"First National Bank," she said as she put her oversized shades over her face. She could feel the cabbie"s eyes peering at her through the rearview mirror, and she grew antsy in her seat as she tried not to stare back. She kept her eyes on the pa.s.sing scenery out of the window.
"Aren"t you that lady that they"ve been talking about on the news? Mayor Sigel"s wife?"
"Listen, I"ll pay you extra to keep your eyes off of me and on the road," Fatima replied.
"Not a problem," the cabbie replied as he turned off the meter, subconsciously knowing that this fare was not one who needed to be doc.u.mented.
Her heart beat intensely as soon as she saw the building come into view. "Wait here," Fatima ordered. "I"ll be right back out."
She walked inside, trying to keep her head lowered to avoid being recognized by the other patrons in the bank. She stood in line and fidgeted nervously until a personal banker approached her.
"Mrs. Sigel, please, I can help you. You don"t have to stand in line," the white man said.
Fatima looked around and then followed the man. "I just need to get into our safe deposit box," she said.
"Not a problem," he replied as he led the way toward the back room where the safe deposit boxes were held.
Fatima reached inside of her purse and removed her key and then handed it to the banker as he located her box and removed it from the wall slot.
"Do you need a private room?" he asked.
"Yes, please," she answered.
Fatima was escorted to a small room and left to tend to her business. She smiled when she removed the life insurance papers and the knots of money that were hidden inside. She stuffed everything into her purse. She was carrying a five thousand dollar bag, but the contents inside were worth more than gold to her. As soon as Macy"s body was found, she could file her insurance claim. She was about to cash in on a million-dollar policy.
Fatima exited the room and handed the box over to the personal banker and headed for the door.
"Um, excuse me, Mrs. Sigel. Can I interest you in a high interest savings account?" the banker asked as he walked alongside her.
"No, no, thank you. I"m fine," Fatima replied.
"Please. It will only take a moment of your time, and I promise it will be worth your while," he stated. She heard a slight quiver in his voice and again turned him down.
"Wait! Um, I just need to get you to sign these papers that your husband forgot to sign last time he was here," the banker stated.
Fatima saw the banker"s hand shake and thought, What is going on? Why is he trying to stall me?
"I really don"t have time. Another time, I promise," she said graciously, still trying to be the diplomatic wife in public.
She hurried out of the doors and turned to step toward the cab. Out of nowhere two police cars pulled up wildly, lights flashing and sirens blaring. Fatima froze and her eyes widened in fear like a deer in headlights as two officers jumped out of the car and approached her.
She prayed that they would bypa.s.s her, but when she turned back toward the bank and saw the branch manager peering nosily outside, she knew. They had come for her. The bank had been informed that if Macy or even Fatima stepped foot inside, to notify the police.
"Fatima Sigel?" one of the officers asked.
She was so horrified that she couldn"t respond. She simply nodded her head in acknowledgment.
"We need to ask you some questions about your husband. Can we escort you down to the precinct?" he asked.
Fatima saw the cab waiting for her and wanted to sprint toward it, but she knew that with four police officers on the scene, she would never escape them. Oh my G.o.d. They know about the kidnapping, she a.s.sumed.
The officer grabbed her carefully by the elbow and nudged her toward his vehicle. He opened the door and folded her into the backseat. They drove to the police station in silence, and the only sound that could be heard was Fatima"s shallow, frantic breathing. It took everything in her not to shed a tear.
They took her to a small interrogation room and sat her down inside. Without saying anything, they left the room, leaving her alone and terrified. Her mind began to play tricks on her as she watched the minutes on the clock change.
They know something. Do they know that I"m involved? Oh G.o.d. I should"ve never gotten into this. What was I thinking? Macy is too powerful. He has too many friends for me to get away with something like this, she thought as her foot put on a nervous tap dance show as it bounced on the ground.
An hour and a half pa.s.sed before the door reopened and a police officer stepped inside. "I"m sorry for your wait, Mrs. Sigel, but we have some very important things to discuss with you," he said.
Fatima nodded her head and avoided eye contact with the officer. He walked behind her and looped the table before sitting down across from her. She felt like prey as he watched her silently, and her guilty conscience began to work overtime.
"We have reason to believe that you know where your husband is and that you are involved with his recent disappearance," the detective said. "Now, if you know something you need to tell me, Mrs. Sigel... . You could get into serious trouble for withholding information."
Fatima felt the tears stinging her eyes as they acc.u.mulated. They were too full to contain and inevitably escaped as they rolled down her cheeks.
The officer pulled a handkerchief out of his inside jacket pocket and handed it to Fatima. She accepted it and dabbed at her face as her bottom lip quivered.
"Just tell me what you know," the detective said.
"I didn"t want to be involved in it. Case made me. He kidnapped Macy and has him tied up somewhere for ransom. As soon as the money is delivered, he is going to kill him," Fatima sobbed.
The detective sat back in his chair in shock. He turned toward the double-sided mirror and looked at his comrades, who were undoubtedly watching on the other side.
He had definitely gotten more than he had bargained for. He was just there because he thought that a loyal wife was harboring Macy and could point them in the right direction. He was investigating Boomer"s murder, but because of Fatima"s statement, now he was aware of Macy"s dire predicament. She had just added a kidnapping and completely separate case to his load.
As soon as Fatima spoke Case"s name, the detective knew who she was talking about. The LAPD had been trying to hem the known but elusive drug kingpin for years.
"What relationship do you have with Case?" the detective probed.
"He"s ... he was my son"s father," she admitted.
"So the two of you conspired together to kidnap and murder your husband? Maybe because you were angry with him over something else?"
The questions just kept coming and coming. Fatima made the mistake of not asking for an attorney and just kept answering and answering.
"I didn"t want him dead. I swear! I was confused. My son had just been killed. It was a mistake. Please, you have to believe me," she pleaded.
The detective nodded his head and rose from the table. "I"ll be right back," he said.
He left the room as Fatima quivered in fear. The detective was met by his captain and a few of his comrades. "Looks like we have a twisted tale of murder, corruption, adultery, and kidnapping on our hands," the captain said.
The detective shook his head. "Who would have thought? She basically just sealed her fate. I had no reason to suspect her of anything until she just opened her mouth. We need an arrest warrant for Case, and we need to find Macy Sigel. She just helped me collar the two biggest criminals in the city."
The detective peered back into the room and then looked back at his captain. "What do you want me to do with her? Should I have the D.A. cut her a deal for cooperating?"
The captain shook his head. He wasn"t going to extend any grat.i.tude to Fatima. This was the type of investigation that careers were catapulted off of. "No. Arrest her for accessory to kidnapping. She"s the mayor"s wife. The press is going to have a field day with this one, boys. Pull out your best suits and make sure your uniforms are clean! We"ve got ourselves a case!"
Chapter Fifteen.
Aries walked into the trap spot and shook her head when she saw Jordan and Harlo playing video games.
"This is all you n.i.g.g.as do. I thought I told y"all that somebody needs to be watching him at all times," Aries shouted. She was tired of their mediocrity. Working with them was like babysitting. It wasn"t what she was accustomed to, and she couldn"t wait for the job to be over.
"Has he eaten?" she asked.
"Man, I"m not untying that mu"f.u.c.ka," Harlo stated. "If you want him to eat, you feed him. And I don"t work for you, so watch who the f.u.c.k you"re talking to."
Aries stopped mid-step and turned on her heels. She walked over to Harlo and stood directly between his legs. She bent over, putting her hands on his hands and getting eye level with him. Jordan sat back and watched, unsure of what was about to pop off. He could see the fiery rage in Aries" eyes.
"Let me make one thing clear. I will body you in this b.i.t.c.h," Aries stated. "You better check my resume. The only reason your amateur a.s.s is even breathing the same air as me is because Case recommended you to me. Don"t test me."
Harlo gritted his teeth because he wanted to pop off, but he knew his place and remained silent, despite the fact that his pride was urging him to go toe to toe with Aries.
"Do we understand each other?"
Harlo nodded. "Yeah, we understand each other."
Aries could see the malice in his heart, and she addressed it quickly. "Don"t let your ego get you murked. Your eyes are giving away your true intentions." She stood and went into the kitchen, all the while ready to put two in Harlo"s head if she even heard his feet shuffle behind her.
She went into the cabinets and pulled out a loaf of bread and some peanut b.u.t.ter before making a quick sandwich. Aries walked down the bas.e.m.e.nt steps and walked over to Macy. He watched her silently as she untied his uninjured hand, leaving the other one tied down.
"It"s not a gourmet meal, but it"ll keep you from starving down here," she said as she placed the plate on his lap.
She sat down on the bottom step and watched him. Macy made no move to touch the sandwich. Aries inventoried Macy"s designer suit and platinum cufflinks. Everything he wore was high end, and his demeanor exemplified dignity, power, and prestige. He was not her usual mark. A man like Macy was usually the one who hired her. She found it odd that he had fallen victim and had been put on the flipside of her murder game.
"It"s not personal," she said. "I don"t have anything against you. It"s just business."
Macy scoffed as he stared Aries directly in her eyes. "If it"s business, then you should be willing to consider a better proposition. Whatever Case is paying you, I"ll double it."
"Just like that, huh?" she asked.
"Just like that," he answered.
Back in the day, Aries would have jumped at the opportunity. She was loyal to the money, and whoever was paying the most was who retained her services, but this time she had other interests involved-her family. No amount of money was worth risking their wellbeing.
"Tempting, but I have to pa.s.s," Aries stated. "You can"t double nothing. I"m not being paid for this."
"I"ve never known a Murder Mama to do anything for free," Macy shot back. His statement caught Aries off guard, and she noticed the smug expression on his face. Even bleeding and strapped to a wooden chair, Macy maintained a certain superior swagger.
"You"ve known who I am all along?"
Macy shook his head and replied, "No, not at first. It took me a while to put the pieces together. I couldn"t believe that someone like you had caught me slipping."
Aries chuckled. "Someone like me, huh?"
"I don"t know too many b.i.t.c.hes that are capable of this. It only made sense. No regular woman could pull off what you did. Murder Mamas have a reputation for being beautiful. Beautiful but deadly," Macy replied. "I"ve heard the stories."
"Then you should know exactly how this one will end," she replied.
"I do," Macy answered with a nod. "I know how you get down. I also know that my paper is long enough to buy me out of this situation. I met one of your girls years ago. Miamor. I had a job for her, but the price she was asking was too steep for me at the time. Now, no price is too steep, so what is yours? Money makes the world go "round."
"Under normal circ.u.mstances it does, but this time is different. I"m in for a different reason. I had left this life alone. I had lost too many loved ones to continue living my life in the fast lane. Miamor died a while ago, and before her was my girl Anisa, and before her our friend Beatrice. Then I watched this city, your city, sentence Robyn to death. I sat there helpless as they put the needle in her arm. So, despite what you may think you know about me, this isn"t who I am anymore. Killing isn"t fun for me anymore. I was done with all of this s.h.i.t until Case came knocking at my door."
"Seems like murder is an itch that you just can"t scratch. If this isn"t you no more, why didn"t you turn him down?" Macy asked.
"I owe Case. A few years ago we messed up an important job of his. If I finish this thing with you, he"s forgiving all debts. If I don"t, my family is the cost that I pay," Aries revealed.
It was at that moment that Macy realized just how serious this was for Aries, and despite the fact that she was his adversary, he felt a bit of empathy for her.
"Sound to me like Case forced your hand," Macy stated. "He"s selling you a dream, ma. How much did Case pay you for the job you botched?" he asked.
"A million," she answered.
Macy shook his head because he knew Case would never forgive a debt so large, no matter what Aries did. He would use that to keep her in his pocket. "You"re being nave, ma. Case ain"t dismissing that debt until it"s paid-in cash. No matter what he says or what type of work you put in on his behalf, I know Case, and he"s going to hold that s.h.i.t over your head forever."
Aries didn"t show Macy her indecision, but he had planted a seed of truth that made her question her decision.
"Only way you"re going to relieve yourself of Case"s debt is to relieve yourself of Case. That million that he paid you was street money. It takes years for a man in Case"s position to acc.u.mulate that much dough. He"s not just going to let bygones be bygones. You"re eventually going to have to kill him anyway. You may as well take me up on my offer and get paid for it," Macy stated matter-of-factly. "If there"s one thing that I know, it"s that Case doesn"t forget anything. You burned him once, as did I. You see where I"m sitting right now. I wouldn"t be surprised if he had your family strung up from a telephone pole by now."
Aries cut her eyes sharply at him as she stood abruptly to her feet. Macy had hit a nerve within her and he knew it. She walked over to him and removed the uneaten sandwich from Macy"s lap. She retied his arm, handling it roughly as she s.n.a.t.c.hed the rope and tied a knot around his hand.
"We are more alike than different, ma," Macy stated.
"That we are," Aries replied with a soft smile, giving him a tiny glimpse of the delicate woman behind the vicious murderer-for-hire.
"Just think about what I"ve said. Let me go and I"ll have a million dollars wired into a foreign, untraceable account," Macy stated.
Aries smirked. "Stop trying to work me, Macy Sigel. I"m not easily manipulated. I"ve seen more money than my two hands could count. I"m not infatuated by it. It doesn"t make me c.u.m," she stated.
"Then what does?" Macy asked, unable to help himself as he gave her a crooked, sly, seductive grin.
Aries shook her head and rolled her eyes, knowing that it was that same look that had gotten him in his current predicament.
"See, that"s what got you into this, f.u.c.king your best friend"s girl all those years ago," Aries revealed. "Case is bitter over that."
"Is that right?" Macy asked.
"Come on, Macy. You should know that this was about more than the money," Aries shot back.
Macy raised an eyebrow as he replied, "So should you. Case is going to burn you in the end. You should get him before he gets to you ... or better yet, your family."
Aries walked back over to the stairs and sat back down. On the outside she appeared unfazed by Macy"s rant, but inside she was in turmoil. She hadn"t taken the time out to check in with Prince because she wanted to stay focused. Aries couldn"t allow her other persona to cause her to go soft, which was why she had made no attempts to contact Prince since touching down in L.A. Now insecurities crept in her mind.