The Believer

by Kym Davis Boyles

  “What is going on? You’re scaring me,” Cai said.

  “I don’t mean to. I promise that I’ll explain everything later. Remember Jackie’s Tavern?”

  “Yeah,” she said.

  “You’re going to drop me off at there. Then I want you to come back for me at midnight at the same spot you drop me off. Go home and pack only essential stuff. I’ll buy you everything else that you need because we’re not going to ever come back here.”

  Cai’s heart leaped and she smiled. “Really? Where will we go?”

  James smiled and rubbed his hand on her thigh. “Victoria and I own this three bedroom villa in St. Bart's. It sits on the beach right beside the water. It’s paradise. We’re going to leave all of this behind. Can you do that?”Cai looked over at him almost orgasmic with anticipation. It was almost too much to digest but that’s how she always envisioned herself living, in a bikini, with the sun shining and no worries. “Yes…yes…yes.”

  Chapter 118

  Cai didn’t want to alarm Delilah by packing immediately. As she dropped James off at Jackie's Tavern, he had reminded her how secretive they’d have to be. She sat on the sofa looking at DJ in Delilah’s lap and thought about how much she was going to miss him. She loved Delilah but Delilah knew that she never intended to stay; she just hadn’t expected to fall in love with DJ and break his heart by leaving him behind. Cai decided that she’d just have to leave a note and once they were settled, she’d send Delilah some money to take DJ out of this neighborhood.

  Delilah covered her face as tears flowed down her cheeks as she sat watching the news broadcast. DJ hopped down from Delilah’s lap and ran over to Cai, prompting her to pick him up.

  “Momma, I’m sure Pastor Greg will be found and he’ll be okay. You said yourself that God was going to take care of him.”

  Delilah sniffed and wiped her nose. “I know but they’re not updating us and the police ain’t saying nothing. He’s such a good man. I hope whoever did this is caught and that the Lord get them. They better not hurt that man of God,” she said fiercely.

  Cai kissed DJ and squeezed him tight. “Momma, the pastor will be fine; he’s a tough guy.”

  Delilah wiped her nose with the same used tissue that she’s had balled up for over an hour. “I feel for the First Lady, I just know that she’s a wreck.”

  Cai nodded. As embarrassed as she had been when she kissed Greg, his rejection of her advances had earned him even more respect in her eyes. She didn’t care much for the First Lady but she didn’t wish any harm on the Pastor.

  “That doggone Chief of Police is nowhere to be found. He should’ve at least held a press conference to update the public on what they’re finding out. For goodness sakes, he is a trustee at the man’s church. He ain’t no good, I tell ya,” Delilah said.

  Cai blew out a breath. That was her cue to begin packing. “Come on, snuggle bug.”

  With DJ on her hip, Cai stood up from the sofa and headed to her room. She couldn’t wait to get out of that house.

  Chapter 119

  Taylor couldn’t believe that Leon hadn’t called her to let her know what was going on. It was all over every local station how Greg was taken from his church parking lot earlier in the day. Ridiculous! It was hard to fathom that William had fouled up so badly as to have men so stupid that they’d kidnap a pastor on church grounds in broad daylight and leave the witness. It was unfathomable. She zipped her suitcase and placed it on the floor with the rest of the bags that she’d packed.

  She wasn’t sticking around to see what was going to happen. She was going to California as planned. She just hoped that Leon was smart enough to keep his name clear so that there would be no delaying his transfer. Leaving was already an inconvenience when her book was about to be a mega hit, with Elliot already arranging television talk show appearances for her to kick off the pre-ordering craze.

  Right now, she just wanted to concentrate on boarding that plane and getting out of town. Taylor looked at the plane ticket on her dresser and exhaled. The plane was leaving at 7:05 this evening. Although the move to California was unexpected, she loved California and it would give her a chance to connect with her mom and siblings. It was just nerve wrecking not knowing what was going on with Leon. She missed him so much.

  The doorbell rang.

  Oh, goodness, who is that? It was way too early for that cab to show up. She was still in shorts, an old t-shirt and dingy house shoes. She took a quick look in the mirror. Her hair was a mess and she needed at least a little foundation not to look so scary. It rang again.

  “I’m coming!” she shouted.

  Taylor opened the door and she knew immediately that her plans for California had just changed. Three officers stood in front of her; one in plain clothes and two uniformed stiffs.

  “Taylor Ladson?” The man in the ill-fitting, cheap tan suit asked.

  Taylor stood for a moment staring at the three men and trying to figure out her next move; should she bulldoze her way through them and down the stairs or slam the door on them and run to the bathroom and jump out the window? She decided on the latter. She pushed the door as hard as she could and ran toward her bathroom. The plain clothed officer stuck his pointy-toed shoe inside the door, preventing it from closing. The three officers ran in after her with one grabbing her foot and causing her to fall in the hallway on her way to the bathroom.

  Taylor cried out as she fell on her stomach and an officer jumped on her back. He pulled her arms behind her back, causing her to cry out even louder. “You’re hurting me!”

  The plain clothed officer knelt down and shook his head as Taylor looked up at him. “You just made this much worse for yourself, Mrs. Ladson. You have the right to remain silent…”

  As the plain clothed officer read her Miranda rights, Taylor looked back at him. “Sir, can I at least change my shoes?”

  Chapter 120

  With her hands still cuffed behind her back and her eyes stretched wide, Charlotte rocked back and forth on the bench watching and waiting to be booked. She had been sitting in the same spot behind bars for hours surrounded with prostitutes and criminals. If they didn’t get her out of here; she was going to have a nervous breakdown.

  She didn’t make eye contact with anybody waiting alongside of her. When she first walked in, she saw that some of them were either crazy looking, talking to themselves, or too comfortable which was scarier than the first two groups. Her pants were wet and she smelled like urine; she just wished they’d let her mom bring her a change of clothes. Seeing a pleasant-faced female officer with a bouncing ponytail passing by, Charlotte jumped at the chance to ask for help.

  “Excuse me, Miss, ma’am, Officer,” Charlotte said, speaking through the bars.

  The female officer stopped. “Yes?”

  “When will I be able to call my mother to bring me a change of clothes?” Charlotte asked.

  She heard laughter from the other women in the booking area behind her. She ignored them.

  “She needs her mommy to bring her some clothes,” an older gray-haired Caucasian female mocked. The women laughed again.

  Charlotte rolled her eyes, hoping that she didn’t have to fight granny.

  “Once you’re booked, you’ll be told when you can make your phone call,” a girl with wild brown hair, heavy dark eye shadow added, leaning against the concrete wall and not joining the women in laughter.

  Charlotte looked over at her as she walked back to the bench she had been sitting on. “How long does this take?” Charlotte asked the girl.

  The girl shrugged. “It could be five minutes, five hours, maybe even tomorrow but they’ll call your name when it’s your turn,” she said, opening her mouth to yawn.

  Charlotte sat back down and dropped her head in her lap. God knows she couldn’t stay in here for too much longer. She didn’t belong here with these people. Hearing a string of curse words from down the hall, Charlotte looked up, anxious to see who was being brought in to join them.


  The cell door opened and an officer holding a woman by the arm pushed her into the room and closed the cell door as the woman continued to swear and yell through the bars.

  “This is crazy. I don’t belong in here with these people,” the woman yelled out. She turned around and looked at the women in the cell and then back out through the bars. “What is wrong with you people! You can’t leave me in here!” the woman screamed.

  Charlotte already had a headache and didn’t want to hear any more yelling or crying. Her stress level couldn’t take anymore. The thought of going to jail made her nauseous. Massaging her temples, she looked up at the woman, realizing that she looked a lot like Jess from the side view. Charlotte narrowed her eyes as the woman turned around to face them all. It is Jess!

  Charlotte stood up. “Jess,” she called out, staring at the woman.

  The woman turned around with wild cow eyes.

  “You killed my baby,” Charlotte mumbled, with her mouth hanging open.

  Charlotte’s heart began pounding in her chest. She felt a rush of anger recalling her conversation with Dr. Richards and how she was dropped off at the hospital and left like a dying dog.

  “What?” the woman asked, staring at Charlotte.

  “You know who I am.” Charlotte began taking small steps toward the woman. “You killed my baby.”

  The woman turned back around to the bars and banged on them. “Officer!”

  “You killed my baby!” Charlotte yelled, rushing over to the woman, grabbing her hair and throwing her to the ground. Charlotte balled up her fist and began beating the woman’s face while the rest of the women clapped and cheered her on before she heard a loud whistle and officers rushed into the cell.

  Chapter 121

  Unless one’s destination was Jackie’s Tavern, most people weren’t drawn to the area because the turn off was located in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by dirt roads and trees. Still operating successfully after twenty years, Jackie’s Tavern had a faithful following. Victoria for one had fond memories of romantic visits with James for homemade burgers and shakes.

  James was sitting at a table with a window seat at Jackie’s Tavern when Victoria drove up. Seeing her outside, he stood up from the table, took some bills out of his pants pocket and threw them on the table. Once outside of the restaurant, he scanned the area before walking to the car and getting in.

  “Hey baby,” James said, sliding into Victoria’s car and leaning over giving her a kiss. “Circle around and go back out toward the old road. I want to stay on the back road. I’ll tell you where to park.”

  “James, what’s going on?” Victoria asked, turning her Jaguar around in the dirt, and driving as James directed her.

  “Whew!” James rubbed his hands over his head. “It’s complicated; did you bring everything that I asked you to?” Victoria nodded. James looked stressed and nervous but she didn’t care. “Why aren’t you in uniform?” she asked. “What happened?”

  “Just drive,” James ordered, anxiously staring out through the car windows. “Okay, turn right then pull over,” James instructed.

  Victoria did just that and parked the car in the middle of nowhere. She turned to James. “What did you do?” she asked.

  James exhaled. “Nothing, but they’re trying to implicate me in Devon’s death.”

  “I’m confused.”

  “Vicki, just listen. I know that it’s only a matter of time before they have my face all over the television. That’s why I have to get out of town now.”

  Victoria sat staring out through the windshield. She was in no hurry to help him no matter how desperate he sounded.

  “Vicki, do you hear me? This is serious!” James said.

  Victoria remained calm. “How did you get here?” she asked.

  “I hitched a ride,” James said.

  Does he think I’m stupid? “You hitched a ride?” Victoria asked, knowing that James was too proud to ever hitch a ride from anyone. “Where’s the BMW?”

  “I dumped it in the river,” he answered, as if he’d taken garbage to the dump.

  “What?” Victoria shook her head trying to comprehend everything. “That’s a hundred thousand dollar car!”

  “That could have cost me my freedom. Did you bring the money?” James asked, staring wildly over at her.

  Victoria looked over at him. “Why are you running if you didn’t do anything?”

  “Because no one will believe me right now,” James said, “but if I leave then I can work to make sure that everyone knows the truth.”

  “Where are you planning to go?” she asked.

  “I don’t know but I have to get out of town so did you bring everything?”

  Victoria raised her shoulders inhaling a deep breath. “That depends.”

  James puckered his forehead. “Depends? On what?”

  “It depends on whether you had that girl in my house or not.”

  James stopped and stared bug eyed at her. “What? What are you talking about? I told you that I’m not seeing that girl anymore.”

  “I know she was in my closet, James, trying on my gowns and dresses.” Victoria reached inside her purse and took out the broken Cameo necklace. “But what I’m curious about is…did you have sex with her in my closet?”

  James stared at the necklace. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Does this belong to her?”

  James looked away. “No.”

  “I don’t own anything this tacky, James,” Victoria said, staring ahead. “Are you planning on taking her with you using my money?”

  “Our money.” James placed his head in his hands and closed his eyes as his chest rose up and down. “Let’s calm down. No. No, I’m not taking her with me. I have no feelings for that girl. Please don’t do this to me, Victoria. I need you.”

  Victoria tightened her face in a scowl. “Like you needed her?”

  “That girl means absolutely nothing to me. You and I are a team and once I’m settled; I’m going to send for you.” James took Victoria’s hand in his and brought it up to his mouth, kissing it. “Come on baby, did you bring the money?”

  Victoria paused and nodded. “Yes, everything is in the suitcase in the trunk,” she said.

  James winked at her. “Thank you, open the trunk please,” he said, opening the passenger door and stepping out of the car.

  Victoria pressed the button to unlock the trunk. She watched him walk around to the back of the Jaguar. Something didn’t feel right. Once she saw that he bent down to look inside the trunk, Victoria reached in the back of the seat and pulled out the leather bag.

  James opened the luggage and saw stacks of twenty dollar and hundred dollar bills secured by rubber bands. He smiled. Vicki, always loyal to me no matter what. He heard Victoria’s door open and she walked toward the back of the car.

  “Okay, I really have to get going,” James said, taking the luggage out of the trunk.

  Victoria walked up beside him and crossed her arms. “How will I get in touch with you?”

  Without answering, James bent down and lifted his pants leg, pulling out his gun from his ankle holster. He pointed it at Victoria. “You won’t.”

  Victoria immediately took a step back with her bright blue eyes stretched wide staring at the gun in her face.

  “Get in the trunk,” James ordered.

  Victoria gasped and placed one hand to her chest as her body quivered. “What are you doing, James?”

  James cocked his gun to make sure she knew that he was not joking. “Don’t make this any more difficult than it is. Get in the trunk now.”

  “James, are you serious?”

  “Get in the trunk,” he said sounding each syllable slowly.

  Victoria slowly bent her knees to the ground and folded her hands to beg. “Please, James, it’s me. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” she cried as huge tears began falling down her cheek. “Is it because of the girl? You can have and do whatever you want. Please don’t kill me.�
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  James rolled his eyes. “Vicki, please don’t make shoot you on that cold ground. Get up and get in the trunk.”

  “Please James!” his wife begged. “Please don’t do this.”

  Holding the gun steadily on her, James could see Victoria’s body shiver as she stood up slowly from the ground, keeping her eyes on the gun. Her well-manicured hands shook as she steadied herself holding onto the trunk of the Jag and lifting one leg to climb inside. He thought he’d feel differently once his plan was underway but even seeing Victoria’s pretty face pleading for her life, he had no feelings for her at all.

  Victoria put one leg inside the trunk and he wished she’d hurry so he could get it over with, dump her body, and take the car. James turned around and scanned the area to keep an eye out before he pulled the trigger. He looked back at Victoria to find her with extended arms holding a revolver pointed at his chest.

  Chapter 122

  The gun shot was louder than Victoria expected and firing the shot knocked her back a little catching her off guard. Her hands and arms trembled with the gun still in the air and pointed at James as if he was going to get back up. He didn’t. He stared at her as he fell, his gun falling from his hand as he dropped to his knees and fell forward with his face hitting the ground.

  Shaking, Victoria lowered her weapon, covering her mouth as she stared at the man that she loved dying in front of her on the ground. She fell to her knees in front of him, bending over his body. She was almost afraid to touch him but she did anyway. She felt for a pulse but there was none. He was gone. Shaking, she turned him over and was shocked to see his eyes still open with the look of surprise on his face.

  Victoria began talking herself through it. Yes, I loved him but he was going to kill me first. She looked around but there was nothing but trees; there was no one for miles. She wiped the tears from her face and felt his still warm body for his cell phones. She knew that he always had at least two; a department issued one and a constantly changing burner that for some reason he purchased new regularly on a two-week schedule.