Color of Deception (8 page)

Chapter 19

After finding the nearest parking space in the lot closest to the entrance and parking, James and Rachel jumped out of the car and sprinted toward the entrance of the building. James held the door open for Rachel and she eagerly went through walking toward the female officer sitting at the front desk behind a window. James walked up behind Rachel as she tapped anxiously on the glass to get the officer’s attention. The female officer, identified as Officer Wade from her badge, hung up the phone and turned in her seat to face the two citizens standing before her.

“We need to report an attack on a co-worker,” Rachel blurted out.

“What type of attack?” Officer Wade asked taking on a serious tone while retrieving a pen and Report pad from the desk drawer.

“She was attacked a couple days ago at work by a group of women; afterwards she went into premature labor and …” Rachel started to choke on her words before she could finish explaining what happened to Carlisha causing a bitter wave of sorrow to wash over her again. James had one of his hands on her shoulder as a friendly gesture of support, giving her shoulder a little squeeze.

Officer Wade face turned from serious to sympathetic. “I’m so sorry to hear that,” she said sincerely, looking at the tears welled up in Rachel’s eyes. “But first I need to get your information and more information about what exactly happened.”

“Can this person be charged with murder?” Rachel wiped the tears that fell from her eyes.

“Murder? I thought we were talking about an attack,” Officer Wade stated.

“Yes – but because of the attack our friend died after prematurely giving birth to her son,” Rachel responded.

“I’m sorry, what are your names?”

“Rachel Stevens.”

“James Cooper.”

“Okay Ms. Stevens and Mr. Cooper,” Officer Wade stood to her feet while another officer answered the ringing phone. “I can write a report for the attack and we can conduct an investigation regarding that, the cause of your friend’s death however has to be proven by a medical professional. You can’t just assume she died because of the attack.”

“I was right there Officer when Carlisha was attacked, she was violently hit in her face which sent her falling hard to the floor,” James interjected.

“Again – I can write up the report and we can conduct an investigation, but, again, the cause of death has to be proven by a medical professional. Please come around to this door and we can start with the report.” Officer Wade pointed to a door to the left of the reception desk.

“How soon can an investigation get started?” James asked after Officer Wade opened up the security door for them to enter.

“As soon as you give me all the information you have regarding what happened to your friend.”

Chapter 20

Pete carried a large box, as he made his way down a long corridor. He was in a hurry and entirely too disengaged to bother opening the box and take its contents out after he had left the department store just an hour earlier. He was allowed through a glass sliding door after ringing the buzzer. After he’d reached his limit of unrestricted entry, the box slid from his hands with a thud to the floor.

“How may I assist you sir?” A lady asked eyeing Pete questionably then looking over to the large box near his feet.

“I’m here to pick up the baby,” Pete struggled to speak.
Have I went and lost my complete mind, picking up a newborn baby?
He questioned his sanity.

“Sir we have multiple babies here, which exactly are you referring to? What is the name of mom?” The nurse began to get alarmed, wondering if she should call security for the crazy man standing in front of her.

Pete hesitated for a moment, contemplating whether or not he should just turn around and leave and act like he made a huge mistake, or pretend he was in fact the crazy man the nurse is assuming he is based on her facial expression. “Carlisha Mitchell was the mother, she died,” Pete said solemnly. It was still hard for him to believe that Carlisha really was gone – just like his wife.

“Oh, yes. Are you Peter Holmes?” The nurses face softened at the revelation of who he was and the circumstances surrounding his presence.

“Yes,” Pete pulled his wallet out of his pocket and retrieved his driver’s license to show the nurse.

After properly identifying Pete, the nurse looked down at the box Pete had carried in. “I’m afraid that is not the proper car seat for a newborn baby Mr. Holmes. What you have there is a toddler seat.”

Pete looked down at the box and cursed under his breath before looking back up into the nurse’s almond colored face. As if he wasn’t convinced enough he had no business taking care of a newborn baby. This pretty much proved it. “Exactly what kind of seat do I need?”

“An infant car seat; one that has a handle that allows you to carry the baby and easily get him in and out of a vehicle.” The nurse stepped back slightly and pulled a pamphlet from a tray. “Here, you want something similar to this. There’s a department store right around the corner, I’m sure they have some.”

Pete looked at the picture on the pamphlet the nurse was holding. He remembered seeing some car seats like that when he purchased the one boxed on the floor. But he didn’t know which was best and he didn’t bother to ask for help.
Damn I wonder if I got the right size diapers.
“What about formula, do you have a pamphlet for that too?”  He figured if he was actually going to talk himself into doing this, he best be prepared. Doubt still gripped him though, but Debra calling him out was like a bucket of cold water being splashed in his face. Then he thought –
what would Moriah do in this situation?
Which helped convince him that he needed to get Carlisha’s baby before he was left to the state. But damn if he knew that the hell he was doing!

“How about I give you a quick rundown of all you will need to take care a newborn baby.” She turned around and called out to a coworker. “Lisa, can you cover the front desk for a few minutes? Mr. Holmes is here to pick up Baby Mitchell but he needs a little assistance.”

“That’s fine,” Lisa cut in.

Pete slowly followed the nurse into a private room to get a quick lesson on how to take care of Carlisha’s baby. He still eyed the entrance, thinking of a way that he could back out of this terrible situation he knew he was getting into.

Chapter 21

Pete sat still staring at the sleeping dark mocha skinned baby before him. He was still strapped in his car seat that was placed on the sofa in Pete’s family room after they had arrived just fifteen minutes ago. Pete swore he just went and lost his complete mind – there was no way he was actually going to attempt to take care of a baby – a black baby. Just the thought of raising a baby wreaked havoc in his thoughts – but a black baby only enlarged his dilemma. He was afraid his bitterness would only swell having to take care of this innocent child. But as he stared at Carlisha’s son, the HATE he assumed would be there because of the color of the boy’s skin, had yet to surface.

He thought about how excited Moriah would be to have a baby in the house – she always gushed about babies – especially newborns. They both wanted to have children of their own or at least adopt – but the time hadn’t come and never would now that she was gone. Pete fought back a tear at the memory of Moriah.

The doorbell rang bringing Pete out of his thoughts. He looked toward the foyer, by the front door, and then back at the baby to make sure he was still sound asleep. He pushed himself off the couch and walked briskly to the door and swung it open without looking to see who it was first.

“You sorry bastard! They took the baby, they took Carlisha’s baby,” Debra cried, pounding viciously on Pete’s chest. Her red hair flew about her face as she pounded rapidly against his broad upper body. She didn’t care if she was hurting him. She didn’t care if what she was doing was considered an assault. She just thought how lucky he was that she didn’t have something greater to hurt him with than just her bare fists. When she called the hospital to check on the status of Carlisha’s baby, to make sure that he was still doing fine while she came up with a legitimate plan to get him out of the hospital, she felt like dying when they told her he was no longer there. Her head erupted with pain and anguish at the thought of Carlisha’s son being taken care of by strangers and then being placed into foster care. She knew once that happened it would be a difficult road for her getting any claims to him. She had cried a river, then exploded with rage as she drove like a maniac back over to Pete’s house for the second time that day. She didn’t even care if she had gotten pulled over by the police, at least being arrested would have saved her from committing murder – which she wanted to do to the man standing in front of her.

Pete grabbed both of Debra’s swinging hands to still her attack against his chest. He had to admit that he was a bit turned on, despite her anger. He certainly missed the companionship of a woman. But as soon as the thought came to mind, he began to feel guilty – as if he was betraying his wife. “Please calm down!” Pete snapped, hoping that the commotion didn’t wake the baby. So far he was doing well with a sleeping baby. He didn’t know what an awake baby would be like.

“Calm down, calm down – are you freaking kidding me? They took Carlisha’s baby and you’re just standing there like it’s nothing. How could you let this happen?”  She struggled to free her hands from Pete so she could strike him again.

Tears streaked Debra’s face. Pete was tempted to wipe them away with his thumb, but he thought against it.

“Who is
they
?”  Pete went along, still having a tight grip on Debra’s hands, as she squirmed to be set free. He thought about how beautiful she looked with her natural red hair cascading along her face and her cute freckles that he liked from the moment he first met her at the grocery store. He’d wanted to take her out on a date weeks ago, now here they were – her wanting to beat the life out of him. Yet he still found her utterly attractive, her feisty temper only increased his admiration for her. She must have been helluva friend to Carlisha to go through all of this.

“Social Services! I told you this would happen, you’ve got to go and get Carlisha’s baby…” she cried. She’d given up. She didn’t have the strength to fight any longer.

Pete looked at Debra sympathetically, then turned his ear toward the inside of the house, as they still stood in the doorway. Pete swore he heard a kitten meow. But he shook his head in disbelief.

“What is that?” Debra asked as she too heard the sound much stronger and clearer now, over her own cries.

Pete released her hands, turned and walked quickly back into the family room. There in the car seat, Carlisha’s baby cried out. Pete looked down at the little baby, unsure of what to do. He doubted he remembered how to unlock the car seat to get the baby out.

Debra stood awestruck behind him. “You have the baby?” she questioned staring right at the evidence. A smile washed over her face, what occurred moments ago immediately forgotten. She quickly walked over to the baby, unsnapped his car seat and gently rescued him from his confines. Pete watched mesmerized by her precise actions. She looked like a natural. He remembered Carlisha had mentioned that she didn’t have any children when he had questioned her about Debra. “I think he’s hungry. Did you buy him formula?” Debra rocked the baby gently against her chest. She turned and looked at Pete staring at her. They both smiled briefly when their eyes locked.

“Yes, I have some formula recommended by the nurse…” Pete trailed off walking toward the kitchen to go out to the garage to retrieve the formula, along with the diapers he quickly picked up from the department store after his tutorial with the nurse.

Moments later, he watched as Debra sat holding the baby, singing him a lullaby while giving him a bottle. Looking at Debra, and her resemblance to Moriah, caused his heart to ache. The picture before him – of a beautiful woman holding a newborn child, should’ve actually been that of his wife holding their baby. Anger started to creep in, as Pete was reminded yet again of what was taken away from him – a future with his wife and their unborn child.

Pete clenched his fists, shoving them deep in his jeans pocket. He was tired of his anger and the pain that he carried with him every day – but he felt helpless to control it. Taking it out on every black man made it easier. His anger had to be directed somewhere. It was a black man after all that crashed into his wife taking her life. Had the man not died of a heart attack, Pete swore he probably would have killed him himself. Someone else had to feel the daily aguish he endured.

“What are you going to name him?” Debra asked in almost a whisper as the baby, after being burped, was drifting back to sleep in her arms.

Pete looked at her blankly, then at the baby – he was still waiting for the anger to appear that he knew would be there because of the color of the newborn’s skin. Nothing. He felt relieved. “I don’t know.” He continued to stand watching them a couple steps away by the entryway between the kitchen and family room. His shoulder pressed against the wall.

“What name do you think of when you look at him,” Debra lifted her eyes to look directly at Pete. Suddenly she felt like she was seeing him for the first time. His dark blue eyes were mesmerizing. He had a full head of hair that made him look younger, like maybe in his late thirties, if it wasn’t for the hint of gray streaks that belied this thought.
Wow, he is a good looking man.
She was surprised she hadn’t really paid attention to that before.
Maybe because he pisses you off
, she reminded herself.

“Debra, I don’t have a name for the baby. Why don’t you do the honors? It will be needed for his birth certificate – the nurse made that very clear before I left.” He suddenly realized that he liked the sound of her name rolling off his tongue.
Debra
.

“Really?” She looked at him in disbelief.

Pete nodded his approval.

Debra looked down at Carlisha’s precious son sleeping in her arms. She was in love with the baby already – and it didn’t hurt that he already resembled his mother. “What about Carl Peter Mitchell?” She looked up at Pete still standing watching her and the baby. “Carl because it’s part of Carlisha’s name and Peter – well because you are his guardian now.”

Pete smiled softly. It was one of the first genuine smile he’d had since before his wife’s death. He was touched that Debra would even consider his name as part of the baby’s name after she’d called him every foul name in the book the last couple days, not to mention just a few minutes ago when she looked like she wanted to kill him with her bare hands. He had to smile at the memory of that too. The fact that another woman – other than his wife could make him feel this warm sensation shocked him a bit.

“I think that’s a nice name,” Pete answered.

“I think so too!”

“Would you mind watching Carl until I get back? Noah and Leah’s neighbor is donating a crib for the baby that I need to pick up.”

“Wow – I’m impressed Pete. Just this morning you didn’t want to have anything to do with the baby, now look at you buying diapers, formula and getting a crib.” Debra couldn’t hide her approval.
Maybe this jerk isn’t so bad after all.

“As a bastard I do tend to show my good side at times,” he smirked.

“I’m sor–”

“Please don’t say something you don’t mean. Besides – I really don’t know what I’m getting myself into. But you and Rachel were right – I need to do right by Carlisha, and my wife as a matter of fact, and this is a start.”

Debra nodded. “Okay. Well, I’ll be happy to watch Carl while you’re gone. And I meant what I said at the hospital after he was born – I want to help you any way I can with taking care of him.”

“Okay – I will hold you to it.” With that said he spun on his heels and headed toward the door to the garage.