“William, you weren’t saying that an hour ago when you was in my bed,” Ebony said as her doorbell began to ring.
“Oh shit! Who is that?” Will asked as he got real nervous. “That better not be my wife.”
Ebony walked over by the door and peeked out the window. “Well, if it is, then what? Because, I’m sorry to burst your bubble, William, but it’s her and I’m letting her in. I believe she deserves to know the truth.” Ebony reached for the knob to open the door.
“Wait, Ebony!” Will yelled, and then demanded her to not open it. “My wife can be very unstable right now.”
“Well, she’s not gonna get any better sitting out there ringing my doorbell while knowing you’re in here. Your car is parked out front, William! What the hell did you think?” Ebony was so frustrated with Will that she opened up the door before he could say anything else.
Nancy stood there in shock, looking at a very pregnant Ebony. Her head began to spin. She then looked over at Will, who was just standing there in shock with his mouth wide open. Ebony invited her in and Nancy slowly moved forward while still trying to get a grip of what she was seeing.
“I’m sorry you had to see this, Nancy,” said Ebony. She could clearly see the hurt in her face. “Obviously, you thought I had an abortion, but as you can see, I’m still pregnant. Eight months pregnant at that.” Nancy finally made it in the house and pushed the door shut behind her. Her eyes were still focused on Ebony’s big belly.
“Baby,” said Will, trying to snap her out of the daze. “Please, look at me.” He walked over to her as Nancy then focused her attention on him.
“Will, what is going on here?” Nancy asked as her hands shook from her nerves being so distraught.
“Baby, I wanted to tell you, but I knew you would never forgive me. Ebony is eight months pregnant. I could only tell you part of the truth.”
“Well, tell her now, William,” Ebony retorted.
“Shut up, bitch,” Will said since he was really blown away that he had gotten caught up like that.
“Watch your fucking mouth! You’re the lying bitch and don’t you ever…” Nancy cut Ebony off.
“Please, just please shut the hell up! I can’t believe this shit!” Nancy began to reach in her purse as her hands shook continuously.
“Don’t you come in here like you’re so innocent,” Ebony retorted. “You sent your husband here. You ran him off! I’m giving him the son that you never could give him.”
“Shut up, Ebony!” Will said as he rubbed through his hair nervously, and then paced the floor in a circle.
“No, William,” said Nancy, mocking Ebony and the way she talked. “Let the bitch talk!” Nancy pulled out her gun. “Talk, bitch!” Nancy pointed her gun at Ebony. “And, you were saying?”
“Oh shit!” Will screamed. “Baby, please put the gun down.”
Ebony ran to hide behind her sofa, but Nancy looked her right in the eyes. “Stop, bitch, or I will shoot you. You mean nothing to me.”
Ebony froze as she was shaking all over. “Will, don’t you come any closer, either. You lying bitch. That was one thing that I agree with Ebony on.” Will stood there, frightened because he didn’t know what Nancy was capable of in that state. “Yeah, I’ve heard your loud mouth, Ebony, while you talked shit to me and had the nerve to lay up with my husband. You even had the audacity to call my house like you are the big, bad witch. Well, look who’s talking now, bitch,” Nancy said in a calm tone. “I may not have been the wife my husband needed, but if he felt so strongly about that, he should have packed up his shit and left me a long time ago. I wouldn’t have stopped him. If he wanted to sleep with bitches in the street and that was more important than us, then he could have.” Nancy continued to point her gun in Ebony’s direction. “You see, even though you’re the one I should be mad at. I’m not. You could only do what my husband allowed you to do, and if that was to break up his home, so be it. You’ve won.”
Tears began to fall from Nancy’s eyes as she continued to point her gun and talk. “I wouldn’t hurt you or that unborn child, no matter how much its existence pains me. I thought you had an abortion, but my husband wasn’t being totally honest with me, as usual.” Nancy mean mugged Will. “But, I chose to believe him for some reason this time because this situation seemed to be more serious than any other time he’d lay up with some whore.” Nancy giggled as if she was going insane. The gun was moving back and forth from Will to Ebony. “I bet that is probably not even Will’s baby, is it? It damn sure wouldn’t surprise me. But, if it is, you’ll be raising your precious son alone because our daughter is already grown.” Nancy turned the gun to Will. “You’ve hurt me for the last time.”
Will stood there speechless as he saw the hurt in her face. “I can’t take this anymore. I pray that our daughter will someday forgive me,” Nancy calmly said as she pulled the trigger and shot Will in the chest. He fell to ground, unable to speak as she shot him again.
Ebony screamed out loud while Nancy slowly turned, then walked to the door and opened it up. She didn’t even look back. She headed toward her car and got in. She sat in the driveway and screamed out as she began to cry. She hit the steering wheel, screaming out in pain of shooting her husband and losing her sanity. In a trance she backed out of the driveway and headed to the police station to turn herself in.
Over at Catherine’s house, Candy and Mona sat in the living room watching TV and talking about Will’s fuck up as Monty entered.
“Hey, babe,” said Monty. He walked over, leaned down, and gave Candy a kiss.
“Hey, baby. I was waiting on you to get back.” Candy kissed Monty back.
“Why don’t y’all get a room,” Mona said quickly as she frowned.
“Oh shut up, sis.” Monty swatted at Mona, who dodged his lick. “Where is Mama?”
“She’s in the back watching TV,” Mona said as she flipped through the channels.
“What or who were y’all talking about? It looked like y’all were in a deep conversation. I hope it wasn’t about me.”
“Nobody was even thinking about your stank ass. We were talking about Mr. Will,” Mona said as she sat the remote down.
“What has Will done now?” Monty asked as he looked over at Candy, who wasn’t smiling.
“He got Ebony pregnant,” Candy said as she got upset.
“Damn, are you serious?”
“Yeah, I’m serious, but she had an abortion about two weeks ago. My mom told me all about it today.”
“What?” Monty said in shock. “How is your mom?”
“She’s doing a lot better than I thought. I just can’t believe my dad would have been so careless this time.”
Catherine ran down the hall. “Put the TV on CBS. Hurry up! It’s a breaking news story on.” Mona grabbed the remote and put the channel on CBS as the reporter was talking.
“We are at Ebony Temple’s home as there has been a shooting,” the reporter said as he continued to talk. Candy, Mona, Monty, and Catherine watched in a daze. “Apparently, a man has been shot by his wife who is not on the scene right now. She was in this house for some time before shooting her husband, and then leaving the scene.” The reporter pointed back at the big, two-story house lined up with yellow tape as he stood in the front yard. “The man has been rushed to the hospital. The witness was Mrs. Ebony Temple, who is too distraught to speak about it. We’ll be back with more details as this tragic story unwinds.”
Candy looked nervous as she leaned down and put her head in the palm of her hands. She sat up, quickly reached in her pocket, and pulled out her cell phone to call her home. She got no answer. She then called Nancy’s cell phone, but it went straight to the voicemail. After that, she called Will’s cell phone, but it went straight to voicemail, too. Candy began to think the worst while her eyes welled up with tears.
“Calm down, babe,” said Monty as he tried to comfort her. It’s probably not as bad as it seems. I’ll drive you home. Your mom is there. I’m sure of it. S
he probably didn’t hear the phone ringing.”
“Yeah, take her home, Monty, and call me when y’all get there,” said Catherine. “It’s gonna be alright, honey.”
As Monty and Candy got up to walk out the door, the breaking news came back on. They stopped to watch and listen to the updates. Mona sat very quietly. She was in total shock.
“We are returning with the breaking news just reported. There are now some more shocking details to reveal,” informed the reporter. “The wife of the victim has turned herself in.”
The camera then showed Nancy in front of the police department being handcuffed. Candy screamed out. “No! This can’t be for real.” Catherine and Monty tried to calm her down as the reporter continued to talk.
“Mrs. Ebony Temple is now being escorted by the police out of her home. They are taking her to the station to identify the woman being accused.” Candy watched in silence as she watched a pregnant Ebony walk to the police car, as she was crying hysterically.
Candy was in shock. What could have happened? she thought. “I’m going to the police station. No, I need to go to the hospital now!” Candy was confused. She didn’t know what to do.
“We’ll go to the hospital first and check on your dad, and then we’ll go to the jail and talk with your mom,” said Catherine. She rubbed on Candy’s back. “There has to be a reasonable explanation.”
“We have the victim’s name that died at the Memorial Hospital. His name is William Smith,” said the reporter. Candy screamed out. “The shooter is said to be his wife, Nancy Smith.” The news station showed a picture of Will, who was smiling while standing up by a bookcase. Candy wasn’t familiar with that picture, but she knew it was her dad’s loving face. She screamed out loud and covered her face.
With Monty driving, they arrived at the hospital in no time. Candy was shaking hysterically. Mona and Catherine were trying to comfort her as Monty walked around and opened the passenger door for her. Mona and Catherine got out from the back, as they all shed tears from the devastating news. Monty was being strong for them as he led the way into the hospital while holding Candy’s hand.
When they made it to the 5th floor, the nurse asked if she could help them. Catherine began to explain the whole ordeal, and then the nurse asked if Candy could identify her father. Candy broke down, but agreed to see him. The nurse walked her to a room and began to open the door up. Candy’s heart felt like it almost stopped. She stood in the doorway and noticed the body lying on the gurney with the covers pulled over it. She shook as she was very nervous, but decided to walk in with only the nurse to say her goodbyes to her daddy. She felt as though she was being a burden on Monty, Catherine, and Mona.
“It’s gonna be alright. I’m here and I’ll stay here as long as you need me to.” Monty wished he could erase her pain.
“Monty, you just don’t know how much you being here like this means to me. I’ll never forget it.” Candy walked in behind the nurse and Monty went over and sat next to Catherine. Mona just stared out of the hospital window and continued to cry. Monty’s phone beeped, letting him know he had a text message.
Can I see u later… Jay
Can’t I’m busy… Mo Money
Call me when u can… Jay
Monty ignored her last response because he didn’t want to upset Candy if she walked out and had to deal with his pawns texting him at a time like that.
Candy walked in the room as the nurse lifted the covers back. Candy gasped for air. She couldn’t believe she was looking in her daddy’s face and he was dead. She began to cry over him, asking why.
“No, not my Daddy,” Candy cried out. She shook Will as if she was gonna wake him. “Daddy, please get up.” The nurse comforted her as she sobbed. Candy touched his face in dismay. She was still very shocked. His skin was cold to the touch and she was devastated. She began to pace, then turned to Will with questions like he was going to answer her. “Daddy, what happened? You had to do something, daddy. I had just left mom and she was fine. She was happy that you both were working on y’all's marriage. What happened, Daddy? What happened?” Candy cried as she wrapped her arms around Will’s neck, almost lifting him up. “I love you, Daddy. I love you so much.”
The nurse had to break the grip Candy had on Will so that they could walk out the room. Immediately, Candy ran into Monty’s arms. He stood there holding her tight while trying not to let a tear fall.
“It’s gonna be alright, baby. Calm down,” Catherine said, but broke down as she remembered losing her husband. Mona hurried over to hug and comfort her. All of them felt Candy’s pain.
Chapter Twelve
M
Monty decided it was time for them to leave the hospital. It was nothing more that they could do there. Candy agreed as she called her Aunt Linda to break the news to her. They drove to the police station, but the dispatcher told them that Nancy would not have a bond set and couldn’t have any visitors until the weekend, which was three days away. However, the dispatcher did inform Candy that Nancy would have phone privileges the next day.
As they were about to leave the police station, Ebony walked out with one of the sheriffs as he was about to take her home. She was still upset as she rubbed on her huge belly. Candy watched while Monty opened the passenger door for her, yet, her feet were glued to the ground. She began to put two and two together. Monty looked over and realized that Candy was watching Ebony. Catherine instructed them to get in the car just as Ebony noticed Candy watching her. She dropped her head and got into the front passenger side of the police car.
The ride was silent and all you could hear was sniffs from Candy and Mona. Catherine tried to be strong for the girls while Monty drove. He reached over with his right hand and gently touched Candy’s thigh before pulling up to the curbstone in front of their apartment. He looked back at his mom.
“I’m gonna take her on home now.”
“Yeah, take her on home. Candy, please call me if you need me.” Catherine got out.
“Candy, give me your keys. I’ll be over in a little bit.” Mona reached in the front seat as Candy handed her the keys to her car. She then got out as Monty drove off.
Monty pulled up in the driveway and got out of the car. He walked around to the passenger side to help Candy in the house. He felt bad for her and could relate to her emotions. Candy got out, and then she walked up on the front porch. She reached under the welcome mat, picked up the spare key, unlocked the door, and walked in.
Immediately, she smelled her mother’s perfume in the air and began to miss her already. She walked straight down the hallway into her parents’ room and stood in the doorway, clearly in pain from losing both of them in such a short period of time. She hurried over and fell out over the plush bed, and then began to cry again. She missed her dad and her mom both. She knew she would hear from her mom again, but never from her dad, while that thought sent chills up and down her spine. She grabbed his pillow to smell his scent.
Monty continued to console her and promised that he would not leave her side until she was better. “Do you want something to eat? I can tell Mona to get us some food before she comes over.” He felt the need to take care of her and make sure she didn’t get sick.
“You can order me whatever you get,” Candy said as she continued to bury her face in the covers.
Monty called Mona and told her to bring them a number one from Chick-Fil-A before coming over. He then got up and went into the bathroom to take a leak. His phone beeped again with another text message.
I gotta big appetite for some steak and Monty 2nite… Paris
Can’t I’m busy… Mo Money
I got 800… Paris
Not tonight… Mo Money
When then? Paris
Don’t start dat fuckn shit… I said later! Mo Money
I’m sorry. Just missing u… Paris
Damn, I’ll be glad when she stops aggravating me like that. Rico need to go head and distract her crazy ass, Monty thought while he deleted his messa
ges and silenced all ring tones before exiting the bathroom.
“Baby, are you alright?” Monty asked. He sat down beside Candy, who was still crying. “Don’t worry, I’m here. Go ahead and let it all out. He’s in a better place now and your mom is feeling real bad about it. I bet.”
“She was under some terrible stress and something had to happen to make her snap. I can’t wait until she calls me. I need to hear her voice,” Candy responded. She held her head up and rested it on Monty’s chest.
“Candy,” Monty called out, but she lay on him unresponsive. “Candy,” he said again, then had to shake her because she was spaced out. He shook her one more good time and Candy snapped back to reality, but burst out crying in Monty’s arms. A tear almost fell from his eye. But, he knew he had to be strong for Candy in order to help her close the hole that had been left in her heart. Monty lie there as Candy fell asleep on his chest until his phone vibrated with an incoming call.
“Hello,” Monty answered quietly so he didn’t wake up Candy.
“Hey, bruh, I heard what happened to Candy’s folks. Man, I’m so sorry to hear that. That shit is crazy,” Rico stated. “Mona and I are on our way there with y’all food. You don’t mind, do you?” Rico asked.
“Naw, man, you know I don’t mind.”
“How is Candy doing?” Rico asked.
“She’s resting for now. She’ll be alright though in due time.”
“Well, we are on the way over there.”
“Y’all be careful. I believe I’m going to just let Candy sleep. I’m tired, too, so I’m going to take a lil’ nap myself. See ya when y’all get here.” Monty looked down in Candy’s baby face.
You’ll be alright because I’m going to take care of you. I’m not going to run around in the streets forever, but long enough to be able to invest in some big things, make some major moves, and start up my own business. I know it may not seem like it, but I’m falling for you and I can’t help myself. You’re that down chick that every man wish he had, but it’s only one man who got you and I ain’t gonna never let you leave me like that if I can help it, Monty thought. He rubbed Candy’s hair and watched her rest peacefully.
CheckMate (Play At Your Own Risk) Page 13
