by J Peach
“A crazy ass fight broke out. Two people had to be rushed to Methodist. This one babe got fuck’d up real bad. She probably would’ve had a chance if she wasn’t cuffed. David and I was just on our way up there now to check on the two ladies.” He finished with a sigh before nodding at me. “What’s going on with you? What got you up here?” he asked.
“Poke’s fuck ass came and took my girl this morning, but now they can’t find her. Ol girl back there said y’all ain’t got no record of her being here.”
Pete’s brows rose at that and he hummed. “Let me see, y’all come back here.” We started following him until I stopped.
“Sam, stay on Poke.” With that I closed the door behind me and continued to follow Pete and King to the basement. We walked into an office where Pete jumped right on a computer.
“You still with that one chick we saw you with or is it another?” His question had King looking at me with a slight mug.
“Man he talkin’ ‘bout Peaches. We’re somewhat together. Her ass crazy, though.” Pete suddenly burst out laughing. He leaned back in his chair with his hand on his stomach as he laughed louder.
King gave me a funny look while pointing to Pete. I shrugged in response I ain’t know why his ass was laughing.
“What’s funny?” King asked him.
Pete shook his head looking at me then started laughing again. That got me curious.
“What?”
“Man we saw her beat yo ass at that stop light that day y’all left Broadway Café. We were right on the side of y’all when she whacked yo ass. She fuck’d you up in that driver’s seat. David wanted to help but shid I pulled off. You know David ass stupid. Dude was looking at her punch you then turned to me talking about, Think we should help him? I pulled the fuck off. Shid, there was no need for all us to get our ass beat.” Pete laughed harder with King joining him.
“Fuck you, Pete.” There was no denying it, Peaches’ ass be throwing hands to a nigga.
“Okay, what’s her first name or is it Peaches?” Nodding I replied.
“Peaches Johnson.” He typed in her name and hummed.
“What?” I asked.
“She ain’t in here and you said Poke got her?” Again, I nodded. Seeing that, he shook his head. “She must wasn’t put in the system, which is crazy because I see where the search warrant was issued but I don’t see anything about an arrest. I mean he didn’t need a warrant to arrest her but I don’t see why he did. Do you have the warrant?” I handed it to him and he started looking over it. “They were looking for a .45 caliber? Oh shid, Judge Richardson signed this. Poke got that bitch in his pocket. He can tell that bitch anything and she’ll sign a warrant.” He continued to press buttons before picking up the phone to make a call. After a few minutes, he started talking.
“What’s up, Mike. This is Pete. Hey, can you check and see if a Peaches Johnson was processed down there, for me? Have somebody check your cells too, just in case she don’t show up.”
I looked out the room then back at Pete, leaning on the desk. “Can you get me Poke’s address?”
Pete looked at me shaking his head. “Now you know I can’t do that.” He turned back to the computer and started pressing buttons. “I’ll be right back.” He put the phone on speaker, got up and walked out.
As he did, King sat in the chair snatching a pen and started writing information down. Once he finished writing, I snatched the paper from him as King got up and stood back at the door.
“Pete.”
“Yeah, I’m here.” Pete answered, walking back in the office.
“We don’t have your girl in our system or cells.” Dude replied on the other end.
“Alright thanks, Mike.”
“No problem.” With that, they ended the call and he looked at me.
“I can’t begin to tell you where she’s at. Let me go inform my Captain on this and we can go from there. It’s not like she can just walk out of here without anybody seeing her. Come on. We can do a walk through first if you wanna peek into the cells,” Pete stated.
“Yeah, let’s do that first.” Peaches disappearing from this damn police station wasn’t right.
How do some shit like this fuckin’ happen?
I couldn’t deal with this shit.
Chapter 22
Blaze
She wasn’t there. We checked the cells and the bathrooms, but there was no trace of her ever being anywhere. Nobody had no fuckin’ answers as to where she went.
“How the fuck do you lose somebody in this bitch and forgot to put ‘em in the system? She wasn’t supposed to be in this mothafucka, that’s why you forgot. What was it? She wouldn’t say that bullshit you wanted her to? Is that why she missing, Poke? Huh?” I pushed his ass, making him stumble back into the desk. Pete and King grabbed me but I snatched away from them. “You picked the wrong chick to fuck with.”
“Are you threating him?” Ross, their Captain, asked.
“Did you hear a fuckin’ threat come out of my mouth?” Damn, I wish I had my fuckin’ gun.
“I get that you’re upset about this. I, myself, don’t see how something like this happened without my knowledge. Believe me this mistake will be dealt with.” He informed me before looking at Poke. “Poke, when you brought her in, what did you do?” Ross asked him and Poke began to explain.
“Nothing. I brought her in and had her wait in the room for about an hour or two then asked her questions about her ex, Cornell Jones, who had been reported as missing. I asked if she wanted to call anyone, she declined. I felt she was lying about not knowing what happened to her ex. So, I left out of the room, leaving her there for a few more hours hoping it’ll get her to talk but she stuck to her story. The second time I went into the room Officer Wright was in there with her. At that point, she asked to use the restroom. I asked Officer Wright to escort her then put her in a cell. Right after they left, I got called away. My son’s school called about an altercation he was in and I went straight there. Here, I have both a pass and his suspension paper. Once I got back, I learned of Ms. Johnson’s sudden disappearance.”
“Have anyone talked to Wright?” Ross asked.
“No, this is the first time his name has been brought up. I’ll go find him,” Pete said then left the room.
“Okay, Mr. Carter, do you have any pictures of her.”
“No.” He wasn’t getting my damn phone. “Wait, I do.” Pulling out my wallet, I took out the photo Peaches managed to sneak in the sun visor of my old truck of us together.
“You got a picture of y’all in your wallet?” King whispered, taking the picture from me.
“Don’t play like you don’t have that big mouth trick in yours. Give it here.” I snatched the picture from him and handed it to Ross. Once he had it, the door opened. Pete, David and Le’Ron walked in.
“Have you seen this girl?” Ross got straight to the point.
“Yeah, earlier. Poke asked me to take her to the bathroom then to lockup. After that, no.” Le’Ron told him.
“Why were you in the room with her?” Ross questioned him.
“I was looking for Poke but saw Peaches—Ms. Johnson. She asked to use my phone. I know I shouldn’t have but I let her. She was only on there for a minute or two.” He explained before looking at Poke. “I forgot to give this to you. A Krystal Monroe called for you.” Le’Ron told a confused looking Poke, handing him a piece of paper as he did. He glanced at me and nodded.
“Is there anything distinctive, anything recognizable she may have on to help identify her?” Captain Ross asked.
“What the fuck you mean, Identify her? You talkin’ like you’re expecting to find her dead or some shit.” I snapped at him.
He shook his head. “I’m hoping that’s not what happened but we have to think of all the possibilities here. When you last saw her, what did she have on? Does she have any tattoos, piercings?”
This shit was stressing me the fuck out. I took a cigarette out of my pocket and lit it.
Inhaling, I blew the smoke directly toward him.
“She had on grey sweat pants and a red shirt, a 14kt white gold heart necklace, a purple sapphire bracelet,” I took another pull from the square before I started talking again. The smoke left my mouth as I did. “On her left hand, she has an 18kt white gold ring—”
“You proposed to her?” King suddenly blurted, turning toward me. “You bitch ass nigga, I ain’t ever gon’ get rid of yo ass.”
For his sister to be missing, King was taking this shit cool as fuck, whereas I was feeling like a straight bitch. Then again, King had always been strangely calm whenever some serious shit happened.
“I didn’t propose— man shut the fuck up talkin’ to me right now.” I was about to flip and just start shooting all those mothafuckas including King. “Why the fuck y’all still standing here? You got yo fuckin’ description, now go find my fuckin’ girl.”
“Oh shit!” Pete rubbed his face as he looked at me. “Fuck, aww damn.” Leaning against the wall, he just looked at me and that dreadful feeling hit me ten times harder than before. His eyes stayed locked with mine as he started talking. “Le’Ron, was she cuffed when you put her in the cell?”
“Yeah, why?” Le’Ron asked.
The look on Pete’s face told me it was something bad.
“What is it Pete?” Ross questioned.
Wiping his mouth, Pete started talking. “The fight in the women’s cell earlier called for two women to be hospitalized. One of whom was beaten severely and had to be rushed to Methodist wearing the ring and bracelet he just described.” He looked to me. “Blaze, if I knew—”
Shaking my head, I stood up. I snatched the picture from Ross’ desk before I looked at Poke, not saying shit to him.
“Pete, let’s go.”
Poke better pray that wasn’t Peaches. Whether he physically touched her or not I was gon’ kill his ass.
***
We arrived at the hospital and I waited as King filled out some confidentiality forms. Once he signed the last page, the doctor began speaking with us.
“She sustained many blows to the head, we’re lucky she only has a concussion. She has a dislocated shoulder and four broken ribs. Her jaw was broken in two different places and she had to get twenty-five stitches to close the gash over her right eye. ” The doctor informed us. She looked from King to me. “Are you husband or…” I nodded my head. “Were you aware she was pregnant?”
“N’all.” That was the only word running through my head at this moment.
N’all.
I know they said it was her, but it couldn’t be.
N’all.
It wasn’t her.
God, I hope it wasn’t her with everything she was saying Peaches went through.
N’all, it wasn’t her.
“From the size of the fetus, I’d say she was about sixteen maybe eighteen weeks. The blows she received to her ribs and abdomen caused her to miscarry. I’m sorry to be the one to give you this news, but no jail house fight did this to her. She was deliberately beaten for hours it seems.” She then checked her beeping pager. “She’s heavily sedated right now so she’ll be out for a while but you two can go in there.”
“Where?” King asked.
“Go straight down this hall through the double doors you’ll make a right. She’s in the third room on your left, 303.” After giving us directions to the room, she walked off.
Quiet and blankly, we walked to her room. I didn’t know what to expect. I was tryin’ not to think about what the doctor said at all.
Coming to the door, I pushed it open.
We walked in.
N’all.
“N’all, aw n’all. Hell n’all!” It couldn’t be her. Her face, eyes, lips were swollen. Black, purple and blue bruise covered her entire face. “Hell n’all, man! N’all! Fuck n’all, yo! Why the fuck she didn’t listen? I told her stupid ass to say whatever the fuck they wanted to hear. Damn, bae.” It ain’t even look like her. If I would have just stayed away from her, this shit wouldn’t have happened. To see Peaches like that had my chest burning and for the first time in twenty-three years, my vision blurred. “You see this shit?” I asked myself while looking at the clear liquid on my fingers. I found that humorous. I was crying.
“All they asses dead, yo. I don’t give a fuck. This how they gon’ do her? N’all, ain’t no jail fight do this bullshit. This whole mothafuckin’ department ‘bout to feel this shit.” King spoke, his voice thick.
I felt what King was saying, I was there with his ass but I wanted to do this shit myself.
“They mos def gon’ feel this shit so don’t worry about that.” I couldn’t stand to see her beat up like that. “I can’t do this shit, yo. That mothafucka made her lose my baby. I’m takin’ both his and his bitch.” I couldn’t stay up there no more, I had to get the fuck out of there. I pressed my forehead to hers, trying to get my hurt feeling under control but I couldn’t. I was hurt knowing Peaches went through all that because of me.
Why not just come at me?
Fuck this!
“I love you.” Kissing her forehead, I stood up. “I’m out. I gotda get the fuck outda here.” I didn’t even wait for King to say shit. I just left. Once I made it to the elevator, the doors were opening and Peaches’ friends walked out. The big lip one ran right into me.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t expect you to be right there,” she explained.
“It’s cool.” I went to walk past her but she started talking.
“How is she? King called for us to meet y’all up here but he didn’t tell us anything.”
I couldn’t repeat everything the doctor said happened to her. Shaking my head, I wasn’t about to go into details. I ain’t have time.
“She in room 303.” I told her then pressed the down button on the elevator. I expected her to walk off afterwards but her ass stood there. “What the fuck is you staring at?” My mouth shut as she hugged me.
“It’s okay to cry, Blaze. You don’t always have to be tough.”
Grabbing her arms, I pushed her off of me then got on the elevator.
“B, hold up.” King jumped on just in time. The entire ride down we didn’t say anything to one another. There wasn’t a point to. My mind was made on what needed to be done and I was gon’ do that shit remorselessly. It was one thing to fuck with me but to go after my heart, that’s death.
Peaches was that plus some. Every mothafucka that came in that house to get her was gon’ wish they never got involved. Le’Ron’s ass was gon’ wish he wasn’t careless to have locked her in a cell cuffed.
Those mothafuckas could’ve killed her. They ass already killed my baby. Regardless of the fact I ain’t want to have kids, the mere fact it was Peaches who was carrying my shorty, made killing those mothafuckas more important. And the plan was to take all of theirs.
“Whatever you got planned, I’m in.” King said, getting in the passenger seat of my truck. I expected that when he hopped on the elevator. So, I ain’t say shit, just started up the truck and pulled off, going straight to the parking garage.
Chapter 23
Blaze
It was midnight when I pulled in the alley behind Poke’s house. I left the engine running as I hopped out of the truck. Opening the gate, I walked to the back door. After picking the top and bottom lock. I pushed the door open and the kitchen light came on as well as the alarm informing them that the back door was ajar.
Poke’s wife stood at the opening of the kitchen to investigate but when she saw me she froze.
Pulling my gun, I pointed it at her.
“Turn it off—” I could tell she contemplated her course of action by the shiftiness in her eyes. Defiantly, she attempted to run but I shot her in the leg, causing her to scream out but I paid it no mind as I snatched her up by her hair. I slammed her face into the wall right next to the alarm pad. I pressed the gun to her head. “Turn it off or the next
bullet gon’ be in yo fuckin’ head.” Shakily, she quickly disabled the alarm.
“If you want money, I can give it to you. Whatever you want.” I ignored her talking and pushed her toward the chair, making her fall over it. I ain’t have shit to say to her. There was no point. Her nigga fuck’d up and for that his family was gon’ pay for that shit.
“My husband’s a cop, he’ll be here any minute.” The butt of my gun hit hard across her face, knocking her down and shutting her up. Once she was out, I dragged her to the back door where King stood with a can of gasoline.
I took the can from him and he picked up Poke’s wife. Tossing her over his shoulder, he took her to the truck.
I picked up the can and sat it in the living room before I quickly took the stairs by two. Coming to the first door, I pushed the door open to see a chick sitting on the bed with her laptop and earphones on.
My movement brought her eyes to me but she looked right back at the computer only to quickly look back. She jumped off of the bed when she realized I was a stranger.
“Oh shit! Please don’t hurt me.” She looked around the room before her eyes landed back on me. “My dad’s a cop.” Her words annoyed the fuck out of me.
“I know and I don’t give a fuck.” She looked to her right, at another door. “Don’t be stupid.”
The bitch took off running into the door straight ahead. Letting out a breath, I walked back in the hall where she was coming out from a door next to her room. I took aim and shot her in the shoulder. She let out a loud scream. “Girl, shit the fuck up screaming like you fuckin’ stupid.” When she didn’t shut up, just like with her mom, I hit her hard across the head with the butt of the gun, knocking her out.
Her screaming brought her brother out of his room to check on her. I pointed my gun at him.
“Don’t be stupid like her. Get yo ass over here and pick her ass up.” When he opened his mouth, I cut him off. “I know yo dad a cop. I don’t give a fuck, now pick her ass up and let’s go.”