by Cydney Rax
“Kiara, what’s wrong?”
“He’s . . . Rashad is—” And she hung up.
As soon as Alexis arrived at Kiara’s front door, she was immediately yanked on the arm and pulled inside the foyer.
“Excuse me?” Alexis complained. “Hold on a sec. You see, I have Hayley.”
“But, Alexis,” Kiara pleaded. She took one look at Alexis and whispered, “Rashad is d-e-a-d.”
“What?” Her purse plunged to the floor. “What the hell did you just say?”
“Your daughter shouldn’t be hearing this. Put her in the family room. Never mind. I’ll do it. Wait right here.” Kiara grabbed the little girl and got her settled in front of the TV, then walked away. She returned to the corridor but it was empty.
“Where’d you go?”
Alexis yelled, “I’m in the kitchen. Because I just know you did not say what I think you said. Are you fucking kidding me, Kiara?”
“No, I’m not,” Kiara told her, joining her at the breakfast table. “I don’t play when it comes to that. Girl, I found him. He was lying on the ground. It was bad. I didn’t want to believe it was him. There was so much blood. I can’t get that vision out of my head.”
“So he was killed?”
“Yes, Alexis.”
“That’s crazy. Are you sure? How do you know?”
“Because I know what I saw.” Kiara’s voice was shaking. “I-I saw him lying on that ground. He wasn’t m-moving. He didn’t respond when I called him.”
“But, Kiara, do you think he did it to himself?” Alexis asked.
“No way. Rashad is too fucking vain to put a bullet hole in his own head.”
“Oh my God. Rashad Eason, dead?”
“I know. Girl, you look like you’re about to go into cardiac arrest. Take deep breaths. Breathe.”
Alexis nodded. She slowly breathed in and out until she could find her voice. “Okay, so he was at the warehouse. But how’d you find him?”
“Nobody had heard from Rashad. And I couldn’t get in touch with him, either. Then it occurred to me that I could try and find out something through his cell phone. I happened to remember how to log in to his Find My Cell Phone account.”
“I wonder how long he was out there. Like, who did this? And why?”
Ajalon’s face flashed in Kiara’s head. She could not believe he’d go back on his word. Not after she’d paid him. But what if he did do it? And why?
“Who did it? I dunno who. But whoever did it left Rashad alone to bleed to death. I wonder if he could have been saved somehow. I wonder if he tried to call any of us.”
“Did you tell Nicole?”
“Actually, before I called you, I was able to get in contact with her. I told her that I had to share some bad news. I told her what happened. And she told me she didn’t believe me. She called me a liar. It got nasty. I’m trying to help her out, and all she could do was accuse me of trying to outdo her. As if there is a competition between wives about spreading the news about a husband’s death. Just unreal.”
“She’s a nutcase.”
“She is. But it’s so ironic and sad that she is the widow, you know. Technically, she is the one who gets to sit in the front pew of the church. And something tells me that she’s the type who’d enjoy doing something like that.”
“I hate to say this, but I can’t stand that bitch. And in some ways I feel like this is all my fault.”
“What did you say?” Kiara asked, alarmed. “Why would it be your fault?”
Instead of answering her, Alexis jumped up from her chair. She opened the refrigerator door, then pushed it closed. She flung open a drawer. Then slammed it shut. She cursed and squeezed her temples.
“My God. Are you alright, Alexis? You’re making me dizzy.”
“I-I just—” Alexis ran into Kiara’s bedroom and threw herself on the bed. She closed her eyes and loudly wept. She thought of Glynis and her baby daddy. First her sister died unexpectedly and now this. She could not fathom not being able to see or talk to the people she loved. Why did tragedy have to strike her life time and again? Alexis lay there until it felt like she was being stared at. She opened her eyes. Kiara stood over her with a raised hand.
“Why the fuck are you crying over my husband?” She struck Alexis on top of her head, banging her closed fist on the woman over and over.
“Stop it, Kiara. Stop! What did I do?”
“Why you crying over my husband?”
“But he’s not . . .”
Kiara didn’t hear a word Alexis said. She got on the bed and reached for the woman’s neck. They tussled around on the mattress for a few seconds. Somehow Kiara managed to get Alexis in a chokehold. She pressed both her thumbs against Alexis’s windpipe and squeezed.
“Were y’all two still fucking even after you told me you weren’t? Are you making a fool out of me again? I’m so sick of you fucking whores I could scream.”
Alexis bucked and kicked her legs until Kiara fell off of her. Kiara sprang back, recovered, and climbed on her bed again. She yanked at the frightened woman’s strands of hair with all her might. Pulling the hair in between her fingers, Kiara cursed and yelled some more.
“Don’t lie to me. Did you fuck again? Did you?”
Alexis shrieked and tried to prevent any more of her weave from being pulled out. But Kiara gripped a few strands and jerked them again. She blankly stared at tracks of hair that were suddenly resting in her palm.
In that brief moment, Alexis reached up and smacked Kiara hard across her face. Kiara reeled back.
“Don’t put your hands on me, Kiara. I know you’re upset but you acting like a stupid ass wife that wants to beat up the other woman doesn’t work for me.”
“What?” Kiara asked, clearly stunned that Alexis fought back.
“Even if we did fuck again, take your anger out on the man. He swore up and down what he’d do for you. But I haven’t promised you shit.”
Kiara closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. “You’re right.” She wanted to come to her senses and not be so out of control.
Alexis glanced at herself in the bedroom mirror. “Dammit Kiara. Look what you did to my fucking hair.” Alexis’s scalp was searing hot, feeling like she’d been doused in boiling grease. She attempted to rub the tiny bald spot.
Kiara glared at Alexis. “All you care about is your stupid-ass hair? I don’t give a damn about that. And why did you say ‘even if you did’ fuck Rashad? I don’t like how that sounds. Did you or didn’t you?”
“No, no, Kiara. Jesus Christ. I haven’t had sex with Rashad or any man in I don’t know how long. He meant nothing to me. I’ve told you that shit a million times. You’re going to have to trust me on this one. Please stop believing that I had sex with him. Now, will you let it go? That man is dead.” Alexis’s voice grew hoarse as she struggled to breathe normally again. Kiara raised her hand again ready to strike her just in case she lied. Alexis yelled, “Please stop it, please!” Kiara looked so out of it that Alexis wondered if she’d have to end up fighting for her life.
Kiara slowly lowered her hand and stood quietly before Alexis. She backed away from her, yet remained in the room as an overpowering presence.
“Why is all of this happening?” Alexis slumped back on the bed and finally wept after getting beat up. The pillowcase got completely soaked with her tears. Her eyelids were puffy. Snot ran from her reddened nose. She felt unattractive for the first time in her life.
“Kiara, I don’t understand why you attacked me like that. Why do you keep forgetting that Rashad Eason is not . . . your husband . . . anymore.”
As Alexis’s tears subsided, the room grew eerily quiet. Calmness finally settled over Kiara. “You’re right again,” she said in a hoarse voice. “Rashad hasn’t been mine in a long time, long before we even got divorced. But this situation is unbelievably difficult for me. It’s so unreal. And I-I’m truly sorry.” Her voice sounded tiny and defeated. “Alexis, you have no idea what I’ve been thro
ugh. Finding his body. Feeling so hopeless and powerless. And now my kids . . . I gotta stay strong for my kids. Damn you, Rashad.” She meekly returned a handful of hair to Alexis and excused herself.
Alexis didn’t appreciate getting smacked upside the head, but she could understand the duress that her boss must have been feeling. Rashad’s unexpected death overwhelmed her, too. She stayed in the room thinking about Hayley and trying to decide how to tell her that her daddy was gone. Her mind grew numb with anguish. And she hoped that whoever had killed Rashad was ready to be punished for their sins.
* * *
A short while later Alexis went to get her daughter from the family room. Kiara quietly walked them to the door.
“Again, I apologize, Alexis. I hope you can forgive me.”
Alexis was stonily silent. But she nodded, turned around, and left. Kiara’s apologies were not her priority right then. All she wanted to do was be with Varnell and seek his comfort.
Eddison returned from upstairs and asked Kiara how she was doing.
“I’m losing it, babe. I don’t want to, but it seems like I am. Why am I acting this way?”
“It’s part of the grieving process, Kiara.”
They retreated to the kitchen.
“I know that this may not sound like much,” he told her, “but it’s important to do as many normal things as possible. That’s why I want you to sit in that chair over there. Don’t get up for any reason. Don’t take every phone call just because it rings. Your mind has experienced a great shock, and it’s going to take a little time for life to feel good again.”
“You’ve been through this when Nina died.”
“Right. I know how it feels to lose someone . . . someone who was close to you.”
“I did not love him, Eddison, but he is—”
“The father of your children. I know. Anyway, I’m about to fix you some hot tea and I’ll put a lot of lemon and honey in it. And I want you to sip that tea and try to relax as much as possible.”
“Yes, babe. I will try. God, I’m so glad that you’re in my life.”
* * *
Later that evening, Kiara received a call from a detective. He asked her if she could drive downtown on Travis Street so they could ask her a few questions and she agreed.
When she arrived at the central police station, she identified herself and was escorted to a plain room that held only a simple table and four chairs.
“Hello, I’m sorry we have to meet under these circumstances, but we have a few questions. I understand that you are the one who placed the 911 call this morning. I’m Detective Longfellow. I’m one of the investigators for this case.” Suddenly a young woman walked into the room. “And this is Sergeant Humphrey. We will work on this case together.”
“Nice to meet you both.”
Kiara sat at a table. Sergeant Humphrey pulled out a tape recorder. She said, “Before we get started, please be aware that in this police station there is no expectation of privacy.”
“Am I a suspect?”
“Why would you ask that?” said Sergeant Humphrey.
“Because I don’t know why else I’d be called down here.”
“We just are trying to piece together what happened to Rashad, and we will interview whomever we need to in order to get all the required information,” Humphrey replied. “It won’t take long.”
“Alright.”
Detective Longfellow asked, “When’s the last time you spoke with the victim?”
“Um, I don’t know. It was recently.” She was scared to death to say the wrong thing.
“Was it on Friday, or the day before?”
What if the police noticed how nervous she appeared? She knew they were trained to analyze nonverbal behavior.
“I’d have to check my phone,” she said, her voice tapering off. She felt around in her purse for her cell phone and prayed they wouldn’t ask her for it.
“How’d you find the body again?” asked Sergeant Humphrey.
“I found it through an iPhone app.”
“And do you still have Rashad’s phone?”
“Um, what?”
“Rashad’s phone?” said Detective Longfellow. “It will be considered evidence and we don’t want anything to compromise this investigation.”
Kiara hesitated and handed it over. She wished she would have carefully looked through his phone when she first found it. But that wasn’t on her mind. At the time all Kiara cared about was finding out where he was and hoping that he was all right.
“If you don’t mind, I have to be going,” she said. “I have to tell my kids that their father is dead.”
“I’m so sorry—may I call you Mrs. Eason?” asked Sergeant Humphrey. “Longfellow told me Rashad was your ex and you both still share the same last name.”
“Yes, that is true, and yes . . . I don’t mind if you call me Mrs. Eason.”
“Thank you. Now, do you know whether Rashad had any enemies?”
Kiara paused. “Um, not that I know of.” As much as she wanted to implicate Nicole, she resisted the urge. “I could be wrong but I think the current wife would know more than me.”
The police took her through a round of questioning that lasted twenty minutes. They thanked her for her time and told her she could leave.
“Please, officers, I want to know what happened. Contact me if you find out any more info.”
“Will do. ’Bye, Mrs. Eason.”
* * *
She had to get in touch with Ajalon. She decided to go see him. She asked him to meet her back in the park, the location where she’d first suggested that he put a hit out on Rashad.
But instead of sitting on the same bench, she waited for him in the parking lot. When she saw him walk over to her, she got out of the car and began to walk. She walked on the jogging trail in the opposite direction of the bench where they’d first met.
“Hi, Kiara. What’s up?”
“Rashad is dead.”
He nodded like he wasn’t surprised.
“So, it really went down?”
“Sounds like it did.”
“But did you do it?”
“The hired person did it. And very soon I gotta pay the henchman the rest of the money. And I gotta make sure no one connects the murder to Nicole.”
“This is so messed up.”
Ajalon appeared super calm.
Kiara told him how she’d found Rashad and saw his dead body with her own eyes.
“Yeah, it’s too bad you had to see that. Especially when the woman who took your man is responsible for his death.”
Kiara was silent.
She reached in her purse and pulled out a small roll of bills. “Here. You’re going to need this.”
“What do you mean?”
“I want you to tell me everything—and I mean everything—that happens with her from now on. I need you to keep this completely on the down low, Ajalon, please. I do not know you. And you owe me nothing. But I am begging you to help me.”
“Like I’m an informant of some kind?”
“Call it what you want, but I-I need my name to stay clean, very clean. I know we had that discussion and I changed my mind, but still. Once the investigation is complete and they find out who did it, it’s possible that someone will pay for her crime. I don’t want it to be me. It’s likely that she will have to pay. Nicole is responsible for Rashad’s death. And I will do whatever it takes to make sure I live to see her get what she deserves.”
Kiara was angry, but knew she had to get through this nightmare. She’d help the children to understand and let them know that they still had one parent who loved them. Rashad was gone. And she’d be damned if her kids would lose both parents. From then on, Kiara resolved to be strong, smart, and resilient for the sake of everyone she loved.
Chapter 18
When it came to the death of Rashad Eason, the investigators wanted to deal with the case in the most delicate of manners. They endeavored to capture every piece of da
ta. From the moment they entered the warehouse, they inspected every detail. Did it seem like any of the entrance doors had been tampered with? How about any windows? They examined every inch of the place for hair samples, fingerprints, footprints, gunpowder, shell casings, body part fragments, and more. They impounded the Eason & Son van. They searched Rashad’s house. Grilled his neighbors, questioned Jerry, and examined credit card receipts to establish a timeline. They discovered the dead man was fairly prominent in the Houston community. They knew that the recent rash of robberies, burglaries, and murders had happened since the passing of the open carry law. The murderer could have been anybody. Or did he kill himself? How was his mental health? Was he depressed?
When the detectives learned about Nicole Greene Eason’s existence on the day Rashad’s body was located, they went to her apartment right away. But she was nowhere to be found. So the next day, when she decided to go to work, they sought her out at her job.
She had been in the break room surrounded by Aisha and Taylor.
“I’m so sorry for your loss,” Aisha told her.
“Thanks.”
“I guess we ought to go down to Ms. Kiara’s office and extend the same condolences,” Taylor whispered to Aisha.
“Whatever, Taylor.”
Nicole was ready to leave the break room, but she heard the sound of footsteps coming from the hallway. A man and a woman appeared in the doorway; Nicole clutched a tissue and started sniffling.
“Are you Nicole Greene Eason?”
“Yes, I am.”
“I’m Detective Longfellow,” said the man. “And this is Sergeant Humphrey.”
“Are you here about the death of my husband?”
“First of all, we are sorry about what happened to Mr. Eason. And we just want to ask you a couple of questions.”
“Of course.” Nicole wiped away her tears and sat at the break room table. She kept her hands hidden.
“At least they found the right Mrs. Eason,” Taylor remarked as she and Aisha excused themselves.
The detectives started off by asking Nicole the basics.
“When was the last time you saw or heard from Rashad?” That was Humphrey.
