“There’s no need in you worrying about him. He’ll be no better than the rest. You did the right thing,” Gabriella appears, in the seat next to her. “It’ll be me and you for life.”
That’s what I’m worried about.55
A Quick Decision Quickly Becomes A Wrong Decision
“I don’t think this will work. You don’t know her condition. I’ve spent a lot of time with Yvonna, and she’s smart. Smarter than most,” Jona says as she watches Lily fuss over wires.
“If she was so smart she wouldn’t have to see you,” Lily says as she is readjusting the hidden microphone under the armrest of the chair in which Yvonna will be sitting in within thirty minutes. “You so-called professionals,” she says sarcastically. “Give this freak-job too much credit. She’s no more human than an ape running around in the wild. She just needs to be caged.”
Jona frowns and wonders if she just through her a racist comment.
“And you cops don’t give her enough credit. Yvonna Harris is far from an ape. But the longer she’s out there, the more she’s evolving. Now I want to catch her as much as you do. But we must remember, she hid two personalities and killed two people before she was old enough to buy liquor.”
Lily doesn’t want to hear Jona’s wise words. As far as she was concerned, had everyone took her and her partner seriously, a lot of people would be alive.
“We’ll see how smart she is.” Lily places the microphone in the perfect position and steps back to look at it. “Have you gotten in contact with Terrell?”
“He won’t answer my call.”
“You should go see him.”
“I don’t think he wants a part of this. Think about it, you didn’t either.”
“Try harder. With the information he has on her, these taped recording and my surveillance tapes we should be fine. Question, how are you going to get this accepted in court?”
“I got the hospital Yvonna to sign a document agreeing to taped sessions when I first took her case. It’s standard for my patients and is used for situations like this.”
“Doesn’t the recorder have to be visible?”
“No. Not as long as she signed my document. With you doing surveillance my case will be easier to prove.”
“I got you. Just don’t fuck this up. And remember, you have to get her mad. The madder she get’s the easier it will be to bring Gabriella out. She’s like her bodyguard or some bullshit. She shows up only when she needs protection physically or mentally.”
“Wow…I have to give you credit. You know more about her than I realized.”
“I know everything about her. I was in the courtroom during her trial everyday. And I still say she’s not smart. She’s a snake so she’s able to hide in more places.”
“I hear you.”
“So…are you going to let me in on what you’re going to say to her? Maybe we can rehearse a little.” Lily grabs the black leather book bag and packs her equipment inside of it. Afterwards, she zips it up and places it on her back. Her small frame and short haircut makes her look like a young boy.
“I’m sorry I can’t do that. She’s still my patient and her case is still confidential.” She says waving Yvonna’s file.
“Don’t you think you’re breeching that policy by asking for my help in the first place? And you already told me that you think she’s identifying again with her personality.”
“I did but I told you nothing specific,” Jona says sitting behind her desk. “It’s public information that Yvonna was hospitalized for her disorder.” Remembering she wants to ask Lily something private she says, “How did your partner take her life?”
“You know how,” Lily’s face is distorted and she immediately gets on the defensive. Trying to avoid the question, she fusses with the bag, readjusting it over and over. “Yvonna was released after all of the hard work we put into this fuckin’ case! And she couldn’t take it anymore. She felt betrayed by a system she loved. That’s what happened!” She pauses and looks at Jona with narrow eyes feeling as if she’s on trial. “I’m not going over this again! I’ve told the department everything I know! This is not my fault! It’s theirs! A great cop took her life because of a fucked up legal system. Now if you don’t believe me, I don’t give a fuck! I did nothing wrong! Nothing!”
“Lily, are you okay?” Jona asks softly after witnessing her tangent.
The conversation is interrupted when there’s a knock on the door. She walks from around her desk and answers it. When they both see it is Yvonna, their mouths drop.
Funny Day Smarter Plan
“Yvonna…what are you doing here? Your appointment is in fifteen minutes.”
Yvonna pushes past her and struts inside. Her eyes are fixed on Lily’s. She hated her. In her mind, it was Lily and her partner Shonda who caused her only sister to turn on her. When Yvonna saw Jesse on the tape discussing their family secrets she felt betrayed.
“I’m here and on time. Isn’t that what you told me to do?” she sits in the seat and crosses her legs. “Anyway, I come early all the time after you requested it of me.
“Uh…yes. I just didn’t think you would be this early.”
Yvonna laughs and replies, “Jona cut the bullshit. You’re just embarrassed because you got caught conspiring with Mr. Mullet over here.”
“Yvonna, please! Don’t be rude.”
“It’s true. Even her dead partner can see what’s going on here.”
“And what’s that?” Jona asks. She is surprised at how quiet Lily is even after Yvonna’s harsh comments. Just minutes earlier she appeared confident and now that it is time to fight, she was cowering and she seems terrified.
“Let’s see how you would put it. You’re trying to catch me in something. You two bitches can’t fight alone, so you have to jump me. But I’m from southeast DC. I know how to handle both of you at the same time.”
“That’s not true. No one is trying to jump you.”
“It most certainly is, Jona,” she laughs. “And since I ruined this cunt-juice drinker’s life which caused her partner to tap out and burn in hell, she’s deciding to help you.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Detective Martin is a patient of mine.”
“She needs to be but I’m sure she isn’t.”
Yvonna loving the fear in Lily’s face decides to fuck with her. She hadn’t seen her since she stood up in court years earlier ranting and raving saying, ‘Yvonna Harris must be taken off the streets! And if America’s court system is worth its weight it will take her life like she took the lives of so many innocent people’.
And now, here in Yvonna’s presence she can’t cope. The thunder she presented on the stand is now reduced to a faint echo.
“You know exactly what I’m talking about, Lily,” Yvonna says breathing in her face. “So…here I am…Live and in living color. What are you going to do now? Kill me, Officer Lily? Because I’d like to see you try. I’ll beat your ass faster than you can change your mind.”
“I…I…I…didn’t…say that.”
“Sure you did, officer.”
“Yvonna sit down!” Jona demands hitting her desk with her balled up fist. “You better compose yourself!”
Yvonna laughs, looks at her and then back at Lily. “You bitches never in life came face to face with somebody like me and you don’t know what to do.”
When she says that, a foul odor so strong fills the room that it causes Yvonna’s stomach to churn.
Lily stutters, “Uh…Jona, I’ll call you later. I have to go.” She runs out of the room without waiting on a response.
Yvonna looks down where she stood and sees a small pile of brown loose matter on the floor.
“Wow…that bitch shit on herself! Are you serious?!”
Jona looks at the mound and says, “That’s not funny, Yvonna.”
“Why isn’t it? She was scared shitless!”
“Yvonna we’re going to have to reschedule this appointment.” Jona picks up her phone
. “Dawn, please send somebody upstairs immediately to clean my office. There’s been a mistake.”
Yvonna laughs and says, “A mistake. That’s what you call it huh?”
Jona hangs up. “Yvonna, I’ll call you when it’s time for us to reschedule.”
With a smile on her face as bright as the sun she says, “Yes…let’s reschedule.” She stands up, leans on her desk and replies, “You’ll have to get a partner stronger than her if you wanna fuck wit’ us.”
“Us?” Jona repeats surprised at her admission.
“You heard me. Be careful, Jona. Be extremely careful,” she walks toward the door and says, “Oh…let me put this with the rest of the shit.” With that she drops the microphone that was on the seat in the feces. “You’re right. I am smart, Jona. And I’m smarter than you too. Remember that.”
She strolls out of the door. Although Jona was clueless, Lily’s body reaction knew what Jona did not. Lily had stood face to face with Yvonna before. But since her involvement in the case she’d never…ever been in the company of Gabriella until today. And the moment Yvonna walked through the door, the look in her eyes told her that she finally had. And as long as she lived, she hoped she wouldn’t have to again.
Let’s Get It Over With
“Treyana don’t start no shit this time. Say exactly what I told you to say. When you get into her house, place this bag in one of her cabinets. Do you understand?” She hands her a plastic sandwich bag filled with the paint chips used to poison Bilal.
“Yes. I understand,” she says as they sit in a rented black Honda outside of Bernice’s house.
Yvonna made an anonymous call to the Department of Child Protective Services. She wanted them to think Bernice was trying to kill her own blood. She did almost the same thing to Sabrina when she called the cops to report that she’d left him in the house by himself, even though she was the one who convinced Sabrina to do it.
Bilal Jr. survived and for some reason, a part of her was relieved. She wanted Bernice hurt more than she wanted him harmed. Her ultimate plan was to get the child removed so that she’d feel hurt and all alone. And when the time was right, she’d kill her.
“Don’t mess up and don’t try to be slick and take off the microphone either. I’m not playing with you. Remember our plan.”
Yvonna wants her to wear the microphone to monitor what she says.
“Yvonna, please stop threatening me! I’m sick of this shit! You’ve taken me through hell and back and right about now…I don’t care if you fuckin’ kill me or not!”
Yvonna sits back in the drivers seat and says, “Well…well….well,” she looks her over like she’d been gone a long time and had finally returned. “I guess you not a desperate housewife after all. You’re the hood rat I knew from D.C.”
“I’m serious, Yvonna. I don’t know how much more of this I’ll be able to take. Sometimes I feel death is better than living like this.”
“I understand what you’re saying, death would better. But you’re forgetting one main point.”
“What?”
“You aren’t the one I have intentions on killing if you fuck up. Oh no sweet, Treyana,” she says as she wipes her cheek with the back of her hand. She squeezes her chin and positions her face so that they’re eye to eye. “I need you alive so that you can die slowly, knowing all the while that you’re the cause of your family’s death. So let me ask you now, is death really better than living?”
Treyana snatches the bag from Yvonna, storms out of the car and runs up to Bernice’s door. She takes a deep breath, before knocking. She knows if she seems too rattled, Bernice will be on full alert and suspect something.
Bernice opens the door. “Treyana?” she says looking her over. “So let me guess…you’re in the neighborhood again and decided to just stop by?”
“No, I heard about what happened with Bilal Jr., and I wanted to see how you were doing. And if you needed anything.”
“I’m doing fine.” She opens the door wider. “Come inside. I was just watering my plants.”
“Where’s Bilal?”
“He’s still at the hospital but he comes home later on today.”
She closes the door behind herself.
She walks inside and sits down feeling like a phony for her part in Yvonna’s plan. Treyana looks at Bernice. Normally she’d be wearing fly designer labels in an attempt to maintain her youth. Now she was looking closer to her natural age of fifty-somethin’. Yvonna had been back for only a few months and already she was causing problems in people’s lives.
“Did they say what happened?”
“Treyana, they told me but I don’t understand.” She sits next to her. “I keep thinking over and over how he could come in the way of lead poisoning.”
“Lead poisoning? How is that possible?”
“Who knows,” she says hunching her shoulders. “I’ve been out all week retracing the places he’s been. I’ve been everywhere. The school, the store, his friend’s houses and nothing makes sense.”
“What about here?”
“My house was made way after 1976, the year they made lead paint.” She stands up grabs a large yellow cup to water her plants.
“Any long term problems?”
“They say it’s too early to tell. He’s still young. But if it impacted him that bad, there’s a possibility that it will cause memory issues. He may even have problems in school.”
She places the cup down and flops down on the sofa in defeat and Treyana scoots next to her rubbing her leg. Bernice places her face in her hands and cries.
“Things will be okay, Bernice. You’re strong. I know you can handle anything that comes your way.”
“I don’t know, Treyana. Not this time. I’ve wronged so many people. I’ve done so much dirt. God has taken my son, Bilal Jr’s mother and maybe even my grandson. I prayed all night begging God for forgiveness. I hope he hears me. I pray he hears me.”
“You’re doing good by your grandson and God isn’t doing this to you. Bilal and Sabrina were dealt tough blows but it wasn’t your fault. I know they’re smiling down from heaven. Trust me. They’re proud of you and they love you.”
“Look at you,” Bernice says rising up from her tear soaked palms. “You’re all grown up. You look good.”
“Not really. I’m not as together as you think.”
“Well you hide it well.”
“We’re women,” she says looking at her. “We have to.”
“You know what, I’m glad you came over.” She rubs her knee.
“Me too.” She places her hand over Bernice’s.
“I wish we could’ve been close.”
“Don’t worry, Bernice.”
“I’m serious. It’s just me and you so tell me something, why don’t you want people to know that,” Treyana cuts her off in mid-sentence.
“Bernice, I came for you, not me. So please don’t talk about that.”
“I have too. You have my grandbabies and you don’t allow me to see them. How come? Those twins mean so much to me, Treyana. And I hate that we can’t all be together especially after Bilal died. I’ve kept your secret for so long. Please let me be a part of their lives.”
“Bernice, please stop!”
“I’m serious. That bitch, Yvonna has gone on with her life and there’s no reason why you can’t sneak them over here for me to see them. Bilal Jr’s their brother and they don’t even know him. I hate that you and Bilal chose to keep such a major secret from everybody, Treyana. But if you would allow me just to see the children, my grandbabies, I promise that I will never tell your husband about this. I just want to be around my grand kids. I need to keep Bilal’s spirit near me and his kids are the only way I know how.”
There is a silence so thick in the room that it was difficult to move without feeling weighed down by its presence.
“You really should not have said that,” Treyana sobs. “I begged you never to ever mention our secret and you just couldn’t do it. Now ever
ything’s going to be messed up.”
“No…it won’t. Nobody will know! I promise!”
“I wish it was that simple, Bernice,” Treyana says as she stands. Tears fall out of her eyes by the pounds.
“What…what do you mean?”
When Bernice asks the question, a loud bang sounds off on the front door.
“Who is that?” she asks looking at Treyana feeling she’d have the answer. She stands up and looks at the door, which moves slightly due to the heavy banging.
“I’m sorry, Bernice. I never wanted any of this to happen. I hope you believe me.”65
She Knew Less Than She Thought
Bernice opens the door and covers her mouth when she sees Yvonna standing in the doorway with a gun in her hand. She looks demonic. But how can she not, she was Gabriella, the devil herself. She walks slowly inside closing and locking the door behind her.
Treyana passes out cold. The moment is too much for her to bear. On the table next to Treyana, Gabriella dumps the water from the large yellow cup Bernice was using to water her plants. She dumps all of it on her. Treyana comes to coughing and gagging loudly. The moment she moves, Gabriella kicks her in the stomach.
“You fuckin’, slut! You slept with Bilal and had kids by him?! Behind her back!”
“Yvonna, please!”
“All this time she thought she knew you. You ain’t nothin’ but a
scandalous ass bitch!”
She’s so scared that she doesn’t recognize that Gabriella is referring to Yvonna as a separate person. “I’m so…sorry, Yvonna!” she tries to sit up straight, her entire body drenched from the water. “Please, forgive me. It happened one time. We never saw each other after that! I wasn’t in love with him!”
“You a fuckin’ liarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!” she screams. Bernice knew her fate,…death. After all, this would make the second time she kept a secret from Yvonna about her son’s infidelities. It was one thing to sleep with a bitch, but Bilal was running around town fucking anything with a hole.
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