I’m in my closet getting out my pistol when I hear Daisy behind me.
“Jackson?” She looks so small standing there, eyes watered. “Jackson, what kind of trouble are you in?”
“I’m not sure Daisy. Sorry you had to get involved.”
She moves up to me in a familiar motion, wrapping her arms around my neck, holding me close.
“It’s alright. Nothing I can’t handle. I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”
I let her hold me for a take, and then pull her back locking my eyes into hers.
“You can stay here for now, O.K?” She nods, and a part of me feels good about her being in my apartment. In my range of life again. I check the safety on the gun, sliding it into the back of my pants.
“There’s food in the fridge, but avoid the eggs. I’m heading out, see if I can get some answers.”
Daisy comes close, and kisses my cheek. I take another look at her, and there’s some resemblance of my lost wife there. I give her a small smile,
“Alright. See you soon.”

Tommy Lee is standing there, long jean coat, his hair pulled back behind blue shades. Two of his men on each side, almost swallowing him in their protection.
“You must be Jackson. Do you know who I am?”
I nod.
“May we enter?”
I look behind me, towards the bathroom where Daisy is showering. It’s a signal to his beasts that I’m hiding something and they brush past me towards the bathroom.
“Hey” I start to stop them, but Lee lays one hand on my shoulder,
“Calm down Jackson, they’ll be gentle.”
I hear Daisy scream as they burst in on her, and then silence. Moments later the thugs exit out, shaking their heads.
“O.k. Sorry about that Jackson.” He pulls out a photo of Sparrow Sprite. “Heard you may know where I can find her?”
So he doesn’t have her. Which means, I benefit nothing by lying to him.
“I wish I did. Last I saw her she was playing on stage in DC. Next moment she’s gone.”
“Hmm. I heard the kidnapping story. Funny thing is you told Rahkim you didn’t know her at all”
Damn, dug the hole a little deeper.
“I lied.”
Lee mulls on this for a bit, lifting his eyeglasses to show me his deadly serious eyes.
“Alright, tell you what, she turns up, you call my bodygaurd Marcus at this number. You do that, we aint got a problem. Choosing to play it solo won’t win you anything on this Jackson. We got an understanding?”
I look at the card he hands me with Marcus’ number on it, still wondering what the hell is going on.
“Yeah I understand, one question though. Which one’s Marcus?”
Thug 2 flinches a bit of anger at my ignorance, and I nod his way as thanks for the information. Tommy Lee just smiles.
“Jackson, call him if you see her, and sorry about your lady friend in the shower. We had to be sure.”
I nod, putting on my most polite act possible as they leave. As soon as their gone I run to the bathroom, to find Daisy, already a complete mess, sobbing on the floor.
I’m going to need my guns.