Read Black Friday: Exposed Online
Authors: Ashley;JaQuavis
Black Friday: Exposed (6 page)
Carmen smiled as Kasheef was handcuffed.
He nodded her way and said, “Send Norelle down with that bail money. I want to be out of here like yesterday.”
“This is some bullshit. They got me up in here for some damn jury selection,” Mickey complained.
“It’s not that bad,” the lady beside her commented. “They pay you ten dollars an hour just to be here.”
Mickey rolled her eyes, but perked up a little bit as she thought about getting paid for nothing. A young black woman and an older white woman entered the room. They were assigned numbers and then called into a small room one by one where the defense and prosecuting attorneys asked a series of questions to determine the jury. When Mickey’s turn rolled around she walked into the room and took a seat. She wore Seven jeans under an ivory NY & Company pea coat.
“Please have a seat. I’m District Attorney Nancy Schwartz,” the white woman introduced.
“Mickey,” she replied as she sat down.
“And I’m Defense Attorney Carmen Rose,” Carmen introduced. “You are here to be considered as a juror on a very high profile case. A man by the name of Kasheef Williams has been accused of murder. Does this case sound familiar to you?”
Whaaat?
She thought to herself.
Ain’t this about a bitch? I’m sitting here getting considered for Kasheef’s case.
She thought to herself.
Ain’t this about a bitch? I’m sitting here getting considered for Kasheef’s case.
“No, that doesn’t sound familiar,” Mickey lied. She didn’t know why but she felt compelled to get on this case now that she knew all that it entailed.
“Mickey have you ever been arrested or involved in any illegal activities?” The DA asked.
Mickey thought of all the times she’d defrauded the welfare offices. “No, I’ve never done anything illegal.”
“How do you think drugs have affected your community?” Carmen asked, trying to gauge if the young woman had any personal vendettas against drug dealers.
“I guess I don’t really think about it,” Mickey said. She tried to sound neutral on the situations so that she could appease both the prosecution and the defense. She felt like she was at a job interview as her palms began to sweat.
“When choosing between two sides, what do you base your decisions on?” The DA inquired as she stared intensely at Mickey through wire framed glasses.
“On the facts that I’ve been given. I try to keep things as real as possible,” Mickey said.
The DA looked at Carmen who then said, “I have no more questions. Thank you Mickey, we’ll be in touch.”
Mickey stood and shook both of their hands then stood up to leave. She smiled as she walked through the decadent halls of the historical courthouse. She couldn’t wait to tell Alija what had just taken place. They were in a position to turn the tables.
Alija and Mickey sat outside of the motel room smoking la, as Mickey described what had happened earlier that day. Alija thought that it was ironic that Mickey had gotten requested to sit on the same jury to a case where she was the prosecution’s star witness.
“So what, have they picked you yet? Are you on the jury?” Alija asked as she took the dutch from her sister’s finger tips and brought it to her lips, inhaling deeply. She looked back at the open motel door to make sure her daughter was still asleep.
“Nah, not yet. I’m just a consideration, but I played both sides of the field when they were asking me all the questions. If things go like I think they’re going to go, I’ll be getting something in the mail requesting me to come back.”
“This is some crazy shit Mick. How we both twisted up in this web?” Alija asked as she laughed out loud.
Mickey began to laugh too as she draped one arm around her sister. “What the fuck is so funny?”
Alija really started cracking up once she heard Mickey’s question. “What you laughing for if you don’t know why I’m laughing.”
“Bitch, I don’t know,” Mickey replied as she wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes. “This some good shit.”
Alija smiled and blew out more smoke. “Yeah it is ... cuz I don’t even know why I’m laughing. Ain’t nothing funny about my life right now.”
“I’ve been thinking,” Mickey said. “What if I get elected to this jury? You’re the only witness in Kasheef’s case. If you really look at it, we’re holding his freedom in our hands.”
Alija passed the dutch back to Mickey and looked at her with hazy eyes. “What you trying to blackmail him?”
“Not blackmail, I’m talking extortion. If you’re testifying you’re gonna need some get away money,” Mickey said.
“I’m willing to bet he’ll pay anything to beat this charge,” Alija commented.
Nahla began to cry and Alija stood to her feet, dusting off her clothes before she went inside. Mickey followed close behind as she watched her sister pick Nahla up.
“What do you think?” Mickey asked.
“I don’t know Mick. We could be opening up a whole new can of worms—creating new bullshit, and stepping into more problems,” Alija said.
“You forgetting about what you saw? What you’ve been through?” Mickey said. “You probably haven’t even thought about how this murder has changed you and Nahla’s life.”
“That’s all I’ve been thinking about Mick! That’s why I have to be smart. Nahla needs me. I’m all she has,” Alija protested.
“And you need some money to get out of here once this is all over,” Mickey urged.
Alija nodded. “Just let me think about it.”
Mickey hugged her sister and said, “I love you girl. Everything is going to be okay, but you seriously need to get with this and jump on this opportunity. It’s the only way you’re ever going to feel comfortable again without watching over your shoulders. Make shit happen sis—don’t let it happen to you.”
“Yeah, a’ight ... I told you I’ll think about. Just give me a little bit of time.”
Chapter Seven
The next morning, Norelle popped open Kasheef’s safe. She knew that he had both Swiss and Cayman accounts, so the money inside the steel safe was just the tip of the iceberg. Since Kasheef’s arrest she’d been conflicted in her loyalties. A part of her wanted to stand by Kasheef. He was her man and Norelle did care about him. In fact she loved him, but she was quickly discovering that her feelings were only worth the dollar amount he spent on her. Kasheef had bought her affection by showering her with lavish gifts. When he was on top Kasheef was the most handsome man in the world to her. He was her everything and she was willing to do anything to keep him happy so that she could keep her spot as his woman secure. She loved money and he had a lot of it that he was willing to share with her so in turn she loved him, but he was in jail now and her relationship was on rocky ground. Her fear of being dragged down with him caused her to consider her options. She looked at the neatly stack bundles of hundred dollar bills. The safe was filled from top to bottom and she estimated that there was at least three hundred grand in the safe alone. If Kasheef kept this much money in the house she could only imagine what he had in his accounts overseas. She pulled out $25,000 and put it in her Birkin bag before heading out to go meet with Carmen. She arrived at the Manhattan law firm thirty minutes later and was greeted warmly by Carmen as she took a seat in the plush leather chairs in her office. She had to admit. She was impressed. Her girl was doing well for herself. She pulled out the money and placed it on top of Carmen’s desk.
“Here’s the first payment for Kasheef’s case. I know that’s only a quarter of it, I can bring back more if you want,” Norelle said as she sat back and folded her legs.
“No, this is fine for now. I’ll be sure to keep my time on record so that we can settle the balance later,” Carmen said. “I have good news for you.”
“What’s that?”
“Kasheef can come home,” Carmen stated.
Norelle smiled, slightly unsure if she was really ready for him to get out of jail. With Kasheef locked up Norelle had full access to his funds. There was enough money in that safe for her to relocate and start over, without the drama of Kasheef. With that much money she didn’t need to find a new man to take care of her. She would be able to provide for herself. “Oh, okay. Well ... when will he be getting out?” she asked.
Carmen removed the money from her desk and put in a manila envelope. She then put the envelope in a small safe behind her desk. “As soon as you can get $200,000 to post his bond. He can be out as soon as today,” Carmen said.
“I didn’t think the state allowed you to come out on bail in a murder case,” Norelle said with a frown on her face.
“They don’t. I’m just that good,” Carmen bragged as she winked her eye playfully at her girl. “As long as Kasheef stays out of trouble and keeps his court dates while we’re going through the initial stages of the trial, he should be able to stay out of jail. The fact that the state’s evidence is weak helped him out a lot.”
“Oh,” was all that Norelle could manage to say.
“I have a press conference scheduled today. I’ll bring this case to the public from the defense’s perspective and paint him to be wrongly accused. It’s always good to have the community behind him,” Carmen stated.
“What about the drugs?” Norelle asked.
“That’s a completely different charge and will be prosecuted under federal jurisdiction. The federal courts haven’t even brought an indictment against Kasheef for that yet, so we’ll just focus on getting him off for the murder right now,” Carmen said. She noticed Norelle’s disposition and frowned. “Smile, your man’s coming home. All you’ve got to do is go down there and get him.” Carmen stood from her seat and looked at her lady Movado watch. “I don’t mean to cut this meeting short, but I’ve got to get out of here. The press conference starts in twenty minutes. Call me if you need me.”
Norelle got up and walked out of the office. Her head was all over the place. She thought about the money that was in Kasheef’s safe. He had more than enough money to post bail, but she had no intention of getting him out.
If he goes to jail, that’ll leave me with nothing but time and opportunity to spend his money.
Murder carried a twenty-five year to life sentence. She’d have nothing to worry about if he was convicted. Norelle thought back over the last two years in which they had been together. She tried to manufacture times that he’d done her wrong or cheated on her. She thumbed through her mental rolodex searching for just one memory that could justify her actions. A time he’d hit her or belittled her. All she needed was one instance to give her a reason to take his money and leave him rotting in jail, but she couldn’t come up with anything. Kasheef had treated her well and upgraded her tremendously when they started dating. She had not a need or want in this world because of his generosity. A twinge of guilt swept over her as she thought about all the times he’d made her smile. She knew she was wrong, but she didn’t care. Money made her world go round, and now that she had an opportunity to back stab Kasheef, she was going to take it.
It’s all in the game,
she thought as she made her way home.
If he goes to jail, that’ll leave me with nothing but time and opportunity to spend his money.
Murder carried a twenty-five year to life sentence. She’d have nothing to worry about if he was convicted. Norelle thought back over the last two years in which they had been together. She tried to manufacture times that he’d done her wrong or cheated on her. She thumbed through her mental rolodex searching for just one memory that could justify her actions. A time he’d hit her or belittled her. All she needed was one instance to give her a reason to take his money and leave him rotting in jail, but she couldn’t come up with anything. Kasheef had treated her well and upgraded her tremendously when they started dating. She had not a need or want in this world because of his generosity. A twinge of guilt swept over her as she thought about all the times he’d made her smile. She knew she was wrong, but she didn’t care. Money made her world go round, and now that she had an opportunity to back stab Kasheef, she was going to take it.
It’s all in the game,
she thought as she made her way home.
“My name is Carmen Rose and as you know I am representing Kasheef Williams. Mr. Williams is innocent and my team of legal consultants are doing all that we can to exonerate him of these false allegations. Keep in mind that Kasheef Williams is an upstanding figure within his community. He has donated countless hours to shelters in Long Island during the holiday seasons and even financed a youth basketball team in his neighborhood. If you listen to the rumors that are circulating regarding Mr. Williams’ involvement in illegal activities you will only be contributing to the corruption of these charges. Now, I will take any questions that you may have.” Carmen was in rare form as she stood on the courthouse steps and smiled for the cameras from all of the major news stations. She answered questions from the press professionally and handled herself like the star that she was. She was bringing major coverage to Kasheef ’s case and knew that it would help them in the courtroom. The jurors were sure to have seen the coverage and she hoped that it would help to paint a pleasurable picture of her client. As the press conference came to an end, she walked toward the black Lincoln Town Car that was waiting curbside for her. She turned toward the camera one last time and said, “I hope that all of you outstanding individuals will use the media as a way to spread a positive light on Mr. Williams’ situation. We don’t want the public to sensationalize the lies and ignore the truth. Justice is what we are seeking.” She watched the media eat up her words like steak and potatoes and then disappeared into the car. One of her paralegals sat beside her and looked back at the mass crowd of reporters. “Wow, you definitely got their attention.”
“That was the point,” Carmen replied as she melted into the leather seats and closed her eyes. “The prosecution is sure to respond. It will be cat and mouse, tit for tat, until opening statements. Let the games begin.”
The first thing Norelle did when she got home was open the safe. She needed to know exactly how much money she was working with. She pulled out each bundle and admired each stack that was perfectly wrapped in rubber bands. She laid all of the money out on her bed and began to count. The smell of the money was like a narcotic to her senses; her fingertips tingled at the touch of each hundred dollar bill. It was a diligent task, counting that much money but it was one in which she welcomed. There was so much money in front of her that she lost count several times, but she never complained. She eagerly started from the beginning, making sure not to miss one bill. It was what she called a good problem. It took her hours and when she was done the grand total was $325,000. She was ecstatic. She brought a handful of bills up to her nose and inhaled deeply, smelling her newfound riches. She threw the money into the air and fell back onto the bed in sheer glee. “Aghh!” she screamed at the top of her lungs to release some of her excitement. She lay down in the bed, a feeling of triumph rushing over her body. She knew what men meant now when they said money made their dicks hard. In between her legs was soaking wet as she slid her finger inside her panties. Her phone rang, interrupting her from pleasing herself.
“Hello!” she said once she’d snatched up the phone.
“I have a collect call from Rikers Island Correctional Facility for Norelle Gibson. Will you accept the call?”
“Yeah, I guess,” she answered.
Kasheef’s voice filled the receiver. “Yo, Norelle you talked to Carmen?”
“I left her office earlier today,” she said in an innocent tone.
“Why you ain’t post my bail this morning? These mu’fuckas done shipped me from city lock up to Rikers Island all because you didn’t handle that,” Kasheef said, obviously irritated.
“I’m sorry ’Sheef. Carmen said that there were some papers she still needed to file, but that I could come bail you out first thing in the morning,” she said, convincingly. “You know I wouldn’t do you like that babe. I’m over here sick without you. I’m playing with my pussy right now.” Her voice purred and she massaged herself gently as she closed her eyes and pictured Kasheef in her bed. She had to admit that’s one thing he was good for.
“Word?” he asked, on the verge of an erection. He could picture her spread eagle on their satin sheets and the image was tantalizing.
“Yeah, baby. I can’t wait for you to come home,” she whined.
“Then come and get your man then,” he said.
“Don’t worry boo, you’ll be home first thing tomorrow,” she assured.
“Yeah a’ight,” he replied. “Keep that hot for me. I got to get off of this phone, but I’ll be waiting on you—to—morrow Norelle.”
“I got you ’Sheef,” she said and then hung up the phone. “Yeah right, nigga!” she yelled to herself as she continued to please herself. Her body tensed as she brought herself to an orgasm. When she was done she rolled over on the bed full of money, pulled her covers around her body and fell into the most luxurious sleep she’d ever had.
Alija watched the woman on the television as she portrayed Kasheef as a model citizen. Alija was disgusted and frowned as she thought of how he had ordered his cronies to run in her apartment. She knew that the young boys were on a ghetto execution mission and she thanked God that the police had shown up when they did. A knock at her motel door startled her and she pulled back the curtains in the room to see outside. Detective Nielson stood with his hands in his pockets and she opened the door to greet him.
“Hello Alija,” he said as he glanced nosily inside the room.
“No one is here but me and my baby,” she said as she motioned for him to come in. “What can I do for you detective?”
Detective Nielson looked around the down-trodden room and asked, “When’s the last time you got some fresh air?” When she didn’t respond he continued. “Why don’t you let me take you to grab a bite to eat? There are some things that I want to go over with you regarding the trial.”
Alija nodded and replied, “Okay. Just give me a minute or two to get Nahla ready.”
“I’ll be waiting in the car.”
Alija slipped her daughter into a knit sweater, tiny jeans, and winter booties. It was freezing outside and she wanted to make sure that Nahla was warmly dressed. She put her in the car seat, threw a blanket over top of it, and headed out to the detective’s car. After securing Nahla in the back she hopped up front.
Detective Nielson took her to a nice Italian restaurant on the Lower East Side. Dinner was awkward and silence filled the air as the two ate together.
“How do you feel about testifying?” he asked her.
“Like a snitch,” she replied bluntly.
“You are not doing anything wrong,” Nielson replied. “People like Kasheef Williams deserve to be locked up.”
Alija shook her head. “You just don’t get it. Where I come from you don’t snitch. You learn that from the very beginning. When you’re little, nobody likes a tattle tale, when you’re older nobody tolerates a snitch. I’m putting everything on the line to testify in this case, but right now I feel like I’m damned if I do, damned if I don’t.”
“This no snitching rule is what is keeping the inner cities from prospering. It is something that has been drilled into your heads, but it is a bunch of bullshit. It stops the good guys from winning,” Nielson stated angrily.
“I guess it’s just a difference of opinion,” Alija said stubbornly. She did not expect the detective to understand. She did not doubt that the hood had trained her and programmed her a certain way, but she was sure that the state had trained the detective as well. They were from two different worlds; like oil and water the two did not mix.
“The prosecution will want to work with you before the trial. The DA needs to prepare you for the defense’s rebuttal,” Nielson said.
“That’s fine,” she said in a low tone. She looked up at the television that hung in the corner of the restaurant. Ironically, the exact same case that she and the detective were discussing was being reported on the screen. Alija stared at a picture of Kasheef on the screen. She stared into the eyes of the man she was expected to help put away. She picked up her baby who had begun to cry and she looked at the detective.
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