"I don't want your source," Remo said. "I want any source, any name you care to give me."
A cunning glint came into the man's previously dull and listless eyes, and he said, "Anyone?"
"As long as he's a dealer," Remo said. "But if you give me a phony name, I'll come back for you, and instead of a high, I'll give you the worst crash of your life."
Remo touched the junkie briefly, and a shadow of pain crossed his face. It was so fleeting, the pain, that the junkie wasn't even sure he'd felt it, but it prompted the truth from him.
"Try Danny the Man."
"Danny the Man. What's his last name?"
"I don't know. All anybody knows is Danny the Man."
"Where do I find him?"
The junkie gave Remo an address and then gave him directions for getting there.
"Just don't tell him I gave you his name."
"I don't even know yours. But I'll find you if this isn't true."
"It's true, man, it's true," the junkie said, grabbing Remo's arms. "Where's my high, man? You promised!"
"So I did," Remo said. He pulled his arms free of the man's frantic grip, reached around behind him, and touched him on the back of the neck. A euphoric look came over the junkie's face, and he leaned back against the door.
"Oh, wow," he breathed.
"Yeah," Remo said. "You don't know it, but you've just taken the cure. After this, you'll never find another high to match it."
"Oh, wow."
"Thanks for the info."
Remo left the junkie flying high in his doorway and started following the man's directions. The junkie had said it was close enough to walk.
When he reached the building he was looking for, he was surprised to find that it was a fairly decent-looking apartment house, located on the fringes of the ghetto. Close enough to his clientele to deal, but far enough away so that he could persuade himself that he didn't live with them, Remo said to himself.
Here I come, Danny the Man.
Danny "the Man" Lincoln had grown up in the ghetto, and somehow living on the edge of it gave him great satisfaction. He was living there because he wanted to, and he could leave anytime he wanted. He had enough money, and that was something his mother and father never had— enough money to get out.
Danny the Man wasn't expecting company. In fact, he already had company, a willowy black beauty who was stretched out on his bed, awaiting his pleasure and eager to fulfill it.
"Come to bed, Danny."
"What's your hurry, baby?" he asked from the doorway of his bedroom. Of course, he knew what her hurry was. The sooner she made him happy, the sooner she got some "candy," to make her happy. The kind of candy that mainlined you straight to heaven.
"I just want to make you happy, Danny," she said, batting her eyes and dropping the sheet so he could see her full, ripe breasts. "You know how I can make you happy."
"Oh, I know, all right," Danny said.
He was taking off his jacket when there was a knock at the door.
"Now who the hell—"
"Don't answer it," the girl on the bed said. If he answered it, she knew she wouldn't get her fix, and she couldn't wait any longer.
"Just be calm, Laura," he said. "I'll be right back."
He shrugged his jacket back on and walked to the door. There was another knock, and then he reached the door and opened it.
The man who opened the door was tall and black, in his late twenties, wearing a red smoking jacket.
"What can I do for you, my man?"
"Are you Danny the Man?" Remo asked.
"That's me."
"Somebody told me you're a pusher."
Danny laughed and said, "What are you, a cop? Is this a new approach? Get lost, man." The black man started to slam the door, but Remo moved his foot and kept it open.
"I'm not a cop," he said, "I just need to talk to a pusher."
"About what? You looking to get into the business? Everybody wants in on the act."
"That's what I want to talk about," Remo said. He pushed past Danny and entered the apartment.
"Hey, man—"
"You better shut the door, Danny boy, so we don't attract any unwanted attention."
"And how we gonna do that, slick?"
"I'm going to ask you some questions, and if I don't get some straight answers, I'm going to bounce you all over these walls."
"Huh," Danny said contemptuously. It was a demonstration of his contempt that he did shut the door and then folded his arms defiantly. "You're a tough dude, huh? Big man?"
Before Remo could answer, the girl came out of the bedroom, naked.
"Danny—"
"Get back inside, bitch!" Danny the Man snapped.
"Danny, I just need—"