Betrayed (31 page)

“I need to make a phone call, Shirley, and I promise I'll be out of your hair soon after that.”

Tired of the talk, Raphael walked to the front of the house—Shirley following right behind him. The living room was the color of egg yolk after it had been hardboiled and it was smaller than his office at work. There was a brown Kankelon couch with a patchwork quilt thrown over it to hide the springs that pushed from it, and a matching chair sat off to the side. Metal TV trays covered in brown and orange fall leaves on an eggshell-colored background served as coffee and end tables. Children's toys were littered throughout the room; however, the one luxury Shirley and her man afforded themselves was a thirty-two-inch plasma TV.

Raphael navigated through the toys on the floor to the window and peeked out of the blinds. “What street is this and what city are we in?”

“You are in trouble. Now look, I can't have no cops coming up in here. I'm doing you a favor, but if it has to do with the cops, you've got to G-O, go.”

“Do you have a car?”

“No car, but my boyfriend does. I take public transportation.”

“Okay, okay. Where are we?”

“You're in Durham, baby.” Shirley turned on the television. “Missy, Sissy, and Baby Boy, ya'll come on into the living room so me and this gentleman here can talk in the kitchen.”

Gravy and gummy rice stained their undershirts, but the motley group tumbled into the living room and began to play with their toys. “Okay, Raf, let's go in the kitchen. You've got to get going. You're wasting time.”

Raphael dialed Mimi and thanked God when he heard her frantic voice on the other end of the line.

“Where are you, Raphael?” Mimi shouted into the phone.

“Calm down, baby. You won't believe the night I've had. Victor had me at gunpoint; I just escaped.”

“What? Oh my God! Are you all right? Where are you? Where is Victor now?”

“Oh, my Lord!” Shirley hollered.

“Who was that, Raf?” Mimi wanted to know.

“This kind lady let me find refuge in her house. Victor was behind me, but I think I managed to dodge him. I've got to get out of here, baby.”

“You've got the car.”

“The car is another story. When I went to Brenda's house, I left the car unlocked. Victor must have been watching the house and saw me go inside. He was hiding in the backseat of the car when I got in. He pulled a gun on me…your gun…”

“Oh, God!” Mimi said. “Baby, did he hurt you?”

“No, but he made me drive to some neighborhood in Durham. And I had to leave the car after I knocked him down; it was the only way I was able to get away from him. Baby, you've got to help
me get away from here. I can't risk walking in this neighborhood because Victor may still be out there looking for me.”

“You can't stay here all night,” Shirley said in the background.

Raphael fished for his wallet and threw her another twenty.

“I'll see what we can work out,” Shirley said.

“Baby, I'll call John,” Mimi said on the other end of the line. “He'll help us. Give me the address so we can find you.”

“Shirley, what's your address?”

“Who wants to know?”

“My wife, so she can get me out of here before your boyfriend comes home.”

“Okay, okay. It's 555…hold on a minute. Missy, Sissy, and Baby Boy, shut that noise up in there. I can't hear myself think. Okay, let's try this again. It's 555 Dunbar Street.”

Raphael repeated Shirley's address to Mimi. “Hold on, baby. I think I hear sirens.”

In two giant steps, Raphael moved to the window in the living room, waddled through the children's toys, and pulled back a corner of the blinds. Red and blue lights streaked by, sitting on top of three or four patrol cars whose sirens pierced the night.

“Let me have a look,” Shirley said. “Lawd, here comes a fire truck. Must be bad.”

Raphael drew the cell phone to his mouth. “Something has happened, Mimi. I saw several patrol cars and a fire truck pass by. If I had just stayed my behind at the hospital, I wouldn't be in this predicament.”

“It's water under the bridge now. I'll call you back once I find John.”

“Hurry.” Raphael hung up the phone.

“She better make it fast,” Shirley said. “My boyfriend will be home soon.”

“You ain't getting any more money, Shirley.”

M
imi ended her phone call with Raphael and breathed a sigh of relief, although she shook her head in disbelief. It was hard to fathom that her coming back to Durham had caused so much hurt and pain. Hindsight was twenty-twenty.

She walked back into Afrika's room to check on her; she was still asleep. The room was quiet and still; the only movement came from the monitor that recorded Afrika's vitals. Mimi leaned over the bed and pulled the thin spread up to her shoulders. She patted Afrika's head and said a prayer. Mimi thanked God for her family, specifically that Afrika was going to be all right and that Raphael was safe.

Taking one last look, Mimi slipped from the room and dialed John's number. The night nurse gave her a smile and went back to her paperwork that was spread out on her desk. Mimi walked down the hallway and prayed that John would answer his cell. Just as she was about to hang up, she heard John's groggy voice.

“Hel-lo,” John said almost in a whisper.

“John, this is Mimi. I need your help.”

“What is it, Mimi?” John asked, his voice more alert, no doubt sensing the stress in Mimi's voice.

“It's late, but I need a real big favor. Raphael is in trouble. He was kidnapped by Victor at gunpoint tonight, but he was able to escape.”

“How in the world did Victor kidnap Raphael?”

“I don't know the whole sordid story, but I do know that my husband is hiding out in some woman's house who, thank God, happened to be in the right place at the right time when Raf was trying to get away from Victor. I have to go get him and bring him home. I have an address.”

“Your husband is high-maintenance, Mimi, if I may say so. Ever since he rolled into town, it's been one thing or another. He's got some serious issues.”

“Say what you will about Raphael, but he's a good, kind, caring, decent man. Some of what he's going through is my fault, but right now John, my priority is getting my husband out of harm's way.”

“Where's your car?”

“That's part of the long story. Raphael was in it when Victor surprised him.”

“Damn.”

“You're right. Can you help?”

“Look, Mimi. This might be too dangerous for you. Afrika is going to need at least one parent at her disposal. It may take less time if I just go and get him.”

“John, pick me up. I'm going with you. End of conversation.”

“I'll be there in twenty or thirty minutes.”

“Hurry, I'll be waiting.”

C
HAOS MET
J
OHN AND
M
IMI AS THEY CRUISED DOWN THE STREET
, looking for the address Raphael had given them. Not wanting to bring attention to themselves by driving into a neighborhood that was notorious for drugs, John chose to drive his beat up Nissan, which didn't have GPS. Several groups of people walked in their direction as if they had come out of a revival meeting, talking amongst themselves and rehashing a poignant point the
minister made that had them in a tranquil mood; although the hour was nearly one in the morning.

“An awful lot of folks out in the hood at this time of night,” John said, driving slowly.

“Raphael said something about police cars and a fire truck passing by while he was talking with me.”

“Umm, must have been some fire.”

“There it is, John,” Mimi said, pointing to a weather-beaten A-frame wood house.

“Raphael must've been some kind of scared to stop off here. Go ahead and call and let him know we're out here, in case Victor is still lurking around. He might be watching from that crowd in front us.”

“You're right.”

Mimi took out her cell phone and dialed Raphael who picked up on the first ring.

“Baby, we're parked outside but not in front of the house,” Mimi said. “John is driving a dark blue Nissan. When we see you, he'll blink the headlights two times. We're taking precautions in the event Victor is somewhere nearby. Do you know what all the commotion is about?”

“No. Shirley, the lady who lives here, went to the corner to see if she could find out. I've got to wait until she gets back because she left her three little kids in here.”

“Well, we can't wait forever. We're putting our behinds on the line being over here.”

“I know, baby. But what was I going to say after the lady let me hide from the enemy?”

“I see someone heading this way. They look like they're in a hurry,” Mimi said, excited.

“Hold on, let me peek out of the window.” Raphael held a
corner of the blind but couldn't see anyone. “Mimi, I didn't see anyone.”

“Whoever it was went between the house…”

“They found a dead man near the railroad tracks on the next street over,” Shirley said upon entering the house, huffing and puffing. “People down at the corner there whispering, talking about they heard some shots. Look, I don't know if you're hooked up with that man, but you got to go. Can't have no criminals in my house; even though you seem like a nice man. Don't worry about me; I won't say a word. I can promise you that.”

“All right, I'll leave now. But I had nothing to do with anybody getting shot, Shirley. I was the one being pursued.”

“Whatever, mister, it's time. Don't look like my man coming home tonight, but you can't stay here no more.”

“Well, thank you for your hospitality,” Raphael said as he shook Shirley's hand and high-tailed it out of the door.

“You can always come back on a better day!” Shirley hollered. “I can throws down in the kitchen and the bedroom, too. You know the address.” Then Shirley shut the door.

Raphael picked up the phone and could hear Mimi laughing. “It's not a laughing matter, Mimi. I'm coming out to the sidewalk.” Raphael clicked the phone off and inched his way from the side of the house to the sidewalk. Looking left, he could see people milling about, and to the right he saw the headlights blink—one, two. Risking everything, he ran like his pants were on fire.

Reaching the car, Raphael jumped in and John pulled away from the curb, making a U-turn.

“Let's get the hell out of here. Someone was killed tonight.”

D
aybreak ushered in a beautiful sunrise. Brenda lay face up in bed, her eyes focused on the oak ceiling fan that looked like a gigantic upside down palm in the middle of nowhere. Her mind raced and then drifted in a thousand directions as the events of yesterday descended upon her like an instant replay.

Her heart ached for Asia and Trevor having to hear that the father they adored—at least for most of their lives—had been unfaithful and had fathered Asia's best friend, Afrika…their sister. Brenda wasn't sure what would become of the friendship, but by all accounts, it was now strained. And her brain moved to the next stop.

The gall of Mimi's husband, showing up on her doorstep in an attempt to try and find Victor. Who in the world did he think he was…the President of the United States? Did he really think he was going to come into her home, Victor's home, and do bodily harm? He had some nerve, but Brenda also admired him because he had the backbone to stand up and confront the enemy…to protect his family in the face of conflict.

It was time to rise and Brenda sat up, bringing her legs over the side of the bed. In a circular motion, she rolled her head to one side and then the other, finally stretching her arms upwards. Then she stiffened, her neck locked into place with her ears pointed in the direction she believed the slow sing-song melody flowed. There
it was again, but Brenda, now alert, recognized the tone of her doorbell.

“Trevor, are you up?” she called. There was no answer. Of course, he was up and gone to school. Although Asia had spent the night, she had probably left for campus, too. There was no need to call out to her. The doorbell rang once more.

Brenda looked back at the clock. It was eight thirty-one. Who in the world would be ringing her doorbell this early? Maybe Victor decided it was time to show his face, but she'd be damned if she was going to the door and let him in. He still had a key; however, the only way Victor would get through the door, even with a key, was if he crawled on all fours and begged.

There was silence. Brenda realized the doorbell had stopped ringing, but she heard voices. She sprung from the bed, grabbed the pink satin robe that lay at the foot of her bed, and tiptoed to the door. Asia was still here, but Brenda couldn't hear the conversation that was taking place downstairs.

“Nooooooooooooooooooooooo! Noooooooooooooooooooooo! Oh my God. Mother!”

Brenda wrapped her arms around her chest and began to shake. The blood-curdling scream paralyzed her and kept her from responding.

“Mother!” Asia screamed.

From the safety of her room, Brenda listened to Asia's screams. Dread and panic constricted her throat as images began to run rampant through her brain. Asia's screams could only mean bad news and the thought of what was at the core petrified Brenda.

Heavy footsteps pounded the stairs. “Motherrrrrrr!” Asia shouted again.

As if her strength returned with a quickness, Brenda jerked the door open. “What is all that screaming about?” Brenda inquired,
afraid to look into Asia's face, fearing the words that might fall from her mouth.

Wet from crying, Asia stood in front of her mother's bedroom door. She looked like a zombie who had awakened from a drug-overdosed stupor. Then Asia began to whimper and reached for Brenda. “Daddy…Daddy's dead,” Asia finally said, placing her hand over her pounding heart in an effort to calm down.