Tyriq offered her a cigarette...She waved it off...Jimmy asked her if she wanted a soda or water...She waved that off...She said something in spanish that neither of them understood...So they both sat quietly...
After what seemed like an eternity...Carlotta entered the room..
"Hola" said Carlotta.
"Hola" said Tonia...
The two of them began speaking to each other in Spanish..
So for Sissy, Duke, Sirena and Hop this was very interesting...Even though Carlotta has a heavy spanish accent..She speaks fluent english and except for me...None of them has ever really heard her speak her native spanish in full conversational mode...
I heard her speak Spanish when we were in Puerto-Rico together and when her sister Carmen or her cousin Mercedes calls her on the phone she speaks fluent Spanish with them...She tells me what they said for the most part...but I'll have to trust her...She could be telling me anything I thought.
"I understand some of what they are saying." said Hop.
"You do?" said Sirena ,smiling at her partner...
"Yeah...I'm part Latino...My dad is African-American and my Mom is Afro-Cuban....We spoke Spanish in my house and plus...I grew up down the street from Carlotta and was over her house every other day.And a lot of times..We were speaking Spanish." he said.
"That was my loss...I should have listened to them...I would've been happier a lot sooner...My prince was right there all along and I was wasting my time with soo many frogs." she said and kissed him again...
Sissy and Sirena both went- "Awwwwwwwwwwww.." Hop was once again very embarrassed.... Duke and I looked at him and just smiled...
Dr. Hazel Hunter joined us...She motioned to Sissy that she was going in the Fishbowl... She entered and whispered in Carlotta's ear...
"Carlotta told her that her fingerprints are on the two plastic bottles that the cyanide was in and that we have her on video tape changing into a maids uniform and delivering the cyanide laced meal...And that she is facing a charge or murder in the first degree and conspiracy to commit murder...She told Carlotta that she didn't mean to kill an innocent...She meant to kill Dr. Braga..." said Hop.
Tyriq passed her a pen and a piece of paper...Tonia began writing...Then she said something in Spanish that appeared to shock Carlotta...Carlotta's eyes got as large as saucers...She sat back down and began talking to her in detail..
Tyriq and Jimmy looked confused...Then Carlotta motioned for them to head for the doors....
Carlotta looked at us and said...
''She confessed.. She said that she lost a baby recently because of a product manufactured by Lock 15...She and her husband filed a class action suit, along with close to 47 other people....They were defeated in court largely by Dr. Braden's findings and testimonies...Dr. Braden is a medical expert hired by Lock 15....They're not here having a convention...they're here doing damage control...." she said.
''Something else...She's got pancreatic cancer...She's terminal...She's only got six months to live." said Carlotta...
''Oh My God!" exclaimed everyone in unison.
"His name is Ricardo Braga...It's her husband. He's also from Montreal....She said it doesn't matter that she is caught..He has a gun and he is not going to let Dr. Braden leave Philadelphia alive...They've spent their life savings tracking her." said Carlotta.
"But we don't know what he looks like." said Tyriq.
Again, Tyriq, Duke, Carlotta, Hop, Jimmy and Sirena smiled...
"Is she not the baddest cop on the block? Isn't that why we call her the BOSS Lady?" said Duke...
Sissy blushed...But it was true..Her detectives loved her...Not just these in this elite unit...but all of her detectives and the uniformed policemen assigned to her...She was tough and fair, not bad on the eyes and a nurturer...I was proud to call her a friend.
Just then my phone went off...It was marked urgent...It was a text from my good friend and Sissy's ex-husband, Attorney Robert Foxworth... I read his message and then looked at Sissy...
"Sorry guys...I can't go with you...I gotta take this." I said. Carlotta looked very disappointed...
''Is everything alright?" she asked..
''Well..it's hard to say...Uh...here take the keys...Robert Foxworth is coming to get me." I said.
I ran to the elevator and headed up to Internal Affairs.
II-
"Thing is Detective Belton...He has testified in his case and he is going to be shipped back to prison tomorrow morning...He's in a bad way ,almost suicidal...I don't want him to do anything to ruin his parole hearing next year...He pleaded with me to see you." said Robert Foxworth...
"This is unbelievable...I was alone and dateless for close to a year...Spent my Saturdays alone or out with my girlfriends...Soon as I get in a relationship...I get two guys for the price of one." she said.
"Yeah..she did say that." laughed Angie.
III-
"Thank you Soloman...What is it that you want?" she said.
"Baby...I'm about to go back to prison...I've needed to talk to you in person." he said.
''Where is all this baby business coming from?" she said.
''I was real with you girl...Look...I know...for years I was a hound...I tried to put the moves on Sissy as far back as when she was a patrolmen...Same thing with Carlotta...and even Sirena, once before Tyriq married her...and I know,I was pretty doggish with you...But after I went to prison and you wrote me back and took some of my phone calls... I thought things had changed between us...I..I..I thought we had a connection...I-I-I was ready to change baby...For you....I'm serious about you...Angie I...I began to look at you in a different light...Not as someone to screw...I was looking at you as a woman and as a person...I thought we had a chance at something...Something real...You was giving me hope baby." he said.
"Soloman...Soloman....I hope I didn't lead you on...Maybe I did the one time I visited you in prison...I was just being nice..I guess I was kind of lonely myself and I kind of liked the attention....I shouldn't have done that...and I'm sorry...But I had no intention of a relationship with you...Never." she said.
"Why? Because I'm not an Assistant District Attorney anymore?...Because as a convict it looks bad for you, being a detective and all??Your girlfriend Sissy is a Lieutenant of Homicide and she's involved with an ex-con...Eddie C. did three years in the Federal system....And Sissy was willing to let bygones be bygones.If someone as high up as she can do that what is your problem?" he pleaded.
"Soloman, it has nothing to do with any of that....I just don't see myself in a relationship with you." she said.
"But you can see yourself in a relationship with that white boy??....That young detective...Jimmy Barlow..REALLY Angie??He's a kid...You're what ,four or five years older than him??" he said.
"It doesn't matter...I love him and that's all that matters...He's who I'm in a relationship with..." she said.
"He aint got enough in his pants to be your man...He aint the man for you." screamed Soloman..
"You might be surprised at that." she said..."You know...it's kind of your fault that we are in a relationship in the first place." she continued..
''My fault??" he said.
''I didn't even know him...It wasn't until you decided to set up a good cop , a good cop who was working for you and was supposed to be your friend..Duke Baylor?? Remember him Soloman??..which caused Sissy to have to call me in to investigate the entire unit...That's how I met Jimmy and he liked me from then until he asked me out....He didn't try to dry hump me..He wasn't fresh and when he had an opportunity to take advantage of me, he didn't...He could have, but he didn't...He's been nothing but good to me..." she said.
"If you see Duke...Tell him I'm sorry for that......So you serious? You and this young white boy??...This is your future huh?" he snorted...
''It is right now." she said.
"If I hadn't of gone to jail...It would have been me and you." he said.
''You can tell yourself that if it will help you sleep Soloman....but that's not how I saw it...Not ever. You tried to put the moves on three of my girlfriends...My best friend at that..Sissy....and two girls who are like my little sisters, Carlotta and Sirena...and I'm supposed to want to be with you?? I don't think so." she said.
"That was the old me Angie...I was changing...I was becoming better...I swear I was. Besides, that was years ago...before either of them had met their husbands...Hell ,I grew up with Carlotta..I know her older sister ,her cousins..et al...And Sirena...I've known her since she was fresh out of the academy...That was the old me Angie...I was changing...I was becoming better... " he said.
''You still can...You still can be a better man..I hear you have a great chance of making parole and even though you can't practice law anymore...You can get work being a legal consultant or para-legal...and you're a nice looking guy...I know you can get somebody...You can start with a clean slate.." she said managing a smile.
"I can't see myself with anybody but you...All I do is think of you Angie.." he said.
"Then don't think about me...Stop thinking about me..It's not going to happen between you and I...Be well Soloman..I gotta go." she said.
''Angie...I-I love you." he said.
"Don't say that Soloman....You shouldn't play with that phrase.." she said.
"I'm serious...I love you Angie." he said.
"Goodbye Soloman...I'm sorry...I'm sorry if I did anything to lead you on...but like I said...I'm not interested in a relationship with you." she said.
"Look me in the eye and tell me you don't love me." he said.
She stared him straight in the eyes..
"I don't love you." she said dryly.
"Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww damnnnnnn girlllllllllllllllllll!!!" he said.
He was in tears....
Angie signaled the guard and she walked out...She was near tears herself...
I looked at Robert...
''Is Soloman going to be alright?"I asked.
"Yeah...He'll get over it...We've all been there Keith....Not being able to have who we want...He should be used to it...Hell, he tried to put the moves on Sissy while I was dating her and she turned him down...And from what I hear, your wife, Carlotta, Sirena and even your sister shot him down." said Robert Foxworth.
I smiled thinking about that...I fixed him up with my sister and after two dates she called me up and cussed me out...Was actually angry with me...She never told me exactly what happened between them...but she was hopping mad.
Carlotta had told me about his numerous advances on her over the years and how she had shot him down...I had to say...Compared to me and Robert's track record...He was certainly lacking when it came to scoring with the ladies...yet he was always telling some tall tale about some woman he had bagged....I felt sorry for Soloman.
I looked at Robert Foxworth...
"How did the Attorney work out that I sent to you....Ms. Olivia Bennett?" I asked.
"Good...Good." I said.
"Hey Keith...Where did you meet her?" he asked,giving me the side eye...
"I went up against her in court two or three times...She's a very good defense attorney, always prepared , very sharp... We became friends afterwords...I've known her for a few years now.." I said.
"Yall was just friends?" asked Robert.
''Just friends...She was married back then..I don't think she's still married though. I think she's with a big law firm now too... I'm not sure...When I knew her she was a Public Defender..."I said.
'' Yeah ,she's with my old firm...She told me she's thinking about starting her own practice like I did. Well anyway..She helped me and Cole argue his case before the board...Good Lookin out Man, You got any other old friends?"he said and patted me on the back.
I just laughed...
Angie was silent as Robert drove us back to CID.....
We got out of the car and I turned to her.....
"If you want to be mad at me Angie...I understand...I can take it..."I said.
"Noooooo,I'm not mad at you Keith...Why should I be? You're like my brother in law... Here...I have a letter...Put this on Jimmy's desk for me." she said passing me a perfume scented envelope..
''Sure Angie." I said. I wanted to ask her about the contents...but it was none of my business...I figured she'd tell me if she wanted me to know..
''Brother in Law huh?" I said with a smile.
"You heard me in there....Your wife, Carlotta is like my little sister...I love her...So that kind of makes you like my brother in law..I can't be mad at you." she said.
She looked at me and smiled..
"This letter should make Detective Barlow a very happy man..." she said, sensing my curiosity..
"I should have said this to him when I had a chance days ago...but I didn't...I hope this letter puts everything in perspective for him." she said.
"How about you?" I asked.
"It'll help me sleep better." she said and smiled and got on the elevator...
I smiled too.
(CONCLUSION NEXT)
6 comments:
Wow...Very Dramatic...Good for Angie...It was about time she set Soloman straight..
Wow! The Angie Belton sideline story was good...This murder case seems all but wrapped up anyway...Gutsy performance by Ms. Angie...Hopefully things will go smoothly for her and Jimmy at this point.
Glad you're focusing on the other couples..Duke and Hazel, Jimmy and Angie, Tyriq and Sirena and Young Hopkins and Agent Ferrell...I'd actually like to se more on those two..Of couse eternal lovebirds Keith and Carlotta continue to ravage each other...
The scene with Carlotta and the suspect tlking to each other in Spanish was kind of funny...Especially since no one else knew what they were saying..
Re-Reading old stories...This was Olivia's first appearance wasn't it?
Yes Toni it was! I had created her a few weeks before and I was looking for a place to fit her in.
Post a Comment