Acts of Congress

by Red Snapper

  “I know…don’t say anything right now…just make arrangements to meet soon…I’ve already said too much…”

  “Wait a minute…”

  Before she could say anything else, all she could hear was the intonation of the dial tone, which did nothing, but to make her extremely furious. She slowly put the phone down while she thought, “Something is just not right about this whole damn situation…who put the hit on the Tranny and why…we already had Whetstone in our hands so who’s behind this crazy ass shit?”

  While Lauren was trying to figure out the reason, Jake strolled back into the sitting room with Congressman Whetstone. He listened to him rant about what had happened, “I swear to you Jake, I didn’t do anything to harm her…she was very much alive when I left her at the apartment and went with Ambassador Abdul Mujeeb Nassar to have dinner last night.”

  Jake smirked while he responded, “Did you leave any of his goons with her while you went out?”

  “No…there was no need to do that…she was supposed to take her bath and then leave…we were to meet later for a nightcap, but I ended up just going to bed…I didn’t think to check the Jacuzzi area to see if she was still there…I thought she had gone.”

  Jake sneered while he responded, “You know Thom…this maybe the one time that you should be ecstatic that you were seen with Nassar’s Arabic ass in public…it definitely gives you a rock-solid alibi for the time of her murder.”

  “How do you know that Jake…do you have any information about the time she was killed?

  “No I don’t…at least not yet, but I’ll find out…did you sleep with her before you left for dinner?”

  “No…”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes…I’m sure…I was kind of upset with her about something she did so…I went on without even kissing her…but when I left she was in the Jacuzzi where they found her...body.”

  “Well…I know we’d better get our facts straight because we have to hold a press conference as soon as possible before your supporters put you on the chopping block.”

  Thomas sat there for a minute, then he sighed while he responded, “Set up a press conference with the media for tonight…I need to address my fellow citizens and explain to them that this is some sort of mistake…and that I’m clearly not a murderer.”

  Jake smiled when he thought, “Sure you’re not…but even if you didn’t do it you dumb bastard she was found in your apartment. I’m gonna make sure I get with the FBI on this so I can make sure his dumb ass gets me what I want.”

  ♣♣♣

  Meanwhile, Detective Briscoe was sifting through the evidence collected from the crime scene but nothing stood out to indicate anything more than a robbery attempt that went sour. He tried to put together a list of acquaintances that had any correlation with the victim in the last 48 hours. After carefully looking through the victim’s cell phone records, he came to the immediate conclusion that three names on the list stood out.

  He wrote down the three names in his notebook and then strolled over toward Special Agent Decker. As he spoke, “So far what I have is three names of potential suspects that the victim had recent contact with…the names are Samerra Jefferies, the victim’s sister, a Dorena Gentry, who is the victim’s employer, and of course the Congressman in question…”

  Decker swiftly interrupted, “Which we will not question.”

  Briscoe sulked while he responded, “Why…the Vic was found in HIS apartment…shouldn’t we at least question him to at least rule him out as a suspect?”

  Decker quickly replied, “He’s already got an alibi…we don’t need to question him…”

  “I think that’s complete bullshit Decker…and you know that…these Congressmen always get special treatment and it’s not helping us to solve this damn case.”

  “Look Briscoe…like it or not…I’m running this investigation so back the fuck off and follow my orders like a good little boy okay? Let’s check out the employer first…then the sister…I’m sure we can get enough from them to get a feel about the character of the victim.”

  Briscoe looked at him while he thought, “Just wait…I’m gonna get you for this…but I want to solve this one so I’ll hold on.”

  18

  The forecasted rain showers were now pouring down while the thunderstorms and lightening were now passing over the city. In the apartment, everything just went pitch black. Renita Arceneaux stopped tossing the salad she was preparing and waited for a moment, thinking the power would flicker back on at any moment. It didn’t. She rested her hands on the edge of the kitchen counter while she tried to remember the layout of the rooms while she searched to find a flashlight or candles in one of the kitchen drawers. Suddenly, she heard a strange noise coming from the living room at the front door. Not aware that Caramel had been murdered and she assumed that Caramel was coming home from her usual vacation. She called out, “Caramel…baby you got a key…let yourself in girl.”

  She smiled but then she quickly noticed that Caramel’s keys were hanging on the key hanger next to the door in the kitchen. Now feeling extremely concerned she slowly strolled out of the kitchen and instantly she could hear the doorknob shaking profusely. At that point she knew that the apartment was about to be burglarized as she thought, “Where’s my cell phone?”

  She quickly tried to make her way down the hall to the bedroom to get to her phone, but before she could get halfway down the hall the front door leading into the apartment came crashing inward while the unknown assailant made his way in. The flashlight that he was carrying immediately flashed down toward her direction as she quickly jumped over the bed unto the hardwood stained floor.

  She was trying to keep her composure but she couldn’t keep her legs from shaking while the unknown assailant made his way into the bedroom. She could barely see his shoes but the little light provided by the emergency hall lights finally kicked in and made it somewhat easier as he diligently searched for her.

  Suddenly the voice of the assailant was heard when he whispered out his words, “I know you’re here so come out, come out and play with me…you little fuckin’ bitch!”

  She tried to hold her breath while he stepped around the bed getting extremely danger close. As soon as he stepped around the other side, she quickly slid under the bed, slowly trying to get to the far side of the bed with the hopes of making her escape. He whispered out more words, “I’m gonna have some fun with you and then I’m gonna kill you like I did your little friend Caramel Love!”

  When she heard his exclamation, she immediately commenced to weep harder, but she knew she had to keep her composure while he stepped over to the far side of the bed. Suddenly he said, “I know you’re under HERE!”

  He reached under the bed where she was and she immediately started kicking her feet in his direction. The assailant had a knife, which he used to try to stop her from kicking. After several kicks, he swung the knife, cutting her right ankle slightly, which made her scream. She kicked him once again, hitting him in his ski masked covered face and then she slid out from under the bed and attempted to limp out the bedroom and into the hallway. He was shaken up slightly but he quickly gained his composure while he got up to chase her in pursuit. She ran down the hall into the kitchen and opened the window that lead to a fire escape. While she tried to open the window she could hear him coming down the hall as he yelled, “You can’t get away from me…you’re mine!”

  She tried to open the window but the lock on top was stuck, so with quick thinking she grabbed the chef’s knife from the counter and used the handle to bust the glass out. After she did that, she was able to pry the window open and attempted to crawl out of the window, but as she tried to crawl out the open window, the assailant grabbed her by her injured leg and applied pressure on the wound causing her to scream loud. She kicked him again with her good leg right in his forehead, which caused him to fall backwards on the kitchen floor.

  She cried when she finally crawled out the window and beg
an to make her way down the three flights of stairs that led to the alley below. While she made her way down the fire escape as quickly and as quietly as possible, she kept her eyes gazing up the fire escape on occasion, trying to see if the unknown assailant was still in sweltering pursuit. When she finally made it to the alley, she immediately began to feel the pain from the wound that he gave on her ankle. She glanced up again and this time she saw him making his attempt to climb down the stairs. She shrieked while she made her way toward the main street while she tried to flag down a cab. After several attempts and seeing her assailant now, she immediately ran into the oncoming traffic, eventually stopping a cab in the street.

  The cab driver, a dark skinned Indian man immediately began to ball her out with an extremely heavy Indian accent while she opened the door and stepped into the cab.

  “What the fuck is wrong with you lady? You could have been killed running out in the middle of the street like that…”

  “Please…help me …drive…drive...DRIVE!”

  When the cab driver saw the unknown goon approaching the cab with a handgun, he instantaneously pressed the gas petal to the floor causing the cab to shriek while maneuvering away. The unknown aggressor groaned while he commenced to shooting his firearm at them while he drove away. Bullets were flying toward the rear of the cab, with one penetrating the glass, breaking it instantly while they continued down the busy boulevard until the car made it to the corner of the street and turned quickly to the left.

  After they turned left, they continued to travel at a high speed toward the interstate exit while the driver bellowed at her, “What have you gotten me into lady?”

  “I don’t know what’s going on sir…please just take me to the nearest police precinct and I’ll report this to them please.”

  “What about my cab…my cab is in bad shape now…”

  Before she could give him an answer, suddenly out of nowhere came this 2010 black Cadillac Escalade, which was now racing in pursuit of them. Renita began to panic when she spoke, “Look…ahhh…what is your name?”

  “My name is Sadeeq…I am Sadeeq from Calcutta, India.”

  “Well…I’m Renita Arceneaux from DuPont Circle and I just found out that my best friend was murdered…now for some reason…which I don’t have a clue about…they want to murder me as well.”

  “I don’t know what to tell you Miss, but all I know is you have involved me and now they want me dead too!”

  The automobiles were now involved in a high speed motor chase with the black SUV beginning to gain ground toward the cab. Suddenly a man wearing black clothes and a black ski mask emerged from passenger side of the vehicle with a semi-automatic machine gun and immediately began to fire random volleys of ammunition toward the taxicab. Many of the other automobiles on the road were swerving off the road as the chase continued for several miles. Sadeeq quickly spotted a state trooper’s vehicle at a nearby exit, which made him immediately race toward that up ramp.

  As soon as the taxicab raced up the ramp, immediately passing the trooper’s vehicle his emergency light illuminated while the trooper began to make his pursuit, but before the trooper could pull his vehicle out on the ramp, the black SUV swiftly passed in pursuit of the cab. At that point, the trooper called for back up and began his chase after both renegade vehicles. Within minutes, several state trooper vehicles were now in hot pursuit as the automobiles continued to race through the metropolis. Suddenly the black Escalade turned away from the cab taking an exit that led to Georgetown while the taxicab continued to go east. Several police vehicles continued to follow the SUV but the first trooper continued his pursuit with the cab.

  Renita gazed at the driver while she asked, “What are you doing Sadeeq…why don’t you stop the cab?”

  He frowned as he responded, “I am not here legally…I cannot go back to my country…no…no…”

  She sighed as she thought, “What’s really going on here…why did I have to pick a cab driver who’s an illegal immigrant? If it wasn’t for bad luck…I wouldn’t have any luck at all.”

  Suddenly, the Trooper’s vehicle was now alongside the taxi while the Trooper began to speak through his intercom, “Pull the vehicle over now…”

  When Sadeeq heard the Trooper’s request he immediately freaked out, press the gangs petal completely to the floor making the car speed away from the trooper’s vehicle. Renita was extremely flustered now as she tried to think of a way to get out of the automobile in one piece. Renita tried to be the voice of reason, as she spoke calmly to Sadeeq, “Please Sadeeq…you should stop this vehicle…I’ll tell them how you saved my life from that killer back there…just think about your family and if you do this you will be able to go back to them…don’t you want to see your family again Sadeeq?”

  Tearful now while he continued to speed down the highway, “I cannot go back…they’re all passed on…I cannot conceive being back in that country anymore…”

  Suddenly, Renita’s attention was then focused to her right when she quickly noticed a road sign that indicated that the road ahead was under construction. However, Sadeeq completely ignored the sign as he continued to race down the road. Renita turned to watch the State Trooper’s vehicle, which suddenly pulled back in reverse that suggested that the road was coming to an end. She immediately focused her attention back forward and saw all of the heavy road equipment on the unpaved road up ahead with Sadeeq not planning on stopping. She had to make a decision and she had to do it now. Closing her eyes while she prayed, she hurriedly opened the passenger door and jumped out the fast rolling vehicle toward the hard pavement. Sadeeq turned around and watched her tumbling on the ground. He shouted something in his native Indian language while he turned to face forward. When he did the cab jump onto a raised ramp and just catapulted forward into mid-air jumping up about ten feet off the ground and then soaring down until it collided into a passing eighteen-wheeler semi-tractor-trailer that was carrying highly toxic and explosive liquid which upon impact both vehicles exploded into a massive conflagration. Renita who was now lying on the ground about twenty feet away from the explosion slowly crawled behind a couple of parked pick-up trucks when the State Trooper’s vehicle finally stopped. The Trooper got out of his vehicle and then immediately called in the situation.

  Renita tried to regain her composure while she thought, “What the hell is going on…Caramel…what have you done…what have you done to cause all of this turmoil?”

  She just sat there as she broke down thinking about the good times she had spent with her friend. She was really shaken up with the fact the Caramel was gone and never to return.

  After about an hour and a half of waiting for the right time, Renita was able to make her way of escape from the crash scene. Sadeeq was definitely dead after what he had done, causing his taxicab to smash into that semi-truck. While she watched the black cloud of smoke that bellowed out of the wreckage, she suddenly realized that she was this wanted renegade by the authorities. But, what really frightened her most about the whole situation was the element that she had become. This dead woman walking by some unknown aggressor who she truly believed is responsible for the death of her lover Caramel Love. But, why was this happening? Who are those that wanted to see her dead as well? She tears just rolled down her face while she strolled away thinking, “I need to find out exactly what happened to Caramel. Maybe, I should take a chance and go to Samerra…I know she never liked me, but I know she has to have some answers about why this is happening. I’ve gotta try…I’ve got nothing else to go on.”

  19

  Meanwhile across the metropolis, Special Agent Decker and Detective Sergeant Briscoe were now entering the apartment complex of Samerra Jefferies. It was the hope of both of them that they could maybe get some history on Caramel Love’s lifestyle, the places she frequented, the people she associated herself with, that kind of thing. After taking the elevator up to the fourth floor, they finally made their way down the hall until they reached Apartment 405. Decker g
lanced over to Briscoe while he spoke, “Look…I’m gonna let you asked the questions here, but don’t get too personal with her…just fine out as much as you can about the faggot brother and then get the fuck out of here.”

  Briscoe sighed while he unhurriedly reached up and knocked on the door three times. They waited a few minutes before she finally opened the door. She stood there before them wearing a seductive lacy sheer black blouse, which looked as if she wasn’t wearing a bra. You could get an eyeful of her succulent breasts with a pair of tight blue jeans that were so tight that looked as if they were painted on her. Her ass was so luscious with the absence of any panty lines indicating that she was wearing either a thong or no panties at all. She was wearing a pair of 4” black stilettos that just set off the rest of her outfit but her hair and make-up was flawless.

  Briscoe smiled while he asked her, “Ms. Jefferies…Hi…I’m Detective Sergeant Briscoe from the Metropolitan Police Department and I have with me Special Agent Decker from the Federal Bureau of Investigations…did we catch you on your way out?”

  “Ahhh…no I was just about to have a drink…would you gentlemen like to join me?”

  Samerra continued to saunter over toward the bar while Briscoe and Decker made their way toward the living room area.

  Decker quickly chimed in, “No Ma’am…we're here on an official capacity and it does not authorize us to drink any alcoholic beverages at this time.”

  Briscoe glared at him with an “I can’t believe this dude expression” while he replied, “I’ll have a shot of Remy if you have it.”

  Decker gazed back at him while he whispered, “What are you doing Briscoe?”

  Briscoe whispered back, “You really don’t know anything about doing a police investigation do you…calm down and let me handle this…”

  Decker sighed while Samerra brought the drinks back and sat them down on the coffee table in front of them. She sat across from them with her legs crosses on the love seat while she asked, “So…I guess you’re here to discuss my brother’s murder?”