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all.”
    “And what would you need from me?”
    “It has nothing to do with this fraud case.”
    I was perplexed, and it showed on my face.
    The detective continued. “Kenneth Courtland is heavily involved in the drug trade, as I’m sure you’re aware. And he’s someone we’ve been watching for some time now. We really want to nail him, but not on an insurance fraud case.” The detective shook his head. “No, we want him on drug charges and the homicides that are linked to Mr. Courtland’s ruthless practices.”
    A tear escaped my eye as I listened to the detective tell me essentially that I was in love with a monster. I mean, I knew Kenny was into what he was into, but I’d turned a blind eye to its depth. As far as I was concerned, what he did in the streets didn’t affect me. Besides, it wasn’t as if I’d fallen in love with Kenny the drug dealer. Like I said, when I met Kenny, he was nothing more than a wreck chaser—a young guy who was fortunate enough to make a decent living working for his best friend’s dad. So I didn’t feel guilty for falling in love with him. But what I had become guilty of was staying with him once he turned bad. And as the drug game changed him, he changed me. Now here I was, sucked up in his vacuum of heartache, possibly headed to federal prison for some shit he did. I felt low.
    “Ms. Baker, help us help you,” Detective Daily said, patting my hand.
    “I don’t know if I can,” I cried.
    “But do you really have a choice, Ms. Baker? Ask yourself that. What’s goin’ to happen to you if you don’t help us? You’re gonna go to jail, come home, and Mr. Courtland will be with someone else. I mean, the mere fact that he had another girl in the car with you is evidence of that, isn’t it?”
    I nodded as I recalled parts of the three-way call I’d had with my mom and Kenny: Kenny, who that?…Was that Woo’s girl?…What are you doin’ with her?…Now he got you locked up while he out runnin’ the streets with some chick…
    “So what are you going to do, Ms. Baker?” The detective snapped me out of my thoughts.
    “I guess you’re right, Detective,” I mumbled. “I don’t have a choice.”
    With those words I agreed to do something I’d never thought I would do. I agreed to be a confidential informant.
    The detective coached me on what I was to do, say, and look for once I was released and back with Kenny. He also helped me concoct a story to tell Kenny about why I was getting out of jail without having to post bail.
     
    “Kenny.”
    “What’s up? How much is it?” he asked.
    “It’s steep.”
    “How steep?”
    “Ten percent of two hundred fifty thousand.”
    “Damn, this your first offense! How they goin’ put your bail so high? That’s bullshit!”
    “’Cause they’d rather me take the deal they’re offering.”
    “What kind of deal?” The tone in Kenny’s voice grew somewhat concerned.
    “You by yourself?” I asked.
    “Yeah.”
    “Well, they said they been watching Nasir’s dad for a minute. They said they know of a lot more acts of fraud that go on within his business and wreck chasing altogether. They want me to be an informant against Vic.”
    “Yeah?” he asked.
    “That’s what they said. And if I do, they said this case will disappear.” I waited for Kenny’s response. “Without bail,” I added.
    “Oh yeah?”
    “Yes. So…I need to know what I should do.”
    “An informant, huh?” There was silence. “I don’t know if I want my girl being so close to the law. But you know what, fuck it. I think you should take that route. Give ’em what they want. Shit, save me some money. Plus, I don’t like Vic anyway. He got his shit with him.”
    “What about Nasir? I mean, he is your friend. You don’t feel bad settin’ up his father?”
    “Nasir is his own man, and Vic is his own man. What Vic and I go through don’t have nothin’ to do with me and Nasir. Don’t even worry about that.”
    “What if somebody finds