by Honey
Detective Franklin removed a Dictaphone from the breast pocket of his navy suit coat and pressed the PLAY button. Hearing Jay tell Fudge that Zach used to be her brother blew Zach’s mind. He also heard another conversation, one in which she described Jill as an ungrateful bitch who deserved to die too but then added that she couldn’t afford to pay for a hit on her. When Fudge told Jay he wouldn’t kill a pregnant woman under any circumstances, Jay laughed and said, “I ought to take that bitch out myself.”
“Turn that shit off! Turn it off!” Zach sprang from his chair and started pacing the floor in Nancy’s small office.
The tape continued to roll, despite his request. Another conversation could be heard. Zach shook his head from side to side in an attempt to erase the sound of Jay’s voice somehow. Her words were venomous. Zach kept pacing, with both fists clenched at his sides. Tears fell from his eyes unchecked. The heartless tone of Jay’s voice, combined with the hatred she expressed for him and Jill, gave him a heavy, eerie feeling.
“I’m tired of this bullshit waiting game. I gave you the up-front money on the hit more than a month ago, but Zach ain’t dead. What’s up?”
Zach froze when he heard those words, and stared at the Dictaphone in Detective Franklin’s hand. The sound of paper moving was followed by silence. Zach’s heartbeat accelerated during the moments Jay and Fudge remained quiet. He didn’t know what to make of the silence, followed by the sound of paper crinkling. Zach was about to take his seat. He thought the conversation was over, but Jay’s voice broke the silence.
“So you’ve been watching him. When are you gonna smoke his ass?”
“You’re a cold-ass bitch, Jay. Has anyone ever told you that?”
She laughed. “Yeah, I’ve been hearing that shit most of my adult life. It doesn’t even faze me. When and how, Fudge? That’s all I wanna know.”
“Next Thursday evening, when your brother is leaving the gym, he’s gonna catch a bullet to the back of the head from a nine-millimeter Glock nineteen at midrange. Pow! If that don’t take him out, then his ass ain’t human.”
“It better take him out! You want the other five grand, don’t you?”
“Hell yeah, I want my damn money!”
“Then take my brother out!”
* * *
Zach had broken down completely after he’d heard Jay’s demand. He was still crying. Each time the meeting with the detectives replayed in his head, it shook him up. He’d been driving around downtown Atlanta in a daze for close to an hour. He didn’t want to go home to Jill in his emotional state. It would be hard to hide his feelings from her, because they were too raw. He needed time to pull himself together, although he would have to tell her everything before the night was over. He had to in order to be in compliance with the authorities. In the next two days, life as they knew it would change forever.
The detectives had given Zach detailed instructions on how to proceed, and he was mandated to adhere to them. He had begged them to allow him an opportunity to confront Jay about everything. Zach had wanted to spare her from the charges she would face if she did not call off the hit on him. But Detective Ortega had said it was too late. He’d explained to Zach that the moment Jay gave Fudge the five thousand dollars and the information to track him, a crime was committed. They had enough evidence to arrest her already, but they wanted her to be prosecuted for the crime of murder for hire. And the only way they could ensure that was to let it all play out.
Zach had mixed feelings about helping the authorities bring Jay down. What she had done was wrong, and it tore his heart into a million pieces, but he didn’t want her to go to prison. His sister needed psychiatric treatment, not imprisonment. Only a mentally ill person, in Zach’s opinion, could do some of the things Jay had done over the past five years. Hiring a hit man to smoke him was by far the worst of all her devious schemes. If he hadn’t heard her voice, seen the pictures, and recognized her distinguished penmanship in the note to Fudge, Zach wouldn’t have believed Jay had ordered the hit. But she had, and she expected him to be murdered in cold blood in forty-eight hours.
Chapter Thirty-eight
Jill peeked out the window continuously, hoping to see Zach’s SUV pulling into the driveway. It was five minutes before seven o’clock, and he had not come home from work yet. He hadn’t called to say he’d be late, and she knew for sure he didn’t go to the gym on Tuesdays. Jill didn’t want to call Zach’s cell phone, because she didn’t want to scare him. With her due date only three weeks away, he would think something was wrong if she called him now. She waddled back to the kitchen to lower the heat under the pot of peas and rice and to check the chicken in the oven. The phone on the counter startled her when it rang. She grabbed it before the second ring and answered the call.
“Zachary, where are you? Do you want me to have a heart attack and go into labor with your child, eh? You know I worry about you. I—”
“Jill, this is Wallace. What’s wrong, honey? You sound upset.”
“Forgive me, Papa King. It’s just that I am so vexed that Zachary has not come home from work yet, and I have not heard from him. He usually calls if he’s running late.”
“I called because I was thinking about him, and you, of course. Patricia and I were talking earlier about driving down in a few weeks, around your due date.”
The chirp of the security system and the sound of the door closing pulled Jill’s attention away from the conversation. “That would be wonderful. Zachary is home. Could you hold on a minute?”
“Sure, I’ll hold.”
With that, Jill put the phone down on the kitchen counter. “Zachary, where were you?” she yelled and hurried to the door as fast as her extra weight would allow her to. “I was worried that maybe . . .” Jill stopped talking the instant she noticed Zach’s teary eyes. She rushed to him and wrapped her arms around him. “What is wrong, baby? What has happened to make you so unhappy?”
Zach pulled Jill’s body closer to his and cried in her arms. His sobs frightened her. She didn’t know what to do. Then she remembered Wallace was on the phone, waiting for her to return.
“Zachary, sweetheart, your father is on the phone. He wants to speak with you. Come.”
Jill walked Zach into the kitchen, rubbing his back and wiping his tears. She lifted the receiver and pressed it against his chest. She could hear Wallace on the other end, calling her name. He wanted to know what was going on. He had obviously heard his son crying. Zach finally took the phone from Jill.
“Daddy, I . . . I . . .”
“Zach, I’m on my way. Put Jill on the phone. Son, I need to talk to Jill. Please give your wife the phone.”
Zach obeyed.
“Papa King,” Jill whispered into the phone. She too was crying now, but she had no idea why. All she knew was Zach was in pain, and she shared it with him. “I don’t know what is wrong with my Zachary. I am so afraid.”
“Jill, I’m on my way to Atlanta. I’m not sure if I’ll be driving or flying. Just know that you’ll see me before sunrise.”
* * *
After hearing the details of Zach’s unexpected meeting with the two detectives, Jill felt numb. Never in her wildest imagination would she have foreseen Jay doing something so heinous. Now Jill clearly understood Zach’s outpouring of emotions. He was hurt, shocked, and very upset that his only sister wanted him dead. There was no way possible Jill could relate to that. She sympathized with Zach and promised that she would be cooperative and supportive of him working with the detectives on the case. Then she climbed the stairs and went to their bedroom. Zach followed her and went into the master bathroom.
“Are you okay?” Zach asked when he walked out of the bathroom, naked, about ten minutes later. He went to the chest of drawers, in search of a pair of boxers.
“I’m fine, and so is our child. He’s kicking like he knows his father is fretting over something,” Jill said as she took a seat on the bed.
“He? How do you know it’s not a girl? Reme
mber, you didn’t wanna find out.” Zach crossed the room in a pair of brown boxers and sat next to Jill on the bed. He rubbed her stomach, and she placed her hand on top of his.
“I’m just hoping it’s a boy. Aren’t you?”
“It doesn’t matter to me as long as the baby is normal and healthy. Either way, our child will be born into a cruel world. We’re gonna raise him or her to love God first and family next, no matter what.”
“Isn’t that the way Aunt Jackie raised you and Jay? Didn’t she teach you to love one another no matter what happens between you?”
Zach nodded thoughtfully. “Yeah, she did, but—”
“But I came along and ruined it, didn’t I?”
“Jill, you didn’t do anything. If Jay wants to blame somebody for what happened between us, I’m her guy. That’s why she wants me dead. She realizes you weren’t at fault. I have apologized and asked for her forgiveness, but Jay isn’t interested in reconciling with me. If having me killed is her way of moving past it, then she’s sicker than I thought. I just hate that I couldn’t save her.”
“She didn’t want to be saved, Zachary, and it is not your problem anymore. Let the police deal with Jay.”
“I don’t have a choice in the matter. Do you understand everything I told you we’ll have to do? This is some serious shit that’s about to go down. It’s just you and me, Jill. We can’t tell Aunt Jackie or Dex and Ramona. Detective Franklin said we can’t say a word to anyone.”
“I understand, Zachary. What about your father? He’s on his way here. He’s going to ask you what has happened. Will you be truthful with him?”
Zach stood and stretched. “I don’t know, baby. I haven’t made up my mind yet. I want you to go to bed and stop worrying about this crap. The detectives promised me that you and I will be safe. They said my life was never in danger because of Jay.” He pulled the covers back on the bed. “Go to sleep now, baby.”
Jill lay down on her side, and Zach covered her. He kissed her on the lips. She watched him remove a T-shirt from his underwear drawer. Then he went to the closet and pulled out their special blanket. He headed toward the door after he snatched a pillow from the bed.
“Zachary, where are going?”
“I’m gonna wait for my dad downstairs. And I need some time to clear my head. I’ll be tossing and turning, and you don’t need that. Get some rest, baby. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
* * *
Wallace managed to catch a flight out of Raleigh at 10:45 p.m. that night. He’d called Zach from Raleigh-Durham International Airport just before he boarded the plane, and Zach had immediately agreed to meet his father at the airport in Atlanta. Wallace had no idea what was going on with his son, but his paternal instincts told him it was very serious and should not be taken lightly. During their first conversation of the day, Zach had been weeping liked a child and had been unable to speak on the phone. That alone was alarming. Whatever had happened to upset him, Wallace was committed to helping him get through it.
When Zach caught sight of his father outside the terminal doors, he honked the horn in his Plymouth Prowler and flashed the headlights. Wallace smiled and waved. He liked the canary-yellow sports car. It was small but sharp.
“You need a ride, old man?” Zach teased after he stopped at the curb and rolled down the passenger window.
“I sure do.”
Wallace took his time sitting down in the car as Zach loaded his luggage. He’d brought only an overnight bag with him for his brief stay in Atlanta. Judging from the compact interior of the car, he’d made a wise choice.
“Are you hungry?” Zack asked as he climbed behind the wheel. “We could stop at a fast-food joint or a twenty-four-hour diner.”
“I’m not hungry, son. I came here to see about you. You were an emotional wreck on the phone. Tell me what’s going on. Is it Jayla?”
Zach stole a glance at Wallace out of the corner of his eye. “I’d rather we wait until we get to my place. I don’t think I can talk about it while I’m driving.”
* * *
Zach and Wallace found Jill in the kitchen, drinking a cup of chamomile tea, when they reached the house. It was after one o’clock in the morning. They joined her at the table so Zach could relive his horrifying meeting with the detectives all over again. He cried just like he had done in Nancy’s office and on his way home from work. Only this time, his father was present to comfort him and Jill. She was battling her own emotions, as well as hormones.
“We will get through this,” Wallace said. “I know it’s going to be tough over the next two days and in the weeks to come, but we’ll survive. I’m partially responsible for Jayla’s mental state, but I refuse to own her selfishness and her need to destroy the people around her. I owe her empathy, and I’ve extended it to her, but she didn’t want it. I hope the judge will see that she’s mentally disturbed and will order her to go into long-term psychiatric treatment instead of prison. What have the police instructed you to do, son?”
When she finished her cup of tea, Jill went to bed and allowed Zach and Wallace time to talk alone. She didn’t want to hear another word about Jay and her plot to have her husband killed. As she climbed the stairs, she heard Zach telling Wallace the plans they would have to follow over the next two days. It was going to be mentally taxing on them, but in the end, Zach would still be alive and Jay would be behind bars, where she belonged.
Chapter Thirty-nine
“Your brother is dead, boo. He died at the scene,” Fudge announced.
“Prove it.” Jay said into the phone, then took a long swig of her drink and lowered the volume on the stereo.
“Damn it, Jay! I’m gonna give you the proof, but I can’t just yet. Stay put and lay low. Wait for a visit or a call from the police. You know the routine. They have to notify the next of kin, which is his wife. She won’t know what the hell to do. She’ll probably call your auntie, who’ll then call you, and so on and so forth. After that, it’ll hit the news and—”
“Hell nah, Fudge. I ain’t gonna wait that long! I want proof now!” Jay screamed as she stood up, the drink in her hand. “Bring me the proof, and I’ll give you the balance of your fee. Make it happen!”
After hanging up, Jay rushed and dressed in a white T-shirt and a pair of well-worn jeans. She grabbed her Atlanta Braves baseball cap from the coffee table and walked over to the mirror. The face staring back at her was blank. All its dominant features were similar to Zach’s. They both looked like Wallace, and so did Nahima. The smooth caramel complexion, naturally curly hair, and dark brown eyes were all inherited from her father, the man she hated almost as much as she hated Zach. She wished she could afford to have his ass knocked off too.
Jay went to the safe in the wall in the sitting area of her suite, entered the combination on the keypad, and then opened the safe door. A white envelope filled with money was inside. She removed it and stuffed it in her pocket. Ayla’s lawyer had sent her a letter in which she threatened to take legal action against her if she didn’t pay Ayla back the five thousand dollars she owed her in thirty days. The hotel had no idea Jay had hit them for the other five grand to pay her brother’s killer.
There was a knock on the door. Jay closed her eyes and composed herself. Her reaction to the news of Zach’s death had to be on point. Her brother had called her an award-winning actress before, and she wanted to make sure she lived up to his compliment. She opened the door and was surprised to see Fudge on the other side, looking like Rick Ross, the rapper. He dapped into the suite, cool and calm, without a word. Before Jay could ask, he handed her a big brown envelope. They sat down on the love seat. She stared into space, as if she were in a trance.
“Ain’t you gonna open it?” Fudge finally said, impatient.
“I’m about to. What’s the rush?” Jay asked, nervous as hell.
“I want my damn money, so I can get outta here. I ain’t used to no high-class joint like this. Y’all got chandeliers everywhere,
and elevator attendants and shit. You balling, boo.” Fudge thumped the envelope. “Open it and give me my cash, so I can roll out.”
Jay opened the envelope and pulled out three photos. She glanced at the first one and saw Zach lying flat on his stomach on asphalt. A pool of blood surrounded his head. He had died with his eyes wide open. An up-close shot showed the bullet hole in the back of his head, with blood gushing out. Jay covered her mouth and gagged like she was about to vomit. The last picture was a full-body shot. Zach had on a pair of black gym shorts and a purple tank top. His Adidas gym bag was upside down on the ground, next to his body. The right black Jordan cross-trainer shoe was missing from his foot.
“Here’s your cash.” She handed Fudge the white envelope she’d stuffed in her pocket.
“Thanks, baby girl. I’m out.” He stood and looked down at Jay. “Are we cool?”
“Yeah, we’re cool. Thank you. I’ll call you later.”
Jay flinched when the door slammed shut behind Fudge. A bundle of emotions hit her at once. She was relieved that Zach was dead, but there were no bells and whistles or confetti, like she had expected. Had she made a terrible mistake? Would her life be better now that Zach was dead? Jay continued flipping through the three pictures for several minutes, all while keeping a close eye on her watch. Anxious, she went to the wet bar and opened a new bottle of Disaronno. Her nerves were so shattered that she turned it straight up. If the police had already informed Jill about Zach’s death, it wouldn’t be long before they contacted her. The voice inside her head told her to call Aunt Jackie. But that would appear suspicious, since she hadn’t spoken to her in months. It would be best if she waited it out.
* * *
Jill sat restlessly between Wallace and Aunt Jackie in a small room at the morgue. They knew Zach was alive and well, but the sting of death still radiated around them. Detectives Franklin and Ortega had just left to go pick up Jay after updating them on the status of the case. Jill and Aunt Jackie had lost it when the police photographer showed them the pictures she’d taken of Zach. He really looked lifeless lying on the ground. The makeup artist and graphics expert had done an awesome job transforming a living person into a corpse. And for his perfect portrayal of a dead man, Zach had definitely earned the Oscar Jay had said he was worthy of.