by Dynah Zale
“Dunn, if you leave me in here I promise I will call Lady Lanier and tell her everything.”
“Go ahead. She has already pulled her endorsement from me. What more can she do?” Garrett disconnected the call and handed the phone back to Joye Anne. Garrett was sure there was nothing Hart could do to hurt him now.
***
Hart slammed the phone receiver down. He was so angry he felt like killing somebody. Dunn was his only hope of getting out of there. He went back to his cell, laid on his bunk and stared up at the ceiling. What he needed was a well thought out plan on how he could get out of this mess he had gotten himself into. Right now Garrett had the upper hand. There was no one in this city that would believe a crooked cop over the grieving Garrett Dunn. If Hart made any claims against Garrett, regardless if they were true or not, nobody would believe him.
“Let me guess.” Hart looked over and found the only other inmate in that ward of the prison standing right outside his cell. Hart was being housed in the protective custody unit and the only types of prisoners that came through there were corrupt cops or accused child molesters. “You were conned by Garrett Dunn.”
“How did you know?”
“I overheard you on the phone.” Richard walked further in to the jail cell. “He used to be my best friend. I’ve been in this jail for five months. I haven’t even had an arraignment hearing. They have no reason to hold me, yet they keep telling me that due process is slow. The only reason I’m still here is because Garrett Dunn has made sure that I’m not released. According to him, I’m a menace to society.” Hart eyed Richard suspiciously. “Listen, I don’t know what he did to you, but I do know how it feels to be played by Garrett.”
“Well, he’s not going to get away with this,” Hart said. “I just need to figure out a plan of revenge.”
“Why don’t you let me help you?”
Hart sat up straight. What this guy had to say got his attention.
“I’ll need your help, but I think I can help you get Garrett to admit to the wrong he’s done.”
“What do you need me to do?” Hart asked.
Chapter 64
The day had finally arrived. Election Day. One week after burying his son Garrett was no longer in mourning. He was ready to make his last pitch to the city of Camden that he was ready and willing to accept the role as their next mayor.
Garrett flexed his arms like a body builder. Today he felt like he was on top of the world and there was nothing that could knock him off this pedestal. He stepped out onto his front porch. An overcast of clouds filled the sky, but the cloudy weather did not bother Garrett. He was confident. Garrett smiled. His poll numbers were way above his opponents, and local political analysts predicted him to win by a landslide.
He bent down to pick up the morning paper. Before he got a chance to look at the headlines he heard someone walk up his front walk way.
“You killed him.” Raquel hollered. “You killed my nephew.”
“It was an accident Raquel. You know just as well as I do that I would never do anything to harm Blair.”
“Accident!” The redness in her eyes was a sure give away that she had been getting high all night long. “Tell me how many fathers give their sons an eight foot python snake as a pet. Those kinds of animals aren’t pets; it’s bad enough when adults keep them, but to give it to a child.”
Garrett sighed. He refused to allow Raquel to ruin this day for him. He would have thrown her off his property, but he understood that she was still grieving. “We missed you at the funeral?”
“Nice try Garrett but it won’t work.” She stepped up closer to him. “You can’t make me feel guilty for not attending my nephew’s funeral. You probably may think I didn’t show up because I was out getting high. For your information, I didn’t come because I knew that if I would have seen you that day, I think I would have shot you dead.” The way Raquel threatened Garrett made him shudder with fear. She threw some papers at him. “Read that! You must think I’m a fool if you expect me to believe that you thought a python snake is a tame animal. May God have mercy on your soul.” She walked away in a fury of anger.
Garrett picked up the sheets of paper that were scattered on the ground. The first sheet of paper contained a news story that came out of Kalamazoo, Michigan. It described the horrible death of a teenage boy who was strangled to death in his home by his pet snake. Very similar to Blair’s accident the authorities believe the snake got cold in the middle of the night and wrapped its body around its owner in order to stay warm. The only difference was that this kids pet was allowed to roam freely around the house.
Raquel’s words played head games with his mind. He never considered the possibility that Blair’s accident wasn’t really an accident. A chill ran up his spine when he stepped back in the house. He could not explain it, but something compelled him back to the scene of the accident. Before he knew what he was doing he was back in Blair’s room. He glanced around. The room looked like it had the first day Blair moved in. Everything was neatly in order and it still smelled like heavy ammonia. Mecca couldn’t even bring herself to walk past his room without busting out in tears so she had to call a cleaning service to come sanitize his room.
Garrett began digging through the dresser drawers. Then he searched the closet and underneath the bed. Garrett noticed that Blair’s computer was still turned on, but the monitor had been unplugged. He plugged back in the monitor and the book report Blair was working on was still up on the screen.
Garrett read. That final research paper written by Blair contained everything he could find about pythons. How and what they ate, where they lived, their habitat and most importantly, at the end of the report he wrote about how deadly a python snake could be. He documented how they have killed their owners.
The words on the computer screen blurred together. He couldn’t believe what he was reading. A chill of cool air filled the room, reminding Garrett of how cold it was the morning he found Blair. Then he remembered the bedroom window being wide open that day.
“If Blair knew that the coldness of the room would cause the snake to seek out warmth, then why would he leave his bedroom window open?” This was the first time he allowed his thoughts to consider Blair’s accident a suicide.
“What are you doing in here?” Mecca startled him from outside the room door. She wouldn’t step in.
Garrett quickly got up to leave, “Nothing, just checking up on something.”
***
"I don't want to do this any longer." Garrett had to escape his past. He did wind sprints around the throne room. The harder he ran the closer he was pulled to God. Garrett succeeded at nothing but making himself tired.
Finally, he fell to the ground out of breath. Like a child having a temper tantrum, Garrett kicked and screamed. “I don’t want to go through this again. It almost killed me the first time. God have mercy! Don’t make me live this horror again."
God gently reached down and cradled Garrett in his arms. "I'll never leave you, nor forsake you."
Chapter 65
The evidence Garrett found in Blair’s room stayed with him for hours. He needed more time to investigate so he could know exactly what happened the night Blair died.
“Honey, are you all right?” Mecca lightly rubbed his hand lovingly. “Are you worried about the election? You shouldn’t be; look at all the people standing in line to vote.” Garrett pulled up to their polling station. He felt a lot better when he saw the long lines extended out the doors and wrapped around the corner.
"I've never seen this kind of turnout before." Garrett helped his family get out of the car.
Joye Anne was standing out front waiting for them to arrive. “Garrett, I need to speak with you about something important.”
“Why don’t we talk later?” He placed ‘Lil Garrett in her arms and told Imani to stay close. “Can you keep an eye on the children for us while Mecca and I go in to vote?”
“Garrett.” Joye Anne called after hi
m. She tried to warn him, but he wouldn’t listen.
When Garrett walked into the polling hall a horde of reporters bombarded him with questions that were incomprehensible. He heard one reporter ask for a comment to the allegations against him. He had no idea what the reporter was talking about, so Garrett kept right on walking. That is, until he saw Reverend Tomlin speaking with a reporter from across the room. Garrett set out to pull him away for a second, but when the reverend looked up and saw Garrett moving in his direction, Reverend Tomlin looked angry.
“Hey Rev., I was just about to give you a call.”
“Garrett, let me speak with you in private.” Reverend Tomlin pulled him into a small room so they could have some privacy. Mecca followed.
“What’s going on rev.?” Garrett asked.
Reverend Tomlin looked like he was ready to cast fire and brimstone at Garrett.
Garrett figured that whatever was on the reverend’s mind couldn’t be that bad because he was about to become mayor, or so he thought.
The pastor pulled his right hand back and landed a right punch square in the middle of Garrett’s jaw. Garrett fell backwards and landed on his behind.
Mecca ran to her husband’s aid. “Pastor, what is wrong with you?”
“Sorry Sister Mecca, but I’m been stewing on that anger all morning long and it couldn’t be contained any longer.”
Garrett lifted his head up rubbing the aching feeling on the left side of his face. “What’s gotten into you?”
Reverend Tomlin threw the paper at him. Mecca picked it up and starting reading. Then she covered her mouth in surprise.
"What?" Left in the dark, Garrett was still trying to figure out what was going on. "Mecca, what does it say?"
She hesitated a moment and then began reading out loud. ''I love my dad' written by Blair Kendricks. A couple months ago my little sister wrote a letter about our dad, Garrett Dunn. In it she said that my dad was the greatest and that she loved him very much. She wrote about the things they did together and how he was always doing things for her. I love my dad too. The same way she does. My dad loved me so much that when I was sick he promised to make me better. He took me to a doctor and when the doctor couldn’t make me better he put me in a mental hospital. My first night there they strapped me down to a hospital bed and hooked me up to all kinds of machines. These machines shot electricity all through my body and the doctor said it was to make my sickness go away. It hurt and I cried, I cried for my dad, but he never came to save me. Then they locked me in my hospital room and I could hear other people in there screaming and crying all night long. My dad told me that I was a sissy and this was the only way to make me better. The entire time I was in the hospital he never came to see me. But, my dad did help me. After I got out from the hospital I no longer admired Beyoncé and I played a lot of sports like football because that’s what made my father love me more.
“I thought Creighton Hainsworth the reporter who published the letter was trying to sabotage you. I thought maybe he was being paid off by one of your opponents so I went straight to his office and demanded that he print a retraction immediately. That is until he told me that along with the letter he received from Blair he also received this.” Reverend Tomlin dug in his pocket and pulled out proof that Blair had been admitted intoArchibald Hills Psychiatric Hospital.
Mecca jumped up and snatched it from the reverend’s hands. She examined it closely, “It’s an I.D bracelet. Patient: Blair Kendricks. Hospital:Archibald Hills.” Her head dropped in shame. “Garrett how could you?”
“You should also know that Blair’s case is being reopened and the police have now labeled it a murder.” Reverend Tomlin let them know.
“Murder?” Mecca’s hands shook from nervousness. Reverend Tomlin found a chair for her to sit down in.
“What’s printed in the paper isn’t the entire letter. Apparently, there were certain parts that were so disturbing Creighton had no choice but to turn it over to the police.”
Mecca and Reverend Tomlin looked down on Garrett with pity in their eyes.
“Why are you two staring at me like I'm some kind of monster?" Garrett screamed. "I did what I had to do. My son was acting like a little girl, squealing and prancing around like he was Imani's sister instead of being her big brother.”
“So you chose to have our son undergo electro shock therapy.” Mecca’s words stung. “What else did you do to him without my knowledge?”
"Mecca, you will never understand what it’s like to be a black man in this world. You've got to be tough. Blair would have never made it if I didn't do something to change him."
Reverend Tomlin sucked his teeth as if he wasn't convinced of Garrett's reasons.
“Isn’t homosexuality an abomination?" He directed his question towards the pastor. "I was only trying to save him, by making him behave the way a man is supposed to."
"Garrett, I think you went overboard. What you did was destructive? The way Blair was acting probably just a childhood phase; something he eventually could have grown out of." Reverend Tomlin folded his arms before him. “On my way over here I thought about what would push a man to such extremes to do such a thing to his own child. The only thing I could think about is that you loved your career and your reputation more then you did your own flesh and blood. You take after your mother more then you know.”
“I don’t think I know you at all.” Mecca looked at Garrett strangely. “For weeks, I wondered where that boy was at and you kept assuring me that he was visiting with family. I could see the sadness in his eyes when he returned home. I would have never believed that you had him admitted into a psychiatric hospital to cure homosexuality.”
“What would you have done? Pastor, tell me what would have you have done if it were your son? Would you have acted any differently?”
“I would have left that matter in God’s hands.” The pastor paused a moment before continuing. “I think it would only be right for me to tell you before you hear it from anybody else. This morning I pulled my endorsement for you along with the other pastors in the Pastor's association."
“You hypocrite.” Garrett spat. “Everything was fine when you thought I was going to be mayor and I could secure you the land you needed to build that awesome new church you bragged about all the time, but now that it looks like I won’t get into the mayor’s office you’re gonna cut and run."
“Son, you can’t expect me to condone what you’ve done. Your behavior is unacceptable and I'm sure most of the voters feel the same way I do. How would it look for me to continue to support you? You’re not even remorseful for the things you’ve done.” Reverend Tomlin turned, passing Joye Anne on his way out.
Chapter 66
‘Lil Garrett struggled to climb down from off Joye Anne’s hip. She fought to keep control of him. “Garrett I think you should know the latest update from the polls.” The shattered look on Joye Anne’s face said the results were disappointing.“You’re dramatically slipping in the polls. You’ve even slipped twenty percentage points in your own district, which is unheard of.”
“It’s not over yet.” Garrett possessed a crazed look in his eye. He refused to give up. “All I have to do is go out there and talk to the reporters. If I present a strong front with a reassuring voice to the voters they will not lose faith that I’m still the right person for the job.”
Mecca gathered her children together and headed for the exit door.
Garret noticed her leaving and blocked her path with his body. “Where are you going?”
“As far away from you as possible.” She replied.
“Mecca” Garrett reached out for her hand.
She moved away as if she were afraid of him. She pulled Imani behind her, “Don’t you ever touch me or my children ever again.”
Garrett realized that Mecca wasn’t just scared of him, she was terrified. The way she looked at him made him feel like an ugly monster. “Mecca, everything I did was for us.”
“No, everything
you did was for YOU!” Mecca shouted at him.
Garrett was embarrassed for Joye Anne to witness Mecca acting this way towards him.
“Okay.” Garrett stepped aside, allowing her to pass. “I’ll speak with you at home.”
Mecca dashed towards the door with the children, but when she stepped outside the room reporters shot a barrage of questions at her. She quickly closed the door again.
Garrett saw what was going on and he didn’t want her hurt. “Let me step out first. I’ll lead the reporters to the far end of the room and that will allow you the opportunity to leave without any harassment.”
Garrett walked out and over to the podium that was set up for him to answers questions. As planned, all eyes were on him. When Mecca and the children snuck out the room nobody even noticed.
At the podium, the first question shouted out from the crowd was, “Do you think what was printed today will hurt you badly in the polls.”
“No comment.” Garrett was a very charismatic guy, but he wasn’t in the mood to discuss any negative publicity. “Does anyone have any questions directly related to my campaign or my political agenda once I’m in office?” The crowd turned silent.
As Mecca secured the children in their car seats, Raquel rounded the corner. The two women acknowledged one another with nothing more than a smirk between the two of them. Raquel walked into the polling hall and Mecca went back to what she was doing, until she realized something. The way Raquel was dressed looked odd. She wasn’t dressed in regular street attire. As a matter of fact Raquel was dressed as if she had just come from a funeral and in her hands she held a box that was big enough to hold a vase. Mecca didn’t know why the sight of Raquel bothered her, but her conscious got the best of her. She unbuckled the children and walked them back into the hall.
Inside, Raquel abruptly pushed her way through the crowd and shoved reporters to the side until she stood right in front of Garrett.
“Excuse me Councilman.” Raquel stepped out from the crowd and made her way directly in front of Garrett. “Would you like to address the issue of Detective Hart being arrested in connection with several robberies of drug dealers around the city?”