Cheaper to Keep Her part 3 (More Money More Problems)

by Unique, Kiki Swinson presents

  My mouth literally fell to the floor. “You have got to be kidding?”

  “No, I’m not.” he began to say, “After we towed his vehicle to our garage, I had my team search it inside and out. They found the money hidden inside of a tool box in the trunk of the car.”

  “Oh my god! Bishop is going to freak out when he finds out that Torch is missing right along with his money.”

  “So, you think that money belongs to Bishop?”

  “Of course I do. Torch works for Bishop.”

  “Well, Bishop can say goodbye to that money because it belongs to the bureau now.”

  I almost got sick to my stomach listening to Sean tell me that they confiscated one hundred grand from Torch and now they owned it. What kind of bullshit is that? What about me? I think I ought to be getting a piece of the action. I am the one putting my life on the line. Shit! I swear, I wished I knew Torch had that money, because I sure would’ve snatched at least half of it for myself. I could’ve done some good shit with that dough. But now the fucking FEDS are probably going to invest that money into some kind of dumb ass tactical training program for their local office, which I find a waste of time and money. But hey, what can I do about it? The damage has been done.

  Towards the end of our call, Agent Sean made me promise that I’d call him before Bishop and I head back to the apartment. And after I gave him my word, we said our goodbyes.

  Like clockwork, Bishop was at the apartment geared up and ready to take me to the doctor’s visit. I tried to play the sick role when he walked into the apartment, but sometimes it seemed like I was going a little overboard. He didn't make mention of it, but I could tell that he was anxious to get me there so the visit could be over and done with.

  On our way to the car I noticed how deserted the parking lot was. Okay granted, it was a weekday morning and most of the tenants were probably at work, but the neighborhood never looked like a ghost town before. And as Bishop drove out of the neighborhood, I wondered where in the hell were the federal agents hiding out? There was no sign of them, anywhere.

  I looked at Bishop and he seemed worried. I knew it had a lot to do with him not being able to get in contact with Torch, so I brought the matter up. “Have you talked to Torch yet?”

  “Nah, his phone keeps going to his voicemail.”

  “Have you been by his house?”

  “Yeah, I went by there twice. And I talked to his wife and she hasn’t heard

  from him either.”

  “Wow! That’s crazy! She needs to get on the phone and call all of these hospitals around here. He’s got to be in one of them.”

  “She already did it and none of them has him in their computer.”

  “Has she called all of the jails in the area?”

  “Yeah, she called all the precincts in and around Newark. And none of them had any record of him in their system.”

  “Well, where in the hell could he be?”

  Bishop let out a long sigh. “If I knew, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now.”

  I turned my attention away from Bishop and watched the scenery from the passenger side window as we passed by. I took into consideration that I wasn’t down south where I was able to see acres of land filled with trees and green grass so the picture I painted in my mind came with thirty story buildings, some with tenants and some abandoned. As I thought about Torch’s conditions, images of him pacing the floor of the holding cell inside of the Federal Building came to my mind instantly. I even pictured him punching the walls with his bare hands as an outlet for the frustration he felt. From what I was told by Sean, Torch would be held in that very cell until the indictments are served and everyone has been picked up. But what if everyone isn’t picked up in the time frame Sean, gave me? Wouldn’t it be unlawful for them to continue to hold Torch without giving him his one phone call?

  I had no idea how the court system worked up here in New Jersey, but I knew that shit wouldn’t be tolerated back in Virginia. Most of the cops and agents back in my part of town went by the books for the most part. So, I couldn’t tell you which way this situation would’ve gone. However, I was aware that everyone’s Witness Protection Program was ran the same. If you’re working as a C.I. for the cats in suits, you’re more likely to do whatever became necessary to get their job done. Just know that it comes with consequences, meaning life or death.

  To get the heat off me I indirectly pressed the issue about Torch's whereabouts. I had to make Bishop think that I was more concerned about Torch, than being nosey. Have you thought about the possibility that the guys who kidnapped Bria could very well have Torch?

  After I asked Bishop the question I looked at him and waited for him to respond.

  The first thing I noticed was how the veins in his neck popped up through his skin. And then I noticed how his eyelids kept blinking. I hadn't known Bishop as long as everyone else, but I knew I was pressing some sensitive buttons. So after much thought he said, “Nah, he ain't been kidnapped. Niggas ain't that brave to run up on him. The cats around here know that the niggas who roll with me aren't to be fucked with!”

  “Well why was Bria kidnapped? Isn't everyone around here aware that she's your sister?” I pointed out.

  Irritated by my constant questions, Bishop snapped. " Look, stop asking me all these motherfucking questions. I'm not in the mood for this shit this morning. So let's drop it.”

  “My bad. I was only trying to help.”

  “Will help me by keeping your mouth closed.”

  Doing as I was told, I literally cut off all communication with Bishop for the rest of the ride to the medical center. It took tooth and nail to get him to bring me to the doctor's office, so God forbid if I got him so angry that he'd drop me off and leave me to fend for myself. Boy, Agent Sean would be livid if Bishop came back to the apartment sooner than expected and in turn forced the technicians to abort their assignment. I knew I wouldn't hear the end of that. My ass would sure be in hot water for that. And that would be too much heat to handle.

  After a ten-minute drive, we finally made it to the nearest clinic. It wasn't your typical well-equipped private physicians office, but what would you expect in a slum part of Newark. The clinic was no bigger than a small store, and to make matters worse it was packed from one wall to the next with young chicks trying to get shots for the babies and niggas trying to get some medicine for their STDs. It was a site for sore eyes.

  When I first walked through the front door, I had every intention to turn around and walk back out, but when I thought about how Agent Sean would react if his investigation was compromised, I had a change of heart. I psyched myself into believing that the sooner I get it him what he asked for the sooner I could get out of his town.

  Where I intended to go? I can't say. But I do know that wherever I decide to go, it will be better than this place.

  As soon as I checked in at the front desk Bishop and I took a seat in the waiting area. We hadn't been sitting for a good five minutes before Bishop's cell phone rung. The loud talking amongst the adults and the children crying influenced his decision to take the call outside. " I'll be right back," he told me.

  I can explain why, but I will say that I had become nervous as hell after I heard his phone ring. It could've just been a call from his main lady Keisha for all I knew. But the fact that I had sold my soul to the devil, made me paranoid about everything. Going against Bishop or trying to suck him dry is like starting war with another country. Bishop was nothing to fuck with. There was no in between with him. He was either hot or cold. And that's it. You can take it. Or leave it. And in this case, I had to take it because it was all about numero Uno!

  Bishop stayed outside for nearly thirty minutes if not longer. I got up from my chair and peeked out the glass door a couple of times to see if he was still there. Naturally I became nervous when he made hand gestures as he talked to the caller over the phone. I didn’t jump to conclusions about what he was talking about. I just assumed that it had
something to do with Torch. Torch was a significant fixture in Bishop’s life. From the little bit of time I knew Bishop, he would call on Torch more than he’d call on Monty. From my understanding, Torch and Bishop were childhood friends like Diamond and I. So, I knew he’d have a fucking heart attack if he knew Torch was in federal custody because of me. Boy, I would be one dead bitch! I believed Bishop would make me die a slower death than Diamond did. See, Diamond didn’t mean anything to Bishop, which was why he got rid of her ass really quick. My situation would pan out much differently. Killing me would take time. Bishop would want to make me suffer because I betrayed him. He would probably tie me up and gag me so he could inflict pain on me. I could see him carving the skin away from my body like a chef slices a turkey. I could even see him pulling back the nail beds from my fingers or poking my face with the lit end of a cigarette until my face catches fire. I knew all this because I over heard he and Torch talking about how they massacred and tortured a nigga before they left to come to Virginia to avenge his brother Neeko’s murder. We were all in the car driving north and while this conversation went on, I was supposed to be asleep. But all and all, I was playing possum.

  Now someone with a more drama free life would’ve asked me why would I want to accompany this man and his boys to his hometown knowing all that I knew? And my answer would be, that in some insane way, I was attracted to men who’d kill to protect his circle. It was a fatal attraction I had acquired since day one and I wasn’t afraid to tell the whole world about it.

  Once Bishop finished his chitchat he joined me back in the clinic. I could tell that he wasn’t in the mood to talk, so I pretended to be engrossed in the magazine I was holding.

  Thankfully, my name was called a few minutes after Bishop sat back down beside me. I saw the relief in his eyes when he heard my name. But he elected to stay in the waiting room while I saw the doctor. I was fine with that and assured him I wouldn’t be much longer. And then I got up and left.

  Time to act sick!

  Cheaper to Keep Her part 3 Unique

  Fake It Until I Make It – Chapter Eighteen

  I couldn’t believe it. The Asian doctor I saw had me in and out of the examination room in a matter of fifteen minutes flat. When I emerged from the back of the clinic, Bishop jumped to his feet and walked towards the exit door before I got by half of the other patients in the waiting room.

  It was evident that he couldn't wait to get out of there. I shared his sentiments because I didn't want to be there from the start. But, I had to come up with a good enough reason to keep him occupied until Sean and the technicians installed the wiretaps inside the apartment.

  As Bishop drove out of the parking lot of the clinic, I looked at the time on the dashboard in the car and noticed that it was a few minutes after 1130. Sean initially instructed me to be gone for two hours. And since there was thirty minutes left from that two-hour window, I knew I needed to stall Bishop just a few minutes more. "The doctor said I had a 24-hour stomach virus and that I needed a few things like chicken broth and clear sodas to coat my stomach. He also told me to take an over the counter pain reliever like Ibuprofen. So, could you stop by the nearest grocery store? I wanna get those things before you drop me back off."

  “Yeah, a'ight,” he replied and that's the only words he uttered from his lips during the drive to the store. When we arrived in front of the convenient store, the only other time he opened his mouth was when he asked me if I wanted a ginger ale or a sprite? And after I told him I preferred a Sprite, he exited the car.

  After I saw him enter the store, I grabbed my Blackberry from my handbag and dialed Sean’s cell phone number. I knew I didn’t have much time to talk over the phone so I prayed that this call would be quick. Luckily, he answered it on the first ring. “Agent Foster,” he said.

  “Hey Sean it’s me, Lynise,” I replied.

  “Are you guys on your way back?” he asked me.

  “Yeah, we’re at the convenient store about eight miles away.”

  “Okay, great timing. We’re leaving out of the apartment as we speak.”

  “Good. Because I was about to have a panic attack thinking that we were going to come back too soon and Bishop would catch y’all in the apartment.”

  “Well, take a deep breath because that won’t be happening.” he assured.

  “Where did y’all put the wires at?” I wanted to know.

  “All over. So, don’t worry about anything. We’ll be able to get all the intel we need if you get Bishop to incriminate himself.”

  “I already told you he’s not gonna talk about his sister Bria. He damn near cursed me out the last time I questioned him about her. So, I’m not even going there with him on that subject anymore.”

  “What has he been saying about Torch? Has he brought him up to you?”

  “No. But I said a few words about him.”

  “What did you say?”

  “I asked him had he spoken with him yet, and he told me no. He said, he called Torch’s wife and she’s looking for him too. Bishop also said that she’s called every hospital and jail looking for him, so I got really nervous when he told me that.”

  “Don’t worry about that. What’s today?”

  “What do you mean, what’s today?” I was somewhat dumbfounded, not knowing where he was going with this question.

  “What day of the week is it?”

  “It’s Friday. Why?”

  “When did we take Torch into custody?”

  “Yesterday, Thursday.”

  “Okay, well since we arrested him so late in the evening my guys at the bureau made it their priority not to process him until after three p.m. today. And by doing that Torch won’t be able to see the federal judge or make his first call until Monday. So, we got this entire weekend to make this thing happen. And again, if you get us the information we need, we won’t need you to go before a grand jury. Now how does that sound?” he asked.

  “It sounds good. That really takes a load off my shoulders. But look, I gotta get off this phone because I see Bishop at the check out counter so he’s gonna be coming back to the car in a minute.”

  “Okay. Talk to you later.”

  A few minutes later Bishop returned to the car with a small bag. After he handed it to me he got back in the car and didn't say another word to me until we arrived back at the apartment. “Want me to carry that bag for you?" He asked.

  “It's okay. I got it.” I assured him.

  Even though Sean had already informed me that the wires had been installed and that they were packing up to leave, I still felt the jitters in my stomach the moment Bishop and I exited the car. Bishop walked ahead of me. Remember, I'm supposed to be sick, but I tried to walk fast enough where it wouldn't look so obvious that I was trying to catch up with him. Sorry to say that it didn't work. Bishop sped ahead as if he knew something had happened inside of the apartment and he needed to confirm his suspicions.

  I watched him as he entered into the house. I was only a few steps behind him so I entered into the apartment four seconds later. He walked into the bathroom immediately after I closed the front door. I went into the kitchen to put my things away. And when I was done I took a seat on the living room sofa and powered up the TV. I picked up the remote and sifted through the channels. Meanwhile, Bishop makes a startling discovery. “Lynise, come here for a minute.” he yelled from the bathroom. Hearing the tone of his voice naturally made me feel uneasy. I was a nervous wreck and at that moment I wanted to ball up in a not and roll into a fucking corner. But knowing that I was in this situation and I had nowhere to run, I literally dragged myself to see what it was he wanted. And when I got to the bathroom door, he stepped to the side so I could walk by him.

  “Who’s been in here?” he asked.

  “No one.” I told him as my heart picked up speed.

  “Well why the fuck is the toilet lid up?”

  I looked down at the toilet and then I looked back at him. The wheel in my mind was spinning. B
ishop knew that I’d never be in the house and use the toilet while the lid was up. So, I had to come up with a good explanation as to why it was up. He knew he hadn’t done it because he hadn’t been here since yesterday when he came looking for Torch. He also knew that I used the toilet at least five times if not more since he left, so I wouldn’t have dared left it up. In my mind, I knew the guilty party was amongst the group that Sean escorted in here to wiretap the apartment, but I couldn’t tell Bishop that. So, I said, “It’s up because I left it up after I spit up all my food I ate last night. And do you know that this is your second time asking me who’s been in this apartment. Do you think I’m really that damn crazy to let somebody come in here?”

  Bishop searched my face as if he didn’t believe my response. So, I pulled out the reverse psychology card and smiled. “Now are you going to answer my question?” I continued.

  Bishop wasn’t budging. He was too serious for words so I cracked a joke hoping he’d lighten up. “Okay, you got me!” I began to say, “I forgot to tell you I had a penis.” I continued and then I burst into laughter, while I rubbed my stomach. I still had to play the role that I was trying to get over the stomach virus, so technically my stomach should be turning in knots right now.

  Unfortunately, Bishop didn’t think my little joke was funny. In fact, he acted as if he was turned off by it because instead of commenting he looked at himself in the bathroom mirror and then he left me standing in the bathroom. I was shocked that I didn’t get offended when he walked out on me. I guessed it had a lot to do with the fact that I had so many other things eating away at me. I felt like, the less time he’s in my face the better.

  The only thing that did bother me was the fact that he was being overly paranoid. I guess he had the right to be since he lost Neeko back in Virginia and then when he got back here to New Jersey and found out about the issue with his sister Bria. Not to mention, he’s about to have a fucking baby if he doesn’t find Torch. So, things around him are crumbling as we speak. I just hoped that I’m out of the way before the entire thing blows up in his face.