Trickery & Envy

by Johnson, D. C.

  “Thank you.”

  Officer Hernandez then saw an officer bringing in a man who looked like he had been roughed up and was in handcuffs. She looked at Tracie then shifted her eyes in the direction of the officer. Officer Hernandez then leaned over the counter. “So Cassidy, you want to see what we do here as officers.”

  Cassidy nodded with a little excitement in her eyes.

  “What do you say we go on a little tour starting with the cafeteria,” Officer Hernandez said as the officer and the hand cuffed man walked past them. Officer Hernandez then came from behind the desk and took Cassidy by the hand. Cassidy looked at her mommy for permission to go with the officer.

  Tracie nodded with a smile. “It’s okay. I want to know all about your tour.”

  “Okay,” Cassidy answered and then walked away holding the officer’s hand.

  “Ms. Allen,” Officer Grayson said walking up to her from behind.

  Tracie turned to him.

  “Is that your daughter?” Officer Grayson asked and looking at Officer Hernandez and Cassidy walking down the hall.

  “Yes. I didn’t have anyone to keep her. I asked her if she could keep Cassidy busy while I talk to you.”

  “No problem, you can follow me.”

  The officer led Tracie to the same room as before.

  “Have a seat,” he said and took a seat in front of the tape recorder on the table.

  Tracie took a seat across from the officer. Officer Grayson moved the pad that was also on the table to him.

  “Ms. Allen we spoke with Vivian Fowler about what happened to her the night of Halloween and she fingered you as one of the perpetrators.”

  “I knew she may have heard my voice,” Tracie said. “But I didn’t touch Ms. Fowler.”

  “We also picked up your boyfriend, Vernon Fowler.”

  Tracie interrupted him. “Officer, if you don’t mind, he’s no longer my boyfriend,” she said.

  “Okay. We have your ex-boyfriend in custody. He has a different tale of why you two were at his sister’s house Halloween night and what happened.”

  “What did he say happened?”

  “He claimed that it was your idea to go to her home. He also claimed that you went there for your last pay check. I need to find out whose telling the truth before we can bring charges against him or possibly the both of you.”

  Tracie looked a bit horrified. “Officer, he’s lying.”

  “Did you receive your last pay check?”

  Tracie’s horrified look suddenly turned into anger at Vernon trying to put this on her. “Officer, she doesn’t pay us. We pay her.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Stylist work independently. We are responsible for paying our own taxes and expenses. We pay the owner booth rent. So if anybody owed someone, it was me and Ms. Fowler told me to keep what I owed for the month. She wanted me to get my things and leave, which I did. Vernon’s lying behind needs to try another lie.” Tracie rolled her eyes away from the officer.

  “Despite who owed who, you didn’t ask your ex-boyfriend to come along? So that maybe he and his sister could patch up some difficulties they were having.”

  “No!” Tracie said. She was trying to be strong and quickly wiped at one eye which threatened to dispense a tear.

  “Where were you, your ex-boyfriend and his two friends planning to go after leaving his sister’s house?”

  “Officer, we didn’t have any plans. I thought they were there to give us a ride home. Vernon didn’t want me to drive my car because he said she might recognize it.”

  “You guys had no plans?” Officer Grayson said.

  “No,” Tracie said looking at him then shifted her eyes to the tape recorder.

  “So you guys didn’t plan to go to a Halloween party afterwards?”

  “Halloween party,” Tracie said forgetting they had on costumes. “Officer, no, Vernon didn’t say anything about going to a Halloween party. He made me wear that costume. When I saw what they were about to do, I left. I was scared. I didn’t want to be a part of them stealing her stuff. After I got home he came there and I wouldn’t let him in. He ended up leaving. I don’t know where he went after that. Officer, I’m telling you the truth. I don’t want to go to jail because I went with him to his sister’s house. I am truly innocent. I have been saving my money to get away from Vernon.” The tears Tracie withheld fell. “Can I take a lie detector test?”

  “Ms. Allen, that won’t be necessary. However, I’m going to ask that you stay close to your home. We may need you to come back in for further questioning.”

  After leaving the room, Tracie thanked Officer Hernandez for keeping Cassidy busy. Relieved that she was free to go Tracie grabbed Cassidy by the hand. She pulled her away so fast that Cassidy could barely wave goodbye to Officer Hernandez that was now her friend.

  “Grayson,” Officer Hernandez then called out as he turned to walk away.

  “What do you have,” he said.

  “The other accomplice, Reggie Morrow, was just picked up.”

  “Good. Let me know when they arrive. I’ve got a lot of stories to make sense of. What cell is Vernon Fowler in?”

  “234,” the officer replied.

  Officer Grayson removed the small cassette from the recorder and inserted a new one. He then headed to the holding area. He clapped his hand a couple times after seeing the watchman had dozed off.

  “Turner, sleeping on the job again,” he said and walked past him down the hall to the cell Vernon was in. “What the...,” Officer Grayson said seeing the cell empty. “Turner!” he shouted down the hall. “Where is this detainee?”

  Turner stood, stretched and said, “He’s not in his cell?” He began walking down the hall and yawned because of a lack of sleep last night.

  The watchman opened the cell door and a piece of gum and elastic from the band of Vernon’s underwear fell from where the cell locks.

  “You better hope he’s still in this building,” Officer Grayson said and moving fast past the watchman. He shouted, “Get an officer by all exits and entrances! We have an escapee!”

  Vernon seemed to have disappeared. Officer Grayson along with another officer was now checking surveillance video.

  “Right there, that’s him!” Officer Grayson said pointing at a man casually walking out of the station with his hands stashed in his front pockets. “Get an APB out immediately,” he said to another officer. “Have his ex-girlfriend, Tracie Allen contacted. She just left the station. Let her know that he’s escaped. He could be headed in her direction. Get a car over to her apartment.”

  “Consider it done,” the officer said and left the surveillance area.

  ***

  “Come on in,” Vivian said to Toni and with a slight smile as she closed her front door behind him. She actually waited several seconds before answering the door after he rang the bell. She was giving her anxiety time to calm down. Since leaving Jennifer’s house Vivian had been nervous waiting for Toni to arrive. Several times she checked for his car in her driveway and questioned if she was doing the right thing allowing Toni back into her life.

  Toni was wearing jeans and a navy blue tweed sweater and what resembled black combat boots. As promised, he stopped and picked up a slab of ribs and a side order of mash potatoes from his favorite barbeque house. He too was dealing with a little anxiety.

  “How do you feel?” Toni asked.

  “I’m good,” Vivian responded.

  Toni looked down after feeling something circling him. It was Darling and Darren excited to see him. Darling went so far as to stand on her hind legs against his shin to get his attention.

  Vivian couldn’t help but grin at her poodles being overjoyed.

  “Do you know you’re the only person they go crazy about seeing,” she said.

  Toni didn’t want to sound or appear over confident that they were meant to be, so he said, “Maybe God’s trying to tell us something.”

  Vivian looked tenderly at him a momen
t. “Maybe,” she said.

  Toni held the bags out for Vivian to take. “I’d like to remove my shoes,” he said.

  Vivian took the bags and began heading in the direction of the kitchen.

  Darren and Darling trailed her as if there was something in the bag for them.

  “The ribs smell good,” she said setting the bag down on the kitchen table.

  “They’re very tender,” Toni replied and after removing both boots placed them side by side on the welcome mat. He then removed his leather coat and walked in the direction of Vivian with it.

  “I’ll take that,” Vivian said meeting him.

  Toni’s eyes locked in on her. Wow...she’s really pregnant. He suddenly had the yearning to scoop her up in his arms and carry her over to the sofa where he would lie her down and plant delicate kisses all over her body. The thought overwhelmed him and he took a deep breath. He slowly exhaled the desire. The last thing he wanted was to scare her away again. He would wait for her to explain why she wanted to see him. He had no choice but to relax, compose his craving to be a family with the woman he still loved.

  Vivian turned from the closet near the front door to catch Toni gazing at her. “Are you okay?” she said to him.

  “I’m fine. I’m just amazed at how much you’ve grown since last seeing you.” Toni was referring to the day their relationship ended and how flat her midsection was.

  “Grown? Do you mean in inches,” she said kidding.

  “No, no, I didn’t mean grown, bad choice of words,” he answered and again tried to calm his nervousness.

  “I know what you meant,” Vivian said tenderly and walked back past Toni up into the kitchen. “I have a confession to make,” she then stated.

  “What’s that?” Toni followed her up into the kitchen.

  “I’ve already eaten. I went over to Jennifer’s to see how she’s doing and had some spaghetti while I was there.”

  Toni walked over to the sink to wash his hands.

  “Well, I guess you and the little one will just have to watch me eat.”

  Vivian tilts her head to the side as she let the words little one sinks in.

  “Toni,” Vivian said while taking a seat at the kitchen table. “As you can see I’m pregnant and you’re the father.” Vivian took a deep breath, exhaled it then said, “I’m going to be honest with you.”

  Toni while getting a plate from the cabinet closed his eyes a second. He hoped whatever was coming next wasn’t discouraging. He held the plate in one hand and opened the drawer in front of him for utensils. He waited before removing anything. Please don’t tell me you’re going to proceed with aborting. God please don’t let her tell me that.

  Vivian saw that he was stalling. She smirked then went on to say, “I had every intention to abort. Then so many things started to happen.”

  Toni stayed with his back to her listening nervously. He was going to remain this way until she finished with what it was she was trying to tell him or until he heard something leading to him staying around.

  “I have to believe this was God’s way of saying that I’ll be making a mistake if I abort. I thank you for saving me on the night I was attacked.”

  Toni finally turned from the counter and to the table with his plate, fork and knife. He remained quiet with his sight on fixing his plate. What he wanted to do was bring Vivian into his arms but his fear of rejection kept him from it.

  “Toni, I don’t think I’m ready to pick up where we left off, in a relationship per say, but I know that I want you to be a part of our child’s life.”

  A tear fell from Toni’s eyes and onto the slice of ribs he was cutting with a knife. He was so choked with tears he was unable to sustain them and like a child after being reprimanded moved and knelt in front of Vivian laying his head in her lap.

  God, Vivian thought. This man is so sensitive. What am I going to do with you Toni?

  Toni cried like a baby into her lap. Vivian placed one hand on the back of his head and the other around his back, comforting her child’s father. She saw how much being a father meant to him. She thought about what Jennifer had said. ‘Vi, this could be his only chance to have a child.’

  The only words Toni could offer at the moment were, “Thank you. Thank you for bearing in mind my feelings and my responsibility to what is either our son or daughter. I love you, Vivian.”

  Those last words had Vivian’s eyes closing tenderly. The feeling was mutual to the point she wanted to reciprocate. Still, she didn’t want Toni to confuse being there with being back together, especially in an intimate way. She had given it some thought about them sexually reuniting, but the vision made her cringe dismissing the chance.

  Toni raised his head from her lap and placed his hands gently on her stomach. “How far are you?” he asked.

  “Four and a half months. I’m due mid-April.”

  “Let’s pray for April 12th, it’s my birthday.”

  “It is isn’t it,” Vivian said and looked off in the distance.

  Toni leaned in and kissed her clothed belly. Now that the fear of rejection was over, he was mentally making plans to be with her. He had to believe he was worthy of another chance. Toni sniffled then rose. He looked at her briefly then finished slicing the slab of ribs.

  ***

  It was 6:30 a.m. when Jennifer woke to a soiled sheet underneath her butt. “Did I pee on myself,” she uttered. She pulled back the top sheet to discover it was blood. “Oh my God, I’m bleeding,” she said and as she began to sit up and started to feel contractions in her uterus.

  “Charles!” she called out. He had already left for work. Jennifer placed her hand down cupping the painful area. “Why didn’t I feel him leave,” she quizzed when another sharp pain pierced her uterus. She tried to rise from the bed but the excruciating throbbing had her lying back into it. “Oh God, it hurts,” she said and slowly moved into a fetal position in an attempt to ease the pain. “Charles!” she called again and then began taking short breaths hoping it would ease the hurting, but the pain persisted. “Viiii!” somebody help me, it hurts. God it hurts,” she moaned and then slowly reached over for the cordless phone on the nightstand. She removed it from the cradle and snuggled it to her chest a moment. The reach for the phone made her pain feel as though it had moved from her uterus to her stomach. Again, she took short breaths then hit 911.

  “911, what is your emergency?” the operator said.

  “I...need...an ambulance. 35...46 Peachline...Drive.”

  “What is the source of the emergency?”

  “I’m dying.”

  Jennifer without clicking end on the cordless brought it to her chest.

  “Ms...Ms, can you hear me, Ms,” the operator said to no avail.

  Eight minutes later the ambulance siren blaring stirred Vivian and Toni from their slumber. She had been asleep in her bed and Toni was knocked out on her sofa. The loud and alarming sound had Vivian thinking it had pulled into her driveway. She slowly rose from the bed to investigate.

  Toni in jeans and a t-shirt had made his way over to the front window for the answer why the ambulance stopped near the house.

  “Hey,” he said to Vivian entering the living room and securing the straps to her olive green silk robe around her. “Baby, I think you need to put something on. The ambulance stopped in front of your friend’s house,” Toni said.

  Vivian moved a little faster to look. “Oh God, Jennifer!” she said watching the EMT roll a stretcher up the walkway.

  Instead of Vivian changing into something else she grabbed her winter coat from the closet and her keys from the mantel. “Toni, keep an eye on the house,” she said fast sliding her arms into her coat and then unlocking the front door.

  “You don’t want me to come with you?” he said concerned.

  “Please, Toni, just watch the house,” she said as calmly as she could. “Get back Darren, move baby move,” and Darren obliged unblocking the door moving to the side with his tail wagging. Darling as if
she was getting used to drama in their lives remained on the end of the sofa. She had been napping near Toni’s feet.

  “Sweetie, the least you can do is put on some shoes. You don’t want to cut your feet on something,” he said afraid that she might.

  Vivian looked down at the house shoes on her feet. “Thanks, Toni,” she said with a minuscule smile and feeling how much he cared for her. She quickly changed into her black low cut boots.

  “I’m not getting an answer,” the female EMT said, and she rang the bell a couple more times.

  “We’re going to have to break in,” the male EMT told her. “Call dispatch,” and he stood back to kick the door in.

  “Wait, wait!” Vivian said as she moved swiftly across her lawn over to Jennifer’s. “I have a key,” she said holding it out at them.

  “Are you related to the sick person?” one of the paramedics asked as Vivian stuck the key into the chamber to unlock the door. Both paramedics took notice that the woman might be pregnant.

  “I’m her best friend,” and Vivian moved fast into the house after opening the door. The paramedics followed her inside. “Jennifer,” its Vi, where are you,” she called out taking a quick look around the living room and up in the kitchen. She then led the way down the hall to Jennifer’s and Charles bedroom.

  “Has she been sick?” one of the paramedics asked.

  “Yes, she has uterine cancer.”

  The paramedics entered the room to see a woman curled up in bed with her back to them. The lower part of her light blue gown was stained with blood.

  “Oh my God, Jennifer,” Vivian said and moved to the opposite side of the bed to see Jennifer’s face.

  “Ms, you’re going to have to step back and gives us room to tend to her,” said the female paramedic.

  “It hurts,” Jennifer moaned. Tears were in the creases of her eyes and the cordless was still burrowed to her chest. “Vi, it hurts,” and new tears eased from her eyes.

  “Aww, Jennifer, sweetie,” and Vivian brought one hand to her mouth to suppress tears. “You’re going to be okay. The paramedics are here to help…aw Jennifer,” she said feeling contrary due to so much blood on the sheet.