Cheaper to Keep Her (part 1)

by Kiki Swinson

  wel as a criminal mastermind. I had to give him credit for this elaborate scheme. I immediately

  started to pray. There had to be a way out of this mess.

  If so, I had to figure it out and fast!

  Cheaper to Keep Her Unique

  Chapter 31—Guilty Until Proven Innocent

  I was locked up, incarcerated, behind bars.

  Regardless of how you put it, the shit didn’t sound right and definitely didn’t seem right. But

  bottom line, I was real y fucking locked up.

  After the first night in central cel , I was taken to court and arraigned. I was being charged with

  murder, kidnapping, assault, il egal adoption enterprise, racketeering, conspiracy and child

  endangerment. I mean they were fucking trying to throw the book at me for crimes I had nothing to do

  with.

  After central cel , I was transferred to the Virginia Beach Jail for Woman. This was the location

  women were held prior to their trial or being assigned a permanent prison. I didn’t have a trial date

  yet. Unlike central cel , which included multiple cel s with an overflow of women, this location had

  cel blocks and individual cel s that held two to four inmates.

  Once I was assigned to a cel block, shit went haywire. While sleeping one particular afternoon, I

  was startled out of my sleep by a pil owcase being placed over my head. Additional y, something

  was covering my nose and mouth, so I couldn’t scream. I tried to fight back, but it was too many of

  them.

  “Bitch, you wanna fucking kil babies! You wanna steal people’s babies! Fucking bitch!” I wasn’t

  sure, but I think it was multiple women screaming and beating the shit out of me. They kicked and

  punched my torso, my arms, legs, feet . . . any part of my body they could get to. I felt like my ribs had

  been cracked and my skul fractured. They beat me until I felt blood seeping through the material they

  had on my head. Final y, one hard punch to my jaw snapped my head back and my world went black.

  I woke up in the jail’s infirmary. My entire body ached from head to toe. The nurse told me chicks in

  jail didn’t take kindly to women who harmed babies. I had cried and tried to talk through my wired jaw

  to tel her I hadn't done the crimes I was being accused of. It was no use. When an inmate said she

  was innocent, no one ever believed her. Hel , everyone was innocent in prison.

  I stayed in the infirmary for a couple of weeks before I was final y transferred to a solitary

  confinement unit, away from the main population. It was for my own safety and not for behavioral

  reasons like some of the other inmates that had to stay locked in a solitary cel twenty-three hours a

  day—one hour was given for exercising or stretching your legs.

  When I was final y assigned a court appointed attorney, he came to visit me and started tel ing me

  about the so-cal ed evidence they had amassed against me. Not only had they taken the pictures

  and paperwork I had stolen from Duke and used that against me, they had also apparently found a

  bunch of planted evidence, such as other pictures of me al egedly in the act of running the baby

  snatching ring, the murder weapon used in Brian’s shooting and they claimed they had surveil ance of

  me going in and out of the condo where they claim the il egal business was run out of. Apparently, Dr.

  Gavin had struck a deal with the prosecutors and he was granted immunity for testimony against me.

  This was too much to deal with.

  Some days I contemplated just committing suicide. I had pleaded with my attorney to believe me. I

  told him everything leading up to this, but he maintained that al of the physical evidence in the case

  pointed towards me. I even told him that whoever had framed me had more than likely kil ed my best

  friend. But he said the police hadn’t received any missing person reports for Diamond nor had they

  discovered any bodies. He wouldn’t listen to reason for shit.

  How did I expect a jury of my peers or a court of law to listen to me? I was fucked . . . and worse,

  I knew it.

  “Ms. Washington, at this point they found so much evidence inside your home that I would suggest

  you not try to fight this case at trial,” my attorney said gravely during one of his visits.

  I’m sure his advice came from the fact that he was being paid a low salary from the state of

  Virginia and not the big bucks defense attorneys with high income clients get paid. It was a wel known

  fact in the ’hood that court appointed attorneys never wanted to go to trial. They got paid the same

  salary, trial or plea deal.

  “I’m not pleading guilty to crimes I didn’t commit,” I replied in defiant. “I’ve already told you it was

  my ex-boyfriend who did al of this. I stole those pictures so I could blackmail him after he cheated on

  me. I never kil ed anybody nor did I ever harm an unborn or live baby.” My pleading with this asshole

  wasn’t going anywhere. He didn’t believe me. Every time I thought I made a little bit of break through

  with him and had him on my side, he would revert back to tel ing me my case was doomed.

  “But explaining that to a jury is going to take a lot. Especial y because they have pictures of you

  grabbing a young pregnant girl into your car,” he said, raising his eyebrows as if he was looking for an

  explanation. I think this muthafucka real y thought I was guilty.

  “I don’t even have a car! Isn’t it supposed to be innocent until proven guilty?” I screamed. “In this

  fucking case ya’l bastards are making me guilty until proven innocent!” I put my head down.

  “The license plates came back to you,” he said calmly. It was as if he hadn’t heard anything I had

  just said. Trying to get anyone to believe me was useless.

  I had to shake my head at al the things they had against me and how it had al gone down. Duke

  had gone so far as to have fake plates put on Brian’s car in my name. The police thought they were

  searching my car and found his newest pictures of me. Everything Duke had planned to do to frame

  me was working thus far. I also learned he had planted evidence in my house as wel —a bloodied t-

  shirt with blood that matched the DNA of the dead sixteen year old girl.

  “I don’t’ even own a car,” I whispered again, stil in disbelief. “My ex is doing al of this, planting

  plates and planting physical evidence. He kidnapped my best friend and now I think she’s dead too.” I

  was distraught, tears wel ing up in my eyes. It must’ve al sounded like a soap opera to this white,

  fresh out of law school, little prick.

  “I think you should think long and hard before you decide to take this case to trial,” the prick

  repeated himself. I was tired of hearing that same old line. “If you lose, you could be facing life or

  even worse, the death penalty. Did I also mention they have people wil ing to testify that you were the

  mastermind behind the baby snatching and il egal adoption ring?”

  I put my head down on the table and just sobbed. There had to be a way for me to get out of this

  predicament. As it stood now, I was fucked.

  “I need to sleep on it. I wil get back to you and let you know what I want to do,” I said through teary

  eyes. My attorney stood up and left as if he didn’t care either way. The C.O. came and took me to be

  searched, so I could go back to my cel .

  I was real y contemplating committing suicide, but they had me in solitary confinement with nothing

  in my ce
l that I could even remotely use to kil myself. I was sick of being in solitary confinement, but

  the jail wasn’t trying to take a chance of putting me back in general population after what had

  happened. I heard al those bitches stil wanted a piece of me. They were making threats of death the

  next time they had the chance to get near me. There was no way I could stay locked up for the rest

  of my life.

  I would rather die first.

  Cheaper to Keep Her Unique

  Chapter 32—Dirty Bitches

  A few days after I had met with my attorney, the C.O. came to my cel to announce I had a visitor.

  That took me off guard because my attorney said he wouldn’t be back until it was closer to my

  next court date. I didn’t have but one friend. That was Diamond and she was missing, and I didn’t

  fuck with my family at al . I thought about Diamond almost al day, every day. She was probably lying

  dead somewhere and would never get a proper burial or memorial. I was alive and it was my fault

  she was dead.

  I got myself together and the C.O. led me to the visit area. You can’t imagine my shock when I

  saw Neeko, the owner of the Magic City sitting behind the visitor’s table. My heart started racing and

  my stomach cramped up. I just knew he was there to tel me that they had final y found Diamond

  dead somewhere. That had to be the only reason Neeko would visit me. I never had a great

  relationship with him when I worked at the club. I crinkled my eyebrows and slowly walked over to the

  table where Neeko was sitting, awaiting my arrival. We locked eyes and neither one of us said much

  at first. I sat down hesitantly and looked at him.

  “How you doing Lynise?” Neeko asked, final y taking the initiative to speak up.

  “I’m as good as can be expected being locked up in here for something I didn’t do,” I told him.

  “What brings you here? You’re the last person I expected to see.”

  “Wel , I’m here to tel you some shit I found out. I’m warning you though, it’s pretty deep,” he said. I

  felt a strange sense of relief that he didn’t say he was there to tel me Diamond was found in the

  bushes somewhere beat to death or she had suffered some other horrific manner of death.

  “See, I know you ain’t do al what they saying you did in the news. I know how dirty and low down

  that nigga, Duke, is,” Neeko said.

  Final y, somebody who believed me! I thought to myself.

  “I’m listening,” I replied.

  “Lynise, that nigga, Duke, gotta be stopped. He took over my club and pushed me completely

  out,” Neeko told me. “Out on my ass. He just snatched al of my life long hard work right from up

  under me like a slithering dirty snake.” He was raising his voice so I could tel this was a very

  emotional topic for him.

  “How could he do that?” I was very curious to know.

  “Easy! That muthafucka cal ed in the IRS on me. When those feds started looking into my shit,

  they found al types of shit. It was true, I hadn’t paid my taxes in a while, but they would’ve never

  known. Duke cal ed me out. He was working with those pigs. They put a lien against my club and I

  could not pay it. That slimy bastard, Duke, came in, paid the lien and back property taxes, and

  snatched my club from me just like that. Lynise, the club is my lifeline and he took it right from under

  me. He done changed the name of it and everything.”

  Nothing shocked me anymore, but that didn’t change the fact what Duke was doing to me and to

  Neeko, and had done to Diamond and Brian was a fucking shame.

  “What does this has to do with me? He set me up too. He ruined my entire life too, but at least

  you ain’t in jail facing life for two murders you didn’t commit or dead like Diamond probably is,” I said

  a little irritated.

  “Wel , I came here to tel you some more shit. But you have to be ready for this Lynise,” Neeko

  warned me.

  “Neeko, nothing can get worse than what I’m going through right now.”

  “I don’t know—” he hesitated.

  “Just say what you gotta say,” I demanded.

  “Diamond is far from dead,” he said. It seemed as if his words were coming out of his mouth in

  slow motion. I leaned across the table and I could feel my heart hammering against the steel edge.

  “Your girl, Diamond, was down with this whole thing against you al along,” Neeko blurted out.

  I had heard people talk about the air leaving their lungs, leaving them grasping for air and

  speechless. I had never truly experienced it. Until now. When the rest of the words came out of his

  mouth, it was like he had punched me in the gut. I felt such a pain in my stomach. I could’ve fal en out

  of the chair. I had to play it off though.

  What is this nightmare I am living?

  “What? Get the fuck outta here! I don’t believe that shit Neeko!” I snapped back. “Duke kidnapped

  Diamond, I saw her al bloodied up and tied up in pictures. She is probably somewhere dead and you

  have the fucking nerve to come here and spread rumors about her!” I had raised my voice so high I

  was starting to get sideway glances from the correction officers.

  “Naw, you got that al wrong,” Neeko corrected me. “Diamond and Duke set you up. I’m tel ing you

  the truth. I done seen them together! Those pictures were staged. In fact, I hear Diamond was

  bragging about how good she did the red corn syrup to make it look like blood and how after she

  took the fake pictures of herself, Duke licked al of the syrup off her naked body and they fucked.”

  I could’ve just died right there on the spot hearing this shit.

  “Word is, when you told her you was gonna blackmail Duke, she went back and told him right

  away. See Lynise, the truth of the matter is Diamond was fucking Duke the whole time you was with

  him. I don’t know how you couldn’t see that! Duke was supplying Diamond with her drugs and hitting

  her off with a little money on the side. Even when she cal ed you and told you he was in the club with

  a bitch the night you came in there and wild out, that was al part of their plan so Duke could start the

  process of breaking up with you.”

  My ears were ringing now. With every word, I could feel my blood pressure rising and my insides

  churning. I was biting down into my cheek so hard I could taste blood in my mouth. Tears were burning

  at the backs of my eye sockets. No, I hadn’t kil ed anyone. Yes, I could see death in my future. And as

  much as Neeko’s words were getting to me, I didn’t want to truly believe it. I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t

  have family. I had Diamond. She was al I had. This couldn’t be happening.

  “I don’t believe that shit Neeko,” I said, mincing my words. I didn’t want to believe my best friend

  had betrayed me in such a major way.

  “I knew you wasn’t gon’ believe me, so I brought this,” Neeko whispered, secretly sliding a picture

  across to me.

  I slid it off the table and turned it over. Needless to say, my jaw dropped open and my eyes went

  low into evil slits. Sure enough, it was a picture of Diamond and Duke together in the club. Diamond

  was just fine, sitting on Duke’s lap smiling from ear to ear. The thought of her being treated by Duke

  how I was treated in the beginning threatened to make me throw up or scream. To think whenever

  Duke did something for me, I would share with her. Meanwhile, she was fucking him and getting shit

&nb
sp; from him anyway. I couldn’t believe my best friend, the bitch I considered my own family, had turned

  her back on me like this.

  I started beating myself up mental y for not going with my first gut that told me Diamond was

  getting high and not to fuck with her. She would probably have kil ed her own mama for drugs, so

  betraying me was nothing to her, I guess. As long as Duke was hitting her off with drugs she was down

  for whatever.

  “I told you I wasn’t lying. I ain’t got no reason to lie,” Neeko said.

  “When was this,” I croaked out, trying hard to fight back my tears.

  “This was a couple of days ago when they were celebrating the fact that Duke took my club from

  me and is going to hand it over to that bitch Diamond to run it and be part owner in it,” Neeko

  informed me. I didn’t trust anybody. Not even Neeko, although he seemed to be there with good

  intentions . . . and I’m sure, revenge on his mind.

  “Why did you come to tel me al of this Neeko? What do you want from me?”

  “I came to tel you because unlike ninety-percent of the Tidewater area, I believe that you’re

  innocent,” I could hear the anger in his voice. Plus, I like that final y someone believed me. “I also want

  revenge on the both of them,” he continued. “I wanna help you get the fuck out of here and in the end,

  I know you have a lot of personal information on Duke. I want to destroy this muthafucka, but in the

  process I want to clean him out. I want him to feel like I feel right now. I don’t even know where my

  next meal is gonna come from. Those fucking IRS assholes froze everything I got.”

  “But how can I help you? They took everything I had when they raided my apartment,” I said

  somberly.

  “Yeah, I know. Diamond told some of my old dancers that are staying loyal to me that she had

  been planting shit in your room for weeks now. I heard her tel ing one of the strippers that you were

  so depressed over Duke that you hadn’t even noticed.”

  I had my fists bal ed up so tight, it felt like my skin would bust. I didn’t want to think about how

  stupid I had been. My misplaced love for a man who could care less about me probably from the day

  we met had made me lose my way. He had dogged me with the help of my best friend. I had been