and he never mentioned Ronald, so maybe he really thought that she was doing what she liked. She blushed again. How could she ever get herself into such a mess.
But then again, she reflected as the driver pulled up to her apartment building, maybe it was better if he thought that, because if he knew that she was only working the streets because of Ronald, there was no telling what her father would do. She knew all too well how good he was with knives, because he had taught her how to toss them too.
So she knew that Ronald wouldn't stand a chance against her father if Daddy Cool ever got mad and called Ronald out. For all of his loud talk, Ronald would be like a baby against her father. She shivered at the thought. The last thing she could do was let him know the truth. No matter what happened, Daddy Cool must not find out that she had a pimp.
But it was out of her hands. Daddy Cool already knew she had a pimp. He knew about it but didn't know what he should do to the man who turned his daughter out. He had been around the game all of his life. In fact, when he was younger, he had had a few whores himself, so he was faced with a very difficult problem. As he drove slowly home, there was a fixed determination on his face, which, if Janet had seen, she would have been in even greater fear for Ronald's life.
No matter how sensitive the problem was, Daddy Cool knew he couldn't keep on ignoring it. He had put on a good act tonight, hiding the fact that he had been hurt badly when he saw Janet walking up and down the streets trying to stop tricks. He had to see it for himself before he could really believe it.
Now he had seen what everybody else was talking about. It was up to him to figure out what was to be done. He knew behind a life of experience who was to blame. His daughter had just run into a smooth-talking pimp, that was all, and in her inexperience she believed she was in love with the man. He could sympathize with her because he knew what the root of the problem was. Yet he hadn't come up with the solution.
When a tooth hurts you, you have it removed, he reasoned as he pulled up in his driveway and parked. After what he had seen tonight, there could be no more evasions, that he was sure of. Something had to be done, but what? The same thought kept springing back into his mind. Remove the source of the problem, then let the rest of it work itself out.
Janet paid off the cab driver and made her way upstairs to her tiny apartment. It was clean, but other than that it was a come down for a young girl who was used to everything a girl could want. As she stretched out on the couch, she thought about how she had been planning on going to college this year.
It must have really hurt her father when he thought about it. They had talked about what school she would go to so many times in the past. He had promised to buy her a small car so that she could drive back and forth without any trouble.
Now as she thought about it, she realized that she had thrown all that away, and for what? To work the streets, lying down with any dirty old man who came her way. As she remembered what one man had forced her to do, she blushed. Holding her head while he made her suck him off, then feeling the stuff filling her mouth until she was choking on it.
The thought of it made her jump up from the couch and run into the bathroom where she was sick. After that, she took a shower, trying to wipe off the memory of all the men she had had. She couldn't scrub hard enough to make her forget. No matter how quickly they came, she knew she was in the wrong life. It was something she knew she could never adapt to.
Ronald would have to make up his mind. No matter how badly she wanted him, she swore to herself that she would never go back to the streets. The thought of the large sum of money she had for him made her sure of her stand. After he got that, he wouldn't be in any hurry to send her back to work.
After showering, Janet daydreamed about how they would spend the money together. Maybe Ronald would take her on a trip. How nice that would be, just the two of them. New York, or maybe catch a plane and go to Mexico.
Taking her time, Janet dressed with care. She was ravishing in the short silk nightgown she wore. Each time she took a step it flared out around her, revealing her gorgeous profile. Being really unsophisticated, Janet didn't have a hard time in making herself believe her daydreams. She honestly thought that Ronald would do what she asked. Subconsciously a warning bell went off, but she ignored it. She didn't even want to face up to the thought that he might not go along with her plans.
Every time she had a doubt, she remembered the money, and that would bring a smile to her lips. She spread the money out on the bed and recounted it. With what she had, there was over two thousand dollars. She decided to keep the money she had made and just give Ronald the money her father had given her for a gift.
The money was still spread out on the bed when the doorbell rang. She sprang up and ran to the door. As soon as Ronald entered, she threw herself into his arms. He pushed her back and stared coldly down into her face.
"Hey, baby," he said coldly, "I went up on the stroll to find you, but the bitches workin' up there said you had pulled up with some trick. What's the idea of you comin' in before I came down and got you?"
"Honey," she said breathlessly, "I got hold of some big money, and I knew you didn't want me workin' in the streets with all that money on me."
"Yeah," he said coldly, "just how much is big money?" He was still using his chilling voice.
Trying to make a game out of it, she beckoned to him. "Come on, honey, I'll show you," Janet said and led the way back toward the bedroom. She smiled brightly as she watched him approach the bed and begin counting the money. After about ten minutes of watching him, she realized that he was really having trouble counting it. She walked over to the bed as he set the money down and began counting it all over again.
"There's two thousand dollars there," she said lightly, watching his face for some kind of emotion. If there was any, it was anger that he wasn't able to handle figures. Ronald had always had trouble counting, and for some reason, he hated people to know that fact.
"Big deal," he snarled coldly. "It was a good sting, baby," he added almost affectionately.
"Aren't you pleased?" Janet asked, waiting for him to sweep her off her feet. He seemed to have changed since she had begun working for him.
"Sure I'm pleased," he stated, getting over his anger that she had discovered he couldn't count large sums. "How the hell did you rip it off, Jan? I ain't taught you how to sting."
"No, honey, I didn't steal it. My daddy came down and found me workin', then he gave it to me for my birthday present."
"Oh," he answered, and his mind went over what she had said. Then he thought of something. "Well, if your daddy gave this to you, what happened to the cash you made before he came down?"
"Oh, oh, I got that, Ronald," she began, then hurried over to the dresser and opened it. She quickly removed the money she had placed there. When she turned around, he was standing right behind her scowling.
"What kind of shit is this, bitch," he cursed, then slapped her across the face. "You don't hold out no money on me. Just because your daddy gave you a few funky bucks, you don't hold out the rest of the money on me!"
She was too shocked at first to think. It wasn't the slap that hurt, either. It was the ingratitude that he showed.
"I wasn't tryin' to hold back any money," she managed to say.
"What you mean, bitch, you wasn't holdin' back no cash?" he snarled. "If I hadn't mentioned it, you wouldn't have brought it out. I know what you were planning on doing with it, too," he added.
"What? What was I going to do with it?" Janet inquired, fighting to get her senses together. Nothing was going like she had planned.
"You were going to hold it and put it with the money you made tomorrow
at work so that you could make me think you're just one hell of a whore!"
"Put it with the money I was going to make tomorrow?" she cried. The thought hadn't even entered her mind. She had believed she wouldn't have to work again. "What about the money I have tonight? I know you don't expect me to go back into the streets tomorrow night." She stared at him dumbfounded.
"Bitch," he swore. "Ignorant-ass bitch at that! You damn well had better go back to work tomorrow. Do you think because you gave me two funky grand that I'm goin' let you lay around for a week or better? Bitch," he almost screamed, "you must be out of your cotton-pickin' mind!"
Seething with an unknown anger, she stared coldly at her pimp. "You don't appreciate nothing I do, do you?" she asked, finally seeing the light.
"I don't know what you mean by that, bitch," he said blindly, not being smooth enough to see the damage he had done. "Bitch, I need fresh money every day. It don't make no difference how much you make tonight. Tomorrow is always another day, you dig?"
"Yeah," she answered harshly, "I'm really beginning to dig, you can bet on that!" she said as she put her hands on her hips and stared coldly at the man she had believed she loved.
Finally common sense warned him that he was trying to play the hard mack too hard. He saw at once that he was about to blow a good young whore and reversed his behavior. "Aw, baby," he said, taking her into his arms, "I was just jivin' with you. You know, the way them hard-ass pimps do in the movies and shit. You know I'm goin' let you rest up and we party. Now, come on and give daddy a big hug," he said and began to kiss her passionately around the neck and shoulders.
"It's a good thing you came to your senses," she managed to murmur between kisses, "because I was goin' take back my daddy's money and let you go your own damn way." She was being honest with him.