Gangsta's Paradise

I kinda smiled as I blew that perfect smoke ring into the clear cold night. Kinda liked these Gitanes now.

Tonight'd been a trial run, it'd been real satisfying, 'n one more sick pervert would soon be going to the dogs. Or maybe the cats. Whatever. Didn't really matter to me now. What mattered was, who was gonna be next, and how was I gonna do him? Coz that next one and the one after that and the one after that, all the way down that goddamn list, every single one of them, they were gonna die slower and harder than any son of a bitch had ever died before, and while they died I'd laugh my god-damn head off. Fuckin' cartels would be making me job offers by the time I was done, but whatever.

It was real good, knowing another one was going down soon.

I smiled as I sucked in that smoke, still riding that buzz.

Being judge, jury and executioner was fine by me.

It was gonna be business as usual alright.

Wouldn't help the girls, but fuck it.

They deserved justice.

And hey, I had that date with Akiko tomorrow evening. Sounded like she was recovering real well, she'd been totally chirpy when we met for a coffee last Sunday, although I might go easy on her until I figured out just how well she was. She'd been worked real fucking hard by that asshole Johan before I sprung her, 'n I'd taken Sally as a bonus. Shaun hadn't argued. Hadn't even hesitated when I told him I wanted her. Brought Sally out of that bedroom and handed her over there and then.

Wasn't going to be any problem working with Shaun, I could see that now. He'd been real amenable to that management restructuring I'd proposed. Fucker was scared of me, 'n I could tell he thought Johan and Carlos going down was something to do with me. I kinda smiled. He had no idea how right he was.

I'd cried after we were outta there and in my old Volvo though. Sat there and cried my eyes out, coz Sally, she'd brought one thing with her, apart from the clothes she was wearing. One thing, and that was why I'd cried. You know what she brought along with her?

Her goddamn Teddy Bear.

She'd slept curled up with that goddamn Teddy Bear every fucking night, when she wasn't sleeping over with one of the johns. Chantana told me, asked me to make sure Sally got her Teddy Bear, coz that Teddy Bear was what kept her glued.

Chantana 'n Sally 'n me, my apartment was feeling a bit small now. Kind of felt like I was an adoption agency sometimes, 'n I might even need to get around to buying a bigger apartment, coz Sally wasn't ever going home to her parents somewhere back in Laos was she? She was way 'n the fuck better off in that closet the real estate agent had called a second bedroom. She was liking that private school I'd signed her and Chantana up for too. So was I. Their security was real fucking good. Had some real little lookers there too. Good as either of my girls. Maybe I should have a chat with Shaun about a little local recruiting, although maybe it was a bit too fucking close to home.

Might upset Sally, too.

Nah, I'd pass on that. For now.

Had a family visit with Greg coming up.

Something about a girl who'd gone missing.

Shaun and Lavonne had picked up replacements.

Those families were gonna want those two girls back.

Juan had asked me again, 'bout taking on his business.

This time, I'd kinda said, yeah, why not, good idea, let's talk.

Coz all those girls, they'd be better of if it was me running things

Yeah, I had to say business as usual was looking pretty fucking good.

Except for the merchandise, but those girls were gonna be recruited anyhow.

Supply and demand, and in the end it was nothing new for anyone, which reminded me.

I'd kinda been thinking about that girl I'd taken home back around when I'd paid the deposit on Fumiko Suematsu. What the fuck was her name? Amanda? Yeah, that was her, Amanda Somri. The one that'd had her hair dyed blonde and taken all her lingerie and working clothes with her. She'd been a real little cash cow, 'n I'd been going over Johan's accounts. Her and Fumiko Suematsu had really raked in the big bucks.

Amanda's dad'd called me a couple of weeks ago. Turned out he'd been having a few problems with her since she was returned. Boy problems, or in her case, man problems, coz apparently she'd by passed the boys and gone straight for the men. We'd talked, her dad and me, and yeah, well, I kinda knew what Amanda Somri was thinking, 'n I could see how much she'd been bringing in for Johan.

Shaun hadn't really thought about part-timers, but a girl like Amanda Somri, one that liked it, paying her wouldn't hurt the bottom line much at all, and her dad 'd given me Amanda Somri's cell number. I'd have a chat with her tomorrow sometime about the benefits and safety offered by working through a more professional organization rather than going at it on her own, which was kinda real high risk for a girl like her.

Maybe do a little recruiting for Shaun. Do her dad a favor. Straighten out Amanda Somri. Give Asian Fantasies a little boost, because she'd been a really popular girl 'n if she went on the payroll, so to speak, I wouldn't have to worry about returning her. Maybe even enjoy her a little myself now and then. One of the perks of management, 'n I was beginning to appreciate those perks. Nothing wrong with that.

Nothing wrong with doing a little recruiting myself, either.

Just business as usual.

And that little note from Chloe: Noir is a very American art form. When you read James Ellroy, Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, James Lee Burke, or Mickey Spillane at their best, they're more than just noir, they're vehicles for a writer's observations about culture, politics, philosophy, music, history and a time or a place. Or of life itself. That's the kind of story I wanted to write here. Well, that and sex and violence in the tradition of the great Mickey Spillane, and I hope I came at least a little close to that. Spillane, Chandler or Hammett I'm not, but I hope you all enjoyed my little Ode to Mickey Spillane all the same, and thank you for reading all the way to the end....Chloe