Deadly In Stilettos (11 page)

             
That did not sit too well with Demi. A few months into the engagement, when their friends started planning engagement parties for them, she informed Enry that once they were married she would still work but not as much, as well as be the perfect wife and mother to their children. Humiliated and embarrassed by Demi’s defiance, Enry flat out told her that if she could not abide by his terms, they would never make it. Later that evening, when they returned home from an engagement parties, he made it clear that if she did not do exactly what he wanted her to do, he would make her life disappear.

             
Demi did not appreciate being threatened, so when a new position with the retail chain she worked for opened up Las Vegas, she jumped at the chance to move away. Outraged by her disobedience and sudden relocation, Enry tried hard to ruin her character by slander. Some people believed the lies, while others didn’t.

             
Enry Williams almost destroyed her reputation. Demi would never let him forget it. He would pay for all the damage he’d caused in her life. Now with her reputation restored, after all her hard work to get her life back on track, Demi was more powerful than ever. He did not stand a chance against her. Somehow Demi knew deep down Enry knew it too. So, she was back in the Big Apple. She had fulfilled many of her dreams her, and had the time of her life with the perfect guy, and she had been forced to flee. Although she hated leaving New York, her life of independence was worth much more to her than it.

             
Whenever Demi visited, she prayed she wouldn’t run into anyone who knew Enry and knew about their former relationship. This time she would see many of her former so-called acquaintances, and she prepared herself for the worst. People never let things go. She was one of them. She knew all too well how holding onto the past could make your life miserable, until you did something about it.

             
Her cell phone rang, bringing her back to reality. “Hello,” she answered. The caller on the other end of the line did not say anything. “Hello,” she repeated. Still nothing was said. Just before she hung up, the person spoke, saying, “You will pay for what you have done. I will make sure you never see daylight again.”

             
Demi felt numb. Who was playing mind games with her? Whoever it was, he or she was about to get a rude taste of reality. Deminis Bradshaw was not afraid of anything or anyone, anymore. She would find out soon enough about the person making these threats, and he or she would think twice about messing with her by paying with their life. Before Demi got a chance to respond, the caller hung up.

             
Next time she would be ready. She bought a tracking device and tucked it into her suitcase, for someone else, so she couldn’t wait to use it. All she had to do was connect the device to her phone, and she would have the name of the caller and their location in a matter of minutes. She immediately pulled out the tracking device, opened the back of her cell phone and placed the chip inside the phone. Testing the equipment, Demi dialed her house number. Within minutes she knew her own information, even down to her street address. The device was almost scary. She would never have to use the Internet again to find anyone. All she needed was a phone number and viola, she had the information.

             
Deciding to check her home messages, Demi pressed in the four-digit code. The first message was from Sidney asking her to call her as soon as possible. The second was from the Dallas police department, asking that she please contact them at her earliest convenience. The last one was from Makei. She gasped, holding her chest. That couldn’t be right. Makei was dead. She had seen him die. She saw the weight on his chest and the blood running from his mouth. Someone was truly playing tricks on her. Replaying the message, Demi realized he had called the day before he died. The content of the message sent a chill down her spine.

             
“Hello, Demi, this is Makei. I know it’s been a long time but I needed to talk with you. I just want to tell you that I really enjoyed seeing you today. You did not see me, but

I saw you getting a cab from the airport. I know it’s probably too late to apologize for the way things ended between us, but I am truly sor
ry for hurting you. I was being blackmailed and had to play along with the person behind the game or they would have hurt you. I could never allow anything to happen to you, but I was a coward. I should have fought harder to protect you no matter what. I know you hate me, but I am still deeply in love with you. I hope to see and talk with you again soon to explain everything to you in person. But, if we never get that chance, just know that I regret ever hurting you. The woman in the shower meant nothing to me. I hate myself for losing you. I should have tried to tell you long before now. I’m truly sorry. Take care, Demi, and if we never speak again, you are the only woman that I have ever loved, cherished, adored, and fell head over heels for. You fulfill me. I will love you until the end of time. Good-bye for now.”

             
The phone beeped, signaling the message was over. Demi was speechless. She played the message several times before she saved it. Her heart was heavy. What had she done?

             
Falling back against the hotel wall, Demi cried out loud, holding herself tightly. What had she done? Makei was dead when all he wanted to do was love her and protect her. Why had she taken so long to check her home messages?  He would still be alive and they could be happy again. Demi slid down the length of the wall, sobbing. She was an emotional wreck, saddened by how she still loved the man she recently killed for hurting her, and all he had been trying to do was protect her.

             
Yes, she still loved Makei, but he hurt her. Why hadn’t he told her about what happened while they were having dinner? Why hadn’t she asked him again? All the emotions she tried to keep inside rushed at her all at once. Demi rocked back and forth, unable to get up off the floor. The man she still loved and wanted to spend the rest of her life with was now dead, and it was all her fault.
‘
Maybe the list was a bad idea
’
. She shook that thought away. All of the other people on the list deserved just what they had coming to them, or received. Makei should have never been on that list. When she first written his name down, Demi felt a leap in her soul, letting her know that she still loved him, but she ignored the feeling. If only he had explained. Demi allowed her sadness and the endless tears to carry her away. The pain she felt in that moment outweighed any that she ever experienced. Now her rage against Enry and the others was deeper than before.

At last,
after hours of crying Demi wiped her eyes and pulled herself together. She held on to the wall as she got up. It was well after dark now and she had not eaten anything all day. Her stomach talked to her, signaling she needed food. Calling room service, Demi ordered a lobster and New York strip steak, medium, for dinner. The minibar was well supplied, and she still had the complimentary champagne from her arrival. She poured herself a glass, drained it, and then refilled it. By the time room service finally arrived with her order, she was a bit calmer.

             
The lobster and steak were cooked perfectly. The steak melted in her mouth like butter. The lobster was fresh and possibly the best she had ever tasted, or maybe she was just that famished. After she finished her dinner and emptied the bottle of champagne, Demi took a long, hot shower and climbed into bed for some much-needed slumber.

             
The next day she felt better, yet still upset about Makei. Demi could never take back what she done, but she wanted to make sure she acknowledged his death in some way. She had to find out what funeral arrangements had been made, but right now she had to get to an important meeting. She took a cab a few blocks south for her meeting at Saks. Although she worked for another major department store chain, Demi always left her options opens. Saks’ reputation spoke for itself. She loved her career and broadening her horizons was always a plus.

             
Once she finished her meeting at Saks, Demi went on to another meeting with several local designers. After that, her day was free, so she could get her plan in motion. From an old friend, Demi learned that Enry would be in court all day. Then he would be having dinner at the Mandrake with his current flame. He didn’t keep a woman longer than a few months, if that long, she learned. Typical Enry, she thought. When she first met him, he always seemed to have a different piece of eye-candy on his arm, as he referred to the shallow, money- hungry, attention-seeking women he dated.

             
Demi had not expected Enry to be celibate, considering his lifestyle, so why did it bother her when she found out he was seeing someone? Even though her mind was on Makei, she still felt an attraction or connection to Enry. After all, he had once been her fiancé. They had fun times together. He used to make her laugh even when she didn’t want to, and that was something not many people knew how to do.

             
Demi’s second meeting went as well as the first. Her hard work was paying off tremendously. Her mother and aunt would be so proud. Why did God punish her? Why could she not have the life that so many others had? She would have loved to have grown up in a home with two parents, who loved each other, while loving and caring for her. Maybe in another life she lived that perfect life, but in her reality, she was far from it.

             
Back at the hotel, Demi decided to call the Dallas police department. If she did not talk with them soon, they might make her a suspect in the death of her father. She also needed to call her friend Tabitha, since she had not spoken with her when she arrived the previous day. She knew that that conversation wouldn’t go so well. Tabitha was sure to be upset when she found out that Demi had been in New York for almost a full day without contacting her. They had been friends for many years, and Tabitha was always there for Demi.

             
After being transferred from one person to another at the police precinct, Demi started to get irritated. They called her, so why should she have to wait on someone to take her call? She almost hung up, but then was finally directed to the right extension. She spoke with a Detective Stanley. He information her that her father had been found dead in his bedroom, his death ruled an accident, with blood alcohol level twice the legal limit. But then they received a tip a few days ago: someone had seen another person leaving his house the night he died.

             
Demi did not know what to say. She had been so careful, but someone saw her. Did that person know it was her and was just playing mind games with her to make her turn herself in to the police? Now the recent phone call from the strange person made sense. Someone definitely knew something. Demi just had to find out just how much.

             
After explaining her failed relationship with her father and her whereabouts at the time of his death, Demi reluctantly gave the detective her cell phone number so he could call her if the investigation progressed any further. The detective asked her to call if she thought of anyone who might want to hurt her father. She knew nothing about her father’s life, she told the detective, and therefore just wanted to be left alone.

             
The detective was silent at first, but then he promised to update her on any valuable information. Demi didn’t care one way or the other, and she told the detection just that
.
‘Detective Stanleyhad better watch out’
,
she thought
,
‘or his name would be added to the list.
’
  

             
“If you were in my shoes, detective, you would behave the same as I. My father did not want to have anything to do with me. He made that very clear by sending me to live with my aunt, who is now deceased. See, now I have no one to visit at Christmas, detective, to call on birthdays, or just call to say hello, detective. Please excuse me if I do not seem the least bit concerned about my father or what happened to him. I will always love him because he gave me life, but other than that, he meant nothing to me. I did not know any of his friends or business associates. Just leave me along. I have a very busy life, detective, and I intend to keep it that way. Now, detective Stanley, you have a nice day. If you learn of anything you feel I should know, feel free to call. Or don’t. Either way, I am perfectly okay with that. I really do have to go, detective.”

             
Before he could say another word, Demi disconnected the call. She balled her eyes out just thinking that she and her father would never get the chance they deserved as father and daughter. It was too late now, she told herself. She couldn’t turn back the hands of time and wasn’t sure she would if she could have.

             
Detective Stanley did not by that Deminis Bradshaw did not care for her father. In fact, he would have bet money that she was grieving tremendously right at that moment. He wanted to meet her face-to-face, but that would have to wait. One of his best friends had been killed in Chicago, and he had to go leave for the funeral. He still didn’t believe his friend Troy was gone. When his cousin called to tell him, he refused to believe it and still did. But as it turned out, it was indeed true. Troy Dunbar was dead.