Faking Reality

by Zaria Garrison

  Julian stood lurking in the shadows watching the partygoers. As soon as he saw Jimmy leave, Julian slid out of his hiding place and walked up the driveway of Danita’s estate, wearing a long black trench coat, black pants, and a black chauffeur’s cap. Walking up to the third limousine in the line, he lightly tapped on the window. The young driver who had been dozing sat up and rolled down the glass.

  Without a word, Julian drew back his fist and punched him directly in the face. The driver slumped over unconscious. Julian looked around to be sure no one was watching; then he opened the door and pushed the driver to the other side of the seat and climbed in beside him. He reached into his trench coat pocket and pulled out a gag and some wire. It only took him a few moments before he had the driver bound and gagged and slumped over in the front seat.

  Julian covered the driver with his coat. He rolled down the partition and leaned into the backseat, where he placed a bottle of champagne and a note on the seat. After he put everything into place, he closed the partition and waited behind the steering wheel for his beloved Ophelia to return alone to the limousine.

  He kept the window separating them rolled up and did not look back at her as she got into the limousine and sat down. Fearful of her recognizing him, he pulled his hat down lower and slowly drove to the end of Danita’s driveway. Just as he was about to pull out into the street, the driver groaned and began to wake up. Julian reached over him and opened the passenger door and with one swift kick of his foot, he shoved the bound man out of the car onto the driveway. He watched him tumble into the ditch. Then he slammed the door and sped off down the street.

  As he continued walking, Jimmy noticed one of the white limousines from the party go past him. A few yards away it stopped and began backing up until it was directly beside him. The window came down, and Zack Morton stuck his head out. “Get in the car, Bishop,” he said.

  Jimmy was too angry to respond, so he kept walking as the limousine followed him moving at a slow crawl before it stopped again. Zack stepped out and held open the door. “Get in, Bishop. It’s cold out here.”

  Another white limousine went racing past them as Jimmy reluctantly got in. He was surprised to see Brandon sitting inside. He slid over and made room for Jimmy.

  “Were you really gonna walk all the way home?” Zack asked.

  “I don’t know what I was going to do. I just needed to get out of there,” Jimmy replied.

  “That’s obvious, because your house is in the opposite direction. It’s a good thing we came this way first,” Brandon laughed, trying to lighten the mood.

  “I looked at that screen, and I all could see was red.” Jimmy took several deep breaths, trying to calm down.

  Brandon nodded. “We understand. That’s why we came looking for you. Just so you know, Yolanda gave us the Cliffs Notes version of what’s going on with you guys and Julian.”

  “She told me that he kissed her, and she immediately pushed him away, but that kiss seemed to go on forever,” Jimmy said. “I believed her, and I forgave her. Now I feel like a complete fool.”

  “You shouldn’t. What you saw tonight was the work of clever editing. We all know that it didn’t really happen that way,” Zack said.

  “Maybe so, but something happened. My wife was so intent on being a TV star that she compromised our marriage and our family. Everyone in my congregation watched this show tonight, not to mention my children.”

  “Do you honestly believe that your wife cheated on you?” Brandon asked.

  Jimmy hesitated before answering. He knew that what he’d seen on the screen was probably manipulated by Julian to get back at them. He sighed. “No. I’m positive that nothing happened between them.”

  “Then that’s all that matters. There will be a lot of gossip and rumors, but as long as you know the truth, you guys can get through it,” Brandon assured him.

  “I guess you’re probably right. It just made me so angry when I saw it that I couldn’t think straight. I knew I had to get out of there before I did something crazy.” Jimmy sighed again. “Would you guys mind heading back to the party so that I can talk to Yolanda?”

  “She’s probably gone by now. Charlene and Tia were going to make sure she got home safely while we came looking for you. They should be there by the time we get to your house,” Zack said.

  Jimmy felt deeply grateful that his cast mates had come to his rescue in his time of trouble. He was also somewhat surprised. Although they had worked together for months, and there were no problems between them, he didn’t realize the bond that they’d formed. Silently, he thanked God for the friendship. Then he expressed it openly. “I really want to thank both of you for coming after me. I overreacted, and it’s good to know that someone has my back.” He held his arm straight out and did a fist bump with Brandon, and then with Zack.

  They pulled in front of Jimmy’s house and parked directly behind the other limousine. The three men got out and went inside. Charlene and Yolanda were seated in the family room sharing a glass of tea. As soon as she saw him, Yolanda ran to Jimmy, and he hugged her tightly. “I’m sorry,” they both said.

  “Don’t apologize to me,” Yolanda said. “This whole mess is all my fault. I should have known Julian was up to something when he didn’t show up for the party.”

  “I’m sorry for walking out like that. I promise you we are going to get through this together.” They kissed and held each other tightly.

  Zack held out his hand to Charlene. “Come on, honey, I think the crisis is over, and we should leave these two alone.”

  “I agree,” Brandon said. “We should get going too. Where’s Tia?”

  “I don’t know. She didn’t ride with us,” Charlene answered.

  As soon as Brandon and Zack had left to search for Bishop Snow, Tia realized that she did not want to hang around and babysit Yolanda. She wasn’t surprised at all that something was going on between Yolanda and Julian. Tia felt that it certainly would explain why Yolanda had suddenly shot to the forefront of the show. Not only that, but Tia could care less about the whole thing, as none of it held any benefits for her. The padding was shifting inside her evening gown, and she was beginning to itch and sweat. All she wanted to do was go home, take it all off, and hop into a hot shower. So while the other ladies were hovering over Yolanda, she snuck outside and jumped into the first limousine that she saw. She was about to give the driver instructions when she noticed a bottle of champagne and a note sitting on the seat.

  “For my star,” it read.

  It figures, Tia thought. Julian didn’t leave champagne in our car for us. This must be for his mistress, Yolanda. Well, it’s mine now.

  Tia had not had a drink since she began pretending to be pregnant and champagne was her absolute favorite. Since she was alone, she decided to pop the bottle open and take a few sips before giving the driver her address. She did not notice that the cork was already loose, and it had been previously opened. After gulping down a few sips, she felt woozy, so she put the bottle down. Before she realized what was happening, Tia slumped over in the seat and blacked out.

  As Julian sped down the highway on his way out of Georgia, Tia lay unconscious in the back of the limousine, unaware that she’d been drugged and kidnapped.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Danita sat in her living room feeling excited as she waited for her daughters to come down the stairs. The four of them had a full day of fun planned together. Danita had tickets to the Coca-Cola Museum and the Georgia Aquarium. Afterward, she planned to take them to dinner and, if time permitted, a movie. The girls were out of school for the Thanksgiving holiday, and Danita wanted to be sure to spend as much time with them as possible.

  Although Danita continued to pray and believe that she would not lose custody of her girls, she also wanted to prepare herself and the girls for the possibility. The previous week she’d had a visit from the caseworker appointed by family court. Danita felt angry and humiliated as they poked around her home and asked her all
sorts of personal questions. It all seemed ridiculous to her. It was obvious that her girls were well taken care of and deeply loved. The caseworker questioned Danita about her need for a chauffeur, housekeeper, and nanny.

  “Well, the chauffeur drives me and the girls around town. I have always been afraid to drive in Atlanta traffic. Before I could afford a driver, I took cabs. I’m also the minister of a large congregation, and I don’t have time to cook dinner or clean this big house, so I employ a housekeeper to help me with those things. Vivian has been with me since Summer was born. She loves the girls.”

  “With such a large ministry, how do you find the time to spend quality time with the girls?” the caseworker asked.

  “I’ll admit it’s hard. But I make sure that I’m home in time to put the girls in bed each evening. If I have to travel, then I take them and Vivian along with me. The girls are also involved in ministry at the church as well, so that they can spend time with me at the church. All three of the girls sing in the church Sunbeam choir.”

  The caseworker didn’t show any emotion that Danita could detect. She simply asked questions and wrote notes in the notebook she carried. “Why did you make the decision to allow TV cameras into your home and to film your children?”

  “I did Revelations to further my ministry. After my husband’s death, my congregation suffered, and I thought being on the show would help me to reach more people. But I have to point out that the girls have minimal screen time. They are not exploited in any way.”

  The questions went on for over an hour, making Danita feel as if she were on trial once again. After speaking with her, the caseworker also spent time speaking with each of the girls, and with Vivian. Danita was not allowed to listen in on their interviews, and it took all of her restraint not to ask what they’d talked about. But instead of prying, she decided to pray and trust that God would work it out for her.

  Danita had always been a good mother to her daughters. But now that she faced the possibility of losing them, she was making an extra effort to be a great mother. After she had completed plans for the finale party, she’d made arrangements with the caterers to come back and serve a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for them that included a turkey and all the trimmings. Autumn’s favorite food was macaroni and cheese, while Winter and Summer both loved sour cream mashed potatoes. Danita insisted that the caterers include both dishes in their dinner. Prior to the court decision, Danita had made plans for the girls to spend the entire week with Ben’s family, but she rescinded that offer after they petitioned for full custody. Instead, she and the girls planned to eat dinner together, before going to Brandon Kitts’s church to help with feeding the homeless. Due to her pregnancy, Tia was unable to assist Brandon, so Danita had volunteered to be there along with the girls. She felt it would be beneficial to them to help those less fortunate.

  Even though the season had ended, Danita was grateful for the friends she’d made while filming Revelations . She was also happy that, unlike many other reality shows, they had never sunk to cheap antics and over-the-top sleazy drama. At least they had not done any of that until the final show. None of the cast could understand why Julian had decided to turn their family show into tabloid television. Yolanda Snow had tried her best to explain the nature of their previous relationship, but Danita still found it mind-boggling that Julian had allowed his personal feelings to affect the show.

  The front doorbell rang, and Danita wondered where her housekeeper was. It rang again, and she reluctantly went to answer it.

  “Can I help you?” she asked the police officer who was standing at her door.

  “I’m investigating the carjacking that occurred here last evening. May I come in?”

  “Yes, of course, please come in.” Danita led the officer into her home through the foyer to the living room. Politely, she offered him a seat while trying to hide how nervous she was. Since her trial, just being in the presence of police officers made Danita edgy.

  “Mrs. Hyatt, we got a call this morning regarding an unidentified man found bound and gagged in a ditch at the end of your driveway.”

  “That’s right. He was found by my security guard this morning when he reported for duty. He untied him and called you guys. Do you know who he is, or how he got there?”

  “He is a driver for Huntington Limousine Service. He says that he was carjacked last night outside your party. He was waiting for his riders to return, when someone knocked him out and stole the limousine.”

  Danita covered her mouth in surprise. “Is he okay?”

  “He’s been taken to a local hospital to be checked out. What type of party did you have here last night, Mrs. Hyatt?”

  “It was a finale party for the cast of Revelations. The only people invited were the cast members and our producer. But the driveway was packed with reporters and fans. Maybe somebody saw something.”

  “What about you, Mrs. Hyatt? Did you see anything?”

  Danita shook her head. “No, I was inside the whole evening. Julian Washington owns the TV station, and he hired the limousines as a gift to the cast because he was unable to attend. There was a . . . um . . . incident at the party, so Bishop Snow and his wife did not return to their limousine. Instead, they rode with other cast members. Everyone just assumed that the driver left with an empty car. We had no idea it was stolen.”

  “I need the names of all of the other cast members who were here last night.”

  “Sure. They are Apostle Zack Morton and his wife Charlene, Bishop Jimmy Snow and his wife Yolanda, and Reverend Brandon Kitts and his wife Tia, and of course, as I stated, our producer, Anderson Carter.”

  “Thank you for your time, Mrs. Hyatt. We’ll be speaking with the other cast members later today.” The officer stood up, and Danita escorted him to the front door. “Thanks for your help,” he said before leaving.

  Just as she closed the front door, Danita’s three daughters came bounding down the stairs followed by their nanny, Vivian.

  “Mommy, we’re ready to go,” Winter squealed. She was so excited that her little brown face was glowing.

  “Let’s go,” Danita said.

  By the time they returned home late that evening, the girls were exhausted and Danita, Vivian, and Philippe had to carry them up the stairs to their beds. Except for the few moments that they’d encountered the paparazzi’s cameras, the entire day was perfect in Danita’s opinion. She could not remember the last time that she and girls had enjoyed themselves so much. “Please God, let us have many more days like today,” she prayed as she watched them sleeping peacefully.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “Do you guys have any clues about where she might be?” Charlene asked the police officer.

  “That’s why I’m here, to try to get some answers.”

  As he opened his basement door and turned to lock it, Zack Morton was stunned to find a police officer standing in his kitchen. He didn’t hear the whole conversation, but he sensed that something was terribly wrong.

  “What’s going on?” he asked.

  “Bo, this officer is here because—”

  The officer held up his hand and interrupted Charlene. “Ma’am, I’ll explain it to him.”

  Zack’s eyes darted back and forth between Charlene and the police officer. “I didn’t have anything to do with her disappearance. I barely knew Mabel Joe Stevens,” he blurted out.

  “I’m not here about Mabel Joe Stevens,” the officer said.

  “Um . . . okay . . . can you please tell me what’s going on?” Zack asked. He turned his back to Charlene and faced the officer.

  “Mrs. Tia Kitts is missing. No one has seen her since the cast party that you all attended the other evening. Her husband filed a missing person’s report after she didn’t come home that night.”

  “Really? We had no idea.” Zack was fidgeting and shifting his weight back and forth from one foot to the other.

  “Did you see Mrs. Kitts leave the party?”

  “No, I didn’t. I
think I left before she did, but I really don’t know.” Zack folded, then unfolded his arms.

  The officer looked him up and down. “Why are you so nervous?”

  “I’m . . . not . . . nervous,” he stuttered.

  The officer looked around the kitchen until his eyes fell on the door to the basement. Zack had only locked the door and had not yet clicked all of the locks or put the bar into place. “What’s down there?”

  “My personal gym.”

  The police officer stepped closer to the door. “You don’t mind if I take a look around down there, do you?”

  “Do you have a warrant?”

  The officer looked Zack up and down again. “Do I need one?”

  “You are here about Mrs. Kitts. We haven’t seen or talked to her since the party. There’s no reason for you to go into my basement. Is there anything else my wife and I can help you with?”

  The officer reached into his pocket and pulled out his business card. “Just give us a call if you hear from Mrs. Kitts.” He held the card out to Zack, but when he didn’t take it, the officer laid it on the counter and left.

  Zack turned to the basement doors and locked all the locks, then put the bar in place. He sat down at the table and suddenly noticed that Charlene had left the room. Zack sat alone in the kitchen for twenty minutes before Martin and Luther came running in. They grabbed their coats and hats from the rack by the door.

  “Where are you guys going?” he asked.

  “Chucky Cheese!” they both yelled.

  Zack was confused. Charlene had not mentioned to him that she had plans to take the kids anywhere that morning. She also had not served him breakfast for the first time since they’d married. “Where’s your mom?” he asked Luther.