Both Sides of the Fence 4: Bad Blood

by M. T. Pope

  She stood up as well and then said, “I’m so glad that you are in my corner and that you put up with me, flaws and all.”

  “No problem, Ashley. We all have our moments and then we move on. I got to see the crazy you a few minutes ago. I might have nightmares tonight but I’m sure I’ll be all right after that.” I snickered.

  “Yes, I did lose it for a minute didn’t it?” She smiled. She looked embarrassed.

  “All is forgiven.” I kissed her on the forehead.

  “Thanks,” she said as she, in turn, kissed me on the lips. “It means so much to hear those words. Too many people don’t forgive. It will make you do things that you wouldn’t normally do. And most of all it will control you. Forgiveness is the key to happy living. Thank you for forgiving me.”

  I can’t even lie and say that her last statement didn’t hit home for me, but it was too late for all of that now. The ball was already rolling and I was speeding toward the finish line.

  “Let’s get back out there so we can go over some type of game plan to push the awareness of your sister’s absence.”

  We both walked out of the bathroom and into the living room to get started. The whole time I was sitting there planning with them I was counter planning in my head. She would never be found alive and I was going to make sure of it.

  Chapter 25

  Ashley

  Beating the Pavement

  Going to work was not happening at the moment. I called my boss and explained the situation to her. Like any human being she was immediately sympathetic to my request for time off and she even said I would get paid for it.

  I knew my dad told me to not get involved in it, but that was like talking to a brick wall. I thought he knew it in the back of his mind, but he still said it anyway. I knew he meant it, too, but again, I was not going to have a half-assed cop pussyfooting around when my sister was missing. No, sir, not on my watch.

  I was in my car with a stack of fliers that I had printed up. I had made a Facebook page for my sister. I even had a sign made of my sister’s picture and information with it plastered on the side of my car. I wasn’t playing. Everyone was going to be looking for Diana Black if I had anything to say about it. I had as many people as I knew posting and reposting on every social Web site that was well known and a few that weren’t.

  Social media was cool but good old-fashioned hand-to-hand was better to me. As I walked down the street and handed out fliers to any individual who passed by me, I thought about the times that I was on the opposite end of this scene right now. I would usually give a sad face and a weak smile to the person who was handing me the flier and then I went on my way toward what really concerned me. People didn’t care until it happened to them. Murder, kidnapping, and violence were all experience teachers. I was getting taught right now that we as people took too much for granted and things in life could change drastically in a moment’s time and most people outside of your family couldn’t really care less and some inside as well.

  “Have you seen her?” I said as I walked around a small shopping center a few blocks from where I had parked my car.

  The older lady looked at me with concern as she spoke, “Such a beautiful young lady. Such a shame. Such a shame.” She shook her head and wiped a tear that escaped her left eye. “My baby girl disappeared about two years ago and we still looking for her. I know how you feel, baby. I’m still looking for my baby. She turned twenty-nine years old yesterday and sure would have been nice to hold her in my arms. Lord knows I miss her.”

  She was crying pretty hard right now. I didn’t know what else to do but I reached out and pulled her into a hug as she sobbed on my shoulder. Pretty soon I was crying as well. Her story made me think that I would never find Diana alive. I knew she didn’t mean to make me feel this way but I was heartbroken right now. My little sister was missing and I was powerless to help her right now.

  “Oh God, my baby!” The lady continued to sob into my shoulder. I pulled her in closer to me because I truly needed the hug right now as well. I was feeling all types of ways. This hug was everything right now.

  After a few more minutes, she stopped crying and pulled herself away. “Thank you so much,” she said as she wiped the tears from her eyes. “That was the first time I really cried like that. I am so ashamed that it had to be with a stranger.” She laughed. I laughed a little as well.

  “No problem,” I said as I smiled at her. “We both needed a good cry right here and now. It felt good to let out some frustration. Do you have a flier of your daughter so I can make some copies and pass them out with my sister’s information? It would kill two birds with one stone,” I offered.

  “You would do that?” She looked at me with shock on her face. “I . . . I don’t know what to say. I have been doing all of this looking and searching by myself since I have very little family and now you come along and offer me help. I don’t know what to say. I am so grateful that you would even offer it to me. Young lady, you are a very rare kind of special. Walk me to my car so I can get you a flier that is in the trunk of my car.”

  “Ma’am, that is no problem at all. One hand washes the other. We all need help in this world. I’m doing what I would expect others to do for me,” I said as we walked and talked in the direction of her vehicle.

  “Young lady, you must have some mighty fine parents to train you the way that they have,” she said as we finally made it to her car that was only a few blocks away from the shopping center I was in at first.

  “Yes, my parents did a great job in training me. Plus, it’s right to help someone else, especially if we are in the same type of situation.”

  “You are so right, baby,” she said as she opened her trunk and pulled out a stack of fliers for me to hand out for her. My mouth hung open at the sight of the picture on the flier. It wasn’t what I expected.

  “Are you all right, baby?” She looked at me curiously. “Something wrong?”

  “Miss, this is a damn dog’s flier,” I said because I was instantly pissed off at this lady’s foolishness.

  “What do you mean?” She looked confused. “This is my daughter.”

  “I’m not passing out no damn dog pictures with my sister fliers. Are you crazy?” I looked at her as if she had two heads and a dog’s tail. I knew I shouldn’t have been so disrespectful to her but I was overheated with attitude right now. I mean this lady had me in the middle of public crying on my shoulder all because of a damn missing dog.

  “But I thought you said that you would help me out. I really miss her.” She looked at me all pitiful looking. I was not falling for it though.

  “That was when I thought it was a damn person I would be looking for instead of a hot in the ass dog.” That dog was probably chilling somewhere in someone else’s house and away from her crazy ass.

  “So you not gonna help me?” she asked again as if I was going to change my mind.

  “Miss, look for your own mutt,” I said as I walked off, pissed, in the direction of my car.

  Chapter 26

  Alex

  Surprise Guest

  I pulled up to my home and exited my car with fatigue in my steps. I had walked for miles today passing out fliers in search of my sister. I had taken off of work for a few days so that I could focus my attention on what was more important right now, but that didn’t stop Lance from calling me asking me what I was going to do about the blackmail thing he had going on. I was waiting on Wallace to call me back with the information and help that I needed to get this thing to disappear for him. I still wanted to be broke off financially for going above the call of duty as an agent. His PR person was supposed to handle his messy stuff not me but with this type of situation I know he had very few options for help. I had to figure out how to approach him for a cut of the hush money. That little sissy boy wouldn’t be getting any but I damn sure wanted some. I knew it was wrong but hey it was better than playing the lottery. Both this and the lottery were once-in-a-lifetime chances and I wasn’t aski
ng for a million dollars. A hundred grand would be nice. I could do a lot with that. Anyone could actually.

  “Dude, you not that tired. I know they don’t work you that hard,” a voice said from behind me as I was about to enter my building.

  I knew the voice well but it couldn’t be who it sounded like.

  “Man, what are you doing all the way over here?” I smiled as I greeted Wallace, my deceased biological father’s lover and also one of my best friends. I embraced him with a tight hug and then pulled away. “Dude, you cut your hair?”

  “Yep, it was time for a change.” He smoothed his hand over his low-cut hair. I had to admit he looked good without the dreads.

  “Man, you came all the way back to Baltimore from California to help me out?” I looked at him in wonder. It was amazing how true friendship could cause you to react in unwavering dedication to another person.

  “I would love for you to think that.” He laughed. “Truth is a friend of mine passed away and I flew back here to help his mom bury him properly. It was a plus that I get to help you out as well.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that, Wallace, but I am glad you are here. Come on in the house with me so we can catch up a little.”

  We both walked in my apartment. He sat in my living room while I went into the kitchen to grab us something to drink.

  “Man, this is a real nice place you have going on here.” He nodded his head as he spoke. I sat down on the chair diagonally from him and handed him his drink. “Thanks, man.” He opened it and took a quick swig of it.

  “Yeah, it a great place to be,” I agreed. “Nothing like having your own place.”

  “That is true,” he said. “So why are you getting in so late? I know that you are not working this late at the office.”

  “No, not at all.” I shook my head. “Truth is, man, my sister Diana is missing and I have been out for a quite a few hours handing out fliers trying to find her.”

  “Man, are you kidding me?” He looked at me in disbelief. “For how long?”

  “Close to four days now I think.”

  “What are the police doing about this?” He looked at me with concern.

  “They are doing their best and have been updating us daily, but it is still no leads on her whereabouts or cause. It’s like she disappeared into thin air.”

  “This is crazy. I had a few friends working for me down at a few of the precincts when I was doing dirty business a few years back. I will make a few calls to see if they have been doing all they can do to get this case solved. We all know how inept cops can be at times.” He shook his head.

  “True.” I nodded in agreement. “Not to change the subject but who got the restaurant while you are gone?”

  “My mom and Rebecca are watching over it until I get back. It was a little hard to let it go and fly here but you have to do what you have to do when a need of a good friend or friends arises.”

  “Dude, you are amazing,” I said in awe of his last statement. “Who talks or thinks like you?”

  “Nah, I try to treat people the way I want them to treat me. It has been working for all of this time with a few exceptions so why stop now? My life is good and I am healthy with family all around me. Who could ask for more?”

  “I see why James liked you. You are straightforward, honest, and you are passionate about peace. Who wouldn’t want a mate like that?”

  “Well, I was lucky to have him for the time I did as well. I really can’t complain.”

  I could tell that he was getting a little emotional about that subject so I moved on back to the other subject that I asked him about a few days ago. “So you think you can help my client out of this situation without it being illegal?”

  “Alex, I have a few ideas and I will call in a few favors from some specialists in this area of expertise. I’m not going to say that it won’t be illegal but I will keep you clear of the drama. Did you get the information that I needed?”

  “I sure did. I have it in the other room. I’ll be right back.” I hopped up off of the chair and made my way into my den to retrieve the information for Wallace. It felt so good to have help. Doing stuff by yourself was the pits.

  I walked back into the room and handed him the papers with information on them. After he looked over the papers he nodded his head and a smile came over his face.

  “I can’t lie and say I won’t enjoy this last caper of drama before I head back home and back to the normal life.”

  “Yes, there is nothing like a good rush of adrenaline to get the heart going,” I said as I remembered some of our adventures out in California.

  “We sure did have some adventures going on a few years ago didn’t we?” he said as if he had read my mind.

  “Yes, but some of that was out of this world. Some of the stuff I still can’t believe to this day.” I laughed as I thought about Rebecca and Grace and the fact that they had so many people fooled for so long.

  “Yeah, I’m still adjusting in some ways but all in all life is good.” He nodded his head.

  “Wallace, you are welcome to stay here if you want. I don’t have a piece coming over tonight so you are good.” I laughed.

  “Let me find out you have your father’s libido. He was insatiable at times in the bedroom.” He laughed.

  “Well, let’s say the apple didn’t fall that far away from the tree.” I laughed again.

  “I hear that. Be safe. It’s some crazy chicks out here. And to answer your question I wasn’t planning on staying anywhere else.” He laughed again and so did I. I loved Wallace and our friendship. It was free and comfortable.

  We stayed up for a few more hours catching up before we went to bed for the night.

  As I lay in bed and before I drifted off to sleep the fact that Troy needed to see me and Jasmine back down at the police station drifted to the forefront of my mind. There was so much going on that I almost forgot about it. How was I going to get out of this one? I couldn’t tell anyone about it, especially my parents, because I didn’t want to worry them at this time with Diana’s kidnapping on the forefront. I closed my eyes and prayed that it all would work out and work out for my good. Right now drama was escalating in my family and we didn’t need anything else to happen.

  Chapter 27

  Jasmine

  Committed

  Here I was sitting in my doctor’s office waiting for her to come back to tell me that I was pregnant. I had goose bumps up and down my legs and arms, from both nerves and the chilliness of the room. It was a little over a week from the day that I had sex with Alex. I was glad to be sitting here, ready to receive some good news. I looked around the room at all of the advertisements and things that hung on the wall. One had a picture of a man and woman with who I would assume was their baby and loving smiles on their faces. I thought about my mother and then my father’s face popped into my mind. I smiled because I thought of the possibilities of my family-to-be; then a heavy feeling came over me all of a sudden. The room grew colder by the second and I rubbed my hands over the sides of my arms to warm them but it was to no avail. I doubled over and rocked back and forth with my arms clutched across my chest. I was having a panic attack. Everywhere I looked I saw my mother’s head as I looked around the room to find a safe place to hide.

  “Stay away from me. Stay away from me,” I moaned in terror. I couldn’t believe that this was happening to me now.

  “Is everything okay?” The door to the room I was in swung open quickly. The look on the nurse’s face was one of panic. “I heard yelling.”

  “Yelling?” I looked at her like she was crazy.

  “Yes, yelling.” She looked at me with even more bewilderment. “Like someone was being hurt in here.”

  “You must have heard wrong.” I gave her attitude with my statement. “Where is my doctor with my test?”

  “She will be with you shortly,” she said as she looked at me a few more seconds and then she closed the door and left.

  “Shit.” I banged my hand i
nto the side of head. “Got to hold this shit together. I can’t lose it now. I’m too close to my goal. Please, God, give me some more time. All I need is a few more years. Please, God.” I pleaded with God to be merciful. I wanted to have a family.

  “Is everything okay, Jasmine?” My doctor came back into the office with a piece of paper in her hand. My eyes followed it and not her around the room as she took a seat in her chair.

  “Yes.” A smile of hope was covering my face. The look on hers was hard to read. I wanted to tell her to get on with all of the questions and give me my damn results. This whole situation was pressing my patience to an all-time low. Come on with it, bitch!

  “I am happy to tell you that you are with child.” She smiled as she spoke.

  “Really?” I was asking to be sure. I knew she wasn’t lying but I wanted to make sure this shit wasn’t a crazy hallucination or something. I had my moments. I wasn’t oblivious to my situation just not focused on that shit right now.

  “Yes, really. You are having a baby.”

  “I . . . I can’t believe it.” Tears welled up in my eyes and began to fall down my cheeks. I brushed them away but they continued to fall.

  “Well, believe it. In nine short months you will be having a nice bundle of joy. Was this something that you wanted or was this an accident?” she inquired.

  Did this bitch call me a whore on the sly? I know she didn’t. She couldn’t have. Maybe I was overreacting. Yes, I was overreacting. She didn’t want to be a victim. I was sure of it.

  I almost said that I killed a few bitches to get this baby, but I didn’t. That probably would have freaked the shit out of her. She was this petite white woman probably in her early fifties.

  “It was planned. We have been trying for a few months now and finally today it is all coming true.” I sniffed back tears as I spoke.