by Paula Lennon
“Soon come, baby! Soon come! Just finished in the shower.”
After what felt like many minutes yet could not have been more than one, the door swung open.
“Zadie, what’s happened, sweetie? Come in, come in.”
Zadie accepted the invitation and the half-naked man found himself staring into ice cold eyes on a face that was unadorned although still clearly beautiful. It was not just the missing make-up that made her seem vastly different. Her red eyes, stained puffy cheeks and unkempt hair were evidence that she had been crying. He walked towards the mini bar and stooped to check the contents.
“You are well in need of a drink, baby. Talk to me.”
“You piece of Chiney shit!”
“Whoa! Jesus Christ, Zadie!” Lester spun around, clutching the bath towel around his waist. “What did I do?”
“What did you do?” she repeated. Her voice rasped as if sandpaper was trapped in her throat. “You make dem kill Carter, no true?”
“No, Zadie! You mad! Why would you ever think a thing like that?”
“Think it? Me know it!”
“No, baby, you’re wrong!”
“You see what is missing?” Her eyes blazed as she waved her slight wrist in the air. “Hmm, answer no? Look at me arm.”
Lester stared at the angry woman and could not imagine what she was referring to. “I don’t understand, baby.”
“Where you get de bracelet, you shit?”
“Bracelet?” Gradually, realisation set in and his heart began to palpitate. “I bought it in New York weeks ago. Bought it just for you!”
“Liar!” Zadie’s voice wobbled as she spoke. “Carter did buy it. De police say so!”
“What police? They made a mistake!”
She opened her handbag and quickly removed the small pistol, watching as Lester’s eyes widened and he began to retreat. He tucked the towel firmly onto his waist and raised both palms in front of his chest.
“Pelican Walk police,” she said, advancing on him. “De warrant says dat Carter had it on dat night. You get somebody to murder Carter. Your owna bredda!”
“No Zadie, I swear to you! It never happened!”
“No? Dere is no other bracelet exactly like dis pon de planet and you a tell me ‘no’?” she blazed. “Why you lie so, Lester? You lie and wicked.”
“Zadie, listen to me, they made a mistake!” Lester continued to move backwards and suddenly found himself with his back to the large mahogany chest of drawers. The expansive room now felt as if it was shrinking by the second.
“You never give me dis gun for protection did you? You give it to me after me tell you say if Carter lick me again I going do him something,” she said breathlessly, pausing to level the gun at him.
“No! You have dangerous work, I wanted to make sure you could fend off aggressive men!”
“You hoped I would use it to kill him, eeh? Do your dirty work for you? Answer me!”
“You’re wrong! Why in God’s name would I kill my brother?”
“A dat me a wait on you to tell me, but looks like you not going do dat!”
Zadie blinked away her tears and raised her forearm to clear her eyes. Lester picked up a large vase and threw it. There was an explosion that sounded like a loud clap of thunder. The gun flashed and then fell to the floor as the bullet flew into the chest of drawers, splintering the tough wood on its way. Lester recoiled as a splinter skimmed his shoulder. As Zadie reached down for the weapon, Lester moved forward swiftly and kicked it away. He pushed Zadie violently against the wall, hitting her head. Her knees gave way beneath her and she slumped to the floor.
Lester retrieved the weapon and threw it into a travel bag before discarding the damp towel. It took him only a few minutes to dress and throw his remaining belongings into the bag before making for the door. He stepped over Zadie as she lay still watching him through glazed eyes, her breath coming in shallow gasps. As the door closed behind him she raised her aching head slightly, eyes searching the floor for her handbag. She tried to reach for it but, feeling too weak to move, she lowered her face on the cool tile again.
*
The hospital lobby was sparsely occupied when the police officer arrived to change shifts with the guard on the fifth floor. He avoided the lift as the loud pinging noise when the doors opened would attract unwanted attention. Several flights of stairs later he observed the on-duty guard standing at the end of the ward, far from Darnay’s room, engrossed in conversation with a pretty nurse. The officer crept to the door and gently opened it.
“So, dis is where dem have you?” he whispered.
Darnay’s eyes flew open and he stared at the approaching figure in alarm. He tried to move his good arm, forgetting momentarily that it was shackled to the bed.
“What you going talk say?” demanded Nembhard, leaning down and pointing cold steel towards the patient’s face.
“Officer Nembhard, welcome,” said Harris, stepping from inside of the en-suite bathroom, with Preddy behind him.
Nembhard jerked back and spun around, replacing the weapon in its holster.
“Did ye come tae say hello tae our guest?” asked Harris.
For a few seconds Nembhard said nothing, but his hands were visibly shaking. “A no nutten if me come see him. Me just interested to see him,” he finally ventured.
“You show your interest by sticking a gun in him face?” said Preddy. “I hope dat you are never interested to see me. What possible interest could you have in him?”
“You never see me trouble him.” Nembhard held his body bamboo straight and tilted his chin up.
“Naw, ye were just showing him how well ye polish yer muzzle,” said Harris.
“Don’t make him kill me,” wheezed Darnay.
“I tell ye what,” said Harris, “ye can go back tae the station. We’ll get the answer tae the question ye just asked him and then we’ll come and tell ye all about it.”
“I’m sure we won’t be long,” added Preddy. “Just make sure you don’t go too far.”
Nembhard hesitated and his eyes moved rapidly from Preddy to Harris and back again, before fixing on Darnay.
“Go on, out with ye! Now!” demanded Harris.
As Nembhard retreated a nurse entered with some medicine for the patient. Propping Darnay up, she made him swallow the medication before checking his bandages. She glanced suspiciously at the detectives and enquired if her patient was alright, to which Darnay nodded. Preddy closed the door behind her and read the statutory caution to Darnay who wearily acknowledged that he understood and was speaking of his own free will and did not need a lawyer. The detective then started recording the conversation.
“How do ye know the officer that just left the room?” asked Harris.
Darnay frowned as he lay as still as he could. “Me don’t even know is who dat.”
Preddy moved closer to Darnay so that he could see into his eyes. “You don’t know Officer Nembhard? Den how him know you?”
“Bwoy, me can’t tell you dat. Believe me, me no know him.”
“How did ye come tae know Zadie Merton?” asked Harris.
“Zadie Merton? Look here, me hear you call dat name already and me no know her. Me no know dem people what you asking me ’bout.” Darnay was indignant. “Me think you did want ask me ’bout Lester.”
Preddy and Harris exchanged surprised glances.
“Me no know Zadie Merton and me never really know Carter neither. A one time Lester call me to go try help fix him engine, but me and Carter never exchange two word.”
“You tell so much lie I don’t know what to believe,” said an exasperated Preddy.
“Officer, is not lie me telling you now.”
“So you do know Lester?” said Preddy. “De man you once swore blind you didn’t know, and who say him don’t know you?”
Darnay rolled his head slightly so that it faced the wall and he did not have to bear the detective’s penetrating stare. “Me meet him first when me did a do lot
tery scam,” he explained. “Me not even know how him track me down, but him catch me.”
The damned lottery. When Preddy first became aware of this new technology-based crime, his initial reaction was that it would never catch on but the scammers proved him wrong. “You were trying to steal money from him?”
“No, boss. Me get a foreign number and ring and scam one old woman. All twice a day me ring her and a try reel her in. Florida she deh and me never know who dat woman was. A did Lester auntie to rass. A 30,000 US dollar me get outta her,” Darnay recalled, with something that sounded suspiciously like pride. “Lester come into de internet café a cuss claat and tell me say a jail me a go. Me say to myself, dis a big-big man what have power and Jah know me tired a jail!”
Preddy looked at Harris. “You following dis?”
“Aye, I got that he scammed Lester’s relative in Florida and dinnae fancy more jail time.”
Darnay lapsed into silence and decided to study the white walls, which contained nothing but the scrawl of crayons and some unidentifiable stains. Not even a tropical picture or an inspirational quote plaque to lift his spirits.
“Speak up, Mr Darnay. Now isnae the time for ye tae go all shy,” said Harris.
“Me help Lester wid likkle thing, you know. When him want some weed, me always get it for him. And nuff time him don’t pay me too, not one red cent. All sometime you don’t know how me want do him something bad, but me know say dem would hang me before dem make me get away wid box down a Chiney man.”
“So, you supply him wid drugs whenever him need it,” said Preddy. “We found a quantity of drugs in his car de night Carter was murdered. Cocaine. Is you supply dem?”
“Me don’t know anything ’bout dat,” said Darnay quickly. “A herb me know ’bout and me no know what him do wid it after me give him. Me and him no hang out a smoke nutten.” Darnay felt and heard his bowels churn loudly. “Me no feel so well, Officer,” he grumbled.
“Aye, murder will do that tae ye,” said Harris. “It’s a right shitty business.”
“Me no done tell you say me no murder nobody! If me did murder nobody me woulda never come back a Mo Bay, me woulda never set foot nowhere inna St James!”
Preddy walked around the bed and stood blocking Darnay’s line of vision. “You get de chance to tell what you know and you still not saying much. You surely going down for murder.”
“A mus’ Lester do it, man,” whispered Darnay. “A him.”
“What? Speak up,” said Harris.
“A Lester borrow me car Saturday night. Believe me Officer, a Orchid Bar me did deh fi true. Him phone me two time. One time to ask me if me deh a Orchid and few minutes later to tell me to come outside. Me frighten fi see him dress up inna black, look like thief and a hide away under bush!”
Preddy inhaled deeply. Finally they were getting somewhere. “Talk.”
“Him borrow me car key and take de car and gone. Me go back into de bar. Me have nuff eyewitness, boss, me a tell you! Me never leave dat bar till ’bout 6 Sunday morning. By dat time de car park up under one tree inna de car park. Me couldn’t believe it when me see de bullet hole in deh! Quick-quick me carry it go garage and me try to take out de bullet dem. Afterwards me panic and drive it go a one woodland go hide. Me nah tell you no lie!”
Harris understood enough Patois to appreciate Darnay’s disclosure. He looked at Preddy. “Do we believe Mr Darnay?”
“A de truth me a tell you, Kingfish!”
“Yes, we believe him.”
Although Preddy knew he had finally heard the truth he also knew there was no way Lester could have got out of the station and back without help from an officer, and all signs pointed to Nembhard.
“Did you see anyone wid Lester?”
“Is him one me see out deh. It did still sorta dark and me did hear one car engine a run, but me never see de driver good.”
“Give us a minute,” said Preddy and beckoned to Harris. The detectives left the room. They stood outside the closed door occasionally peeping through the glass to check on the suspect. Darnay lay back on the pillow, eyes closed.
“Nembhard was dere. He thought he was seen by Darnay, but he wasn’t,” said Preddy.
“Aye, one of our own is involved in a murder. Fuck!” Harris shook his head.
“Nembhard drove Lester from Pelican Walk to de Orchid Bar to collect de Subaru from Darnay. Lester drove to Red Hills, shot Carter and drove back to de bar. Nembhard waited, picked him up and sneaked him back into de station,” said Preddy.
Harris frowned. “And then an inmate beat him up? Lester disturbed the man’s beauty sleep?”
“I have a different theory about dat, but let me work on it.”
The phone in Harris’ pocket rang and he snatched it up immediately, strolling away from Preddy, who stood thinking about Darnay’s tale. There was just enough time for Lester to have made it from the station to Red Hills and back to the cell again in time to be notified of his brother’s murder.
“Spence and Rabino have got Zadie and she’s telling quite a tale about Lester,” Harris said. “I told Rabino we’d soon finish up here and get back.”
Preddy nodded as he opened Darnay’s door and the two detectives re-entered.
“So, we will find proof on your phone dat Lester called you?” said Preddy. “Give me him number.”
“De phone up at me yard pon one shelf,” said Darnay. “Me did think ’bout get rid of it, but is a new Galaxy smartphone, man, de latest. Me no know what Lester do wid fi him phone, me no dash weh my own.”
“We picked up a broken phone nearby where ye fell off yer motorbike,” said Harris. “Who does it belong tae?”
“A mine dat too,” replied Darnay. “Dat is not de latest version and dat is de number me woman call me on. Me girlfriend use de other number.”
Harris shook his head, unimpressed by Darnay’s over-complicated love life. Preddy walked away from the bed towards the window where he peered down into the car park. An ambulance pulled up, siren wailing, and yet another deceased soul was wheeled on a gurney shrouded in white cloth from head to toe.
Preddy turned back to Darnay and folded his arms. “Tell me something, why were you at Carter’s funeral?”
“To see if me coulda spot a killer,” said Darnay quietly. “Me couldn’t believe dat bad-breed Chiney bwoy could a kill him likkle bredda. Me look at him pon TV and can’t see it. Me did want to look at him up close.”
“And did ye see what ye expected tae see?” asked Harris.
“De man cold!” Darnay gave an involuntary shudder and yelped in pain. “Him pretend like him no see me, but him see me. Him cry and him eye red, but when you look into dem you no see nutten! Me a tell you him take me car and go kill him owna bredda!”
Harris stared at him. “And ye didn’t think that ye could report it?”
Darnay forced his head around to look at Harris. “Report it? No, star! I know say no matter what I tell police dem going link me wid de murder and say is me and him do it, although me no know nutten ’bout it. Report? You must mad!”
“And now look where ye are, still linked tae it,” said Harris. “Surely ye have heard about aiding and abetting? That includes failing tae report matters when questioned.”
“Me never get anything from him, you know.” Darnay appeared broken. He turned his swollen eyes towards Preddy. “Dat man just mess up me life. Me never have no involvement in no murder. Him borrow me good-good car and bring it back full a hole.”
“So you just removed de bullets,” said Preddy incredulously. “You never call Lester and ask him about it?”
“No way! Inna my mind me say de police not going find out say is Lester do it, because him suppose to inna lock-up. Dem soon pass it off as an unsolved murder,” he explained. “Afterwards me get nervous and go set fire to it and check say it done now. No car, no link to me. A dat me get wrong.”
Preddy did not doubt that the case could so easily have become an unsolved murder. Now he could tie Les
ter to Darnay and to the car, but only with Darnay’s word. Any defence lawyer worth his salt could show that Darnay was a thoroughly unreliable witness.
“A what a go happen to me now, Officer?”
“For now ye need to stay here and get better,” said Harris.
“We’ll see what can be done after dat,” said Preddy noncommittally. “I’m warning you though, do not attempt to get in contact wid Lester Chin Ellis under any circumstances.”
“Not even inna me dream, boss!”
CHAPTER 31
Friday 14 August, 4:23 p.m.
When she finally managed to call the emergency number, Zadie specifically asked for Detective Spence. By the time Spence and Rabino arrived at the hotel she was laying on a sofa in the lobby being attended to by the on-site nurse. As Spence sat down beside her, Zadie instantly sat up crying hysterically and put her head on the detective’s shoulder. Spence was uncomfortable but did not pull away. Instead, she allowed the distraught woman to weep unchecked as she told her story while the detective’s sleeve soaked up the tears.
Zadie confirmed that Lester had at least two phones and she could contact him on either one when she needed to. Rabino had tried to telephone Lester and listened in vain to the continuous irritating ringing before each call finally disconnected.
“So you really mean you did a carry on wid you boyfriend bredda?” Spence could not help but ask the question that had been bothering her for the last few minutes.
Zadie dabbed at her nose with tissue while pulling a handful more from the box. “Me did well love Carter, but sometime him could be wicked,” she moaned. “Lester did love Carter too. Me can’t believe him coulda do dis!”
“He clearly never loved Carter enough to leave his woman alone,” said Rabino. “That doesn’t sound like brotherly love to me.”
“You never know Carter,” said Zadie quietly. “Sometime him bully me, and him don’t listen to me when me tell him must stop fool wid cocaine. Him tell me say me too fas’. Lester was just a casual thing at first because him did nice to me.”
“The cocaine at Chinchillerz belonged to Carter?” asked Rabino.
Zadie nodded and blew her nose. “Yes. I don’t know where him get it from, but him always carry it to Kingston go party and share wid him friend dem. And if him not going dere, him send it inna delivery van. Me ask him what him going do if police ever catch him. Him say him will give dem a big money and it done.”
