by Weber, Carl
“Her kids are both teenagers. You think they didn’t know what was going on with their parents? I heard they told their mother they just want her to be happy,” Bertha reported.
“Well, I’m glad to hear Nancy’s happy.”
“Me too,” Bertha replied. “You hear anything about your ex-husband and stepdaughter?”
“Now, talk about crazy.” I chuckled. “The police came by asking if I’d heard from Avery yesterday. They seem to think he’s out of the country and long gone. And no one has heard from Krystal.”
Bertha added what she knew. “Well, she ain’t at Rikers Island. I called over there to see.”
Pam laughed and said, “Leave it to you, Bertha, to be making a call like that.”
“Mm-hmm. You know that’s right! Ain’t no shame in my game,” Bertha said proudly, then shared the rest of her information. “A lot of people think she’s in some type of witness protection program after the way she snitched on Slim. I know his boys have been around asking if we seen her.”
“What a terrible waste,” I said just as my cab pulled up. “Well, y’all, that’s my ride to the airport.” I stood up and picked up my suitcase.
“You take care of yourself, Connie,” Bertha said.
I bent over and hugged Bertha and then waved to the rest of her news crew on the steps.
“Don’t worry. I will.”
Epilogue
I watched Connie from the shadows of Rick’s Café in Negril as she casually searched the pool area for a lounge chair. She found one by the Jacuzzi, took off the colorful sarong she was wearing, and set it down on the chair. I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She looked absolutely mesmerizing. She’d firmed up and lost even more weight since I’d left New York. She’d also cut her hair shorter in this remarkable style that I really liked. She was thick and fine just the way I liked my women.
I’d been following her ever since her plane landed in Montego Bay three days ago. I’d purposely kept out of sight, hiding in the shadows to make sure she hadn’t been followed by the police. I wasn’t even sure she knew I was around. The plan was that she would enjoy herself on the island until I felt it was safe to contact her. If there were cops in the area, I sure hadn’t spotted them, so I was about to make my presence known.
I took one more look at the love of my life, then stepped over to a secluded section of the cliffs, taking off my knapsack. Inside were the last remnants of who I used to be, along with five of the six disposable cell phones I’d purchased before leaving the States. I’d already gotten rid of the phone I’d been using to text Krystal. Despite how I felt about her, I knew she couldn’t be trusted. My source back home had told me about her and Slim’s arrest. I almost felt sorry for Slim. The only thing she truly cared about was herself and that damn cocaine. Predictably, right after her arrest, she began blowing up my phone with text messages. I didn’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand that she was working with the police. I wasn’t about to fall into that trap, so I tossed the phone over the railing of the cruise ship I’d been traveling on for the past two weeks.
A friend of mine once told me that cruising was the best way to travel. Coincidentally, he was the same friend who sold me a new identity in the form of a passport, birth certificate, and Social Security number. For ten thousand dollars, I had become a whole new person. Well, it turned out that not only was it the best way to travel, but it was also the best way to hide out in plain sight. Vacationers didn’t care if a nuclear bomb went off back home as long as the drinks were flowing on the ship. The crew members were busting their asses so hard to keep guests happy that they couldn’t have cared less about me and the troubles I’d left behind, which suited me just fine. It was also a great way to confuse the cops because I only turned on the cell phones when I disembarked from the boat. Right now I’m sure they thought I was somewhere in the US Virgin Islands.
I reached in the knapsack and picked up the phone that was marked with the number three. I’d written a number on each phone, designating it for a specific purpose or person. Phone number one was the phone I’d been using to text Krystal and Connie. It was somewhere at the bottom of the Caribbean now. Number two was used to call Connie’s disposable. Phone number three was the phone I was using right now, and phone number four was my miscellaneous phone used to check flights, call cabs, and so on. I hadn’t used numbers five and six yet.
I dialed phone number three.
“Hello,” a male voice answered.
“Hey, it’s me,” I replied. “Any word?”
“Yeah, there’s still a warrant out, but the cops have moved on to other cases.”
“Good. Thanks.”
“No problem. You be safe.”
“Always.” I hung up and turned off the phone. This would be the last time I spoke to him. He had been paid well to keep his mouth shut, but unfortunately I wasn’t in a position to trust anyone anymore.
I needed to verify what he’d just told me, so I picked up phone number four and dialed a number I’d committed to memory.
“Homicide. Captain Blake speaking.”
Don’t ask me why, but I stood up straighter as I spoke, trying to sound as proper as possible. “Good afternoon, Captain Blake, this is Theodore Andrews with the Amsterdam News in Harlem. We spoke two weeks ago about Daryl Graham’s murder. We’re running a follow-up piece on black-on-black crime, and I was hoping to see how the case was coming along.”
There was silence on the line; then I heard Blake clear his throat. “We’ve issued a nationwide fugitive warrant for one Avery Daniel Mack, along with an APB. Our investigation leads us to believe he’s traveled out of state or maybe even out of the country. If he’s still in the New York area, our best hope is to pick him up on a quality-of-life crime from here on out, but don’t quote me on that last line.”
“I won’t. Is it possible for me to speak to the lead detectives on the case?”
“Well, to be honest, I really wish you wouldn’t. They’ve got a pretty large caseload right now, and we’ve got them assigned to those Rego Park murders.”
“I see. Well, all right. Thanks for your time, Captain.” I turned off the phone and felt my whole body relax. It was good to know the cops had moved on. I actually felt free for the first time since I’d left New York.
I placed all of the phones back inside the knapsack, then tossed it into the ocean before heading down the cliff toward Connie. She was standing by the rail with her back to me, watching the world famous Negril sunset.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” I whispered, pressing against her and wrapping my arms around her waist.
She spun around, and the startled look in her eyes quickly gave way to a smile. She threw her arms over my shoulders and hugged me tightly, pulled away slightly to look in my eyes, then fell against me and squeezed me again. Neither one of us said anything, but the two of us standing there, with our arms tightly around each other, communicated so much. I wish I had a picture of that moment.
We kissed deeply and passionately. When we finally broke apart, I looked into her eyes and said, “I love you.”
She looked up at me, her eyes shining with tears. “Oh, Daryl, I’m so happy we’re finally together again. I love you too.”
“I can’t believe our plan actually worked.”
“Neither can I.”
We fell back into another embrace. There was no need to say anything further. We’d gone through so much together that it was enough just to be in each other’s arms again.
If I had to do it all over, I would have never answered the door for Avery that night. But when I looked through the peephole and saw Connie standing there next to him, I couldn’t stop myself. I was already upset because Connie had cut me off in the sex department and refused to spend the night in my apartment. Seeing her standing out there with her not-quite ex-husband at three in the morning had my blood boiling. My intention was to take my anger out on Avery’s ass. What I didn’t anticipate was that he’d already have a gun draw
n when he walked in the door.
“Where’s my money, nigga!” He pointed the gun directly at me.
“What the fuck are you talking about? And don’t point that gun at me!” I yelled, matching his intensity with my own.
The look on his face was one I’d seen in the streets before. It told me to proceed carefully because he would not be intimidated. Whatever was going on in his head, he was desperate—and desperate people are capable of anything.
“I’m talking about my money. The money that my wife gave you.” He glanced over at Connie, who was standing by the closed door, looking terrified. That was when the picture became clear. I should have known when she put the money in my safe that he’d come looking for it at some point.
“Give him the money, baby,” Connie said. “At least then we’ll be rid of him.”
Avery whipped his head around and said to her, “You will never be rid of me, Connie. Don’t you ever forget that.” Then he looked back at me. “But yeah, gimme my money.” He was sweating like a fiend waiting for his next fix. I knew things could go wrong in a heartbeat, and I didn’t want anything putting Connie in danger. I needed to get him out of there fast.
“A’ight, man. It’s in here,” I said, walking toward my bedroom. He followed me there and hovered over me as I opened the safe. For a second I considered trying to take him out, but Connie appeared at the entrance to my room, so I erased the thought from my mind. Last thing I wanted was for her to get shot by accident.
I thought everything was going to be okay when I handed him the stack of bills and he headed toward the door. I was going to let him leave to make sure Connie was safe, but in an hour he would be running from more than just the police. One phone call and half the brothers I knew on the street would be after his ass.
Standing in the doorway, he turned toward Connie. “Last chance. We can be in Montego Bay by tonight.”
She rolled her eyes. “Avery, you might be in jail tonight. Now, you got what you wanted, so get the hell out of here.” She pointed at the door.
“You really gonna choose him over me?” He was waving the gun at me as he spoke.
“I don’t have to choose between the two of you, because I don’t want you, and I love him. Can’t you get that through your thick head?” She folded her arms defiantly and tilted her head toward the door in a gesture that said it was time for him to leave.
I knew she wasn’t trying to provoke him, but Avery’s face turned beet red and the look in his eyes turned from anger to that of a man possessed. He was not in a good place, and with the way he was holding that gun, neither was I.
“Oh, is that right?” He pointed the gun directly at my chest. I could tell by his facial expression and body language that this motherfucker was really about to shoot me. “Well, if I get rid of him, then I guess you’re not gonna have any choices at all, are you?”
Connie started to tremble. “Avery, don’t do this,” she pleaded. “Please. You’re in enough trouble as it is.”
“That’s exactly why I can do it. I’m already at rock bottom.” Instead of shouting, his voice was calm and tranquil. “I can’t go any further down. I ain’t got shit to lose.”
He turned the gun sideways like he was some type of gangster.
Everything after that happened in a flash. Avery never got the chance to pull the trigger because out of nowhere, Connie pulled out a knife and stabbed him in the back. She didn’t kill him, but he was so surprised by her actions that he dropped the gun, staring at her in astonishment.
He let out a howl like a madman and tried to lunge at Connie. This was exactly what I was trying to avoid, her being in danger, so I did what I had to do to protect the woman I loved. I gave him one swift kick that sent him sprawling onto the floor. Once he was down, I snatched the knife out of her hand and jumped on him, stabbing him in the back over and over until I felt my rage subside. Avery was no longer moving.
When I looked up, Connie was trembling and sobbing as she held the gun with two hands, pointed at Avery’s head.
I reached up and gently took the gun from her. “Hey, it’s over,” I said. “He’s gone. He can’t hurt you anymore.” I placed the gun on the coffee table, and she fell into my arms, weeping uncontrollably.
I led Connie to the sofa and sat with her, holding and rocking her until she finally calmed down. It was a long time before either one of us spoke.
“We have to call the police,” she finally said, staring at Avery’s lifeless body.
“No police,” I said, looking deeply into her eyes to make sure she understood how serious I was.
“What?”
“If we call the police, I’m probably going to jail for a very long time.”
She shook her head adamantly, almost as if by doing so she could make the whole situation disappear. She spoke in short bursts. “No, this was self-defense. Avery’s a wanted man. You were protecting me. I’ll tell them that.”
I chuckled at how naive she was. “Baby, I’m on parole, and I got two strikes against me already. With my record, they’d throw me in prison on principle.”
She refused to hear me. “No!” she insisted more forcefully this time. “It was self-defense! Hell, I’ll tell them I was the one who did it.”
I took her hand and stroked it gently. “And I love you for being so loyal, but you gotta be realistic about this. Are you really gonna tell them you did it?”
She nodded firmly.
“That sounds good,” I said, “until the cops ask why you stabbed him so many times in the back.”
Her eyes got wide as she understood how easy it would be for them to poke holes in her story.
“Cops are lazy, Connie; they aren’t stupid, especially not homicide detectives. They’re going to know you didn’t do it. I was so damn pissed I’m sure I broke a couple of his ribs when I jumped on him. I don’t think they’re going to believe you have that type of brute strength.”
She lowered her head. “You’re not going to jail for this, Daryl. I refuse to let that happen.”
I covered my face with both hands, wishing it was as easy as she was making it sound. We were in deep trouble. “I’m not even sure they’ll believe it was his gun,” I said. “Both of us touched it. You probably wiped away all his fingerprints when you held the gun to his head.”
“Oh, God, I wasn’t even thinking about that. Daryl, I’m sorry.” Her tears started up again, so I pulled her against me and began rocking her.
I wanted to kick Avery’s dead body for putting us in this situation.
“Connie,” I whispered when she had quieted down. “I have to make a decision.”
She looked up at me, her eyes still shining with tears. “What is it?”
“I won’t let you try to take the rap for this. I just have to decide if I’m going to face the judicial system and go back to jail, or if I’m going to disappear.”
Her mouth fell open, but no words came out for a long time as she processed the situation. When she finally spoke, she had made a decision of her own. “Well, if you decide to leave, I’m going with you.”
“No, I’m not going to let you ruin your life, Connie.” I got up from the couch and started pacing, trying to avoid the pool of blood on the floor. “You have no idea what it’s like living on the run.”
I checked my watch. An hour had already passed. If I was going to leave, I’d have to do it soon. My parole officer was coming for a home visit at noon.
“Why don’t we just get rid of the body like they do on TV?”
Her suggestion shocked the hell out of me and stopped me in my tracks. I turned slowly toward her and said, “You’re joking, right?” The expression on her face told me she was dead serious.
“Where the hell would we get rid of the body?”
With that same determined look on her face, she laid out her plan. “I’m sure Avery’s car is around here somewhere. We could put him in it, then drive out to Long Island. Set him and the car on fire.”
The idea of
disposing of the body and saving myself from a prison sentence was definitely appealing. I considered her plan but couldn’t see how we would get away with it. “Not gonna work,” I told her. “Too many cameras around this building.”
“Not around back,” she said. “That’s how Avery got into my house. From the fire escape. Cheap-ass landlord put fakes in the back.”
“It still wouldn’t work. We carry him down that fire escape, someone is bound to hear us or see us. One person might not be noticed, but two people carrying a dead body sure as hell will. You know how nosy the people in this building are. Someone is gonna call the cops.” I looked at the mess around my feet and added, “Besides, my parole officer’s coming tomorrow at noon. We’d never be able to clean up all this blood by then.”
She looked down at Avery’s body and then back up at me with tears flowing down her cheeks. “I’m not giving up, Daryl. I won’t lose you.”
I sat down beside Connie and held her tightly, thinking it might be the last time I would have her in my arms. We were in deep shit, and it didn’t look like there was a way out. Once my parole officer showed up, I was on my way to prison for sure.
“I wish we could get away from here,” I said with a sigh. “You know, take off before they even find the body.”
She sat up and looked at me hopefully. “Why don’t we? Let’s just go, Daryl. Let’s go now.”
I gave her a sad smile and kissed the top of her head. “We can’t, baby. I’m wearing an ankle bracelet. That signal would bring the cops over here before we even made it onto a Greyhound bus. Besides, even if we got away somehow, we’d spend the rest of our lives on the run. I can’t let you live that way.”
She fell back against the couch, looking defeated as she stared off into space, probably trying to come to terms with the truth of our situation. “Too bad we couldn’t make it look like you were the one who died in here,” she said after a while.
“Yeah, that would be something, wouldn’t it?” I agreed. “Then I could slip out of the country and you could meet me on some romantic island where we live happily ever after.” It was easier to go along with the fantasy for a few minutes than face the reality that I would soon be behind bars.
