“Shit, go meet them. If it’s that serious you need to make them think that you’re fully cooperating.”
I nodded my head then took my phone off mute. “Hello, where do I have to go?”
The officer told me to come to the downtown precinct. After he gave me directions I hung up the phone with him. I gave Jah a briefing on everything that was said.
“You think he killed that man that helped you?” Jahrein asked me.
“Why you say that?” I questioned not trying to think of the worse.
“I mean, why wouldn’t he just get your statement over the phone? Or better yet, why didn’t he just come to where you are? He wants to ask you some private questions.” He answered his own question.
“I guess I’ll just have to see.”
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
“Okay, Mrs. Braxton you say that you and Khalil were dating?” detective Benson asked me inside of the interrogation room.
“We did for a short while. Me and my husband were separated.”
“So, you say that you had been receiving threats?”
“Yes. I still have some of his messages on my voicemail.”
“Okay, so Mr. James was just a good Samaritan?”
“Yes.”
“Do you know what Khalil does for a living?” the officer asked me.
“No.” I lied.
“Do you know where Khalil is?”
“No. Mister, look at my face. Does it look like I want to have contact with him? He tried to kidnap me. I think that he was going to kill me and my baby. Where is Mr. James so that I can thank him?” I said, tired of the twenty-one questions.
The white officer took a long pause. “He’s dead.”
I couldn’t believe that the man had died because of me. Khalil had really come to murder me. I guess God felt that it wasn’t my time, but I felt so sorry for that man and his family. I couldn’t stop the tears from flowing down my face, as I pictured Khalil shooting that man down like a dog on the streets.
“That’s why we need you to give us any information that you may have on his whereabouts.” the officer told me.
“I already gave y’all his last known address. His baby mama lives on MLK. His mama lives off of Airport. He drives a silver Lexus SUV.” I spat as I grew agitated. The man was acting as though I was trying to protect Khalil or something.
“Is there any other place that you may have forgotten to mention?” he pressed.
“Look! I am married with five kids and have a sixth one on the way. None of my children are for Khalil. I don’t want that bastard! That’s why all of this shit happened. I want his crazy ass off the streets more than anybody else. So, stop wasting time giving me the third degree.” I snapped ready to fuck his white ass up. I guess he thought that all young black girls were trying to protect murderers and whatnot. He had me fucked up, though.
“Okay, Mrs. Braxton. Thank you for your cooperation.”
“Whatever.” I snapped as I stomped out of that room.
I walked out of that building with my emotions all over the place. I felt pissed, frustrated, and scared all at the same time. Never in a million years did I thinkthat dealing with another dude would lead to this. I should’ve stayed far, far away from men until I had my mind right. I couldn’t take it back, and now an innocent person had lost his life.
“What happened?” Jahrein asked me once I climbed inside his Escalade.
I sat in silence for a little while.
“Baby, what happened?” he asked me again.
