Color of Deception (10 page)

Chapter 27

Porsha Smith’s heart erupted with fear when she heard the judge set her bail at five hundred thousand dollars. That was the best her public defender could do – at least if she could get the down payment for the bail she wouldn’t have to spend time in jail awaiting the trial. The charge was ridiculous – involuntary manslaughter because her attack on Carlisha resulted in her death. She did go to Carlisha to confront her about sleeping with her husband. And, yes, she did smack the heck out of her – but killing her was not her intention. There was no way in hell she was going to jail for that. She tried to get her racing heart to calm down as she was being led out of the court room to be taken back to jail.

Roger watched in shock as his wife was carried away in handcuffs.

Porsha was arrested when she had arrived home two nights ago after she’d left her job at the hair salon and went to her mother’s house to pick up the kids and have dinner. Two plain clothes detectives approached her as she was cussing at the kids to get out of the Dodge Charger. Her youngest had spilled grape soda all over the floor that had sent Porsha into a rage. She had just recently pressured – rather
threatened
, Roger to buy her the new car, which she had only had for three weeks. Porsha had already slipped off one of the red flats she was wearing preparing to whip her five-year-old daughter’s butt for being so careless with the soda. Porsha’s eyes widened with shock when she saw the two men striding purposely toward her. She automatically thought they were Child Protective Services – then she wondered how in the world someone could have reported her so quickly. She knew her noisy neighbor had threatened to call Child Protective Services before when the kids were playing outside in the street unsupervised. After Porsha had cussed the old lady out she was certain the old bat wouldn’t dare bother her and her children again. But when the men flashed their badges her fear of losing her rotten kids was replaced with possibly losing her deadbeat, sorry-excuse-for-a-man, husband. Then she realized it was worse – they had a warrant for
her
arrest. She couldn’t believe she was being arrested in the front of her children, in front of her home. Just another damn reason for her lousy neighbors to be talking trash about her behind her back. Roger flew outside the house when he heard the commotion. The kids where crying and Porsha had released her entire arsenal of ghetto verbiage as she told the detectives all about themselves for arresting her. She was kicking and screaming like some possessed demon – which Roger was convinced she was – and probably even the detectives after her act. Roger almost felt sorry for her. Almost. When he heard the reason for her arrest his expression was blank.

Pete, Rachel, Debra and James along with some of the other co-workers Pete allowed to attend the hearing began to file out of the courtroom that late morning. Rachel’s parents, Leah and Noah, were at Pete’s house taking care of Carl.

“Finally Carlisha is going to get justice for what was done to her,” James spoke breaking their silence as they all walked out of the main building of Prince George’s County Court House into the bright sunlight. He’d been beating himself up for not calling the police immediately after Carlisha was attacked by Porsha. He should have called, even though Carlisha told him not to. And he felt he should have insisted that she went to the doctor. Heck if he had known she was pregnant he would have carried her to the hospital in his arms if he had to. Since what happened to Carlisha he’d been even more protective of his wife, Kim, who was in the first trimester of pregnancy. But Carlisha was gone and James couldn’t help but feel he could’ve have done something to help her.

“Yes!” Rachel agreed.

“Do you guys think that the charges will stick? I mean Mrs. Smith’s lawyer did state that it would be difficult to prove that her attack on Carlisha was the main cause of her death,” Debra said soberly as they all gathered away from the front entrance of the court house.

Pete had been silent during the entire hearing. When he told Rachel and James they could go and pursue their information on Carlisha being attacked, he meant it when he said he didn’t want to have anything to do with it. His life was complicated enough. He didn’t want to deal with any more stress and heartache. But if that woman he saw in the court this morning maliciously caused Carlisha’s death and left her son an orphan – he hoped that she would rot in jail.

“We’ll just have to wait and see. But if she is the reason for Carlisha’s death, I hope she goes to jail for what she’d done,” Pete said softly.

Everyone simultaneously nodded their heads in agreement, then they dispersed to their vehicles to leave.

**KC**

“You better find me a better damn lawyer,” Porsha hissed through gritted teeth.

Roger looked at her angry face as he was given a brief moment to speak to her before she was carried back to her cell. They sat face to face in a small room separated by a mirror. For the life of him he couldn’t understand why the heck he was even there. Why didn’t he just take the opportunity to leave her sorry behind? But he knew why – and so did she, unfortunately.

“I’m working on it, but it’s not that easy. Lawyers cost money and if you haven’t forgotten we don’t have any, especially after putting a down payment on your new car,” he hissed back, trying so hard to remain calm and not get tempted to break the multi-layered glass that separated them and strangle the life out of her. He didn’t know he could hate a person so much.

“Well you better try a little harder or need I remind you as to why your best effort in my regard is of utmost importance to you?” Porsha slyly spoke with great sophistication. She knew how to be ghetto as all get out and how to put on the bougie charm if necessary. “And you need to pay the down payment to get me out of here. No way in hell am I going to spend another night in this hell hole!”

Roger rubbed his hands down his dark trousers as his long legs stretched in front of him. He waited a moment to put a handle on his anger, before he too was arrested. Roger sat back further in the uncomfortable chair and said, “I’ll have to get rid of your car and that still won’t even come close –”

“Like hell!” Porsha said sternly, trying her damndest not to be loud and have to end her meeting with Roger earlier than needed.

As Roger looked at her, she looked so innocent with her natural, shoulder length hair parted down the middle with two plaits on either side of her head. But he knew differently.
Innocent was never a word used to describe her. Not even as a child.

“I have to find fifty freaking thousand dollars in order to make your bail – how the hell else do you propose I get it Porsha? Unfortunately, you’re locked up so you won’t be able to screw the money from one of your Johns.” Roger stared at her fiercely. He hated her, hated her with passion. A passion so fierce he wouldn’t freak if steam came piping through his ears at any minute. And if he had to pay for what he’d done – then so be it. He was tired of being her puppet.

“I should have known I wouldn’t have been able to depend on your sorry behind!” Porsha shot a deadly look at the man she had been married to for six years. “But let’s be clear, I will be making bail and you best have my house and car ready for me when I return home –
sweetheart
.” Porsha stood up abruptly and walked over to the door to let the guard know she was ready to leave.

Roger sat and watched as she left. He regretted the very day he ever laid eyes on her – May 6, 1998. The worst day of his life! Burning in hell couldn’t be any worse.

Chapter 28

Debra quietly tiptoed up the stairs and into the nursery carrying a plump, sleeping Carl. They just returned from Babies R Us where Debra went to stock up on diapers and wipes. She had coupons for a sale and went crazy buying sizes two and three diapers. She carefully placed Carl in his crib, flipped on the baby monitor then turned to walk quietly out of the room. Not before bending over and giving the one-month old joy of her life a kiss on his forehead.

As she walked past Pete’s bedroom to head back downstairs, she heard a faint sound coming through the slightly open door. She stopped and knocked. “Pete, are you in there?” Silence. Then she heard the faint sound again. Curious, she pushed the door open wider and stepped in the bedroom. “Pete?” After she walked in further, she saw Pete sitting in a chair in the corner of the room holding something in his hands with his head bent over it.

Pete lifted his head slowly when he sensed her presence in the room. His eyes were bloodshot with tears peddling down his face. He didn’t care what he must have looked like to Debra as she silently appraised him. He was in pain and turmoil and today of all days he just couldn’t fake that he had it all together.

Debra was immediately struck with grief at the sight of him. She’d never seen him in such a state. She wondered what could’ve have possibly caused him to be in such anguish.

“Oh Pete,” she said walking toward him. As she grew closer, she noticed that he was holding an eight by ten picture of his wife.

“Today is her birthday,” Pete looked back down at Moriah’s picture in his hand. “She would’ve turned forty-three today.”

Stricken by the need she felt to comfort him, Debra knelt down in front of him and cautiously placed her hands on either side of his arms. “I’m so sorry for your loss. She was beautiful!”

Pete smiled softly for the first time all day. He immediately realized how just the presence of Debra made him feel a little bit better. “Yes, she was a knock out. I never ceased to remind her of that every day.”

“I bet she’s even more beautiful in heaven,” Debra said softly, looking at him after he drew his attention from Moriah’s photo to her sincere face.

The photo softly slipped from Pete’s hand as he drew nearer to possessively cover his lips over Debra’s. He’d expected her to recoil and perhaps slap him across the face for his forwardness, but it seemed she eagerly awaited his kiss. The contact of their mouths was electrifying and startling to them both at the same time. Pete drew Debra nearer to him, feeling her full breasts pressed against his hard chest. Her orchard scent pleased his nostrils as he inhaled her while their tongues mated. When he drew his hand to slide down her back, Debra instantly pulled away like she was just struck by lightning.

“We shouldn’t be doing this,” she said, jumping to her feet. Pete stood with her.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have kissed you…”
Although I’ve wanted to since the day I first laid eyes on you.
His eyes, heavy with desire, looked at her lips, they were swollen from their kiss and it just made him want to swallow them up again.

“I’ve got to finish getting the diapers out of the car.” Debra turned to make her haste out of the room. Pete caught her by the arm stopping her retreat, again their contact sent shivers down her spine.
How could this man have this effect on me? Darn him!

“I can help.”

“No!” Debra replied too quickly, still trying to catch her breath from their earth shattering kiss. She wanted him, she wanted him badly and the reality of that scared the living daylights out of her. And if she didn’t leave the room immediately she wasn’t sure how her body would betray her next. “It’s okay. I can get it.”

Pete released her arm and silently watched as she escaped.

He bent down and picked up the smiling picture of his wife. “Happy birthday, sweetheart.” Pete touched the frame with two fingers as if he was actually touching his wife’s face. “Please don’t be upset with me if I decide to love again.”

Chapter 29

Roger stiffened when he felt Porsha’s presence in the kitchen. He was sitting at the breakfast table eating a bowl of cereal. He didn’t have to be at work until ten that morning. He’d hoped that she would’ve left to go to work at the salon. She had just returned from seeing the kids onto the bus for school, which Roger still couldn’t believe. She usually let the kids get up when they wanted and if by any chance they got up early enough to make the school bus, they walked out to the street corner themselves. Ever since she made bail a couple weeks ago, she had become the doting mother that Roger – and the kids, never saw her as. He almost convinced himself that she was possibly changed for the better with the case pending over her head. But he knew better than anyone what a wickedly good
actress
she was.

Her act, he was pretty much convinced of, helped her get some poor sucker to cough up fifty G’s to make her bail the same day her bail was set. He didn’t even want to know what promises she made to get the money. He wondered why the hell she didn’t just leave him and be with the Toms, Dicks and Harrys that always seemed to come to her aide. Why did she insist on torturing him by forcing him to be her husband? She obviously didn’t need him for money. Or sex. Which is why every time he did have momentary insanity and they did roll in the sheets he was sure to double strap to ward off any infections she may have brought home. Even though the sex was great, with her track record he wasn’t going to take any chances. He would not give her the satisfaction of getting him sick with a sexually transmitted disease so she could watch him suffer miserably. Living with her was traumatizing enough.

“Good morning sweetheart,” Porsha walked over and placed a soft kiss on Roger’s forehead. He placed the spoonful of cereal, he was about to place in his mouth, down in the bowl of milk and looked up at her as if she just lost her mind. “What? I can’t give my husband a kiss?” She sat down in the chair across from him. Roger still looked at her as if she was just a figment of his imagination. Her natural hair was two strand twisted and fell at her shoulders. She wore a light pink tank top and a multicolored maxi skirt with wedge sandals. He had to admit to himself that she was beautiful. But the devil came in many disguises.

Roger just watched her, waiting for the
real
Porsha to make her appearance. Her act always put him on edge because he never knew when she was going to strike. At least when she was Mrs. Bitchy he knew how to deal with her.

“Why didn’t you wait to eat so we could have breakfast together?” Porsha looked down at his bowl of cereal then back up to his face that was still dumbfounded. She admired his handsome face. He always kept his haircut fresh and although he worked as a mechanic, outside of work his physical appearance was always clean instead of looking grimy and greasy.

“Because that’s not something we do,” Roger finally spoke, then resumed eating his cereal.

“Well perhaps we should make it a new habit.” She got up from the table and retrieved a bowl out of the cupboard and a spoon then returned to the table to pour herself some Cheerios as Roger watched her suspiciously. “Pass the milk.” Although she found pleasure in seeing him squirm, he’d gotten under her skin over the course of their relationship, so that even though she could be with other men that could financially support her expensive taste, she enjoyed coming home to Roger. But she would never admit that to him. She loved having the upper hand in their marriage. That was why when she got the M. O. to trap him, she didn’t hesitate in threatening him to do her bidding. She may have been brought up on the bad side of town, but she believed in having a marriage and a happy home for her children – even if it was just a façade.

Roger pushed the carton of milk over to her.

“My new, highly recommended, case winning lawyer assured me that he doesn’t see this case going to trial. Even though I was seen on tape attacking your
mistress
, there’s no way of knowing for sure that my attack was a direct cause of her death.”
There she goes again speaking proper.
He finished with his cereal and pushed the bowl aside. “But since there isn’t anyone here that would use my words against me,” she looked up at Roger away from her breakfast. She pinned him with her eyes.

He sat up straighter at her words and looked at her directly.

“My intention was not to kill Carlisha – rather her bastard child.” She watched for his reaction.

Roger’s mouth flew open in shock as he watched the veil of evil cascade over her pretty face. Her eyes looked like the devil’s himself.

“Oh, I take it from the expression on your face you didn’t know that I knew she was pregnant,” Porsha pulled up a spoonful of Cheerios from the bowl and elegantly placed it in her mouth and chewed slowly to allow what she just said to sink into Roger’s thoughts.

“How did you know?” He looked perplexed.

“Hmm, I have my ways. However, what’s interesting about the whole thing is the fact that you told me where she worked. You’ve never come clean about one of your mistresses before.”

“I told you so you could get off my case. You were ranting and raving like a freaking maniac!” He said through gritted teeth.

“How convenient for you. But how I see it is, you wanted me to confront her because you knew I wasn’t going to hesitate to whop her tail! You wanted her to abort that baby.”

“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about Porsha. Don’t try to turn this case on me.” He jumped up from his seat staring down at her.

“Oh please, am I supposed to be afraid of you now?” She looked up at the rage scorching his face at her accusation. He wouldn’t dare lay a hand on her, she knew it and she always used it as her advantage. “Do sit down so we can finish our civilized conversation, dear.” She waved her hand toward his vacant seat.

“I’m not going to sit here and talk about this mess! I was wondering when your good girl act was going to fade.”

“Sweetheart, why are you being so harsh?” She smiled, softly pushing the empty bowl to the side. “Let’s not turn this into an argument. I just want us to have a conversation.”

“Enough of your act Porsha! What the hell kind of role are you playing today? Educated black woman? We both know that you didn’t graduate from high school because you were too busy majoring in BS! So if you’re going to talk to me at least be your got-damn ghetto self that we both know you thrive in being,” Roger exploded. He was tired of her act, tired of walking around on eggshells waiting for her to drop a bomb on him. He walked away from the table and paced back and forth in the kitchen.

Porsha eyed him viciously. “Your little mistress was educated, getting her college degree. I assumed that’s the type you like and with her being dead and all I figured I’ll do you a favor and pretend. But if you prefer me being a bitch – then bitch it is you lying piece of scum!”

Roger laughed, catching Porsha off guard. Even he was surprised by his outburst. But if he had to deal with
Dracuella
he preferred that it was on familiar grounds. “Better!”

“Whatever!” she snapped. “You set me up. You wanted Carlisha to lose that baby and there’s nothing you could say that could prove otherwise.”

Roger looked at her and with a lazy drawl he added, “You’ve lost your damn mind! You and your ghetto posse went over there looking for a fight. I didn’t make you hit her.”

“Yeah, but you knew I would and you hoped on it you bastard! Why, were you afraid little Miss Educated was going to hit you up for child support? I sure as hell know it wasn’t because you wanted to spare your dear wife’s feelings about the discovery of your bastard seed!” Porsha got up from the chair with her bowl in hand and threw it violently in the sink missing Roger by a few inches.

She continued to dig into his nerve, “I know with all that is happening people are starting to question whether or not you are the father of Carlisha’s baby, which you’ve been smart enough to deny. But perhaps he isn’t your son after all… Besides his new daddy seems to be doing a good job. The child is probably better off not having you in his life.” She drawled, loving every bit of misery it may be causing Roger with her words. She saw a flash of resentment in his eyes.

He shot her a disgusted look. “I don’t know why I put up with you, you’ve made my life a living hell since the day I met you.”

“The feelings mutual,” she cut him off, returning a disgusted grin at him. “And for the record, you never denied that I’m telling the truth about you wanting Carlisha to abort her baby. How do you think the police would take that type of news? Hmmmm?” she crossed her arms across her full breast.

“Well why don’t you call them to find out! But oh wait – you’re the one they’ve accused and have on tape, not me. And you just said you wanted to hurt her so she could lose the baby.”

“You’re right, you’re absolutely right about that.” She was unfazed by his gloating. “But there’s more about your criminal activity that would be of great interest to them, now wouldn’t it?” She laughed as if she was a wicked witch riding on a broom. “You know, I do like how I sound talking all educated and stuff, I may keep this act on for a while.” Porsha turned and stalked out of the kitchen not giving Roger the satisfaction of the last word. She knew he wouldn’t use her words against her. He was weak! All the years he’d allowed her to use him as her pawn and he hadn’t done a darn thing to stop her.