by Kyle West
Ronelle apologizes and tells Alex to hurry and get back in the bed. Suddenly the doorbell rings. Ronelle softly says to herself, ‘Who the fuck is ringing my bell at this hour?”
She moves towards the door as she yells back to Alex to get in the bed. When she hears that Alex is finished in the bathroom and closes his bedroom door, Ronelle peeks through her front door peephole to see Detectives Roussel and Huntley standing there.
Ronelle asks through the door, “What do you want? You know what time it is?” Det. Roussel identifies himself and says, “I apologize but we need to find Mrs. Baylor. Can we speak to you a minute ma’am?”
Ronelle asks, “Why you want Vivian?”
Det. Huntley replies, “Just one or two questions Miss.” Ronelle yells through the door, “I can hear you good right now. What you need with Vivian?”
Det. Roussel doesn’t appreciate Ronelle’s disrespect but continues the conversation through the front door asking Ronelle if Vivian is with her.
Ronelle snaps, “I told you yesterday she wasn’t here!”
Det. Roussel snaps back, “Look Miss, when you talk to Mrs. Baylor you tell her she needs to call me as soon as possible or she will be in cuffs the next time I see her. If I find out you know where she is you will be too. You’ve been told!”
Det. Huntley adds, “You explain that to your little boy.” The two detectives then walk back to their car.
11:55 pm - Vivian is now in her spacious queen-sized bed in the hotel suite, surrounded by what seems like twenty white pillows. She’s reading the current issue of Newsweek magazine and eating a bowl of cherries and nuts when her cell phone rings. Vivian scrambles to find the phone in the luxurious bed, having to dig deep into the comforter to locate it. It’s Ronelle calling…”Viv you okay? The police just left here a few minutes ago looking for you.”
Vivian tells her that she is fine.
“You need to call them. The two police that came to the job, we first met with, they’re talkin’ about lockin’ us both up if you don’t call them asap. I told you yesterday to call that guy (Roussel).”
Vivian apologizes for the police going to Ronelle’s home so late at night. She adds, “Yea Det. Ellis said he spoke to him this morning. One of them guys from Jesse’s wake was in my house girl. I really thought he was gonna kill me. I’m scared Ro.” Ronelle is horrified as she responds, “No Viv?! This is getting to be too much. We should call a lawyer in the morning. You wanna come stay with me?” Vivian tells Ronelle that that her place won’t be any safer.
Vivian explains to Ronelle about Jesse’s commando buddies and the three hundred million dollars. Ronelle is at a rare loss for words. Vivian adds, “It’s a long story. Jesse was into some mess and don’t you start Ro, it’s too late for your foolishness tonight.”
Ronelle under her voice comments, “I knew it. I just knew he…”
Vivian interrupts, “I said not tonight Ronelle. Look I’m gonna sneak and call the police first thing in the morning to find out what’s going on.”
Ronelle asks why she has to sneak to call Det. Roussel. Vivian does tell her that Det. Ellis doesn’t want her talking to him because he is trying to somehow implicate her for Jesse’s murder.
Ronelle says, “For real? Seriously they don’t know they ass from they elbow. Well they gotta work that out somehow because I don’t want them knockin’ on my damn door again. Don’t all these police (detectives) know where they got you hiding out? Shit! Don't they work together?”
2:14 am - Vivian is watching TV while in bed. She understandably has been having problems sleeping. Vivian has a craving for chocolate candy. She calls room service but is told from the kitchen that Det. Ellis has forbid anyone from coming to the suite without his permission and that includes the front desk. Vivian asks if housekeeping can bring her some of the Rocher chocolate that they leave in the room and is told that housekeeping won’t be open until 6 am.
Vivian remembers Marie getting candy from a vending machine on the second floor, ironically next to the hotel fitness room. Vivian decides to quietly leave the suite and get a snack for herself.
Vivian opens the door, enters the hall way and proceeds to the elevator. Elevator arrives empty and she takes it down to the second floor. Vivian barefoot, quickly walks to the vending machine around the corner from the elevator. She tries to push the buttons on the candy machine as quietly as she can, the snacks drop one by one. As Vivian opens the swinging door of the machine and removes her snacks a man’s hand suddenly grabs hers and squeezes so hard that her Snickers bar is pulverized. Vivian quickly turns and sees the tall well-dressed man from the church, M.I.C.O. commando soldier Marlon Starr. Vivian screams. Starr quickly puts his hand over Vivian’s mouth and utters, “I’m not here to hurt you. If you scream I will kill you right here Ok? Mrs. Baylor you know why I’m here. All you need to do is give me the money that Jesse gave you. Do you have it with you here in the hotel?”
A wide-eyed Vivian frantically shakes her head no. Starr responds, “No? That’s not the right answer Vivian, is it ok if I call you Vivian? Vivian just listen. I’m going to be in town until I get my money…the money that you have. Tell you what, I’ll make sure you get Jesse’s split OK?”
Starr pauses for a second then says, “I know where you are, you are very easy to find so there’s no reason why I can’t give you until tomorrow to get it for me right Vivian? Make sure you have that money for me tomorrow okay Vivian?”
Vivian is trying to speak but Starr won’t take his hand from her mouth. Starr then says, “No, no, no, there is nothing to say. Just listen Vivian. I will call you on your cell in the morning…now I’m going to take my hand from your mouth and you are not gonna scream...I’ll bet your life on it that you won’t scream right Vivian?” Vivian nods her head yes. Starr slowly removes his hand from Vivian’s mouth and says, “You have a good night. Sorry about your snacks there, I’ll call you in the morning.” He then quickly slips out to the nearby stairway.
Vivian runs to the elevator, frantically pressing the ‘up’ button. She gets on the empty elevator, presses #24 and collapses to her knees as the elevator ascends. She gets off the elevator and races down the hall back to the suite yelling for Det. Ellis. Vivian storms through the suite door screaming, “He was gonna kill me! I couldn’t breathe! Oh my God!”
Det. Ellis runs up the stairs to the main level of the suite and tries to calm Vivian down enough for her to explain what happened.
“I’m sorry, I just wanted a snack, that’s all! This guy grabbed me from behind! It was one of Jesse’s friends! Oh my God!” Det. Ellis runs to the open the suite door to see if he followed Vivian. Det. Ellis closes the door and locks it. “Was it the same guy you saw at your house?!”
“No! It was the taller guy that had the suit on at the wake! He was tryin’ to kill me!”
Det. Ellis holds Vivian by her shoulders and tells her, “I’m gonna go check it out! I need you to stay here in the room Mrs. Baylor! There is no reason for you to open the door at all. I’ll be right back!” He then leaves the suite and locks the door.
Vivian immediately grabs her cell phone to contact Insp. Clark to inform him about her life being threatened twice today by Rome and Starr.
“Insp. Clark I do not feel safe here. I’m going to Philadelphia to be with my family!”
“Please Mrs. Baylor no…you can’t. We need you to stay here in New Orleans, please. We can close this case soon but we can’t without you. You are the key to the FBI investigation against the C.I.A., the New Orleans Police Department, the missing government money and most important, your husband’s murder.”
Vivian in tears replies, “Insp. Clark I was almost killed, twice, in the last six hours! I can’t!”
Insp. Clark tells Vivian that in the morning he will send some federal agents to the hotel for additional protection for her.
Vivian has calmed down a bit by now as the Inspector continues, “Mrs. Baylor they won’t hurt you. If they wanted to hurt you you’d
already be dead ma’am. You are the key to the money. Again they can’t have anything happen to you.”
He further states, “We know they know that the money is close by Mrs. Baylor. their actions demonstrate that the money will come up very soon and then this will all be over I promise. You did the right thing by calling me Mrs. Baylor. You call me if you need anything ok. Let’s meet tomorrow morning.”
“I’ll try Mr. Clark. I’ll call you when I have a free moment.” She ends the conversation and puts her cell phone down onto the coffee table, grabs her head and yells to herself, “Jesse what did you get me into?”
2:47 am - Det. Ellis is in the hotel lobby talking to someone on the pay phone. “Three hundred million dollars can’t be easy to hide. Someone here has that money. They’re all here and they’re starting to get a little restless. I tell you things might get out of control here.”
Chapter 6
9:45 am – The next morning, Detectives Roussel and Huntley are at Hanan & Hanan Insurance in the Pan American Life Building where Vivian works. The detectives are asking Vivian’s co-workers questions about her professional and personal life. They engage in a brief conversation with Daphne Skinner from the marketing department.
“Vivian is real sweet. She’s a reliable friend, she loves her family and friends unconditionally and everybody here loves her. I never got the opportunity to meet her husband. She got married quickly. There was no long engagement. I don’t think they had a wedding ceremony, she just came in on a Monday and said she was married! She truly loved her husband Jesse, always talking about him and her cats! I am so sorry to hear about what happened to him.”
Det. Huntley probes, “So did Mrs. Baylor ever talk about problems in her marriage? Money problems? Anything?
Daphne responds’ “Me and Vivian wasn’t close like that. She was only like that with Ronelle, her best friend. She didn’t share personal stuff with me. I do know her husband was out of town a lot from what I remember. He worked internationally and would send her flowers here to the office. I remember her receiving flowers from Italy and chocolate candy from Germany.”
Another co-worker Leroy Harrison passes by and cuts in, “I remember that. Vivian loved chocolate candy, the imported kind mostly. She kept a Snickers bar or M&M’s in her desk in case she couldn’t get the good stuff! So if you offered to bring her something up from lunch, she did not want the cheap chocolate either! You better go find some Godiva or at least get Rocher or Toblerone or something. Even though her husband was away a lot, Vivian was happy and content. She is doing so well up here, we all love her.”
12:00 noon - After the incident last night, Det. Ellis decides to move Vivian to the Roosevelt Hotel on Baronne St., another posh hotel. Vivian is too afraid to be in a room by herself so they check into the Astoria suite. Just one level, but it’s even more elaborate than the one they stayed in at the J.W. Marriott. Det. Ellis and Vivian are taken up to their room by the bellboy to room 1513. He looks over the spacious suite, canvassing the number of entrances and exits. Det. Ellis tips the bellboy before he leaves.
Vivian sits on the couch as Ellis tells her that they need to go to her bank to check her and Jesse’s accounts to see if there has been any activity. He asks, “Did you have a safe deposit box or anything like that at your bank?”
Vivian nods her head, no.
Det. Ellis continues, “Well your husband might have had one without your knowing about it. So we need his death certificate so you can have access to any accounts in his name. First I have to switch cars at district command. I need to double check a few things so it will take me about an hour or so.” The detective goes into the bathroom.
From the bathroom Det. Ellis yells, “I don’t think I need to remind you but you have to stay in the room Vivian and keep the door locked while I am gone.”
Vivian responds, “Oh I have no plans of leaving this room. You don’t have to tell me twice. I’m not going anywhere.”
Vivian’s cell phone rings…it’s Det. Roussel.
“I apologize for not calling you back earlier sir.”
“I went to your job today and spoke to a few of your co-workers and they gave me your cell number.”
“Oh I’m sorry. I thought you had my number already. So any progress on my husband’s case?”
Det. Roussel states, “Yes there is. Why don’t you come in and I’ll go over everything with you ma’am.”
“I won't have time today sir.”
Det. Roussel snaps, “Make time Mrs. Baylor. Where are you now? You have to answer some questions for me today. Do you have a lawyer?”
Vivian hesitantly answers, “Lawyer? What do I need a lawyer for?”
“I know you just buried your husband and it’s a tough time for you right now but I need you to answer some questions for me.” Now Vivian doesn’t understand why Det. Roussel is so persistent in meeting her right now. He continues, Ma’am just make sure you get over here today or do I need to have you picked up?”
Vivian carefully asks, “What, am I going to be under arrest? Everything okay?” Det. Roussel tells Vivian that he has evidence that right now is not in her favor and that she needs to come in so they can clear it up immediately. Det. Roussel feels that Vivian might be involved in or have a connection to Jesse’s murder.
Vivian is dumbfounded and angry. She snaps, “Are you serious? There is really something wrong with you! I loved my husband with all my heart! All I’ve been doing is helping you guys, cooperating with the police and of all things you going to try to tell me I killed my husband?! I’m the one in danger! Did Detective Ellis tell you about the two maniacs that tried to kill me last night?! Find those guys and stop accusing me of everything Mr. Roussel!”
Det. Roussel cuts in and tells Vivian that he knows nothing about the threats on her life or, most importantly, doesn’t know anyone named Det. Ellis on the N.O.P.D. force.
Vivian in stunned, she replies, “What? Det. Ellis. I don't know his first name. He took me to the Marriott downtown since all this happened with my husband. He said he knows you, he said he spoke to you yesterday morning right?”
Det. Roussel asks if this is the man who she left her home with two days ago. Vivian says yes then adds, “I’m at the Roosevelt now with him.” She looks to see if Det. Ellis is still in the bathroom.
Det. Roussel desperately tells Vivian, “Mrs. Baylor there is no Detective Ellis anywhere on New Orleans Police force! I advise you to quickly get out of that hotel room! He is not police Mrs. Baylor, get out of there!”
From the bathroom Det. Ellis hears Vivian tell Roussel that they are in the Roosevelt. He yells to Vivian, “Don’t tell anyone where we are! Who are you talking to?!” He unlocks the bathroom door and steps out shirtless and with a half-shaven face. Det. Ellis sees that Vivian is not in the suite.
Seeing the suite door wide open, Det. Ellis speeds over to the door, peeks down the hallway to see Vivian racing toward the elevators.
Det. Ellis yells out to Vivian and runs down the hallway after her. Vivian gets on the elevator frantically pushing the (Door Close) button, shutting the elevator door just as Det. Ellis comes upon the elevator. Vivian nervously waits as the elevator descends from the 15th Floor to the lobby. Det. Ellis runs down the stairway trying desperately to beat the elevator to the lobby. The detective overhears a group of people on the ninth floor waiting for the elevator. He speeds out the stairway to the elevator on the ninth floor. The people on the elevator stare at this shirtless man as he frantically pushes the lobby button on the elevator. The elevator reaches the lobby as Ellis rushes off to an audience of staring hotel patrons and employees. He spots Vivian running out the hotel onto Baronne Street. Hotel security hurry towards Det. Ellis as he tells them that he is with the New Orleans Police department and that he is chasing a fleeing suspect.
“I’m in Room 1513, I’m holding that woman under surveillance!” He runs outside into the forty-five degree weather.
Vivian turns around to see Det. Ellis and h
otel security running towards her. She sees the taxi stand at the curb and tries to jumps in the first cab in the line. The cab driver senses danger and speeds off. Vivian runs to the next cab in line and opens the door. Suddenly Det. Ellis grabs her arm before she is able to enter the cab and shouts, “Vivian what the hell are you doing?! Where do you think you’re going?!”
Vivian swings at Det. Ellis’s hands and tells him to let go of her arm. She yells that she knows that he is not a police officer.
The driver yells, “Hey buddy! Let go of her right now!”
Det. Ellis yells at the cab driver, “Don’t you move this cab!”
He asks Vivian, “What? What the hell are you talking about?!”
Det. Ellis again tells the driver to stay put and that he is New Orleans Police.
Vivian screams, “I just got off the phone with Det. Roussel! He told me there is no Det. Ellis in the New Orleans Police Department! Let go of me right now!”
Hotel security overhears Vivian, and comes closer to check out the situation. The cab driver jumps out of the cab in fear for his life. Det. Ellis nervously says to Vivian, “Okay! Wait! I’m here to help you and I need you to help me now! We gonna both have some trouble in a minute! You’re right, I’m not police. But I am here to help I swear. My name is Keith! Keith Baylor and yes, I’m Jesse’s brother!”
Vivian, sitting in the back seat of a cab is speechless as she stares at Keith in disbelief.
Keith says to Vivian, “Vivian please trust me on this. I’m here to look out for you. You know that. You got to believe me.”
The shirtless Keith holds out his hand for Vivian to take it and exit the cab. She looks on and sees the hotel security with two-way radios and batons in hand, coming up fast on her and Keith. She quickly reaches out and takes Keith’s hand and exits the cab. Three hotel security men approach and grab Keith. Keith tells them, “It’s all good guys, I have her.” One of the security guards asks Keith for identification. “It’s up in my room as you can see I’m half-dressed. My witness here ran on me. It’s fine now.” The security guards are skeptical of him.
