Vexed

by Honey

  Chapter Fifty-two

  Mrs. Scott watched Jill perform with her senior women’s class through the studio window. She admired her graceful, fluid movements. It was remarkable how Jill had bounced back after her pregnancy and was so physically fit and energized. The older women in Jill’s class loved her patience and creative edge. Mrs. Scott considered her a rare jewel, and she wanted to reward her with a proposition. She walked into the room quietly and stood in a corner in the back. Jill and her mature students were executing a simple routine in a very unique and complex formation.

  “Bravo, ladies! You were simply magnificent!” Mrs. Scott applauded after their final move and standing pose. “They were incredible, Jill. You’ve done an amazing job with them. I’d like to showcase my silver foxes in our spring production. It’ll be a first for them.”

  Jill smiled and turned to the women, who were talking and taking a water break. “Did you hear that, divas? Madame Helena wants to show you off at the spring production! It’s a big deal, ya know?”

  The ladies clapped and cheered.

  Jill liked their response. “Rejoice now, but it will require lots of hard work and dedication.”

  Mrs. Scott looped her arm through Jill’s. “Let’s go to my office, sweetie. There’s something I’d like to discuss with you.”

  “Please do not tell me the immigration people are bullying you again. I have legal documentation that says I can work here, ya know? I’ll become an American citizen soon.”

  Mrs. Scott felt the tension in Jill’s muscles as she pulled her down the hallway. “It’s not that. We’re in compliance with those goons. What I’d like to talk to you about is something wonderful.” She unlocked her office door. “Come on in. Have a seat and relax.”

  Jill followed her boss’s instructions. She watched her round the desk to take her seat behind it.

  “Jill, from the first day I met you in this very office, I fell in love with your gift and your passion for it. You promised not to disappoint me, and you’ve kept your word. We missed you like crazy when you went home and stayed for a while. You’re an asset to Umoja Academy. In addition to your senior women’s performance, how would you feel about choreographing the advanced young women’s finale for the show? It pays a pretty penny.”

  Jill pressed her palm to her chest. “I . . . I would love to do that! Thank you. I will not disappoint you, Madame Helena. All I need is the music and timing, and then I’ll get started right away.”

  Mrs. Scott laughed and held up her hand to stop Jill from saying more. “You will select the music for the five-minute routine. You’ll also have final say on the costumes, props, and lighting.”

  “This is unbelievable! Zachary will be so very pleased.”

  “Hold up, my friend. There is one more thing.”

  “Oh?”

  “I applied for a prestigious dance seminar on your behalf. A colleague of mine will be facilitating an exclusive six-week training camp in Atlanta this summer. He’s internationally renowned and has trained some of the best dancers in this country. Are you familiar with Sir Max Ebu?”

  “Oh my God! Every dancer has heard of him!”

  “He has agreed to grace our city and to work with a select group of twenty-five men and women who wish to pursue dance as a profession. One of those two-thousand-dollar slots belongs to you, Jill. I’ve secured your fee with a grant for international students.”

  Jill ran around the desk and wrapped her arms around Mrs. Scott. “Thank you so very much. This is like a fairy tale!”

  * * *

  “I bet you ain’t ever had it that good before. I know your old man can’t make you feel like that.” Jay shimmied back into her county-issued panties. She looked over at her latest victim, who was resting limply on the cot, with her back propped up against the wall. There was a sparkle in her green eyes. That was a sure sign to Jay that she had worked her magic on the young woman. The stupid bitch was hooked. Jay smiled and slid her arms through the sleeves of her ugly orange jumpsuit. She stood to her full five-foot-six-inch height and secured the buttons in the front of the jumpsuit. She nudged Bethany hard on her pale, flabby thigh. The shiny gold badge attached to her uniform shirt on the floor twinkled like a giant star. “Don’t you think you need to be getting dressed? What if someone catches you in here, spread-eagle in your birthday suit?”

  “Stop worrying. Ain’t nobody coming down here. I turned off the security camera, ’cause they don’t give a rat’s ass about you. They all think you’re evil as hell. And remember, I’m on the stroll before my break.” Bethany raked her fingers through her wild red curls and giggled. “I ain’t never been with a woman before you. I been curious, but I ain’t have no idea what to expect. The first time, when we were in the shower, made me come back for more. Tonight was even better.” She ran her hand up Jay’s leg and fondled her crotch through the orange fabric. “Hell, I think I’m in love.”

  Jay smacked her hand away jokingly. But she really wanted to snap her neck and throw her white trailer-trash ass out of her cell. She was nauseated and on the verge of vomiting. “Come back in here whenever you need to, but remember, it’s gonna cost you.”

  “I know. I know.” Bethany stood up and started putting her uniform back on. “What else do you need besides the aspirin, liquor, and prepaid cell phone?”

  Jay reached under her cot’s mattress and pulled out a sealed, stamped letter. It was addressed to Nina. “I need you to mail this to my cousin from anywhere but here. I don’t want any records on file that we’ve been in contact. You understand?”

  “Got it,” she said, stashing the letter inside her shirt. “I’ll be back Wednesday night with the stuff you want.” She leaned in and kissed Jay full on the lips. “And I expect you to have the stuff I want.”

  * * *

  Zach turned off his Bluetooth and stared at the slow-moving traffic ahead of him. Jay was going to prison for twelve to fifteen years. That was what his father had just told him. Mr. Rice and his team were taking a brutal beating in court. They couldn’t win. The jury seemed aloof and bored to death with the defense team’s entire presentation so far. Wallace’s testimony hadn’t scored the punch they’d expected. A few grade-school teachers, Jay’s high school guidance counselor, and a few of Jay’s childhood friends had taken the stand. All they had offered were basic stories, mostly things she’d shared with them about her family over the years. The only expert witness had been the psychologist, and Mr. Lugar had torn his assessment of Jay to shreds during cross-examination with notes from his team of specialists. Nothing Mr. Rice and company had presented to date had helped Jay. They now wanted her to plead and strike a deal with the State before it was too late. But she wasn’t having it. Her stubbornness had become a thorn in her attorney’s flesh, and he had reached out to Wallace for help. Mr. Rice wanted him to try to persuade Jay to throw in the towel. Otherwise, she was going to remain in prison for seven to ten years longer than she had to.

  Needless to say, Wallace had no influence over Jay whatsoever, and he’d told Mr. Rice as much. Wallace then asked him to make one last appeal to her about the plea deal, in hopes that she’d finally see the light. If she was smart, Jay would confess and take the lighter sentence. If not, it would be her loss.

  Zach parked in front of Umoja Academy, Jay’s situation heavy on his mind. He turned on his Alpine stereo system and reclined his seat. Smooth jazz floated from the speakers. Zach wanted it to erase all thoughts of Jay, the trial, and her inevitable prison sentence. The possibility that she’d spend the next decade or so locked away for ordering a hit on him was not his problem. But why did it bother him so much?

  “Why the hell do I care?” Zach yelled.

  “Zachary?” Jill opened the front passenger door and slid inside the SUV. She touched the side of Zach’s face. “What is it? Do not tell me it’s nothing, because I’m not stupid. You’re upset about something. Talk to me.”

  Zach pulled out of the parking lot. “Jay is going to prison fo
r a very long time.”

  “Huh. Is that so? I didn’t know the trial was over. How many years did the judge sentence her to serve?”

  “The trial ain’t over. Her attorney called my dad this afternoon and told him there’s absolutely no way possible he and his team can win Jay’s case. That means she will be convicted and will serve at least twelve years in prison. But if she were to shut down her damn crazy act right now and admit what she did, she could reduce her time to maybe five to seven years.”

  “After all Jay has done to us, you still love her and care about what happens to her. I admire you. I don’t understand it, but I accept it. Do not allow this to affect you negatively, Zachary. Jay will never confess to her crime, because she is much too proud and stubborn. She’d rather lose in court and endure prison than admit any wrongdoing. That way she can maintain her false innocence and blame her attorney for losing her case. No matter what happens, you are still the victim, and you’re not responsible for what Jay did.”

  Chapter Fifty-three

  Crying was uncommon for Jay. She didn’t consider herself one of those butchy-type lesbians with pseudo-masculinity, but she was no punk either. She was tough and emotionally sturdy. The brick wall she’d built around her heart was meant to protect her from pain and disappointment. She had let her guard down only once, and that was when she’d fallen in love with Venus. Any tears she’d cried as an adult were because of that relationship. But today she couldn’t blame Venus or Nahima for her emotional breakdown. Her tears were those of defeat. Every muscle in Jay’s body stiffened when Mr. Rice placed a timid hand on her shoulder.

  “Do you understand what we’re saying, Ms. King? We simply don’t have what it takes to win this case. If we proceed on the rocky path we’re now on, you’ll be convicted. I’m sorry. Our best efforts to defend you under temporary insanity are failing, and miserably so. If you plead guilty now, you will serve five to seven, instead of twelve-plus years in prison. It’s all up to you.”

  Mr. Ford remained silent as he placed a prepared confession statement on the table in front of Jay. He held a stainless-steel Montblanc ballpoint pen before her bowed head. Jay used the white handkerchief Mr. Rice had given her to wipe the fresh flow of tears trickling down her face. She ignored the paper and pen that had been offered to her.

  “I need time to think about this,” she said.

  Mr. Rice and Mr. Ford looked past their client, who was seated between them, to stare at each other. Jay’s head remained down as she skimmed over the confession lying on the table.

  “You don’t have any more time, Ms. King,” Mr. Rice said, clearly frustrated.

  “It ain’t your ass on the line! It’s mine. I need to sleep on this. Don’t I have that right?”

  Mr. Ford nodded and raised his hand to cut off Mr. Rice’s next statement. “Of course you do, Ms. King. But we need you to understand that tomorrow is the deadline. We will allow you to weigh your options overnight, but in the morning we’ll expect your decision before we walk into that courtroom. Do you understand?”

  “Yeah, I got it. I ain’t stupid.”

  * * *

  “Her pulse and heart rate are dropping fast!” the emergency medical technician yelled over the wailing siren. “And so is her blood pressure!”

  Jay’s limp body began to jerk and shudder spastically. The female medic restrained her against another bout of convulsions. She’d had three episodes since leaving the jail. The deputies had said that was how they were alerted that something was going on in her cell. By the time they’d reached Jay, she had fallen off her cot and was having a seizure in the middle of the floor.

  The ambulance swerved, changing lanes in its race to the hospital. “We’re almost there!” the driver informed his crew.

  “I hope so, because she just threw up some more blood, a hell of a lot more.” She pried one of Jay’s eyelids open with her fingers and pointed a penlight directly at her dilated pupil. Her cool and clammy body continued to tick involuntarily as blood oozed from her mouth and spilled down her chin. The paramedic eased Jay carefully over on her side to keep her from choking on her own blood. “Stay with me. We’re almost there.”

  “How the hell does an inmate on trial for murder for hire get her hands on liquor and a bottle of aspirin?” the driver asked, pulling in front of the emergency room.

  “How the hell am I supposed to know? I’ve never been to jail before. I wonder what possessed her to take the whole damn bottle of pills.”

  The driver shrugged his shoulders and exited the vehicle. Together the three medics removed the gurney from the back of the ambulance, with Jay lying nearly lifeless on it. They rushed her through the double glass doors of the emergency room, where they were approached by a team of nurses and a doctor.

  * * *

  Zach arrived at the hospital an hour before his shift to check on Jay. When Wallace had called him around ten thirty the night before to tell him she’d attempted suicide again, he had thanked him for calling. He had outright refused to rush to her bedside again, like he had the first time. Zach swore he was done playing games with Jay. But now, standing outside the glass door of her intensive-care room, he wasn’t sure if he’d made the right decision. Jay was in bad shape, but she was stable. The lining of her stomach was totally destroyed, which had caused internal bleeding and had poisoned her system. Her sensitive liver, spotted by heavy alcohol consumption over the years, had sustained severe chemical damage. Zach was convinced that Jay had really meant to end her life this time. That realization opened the floodgates, and he was now wrestling with guilt once again.

  Health monitors that beeped and flashed were no big deal to Zach. He saw them every day. But usually his tiny patients fighting for their young lives were hooked up to them, not his only sister. Jay preferred death over prison. And she had wanted Zach dead rather than allow him to be happy with Jill and their son. But she had no right or authority to choose who should live or die or be happy. No human did.

  “Are you going in there, man?”

  Zach had been so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn’t realize Dex had walked up beside him. He shook his head to clear it. “Nah, I’ll pass. I can’t get caught up in this madness with Jay again. Ain’t no room for her in my world anymore. It’s all about my wife, our son, and the people who love us. I just wish Jay the best, whatever the hell that is.”

  * * *

  “Sister Brown, how are you, darling?” Reverend Broadus greeted Aunt Jackie with a hug after Sunday morning service.

  “I’m well, Pastor. How are you?”

  “I won’t complain. You tore the church up this morning with that anointed voice!”

  “Thank you. You preached up a storm. I hope Mother Finney finds that pretty silver hat of hers. It flew off her head when she jumped up and started dancing in the spirit.”

  The pastor and the church songbird shared a genuine laugh. Reverend Broadus looked at the long line of members waiting to shake his hand. He put his arm around Aunt Jackie’s shoulders and escorted her a few inches away from the young couple behind her. “How is Jay doing?”

  “She’s doing much better. Thank you for asking. She’s in a standard room on the psychiatric ward, getting the professional help she needs. The doctors are gonna assess her Wednesday to see if she’ll be able to go on with her trial sometime soon. It’s been on hold for three weeks, since she’s been in the hospital.”

  Reverend Broadus looked at Aunt Jackie with compassionate eyes. He knew the family history. They had endured a lot over the years. Through it all, Jackie Dudley Brown had never lost her faith, even up to now.

  “I’m praying for that girl. I’m praying for you and Zach too. Please call me if you need anything. Sister Broadus and I will be there for you and the family anytime.”

  “I know, Pastor. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I’m sure Zach and Jill will appreciate your prayers too. They took the children up to Pigeon Forge for the weekend. The trial and Jay’s suicide attemp
t have been rough on my nephew. He needed to get away from Atlanta, even though it’s just for a little while.”

  As Aunt Jackie walked down the church steps toward the parking lot, she saw people whispering and staring at her. She heard their snickers too. It brought tears to her eyes, but her pride wouldn’t let them fall. She was a Dudley, and they were strong, confident, brave people. She’d held her chin up in the face of loose-tongued gossipers and haters when Belva died in that hotel room twenty-nine years ago. What Jay was putting her through now was like a block party compared to that.

  * * *

  “For a redneck, you’re smart as hell! I didn’t know you had it in you. Are you sure this is gonna work?”

  “Does horse shit stink?” Bethany jumped up from the futon and peeked out the window. She was alone in the trailer she shared with her boyfriend, Todd, and their two children, but planning Jay’s escape made her paranoid.

  “It stinks like hell. All shit stinks,” Jay joked as she cradled the phone between her shoulder and ear.

  “Trust me. It’s gonna work. Is your cousin on board? A lot of this depends on her.”

  “Nina is in all the way. She knows exactly what to do.”

  “Then, we’re all set. This time tomorrow you’ll be a free woman, baby. We’ll be on our way to Miami and from there on to Jamaica!”

  After Bethany ended her conversation with Jay, she went to her bedroom to finish packing. She’d never been out of the state of Georgia before. Moving from the mountains of Dahlonega to Atlanta had been the highlight of her life. With her recently issued passport and a duffel bag full of brand-new Walmart outfits, she was prepared to take up residence in the Caribbean. Todd was going to shit bricks once he found out she had left him. But she didn’t care. She wasn’t going to miss his abusive, alcoholic, unemployed ass. Leaving her babies wasn’t going to be easy, though.

  Bethany peeled the Christmas picture of her daughters from the mirror, where she had taped it. She held it to her chest. “Mama’s gonna miss her angels,” she whispered, on the brink of tears. She flipped the picture over and looked at Becky and Carley. “Granny’s gonna take good care of y’all.”