“Yes, of course I do,” she responded.
“Then let me see that big, pretty smile of yours before I go.”
Sheba tried not to smile.
Uriah said, “Come on. Is it coming? There it goes.”
Sheba smiled. She stood up and gave Uriah a tight hug. “I’m going to miss you.”
“I’m going to miss you, too, baby.” Uriah bent down and kissed her.
Their tongues tangoed. The doorbell rang again.
“I better go answer that,” Uriah said.
Sheba didn’t want to let him go.
When he returned to the room, he said, “That’s the car service. Baby, these next few months will fly by. Just wait and watch.”
Sheba walked with him to the door. He hugged and kissed her once more. She stood in the doorway until the car drove away.
She rubbed her belly. “That’s who should have been your daddy.”
Chapter 34
David wrestled with the guilt he had brought upon himself. Uriah was a good man. David thought of ways he could make it up to Uriah before drifting off to sleep. During the night, David’s private line rang, jerking him out of his sound sleep.
Simon, with a shaky voice, said, “Uriah’s been killed. He was on his way to meet some government officials to finalize the plans for the building and ... well, he was killed.”
“No!” David shouted. Then Simon could be heard sniffling from the other end of the phone.
David had felt guilty about sending Uriah on a mission he knew could possibly end his life. Now that Simon had broken the news of Uriah’s death to him, David regretted ever sending Uriah to work in the Afghanistan office.
Simon asked, “Mr. King, are you okay? I’ve never heard you sound like this before.”
“I wasn’t expecting this. Uriah was a good man. Don’t know why this happened,” David rambled.
Simon said, “I tried to get him to wait until we could get more protection for him to go into the city, but he insisted on going today.”
“Have you called his wife?” David asked.
“No. I didn’t know how you wanted to handle it.”
“Well, let me go. I need to tell her before she hears about it through other channels.”
David called his pilot. Two hours later they were landing at the private airport in Shreveport. The starless sky made the night seem even gloomier than it already was. He eased out of the car after his driver parked in front of Uriah and Sheba’s house. The walk up the stairs seemed to take forever. He knocked on the door. No answer.
He pulled out his cell phone and called Sheba’s number. “Open up. I’m outside,” he said when she answered.
A few minutes later, looking sleepy, she opened the door. She was wearing a satin robe, and he couldn’t tell if she had anything on under it or not. With squinted eyes, Sheba said in a sleepy voice, “It’s two o’clock in the morning. I know you can afford a hotel, so why are you here?”
“I need to talk to you,” David said.
“Can’t it wait until tomorrow, when I’m awake? I have a seven o’clock shift, you know.”
David pushed his way past her and walked inside. “Close the door. Come sit. There’s something I need to tell you.”
Sheba grudgingly did as she was told. She sat down on the couch and crossed one of her legs under the other. “This better be good, or else you’re going to be on my S list.”
David didn’t want to prolong telling her the news any longer. He grabbed her hand. She jerked it back. “Bathsheba, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but I thought it best that you heard it from me. Uriah went to meet some government officials, and while on the way there, the truck he was in was ambushed by some rebels.”
Sheba started shaking. “How bad is he hurt?”
David bit his bottom lip. “I regret to have to tell you this, but Uriah didn’t make it. He was killed during the ambush.”
Sheba screamed, “Noooo!” right before passing out.
David tried not to panic. He patted her on the face. “Wake up, baby. It’s going to be okay. Wake up.”
Sheba slowly came to. “This is all my fault. He only went over there to make money so we could get a bigger house. If I hadn’t been so demanding as a wife, he wouldn’t have ever taken the job you offered him and he would still be alive.”
David tried to think of a way to console her. “No, it’s not your fault. You did nothing wrong. It’s those rebels’ fault. They are the ones who killed him.”
Sheba wrapped her arms around herself and rocked back and forth. “I can’t believe he’s gone. Tell me this is all a bad dream.”
“Sheba, I’m afraid it’s not. Uriah’s not coming back. He’s gone.”
“We didn’t even have a chance to say good-bye. He’s been busy ever since he got back there. We were supposed to talk tonight. I thought he was just busy when I didn’t hear from him. I should have known when he didn’t call me that something was wrong. Oh, Lord, help me please.”
David reached out to Sheba, and instead of pushing him away, like he’d expected, she allowed him to comfort her. He rocked her in his arms and said a silent prayer. “Lord, forgive me.”
Chapter 35
Sheba didn’t remember getting in bed. The last thing she recalled was David rocking her back and forth after he told her the news of Uriah’s death. She glanced at the clock, and it was after eight in the morning. She was supposed to be at work at seven. She was surprised no one had called her from work to see why she wasn’t there yet. She reached for the phone and checked the caller ID, just in case she had been asleep and hadn’t heard the phone ring, but there were no missed calls.
Her mind was in a million and one places. What would she do about Uriah? She had so many things to do. She had to find out where Uriah’s body was. She had to notify his relatives. Some of those same relatives had never liked her, but they were his family, and they needed to know.
The first number she dialed was her job. Annette answered and immediately offered her condolences.
“David King called and told us what happened to Uriah. We are so sorry. Your supervisor said you can take off as much time as you need,” Annette said over the phone. “And if there’s anything you need me or anyone else to do, please call me, okay?”
“Okay,” Sheba said as she went through the motions. She thought she could make the calls, but she couldn’t. She needed help. Where was David? When did he make that phone call?
Her questions were answered when he appeared in the doorway of her bedroom. “You were sleeping good, so I didn’t want to disturb you.”
She listened to David as he told her what had happened. He had carried her in the bedroom and laid her down on the bed after she had cried herself to sleep on the couch. Looking at David now reminded her of the sin she had committed against her husband.
“Thanks for calling my job. I have so many other calls to make. I really just feel like crawling back in the bed and dying myself.”
David looked sad. “Don’t say that. I called Delilah, and she’s on her way.”
“You did? Thank you. I really don’t want to be alone right now.”
“You’ll never have to be alone. I’m here.”
Delilah rushed through the unlocked front door and into Sheba’s bedroom. “And your big sister’s here.” Delilah hugged her, and Sheba found herself crying again. She thought all the tears had dried up, but they hadn’t, and she wet Delilah’s shoulder with the hurt and the pain she was feeling. Delilah patted her on the back. “Let it out. Don’t hold it in.”
“We never got a chance to hold each other again. I miss him already,” Sheba said.
Delilah held Sheba. “David, I know this may be asking too much, but can you help with the funeral plans? I don’t think Sheba’s up to it.”
“I’m fine. He was my husband, and that’s the least I can do. This will be the final thing I do for him, so I have to.” Sheba sat up and dried her eyes with the back of her hand.
“And you have me. Working together, we’ll make sure Uriah has a good home-going service,” David said.
Sheba wanted to handle everything on her own but knew she didn’t have the strength. She welcomed their help. One thing she would do on her own was pick out the suit and the casket. No one would have a say in that.
She looked at David. “I need for you to find out when I should expect to get Uriah’s body.”
“Sheba, I’m not sure.”
“David, please. That’s all I’m asking you to do now.”
David pulled out his phone. “I’ll do what I can.”
She got up and retrieved a gold-looking day planner. She handed it to Delilah. “I need for you to call people and tell them that Uriah’s gone. Can you do that for me? Tell them I’ll get word to them about when the funeral will be.”
“I got this. Why don’t you take a long hot bath and try to relax a little?”
Sheba’s whole body seemed to shake. “It’ll be a while before I can relax. Believe that.”
Delilah put the day planner down, grabbed Sheba by the hand, and gently led her toward the bathroom. “Come on. You sit, and I’ll run the water,” she said once they reached the bathroom. Sheba sat there with her legs curled under her as Delilah ran some bathwater.
“I love Moonlight Path,” Delilah said as she poured in the liquid bubble bath. She put her finger in the water. “Ooh, now that’s just right.”
After Delilah left the bathroom, Sheba stripped naked and dipped her body in the hot water. Every muscle in her body seemed to need the feel of the water as the tension released itself. Sheba leaned back in the tub and shut her eyes. She wished what she was feeling would go away, but she knew it wouldn’t. The guilt on top of grieving was not healthy for her. She wished she wasn’t pregnant, because she wanted to drown out her feelings with liquor. Instead, she was alert and sober and was left to deal with the pain head-on.
Chapter 36
David’s only task right now was to deliver Uriah’s body to Shreveport. He was having a hard time getting to the right person. He yelled at Wade. “Get Uriah’s body here, or someone will be looking for another job.”
“Yes, Mr. King,” Wade said.
Thirty minutes later David received a call informing him that what remained of Uriah would be shipped to the air force base in Bossier City the following day. Once he got that taken care of, he went into the living room.
“Where’s Sheba?” he asked Delilah, who was sitting on the couch alone.
“She’s taking a bath,” Delilah informed him.
“Do you think she’s going to be okay?” he asked as he sat in a chair across from the couch.
“She’s going to need folks who care about her to help her.”
“I’m here. I will not let her go through this by herself,” David said.
“David, let me be honest with you. I think you’re the last person who should be here. I mean, if it wasn’t for you, her husband would be safe and sound. He would be here.”
David knew there was some truth in Delilah’s words, but he felt enough guilt. He didn’t need someone else accusing him. Delilah seemed to see right through him. She talked as if she knew he had set Uriah up to go speak with the government officials.
Sheba entered the room, looking fresh. Her hair was up in a bun, and she was wearing a jogging suit. Her face was without makeup. David couldn’t recall a time when he had seen her without makeup. She didn’t need any. She had a natural beauty. Being pregnant with his child made her skin glow. He wanted to reach out to her but knew that now was not the time to do so.
“Sheba, your husband’s body will be flown to the air force base tomorrow. I have to take care of some things in Dallas, but I will be back tomorrow, before his body arrives.”
Sheba hugged him and said, “Thank you, David. Thank you for everything. Thank you for getting my husband back to me.”
David squeezed her before leaving the room and walking out her front door. Guilt weighed him down as he got in the back of the waiting car. He hoped Sheba never found out the truth about him purposely sending Uriah to set up his Afghanistan’s office when he could have easily sent someone in Uriah’s place. This was a secret he planned on taking to his grave.
When David got back to the office in Dallas, it was in disarray at the news of what had happened to Uriah. He was the first casualty the company had experienced at any of its foreign locations. Uriah’s death also made the national news.
Trisha said, “Nathan’s waiting for you in your office.”
David turned to walk in another direction. Nathan came out of his office at that moment.
“David, there you are. I came to check up on you.”
Not wanting Trisha in his business more than she had to be, David turned back around and followed Nathan into his office. He closed the door. “Have a seat,” David said. Nathan sat. David went and sat behind his desk.
Nathan said, “I’ve been waiting to hear from you, but when I didn’t, I thought I would just drop in. You haven’t been returning my phone calls.”
“Well, as you know, I’ve been busy. I have reporters and a grieving widow to deal with.” David nervously tapped a pen against his desk.
“I have a question for you.” Nathan had a serious look on his face.
“Man, now’s not the time.” David’s forehead wrinkled.
“Please. Answer this question, and I won’t bother you anymore.”
David twisted his neck from left to right. “I’m listening.”
“What would you do if one of your employees, who you’ve paid a nice salary to, purposely stole from one of his or her poor relatives?”
“If I found out about it, he would be fired and, I would hope, prosecuted for being a thief.”
“My beloved friend, the Lord has placed this on my heart to tell you, but, David, you are that man. God has given you an empire. You are the CEO of one of the largest media conglomerates in the world. Women flock to you, beautiful single women, and yet you had your eyes on one woman. Another man’s wife. God showed me in a vision what happened to Uriah. I saw it before I heard about it on the news. You didn’t bomb his truck, but you might as well have. David, you killed Uriah, and God is not pleased with you.”
David’s head wanted to explode. He felt naked and ashamed in front of the Lord and in front of Nathan. His head dropped into his hands. “God is going to punish me. What have I done? I’m going to lose it all.”
“God is a God of grace and mercy. Repent now, my friend,” Nathan pleaded.
Nathan left David alone with his thoughts. Once alone, David cried out to the Lord. “Oh, my Lord, my soul is in despair. I have sinned against thee and have broken several of your commandments. Have mercy on me, my Lord. I’ve been disobedient. I humbly bow down before you and ask that you please let your wrath pass me by. “
David prayed until sweat dripped from his forehead.
Chapter 37
“I don’t know if I can do this,” Sheba said as Delilah helped her get dressed the day of Uriah’s funeral.
“You can and you will,” Delilah said as she buttoned up Sheba’s black dress.
“What if I can’t cry? People will be talking about that.”
“Baby girl, don’t worry about ‘people.’ You grieve in your own way. If you feel like crying, cry. If you feel like laughing, laugh. Do you, and don’t worry about everybody else.”
Sheba looked at herself in the mirror. She was dressed in a new knee-length black dress. She slipped on the silver sling-back slippers with three-inch heels. She debated about whether or not to wear a hat. She opted not to, and her hairdresser wrapped her long hair up in a bun. She grabbed her huge black shades and followed Delilah into the living room.
A knock was heard at the door.
Delilah said, “That’s probably the driver. You got everything?”
She
ba looked around. She inhaled one deep breath and then exhaled. “Ready.”
The ride over to the church was solemn. Delilah had been her backbone these past few days by being by her side, filtering calls, and being the loving sister she had always wished she had.
Sheba knew Uriah had known a lot of people, but she wasn’t expecting this many people. There was not an empty space in the church’s parking lot. She thought that since a lot of people came to show their respects at the wake the night before, there wouldn’t be a large crowd at the church today. She was wrong.
The cameras flashed as she and Delilah exited the limousine. Some of the local news media, along with the station that Uriah had overseen, had cameramen filming. Delilah tried to shield Sheba as they walked toward the front of the church and followed the preacher’s instructions.
“Ma’am, we’re going have to ask you to get behind the family,” one of the funeral home attendants said to Delilah.
“I am family. I’m her sister,” Delilah responded.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Someone told me that you weren’t a part of this family,” the funeral home attendant said.
“I don’t know who could have told you that, but Bathsheba’s my sister, and I’m staying with her.” Delilah’s temper flared.
The attendant backed away. Sheba heard murmurings but didn’t care. Delilah was more welcome there than some of Uriah’s family. Some of the people who stood in the funeral processional line neither she nor Uriah had seen in years.
The pastor of the church started reciting scriptures. Sheba tuned out everything around her. She held her head up high and followed behind the preachers. Thankfully, Delilah was on her right side, holding her up, because her legs were beginning to feel like jelly.
The closer they got to the front, the more Sheba wanted to run the other way. Fortunately, the bomb hadn’t blown up the top half of Uriah’s body. That was still intact. She stopped in front of his casket. The tears she had been holding in all morning streamed down her face. She leaned down and kissed him on the lips one last time. “I love you, baby. I’ll always be your pumpkin.” She removed the necklace he had given her with the half heart pendant and placed it in his hands. She could hear people whispering, but this was her moment with her husband, so she didn’t care. She kissed her fingers and placed them on his lips one last time before taking her seat.
Ruthless Page 13
