I’m running out of options. I head back to the 7-11. As I enter a young boy greets me from behind the counter. I wonder if they told him what happened here when they hired him? My mind sees the dead clerk, blood on the counter. It could have been this kid.
“Anything I can help you with sir?”
“Nah, I’m good. Just going to get a drink.”
I start heading back to the drink cooler where I found Sparrow. I reach in to grab a drink, close my eyes trying to recreate the images I saw that day. Dead clerk, Sparrow leaning against this cooler, broken bottle in her hand, blood on her clothes. I remember my heart racing, the sounds of sirens, the smells of disinfectant, and…….. the shine of the gun a few feet from Sparrow. It’s just laying there on the floor.
“Sir…” the kid is standing beside me. “Are you alright?”
I pull my hand out the freezer.
“Yeah I’m fine.” The kid looks at me like I’m crazy, probably wondering if I just enjoyed opening freezers. Maybe I am nuts. I leave the store without buying anything. How did I miss the gun before?

I’m at Gracies, a little hole in the wall across town. I’m looking for someone in particular, but I have to take my normal turns with the courtesy hello’s and how you doings?
Mack is at his usual table near the pinball machines. A bright light swings slightly above his head, casting a glow on his otherwise drab look. He sees me coming and motions for me to sit.
“Hey Jackson.”
“Mack. How are you.?”
Mack takes a pack of playing cards out, shuffles them and starts dealing. I take my hand, playing the game.
“Better than you I suppose. You know Lee was looking for you.”
Two threes, and nothing but trash in my hand. I fold.
“Yeah, you know why?”
“Had something to do with a little bird, what I heard.” Mack takes the cards, deals again.
“Yeah, Sparrow Sprite. What I’m trying to figure out is why he’s involved.”
“You really don’t know? Man Jackson, when you fell off the map, you fell off.”
I shrug my shoulders. I left this scene for a reason, and while I was gone, I stayed gone.
“He was dating her man. While you were in the slammer for Rahkim’s thing, they were a hot item.”
That explains a lot, but makes me wonder about one thing.
“Well shit. I guess I’m lucky I don’t know where she is. One more thing Mack, you know anything about that 7-11 holdup a few days back? The one that went sour?”
Mack eyes me curiously. “The one on Lexington? Heard it was some gangbangers. Didn’t end well for the clerk at all. Funny thing about that robbery. Nothing was missing.”
“What?”
“Yeah, when the store did the inventory, everything was accounted for. Kids must have scattered when the trigger went off. Something must have spooked them.”
Do these ‘gangbangers’ have Sparrow? Are they afraid of her being a witness? Would they have the ability to pull her off stage in front of a crowd of fans? It wasn’t Lee. I doubt it was some kids with guns. Something doesn’t add up. But I’m at a loss for answers.