by Rachel Rae
"Let go of me!" He yelled out snatching his arm away from me again as his cell phone rang. Walking out the wooden double doors he pushed the door so hard he dented the wall where the doorknob was.
"Wait... Where is he going? Mike, you're my key witness!!" Bryce yelled out standing up while Elijah jogged a little behind Mike out the door.
"Damn he walks fast as hell," Elijah said walking back towards us.
"Shit!!! Elijah go back and get him man!!!"
"Negro these are snakeskin Prada shoes!!"
"We only have 30 minutes until recess ends," I said
"Well." Elijah said clearing his throat walking up to me, "I've never been a fan of recess or games girl. I hate games so much I refused to learn Spanish.
"What does learning how to speak Spanish have to do with recess?" I regretted my question as soon as I asked.
"Uno... I hate that game it means one in Spanish, besides the game I can't understand shit, why would they advertise the number one but when I'm playin the game it's all about some damn colors!!! It just doesn't make sense!!!"
Bryce and I both ignored whatever Elijah was talking about then started conversing between each other about what we had to do since Mike walked out. We decided that I would go first and then they would reel the jury in with Mike last.
"Does that seem like a plan that could be done?" Sebastian asked me.
I nodded my head yes as he stood up and stretched, "Okay let's go over this one more time."
30 minutes came in no time and still, Mike was nowhere to be found, at this time all I was hoping was that Mike came back and faced his demon for once and for all. He needed to testify, hell I needed him to testify.
"Do you swear to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you God?" the bailiff asked passionately.
"Yes," I said speaking louder than usual then taking my seat.
"Let it be known in the court's documents that we are now speaking with a separate Mrs. Wallace, the wife of the deceased Mr. Sebastian Wallace." the judge exclaimed.
"Good afternoon Mrs. Wallace, we're going to jump right into it if you don't mind," Bryce asked walking casually around the court the courtroom.
"I don't mind at all actually."
"Do you know this man?" he asked holding up a 5x7 colored picture of us we took the same day we fought.
"I would like to enter this into evidence as exhibit 226, for those of you that cannot see exhibit 226 my colleges placing it on the projector screen right above the judge's head. Mrs. Wallace, can you name the people in this photo?"
"Yes, that's Sebastian, my husband and myself. We'd gotten into a physical altercation sometime later that day."
"Before it got to that point did you and your husband exchange words?" he asked.
"Yes, we did, over something his mother said to him."
"And is Sebastian’s mother present today?"
"Yes, she is, right there sitting at the left table on your right side behind you with the salt and pepper hair."
"In your heart of hearts do you believe that it was your husband's mother's intentions to cause havoc between you and Sebastian?"
"Yes always has been."
"In the end, do you feel as if she may have had something to do with her son's death?" he asked walking closer to where I was sitting.
I took a moment to answer replaying him, Mike and Mrs. Wallace standing there all taking different times looking at me.
"Mrs. Wallace? Do you need me to repeat the question?"
"No sir," I said blinking twice in a row. "I heard the question and your answer is yes she's the reason behind all of this if she felt like anyone was against her or more superior she was ready and willing to take you out."
"Is that hearsay or personal reference?"
"Both, she threatened me the same day as the altercation also from what my stepdaughter her granddaughter has told me when I was in the hospital that they exchanged words."
"Who do you mean by ‘they’?"
"My husband and his mother, she said her grandmother was very angry."
"I would like to go on the record that the only reason why Mr. Wallace's daughter is not testifying is because she is only 12 and her now legal guardian which is Mrs. Mary Wallace felt like the young lady has already been through enough. But I do have a document I would like to add into evidence if allowed it's a letter..."
"OBJECTION YOUR HONOR! The real Mrs. Wallace and I have not seen or heard of any letter and would like to know what relevance does this have to do with the case!" she said standing.
"If I may finish your honor I will get to the relevance," Bryce said holding up the letter.
"Continue." the judge said.
"Thank you, your honor, as I was saying before the letter is that of the 12-year-old granddaughter’s side of the story."
"Again objection!! That is ridiculous and observed, to say the least!! She doesn't want the child to testify in fears that it will bring back memories yet she let her relive it by writing it down on a sheet of paper??"
"Evidence is rejected without saying and struck out of the record as the jury will also disregard."
"In that case no further questions," Bryce said taking a seat at the table next to Elijah.
My heart was beating fast as I watched Mrs. Wallace's attorney step from behind the desk then up to me.
"Mary right?"
"Yes, Mary Wallace is my name."
"Is it true that you tried to burn down your husband's house?"
I stayed quiet and looked down then spoke, "Yes."
"Interesting... Wasn't he in the house when you sat it on fire?"
"Yes," I said taking a deep breath.
"So you did try and kill him!"
"I was angry he punched me in the face like I was a man!"
"Your honor, could you please direct Mary to answer the question?"
"NO!!! I DID NOT!!" I yelled getting a little frustrated.
"Then what were your intentions Mary? Normally when someone sets something on fire they intend for fore to do exactly what it is made to do... TO BURN!!! And you wanted him to burn didn't you Mary?"
"I... I don't know."
"Oh yes, you do know Mary!!! You do!! The fire trucks got there and you couldn't finish the job! He lived it pissed you off that he did and that's when you went into his hospital room and killed him! Didn't you Mary, didn't you???"
"NO!!"
"STEP DOWN MARY!! NOW!!" I heard a growling voice say.
"You are a conniving, nasty, evil bitch!!" Mike said walking down the middle aisle towards the front of the courtroom. "You took two important people from me Bernice Wallace, made me feel like I wasn't shit all my fucking life!!" I watched you... I watched you walk out of my brother's hospital room sweating and out of breath, I knew something was wrong when you said my brother was resting!!!" he said walking even closer.
Everybody looked completely shocked, he was talking so much and so fast the judge couldn't even chime in.
Mrs. Wallace stood and extended her arms outward, "So that's all it took for you to finally grow you a pair of balls huh?"
The judge banged her gavel but Elijah interrupted, "Judge, they might need this, besides this is getting good just calm down.” Elijah and the judge started having words but my focus was on Mike and Mrs. Wallace and even though he told me to move I felt stuck.
"Finally stepping the fuck up!! You were next you know!" she said stepping up towards him. The crowd gasped which caught the judge's attention from Elijah.
"Bailiff?" she said nodding in Mike's direction.
"You'll be in hell for all you've done Ma'!" he said pointing at her as the bailiff started his way.
"Well I guess I'll be right next to your brother," she smirked
As soon as she said that Mike let off three shots at his mother from a small gun in his hand which went unnoticed at first, she fell back on the table as the jury scrambled and ducked while others screamed and ran from every direction. I sat
upright on the stand and stayed still from the shock. I watched as the bailiff took out his gun attempting to aim it at Mike but there were too many people and commotion in his way.
"MIKE!!!!" I stood up and yelled.
Tears rolled down his face as he took the gun placed it in his mouth and pulled the trigger.
Chapter TWENTY-ONE
DETECTIVE BROWN:
~6 months later~
"Paige?" I said pressing the intercom button on my desk.
"Yes?" she asked speaking through her intercom as well.
"Could you come in here for a moment?"
She didn't respond back instead two minutes later there was a knock on my office door.
"You don't have to knock Paige, I knew it was you." I smiled as she stuck her head through the door. "Please have a seat," I said extending my hand towards a chair in front of my desk.
"What can I do ya for?" she asked grunting as she sat down.
"First I want to say congratulations on your marriage, he got himself a good one. But we both know it should have been me."
"Thank you he knows that and no it shouldn't have, all we had was connivance you know that." she said matter a factually crossing her left leg over her right leg.
I ignored her comment and continued speaking. "And secondly today marks 6 months since the Wallace trial and I don't know about you but I think it's time we go and check up on them, see how they're doing. Would you like to accompany me to Mary's home to check on her and the kids?"
"Of course I will, that was the craziest shit I'd seen and actually lived through since joining the HPD. That had to be hell having to explain it to those poor children," she said shaking her head.
"You'll soon find out that every case holds a space in your heart so I know exactly what you mean, I wish I could have done something to diffuse that situation that day, to be honest with you. I knew he came in there with bad intentions the look on his face said so. And to kill your own mother?? That had a lot of demons let's hope it stopped with them."
"Well, we can't go back Chad you know that I wish we could. The thought of those kids not having not one blood-related family member is what's bothering me though."
"I assumed they are adjusting ok, they still have Mary. Man, Mary that's who I'm worried about, raising other folk’s kids as her own." I said standing up walking towards my coat rack getting my jacket off of it.
"Should we call before we leave, let them know we're coming?" she asked standing.
"Naw, surprise visits are always the best ones," I smirked opening up the office door letting Paige walk out first.
MARY:
I was cleaning the kitchen listening to some old school O'Jays when Sidney came skipping in.
"Hey there Sid, what's going on?"
"Nothing much, just thinking writing some things down."
"Oh really?" I said glancing in her direction. "Where are your brother and sister?"
"They’re outside in the backyard playing on the new playset."
"Well, what do y'all think about the house and the neighborhood, have they said anything?"
"Like what?" she giggled.
"Like.... If they like having their own rooms how big the house is, anything?"
"Noo not really our other house was ten times bigger and they had their own rooms before."
"Oh," I said taking a towel wiping off the counters.
"But they did say that they loved you and missed you... A lot..."
"Did they now?" I blushed.
"Yeah and that's why I think you should sell the company, so you could have more time with us." she smiled.
"Sell the what? Girl, you’re talking crazy." I said swatting her with the dish towel I was using to wipe down the counters.
"But I'm serious see??" she said opening up her pink and purple journal sliding it to me.
As I continued to clean the countertop I read what she wrote, I stopped wiping then looked at her.
"That's about what we make in a year." she smiled.
"No that's exactly what we make in a year, I know you didn't do these figures all by yourself," I said raising an eyebrow.
"No, I had help but that's not the point, if we sell within let's say 3 months we can triple that amount and with the money from this..." she said flipping to the back of the book reaching inside a pocket pulling out two bank cards, "and this we will be gaining much more.
"What are these cards Sidney and where did you get them?" I said picking them up one at a time noticing that both had her name on them.
"Bank accounts," she said happily. "One was my dad's the other one was Uncle Mikes, combined there are over 25 million dollars on both of them. Insurance policies from all of them including my grandmother and my grandfather. I knew my dad and Uncle were twins but who knew they had the same thinking process?"
"That's too much money for a little girl like you to have."
"I know that's why I switched them over to your name two days ago using the automatic system, it was easy. All I had to use was my birthday and my own social security number they said the card should be here tomorrow or Thursday."
I was shocked to hear what was coming out of this little girl's mouth, how was she able to do all of these things under my radar and without me knowing?
"I don't know about selling the company Sidney, it's been passed down and ran by the family for years."
"But not your family," she smiled. "The family it belonged to was my dad, Grandmother, Grandfather and Uncle Mike and since they’re all dead you don't have to hold onto it, you can even start your own company from the ground up."
My mind was racing but stopped, I know she was young and I avoided this question for some time but since she was throwing out things as far as figures and what have you I think I right now is the best time to ask.
"Speaking of your Uncle Mike, when you called me the day of the trial and you said you were outside of the pawn shop waiting for me to come and get you did you call your Uncle Mike too baby cakes?"
"Well yeah, he came and we talked for a little while."
"What did you tell him?"
"I told him everything my dad told me the last time I saw him. I even told him I was afraid for me and my brother and sister. Oh and I told him how I watched how Grandmother would go in the garage and yell at the freezer, she killed Grandfather you know, she said she should have killed him sooner. That's when he told me something that I already knew that he was my father and not my dad, he even told me that they did some really bad things. I guess that's when he realized what he had to do."
"Which was what Sidney?"
She laughed hysterically then looked at me through lowered eyes, "Complete the circle of liars’ manipulators and killers. I know my mom is happy now, they framed her and I got them all back without having to kill like they did."
"Your mom’s letter didn't say anything like that."
"Yeah... I know... I'm sorry about that too, I gave you the fake letter on accident I didn't realize that until I was riding my bike back to my grandmother's house from the hospital. Here's the real one." she said digging in her back pocket pulling it out placing it on the counter.
"My Dear Sidney," it read, "I know you're only 11 but you're a smart girl and I know what I'm about to say may be shocking and hurtful but I need you now more than ever okay? I want you to know that anything I've ever done was never to hurt you or your siblings and for that reason alone I am sorry to hurt you by my death. That's right baby I'm dead. I wrote you last because I need you to do something for me, the people behind this are the very same people you call family, your dad (Mike) yes Uncle Mike is your real father, your Uncle (Sebastian) and your Grandmother. She's the one that runs them both. You have to find a way to put an end to all this deceitfulness, their bloodline of betrayal stops with you. Please believe me when I tell you they mean you guys no good and that Mary has no clue to what she's about to walk into (I know first-hand). What will make me the happiest is to finally be at peace knowing t
hat my kids are safe. Can you do that for me Sid? I've enclosed different numbers addresses and people that you can talk to that will help you along the way. I love all of you forever. -Mom. PS: Remember money is the root of all evil but the world can't turn without it :)"
When I looked up from reading the letter Sidney was gone and the song "For the Love of Money" was blaring from the stereo system.
"Mary??" I heard Sidney call out from the front door.
When I got there Detective Brown and Detective Paige were standing on my doorstep. I looked at Sidney as she looked back at me.
“Hello detectives.” I spoke, we both looked at them while the song was coming to an end...
"FOR THAT MEAN... MEAN MEAN... MEAN GREEN."
BLOOD MONEY
ACKNOWLEGEMENTS:
Anytime I sit down and write this part one particular song plays in my head, my favorite part is the beginning because it fits my thoughts to a T. It says "If the Lord never does anything else for me, he's done enough." (I like those words :) ) God, if you never do anything else for me I'm satisfied and grateful. I thank you for your mercy and your grace, continue to touch my mind, body soul and finger tips in Jesus name I pray AMEN.
Suge, Duce, and Duck I keep going on because this is for y'all, Mommie loves y'all to the moon and back!!!! I have no words that could ever express what y'all are, my reasons why I keep going!!! ReShard, there is no need for me to go deep into anything our understanding is beyond words and way beyond anyone's understanding. Thank you for everything your support has been more than enough. Daddy and Mama, y'all raised some great kids I hope with everything I've ever done I've made y'all proud to call me "Daughter".
To Michelle, James, Makala, Darius, Eboni, Jacob, Zach, and Peach, my siblings I love y'all there isn't anyone else I would rather call my brothers and sisters.
To ALL and I do mean ALL of my family members from the Joffrions, Burton's, Flix, Lockwood's, Arnold's and Watkins thank y'all for supporting me I love you all eternally!!!
Everyone that has supported me rather it be from Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, my blog or in person I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart!! Without y'all I wouldn't be doing what I love doing right now. As always Piggy RIP, like I have always said you are one of the main reasons why I write now, I remember you saying "Rachel Ann if you don't write that shit down..." Well I'm writing now Piggy... I'm writing, love you Mella Yella!!! Last but CERTAINLY not least I dedicate this book to YOU Aunt Cynthia!!!!!! "Rachel Cain got three books out nah!!" I love you honey chile!!!! Rest In Love!!!!