Stalker

by Brenda Hampton

  “Okay, but, uh, I’m kind of talking about something like that. You know, something that can silence her for good.”

  “You mean, you want her killed? Is that what you’re saying?”

  “If that’s what it takes, yes, I do. I really don’t see this ending any other way. It’s either going to be me who dies or her. I’ve just never killed anybody. I wouldn’t know what to do, and as nice as I am, she would probably talk me out of something like that.”

  Eric laughed and rubbed my arm. “You are too nice and too sweet too. And I damn sure have the experience to take care of that for you. But I don’t know about this, Abby. If it were a man, like her husband Brent, I wouldn’t have no problem at all doing it. But when it comes to women, I kind of have a soft spot for y’all.”

  “I know, but trust me when I say she doesn’t act like a lady. She’s a real bitch. You saw for yourself how she was when you served Brent that restraining order, didn’t you?”

  “She was all right. But if she’s been doing all this shit to you, maybe I can pull her over one day, threaten her, slap her around a little, and scare the pants off her. That may work.”

  “Possibly. But it sure would make me feel better if I never, ever had to see her face again. Just think about it, okay? Give it a little more thought, and whatever I can do to speed things along, let me know.”

  I helped Eric make his decision when I lowered myself and sucked his goods into my mouth. He loved every bit of it. I knew that my skillful performance was leading him closer and closer to making the right decision.

  Chapter Sixteen

  The decision had been made. It was time to rock and roll. Eric came up with a brilliant plan to do away with Lajuanna. It was a plan that Brent didn’t even know about. He had been dragging his feet. I needed action. Action that he hadn’t taken thus far, yet he claimed something good was in the works. The night before things were supposed to go down, he and I spent a quiet evening together. He was at my house; he hadn’t been there in a very long time. We sat at the dinner table, chomping down on the steak and potatoes I had cooked. I also made a cherry cheesecake, only because it was his favorite.

  “You’re always spoiling me,” he said, dabbing his mouth with a napkin. “I’m going to love spending the rest of my life with you, and in due time, that will happen.”

  He was starting to sound like a broken record. “You’re right about that. It will happen, sooner than you think. I’ve been patient long enough, Brent. It’s time for action. I’m a woman of action, and I think you already know that.”

  “Yes, I know, but what exactly does that mean?”

  I shrugged my shoulders. “You’ll see. Soon you will see, and then, I’ll be able to give you everything your heart desires, and more.”

  As those words left my mouth, the doorbell rang. We looked at each other, knowing that a ringing bell wasn’t always a good thing.

  “Stay right here. I’ll get it,” I said.

  I made my way to the door, and when I looked through the window, I saw Eric’s police car in the driveway. I didn’t want him to see me with Brent. I also didn’t want to turn him away because he was on the verge of doing something so awesome for me. I opened the door, but as he stepped forward to come inside, I blocked him.

  “Just to let you know, I do have company. What’s on your mind and why are you here?”

  “Company?” he asked, as if I wasn’t allowed to have visitors. “I just stopped by to see if we could have a little celebration before the big day tomorrow. I guess you’re celebrating with someone else. Who, may I ask?”

  He didn’t have to ask because Brent came into the living room, standing with his hands in his pockets.

  “Am I interrupting something?” he asked.

  “Could be,” Eric replied. “But, uh, I don’t quite get this. I served you a restraining order, so technically, you shouldn’t even be here. Question is, what’s your purpose?”

  I didn’t want Eric to start any trouble, so I hurried to speak up. “Brent and I are just having a long-needed conversation. I made him dinner, and we’re trying to settle a few things from the past. That’s it. Nothing more, nothing less.”

  I looked at Brent and could tell his thoughts were racing a mile a minute. So were Eric’s, but he backed up to the door, placing his hand on the knob. “Outside,” he said to me. “Come outside. We need to talk.”

  I didn’t want my plans to fall apart, so I looked at Brent, telling him I would be right back.

  “Don’t go anywhere, okay? Go turn on some music and get yourself another glass of wine. Just give me a minute, okay?”

  He walked away without saying a word. I went outside and stood by Eric’s car with him.

  “I’m sensing something real fishy going on,” he said. “I don’t like that nigga being here, Abby. I thought it was over with between the two of you.”

  “Trust me, it is. We just needed to talk, that’s all. And when something happens to his wife, the last person I want him to come to is me. I’m trying to be nice to him, because coming off as bitter will do me no good. I’ll be the first person he tells the police to look for when she’s gone. I don’t want that, so I thought it would be a good idea for him and me to clear the air.”

  “That’s all you’d better be doing is clearing the air with him. I’ll be driving by a few more times tonight. He’d better not be here too much longer.”

  This fool was crazy. Who in the hell was he, trying to call the shots? The only reason I was with his program for the night was because of what he would do for me tomorrow. I had to keep him on my good side, at least until then.

  “You don’t have to watch me all night, but he will be gone soon. I promise, okay?”

  To seal the deal, I leaned in to kiss Eric. My kisses always made him smile; his whole demeanor changed.

  “Okay, sexy. I’ll see you tomorrow. After all is said and done, the two of us are going to go somewhere nice and celebrate. Celebrate big too.”

  I winked at him. “You can count on that.”

  He pulled out of my driveway, and I headed inside to explain this situation to Brent. He didn’t hear me come in, so I stood behind a wall in the living room, listening to his conversation as he sat on my couch.

  “I do love you,” he whispered in a whiny voice. “I’m trying, but you gotta try too, baby. You being with him is killing me. All I want is my wife back. The one I married years ago, who loved me more than anything in the world. Why can’t I have her back?”

  See, this kind of shit angered me. I wanted to fuck Brent up. He was constantly lying, as if he really wanted to get rid of his wife. But he didn’t have to worry anymore. I was going to do it for him, and after I dealt with her, I intended to deal with him and his lies too.

  I tiptoed back to the front door, slamming it. And when I returned to the kitchen, his phone was now on the table, as if he hadn’t used it. A blank expression was on his face.

  “So, what’s up with you and that cop? He’s the one who served me that restraining order. I have a good feeling that he doesn’t like me.”

  “He doesn’t like a whole lot of people, so don’t take it personal.”

  “I am going to take it personal, because it’s obvious that he’s involved with you. How long has this been going on?”

  “Brent, it really doesn’t matter, does it? All you need to know is that when you’re done with your wife, I’ll be done with him. But it sounds to me, and from what I just heard, you’re still in love with her. You still want her back, but you’ve been telling me it’s almost over.”

  He swallowed and looked down at the floor. When he looked up, his eyes were watery and his voice softened.

  “Have you ever just loved somebody to death and you just didn’t want to let them go? I’m sure you have, Abby, and it’s a badass feeling. You try everything . . . every little thing, to show them how much you love them. Sometimes, you find yourself so out of character that it scares you. But no matter what, you’re willin
g to fight until the end. The fight may not be worth it, but in your view, you have to do something. I’m at that point in my marriage. I’m fighting, but deep down, I know I need to let go. I’m just trying to hang on to every little day, minute, and second that I have left. But the truth is, and when reality sets in, it’s over. There’s nothing I can say or do, because it’s over. That’s why I can clearly say to you that one day, we will be together. But in the meantime, you must know that my heart is so broken. I don’t know how long it will take for me to heal.”

  A slow tear rolled down Brent’s face. I had never, ever seen him cry. I could finally see the pain he was in, and every single thing he’d said made sense. I knew exactly how he felt. It was hard to let go of someone you loved so very much. And as for being out of character, I had been that, and then some. I wanted to fight for him until the very end too, but the only difference between him and me was the outcome would be different. He wouldn’t get to hang on to Lajuanna forever. I, on the other hand, would bring him back to life and help him heal from all the hurt she had delivered.

  “I thank you for pouring your heart out to me, sweetheart. It means a lot. I know you love her . . . You may always love her, but one day, you’ll have to open your eyes and see who has really been in your corner. And when you talk about fighting, I’ve fought hard for us. I just couldn’t give up, and one day, you’re going to appreciate everything I’ve done.”

  I gave Brent a kiss, trying to make him feel better. He perked up a little, and when he said he’d better go, I didn’t stop him because I knew Eric had been waiting on him to leave. I did, however, walk him to his car. We kissed one last time before he drove out of my driveway and down the street.

  I saw Eric’s police car at the end of the street. And after Brent passed by him, Eric drove away too.

  * * *

  The following day, I was up early. I was a bit nervous, but I waited for Eric to call and give me some good news or directions. I finally heard from him around noon. He called to say he was on his way to pick me up so we could go “handle” things.

  “I’ll be waiting for you. Hurry, please.”

  “I said I’m on my way.”

  His attitude was fucked up, but I didn’t care. I wanted to get this day over with. It had been a long time coming. I couldn’t wait to look Lajuanna in the eyes when Eric blew her damn brains out. Brent would be sad for a while, but I would be there to comfort him. I would be everything that he needed me to be, and as for Eric, well, he would be dealt with at a later day. There was no way for me to keep him around. He knew too much, and as controlling as he was, he would demand so much from me that my head would spin. I didn’t want to have sex with any man but Brent. It would just be me and him, and no one else.

  I was inside when I heard Eric blow his horn. I grabbed my purse and locked the door on my way out. As I walked to his car, he was on his cell phone. He placed his finger over his lips as a sign for me to be quiet. I got in the car, listening to him lie like hell to his wife about where he was. This whole thing was just sickening. I couldn’t get rid of him fast enough, and maybe his wife would thank me for the good deed.

  “Sorry about that,” he said, ending the call. “She’s a pain in the ass!”

  “Aren’t they/we all? My ex-husband felt the same way about me, but he’d better be thankful that he’s still alive.”

  “Why? Had you wanted him dead too?”

  “Plenty of times.” I removed a cigarette from my purse, thinking about all of the headaches he’d cost me. “I would’ve shot him myself, but the only thing that saved him was he was Kendal’s father.”

  “I guess he should consider himself lucky to be alive then.”

  “Very lucky. He just don’t know.”

  Eric laughed. He turned up the volume on the radio, making small talk with me as we drove to Brent’s place. He wasn’t supposed to be home. He told me several days ago that he was going to Chicago to see one of his friends. I wasn’t sure if he’d told the truth, but when I called him earlier, he didn’t answer his phone. All I was concerned about was him being away. Eric and I planned this at the right time, and when he parked on the side of the house, we saw that her car was the only one in the driveway. Eric looked over at me and took a deep breath.

  “Are you ready?” he asked, touching his gun that was in a holster.

  “More than ready.”

  As planned, we both got out of the car and headed to the door. Eric knocked, or should I say, banged, pretty hard.

  “Who is it?” Lajuanna yelled.

  “Officer Wayne. I spoke to you and your husband before. I need to speak to the two of you again.”

  Lajuanna opened the door with a bowl in her hand. It looked like she’d been stirring some kind of cake mix or something. She looked at me, then at Eric, before opening the screen.

  “My husband isn’t here,” she said in a nasty tone. “What’s wrong now? Tell me what all this is about.”

  “May we come inside? I think there are some important things you and Miss Wilson need to discuss. Maybe after the two of you talk, all of these things that have been going on for quite some time now can be put to rest.”

  Lajuanna moved away from the door, allowing us to come inside. The second I walked in, I could smell Brent’s scent. My eyes scanned the lavish-looking living room that would soon be mine to redecorate. I didn’t necessarily like the blue and white colors. I would probably change them to gray, white, and yellow. Other than that, the hardwood floors shined, colorful pictures covered the walls, and the light fixtures were on point. This was a step up from the other place for sure. I couldn’t wait to call it home.

  “Would the two of you like to have a seat?” Lajuanna asked.

  She was being extremely polite. Probably because Eric was a police officer and she was showing him respect. She also didn’t want to get arrested. I was sure of that.

  “No, we’ll stand,” Eric said.

  “Well, let me go put this bowl back in the kitchen. I’ll be right back, then we can talk.”

  She walked away. Eric examined her back side with a smirk on his face. I wanted to slap the shit out of him for being so disrespectful. But he was his wife’s headache, not mine.

  Lajuanna came back, wiping her hands on a towel. We all stood in the foyer. Eric was the first to speak up again.

  “Your husband is in a lot of trouble,” he said to her. “He’s been seeing this woman off and on, and just last night, he put his hands on her again. He was warned to stay away from her, as were you. But you continue to harass her, and the last thing I wanted to do was come here and arrest you. As Miss Wilson and I talked about this, we figured that it would be in your best interest to speak up and testify against your husband, if need be. He’s going to jail this time, and you will go with him, if you do not cooperate with us.”

  Lajuanna moved her head from side to side. “I don’t want to have anything to do with this,” she spoke tearfully. “Brent is his own man, and he does his own thing. Abby just won’t leave him alone. It’s her own fault for not leaving him alone, and if he’s going to be arrested, so be it. I’m not testifying or speaking up for anyone.”

  “That’s what I thought you’d say.”

  Eric caught her off guard when he lifted his hand, backslapping her so hard that she went flying to the other side of the room. She landed on the floor in shock. Her eyes bugged as she sat up, covering her bloody mouth.

  “Oh my God,” she cried out. “What are you doing?”

  Eric was a bit sinister. I had chosen the right man for the job, but as I watched his whole demeanor change, I knew I had to be careful messing with him. The look in his eyes was devilish. He had no mercy for Lajuanna, and as he kicked her in the chest with his foot, she fell backward. He placed his foot on her neck, pressing down hard so she couldn’t breathe. All she made was a gurgling sound while her arms and legs flopped around. I watched with glee in my eyes. Seeing her like this took me back to that day in the courthouse whe
n she had beaten my ass. This was payback for that day, and then some.

  “What you say, bitch?” Eric said, laughing. “I can’t hear you. Your voice isn’t clear.”

  Lajuanna was using all the strength she had to try to remove his foot from her neck. She couldn’t, so she lifted her shirt where a knife could be seen, tucked into her pants. As she struggled to get it, Eric yanked it out. He tossed it over to the side, and then released his foot from her neck. She tried to move away, but he squatted behind her, putting her in a choke hold.

  “What were you going to do with that knife, huh? Were you going to try to kill me or kill her?”

  She gazed at me with watery eyes—madness and anger were trapped inside. “Nah, you can’t kill her. She’s too valuable to me, but you, on the other hand, are not. Then again . . .” He touched her breast and squeezed it. “Maybe you are valuable.”

  Eric stood, and while holding her arms, he dragged her across the floor. The plan wasn’t for him to rape her, but Eric was so dirty that he had probably thought about doing this all along.

  “Noooo,” Lajuanna cried out while kicking and screaming as he continued to drag her away. “Don’t you touch me! I mean it, damn it! Don’t you put your grimy hands on meeee!”

  Eric looked at me as I remained in the foyer. I didn’t want to see him rape her, so I didn’t move.

  “I’ll be right back,” he said with a psychotic look in his eyes. “This will only take a minute or two. Then you’ll get your wish.”

  “Hurry,” I said, feeling nervous. I started to bite my nails. “Jus . . . Just shoot her and let’s go.”

  Lajuanna continued to scream and holler as Eric called her all kinds of names. I heard slaps, and as her cries got louder, I knew he was raping her.

  “Noooooo,” she hollered. There were several booms; I guess she was kicking the floor, wall, or something.

  “Shut the fuck up!”

  Her cries became muffled. His moans got louder. I heard nothing else from her, and after another minute or two, the sound of gunfire rang out, causing my whole body to jump. No doubt, this was tough. I now wished that I hadn’t come here. I should have allowed Eric to do this himself, but he suggested that I partake in what he referred to as “the festivities.”