Amaryllis

by Nikita Lynnette Nichols

  “For what?”

  “For when she was in pain.”

  “Vicodin doesn’t take pain away, it knocks you out,” Nicholas said. He looked at the date for when it was filled. “This prescription is almost two months old and it’s for fifteen pills.”

  Michelle walked to Nicholas, took the bottle from his hand and looked at it. “She hasn’t taken these in the last two months. She’s been bright eyed and bushy tailed.” Michelle noticed that the pharmacy listed on the bottle was located in Las Vegas. She remembered Amaryllis’ original bottle of Vicodin had been filled by a doctor in Chicago. Michelle also remembered dumping the pills down the sink and filling the bottle with regular strength Tylenol. She opened the bottle to examine the pills and was shocked to see five authentic Vicodin pills.

  “Did you find anything in the closet?”

  “No,” Michelle replied, still stunned about the new pills.

  James walked in the front door and yelled, “Nick, you in here?”

  “Come up to the third floor, James,” Nicholas yelled back.

  James obeyed and walked into Amaryllis’ room and saw that it was turned upside down. “What’s going on? Are you all right, Mickey?” James wore a horrid expression on his face.

  Michelle ran into his arms. “James, baby, I’m so sorry.”

  James didn’t know what happened or why she was apologizing. He watched as Nicholas got down on his knees and looked under the bed, but saw nothing. Nicholas then stood and walked away. He stopped abruptly and turned back around and stared at the mattress.

  “James, help me flip this mattress,” Nicholas said, already moving toward the bed.

  Amaryllis was exposed. Underneath her mattress was a blond wig, a small camera, a set of keys and an envelope.

  James grabbed the wig and held it up in front of Michelle. “Doesn’t this look familiar, Mickey?”

  “That’s the hair from the lady in the picture,” Michelle said.

  James picked up the keys and examined them. “These are my house keys.”

  Nicholas opened the envelope and saw something he didn’t wanna see. “Oh, my God.” He gave the picture to Michelle.

  She looked at it and started crying again. “Another picture?”

  James pulled Michelle in his arms and comforted her. “You see, Mickey, I’ve been telling you the truth. But I still don’t understand how she got me to take the pictures.”

  Michelle looked at the pill bottle in her hand then looked at Nicholas and James. “Now we do.” Michelle filled James in on what Bridgette unknowingly disclosed to her about Amaryllis drugging him.

  James became enraged. “So, you realize that Amaryllis lied about me coming on to her. It never happened, Mickey.”

  Michelle looked deeply into James’ eyes. “Yes, I do realize that now. And I’m so sorry for not believing you in the first place. Please forgive me.”

  James kissed Michelle’s forehead softly then chuckled. “I gotta admit, Amaryllis had strong incriminating evidence against me. I’ve never known pictures to lie but I’m glad to know that that’s not the case in this matter.”

  Nicholas took the bottle from Michelle and showed James the date on it. “What did you do on this day?”

  “That was two months ago. I don’t remember.”

  “Honey, where’s your log that you write everything in?” Michelle asked.

  James reached in his shirt pocket and pulled out his logbook. He turned to the date on the pill bottle. “That was the day Alexander and I flew to Detroit to pick up two prisoners; remember, Mickey?”

  “Yeah, that’s also the day I was at your house with the carpet cleaners,” Michelle recalled.

  Nicholas spoke to Michelle. “Did Amaryllis work that day?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Do you remember what she did that night?”

  “Nothing unusual.” Michelle thought for a moment. “Oh, yeah. That’s the night she went to a book club meeting with some ladies from the firm.”

  “Baby Girl, why don’t you call one of the ladies and verify if Amaryllis was there.”

  Michelle picked up the telephone on the night-stand and called the firm. The receptionist answered. “Hi, Angela, it’s Michelle. Put me through to Jessica in the file room please.”

  “Sure, Michelle,” Angela obliged.

  Michelle heard elevator music for five seconds.

  “Jessica speaking.”

  “Jessica, it’s Michelle.”

  “Hi.”

  “Did you host a book club meeting at your house about two months ago?”

  “Yes, I did.”

  “Was my sister, Amaryllis, there?”

  “Amaryllis was invited, but said she had something else more interesting to do that evening.”

  “That’s why she couldn’t remember the title of the book when I asked her about it. Thanks, Jessica.” Michelle disconnected the call.

  The three of them stood in Amaryllis’ bedroom and concluded that Amaryllis had planned to destroy the relationship between Michelle and James because she wanted him for herself.

  James looked at the picture again. “That’s why I missed roll call, Mickey. She drugged me. Remember how out of it I was when I got to your office the next day?”

  “Yeah, I remember.” Michelle looked at the picture and noticed something. “What’s that?”

  James studied the photo she was holding. “What?”

  Michelle pointed to Amaryllis’ butt. “That dark spot on her behind.”

  Nicholas took the picture from her and looked at it. “It looks like a tattoo of a rose or something.” No sooner than he said the words, something dawned on Nicholas. “Oh, no. It can’t be.”

  “What is it, Daddy?”

  “I could be wrong, and I hope to God I am, but the lady that stripped at James’ bachelor party had the exact same tattoo and wig.”

  Michelle got angrier by the moment. “This heifer had the gall to show up at my man’s party and get naked in front of him? And you too, Daddy; her own father? That nasty cow. I want her out of my house, right now.”

  The wheels in Nicholas’ head were turning. “I know, Baby Girl, but humor me first.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “If you can hold on a little longer, we can beat Amaryllis at her own game. Even though we have all the evidence we need to know that she’s under the wig in these pictures, let’s make one more confirmation.”

  “I want her out of my house, Daddy,” Michelle insisted.

  “Baby Girl, do this for me. Just be cool until she gets home from work. Wait until she gets in the shower, then walk in on her and check to see if she’s got the tattoo.”

  “And then what?” Michelle asked.

  “Then you handle your business,” James stated matter-of-factly.

  At 6:30 P.M., Amaryllis drove Michelle’s Navigator into the driveway and opened the overhead door to the garage. In the spaces where she and Michelle park were Nicholas and James’ cars. What are they doing here and where’s Michelle’s car?

  She parked in the driveway, and when she opened the front door, she smelled food and heard laughing coming from the kitchen. Her first thought was to head straight upstairs, but curiosity was killing the cat. Her father and James were there. What did it mean?

  Amaryllis walked to the kitchen doorway and saw Nicholas, James and Michelle eating mustard and turnip greens, hot water cornbread, homemade macaroni and cheese, honey baked ham, sweet potatoes and corn on the cob. In the center of the table sat a pitcher of grape Kool-Aid. When Amaryllis saw the Kool-Aid, she glanced at James who was literally licking his fingers. She remembered Michelle telling her that she’d never cook like this for James until they were married. And if the wedding was off, why was he there?

  Michelle looked at her sister and it took all that was within her to keep her spiritual composure. “Hey, sis. You hungry?”

  “That’s quite a spread. What’s going on?” Amaryllis asked, confusion written all over her face.


  James answered. “My fiancé and I were just telling Nick about our honeymoon plans in Hawaii.”

  “So, the wedding is back on?” Amaryllis asked, wondering how her plan could have backfired.

  “Yep,” James answered. “I’ve apologized to Mickey for cheating on her and she’s forgiven me. Ain’t God good?” he chuckled.

  Amaryllis was furious. “Michelle, once a cheat, always a cheat.”

  Now it was Nicholas’ turn to get in on the conversation. “You would know, wouldn’t you?”

  Amaryllis looked at her father then turned and walked away. When she was out of hearing range, Michelle looked at Nicholas. “Daddy, why did you say that? You almost gave us away.”

  “I couldn’t help it,” he replied as he inserted a forkful of macaroni and cheese into his mouth.

  Amaryllis unlocked and opened the door to her bedroom and found it just the way she’d left it that morning. Before she got home, Nicholas and James were able to repair the lock on her door. The first thing she did was check under her mattress. Everything was in its place. She went into her bathroom, closed the door behind her and started the water in the shower. Five minutes later, Michelle yanked the shower curtain back and saw exactly what she was looking for.

  Amaryllis didn’t know what to think. “Michelle, what is wrong with you?”

  Michelle stopped the water. “You are a manipulative, ruthless and vindictive human being and I want you out of my house, now.”

  “What are you talking about?” Amaryllis asked, reaching for a towel.

  “I’m talking about you moving into my house and working for me, pretending to love me and all the while, trying to destroy me. You’ve got five minutes to get out of my house and the clock is ticking.”

  Michelle left the bathroom and slammed the door. Amaryllis stood in the shower wondering how Michelle had found out. What was she going to do now? There was nothing else for her to do but pack her things and head back to Chicago, so that’s exactly what she would do.

  An hour later, Amaryllis strolled down the stairs with one suitcase in her hand. Nicholas, Michelle and James were standing in the living room, waiting for her to make her exit. Amaryllis didn’t say anything, but then again, what could she say? She walked to the front door and opened it. Michelle called her name, and when Amaryllis turned around, Michelle was in her face.

  “There are two things that I don’t tolerate people messing with. And that’s my chocolate and my man.” Michelle balled up her fist and hit Amaryllis across her nose so hard that it sent her sister stumbling backward and she fell onto the porch. But Amaryllis wasn’t going down without a fight. She collected herself and was getting ready to come back at Michelle.

  Michelle stood flatfooted in the doorway, ready to go one-on-one with her sister. “Come on with it. I’d hit you in your chest so hard, your momma would cough.” When Michelle put emphasis on the word ‘momma,’ her neck danced.

  Amaryllis didn’t move.

  Michelle picked up Amaryllis’ suitcase and threw it out on the porch. “The fact that I’m saved worked in your favor; ’cause if I wasn’t, I’d whip your—”

  “Baby Girl!” Nicholas interjected. He was stunned at what his daughter had almost said.

  Michelle slammed the door closed. She turned around and saw James and her father standing with an I-don’t-believe-you-did-that expression on their faces. She looked at them both. “God allowed me that.”

  Nicholas looked out of the living room and saw Amaryllis walking down the street with her suitcase in her hand. With her other hand, she held her swelling nose.

  Chapter 15

  Amaryllis checked into the Swan Lake Hotel. On the twentieth floor, she opened the curtains and looked down at the people walking along the strip. For the life of her, Amaryllis couldn’t figure out how Michelle had found out. Everything was working out exactly the way she planned. She sat down on the bed and called Bridgette. “Girl, guess what happened.”

  “Amaryllis, I am so sorry,” Bridgette said nervously.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I thought it was you playing games. You sound just like her.”

  “Like who?” Amaryllis asked. She wondered what Bridgette was talking about.

  “Michelle.”

  “Michelle?”

  “Yeah, when she answered the telephone today, I thought she was you.”

  Amaryllis massaged her left temple. “Bridgette, you’re going in circles. You talked to Michelle today?”

  “I called the firm this afternoon and she answered. You two sound exactly the same. I thought I was talking to you. I asked if your sister figured out what you’d done yet and Michelle pretended to be you. She asked what was to figure out and I told her.”

  Amaryllis panicked and raised her voice. “You told her what?”

  “Everything you told me.”

  “Everything?”

  “Everything from changing the wedding invitations to drugging her fiancé to sending her the puzzle. I heard Michelle scream, then I knew that it wasn’t you on the telephone.”

  Amaryllis closed her eyes. “Bridgette, do you have any idea what you’ve done?”

  “What I’ve done?” Bridgette became defensive.

  “Yeah, Michelle kicked me out of her house tonight.”

  “You know what, Amaryllis? You’ve brought this on yourself. Did you really think that you were gonna get away with what you were doing?”

  “I had gotten away with it, Bridgette, until you messed it up. Michelle punched me in my nose.”

  “Oh no, you’re not gonna blame this on me. This mess is your own fault. I told you in the beginning to leave your sister’s man alone. Why can’t you find your own man, Amaryllis? I mean you’re a beautiful woman.”

  “I was working on making James mine.”

  “From what you told me, the man couldn’t stand you. He purposely wouldn’t look at you or talk to you. That’s a sure sign that he didn’t want to be bothered. Think about it. You had to drug the man just to get him in a compromising position. Why can’t you get the message that he doesn’t want you?”

  “Bridgette, as fine as I am, every man wants me. You said it yourself; I’m beautiful.”

  “Humph, then along came James.”

  Bridgette’s response ticked Amaryllis off and she slammed down the telephone. She walked to the window and again looked down at the people walking. Her eyes were drawn across the street to the neon flashing lights in front of a casino. It had been a long time since she had sat at a Blackjack table. There was no sense in worrying about James and Michelle tonight. What was done was done. She thought that a nice round of Blackjack would clear her mind. Amaryllis dismissed all thoughts of her problems and grabbed her purse and room key, then exited her room.

  It was a lucky night for Amaryllis. She sat down at the Blackjack table with three hundred dollars and wound up with three thousand. Satisfied that she hadn’t lost her skills, she decided to call it quits. Back on the twentieth floor of the Swan Lake Hotel, Amaryllis inserted her key card into its slot and opened the door.

  A half hour later, a waitress was delivering room service to a room across the hall from Amaryllis’ room. As she was pushing the cart toward the designated room, she looked across to Amaryllis’ and saw a foot in the doorway, keeping the door ajar. She slowly walked to the door and pushed it opened. That’s when her piercing screams had hotel room doors opening left and right to see what was going on. There on the floor, lay Amaryllis, with a pool of blood surrounding her.

  Michelle, James and Nicholas were enjoying some of Michelle’s peach cobbler with homemade vanilla ice cream when James’ cellular phone rang. “James, it’s Alex. Where are you?”

  James could tell that Alexander was anxious. “I’m at Mickey’s. Why?”

  “You need to come to the Swan Lake Hotel right now.”

  “I’m off duty, Alex, and so are you, man. What are you doing at the Swan Lake Hotel?”

  �
�Can Michelle hear you talking?” Alexander asked.

  “Yeah.”

  James listened as Alexander explained why he needed to make his way to the Hotel. “I’m on my way.” James ended the call and tried his best to keep a straight face.

  “What is it, honey?” Michelle asked.

  “That was Alex. He needs my help at a crime scene. I won’t be long.” He stood and kissed Michelle then looked at Nicholas and motioned for him to meet him in the living room. Michelle gathered plates and walked to the sink. In the living room, James relayed to Nicholas the details of Alexander’s call.

  A few minutes later, Michelle called out. “Daddy, you want coffee?” She didn’t get an answer. Going into the living room, she found both James and Nicholas gone. The two had left together and she was home alone.

  An officer tried to prevent Nicholas from following James into the hotel. James flashed his badge. “He’s with me.”

  “But, Detective, no one is allowed—”

  “I said, he’s with me.”

  The officer stepped aside. James and Nicholas entered the hotel and took the elevator to the twentieth floor. When the elevator doors opened, they were greeted with yellow crime scene tape and police officers working.

  Alexander approached them. “James, I’m glad you’re here, man.” He turned his attention to Nicholas. “Nick, I’m sorry.”

  Nicholas looked at Alexander. “What happened to her?”

  “It looks like robbery and attempted murder.”

  “So, she’s not ...” Nicholas’ words trailed off. He couldn’t ask the question.

  “She’s alive, but it doesn’t look good. She was beaten badly and she’s lost a lot of blood. The paramedics are working on her. Had the waitress not found her when she did, Amaryllis would have bled to death.” Alexander looked around and noticed Michelle wasn’t with them. “Where’s Michelle?”

  “At home. She doesn’t know,” James said.

  Alexander escorted them into Amaryllis’ hotel room. There were three paramedics tending to her. One placed an oxygen mask on her face and another was inserting an I.V. into her arm. James walked over to the third paramedic. “I’m Detective Bradley. How is she?”