“That sounds great. Good night, Terrell.” I went inside to my dark room.
I stood against the door taking in deep breaths. Out of my whole miserable day, Terrell turned out to be the best person. Better than Helen, surprisingly better than Tanie, and I was grateful for his friendship.
SATURDAY, JULY 4, 2009
CHAPTER TWENTY
I didn’t sleep at all last night. My mind was racing from so many things happening to me the past couple of months. I started off feeling okay, but the later it got, the worse I felt. My heart was broken. My spirit was broken. My life was broken. What other stupid decisions could I possibly make to ruin my life even more? The possibilities must be endless because I was nonstop going downhill.
All of the bad things in my life outweighed the good so far. My mother was dead. Andrea was killed by my ex-boyfriend’s brother. Olivia was kidnapped and murdered. I’m sure Roscoe Madison wants me dead, and he’s turned Tanie against me. I killed Jason Stone, Alex Westing, Dillon Burkett, Rick Rosper, and I buried Lawrence Clark. I was raped. I might be pregnant if those pills the doctor gave me didn’t work. I was broke and didn’t have a thing to my name. Wasn’t there anything good I could live for?
If I ended it all, I didn’t have to worry about my shitty life anymore. I caused so much pain to myself and to everyone around me. Lives have been loss, and I’ve been running around like I was invincible. Invincibility was an illusion, and I’ve been a fool to believe in it for so long. I was so done with all the bullshit.
I reached in my backpack and saw the gun was gone. The money was gone, also. So was Rick Rosper’s identification. What the hell? Did Terrell go in my backpack and stole all my stuff? I was not in the mood for more crap. I really wasn’t!
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Terrell returned close to eleven o’clock, and I rushed out of my hotel room. That son of a bitch had some nerve taking my things! He had no right!
“Where are things?” I asked angrily.
“You need to calm down.” He remarked.
“I want my stuff back, Terrell.”
“I can’t do that. Poppy wanted me to take it from you.”
I exhaled and wiped away my tears. I sobbed, “Well, at least give me my money?”
“You can get it back from Poppy when we get home.” He stated in a soothing voice.
“None of that stuff belongs to either one of you. I don’t get it, Terrell. Why does she want my things?”
He apologized. He wouldn’t answer my question. “It’ll work out, Angela. When we get back, you can talk to Poppy. She’ll explain everything. Are you ready to go?”
I had no choice but be ready to go. There was nothing else. Terrell got my bags and backpack and put it in the trunk. He paid for our stay, and we started north. I did not want to go back. I wanted to run, hide, and die. That’s all I wanted.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Before Terrell could come to a complete stop, I was out of his car with my mom’s remains. Poppy opened the front door, and I ran right passed her and to my room. I didn’t want to talk to anyone.
I closed the door, but it didn’t have a lock. I went to the bathroom because it did, and I sat on the cool, white ceramic floor. I held my mom’s remains in my arms, wishing she was here. I wished everything was back like it was. I wanted my entire family back. Why couldn’t I have them back?
I don’t know how long I was in the bathroom, but eventually, the floor became uncomfortable. The toilet seat wasn’t any better. I came out feeling like my sanctuary was just a cold prison.
I was surprised to see all of my things on the bed, except for the gun, money, and Rick Rosper’s identification. I didn’t hear anyone come into my room. I set the urn on the dresser and went to the bed. If I was lucky, I wouldn’t wake up. But since that’s what I wanted, it wasn’t going to happen.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
“Angela,” Poppy’s voice spoke clear in my ear.
I opened my eyes, and she was standing beside my bed. An unknown man was behind her in a black suit and black tie, and he looked more serious than she did. I sat up in bed. What was going to happen now?
“I need for you to get cleaned up and come downstairs. You and I need to talk.” She didn’t wait for an answer. She simply exited the room.
Since I didn’t have a choice, I did as I was told. I took a shower, put on blue jeans, a red blouse, and slid flats on my feet. I combed what little hair I had. When I opened the door, the guy that was with Poppy was standing in the hallway. He was waiting for me. He straightened his jacket and ushered me in the direction I was supposed to go.
This guy was taller than Terrell and older. He had a clean haircut, no stud in his ear, and he was clean shaven. He had dark brown eyes, average size nose and medium size lips. His shoes were shiny without a scuff in sight. He was sharp looking.
We went to Poppy’s office. She was sitting at her desk. Terrell and a young woman were standing on either side of her, and they watched me as I took a seat. The man stood behind me to the left. Poppy stood and came around her desk. She leaned on it, and smiled kindly. I didn’t return the favor.
She asked, “How do you know Roscoe Madison?”
Terrell was a snitch. He couldn’t keep shit to himself. I answered, “My friend introduced me to him.”
“Who is this friend, Angela?”
“Tanie Howard,” I said quickly.
“What were you doing for him?”
“I made drug runs.”
“How often did you do it?”
I shook my head and answered, “I never did a job by myself. I was always with Tanie.”
Poppy nodded.
“Why are you asking me all of these questions, Poppy?” I asked nervously.
“I want you to make a phone call to Roscoe Madison.”
“Why?”
“I want to set up a meeting with him.”
“He’s a drug dealer, Poppy. Are you telling me you’re a drug dealer, too?”
She looked at the guy standing behind me. She didn’t answer that time. Why wasn’t I surprised?
“I won’t do it.” I said nearly in tears.
“Yes, you will.” She said as we made eye contact. Her looks sent a shiver up my spine.
“I can’t call him. I don’t have his number.” I thought I was off the hook. I thought wrong.
“Your friend does. I’m sure you have her number.”
“He’s after me, Poppy.”
“It won’t matter when he hears my proposition.”
“Tanie came to Virginia to take me back to him. Did Terrell tell you that?”
“Yes, he did.”
“I believe he killed Olivia, and I believe he wants me dead, too.”
“Angela, I won’t let him hurt you.”
“I’m not going to call. I can’t.” I was shaking all over. She was asking the impossible.
Poppy looked away. She was impatient, growing angry with me. “Do you really believe you can tell me no, Angela? It’s not an option.”
I hung my head.
“I know I’m asking a lot of you, but this is necessary for this family. That’s all I need you to do is get Tanie to contact her boss, and then he can contact me. That’s it.”
I gave in. “I’ll try calling her.”
Poppy assisted me in standing and gave me hug. She stepped back and said, “This is very important to us, Angela, and I truly appreciate it. We all do.”
“Poppy, I’m afraid of him.”
“There is no need to fear him. When he finds out what I have to offer, he’ll overlook the fact that you left. Trust me on this, Angela. He’s a man that will bend to my whims, and everyone, including you, will benefit from our business agreement.”
“Why didn’t you get Terrell to find him?”
“He tried, but Roscoe’s contact information couldn’t be found. Whatever phone numbers we got, led to dead lines or answering services. He’s a ghost, and you’re the one who’s going to bring
him to me.”
I nodded. “Is that all you need? May I go upstairs now?”
Poppy stared at me. I tried to muster a smile. It was hopeless. I only managed to create more tears.
“Give us a minute, everyone.” Poppy never broke eye contact with me.
The door closed softly after they left, and we sat down together on the sofa. We faced one another.
“Why do you have that gun, Angela?”
I lowered my head and said, “I had it for protection.”
“It looked like it was fired recently.”
I didn’t want to look her in the eyes, and I didn’t want to admit to anything.
“You have a lot going on right now, Angela, and you’re on the edge. I can help you.”
“I don’t want to talk about it. I want my money back and my gun.”
“You’re not getting anything back.”
“And why not,” I sobbed.
“Because I won’t let you die.” Poppy lifted my chin and turned my head so she could look me right in the eyes. “Angela, if you think for a minute, I’m going to let the troubles in your life consume you, you’re wrong.”
“You can’t control everything, Poppy. The grief I’ve caused goes beyond what you think. It can’t be fixed. The things I’ve done are permanent.”
“You think you’re the only one in this world that has killed somebody? You think you’re the only one that has lost a loved one? I have felt the very same pains you are feeling right now. The only difference is you have someone right here, right now, that loves you.”
“I don’t deserve it.” I could barely breath, barely look at her. This conversation was too much.
“You deserve love more than you know, baby, and whatever wrongs you have done do not negate that in the least. The consequences of your actions, your worse actions, are supposed to be hard to endure, Angela. You are supposed to suffer. We all will suffer one way or another, but love is what makes us better and stronger. Our past is what makes us smarter. Don’t let those consequences destroy you. Learn from it, pick it apart, but do not let it kill you.”
Her words rang true, and it felt good in my heart. I admitted, “I have done a lot of bad things, Poppy, terrible things.”
“And so have I, Angela,” Poppy remarked with a deep seriousness.
Okay, maybe she’s done worse than I have, but I wasn’t going to ask. I was too afraid to ask.
“I wish I didn’t feel any pain.” I said.
“Then you wouldn’t be human.”
“Poppy, I appreciate what you’re trying to do.”
“Why don’t you come to the party with me, Angela? This is your chance to meet the rest of the family, and I’m sure you don’t want to be by yourself.”
Actually I did. I wanted to crawl under the covers in my room and sleep the night away. I wasn’t in the mood for company but I said to appease Poppy, “I love parties. Am I underdressed?”
“You’re dressed beautifully.” She answered.
Poppy took my hand, and she led the way. The tall guy, Terrell, and I guess Kenia fell in behind us once we passed them.
What was going to happen to me now? My future sure was in the dark, and I was scared to death.
SUNDAY, JULY 5, 2009
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
The next day arrived with a little bit of sun trying to shine through my window. It felt like it was going to rain. I lay in bed, feeling completely comfortable, glad to be hiding from the real world. There was nothing for me to do, and it was a good feeling actually.
I thought about last night’s party. They had good music, and I met the immediate family, as Poppy put it. I met Kenia, and she had no kind of manners. She wouldn’t even speak. She wasn’t my sister. I don’t care what Poppy says. The tall guy with the sharp suit was Billy, and I met his wife. I couldn’t remember her name. I met a cute guy name Michael, and he was the jokester. I met a few other people, too, but Poppy told me to remember Billy, Billy’s wife, Michael, Terrell, and of course, Kenia. I was going to try and forget her ass.
My thoughts jumped to my mom, Andrea, and Olivia. I missed them tremendously. That little apartment in Colum wasn’t so bad after all. I had my family, and we all loved one another. It wasn’t fair they were all snatched away.
My mind kept moving. I didn’t want to be depressed. So, I started thinking about the people I killed. I wondered who the police thought was responsible. Was my name brought up at all? I wonder if there was a computer around I could use. I remembered one being in the entertainment room. I decided to get dressed and go use it.
For some reason, I was cramping really bad when I stood up. My stomach was killing me. I went to the bathroom to wash up and saw I was bleeding. That was a good sign. If I was menstruating, that meant I wasn’t pregnant, by neither one of them. That was so excellent! I had one good point against a thousand other bad points, and it was only the beginning of the day.
I got myself together and swallowed two pain relievers. Then I went to the entertainment room to use the computer. It was already on when I got there, and I tapped on the familiar internet icon. I began to feel so smart. It wasn’t too long ago I barely knew what an icon was.
The web came up quickly, and I went to a search engine. I typed in the first of my troubles: Jason Stone. A couple of listings came up that I read before, but the fourth one looked unfamiliar. I opened it up, and read the article.
JASON STONE’S DEATH COLD CASE
NIKKI LARAMORE
Jason Stone died on Saturday, May 23rd, 2009 of an overdose of drugs, alcohol, and a traumatic fall to the head. The Lowndes County Coroner first ruled his death as an accident, but after Jason’s aunt, Evelyn Stone, challenged the authorities on the findings publicly, the case was reopened and a more thorough investigation was done. Sheriff Oscar Smithe and FBI agents have followed every lead, and so far, they have not found any indications that Jason Stone was poisoned. All persons that were reported attending the party at Alabama State Senator Raymond Carver’s home have been questioned. The police are unable at this time to pinpoint a suspect or suspects. When Sheriff Oscar Smithe was further questioned about his investigation, he told the Lowndes Dispatch that as of Friday, July 3rd, 2009, the case will be considered cold until evidence is located to indicate otherwise. Evelyn Stone has made a formal statement saying she is disappointed in the findings of the Sheriff Department, but she will continue to push the case to find Jason’s killer.
This was good news. I was going to get away with Jason’s murder, at least, for now. If the police ever asked me a question about it, I’ll never own up to anything. I’ll never say I was at the party. This was going to be the last time I look up anything about Jason’s death. It was done. There was no turning back, and if the police came for me in the future, I’d deal with it then.
My next search was for Alex Westing. I really loved him. He was hot, and I wanted to marry that guy so bad. I wanted to set up house and everything, but I should have known better. What fairyland world was I living in?
The search brought up an article I hadn’t read before.
HANNAH CRAYSON RELEASED AFTER NEW EVIDENCE REVEALED
DEVION SCHULZ
Hannah Crayson has been cleared of Alex Westing’s death after the Dallas County Sheriff Department uncovered shocking evidence that exonerates her. Atlanta Police first believed that Crayson and Westing got into an argument in her apartment resulting in the shooting death of Westing, but new evidence has been discovered indicating there was an unknown assailant in the apartment. A bullet that was recovered from a shooting death in Dallas County, Alabama of a young teenage girl matched another bullet that was used to kill Alex Westing. The police are positive the gun that was used to kill Alex Westing was the same exact gun used to kill the teenage girl in Dallas County. The police in Atlanta also have proof that Crayson was not in the apartment during the time of the shooting. There is video and hardcopy proof that she was at another location at the time of Westing’s shooting d
eath. The FBI, Atlanta Detectives, and the Dallas...
Wait a fucking minute! Did I read that right? A bullet was recovered from a teenage girl in Dallas County? Who the hell was the teenage girl? Let me get my mind right. Okay, so I shot Alex, and I went back to the hotel afterwards. Tanie took the gun, and she said she got rid of it. This can’t be true. I was sick to my stomach. Did Tanie kill Olivia? She would NEVER do that! NEVER!
I had to find a phone. I stood and turned completely around in the room. A phone was sitting on the table near the window. I rushed over to it, and I dialed Tanie.
She answered the phone, and my breathing was labored when I screamed, “You killed her!”
She said nothing. She didn’t deny it. She didn’t accuse Roscoe. It was true. I was going to lose my mind.
I yelled, “She was the last of my family, Tanie! Why did you do that?”
“Because you left me no choice,” her voice came across calm, almost like she was expecting me to say those words.
My heart was killing me. Every part of my body was on fire. I was mad as hell! Worse than hell! I said, “She had nothing to do with this.”
“The moment you left, you brought her and my entire family into it. I told you that Roscoe was no joke, but you didn’t listen.”
“I’m going to call the police.” I was going to tell them she killed my sister! I was going to scream it to the world.
“And say what, Angela? You were the one that slept with Alex. You’re Olivia’s sister. They’re not going to blame me. The police will blame you. Did you know your apartment is still empty? It’s still just like you left it. I can always plant the gun in there. And oh, do you remember the drugs under the bathroom counter? They’re still there, too. How about I give the police an anonymous tip about Jason and where they can find matching meds that he overdosed on? You’ll be getting the electric chair before you’re thirty years old.”
The Ex Killer Series Page 55