South Central Noir

“His younger brother, Cleotis, is a disgraced former vice cop. He was a proud henchman for Chief Hemingway before he was indicted for raping a colored girl in custody two summers ago. Once Cleotis got canned, his connections landed him a plush job as a tax assessor for the city. The extortion con works like this: Using city records, Cleotis identifies a mark, some mom-and-pop struggling to make the rent. Theotis sneaks out of hiding, shows up at the business. Flashes a tin badge and phony documentation alleging the victims are tax cheats. Those that don’t pay get beat up or worse.

“I realized these colored crooks couldn’t operate without protection. And the protection racket points to the top. To our trigger-happy chief, all the way to our sleaze bag mayor, Fineas Stankey.”

Officer Kimbrow laid his briefcase on the table, snapped it open, and pulled out two large envelopes. On top was one addressed to the mayor. The next one to Chief Hemingway. Each envelope contained photographs I took of Theotis Palsey, dressed in fake cop clothes with his dime-store badge, shaking down shopkeepers. But the killer snaps was took by Officer Kimbrow hisself.

Cleotis and the chief, on a quiet street ’cross town in the white neighborhood of Leimert Park. They was took the night of the LaDora Ragland murder. The men was photographed in the back of the chief’s Packard, laughing like school kids. There was a note in each package that read.

Enclosed are photos of brothers Cleotis and Theotis Palsey, the criminals bringing blackmail and murder into our community. These violent felons are well-known to you and their crime spree has been executed under cover of your authority.

If these extortions and killings don’t cease — and immediately — our agents will be compelled to publish copies of this damning evidence of your complicity in robbery and murder, in communities you are sworn to protect and serve.

Beware.

We are following you, we are watching you. Should you fail to heed this warning, copies of these files will be sent to every media outlet in the southland — both white and colored — and the consequences for you and your cronies are certain to be dire. Fatal to your careers and, most likely, your lives.

The note was signed, The Universal West Coast Protection Committee.

I’d never heard of any Protection Committee. Officer Kimbrow shrugged and said, “I’m it.” He musta seen I was confused. He picked his next words careful.

“I’ve started a small detective agency on Vernon. I calls it Central Security and Detection. I’ve rented office space and applied for my license. My agency has initiated its first civil action today. Charging the city with corruption, extortion, and complicity in murder. If my suit goes through, you’ll certainly be called to testify, Theus. Can you stand up in court and tell the truth of all you have photographed and seen?”

When I didn’t say nothin’ Officer Kimbrow got nervous. “Come on, son,” he said. “You can do it. Steadfastness and courage are all we have.”

Testify? Court? Didn’t know what the hell he meant by that crazy talk. I nodded anyway.

“So, if called, will you testify?” he said.

I thought a minute. “Mmm. No suh,” I decided.

19

That meeting with Officer Kimbrow got me upset. Scared too. I promised myself I wouldn’t never talk to him again. That night, I was lyin’ in my crib tending to the shiner that punk-ass thug put on me. I heard a knock at the door. I hustled out of bed and fount a butcher knife in the kitchen.

When my front door banged again, I jerked it open. Ready. Standing on my doorstep was the lady in yellow, now a beauty in pink.

I liked to keeled over.

She smelled like roses.

“I followed you home a couple of times, cutie. Hope you don’t mind,” she said, strolling in. “I was too shy to knock.”

She seen my beat-up face. My eye shining like a coal. Said, “Oh my, Theus. Your gorgeous face! Who did this to you? Come here, darling.” She kissed my wounded eye. “There, that should fix it.”