by Rachel Rae
"Well, you tell me what it is Mike because that looks like a got damn set up!!!"
He looked at me and made a head gesture towards his mother I assumed he didn't want to speak in front of her. Respecting his wishes I asked if she could leave, it took about 5 minutes to convince her that I was not going to beat a confession out of her son.
After she left I turned my chair backward pulled out an old-fashioned tape recorder then pressed record and play at the same time. "Alright Michael I have read you your rights and you agreed to talk with me is that correct?" I asked.
"Yes, sir."
"Where would you like to begin?" I asked pushing the recorder towards him.
"Let me ask yo’ something Detective, how do you think you have the videotape?? Don't y'all talk around here? I'm innocent!"
That was a damn good question, I stood up then walked towards the door to the interrogation room and knocked while Mike sat there smiling yelling he was innocent.
When they opened the door I walked out and started to pace the floor backward and forwards scratching my head, I stopped for a moment and called everyone in my office then shut the door.
"Can someone PLEASE tell me something?" I asked looking at all six of the detectives I was over. "The tape that I'm playing in there to my witness... Who brought it in here? How did we get it?"
"I'm sorry." I heard someone say from the back.
"Everybody else leave except for the person who just spoke please."
They all did as I asked leaving one person behind, a rookie. He'd only been here for a couple of months but that didn't excuse him from anything. I walked behind my desk and sat asking him to do the same.
"Protocol is simple, if you get something from someone you pencil it in. Let someone know, when did he bring in the tape?"
"This morning when I got here but it wasn't like that, I was simply walking into work when someone rode by on a motorcycle and handed me that tape. He said it was for you and only you to see."
"So you just let a civilian walk up to you and hand you something for me without even asking what it was about?" I asked.
"No sir I did ask, he said it would help you out and to hurry and look at it before things start to get worse, I planned on coming right into the office and telling you but I was pulled into another case involving a 16-year-old so I wrote on a sticky put your name and the word IMPORTANT really big on it hoping you would see it."
I shook my head then looked him right in the eyes, "We're all human and we make mistakes I know that that's in the real world but in this case, in this world we can't afford to do that we have to be on our P's and Q's at all times you got that rookie?"
"Yes sir, it won't happen again." He said standing.
"How is your case going so far?"
"Pretty good, the girl is cooperating with us."
"Good stay on it, I want to know what happens."
"Yes sir," he said before walking out and shutting the door behind him. I have to make more sense out of this case, if the brother brought the tape in earlier then how could he be guilty of trying to set up Sebastian? No one would go out their way to do any of this if they weren't innocent, but then again…
I walked back into the room where I was holding the brother then sat down in front of him, "So you brought in the tape and I thank you but there are two things that stick out in my mind. One you told your mom that y'all should have gotten a lawyer and two in the video you said yourself y'all had met up several times before that, why would you record this meeting and not the other ones?"
"Honestly at first I was just going to show that tape to my brother, it ain't no secret she gets around man but Sebastian doesn't believe shit unless it's right there in his face, that hoe ain't no good she always been no good! He doesn't deserve to be treated the way she was treating him, he a good dude. When I got news that said he was dead I couldn't believe she went through with it after I backed out so I did what I thought would help my brothers killer get life in jail and not see a penny of that money."
"So you weren't involved with the killing of your brother or the cook?"
"Nah man... We didn't even plan on killing the cook. Damn. That's fucked up. Sorry bout that, but you know how black widow spiders are, they will swallow yo’ ass whole without even a blink. Damn that's fucked up." he said sitting back.
"Give me one second, I'll be back," I said standing up.
"Yeah. A! Can my mama come back in here for a minute?"
I nodded my head yes then walked out the door talking to myself as I shut it, "I should have taken that damn vacation last week.
"Detective Brown? Mrs. Wallace would like to speak with you."
Chapter SIX
STACEY:
I was confused, how did Roberto die from the poison and Sebastian didn't? Whatever proof they have that I did anything to me is bullshit at this point, Mike's words hold no value because he was going to get a cut out of it and if I was going to go down for murder or attempted murder then I was taking Mike's ass with me. Detective Brown knocked on the door before opening the door and coming in.
"I heard you requested my presence how can I help you?" he said walking towards me.
"Please sit Detective," I said putting my hand out towards the chair across from me. I don't know where I planned on going with what I was about to say but maybe this would get my ass out this fire.
"I realized that asking for my lawyer only made me look guilty, which I am not so I withdraw that request for a lawyer and would like to speak to you personally, no one else."
Without saying a word he pulled a tape recorder out his pocket sat it on the table then pressed record, "You have the floor Mrs. Stacey Wallace, what would you like to tell me?"
I thought quickly and spoke slowly making sure no fingers were left pointing at me but at Mike.
"You see," I begin, "I fell in love with Mike and Mike fell in love with me, he and Sebastian were like night and day the sun and the moon. He actually came onto me about 3 1/2 months ago. I had left Roberto alone but I couldn't let him go in a sense, had I done that my husband's reputation would be tarnished and we would lose a lot of business, I had to keep him at bay to keep him silent by any means necessary." I said relighting a half a cigarette I put out earlier.
"Mrs. Wallace, you do remember Roberto is dead, what you just said..."
"Shh Detective." I said seductively, "Are you going to let me finish? You said you wanted answers I'm here to give you that. Now, where was I? Oh yes I said by any means necessary and of course, I didn't mean like killing but by you know giving him a little yum yum here and there telling little fake promises that type of thing. It was all okay until one day Mike had come by the house, I could tell you that he came over to see Sebastian but that would be a lie he came to see me. I had the whole house to myself because Roberto was supposed to be off that day so when Mike asked to come over I simply jumped at the chance to see him but Roberto caught us about to leave. Now at this time, Mike didn't know I was sleeping with Roberto and vice versa so I played it off which was absolutely no problem and easy to do."
"How so might I ask?" Detective Brown said sitting back in his chair.
"Very easy, Mike thought Roberto would tell his brother what was happening so he went along with anything I said and Roberto well..." I smirked, "he pretty much-believed anything I said. I told Roberto that since he was supposed to be off I called Mike and asked him if he could take me to the store and instead of him saying ok or what have you he said he would come with us because I wouldn't know what to get or something like that. Soooo off to the store we went all three of us Mike driving me in the passenger and Roberto in the back. As we drove Mike had the music up loud in the back seat so that Roberto could barely hear what we were saying. Mike told me that he couldn't hide his feelings for me anymore and that he wanted us to be together. He wanted to tell his brother and everything, I told him that wouldn't work because he didn't really have anything and he had nothing to offer me. I thought after I
said that he would drop the subject but he didn't, as soon as he pulled up to the grocery store he seemed a little frustrated and started saying things like he could make money off an insurance policy and what not. I was getting kind of scared to tell you the truth when I asked him what he meant he looked down at my wedding band and that's when I knew he was talking about my husband's insurance policy. I didn't want Roberto to hear what was being said so I asked him to step out the car in Spanish and to start shopping I had to pay Mike for his services. He didn't fight me or argue back with me he just nodded and left the car like I asked, when he left I unbuckled my seatbelt and faced towards Mike then said a few choice words to him. As long as I had been knowing Mike I would have never thought..." I felt a tear roll down my face as I put on this -if I do say so myself- great act. I sniffed and wiped it away with the back of my hand then continued to talk still dabbing underneath my right eye. "I'm sorry detective, but I never thought that Mike would do something like that, you know try and kill his only brother."
Detective Brown sat back folded his arms and raised his right eyebrow, "So you mean to tell me that inside that car Mike brought up the fact that y'all should kill your husband?"
"Yes which I totally disagreed with," I said putting out what was left of the cigarette.
"Interesting, so how did the whole falling in love with Mike thing happen?"
"Well you know how one's heart gets broken here and there and one needs a shoulder to cry on, well Mike was my shoulder when I found out my husband had been sleeping with the got damn nanny!!!" I yelled out.
"Ooh, you seem a little upset talking about that." he said with a smile across his face.
"Don't patronize me officer, of course, that made me angry but not angry enough to kill," I said taking a deep breath. "Besides after talking to Mike about it I calmed down, Mike was good at calming me down, he spoke to me in a way that was demanding, I liked that."
"How did Mike calm you down, Mrs. Wallace? Made you a promise or something?"
"As a matter a fact he did, he promised me he would speak with his brother and that when he was done he would never hurt me like that again... Of course, I didn't know what he meant by that at that time but I soon found out that when Mike sets his mind to something more than likely he's going to do just that."
"I see, so Mrs. Wallace honestly you weren't shocked or surprised pulling up to your home seeing all the police tape, were you? I mean in your own words you have just said he told you twice what he was going to do. You didn't say anything to anyone."
"I was very much shocked sir! Very much so!!! Just last week I told Mike me and him were over and that I could not be intimate with him anymore, I did the same with Roberto the next day which was Tuesday."
"What made this time different? I mean you did say you couldn't just break it off with neither one of them one because you were in love and two because you didn't want to ruin your husband's name."
"But you see officer, I wanted to come clean with my husband tell him everything but my plan fell short and everything that could have gone wrong did."
"Explain..." he said.
But I couldn't just yet, I had to edit it to myself before telling Detective Brown, think Stacey, think... "I want to Detective and I will but please I haven't eaten anything and I feel like I'm getting weak, please can I have a sandwich or something and please if you don't mind even though Sebastian isn't speaking with me because of these lies let him know I love him please."
He looked at me sideways but I know he wants this confession which I would be more than happy to give to him.
He stood up and adjusted his slacks, "Stacey, I'll bring you some chips and a soda, I guess that'll buy you some time to come up with whatever bull shit story you're about to tell me."
I squinted my eyes at him trying to read him and figure out what he was trying to say as he began to walk out but I couldn't and said the first thing that came to mind. "IM TELLING YOU THE GOT DAMN TRUTH!!"
"Sure you are Stacey, I'll go get your chips."
Chapter SEVEN
SEBASTIAN:
"Man this is too much..." I said rubbing my hands over my face while leaning back.
"Who you tellin?? I thought my homeboy had some issues with his hoe, y'all take the cake and win the award for the best couple trying to outdo the other in the fuckin over department."
"Oh yeah, Bryce did murder a cop and get away with it," I said under my breath, when I took my hands off my face Elijah was standing beside me in sort of a squat position with his head tilted.
"I see I'm gone have to get smart on yo ass and explain something to you right quick, Bryce did not kill the cop the crazy bitch he was dealing with killed the cop in which he was intelligent enough to leave the hell alone and try to put some distance in between her and him. And maybe I'm just a little slow, but tell me what in the FUCK does Bryce's past have to do with your presence?? The fact that you knew your wife was a hoe and you still held on to her hoe ass?"
"I don't know Elijah I apologize, can we just focus on the situation at hand?" I ask slapping my legs.
"Oh now yo’ black ass wanna focus?" he said standing upright.
"Elijah I was so confused... I didn't know what to do... I loved my hoe ass wife... Blah blah blah.... You have played pussy for a long time are you ready to grow some got damn nuts and help me help you??"
"Yes!!" I yelled out.
"I said are you sure Mr. Wallace??" Elijah asked slapping my back.
"Yes!!!!" I yelled out again.
"Well answer me this one question, what came first the chicken or the egg??"
"What??? What the hell...."
"Just answer the question, what came fuckin first??"
"I don't know man fuck!! The egg!!"
"That's good, really good, I would have thought it was the chicken but okay," Elijah said taking a notepad out his jacket pocket.
"Does that have any to do with my case?" I asked confused.
"Nah, not at all, this crossword puzzle I've been stuck on for about three days now... I'm glad we put our heads together and figured that out... Wooooo"
"Elijah man what did that have to do with my case?"
He sighed before answer then took his seat back in front of me, "the same thing Bryce's case had to do with your fucked up shit as a case... Nothing... Now I take each one of my clients personally and I don't like to dwell or talk about anyone else's situation and since Bryce isn't here to defend himself let's focus on defending you."
"I apologize, Elijah, I'm focused," I said interlocking my fingers.
"Don't apologize to me, apologize to Bryce..." He said taking a business card with Bryce's picture out of his jacket pocket.
"Man I ain't gone do that, but I do apologize to you for being disrespectful."
"That's how you start growing a pair, I knew you weren't gone do it, I just wanted to make sure, you know?? So now that we have established that tell me what your wife did when she caught y'all drinking."
"She didn't say anything for months when she finally said something about her knowing it was what last week??"
"Before all this happened?"
"Before she tried to kill me yes, we hadn't been spending a lot of time together because she was too busy doing what she was doing with Roberto and whoever else and I was too busy working, spending time with my kids and Mary. She asked me several times before to fire her but she didn't give me a good enough reason to fire her, besides that I wouldn't have fired Mary and she knew that. She was great with my kids and understood me something I thought Stacey stopped doing a while back."
"Spare no detail, what lead up to this point? How did y'all get here? And make this shit exciting, but wait hold on, let's bring that dude back in here so you won't have to repeat anything all over. Do you feel like anything you are about to say will incriminate you or make you be held liable for the cook's death?" Elijah asked.
"No, not at all I did nothing at all."
Elijah walked over to the door
then knocked on it and walked back to his seat and sat down.
"Yes?" the lady officer said sticking her head in the door.
"Reese sister hey!!!" Elijah said waving.
"It's Paige Elijah you know that and didn't I just speak to yo’ ass before you even came in this room??" she asked rolling her eyes.
"We did?? Oh yeah, we suuurrreee did... Yeah, we did, you remember the time when..." Elijah started but Officer Paige quickly cut him off.
"Would you like for me to get Detective Brown Elijah?" she asked impatiently.
"Could you please?" he asked while she shut the door, "You know we use to go together for like 3 days." he whispered.
In just seconds the door swung back open and in walked Detective Brown with computer desk type of chair.
"You know I noticed you looked at Paige before you walked in here pushing on that chair, just to let you know ahead of time we went together for 2 weeks, you’ll break man code if you start trying to holla at her."
"Excuse me Mr. St. John?"
"You're excused, I hope I don't smell it." Elijah said clearing his throat, "Anyways my client would like to speak with you about what happened last week, Sebastian whenever you're ready."
"Since Mary and I started sleeping together and being together more I started to distance myself from my wife and heavy, I no longer slept in the same bed let alone the same house as she did, the guest house became my house. I had the locks changed and bought everything new, everything that I thought she and Roberto touched. She tried so many times to sleep with me and to do the normal things but I felt like it was too late, the damage had been done by both parties of course. But that last Wednesday was the day everything for me came tumbling down, there was a huge BANG at my door and when I walked into the hallway leading up to it there was a huge stone someone had thrown through the glass. I looked up and out the hole where the glass used to be and seen Roberto standing there with no shirt on out of breath, I instantly got angry I can't lie to you, Detective. All the anger I thought I didn't have crept in so quickly I couldn't control myself, the next thing I knew I had swung the door wide open and started to attack him."