Friend or Foe
Page 22
“Yes, judge. I... I’m fine.” Cheyenne spoke softly. She realized she needed to adjust the microphone, so she attempted to move it. It made an ear-piercing screech. Cheyenne jumped back.
The court officer raced over and fixed it. He put the microphone directly in front of Cheyenne’s mouth. She used the back of her hand to wipe sweat from her forehead.
“Okay, Ms. Turner. When you’re ready to speak, you can address the defendant and this court. Take your time,” Judge Graves told her.
Cheyenne nodded and closed her eyes. “My name is Cheyenne Turner. The person everyone keeps referring to as the victim is my mother. Her name is Desiree Turner, and she didn’t deserve to die. She didn’t deserve to be slaughtered for nothing.
“There are very few people in the world like my mother. I want to tell you all about the years leading up to her senseless murder, because Kelsi told you hers, but we also have a story,” Cheyenne said, hearing her voice echoing off the courtroom walls. She was sure everyone was holding their breath, waiting for her next sentence.
* * *
There were so many news reporters outside of the courthouse after the sentencing. Lil Kev and Cheyenne had all types of microphones and recording devices being shoved into their faces. They didn’t have anything to say. They stood behind the prosecutor while he took the opportunity to speak about how justice had been served.
Through the crowd, Cheyenne saw his face. He was fighting his way toward them. Finally, he started up the courthouse steps. He had a serious look on his face. Cheyenne’s heart skipped a beat. She balled up her toes inside her shoes.
“Congratulations,” he said, grabbing Cheyenne’s hand and giving it a squeeze.
She was fighting back her tears. “Thank you for keeping your promise,” Cheyenne whispered to Detective Brice Simpson.
He squeezed her hand again. “Thank you for letting me,” he replied. “I’ve got to get out of here. Seeing my mother and sister off to another country today. Bittersweet, but the only compromise that would work,” Brice said.
“Good luck to them. Remember to cherish them both,” Cheyenne replied.
She felt an inner peace come over her. Everything for a reason, she thought to herself. Everything for a reason.
* * *
Big K was murdered six months after his conviction for the conspiracy to murder his wife. Cheyenne and Lil Kev didn’t attend his funeral. Cheyenne received a package a month after with a stack of letters he’d written to her and Lil Kev. They sat together and burned the letters in the back yard of the home their mother had bought before her death. They burned the letters without ever reading them. A month after that, Cheyenne received a check for $1.5 million from National Benefit Life Insurance Company. Cheyenne was the beneficiary of her father’s insurance policy. Cheyenne smiled as she stared at the check. Her mother was still looking out for them... even in death.