by Rachel Rae
"Uncle Mike yelling, my dad's dead isn't he?"
I picked up the tarp then started spreading it over the top of the freezer. "Yes, he died from his injuries," I said getting a little frustrated with the tarp.
"I need to go lay down and process this, your brother and sister are still sleep?" She nodded her head yes then walked past me.
"May I go to the shopping center down the street?" she asked.
"I have to take you, Sidney?"
"No ma'am, if I can I'll just ride my bike."
"Be back before it turns dark, hey everything's going to be okay alright? We gone get that bitch for everything she's done to your dad you shouldn't worry."
"I'm not, I know... The person behind will pay," she said walking back towards me hitting the garage door opener on the wall then walking towards the bicycle.
"You're right little girl she will."
Chapter SIXTEEN
MARY:
I was laying in my hospital bed when there was an unsuspected knock on my room door before I even got a chance to answer I seen Sidney poke her head in and ask "May I come in?"
I sat up and ushered her in without a second thought.
"Does your dad know you're here?"
"I'm sure he does, he's looking down on us from heaven now."
"He's dead? Oh my god what have I done?" I said covering my mouth crying.
"Mary, you didn't do it I know you didn't I know exactly who it was." she said looking off.
"Who? Who did that to him?"
She looked off for a second and I knew her mind was wondering but where to was my question. Sidney was only 11 but had always been wise beyond her years and today I was about to find out just how.
"I know you love me and my siblings but I need to know how much." she said tossing me a folded up piece of paper.
"I've always loved you, Sid, since I met you why do you ask and what's this?"
“Read it and I need to know everything you know." she said looking at me directly in my eyes.
My eyes darted from left to right reading the paper she handed to me. I stopped reading then looked back up at her, "Sidney I don't think you're old enough..." I began.
"Please, I need to make this right for me... For my brother and sister. This stuff stops with me today."
I took a deep breath contemplated what I wanted to say then finished reading the letter. After I was through I took another glance at her and spoke, "What do you need to know?"
"Everything." she whispered pushing her phone in my direction with a voice recorder on it.
I looked up at her face then back down at the phone and pressed the red circle and began to talk. I spoke about how me and her dad started messing around, I even spoke about how I got into this hospital. The whole time she never spoke, she just sat there kicking her legs playing with her thumbs. When I finished I can't lie I felt relieved like I had gotten everything off my chest.
"Is there anything else you would like to say?" she asked taking her phone off my lap.
"Yes," I said grabbing her hand. "I wish things didn't play out this way and I know your father loved you, all of y'all."
"I know," she said smiling standing up. "That's why I have to do this for him, thank you," she said pressing the red dot on her cell.
"Sidney wait, honey, you can't-do this alone."
"Do you think I came over here not knowing that? I know you'll do your part when I leave out of this hospital." she winked walking out the door.
I had no idea what she was planning or what I was about to get myself into but this 11-year-old was right, she was trying to stop the circle of deceitfulness and greed within her family and my plan was to help her any way I could. I pulled off the covers then walked slowly to my purse on the other side of the room sat on the pull out sofa chair got out my cell and called the only people I knew that could help us.
The phone rang a couple of times before someone answered, "Answer this if coffee is black and bitter why people drink it?"
"Excuse me?"
"If coffee is black and bitter then why do people drink it?" he repeated.
"I don't know... Because they add cream and sugar?" I responded quickly.
"Exactly!!! Ok, you have 5 minutes I'm on a vacation."
"Are you Elijah?"
"In the flesh bay-bay!!! Who is this? I don't have no kids I'm a virgin."
I looked at the phone then placed it back on my ear, "Okay, my name is Mary Wallace, I was married to Sebastian Wallace."
"Oh hell naw... You need to speak with my lawyer."
"Wait but..."
"Bryce Farris speaking who may I ask am I speaking with?" the deep voice guy said on the other end of the phone.
I repeated who I was again then he stopped me.
"I have been waiting for your phone call where are you?"
"In the medical center at Methodist Hospital." I said sitting back sighing, "Can you help me?"
"We'll be there in about an hour don't speak to anyone." he said before hanging up the phone.
I put my phone back into my purse and walked back to my bed laying on it horizontally thinking about what I said to Sidney and what happened to Sebastian until there was another knock on my hospital room door.
"Come in," I spoke out still laying there.
"Mrs. Wallace? I'm Bryce Farris and this is Elijah St. John are you dressed to receive company?" he asked slightly sticking his head in looking down with the other man behind him.
"As dressed as I could ever be in a hospital," I said flapping the gown.
"So what you call us here for? You killed your husband and want us to defend you huh? Well, lady, we don't defend your kind!! Man, this hoe dirty just like the other lady."
"Excuse me?" I asked sitting up.
"Elijah please shut the hell up!!" Bryce said holding up his hand.
"First of all I didn't KILL my husband but I think I know who did."
"I'm listening..." Elijah said taking a seat on the fold out sofa the grunting, "Daaaammmnn this seat low!"
"Elijah!" Bryce yelled towards him.
"Man whatever, you know I got a bad back! What if I was old and unsuspecting of how they made this furniture?" Elijah said scooting up towards the edge of the couch. I began to talk expressing to Mr. Farris the little bit that I knew from my own experiences while I heard Elijah still complaining about the couch.
"Tell you what I'm going to do... I'm gone write a complaint about this bull shit here."
"Can you just pay attention for once?" Mr. Farris said raising his voice.
"Hell yeah after I write this complaint!!" He said taking a pen out his jacket pocket clicking it then tapping the tip of it on his tongue once. "You got some paper, missy? Ahh here is one," he said reaching beside me unfolding the paper sitting it on top of the feeding tray. "Dear Hospital Authorities... Wait is that who I should address it to or should I say management?"
I ignored him focused on the paper realized what it was and snatched it from underneath his pen, "You can't write on this!!"
"Look, lady, it's just paper!" he said reaching over trying to snatch it out of my hand.
I moved my hand back and looked at him with a "stank face" then lowered my voice to almost a growl, "I said you can't have the fucking paper you unprofessional ass cake ass inconsiderate ass mother fucker!"
"Nobody has ever talked to me like that..."
"Now everybody just calm down... Mary, what is on that paper?" Mr. Farris asked.
Without a word, I handed it to him and looked off. After he finished reading the letter I felt a thump on my bed then looked up to see him now sitting by my feet. "Wow... Elijah look at this," he said extending his hand with the letter in it.
"Ain’t nobody ever talked to me like that... I mean ever."
Elijah began to look at the letter for a second then back at me, "I mean never..." He held the letter up again to his face for a brief second then put it back down in front of his legs.
"I do mean never... I think I love you
girl..." he said kinda sounding like Tyrese from Baby boy.
I guess Mr. Farris and I both got a little irritated because we spoke at the same time saying the same thing, "READ THE DAMN LETTER!!"
"ALLLLLRRRIIIGGGHHHHTTT!!!" He said holding the paper up close to his face mumbling some of the sentences out loud to himself.
"Bryce lemme holla at you for a minute."
"Excuse us please for one second."
They walked out the room door and when the door shut I only heard a muffled conversation, they came back in a matter of seconds to them leaving with Elijah leading the way.
Elijah had a different tone when he approached me, like he had more sense, "Mrs. Wallace my colleague and I had a long talk and we decided to take your case but we need to talk to this girl and since she's under the age of 18 she needs to have a legal guardian to be with her."
"How long do you think it will be before you get out of here?" Mr. Farris asked.
"Honestly I don't know they are trying to charge me with arson and attempted murder."
"I'll take care of that, we go together now nobody will ever hurt my lady!!" Elijah yelled like he was outraged.
"I just want to help out my stepdaughter any way I can, she needs this and if y'all..."
"Shh shh shh..." Elijah said putting his index finger against my lips, "Big daddy gone take care of you."
I moved my lips from his finger shifted my head to the left and looked as Mr. Farris looked down and shook his head, "Bryce if you don't get yo boy!"
"I'm sorry Mrs. Wallace he ain’t wrapped too tight. You can call us when you are ready get some rest."
I nodded my head at him as he pushed Elijah out the door, once again I was alone and in my own thoughts playing back everything since Sebastian and I had our fight. My life seemed like it had taken a turn for the worse and at this point all I wanted was peace.
Chapter SEVENTEEN
Detective Brown:
"I got it!!" Paige said rushing into my office.
"You got what?" I asked putting down my pen sitting back in my chair.
"The brother!! It took me a while but I think he's about to snap any minute now," she said all excited.
"And it only took you about two months to get it," I said picking the pen back up and starting to write.
"What is your problem huh??"
"My problem is you just came out a squad car and think you know what you are doing... This shit ain't that easy."
"Nope that's not your problem... That's not it at all, your problem is you can't handle shit, you want to see me do good but not better than you. You don't want to see me in that position right there," she said pointing in my direction.
"You are treading on thin ice Paige and you don't even know it besides who in their right mind would ever want their lady out there like that?"
"You’re what?" she laughed. "Chad, I knew what this was a long time ago and so did you, we are both just a product of our environment and the only reason why you're acting the way you are right now is because I stepped over your head and stop giving you ass."
"A product of our environment what the hell does that mean?" I said looking at her seriously and again she laughed in my face.
"Meaning it was convenient, our hour’s location etc. You clung to whatever was around you and so did I but now let's let our past be behind us and do a job that we both enjoy doing."
"Paige," I said standing attempting to walk towards her but she held her hand out and placed it on my chest stopping me from walking closer.
"Chad" she smiled,” I'm over it and you focus on your wife and kids and I'll focus on my fiancée its business."
I moved from her hand then towards my office door, without looking at her I asked, "Where is the brother?"
"Room A-8" she responded back quickly.
"Is he asking for a lawyer?"
"Nope and the only person he is willing to talk to is you."
I brushed my feelings back and proceeded out the door towards the holding cell then placed my hand on the doorknob. Paige's voice still rung in my ears but it was time that I put on my Detective hat and get to the bottom of all this bull shit. I turned the door handle opened the door and walked in.
"Mr. Wallace?" I said extending my right hand holding a manila folder packed with paperwork that I needed with my left.
"Detective Brown." he said standing slightly extending his left-hand meeting mine.
"So what do I owe this visit?" I said taking a seat putting the folder on the table in front of him and I both.
"We can pretend all day sir but we both know what happened wasn't no accident, it took everything in me to even come down here." he said scratching the side of his face.
"Well you have been hiding for about a month and I don't know what happened tell me."
"Hiding?? I ain’t did no damn hiding Detective and you know it, especially since I ain’t got shit to hide." Mike said sitting back in the chair.
I took a breath before responding matching his calmness sitting back, "You right you don't have nothing to hide especially since your sister in law slash ex-lover is dead and so is your brother, shit you have nothing to hide." I smiled. I knew hitting key points that would trigger something in him and I wanted it.
"Look mayne I ain't do shit, say what you want about that hoe but leave my brother out this bullshit mayne for real."
"What you feeling some type of way Mike? You in your feelings?"
"Hell yeah, when it comes down to my family."
"Well, what about your family? You obviously didn't come down here to hold hands and reminisce so what you gotta tell me, brother?"
"The night my brother died... I don't know much but I can tell you what happened."
"That's what I’m talking about," I said standing from the table and walking towards the door knocking on it.
"Say mayne I got my name to uphold and the only reason why I'm saying anything is because the one thing I can do is keep my brother good name alive mayne for real I ain’t no snitch."
"I didn't say you were Mike," I said sitting back down in my seat holding a tape recorder Paige previously handed me through the door.
"We're here to help you, Mike, do you wanna go back to when Stacey killed herself?"
"Naw, I just want to speak facts and the fact is I know my mother had something to do with this, she ain’t right and has never been right."
"Well I'm trying to understand what you are talking about, what about your mother??"
"Detective everything goes deeper than what it seems I want you to know that. When she's done with you that's it and I'm afraid me or my niece will be next and I can't let that happen I'M all the kids have left. Do you understand what I'm going against?"
"I'm trying to follow along Mike, but for some reason, I'm not following you, could you please just tell me what you want me to know?"
"That's what I'm trying to do... Look my moms put a plan into motion not too long ago and got my brother in on it and me too. But I didn't ever expect for people to die."
"People like who Mr. Wallace?"
He looked off a bit then placed his hands on top of the table interlocking his fingers, he took a deep breath before he started to speak again, "Roberto, Stacey, and my brother."
"Are you trying to tell me your mom killed everyone? How is that possible? Roberto got ran over by Stacey's SUV, Stacey killed herself and Sebastian died in relation to the fight Mary and he had earlier that day."
He shook his head and sucked on his teeth, "The key word to detective is detect am I right? I've never been as smart as Sebastian but I'm not a dummy and I ain’t tellin y'all nothin I heard I'm tellin y'all what I know."
"I see, well you doing a lot of ring around the rosy but ain’t sayin shit," I said leaning in slightly then sitting back.
"And like I told you I ain’t as smart as my brother but I ain't-a dummy. What you want me to do testify?"
"You are a smart man, and yes I do with an exchange of course."
"You testify against your mother with what you know and we won't charge you with obstructing justice. You can walk out that courtroom with your head held high a clear conscience and a clean slate."
He took a moment to think then responded, "I guess I don't have a choice now do I?"
"Yeah you got a choice either tell the truth or get lied on, it's that simple."
"Before you go arrest her I need to get my nieces and nephews out of there, they don't know no better give me a day to try and plan out what I'm gone do."
"Can I have your word you won't leave Houston?"
"Yeah."
His word didn't mean shit to me and I want to believe he knew I knew that, I need you to write that down then after we get your mom I need you to come back in and write down everything you know." I said writing on a sheet of paper then sliding it to him.
"I got yo bro always have always will." he said looking up briefly then looking down at the paper picking up the pen and signing his name.
"I'll be right back, excuse me," I said standing grabbing the paper he signed off the table.
I knocked on the door and like clockwork, Paige opened it to let me out. I smiled as I held up the paper with his signature.
"So he will testify? Yes!!!" she said snatching the paper from me then looking at it a little funny, "What does the dollar signs mean underneath his signature?"
Snatching the paperback I turned it around looked at what she was talking about and shrugged my shoulders, "I don't know, it's probably just the way he signs his name, not a big deal."
Chapter EIGHTEEN
MOTHER WALLACE:
I was in the kitchen making the kids some lunch when the doorbell rang.
"I got it!" I heard Sophie yell out.
Quickly wiping my hands on a paper towel I jogged past her to the door, "You won't be getting anything here, go ahead and go sit." I said tapping her behind playfully with my hand. I looked out the peephole then opened the door.
"MIKE!" I hugged him but let go just as fast as I embraced him. "Hmm, what are you doing here? You didn't call." I said taking a few steps backward with my hands on my hips.
"When do I ever call Ma?"