Precious Stones

by Darrien Lee

  “Hey, babe,” Ramsey said softly, interrupting her thoughts. He sat a cup of hot tea on the nightstand. “Shouldn’t you be in bed?”

  She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. He held her close and then noticed tears running down her face.

  Concerned, he asked, “Are you in pain?”

  “Not really,” she whispered.

  “Maybe you should get into bed. I brought you some chamomile tea.”

  Keilah looked up into his loving eyes and said, “I’m so sorry, Ramsey.”

  “It’s not your fault.” He balled his hands into fists. He was angry that this ordeal had caused them to lose something so precious, even though they were blessed to get Neariah back.

  “Thanks for the tea, but I’m tired, babe. I just want to go to bed.”

  He helped her out of her clothes and then into bed.

  “Try to drink some, anyway. It’ll help you relax.”

  While she drank the tea, his heart ached.

  “Are you hungry?” he asked softly.

  “Not really,” she answered as she handed the empty cup to him.

  “You have to eat something, because you have this medicine to take.”

  Valeria knocked on the door before entering. Target walked into the room first, and then Valeria entered, holding her granddaughter’s hand. When the toddler saw her mother, she waddled over to the bed and said, “Momma.”

  Tears fell out of Keilah’s eyes as Ramsey picked Neariah up and placed her in the bed. Neariah climbed into her mother’s lap and gave her a wet baby kiss.

  Valeria sat on the side of the bed and patted Keilah on the leg. “Keilah, I know you’re feeling really bad right now, so if there is anything we can do to help you, let us know, okay?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Keilah answered softly. “All I want to do right now is sleep.”

  Ramsey pulled Neariah off the bed and stood her on the floor. “You can sleep after you put something in your stomach, or this medicine will make you sick.”

  “Valeria, do you mind bringing me a couple pieces of toast?” Keilah said.

  “Sure, sweetheart,” Valeria answered as she turned and walked out of the room.

  Ramsey stroked Keilah’s hair and said, “We’ll get through this, I promise.”

  She slid down under the comforter and said, “If you say so.”

  Target barked as he kept a close eye on Neariah, who was now trying to climb up on the window seat.

  “It’s okay, boy. I see her,” Ramsey said to acknowledge his loyal pet. He turned back to his wife and said, “I know this might not be the right time to tell you about everything that happened, but you need to know that Michael could’ve lost his life trying to help get Neariah back.”

  “How?” she asked.

  “He thought the kidnapper looked like his ex-lover, so he went to his house to verify it. When he got there, there was a baby there, who Michael thought was Neariah. When he confronted him about it, he cut him pretty deep with a knife.”

  “Is he okay?” she asked.

  “Yeah, he had to get a few stitches. The worst part is by the time we go there, Michael had killed the guy—in self-defense, of course—and even worse, I had to tell him the child wasn’t Neariah.”

  “How did you know to go there, and whose baby was it?” she asked.

  “Michael left a note for me with his girlfriend and told her to call me if he wasn’t home by a certain time, and according to Kyle, Michael’s ex-lover, Kevin, bought the baby from a prostitute.”

  Tears formed in her eyes. “Is Michael in jail?”

  “No, Kyle took care of it. He won’t face any charges.”

  She lowered her head and whispered, “Thanks for telling me.”

  He kissed her forehead and said, “Me and the guys are going to step out for a minute to go over to the church where Neariah was left to give the priest the reward. Mom will be here if you need anything, and I’ll be back up to check on you shortly.”

  Target barked at Neariah again as she continued to try and climb up on the window seat.

  “Dog!” Neariah yelled as she pointed at Target. “Dog!”

  “Yeah, dog,” Ramsey repeated as he picked his daughter up in his arms. “Let’s go so Mommy can rest.”

  After her husband and daughter left the room, Keilah couldn’t help but wonder if she had cursed her pregnancy by expressing her misgivings about getting pregnant sooner than they had planned. Then her thoughts went to Michael and how he had risked his life for her daughter. When she felt up to it, she would call him and thank him personally.

  Andria and Rico had settled into the Hamptons home and were eating lunch when her cell phone rang. When she looked at the caller ID, she frowned and said, “It’s Daddy. Hello, Daddy.”

  “What the hell have you gotten yourself into, and where are you?”

  Her heart rate accelerated. “What are you talking about?” she asked.

  “Some detectives were just here, wanting to talk to you about a case they’re working on.”

  “What case?” she asked her father.

  “I don’t know, Andria. That’s what I’m trying to find out from you.”

  Andria didn’t know what to say. She was speechless and afraid.

  “Andria, I swear to God, if you have gotten yourself mixed up in some bullshit to embarrass this family, I am going to—”

  She cut him off and said, “I haven’t done anything, Daddy.”

  Rico noticed that Andria looked like a deer caught in headlights.

  “Daddy, I wish I could tell you something, but I have no clue why they want to talk to me.”

  “Well, you had better figure it out and get home so we can get to the bottom of this,” he yelled at his daughter. “And if those detectives find you before you get home, don’t say a word until I contact our attorney.”

  “Yes, Daddy.” She hung up the phone and covered her face with her hands.

  Rico put his fork down and asked, “What’s going on?”

  “Daddy said some detectives came by the house to talk to me about a case they’re working on.”

  Rico jumped out of his chair and put his empty plate in the sink. He turned to her and asked, “Do you think it’s about the kidnapping?”

  She stood and yelled, “I don’t know. We have to get out of town.”

  “Are you kidding me? We are out of town. Besides if you run, you’re really going to look guilty.”

  She picked up her cell phone and said, “Pack your bags, Rico. I’m taking you to New York to get you on a flight out of the country.”

  “I’m not going anywhere.”

  Andria took his hands into hers and said, “If you hang around, they’ll link you to me, and I can’t let that happen. You have a background, remember?”

  He walked toward the door, turned back to her, and said, “I’m not leaving the country, but we do need to get out of here before T. K. Rockwell sends out an army to find you.”

  “I hate not knowing what those detectives want.”

  They made their way up the stairs. Rico stood in the doorway of his bedroom and said, “Well, it’s something serious enough for the police to show up at your door.”

  She leaned against the door frame and said, “This has gotten way out of hand.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “All I can do. Face them,” she answered before disappearing into her room.

  He followed her into the room and said, “Well, we’d better come up with stories that match, just in case they catch us together and interrogate us.”

  “Like what?” she asked as she started packing her clothes in a small bag. “We don’t know why they want to talk to me yet.”

  He picked up her bra and said, “Nice, Andy.”

  She snatched the bra out of his hand and tossed it in her bag and said, “I’m scared, Rico.”

  “I know I shouldn’t say this, but that’s what you get for being obsessed with that man. You keep trying to hu
rt him, and what is it doing for you? Nothing! I hope these little games of yours don’t get your ass sent to the pen.” Rico left the room, packed his bag, and he and Andria hit the Sunrise Highway out of the Hamptons.

  T.K. Rockwell paced the floor after the unexpected visit from the two police detectives. He had no idea what Andria had gotten herself mixed up in, but whatever it was, he knew he would have to head it off by involving his attorney, so he picked up the telephone and got him on the line. He studied the detective’s business card as he waited for his attorney to pick up.

  “Steve, its T.K. I have a problem and need your help.”

  Andria’s father went ahead and told his attorney about the detectives and asked him to contact them to find out the nature of visit and get back with him as soon as possible. His attorney agreed. After hanging up, a lightbulb went off in T.K. Rockwell’s head.

  “Oh damn!” he yelled. Then he picked up the phone and dialed his daughter once again.

  “Hello, Daddy. I’m on my way home.”

  “Andria, please tell me you didn’t have anything to do with the disappearance of Ramsey Stone’s baby.”

  Her heart skipped a beat. “I’m over him,” she whined.

  He didn’t believe her. He knew how obsessed she was with Ramsey, and could always tell when she was lying. “Where are you?”

  She let out a breath and said, “I’m in New York with a friend, Daddy. Don’t worry. I’ll be home in a few hours.”

  “Our attorney is going to accompany us to the police station so we can get to the bottom of this. I’m not going to have them going on a fishing expedition and dragging our family name through the mud.”

  “I understand, Daddy. I’ll be home soon.” She hung up the phone and glanced over at Rico and said, “Daddy’s pissed.”

  He fumbled with the radio and asked, “What now?”

  “Daddy’s rushing me to get back so him and his attorney can take me to the police station to see those detectives.”

  Rico reclined in his seat and said, “Maybe Ramsey gave you up after you went ballistic on him down in Richmond.”

  “Screw it! I can handle Ramsey too.”

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  Neil couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw one of the detectives working the kidnapping case escorting Andria and an unidentified man into an interrogation room. He quickly got on the phone and called Ramsey, but he made a mistake and called their house telephone, and as expected, Keilah answered the telephone.

  “Keilah, it’s Neil. Ramsey told me about your loss. I’m so sorry. How are you feeling?”

  “I’m okay. I appreciate your concern. What can I do for you?”

  He hesitated and then asked, “Is Ramsey home?”

  “No, I put him and the rest of the men out of the house for the day. They’ve been hovering over me for the past few days, and I needed a break. They’ve gone to a Georgetown basketball game.”

  “I see,” he replied as he wondered what to do next. “I’ll call him on his cell.”

  “Can it wait? I really want him and the guys to enjoy the game. Is there anything I can help you with?” she asked.

  Neil held the telephone in silence as he contemplated if he should tell Keilah the update or wait for Ramsey. With all that she’d been through, he didn’t want to upset her even more, but then again, Keilah deserved to know.

  Keilah sat on the sofa and said, “You can tell me.”

  “I don’t want to worry you about this, Keilah. It would probably be best if I told Ramsey and your brothers.”

  Frustrated, she pounded her fist on the sofa cushion and yelled, “Goddamn it, Neil! If you don’t tell me what the hell is going on, I’m going to hurt you!”

  “Okay! Okay! Calm down, woman,” he answered. He took a breath and said, “I saw the detectives working the case taking Andria Rockwell into an interrogation room.”

  “Andria? Why her?”

  “I don’t know. For all I know, it could be related to a different case. Listen, Keilah, I’d feel better discussing this with Ramsey. You’ve been through enough.”

  With her teeth clenched and fist balled up, she said, “Give me your best guess on why they would be talking to Andria, and don’t lie to me, Neil.”

  Feeling the heat from his friend through the telephone, he relented and told Keilah about the altercation between Ramsey and Andria in Richmond and how they suspected that she was the one who keyed his car. Keilah couldn’t believe her ears. Ramsey had kept some very important information from her, and it upset her.

  “You mean to tell me that woman could’ve kidnapped my daughter because she was pissed at Ramsey?”

  Neil said, “I don’t know for sure, but I guess that’s a possibility.”

  “I’m on my way,” Keilah announced.

  “You’re on your way where?” he asked inquisitively.

  “Down to the precinct,” she announced. “Stop playing dumb.”

  He chuckled nervously and said, “I don’t think that’s a good idea. You should wait until I know what’s really going on.”

  She walked over to the closet and pulled out her coat, ignoring his advice, and said, “That’s not going to happen. I’ll call you when I get there so you can meet me in the lobby. Those detectives should be keeping us informed on the case, anyway. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

  Keilah hung up the telephone and yelled for Valeria. Valeria walked into the room and noticed that her daughter-in-law was wearing a coat.

  “Where are you going?”

  “I have some business to take care at the police station. I’ll be back shortly.”

  Valeria took Keilah by the hand and said, “Maybe you should wait on the guys to get back from the game. The doctor told you to take it easy.”

  “Valeria, this is something I have to do. This ordeal is driving me crazy, and I want justice.”

  “I know you do but—”

  She kissed her mother-in-law on the cheek and said, “Neariah’s napping right now. I won’t be gone long.”

  Valeria watched Keilah pull out of the garage and down the long driveway.

  At the police station Keilah made her way inside the building and then called Neil to meet her. Minutes later he stepped off an elevator and walked across the lobby and greeted her with a hug.

  “You’re going to get me in a lot of trouble for doing this,” he said as they walked toward the elevators.

  She waved him off and said, “If you’re talking about Ramsey, he’ll get over it.”

  “He’s my best friend. I’m still going to catch hell for letting you come down here without bringing him up to speed first.”

  She smiled and said, “Tell him I twisted your arm.”

  Neil laughed out loud.

  “Is that she-devil still here?” she asked as they waited for people to get off the elevator before entering.

  After stepping inside the elevator, he said, “As far as I know, she is. They have her down on the major crimes floor. Her father is here too. I can call down there to see if she’s still being questioned.”

  “It must be serious if T.K. is here. I haven’t seen him in a while. Are you sure you don’t know why they’re here?”

  They stepped off the elevator, entered the patrol room, and went into a break room area.

  “I’m sure,” he answered as he hung up Keilah’s coat and pulled out a seat for her. “Can I get you something to drink? Coffee, Pepsi, anything?”

  She sat down and said, “No, I’m good. Neil, I’m not leaving here until I know what’s going on.”

  “Do you want me to see if I can go get one of the detectives so they can talk to you?” he asked.

  “Yes, please,” she answered as she fumbled with the salt and pepper shakers on the table.

  Neil left the room, and a few minutes later he returned with one of the detectives. The detective shook Keilah’s hand and apologized for not being in touch but assured her that they had been working hard on the case. He admitted
that they were questioning Andria to see if there was a possibility that she was involved in the kidnapping because of a tip they received.

  “What kind of tip?” Keilah asked.

  “I can’t go into details right now, but do you know Andria Rockwell?” the detective asked.

  She nodded and revealed to him that Andria was an ex-lover of Ramsey’s and that she had been bitter when he broke off their relationship and married her. Neil also told the detective about Ramsey’s altercation with Andria in Richmond.

  The detective jotted down all the information and said, “I can’t reveal anything to you right now, because the investigation is ongoing, but I will tell you that Miss Rockwell has some explaining to do.”

  “Are you saying she could’ve had my daughter?”

  He sighed and said, “It’s possible, but we won’t know until we get forensics results back from the lab.”

  “What kind of test?” Keilah asked.

  “I can’t really say, Mrs. Stone. I don’t want to jeopardize the case.”

  Keilah ran her hands through her hair, slightly frustrated, and said, “I’ll try to be patient, Detective, but you’re going to have to keep us more informed with the case.”

  The detective shook Keilah’s hand again and said, “I will, Mrs. Stone. You should go home. There’s nothing for you to do here, and I promise I’ll call you as soon as we have some promising information.”

  “I’m going to hold you to that,” she replied as she stood and slid into her coat.

  The detective left Keilah and Neil alone. She covered her face and said, “Neil, I feel like I’m about to explode. Get me out of here.”

  He took her by the arm. “Come on. I’ll walk you to your car.”

  “I swear to God, Neil, if that woman had anything to do with my child’s kidnapping, you’re going to have to arrest me, because I will beat her ass down.”