Cheaper to Keep Her (part 1) (24 page)

Once I was assigned to a cellblock, shit went haywire. While sleeping one particular afternoon, I was startled out of my sleep by a pillowcase being placed over my head. Additionally, something was covering my nose and mouth, so I couldn’t scream. I tried to fight back, but it was too many of them.

“
Bitch, you wanna fucking kill babies! You wanna steal people’s babies! Fucking bitch!” I wasn’t sure, but I think it was multiple women screaming and beating the shit out of me. They kicked and punched my torso, my arms, legs, feet . . . any part of my body they could get to. I felt like my ribs had been cracked and my skull fractured. They beat me until I felt blood seeping through the material they had on my head. Finally, one hard punch to my jaw snapped my head back and my world went black.

I woke up in the jail’s infirmary. My entire body ached from head to toe. The nurse told me chicks in jail didn’t take kindly to women who harmed babies. I had cried and tried to talk through my wired jaw to tell her I hadn't done the crimes I was being accused of. It was no use. When an inmate said she was innocent, no one ever believed her. Hell, everyone was innocent in prison.

I stayed in the infirmary for a couple of weeks before I was finally transferred to a solitary confinement unit, away from the main population. It was for my own safety and not for behavioral reasons like some of the other inmates that had to stay locked in a solitary cell twenty-three hours a day—one hour was given for exercising or stretching your legs.

When I was finally assigned a court appointed attorney, he came to visit me and started telling me about the so-called evidence they had amassed against me. Not only had they taken the pictures and paperwork I had stolen from Duke and used that against me, they had also apparently found a bunch of planted evidence, such as other pictures of me allegedly in the act of running the baby snatching ring, the murder weapon used in Brian’s shooting and they claimed they had surveillance of me going in and out of the condo where they claim the illegal business was run out of. Apparently, Dr. Gavin had struck a deal with the prosecutors and he was granted immunity for testimony against me.

This was too much to deal with.

Some days I contemplated just committing suicide. I had pleaded with my attorney to believe me. I told him everything leading up to this, but he maintained that all of the physical evidence in the case pointed towards me. I even told him that whoever had framed me had more than likely killed my best friend. But he said the police hadn’t received any missing person reports for Diamond nor had they discovered any bodies. He wouldn’t listen to reason for shit.

How did I expect a jury of my peers or a court of law to listen to me? I was fucked . . . and worse, I knew it.

“
Ms. Washington, at this point they found so much evidence inside your home that I would suggest you not try to fight this case at trial,” my attorney said gravely during one of his visits.

I’m sure his advice came from the fact that he was being paid a low salary from the state of Virginia and not the big bucks defense attorneys with high income clients get paid. It was a well known fact in the ’hood that court appointed attorneys never wanted to go to trial. They got paid the same salary, trial or plea deal.

“
I’m not pleading guilty to crimes I didn’t commit,” I replied in defiant. “I’ve already told you it was my ex-boyfriend who did all of this. I stole those pictures so I could blackmail him after he cheated on me. I never killed anybody nor did I ever harm an unborn or live baby.” My pleading with this asshole wasn’t going anywhere. He didn’t believe me. Every time I thought I made a little bit of break through with him and had him on my side, he would revert back to telling me my case was doomed.

“
But explaining that to a jury is going to take a lot. Especially because they have pictures of you grabbing a young pregnant girl into your car,” he said, raising his eyebrows as if he was looking for an explanation. I think this muthafucka really thought I was guilty.

“
I don’t even have a car! Isn’t it supposed to be innocent until proven guilty?” I screamed. “In this fucking case ya’ll bastards are making me guilty until proven innocent!” I put my head down.

“
The license plates came back to you,” he said calmly. It was as if he hadn’t heard anything I had just said. Trying to get anyone to believe me was useless.

I had to shake my head at all the things they had against me and how it had all gone down. Duke had gone so far as to have fake plates put on Brian’s car in my name. The police thought they were searching my car and found his newest pictures of me. Everything Duke had planned to do to frame me was working thus far. I also learned he had planted evidence in my house as well—a bloodied t-shirt with blood that matched the DNA of the dead sixteen year old girl.

“
I don’t’ even own a car,” I whispered again, still in disbelief. “My ex is doing all of this, planting plates and planting physical evidence. He kidnapped my best friend and now I think she’s dead too.” I was distraught, tears welling up in my eyes. It must’ve all sounded like a soap opera to this white, fresh out of law school, little prick.

“
I think you should think long and hard before you decide to take this case to trial,” the prick repeated himself. I was tired of hearing that same old line. “If you lose, you could be facing life or even worse, the death penalty. Did I also mention they have people willing to testify that you were the mastermind behind the baby snatching and illegal adoption ring?”

I put my head down on the table and just sobbed. There had to be a way for me to get out of this predicament. As it stood now, I was fucked.

“
I need to sleep on it. I will get back to you and let you know what I want to do,” I said through teary eyes. My attorney stood up and left as if he didn’t care either way. The C.O. came and took me to be searched, so I could go back to my cell.

I was really contemplating committing suicide, but they had me in solitary confinement with nothing in my cell that I could even remotely use to kill myself. I was sick of being in solitary confinement, but the jail wasn’t trying to take a chance of putting me back in general population after what had happened. I heard all those bitches still wanted a piece of me. They were making threats of death the next time they had the chance to get near me. There was no way I could stay locked up for the rest of my life.

I would rather die first.

Cheaper to Keep Her Unique

Chapter 32—Dirty Bitches

A few days after I had met with my attorney, the C.O. came to my cell to announce I had a visitor.

That took me off guard because my attorney said he wouldn’t be back until it was closer to my next court date. I didn’t have but one friend. That was Diamond and she was missing, and I didn’t fuck with my family at all. I thought about Diamond almost all day, every day. She was probably lying dead somewhere and would never get a proper burial or memorial. I was alive and it was my fault she was dead.

I got myself together and the C.O. led me to the visit area. You can’t imagine my shock when I saw Neeko, the owner of the Magic City sitting behind the visitor’s table. My heart started racing and my stomach cramped up. I just knew he was there to tell me that they had finally found Diamond dead somewhere. That had to be the only reason Neeko would visit me. I never had a great relationship with him when I worked at the club. I crinkled my eyebrows and slowly walked over to the table where Neeko was sitting, awaiting my arrival. We locked eyes and neither one of us said much at first. I sat down hesitantly and looked at him.

“
How you doing Lynise?” Neeko asked, finally taking the initiative to speak up.

“
I’m as good as can be expected being locked up in here for something I didn’t do,” I told him. “What brings you here? You’re the last person I expected to see.”

“
Well, I’m here to tell you some shit I found out. I’m warning you though, it’s pretty deep,” he said. I felt a strange sense of relief that he didn’t say he was there to tell me Diamond was found in the bushes somewhere beat to death or she had suffered some other horrific manner of death.

“
See, I know you ain’t do all what they saying you did in the news. I know how dirty and low down that nigga, Duke, is,” Neeko said.

Finally, somebody who believed me! I thought to myself.

“
I’m listening,” I replied.

“
Lynise, that nigga, Duke, gotta be stopped. He took over my club and pushed me completely out,” Neeko told me. “Out on my ass. He just snatched all of my life long hard work right from up under me like a slithering dirty snake.” He was raising his voice so I could tell this was a very emotional topic for him.

“
How could he do that?” I was very curious to know.

“
Easy! That muthafucka called in the IRS on me. When those feds started looking into my shit, they found all types of shit. It was true, I hadn’t paid my taxes in a while, but they would’ve never known. Duke called me out. He was working with those pigs. They put a lien against my club and I could not pay it. That slimy bastard, Duke, came in, paid the lien and back property taxes, and snatched my club from me just like that. Lynise, the club
is my lifeline and he took it right from under me. He done changed the name of it and everything.”

Nothing shocked me anymore, but that didn’t change the fact what Duke was doing to me and to Neeko, and had done to Diamond and Brian was a fucking shame.

“
What does this has to do with me? He set me up too. He ruined my entire life too, but at least you ain’t in jail facing life for two murders you didn’t commit or dead like Diamond probably is,” I said a little irritated.

“
Well, I came here to tell you some more shit. But you have to be ready for this Lynise,” Neeko warned me.

“
Neeko, nothing can get worse than what I’m going through right now.”

“
I don’t know—” he hesitated.

“
Just say what you gotta say,” I demanded.

“
Diamond is far from dead,” he said. It seemed as if his words were coming out of his mouth in slow motion. I leaned across the table and I could feel my heart hammering against the steel edge.

“
Your girl, Diamond, was down with this whole thing against you all along,” Neeko blurted out.

I had heard people talk about the air leaving their lungs, leaving them grasping for air and speechless. I had never truly experienced it. Until now. When the rest of the words came out of his mouth, it was like he had punched me in the gut. I felt such a pain in my stomach. I could’ve fallen out of the chair. I had to play it off though.

What is this nightmare I am living?

“
What? Get the fuck outta here! I don’t believe that shit Neeko!” I snapped back. “Duke kidnapped Diamond, I saw her all bloodied up and tied up in pictures. She is probably somewhere dead and you have the fucking nerve to come here and spread rumors about her!” I had raised my voice so high I was starting to get sideway glances from the correction officers.

“
Naw, you got that all wrong,” Neeko corrected me. “Diamond and Duke set you up. I’m telling you the truth. I done seen them together! Those pictures were staged. In fact, I hear Diamond was bragging about how good she did the red corn syrup to make it look like blood and how after she took the fake pictures of herself, Duke licked all of the syrup off her naked body and they fucked.”

I could’ve just died right there on the spot hearing this shit.

“
Word is, when you told her you was gonna blackmail Duke, she went back and told him right away. See Lynise, the truth of the matter is Diamond was fucking Duke the whole time you was with him. I don’t know how you couldn’t see that! Duke was supplying Diamond with her drugs and hitting her off with a little money on the side. Even when she called you and told you he was in the club with a bitch the night you came in there and wild out, that was all part of their plan so Duke could start the process of breaking up with you.”

My ears were ringing now. With every word, I could feel my blood pressure rising and my insides churning. I was biting down into my cheek so hard I could taste blood in my mouth. Tears were burning at the backs of my eye sockets. No, I hadn’t killed anyone. Yes, I could see death in my future. And as much as Neeko’s words were getting to me, I didn’t want to truly believe it. I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t have family. I had Diamond. She was all I had. This couldn’t be happening.

“
I don’t believe that shit Neeko,” I said, mincing my words. I didn’t want to believe my best friend had betrayed me in such a major way.

“
I knew you wasn’t gon’ believe me, so I brought this,” Neeko whispered, secretly sliding a picture across to me.

I slid it off the table and turned it over. Needless to say, my jaw dropped open and my eyes went low into evil slits. Sure enough, it was a picture of Diamond and Duke together in the club. Diamond was just fine, sitting on Duke’s lap smiling from ear to ear. The thought of her being treated by Duke how I was treated in the beginning threatened to make me throw up or scream. To think whenever Duke did something for me, I would share with her. Meanwhile, she was fucking him and getting shit from him anyway. I couldn’t believe my best friend, the bitch I considered my own family, had turned her back on me like this.