In Your Arms

by Roy Glenn

  Marcus got up from the bed and paced back and forth thinking of a way out of their predicament. “Paris.”

  “I was thinking about Africa.” Yvonne said.

  “No, Paris is the key to it all. We’ll go to LA and I’ll return the bag. They shouldn’t bother you after that.”

  “Are you crazy? For all I know Paris may kill me on sight and take the bag off my dead body.”

  “True, but we got to convince him that it’s in his best interest to leave you alone.”

  “How you gonna do that?”

  “Yvonne, I’m a lawyer. I’m a very good negotiator.”

  Marcus and Yvonne argued about what to do well into the evening. Marcus was convinced that talking to Paris and returning the bag was the only way. Yvonne, on the other hand, hated that plan. She just wanted to get away.

  “I say we see the passport guy and go to Africa.” She felt like she was talking to a brick wall. Then it hit her. “You’re right. Going back to LA is the only way out of this.” Yvonne opened a new pack of Bensons and walked to the window.

  “Good. I’m glad you finally see that.” Marcus reached for the bottle on the nightstand and poured a drink. He took a sip. “We’ll catch a flight and be in LA first thing tomorrow morning.

  Yvonne sat on the bed and took the drink from Marcus in exchange for her cigarette. “We’ll do it your way Marcus.” Yvonne yawned and lay down on the bed. Marcus gave back her cigarette. “We’ll never be safe until we settle things with Paris.” She curled into the fetal position. “And then it will be over.”

  Phase 3

  The next morning, Marcus called Janice and told her where he was going then he and Yvonne set out for California. Yvonne insisted they fly into San Francisco, catch a flight to Santa Barbara and drive down the 101 into LA. They checked into the Wyndham Hotel at the Airport. As soon as they got to the room, Yvonne called and left a message for Paris to call her message service.

  “Paris, this is Yvonne. I want to meet you somewhere tomorrow to return those items to you. And hopefully this will end our relationship without any further need for outside intervention.”

  She checked every half-hour to see if he returned her call. Hours dragged on. With nothing to do they occupied themselves ordering room service and watching movies until it was almost 2:00. Marcus had fallen asleep hours earlier, but Yvonne kept up her thirty-minute vigil.

  At 2:30 Yvonne called again and got the message she’d been waiting for.

  “Yvonne, it’s good to hear your voice again. It’s late and I’m tired. Be at my house in El Segundo at eleven.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  Yvonne called him back and left a message that Marcus would meet him at Bruce’s Place, a Bar and Grill on West Grand at eleven and he would give him the bag.

  “One more thing, Paris. Come alone.”

  She started to wake up Marcus, but he looked so peaceful she didn’t want to bother him. Yvonne turned off the lights and lay down next to Marcus. He stretched and put his arm around her. She smiled and went to sleep.

  At 10:00 the next morning they left the Wyndham to meet Paris. As Yvonne drove, she gave Marcus a description of Paris.

  “You can’t miss him.” She dropped him off on Main Street and West Grand, about a block from Bruce’s Place. Marcus got out.

  “Wish me luck.”

  “Good luck, Marcus. I’ll pick you up here when it’s over.” Marcus started to walk away. Yvonne got out of the car. “Marcus!” He turned around and walked back. “You know you’ve slept with me for the last three nights?”

  “Yeah, and I haven’t even kissed you.” Marcus said as he leaned against the car.

  “No, you haven’t.” She kissed him on the cheek then gently on the lips.

  “I love you, Yvonne.”

  “I love you too, Marcus. When all this is over, I’ll show you just how much.”

  “See you, Yvonne.”

  “See yah, Marcus.”

  Marcus walked down the street and entered Bruce’s Place. He went into the bathroom and took the garbage bag out of the trashcan. He placed the bag in it and replaced the garbage bag. Then he took a seat in the back so he could see the door.

  He checked his watch. It was 11:00. He tapped anxiously on the table. His tapping reminded him of the sound of Yvonne’s heels clicking against the tile that first night at the store. He looked up and Paris stood before him. Yvonne’s description of Paris was dead on target. He was dressed in a dull gray suit white shirt opened at the collar, black Ray Bans and wet look hair.

  “Marcus, I take it. Yvonne used to speak of you all the time. You wouldn’t mind standing up and opening your coat, would you?”

  “I’m unarmed.” Marcus said as he did as he was asked then sat down.

  “May I sit?” Paris asked.

  “By all means. Let’s get this over with.”

  “Yes, this has been a very big misunderstanding. I never intended for any of this to happen. I don’t know how much Yvonne told you, but—” Marcus cut him off.

  “I’m just the delivery boy.”

  “When she didn’t come see me, I simply had to take steps to recover the items. It was easy to track her movements and it was obvious that she was heading for Atlanta. Unfortunately, I underestimated her abilities.”

  “Right.”

  “May I see the items?”

  “Excuse me for a minute.”

  Marcus went into the bathroom and returned with the bag. He handed it to Paris.

  “Here you go.”

  Marcus stood over Paris and watched as he opened the bag and looked over its contents. Once he had satisfied himself that the items were intact, Paris got up and walked toward the door.

  “Please tell Yvonne that I meant her no harm.”

  “She’ll find that very comforting.”

  As soon as they were outside, Yvonne drove up quickly and to Marcus’ surprise, she fired one shot to Paris’ head. Paris fell to the ground. Marcus started to pick up the bag.

  “Leave the bag!” Yvonne yelled.

  Marcus ran to the car. Once he was in, Yvonne drove away.

  “Why did you kill him? It was over. All he wanted was his shit back.”

  “How naïve are you, Marcus? As long as Paris was alive it would never be over. Can’t you see that? He would just keep sending people to kill us.”

  “Why’d we leave the bag?”

  “I’m glad to be rid of it. Let the cops worry about what those papers mean.” Yvonne and Marcus drove back to Santa Barbara. They caught a flight back to San Francisco and bought tickets to Seattle. Yvonne knew someone there who could get them new passports; and would help her get out of the country. They sat at the gate waiting for their plane to begin boarding.

  “You know it was the right thing to do, Marcus.”

  “I know. But you could have told me what you were going to do.”

  “If I told you, would you have gone along with it?”

  “No.”

  “That’s why I didn’t tell you.” Yvonne said with a smile. “Tomorrow we’ll be safely out of the country. And I’ll spend the rest of my life in your arms.”

  “You still could have told me.” Marcus kissed Yvonne on the cheek. “I’m going to get some water.” Marcus walked away. Yvonne watched him walk until a lady walked up and stood before her.

  “Is anybody sitting there?”

  “No, have a seat.”

  The lady sat down, slowly removing a .38 with a silencer from her purse. Yvonne looked at her and the lady shot her five times. The lady got up and walked away as Marcus returned. Yvonne struggled to her feet.

  “Marcus.” He caught her as she fell. Marcus looked around for the lady, but by then she had disappeared into the crowd. He held Yvonne in his arms and thought, There is only one way out of the kind of life Yvonne was living.

  She died in his arms.

  CRIME OF PASSION

  Crime of Passion

  Roy Glenn

  ©
Copyright Roy Glenn 2011

  Escapism Entertainment

  Atlantic Beach

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior consent of the publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Any references or similarities to actual events, real people, living or dead, or to real locales are intended to give the novel a sense of reality. Any similarity in other names, characters, places, and incidents is entirely coincidental.

  CLOSING ARGUMENTS

  “Mr. Douglas, are you ready to proceed?”

  Marcus stood up and glanced at the jury. “Yes, your honor,” he said and walked slowly over to the jury box. “Good morning, Ladies and Gentlemen.” Marcus paused briefly as his eyes scanned the jurors. “Well, here we are. It's been a long road we've traveled together.”

  Throughout the trial Marcus had worked hard to develop a relationship with the jury. During his opening arguments he promised to act as their advocate. He assured them that he would ask the questions they wanted answers to. Whenever Marcus questioned a witness, he always stood in front of the jury box. When a prosecution witness said something he felt was damaging to his client, he would casually glance at the jury. Sometimes he would smile, other times he would just shake his head. This tactic proved most effective. So effective that when certain members of jury heard something they thought was questionable, they would look in Marcus' direction, seemingly seeking his approval as to whether they should believe it or not.

  “When we first met I told you that the prosecution would present you with a strong argument for finding Roland Ferguson guilty of the murder of his wife, Desireé Taylor Ferguson and Rasheed Damali. The prosecution promised that they would present to you, ladies, and gentlemen, the facts in this case. And that once presented with those facts you will find Roland Ferguson guilty of these two brutal murders. However, I also made you a promise. I promised each of you that their presentation would consist not only of the facts of this case, but it will be mixed with theory. A theory of how and why those events took place in order to lead you, ladies and gentlemen, to believe that Roland Ferguson had the motive and the opportunity to commit this horrible crime. A theory that will be presented in such a manner that the facts of this case will support the prosecutions assertions. However, it is a theory all the same. The American Heritage dictionary defines theory as an organized set of assumptions devised to explain a particular event or phenomenon. So, let's talk about the facts in this case and then we'll talk about theory. Okay?” he said, and each member of the jury acknowledged him. He had them and he knew it.

  “It is a fact that on Friday, December 2nd, at 6:30 pm, Mr. Damali checked into a cabin at Laurel Mountain Cabins in Hiawassee, Georgia. This fact is supported by records provided by Laurel Mountain Cabins. We know that Mrs. Ferguson arrived at the cabin occupied by Mr. Damali at approximately 8:00 pm. This fact is supported by testimony provided by William Anderson, who occupied the cabin next to the one occupied by Mr. Damali. He testified that he arrived at his cabin around seven thirty and there was a Black corvette, belonging to Mr. Damali, parked outside the cabin. However, at 8:15 when he returned to the car to get something he'd left, that the gold Mercedes Benz, belonging to Mrs. Ferguson was now parked next to the corvette. These are facts. The Coroner has established the time of death to have occurred somewhere between 1:15 and 1:45 that following morning. Now this is where the theory begins. It is the contention of the prosecution that Roland Ferguson entered the cabin and attacked Mr. Damali.”

  Marcus walked to the evidence table and picked up the murder weapon. “Hitting him repeatedly about the head and shoulders with this golf club,” he said as he walked slowly back toward the jury, swinging the golf club in a chopping motion. “Nineteen times, until he was dead. After which he turned to his wife, who was in the Jacuzzi, and hit her fifteen times, with this club. Theory! An assumption devised to fit the facts. The body of Mr. Damali was found on the floor approximately eight feet from the door. Mrs. Ferguson's body was indeed found beaten to death in the Jacuzzi. At the heart of the theory is Roland Ferguson's motive for these murders. According to this set of assumptions that the prosecution would like you, ladies and gentlemen, to believe is that Roland Ferguson found out that his wife was having an affair with Mr. Damali. And once this was discovered that he came to the cabin with this club in his hands and murdered the two of them. Adultery!” Marcus said loudly with one finger raised in the air to accentuate his point. Then he gave the jury an easy smile and said softly. “A pretty compelling motive for murder. But let's look at the motive as it relates to the facts, shall we?”

  Once again, the jury acknowledged him, giving their consent to proceed.

  “You have heard testimony that on the night preceding the murders, that Roland Ferguson attended a reception hosted by the Atlanta business community. He arrived sometime around 9:00 pm and he remained there until sometime after 11:00 pm. He was seen by and spoke with countless people, most notably the mayor. Witnesses have offered, both in testimony offered in these proceedings and in sworn affidavits that Roland Ferguson was in good spirits throughout the evening. That he didn't appear to be distressed or anguished or apprehensive. When asked where Mrs. Ferguson was that evening, he replied on more than one occasion that Desireé was out with a business associate of theirs, a Rasheed Damali. So, it is a fact that Roland Ferguson knew of his wife's association with Mr. Damali, but did not appear to be distressed by that knowledge.

  “Now, after Roland Ferguson left the reception he stopped for gas. Information from the store and his credit card company, supports that Roland Ferguson paid for his purchase at 11:22 pm. Mr. Ferguson said in his statement to the police at their first interview, which in fact, he volunteered to participate in without the benefit of counsel, that he arrived home at 11:40 pm. When the detectives asked him how he could be sure of the time, he responded that he was sure of the time because he noted that he was home before midnight, which is rare after attending one of these gatherings. After which he had a Brandy and went to his study to call his assistant, Connie Talbert's voice mail to make some observations about the evening and to make recommendations as to several courses of action based on those observances. The tape of that conversation and the transcript has been entered into evidence and was heard by this panel. Telephone records support the fact that the call was placed at 11:54 pm. and concluded at 12:21 am. After which he went to bed. Now, according to the prosecution’s theory, at sometime immediately following this point, Roland Ferguson got in his car and made the 127-mile drive from his home to the cabin in Hiawassee to commit this crime of passion.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, there are two questions that we must ask ourselves. One, how did he find out where they were? Did Mrs. Ferguson call and say hi, honey, I'm at Laurel Mountain Cabins in Hiawassee with Rasheed Damali? Telephone records that have been entered into evidence prove that no calls, incoming, or outgoing were made or received at the Ferguson residence or the cabin. Cell phone, maybe? Maybe someone called his cell phone? But the phone records don't support that either. Maybe he checked his messages at home and one of those messages delivered the information about their whereabouts? No. The police obtained in their search of the premises, the message, and found nothing to support that. But, the theory asks you to accept that he knew where they were and drove 127 miles to the cabin to commit murder. To make it to the cabin at the time the murders were committed, Mr. Ferguson would have to drive at speeds in excess of one hundred miles an hour. You heard the testimony of Officer Dunn of the Towns County Sheriff Office that he was on duty, parked on Georgia State highway 76, the only road leading to the cabin. He offered, in his colorful testimony, that if any car came through there speeding that he would have given them a ticket. Which he didn't. So, the second question is, once he had that knowledge, how did he get there so quickly? The logical answer is; he couldn't.”

  Marcus returned to the defense t
able to give the jury an opportunity to think about the questions he posed. He poured a glass of water and drank half, before returning to the jury box.

  “Let's go to the murder scene. Mr. Damali and Mrs. Ferguson were in the cabin. Mrs. Ferguson was in the Jacuzzi and Mr. Damali had at some point prior to the murder removed his clothes. He was naked! It is the assertion of the prosecution that Roland Ferguson entered the cabin, killed Mr. Damali, and then his wife. How did he get in? There was no sign of forced entry. Did he have a key? No sign that a struggle occurred at the door. So how did he get in? Did Mr. Damali let him in? Now ask yourselves this question, if you're in a cabin in the mountains with somebody's spouse, I don't care how well you know him, are you going to let him in? I know that I'm not. And even if I were going to let him in, I would think that I would put some clothes on before opening the door. But since the facts show no indication of forced entry, that's exactly what the prosecution would have you believe. That a naked Mr. Damali let Mr. Ferguson in the cabin, while Mrs. Ferguson is naked in the hot tub. The Police report states that the body of Mr. Damali was found eight feet from the door and in clear view of the Jacuzzi. So, based on that fact, it is safe to assume that Mr. Damali unlocked the door, let Roland Ferguson in and took three or four steps before he was attacked.”

  Once again Marcus picked up the murder weapon and walked back to the jury box.

  “While the attack is going on, Mrs. Ferguson is watching while her husband hits Mr. Damali nineteen times.” Marcus began swinging the golf club nineteen times.

  Assistant District Attorney, Ms. Izella Hawkins looked at Marcus in horror swinging the club wildly as he walked to the jury box. She looked at the jury's reaction. She sprung to her feet.