Gate Wide Open (13 page)

You Have a Right to Remain Silent
December 13
^th
, 2018, 2:00
P.M.

I didn't think the bitch had it in her. She actually pulled that shit off. When I'd first asked her for the favor, she was like, “I don't lick no clit.” I wanted to tell her tore-up ass, the way she looked, she should be accepting applications from anybody that would sleep with her, but I held back because she was family. I assured her that it would never get to that point, that I would make this payback as easy and as fast as possible. I needed her to string Keisha along until I had a definite solution of payback. I wanted Keisha to remember me for as long as she lived.

Right now, I was headed on my way down to the police department because I got a call from a detective saying he needed to talk to me about Carl Black's murder. I wasn't in the mood to be questioned. I didn't have anything to do with it, because I was somewhere else at the time.

I walked in the precinct. As usual, all eyes were on me as I made my way to the front desk and asked for the detective I was scheduled to see. I was told he would be out to get me shortly.

Just as I took a seat, my cell phone rang, and it was my baby on the phone. “Hey, Wallace, baby. How are you doing?” I said sweetly into the phone.

“Everything's good. I was calling to check on my shortie.”

The bitch in me was like,
Awww
, but I kept that part of me inside. “I'm good. I'm out running some errands,” I said, a huge smile on my face.

Again, I couldn't believe how attentive this dude was. I was still a little skeptical that his ass still didn't let any flaws show, but I was watching him closely to see if he had any.

“I can't wait to get home and show you how much I love you.” Hearing those words come out of my mouth puzzled even me.

I noticed someone walking toward me, so I decided to cut our conversation short. I didn't need him in my business either. I liked my personal shit to be on lock. “Look, baby, I gotta call you back real quick. My momma's on the other line, and I need to talk to her about some things.”

“Sure, boo. I'll see you in a li'l bit.”

“James Parks?” The burly officer extended his hand out to shake mine.

I hesitantly shook his hand back because it looked like his fingers were sticky from eating donuts. At least that's what it looked like, but his ass could have been doing anything in his office, if you know what I mean.

We walked into his office, and to my surprise this dude had his shit together. He must have been a neat freak or something, because as soon as he entered his office, he began cleaning the doorknobs and chairs, like somebody had contaminated them.

I took a seat in front of his desk as he made his way to his file cabinet. I looked around the room and noticed a chalkboard with pictures of Carl's mangled flesh spread out across it. Whoever killed his ass did a number on him because from the look of the pictures, they had torn his lips off and other crazy-ass shit.

I immediately had flashbacks of the prank phone calls and the reckless driver that tried to take me out on 695. I cringed a little because this muthafucka was after me now, and I hadn't the foggiest idea who had that much hate toward me.

The only real person I could think of was Shawn, but could he have that much hate toward his father to do something so heinous to him? I mean, yeah, his father did abuse him as a child and turned on him to get my attention, but this was too far-gone. I just didn't know. Maybe he could have enough hate in his heart to want to kill his father and me. Nah!

“Mr. Parks?” the detective called out, waving his hand in front of my face, breaking me out of my trance. “Is everything okay?” he said, a concerned look on his face.

“Oh, ah, yeah. I'm fine. I was just thinking about some stuff, that's all.”

“Do you know why I called you down here?” he said, looking me straight in the eyes.

He was looking all intense and shit, like he was accusing me of the crime right then and there. He was barking down the wrong tree, and I wasn't to be fucked with. If I had done that shit, they wouldn't have found Carl's old ass, because I would have done some Jeffrey Dahmer type shit and chopped his ass into little pieces.

“I have a couple of ideas, but I'ma let you tell me,” I said, looking back at him just as intently. He was going to have to come harder than that to get my ass to talk.

He leaned back in his chair and massaged his chin like he was thinking about his next move. Again, he didn't know who he was fucking with.

“Do you know a Carl Black?”

“Well, he was a friend of mine, and we'd hang out from time to time. Why?”

“Well, he turned up dead a couple of weeks ago, and we found your fingerprints in his home.” He sat up again like he had caught me red-handed.

“I have been over his residence from time to time, but it was only for the parties he was giving,” I lied.

He again sat back in his chair, and this time he scratched his head, fishing for more things to ask.

“Look, Mr. Parks, let's stop bullshitting around. You and I both know that you and Carl Black were lovers. I have sufficient proof that includes phone records and other correspondences that back up my claims. You will need a rock-solid alibi to cover your whereabouts on the night of the murder. Otherwise, I'm going to order a warrant for your arrest in the murder of Carl Black.”

“Fine.” I looked at him and smiled because I had all the evidence I needed in my man-bag. Thank goodness I went to the hospital that night I'd mutilated my ex-boss, because my ass would've been up the river with no paddle. I reached into my bag and handed him a copy of my vaccinations for the bites I had on my arms from the cat that tried to take out a chunk of my arm. “Here you go.”

He eyed down the piece of paper doing a couple of “huh hum's” and then looked up at me. “Well, this looks to be legit. I will still be calling the hospital to verify this.”

I looked at him.
Whatever, man.
I reached down and got my things together to leave. I glanced down momentarily, making sure I didn't leave anything.

When I got up, the detective was already up and walking toward his door. I proceeded to do the same thing, but he quickly shut and locked his door.

“What the fuck is wrong now?” I said, looking at him with a mean mug.

“I'm going to need you to handle something for me.”

I looked at him like he was crazy. “And what the fuck is that?”

He quickly unzipped his pants and exposed his rock-hard dick. I was a little shocked to say the least. The myth about fat men having little dicks was just that, a myth. This big muthafucka was packing.

“I heard about your services from some of the fellas that work here, and I was wondering if you could help a brotha out.”

I looked at him as a smile crept across my face. I was like “what the hell” I got a little bit of time. I got down on my knees pulled a condom and did the damn thing.

After I sucked him off, I bent him over his desk and read him his rights.

“You have a right to remain silent.”
Wham! Wham!

“Anything you say can and will be used against you.”
Wham! Wham!

“You have a right to an attorney.”
Wham! Wham!
“If you don't have one.”
Wham!
“One will be appointed to you.”
Wham! Wham!
“Do.”
Wham!
“You.”
Wham!
“Understand?”
Wham! Wham!

He yelped out, “Yes!”

I finished punishing his ass and came on his back. Then I cleaned myself up and walked out of the precinct with yet another officer of the law under my belt.

 

I pulled up to Wallace's condo and quickly made my way to the shower. I had to wash the scent of sex off me before he got home. I knew for a fact that he would want to fuck when he got home, and I couldn't have another man's scent on me.

Just as I got in and out of the shower, Wallace was making his way in the front door. I breathed a sigh of relief, knowing I barely escaped an altercation. I jumped right into baby-I'm-glad-you-home mode. He didn't suspect a thing, or at least, he wasn't giving off any vibes like he knew something.

“Hey, Wallace, baby.” I walked up to him as I walked out of the bathroom and down the hall to the foyer where he was placing his keys and another duffle bag. “My baby is tired?” I cooed slyly as he embraced me face to face. I pecked small kisses on his neatly groomed face.

“Umm, baby,” he moaned. “That's what I like to come home to.”

I sashayed away and let him get a good look at what he was missing all day. “Baby, if you get in the shower, by the time you get out, I'll have dinner ready for you, and then we can have some dessert by the fire.”

“Sure, baby boy.” Wallace slapped me on the ass as he walked by and went into the bathroom to start the shower.

I walked into the kitchen and grabbed two steaks out of the freezer, seasoned them, and threw them on our jumbo George Foreman Grill. I preheated the oven and then grabbed some pre-cut red potatoes out of the refrigerator and threw them in the oven, along with some green beans from a can. Wallace liked to take long showers, about twenty to twenty-five minutes, so I knew I had some time to make sure everything was hot for him, including me.

About fifteen minutes into preparing the meal, my cell phone began to ring. I looked at the caller ID, not prepared to talk to who was calling. I didn't not want to; I just wanted privacy when I did. I hesitantly pushed the talk button and answered the call.

“Hello,” I said, adding a chipper, upbeat spark to my voice. Again, I didn't not want to talk to her. I was still shook from the news that she gave me about her sickness. I was ecstatic to hear her voice again, sick and all. I cleared my throat and spoke again. “Hey, Ma!”

“How's Mama's baby?” She coughed a couple of times.

Tears flowed from my eyes freely as the realization hit me again that she wasn't going to be around forever.

“Now, I thought you said you were going to call me back.” She sounded a little heartbroken.

“Oh, ah, Ma, I've been meaning to call you,” I said, cowering like a little boy.

I was fumbling with various things in the kitchen as I tried to keep my composure. I wasn't strong when it came to sickness and death.

“I'm sorry, Ma. I-I-I'm just trying to adjust to the news you gave me. I'm trying to come and see you. As soon as I get some stuff straight over here, I'm going to fly right out to be with you until, well, you know.”

I couldn't even say it. She was dying, and I was worried about how I was going to feel. I gagged a couple of times, holding back vomit, because I had just pictured her in her casket. Cold, stiff, and dead. I wasn't ready to bury her or give her back to God.

In the few seconds of silence on the phone, I prayed to God to have mercy and spare my mama. I didn't pray much, but it was necessary for this situation.

“Baby, Mama lived her life. God has been good to me. It's just my time to go.”

It was like she was dying right there on the phone.

“Mama, no!” I almost screamed. Tears and snot flowed freely. I was losing it I couldn't help but think this was payback for my malicious ways. This was the ultimate price. “You hold on, Mama. I'll be there soon. Real soon.”

“I will, baby. Mama will.” She hacked a couple more coughs. “Jerry, I'm over that. You never told me why you were locked up all them years.”

I'd never really told my mother what had happened and why I'd ended up in jail for ten years. She had called me several times in jail and tried to pry it out of me, but I would immediately change the subject or fake like someone else urgently needed to use the phone. I just didn't think she could handle the truth. I was off the chain ever since I'd come to Maryland from California and still couldn't bring myself to let her know all about my life over here.

“I'm sorry, Mama. It's just complicated. Let's just say, I got mixed up with the wrong people, and things didn't work out for the best. I really don't want to bore you with the details. They're not flattering, but I'm better now. I have someone in my life that treats me right, and I'm looking forward to you meeting them really soon.”

“So my baby found himself a man.”

My mouth hit the floor. How did she know? “Huh?” was all that came out of my mouth.

“Yes, Mama knows.” She giggled a little. “Jerry, you're my only baby. I know you inside and out. Make sure he loves you and you love him. Mama, don't believe in that type of livin', but you are my baby, and I love you, no matter what. That's all I am going to say about it.”

“So, Mama…how is the family? Like Aunt Berta and them?”

“Oh, they fine, baby.” She laughed. “They still crazy as ever, fighting and cussing and getting into all manners of trouble. Which reminds me, that crazy cousin of yours, Sherry, came by here with some cute little boy about three months ago asking about when you got out. She said she wanted to find out because she missed you and wanted to spend some time with you. She stayed with me for a week or so because she said she wanted to spend some time with me. She kept making phone calls all the time, blowing up Mama's phone and eating up my food, so I told her she had to go. I loved that little boy, but she was a pain in the butt.”

“Ummm, did y'all ever talk about me or anything?” I asked, trying not to be obvious.

“Only when she asked me about where you were going to live and all that. I told her I didn't know where you were going to live, but I gave her your number instead. I knew you told her to stay away when she called you.” Mama chuckled. “On her last day here, she asked me for some money to get her and the little boy back to Maryland. I went into my stash and gave her five hundred dollars and told her to never come back. She even had the nerve to tell me that that wasn‘t enough. That's when Sophie came out for a visit.” She chuckled to herself.