by M. T. Pope
“Good morning, Mr. Black. I’m pretty sure you don’t know why you are down here this morning, but I want you to know that you have nothing to worry about. This is all routine questioning.” The officer I didn’t know spoke to me with a glint of doubt in his eyes. I knew the look all too well. I was a master at it as a kid and now that I was an adult I could spot it dead on. He had already convicted me in his head.
“Good morning,” I spoke back, solemnly.
“Well, let’s cut to the chase and get right down to business. There has been a string of murdered females in the last couple of months in Baltimore City. Have you heard about them?”
“In passing, yes,” I answered.
“Well, there have been some gorgeous women being murdered and mutilated over the last month,” he repeated himself. “Some pretty gruesome stuff I might add. Ferocious and very little evidence. Here are some pictures.”
He slid a few pictures of some very beautiful girls over in front of me. On one side was a picture of them alive and the other side was of them deceased. I almost cringed but I held it in. I had slept with at least three of these chicks. Now I was thinking it was time to call my father.
“Mr. Black, how do you feel when you look at those pictures of those women and their mutilated bodies?” Troy finally came over and asked. He had a very serious look on his face. He was standing in the corner of the room paying attention to me before he came over to ask this question.
“How am I supposed to feel?” I countered with another question. I know it wasn’t the thing to do, add tension, but hey I was not going to be forced into my feelings.
“This is not a game, Mr. Black. This is some serious shit here. Stop playing with us.” Troy’s voice escalated after every sentence and then he banged on the table with one of his fists at the end of the rant. It caused me to jump a little. It was definitely time to call my father.
“I know all about games. I want to call my lawyer. He’ll answer all the questions about my feelings when he gets here.” I looked at both of them and smiled. I had never seen Troy in this light. He was so aggressive and firm. A total opposite of what he was in a personal setting. I guessed he was doing his job.
“Look, we don’t need to call any lawyers down here. These are just questions. Everybody calm down,” the other officer interjected as he looked at me and then at Troy.
“I don’t have a problem with questions,” I said. “I have a problem with forced questioning and wordplay. You know what I mean: beating around the bush.”
“Mr. Black, you are here today because three of these women had your phone number in their call logs on the night of their murders and in two you were the last call to or from. Do you have an alibi for these nights in question?” the “nice” officer asked me as he slid a piece of paper over toward me.
“These were a few girls I met through mutual friends. They were ‘hit it and quit its.’”
“Excuse me, what does that mean?” the nice officer asked.
“We had sex and then they left.” I broke it down to him in plain English.
“Oh, okay.” He nodded his head. “So these weren’t long-term relationships?”
“No.” I shook my head. I was a little embarrassed because Troy didn’t know that I was a ho.
“So you had no emotional ties to these women?” He asked another question.
“None, because both parties knew what the rules were. We both wanted sex and that was it. They left my house after we finished and that was the last I saw of them.”
“Okay, we are going to need some alibis for these nights in question. Can you provide them?” the nice officer asked. Troy stood and looked at me with his arms folded. I wasn’t sure if he was believing anything I said. I didn’t care really. I was innocent and I knew it.
“Mr. Black, we are going to release you today, but we will need those alibis as soon as possible so that we can clear you as a person of interest. Okay?”
“Sure, no problem.” I nodded my head.
“You are free to go,” he said as he got up out of his chair and so did I.
I was out of the precinct in no time and on my way to work. During the drive I texted Troy to ask him why he treated me with such hostility in the precinct. He said that it was protocol and not to take it personal. I had assumed that but I had to text and make sure. I also would have to make up a good lie to tell my boss for my reason for being late. Confirming my alibi was going to be a task. But I knew the first person I was going to ask.
Chapter 11
Jasmine
Needy
I couldn’t believe it. I just couldn’t believe it. I mean I knew that it was going to happen sooner or later but I could say I was shocked to be sitting back on Alex’s couch and at his request. Rewind about fifteen minutes ago and this was how the scene went down:
I was in my apartment lying across the bed daydreaming about my life-to-be when my front doorbell chimed. It startled me because I didn’t get many visitors. I didn’t have many friends. Anyway, I got up and made sure that I looked okay to be answering the door. I had no clue as to who it was.
To my surprise, it was Alex standing on the other side of the door. I instantly perked up and opened the door. “Everything okay?” I asked with much concern in my voice. He had a slight frown on his face.
“Yes, I need you,” he said with a smile on his face. Damn, he had nice smile.
“I need you too,” I slipped up and said it back to him. I wanted to bang my head up against the doorpost for being so stupid.
“Huh?” He looked at me in bewilderment.
I was so pissed that I began to mumble to myself.
“Are you okay?” he asked me with even more confusion on his face.
“Yes, I’m sorry. I am having a rough day.” I tried to smile as hard as I could so it would distract him from the fool I made of myself.
“That’s understandable.” He smiled back. His smile made me quiver on the inside. He was so damn fine. I wanted to jump on him right here and now and give him the goodies between my legs. “I need to talk to you for a minute. Can you come over to my place for a few? I need your help.”
“Sure.” I nodded my head. Holding back my excitement was really hard. “Could you give me a few minutes to get decent and then I can come over?”
“Yes, sure.” He then turned and went into his apartment and I closed the door to my own.
I then ran over to my loveseat and grabbed a pillow and screamed into it with all of my might as if I was a teenage girl dealing with some puppy love. I could feel my dreams coming true.
After about another quick minute I was in bathroom freshening up and then in my closet putting on my best outfit. I exited my apartment and stood in front of his door. My adrenaline was through the roof. I pushed the button on his door to alert him of my presence and it didn’t take long before he was standing with the door open and his mouth open as well.
“Hey.” I gave him a shy and innocent smile and batted my eyelids. I was giving him everything.
“Wow. You look . . .” He didn’t even finish his statement because he was so caught up in my appearance. I had on some pink coochie cutter Victoria’s Secret sleeping shorts and a midriff matching shirt that came down about an inch or two past my cleavage. I never dressed this way in public and all he saw me in most of the time was my scrubs or some regular street wear.
“Thank you.” I smiled again and then tugged at my shirt as if I was trying to make it stay, covering my ample breasts. They jiggled and he smiled as he looked at them lustfully.
“You said you needed me.” I reminded him of his request and my dream that was now becoming a reality.
“Yes, I . . . did,” he said trying to stay focused on my face. “Come in. Come on in.” He finally stepped back and let me in his apartment.
So here I was now waiting for him to come back in the room. He said he had to use the bathroom, but I knew that his dick was swollen from the outfit that I had on. He had to go in ther
e and calm that bad boy down. I wouldn’t be surprised if he squeezed out a nut while he was in there. “I am woman, hear me roar.” I laughed at that one myself. It didn’t take him long to make his way back into the room and I could tell that it was hard to control himself around a beautiful woman. He shifted himself around a couple of times as he sat on the couch with me. I was on one side of the couch and he was on the other, but I could tell he wanted to be closer. He wanted to fuck my brains out right here on this couch. I knew it. I could feel it.
“So what’s the problem?” I asked as I looked intently into his eyes.
“The problem?” he said like he had no clue as to why I was in his apartment and on his couch with my pussy damn near hanging out. From the way he was looking at me I may have involuntarily left some of my juices right there on the couch. He was turning me on by the way he was looking at me. It was pure lust in his eyes.
“Oh, yeah. Damn, I lost my train of thought for a moment.”
“That happens,” I replied and tugged at my shirt again.
“I need you to do me a huge favor.” His monster was growing in his pants and I was hoping he wanted to start working on our family right now. He saw me look but he continued with what he was saying. “I need you to be my girlfriend.”
“Excuse me?” I looked at him in false bewilderment. I almost stripped down out of the little that I had on to rock him to sleep better than his mother ever could.
“Yes, I need you to be an alibi for me.”
“Alibi?” I asked.
“Yes, a couple of chicks I screwed ended up dead and I was the last to be with them before they got murdered. The cops had me down at the station and everything.” He shook his head. I could see a twinkling of fear in his eye. He looked desperate.
“They deserved it. I mean, how could they accuse you of such a thing? You are not that type of person.” I needed to get myself together. I was slipping up too much.
“I know, right.” He nodded his head. I was so glad he didn’t pay that slip-up any mind.
“So what do you need me to do?” I asked, bubbling with joy on the inside.
“I need you to go down to the station with me and act like I was with you on the days after I was with those chicks. I also need you to keep this between us. My sister and my family don’t need to know about this. You okay with that?”
“Sure, that is what friends are for.”
“So what can I do for you to return this favor?” he asked.
“Oh, don’t worry about it. It’s the least that I can do for a friend.”
“Now that is what I like to hear. I am so glad I can count on you for this. And I will find a way to pay you back for this.”
“Aww, that is so sweet, but you really don’t have to. Let’s hope you return the favor when I need it. Let me know when we have to go down to the station and I will be by your side.”
“Again, thank you so much,” he said as he got up from the side of the couch he was on. I did the same.
“I guess I’ll see you later,” I said as I made my way to the door. Everything in me was hoping that he came up behind me and forced his tongue down my throat but that did not happen.
I left his apartment and walked into my own with some more plans on my mind. I was so glad that my man was coming to his senses. Who knew that murdering a couple of bitches for him would cause him to get closer to me? I hoped that he left them shady broads alone and then I wouldn’t have to kill those bitches. Maybe he would be leaving them alone for good and now I could make my move on him so we could be the happy couple that we were supposed to be.
I went to bed a happy camper. I almost couldn’t sleep because of my nagging mother’s voice. I took me a sleeping pill, covered my head with a pillow, and drifted off into la-la land.
Chapter 12
Troy
Moving Forward
I sat at my desk trying to think of a way to get Alex dismissed as a suspect from this case. It wasn’t because I thought he was innocent. I didn’t give a fuck about his innocence or guilt. I had plans for him and I didn’t want the system to get him before I did. He owed my family some blood and I was going to get him and his sisters if it was the last thing I did. I’d been waiting and waiting for this opportunity and now that it was here I wasn’t going to let it or anything stop me from stopping this bloodline from ruining any more lives. I had to do this. I promised that I would. I was groomed for this very task.
I had finished high school early, enrolled into the police academy soon after, and excelled until I was promoted to a detective a few months ago. This was my first major case and my superiors assigned me because of my exemplary record with the force in these last four years. I was a decorated officer early on and was hated by many in the precinct where I was stationed. I didn’t take any bullshit and I didn’t give any out. I wasn’t here to make friends. I was there to get a job done and to protect and serve. Yes, I had my own agenda going on but I took my discipline as a hardworking individual seriously. My life was fucked up early on and I was pushing ahead to clean up the mess.
It wasn’t long before there was a knock on my office door. One of the front desk officers escorted Alex Black and Ashley’s best friend, Jasmine, into the office. I didn’t know but there was something about Jasmine that made me a little curious about her. She was different and I couldn’t really put my finger on what it was that was different about her.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Black,” I said as I stood up out of my chair to greet him. I greeted him as if I didn’t know him. It was easy, because again, I couldn’t stand him. He resembled bad blood to me like his other two siblings. All three were going to pay. Wait and see.
“Good afternoon, Detective Lee.” He reached out to shake my hand. I masked the disdain for him behind a smile.
“Please take a seat.” I pointed to the two chairs in front of my desk as I closed the door to my office. I then walked back to my desk and took a seat. “What can I do for you today?”
“I’m following up with my alibi for those dates you asked me about a few days ago.” He looked confident in every word he spoke. It was a quality that all three of them had: confidence. It made me furious on the inside. My leg was shaking uncontrollably underneath my desk.
“Okay.” I looked at him waiting for his proof.
“Well, on those three days I was with my girlfriend and she can vouch for my whereabouts. Right, baby?” He reached over and grasped Jasmine’s hand into his.
“Yes, my baby was with me all night long.” Jasmine smiled from ear to ear. I had to admit she was a very attractive woman. But again, something was off with her. I could feel it.
“So you are saying that you know that he was sleeping with these women and he would come home to you? You know about this?” I looked at her intently waiting for any glitches of a lie being told.
“What?” She looked at him as outrage instantly flared up in her. I was amazed at how fast her temper rose. Then all of a sudden she reached back and slapped him. The look on his face was of pure shock. “You was with some bitches before you came over my house. You said they were clients. You lied to me? How could you do this to me?” She stood up and went for the door.
Alex immediately rose out of his chair. “Baby, wait, I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you.” He walked up to her and tried to touch her, but she pushed him away.
“Don’t touch me.” Her head quickly snapped in his direction. “You said this wouldn’t happen again. You said she wouldn’t hurt me again.” Tears streamed down her face one after the other.
“Baby, please. It won’t happen again. I mean it this time.” He was damn near begging her.
I was actually enjoying the show.
“I don’t know.” She turned toward him with a frown on her face. “You promise?”
“Yes, I promise,” he said as he eased over to her until she voluntarily accepted his embrace. She melted up into his arms. Pretty soon they were kissing passionately. So much so that I was getting a
roused. I cleared my throat to get their attention.
“Excuse me; I don’t want to be rude.” I looked at both of them emotionlessly. “But I need you, Jasmine, to sign an affidavit to all that you are saying. Are you willing to do that?”
“Yes, I am,” she said as she freed herself from Alex’s embrace and they sat back down in front of me.
“Okay, let me get my tape recorder and paperwork ready. I will need to state the dates and location that you both were together and then sign a few pieces of paperwork and you two lovebirds can be on your way.”
They both smiled and nodded in agreement.
After about an hour Jasmine and Alex were out of my office and I was documenting some more notes to show to my boss before I left for the day. I was shocked to know that those two were even in a relationship. They didn’t act like it when we were around each other. I planned on inquiring to Ashley about it even though I really didn’t care.
When I got off of work I had to visit Ma Dear and then it was on to a date with Ashley. I was feeling good because I had things going the way I wanted them to go. Payback was hard to fulfill, but rewarding to say the least. I wouldn’t be completely happy until their blood was running out of their lifeless bodies like a running faucet.
Chapter 13
Ashley
The Ill Na Na
A few days had passed and I was so excited about having dinner with Troy tonight. I was so excited about this relationship. It was so promising. I could see me marrying him and starting a family with him. Sure, he had his moments, but I was willing to look past them because I had my own issues going on as well. I thought tonight was the night I was going to tell him about my past. I wanted to continue this relationship with honesty like he did with me. No more lies.
