Queen Hustlaz Part 2 Read online

  “Go back, Orlando!” Jeryca shouted, pointing to the screen.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  “Go back to where the man pointed the gun at Tim,” she instructed.

  Orlando did as she asked, and once he was at the scene, she asked him to pause the tape.

  “Blow it up,” she said. “Now look at the man’s wrist area. Do you see what it says? It’s ‘Tiffany.’ I know who that is. It’s got to be Toby and Thad. I remember seeing the tattoo several times.”

  “Oh, shit! Girl, you are right! That’s where I know that voice from. Mothafucka! They tried me like that! Okay. Okay, I got they ass!” Orlando yelled.

  He paced back and forth and ranted for about ten minutes until Jeryca grabbed him and wrapped her arms around him. It was his breaking point. He cried as he embraced her tightly and the two stood holding one another.

  Orlando finally let Jeryca go and called Sergio, who seemed to have been waiting for his call. “What you got for us?” Sergio asked.

  “I was watching the tape, and me and my girl know who killed Tim,” Orlando replied.

  “Tell me who did this!” Sergio screamed.

  “Man, it was Thad and Toby Royster,” Orlando said, full of emotion.

  “It was who? Do them bastards know what they have done? How do you know this for sure?” Sergio asked.

  “It’s all caught on tape. I recognize the voice, but my girl recognized the tattoo,” Orlando explained.

  “So your girl is associated with them somehow?” Sergio asked.

  “She used to date Thad Royster, sir,” Orlando replied.

  “I need proof that those bastards killed Tim. We will be flying in tomorrow. I want to see this tape, and I want your girlfriend to prove to me that Thad and Toby are the men in the video,” Sergio said angrily.

  “All right, I will see you all tomorrow,” Orlando said, before hanging up.

  “Orlando, why are those guys so interested in Tim’s murderers?” Jeryca inquired.

  “Jeryca, Tim’s father was their cousin, and he died pulling a job for the Colombians. They promised Tim’s mother that they would always be there for him and keep him as safe as possible and out of this game. Tim never sold on a corner nor was he involved in any runs. At least, that was supposed to be the plan. I think they are about to wreak havoc on your boys, and if they don’t, I promise you I will,” Orlando vowed.

  Jeryca knew that he was serious. She had to respect that about him. That was true loyalty in her opinion. She laid her head on his shoulder, and the two drifted off to sleep.

  * * *

  Somewhere in the middle of the night, Jeryca and Orlando retired to the bedroom and fell back to sleep. When they awoke again, it was nine o’clock in the morning, and Jeryca’s cell phone was ringing.

  As she looked to see who was calling her, Orlando rolled over and kissed her on the cheek. He got up to shower. Jeryca answered her phone. “Hey, Mom.”

  “What happened to you all yesterday?” she asked.

  “Well, we got caught up in a serious situation, and we couldn’t make it.”

  “Serious enough where you couldn’t pick up the phone and call me? I mean, really, Jeryca, this is ridiculous and becoming an ugly habit of yours. I know you got your issues with me, but Pam needs you,” Sheila Mebane stormed.

  “Mother, if you must know, Orlando’s close friend was murdered yesterday, and we spent most of our time at the police department!” Jeryca yelled.

  There was a brief silence. “You still could’ve called, Jeryca.”

  “Oh, my God! Are you fucking deaf? Listen, I don’t have time for this right now, so I will talk to you later,” Jeryca shouted and hung up.

  A few seconds later, her phone rang again. “What, Mom?” she shouted aggressively.

  “While you sitting there yelling at me, your sister is in the hospital. Her appendix burst and they have her in emergency surgery. They say that it’s very serious and I figured you would want to know!” Sheila cried.

  Jeryca sat upright in the bed. “What? When did this happen?” she asked with a concerned tone.

  “She woke up complaining about her side hurting, and she started vomiting. I didn’t think it was anything too serious, so I gave her some Pepto-Bismol, but when the pain got worse, I called 911. We are here at Brooklyn Hospital Center on the second floor, in the surgery waiting area,” Sheila stated.

  “We? Who is we, Mom?” Jeryca asked.

  “Paul is here. I called him to let him know what was going on,” she answered.

  “Why would you do that? He ain’t never cared about her,” Jeryca shouted.

  “He is her father, and he deserved to know. Are you coming down here?” Sheila asked.

  “Yes. Let me get a shower and get dressed. I will be there, I promise,” Jeryca said, before hanging up.

  When she turned around, Orlando was standing there, looking at her. “Is everything all right?”

  “Yes. Well, no. My sister is in the hospital, and I need to get down there as soon as possible,” she replied.

  “Listen, I know it’s none of my business but, Jeryca, you shouldn’t talk to your mom like that. She is the reason you are here, and you should respect her for that if nothing else.”

  “I just don’t know how. I don’t respect anything about her, baby. She isn’t the kind of woman I ever wanted to look up to,” Jeryca replied.

  “I know, but you should try to be a little less mouthy. That’s all I’m saying, okay?” Orlando asked.

  “All right, I will try it your way,” she said.

  “That’s all I ask,” Orlando said. “Come on. Get out of this bed and get your shower so we can get going. Sergio and Ramon will be in later, and I got to get with Tim’s mom and help her out as much as I can,” he told her.

  “All right, I’m getting up,” Jeryca said, smiling.

  As she got up, he noticed she only had on a pair of lace panties and a tank top. As she waltzed by him, she smiled, knowing he was watching her.

  “Lord have mercy, girl,” he whispered.

  Chapter Two

  Orlando and Jeryca arrived at the hospital forty-five minutes after she had hung up with her mom. Orlando walked her up to the second floor, and when they walked into the waiting room, Jeryca’s mom jumped up and grabbed Jeryca, hugging her and crying.

  When she let her go, she looked at Orlando and extended her hand. “Hi, I’m Sheila Mebane, Jeryca’s mother.”

  “Nice to meet you, Ms. Mebane. I’m Orlando, Jeryca’s boyfriend.”

  “Oh, okay. I’m sorry to hear about your friend. I don’t know what’s going on in this world today. People are killing other people like it’s nothing!” Sheila said, shaking her head.

  “Yes, ma’am, it’s quite sad. I want to let you know that my prayers are with you and your family. I hope Pam pulls through this. I’m sure if she has any of her sister’s fight, she will,” Orlando said.

  “Thank you. Jeryca, you got you a decent man right here. I hope you don’t make me regret giving you a mother’s seal of approval,” Sheila said, smiling at him then Jeryca.

  “Where’s Paul?” asked Jeryca.

  “He had to leave,” Sheila said and left it at that.

  Orlando stayed with them for about an hour. He laughed and talked to Sheila as if he had known her for years. Jeryca smiled at the two of them and was surprised at how well her mother was behaving. Orlando excused himself and apologized for rushing off, but he swore he would call throughout the day to check in.

  Jeryca walked him to the elevator and hugged him tightly. She wished she could be with him during this time, but her sister needed her more.

  “I’m going to miss you, babe.” Jeryca sighed.

  “I’m going to miss you too,” Orlando said as he looked down at Jeryca.

  “Okay, bae, call me when you get time later on,” she replied.

  “All right, I will.”

  Orlando left the hospital and drove straight to Tim’s mother’s hous
e. As he pulled up into the driveway, there were several cars lined up on the side of the road. People were going in and out of the house and Tim’s girlfriend, Lynn, was being held up as she exited the house. She was screaming and crying, which pulled on Orlando’s heartstrings. He parked and slowly got out of the car. As he approached the steps, Lynn looked at him and reached out for him. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to him. As he embraced her, he could feel her body trembling.

  He pulled back, looked her in the face, and assured her that they were going to find out who was responsible, even though he already knew.

  He walked into the house, and the scene was heart wrenching. Everyone was crying, and the living room was filled with pictures of Tim. His mother was sitting in front of the television, watching the news coverage of the deaths. She wasn’t saying a word to anyone. It was as if she were in a world of her own.

  Orlando walked over and stood next to her. He gripped her shoulder and gave it a squeeze, letting her know he was there. She looked up at him, tears filling her eyes, and suddenly she broke down. He held her for a few minutes, and then she sat up. “I’m sorry about that. How are you doing?”

  “I’m doing as well as I can be under the circumstances. Is there anything I can do while I’m here?” he asked her.

  “If you can, help pull the chairs out from the garage, and set them up throughout the house and on the porch. I got to do a store run to get some food for the guests who will be arriving,” she replied.

  “I can handle all that. What are you going to do as far as the funeral is concerned?” Orlando asked.

  “I don’t want to drag this out, so I decided to have a service for him tomorrow, and I’m going to have him cremated,” she explained.

  “Oh, sounds good. I’m going to get started pulling those chairs out and then I’ll go to the store.” Orlando sighed.

  “You are a good man, Orlando, and my Timmy was lucky to have a friend like you,” she said sadly.

  “I was the lucky one,” Orlando said, before asking Tim’s cousin to help him with the chairs.

  * * *

  After a couple of hours, Orlando had finished setting up the chairs and had gone shopping. He set everything up in the kitchen, where the food and drinks were easily accessible. He picked up his phone, about to call Jeryca, when he heard two familiar voices coming from the hallway.

  He walked quickly to the hall and was happy to see Sergio and Ramon standing there. Sergio was hugging Tim’s mom, and Ramon was hugging Lynn.

  Finally, they spotted Orlando. “Nice of you to come,” Orlando said.

  “Where else would we be?” Ramon asked.

  Orlando shook his head in agreement.

  Sergio wrapped one arm around Orlando’s neck and walked him to the front porch. “Listen, we are leaving in the morning before services begin, so we need to see that video and talk to your friend. If she can prove that Thad and Toby are responsible for all this, then we need to see that proof and rid ourselves of those bastards.”

  “I understand. I will go and get the video in a few minutes, and I’ll call Jeryca and see if she can make time for a meeting tonight,” Orlando replied.

  “We do appreciate you, man,” Sergio said.

  Orlando went back into the house with Sergio and listened to them put the obituary together. After an hour, they all sat down to dinner. Orlando didn’t stay. He told them he was going to pick up the tape and he would meet them at the hotel suite.

  Orlando dialed Jeryca’s number, but it went straight to voicemail. Orlando knew that it would probably be impossible to pull Jeryca away from her sister, so he would explain to Ramon and Sergio that they might not meet Jeryca before they left.

  * * *

  Jeryca had spent most of the day by her sister’s side. The doctor had informed them that the surgery was a success, although it was touch and go for a while. Pam had awakened thirty minutes after leaving the recovery room, and Jeryca never felt more relieved.

  They talked for a little while, and Pam begged Jeryca to stay with her for the night. Jeryca agreed. She wasn’t going anywhere until she knew that Pam was definitely okay.

  Jeryca decided to go to the hospital chapel and say a prayer for Pam. En route, she passed a room that was closed off with glass walls, and what she saw caught her attention. Brenda was lying in the bed with tubes running out of her body. She had heard that Brenda was still alive and that she was in a vegetative state, but to see her with her own two eyes made it surreal.

  She reflected on the day that Dana shot Brenda. Jeryca felt that Dana overreacted a bit during the robbery, but then again, she had recognized who Jeryca was immediately.

  Jeryca felt awful for the things that had transpired through the months, and in her mind, there was only one person really to blame: Dana!

  Dana was going to pay for all that had happened, and Jeryca was certain that she would also. However, she was going to watch Dana fall, before it was her own time to pay karma.

  Chapter Three

  Current Day

  Detectives Rone and Harris sat in the back of the conference room and waited for Detective Lisa Moore to finish briefing the officers on Timothy Vaughan’s murder case. Detective Rone wasn’t on the murder case, but when he learned that Jeryca Mebane was involved, he had to get the details.

  There were too many deaths surrounding Jeryca Mebane and Dana Crisp. He had to find out what was going on. He had a strange woman calling him, informing him of all these crimes that Dana Crisp was involved in, yet he had no proof that any crime was committed. He had spoken to Debra, and she assured him that she was okay, so there was no crime there. Just a few days ago, the woman called again, informing him that Dana may have been involved in the murder of Keith Turner, but again, no evidence was found. He didn’t want to think that Dana could be involved in those murders, but there were a lot of bodies piling up. She and her friends were connected in one way or another, and he was going to get to the bottom of it.

  As Lisa Moore concluded her conference and walked toward the exit, Detective Rone approached her. “Excuse me, Lisa, I would like to know if I can assist you on this case. I think this may have some bearing on a murder case that I have been investigating.”

  “And what case might that be, Detective Rone?” she asked.

  “Farrah Walker’s murder case,” he answered.

  “I thought that case had been solved and closed, Detective,” she said, looking at him curiously.

  “Yeah, it was, but recent evidence has been placed before me that may mean I’ll need to reopen her case. The people involved in your investigation are connected to mine as well,” he replied.

  “Oh, yeah? And who might that be?” she asked.

  “Jeryca Mebane, for starters,” he said flatly.

  “Oh, really? Well, I think that we definitely need to discuss a few things. Let me grab my keys and we can talk in my office,” she said.

  “Sounds good to me,” Detective Rone said, as he looked at Detective Harris and smiled.

  While Detective Moore went to retrieve her keys, Detective Harris looked at Detective Rone, frowning. “There isn’t any new evidence in the Walker case. Why did you say that?”

  “Because I need to do everything in my power to make sure that whoever’s been calling me isn’t actually telling me the truth about these murders,” Detective Rone replied.

  Detective Harris looked at him and shrugged his shoulders. “Okay, let’s go.”

  * * *

  Wednesday night, Brittany, Deondre, Minx, and Dana pulled up at the warehouse at 10:00 p.m. They decided that it was time to take care of Debra and move on. Dana felt that it was long overdue, but Brittany kept prolonging it.

  Brittany was the first to get out of the car, with Dana on her heels. The two men were in a separate truck and lingered behind, removing several items from the truck.

  Brittany unlocked the warehouse and walked in. She immediately went to the room where Debra was being kept. She had a feeling that she
was making the wrong decision, but everybody involved felt that Debra should die, and she had to roll with the majority.

  “Let’s do this so we can leave. It’s too late to try to change your mind,” Dana whispered.

  “I’m not changing my mind. Just back off, Dana!” Brittany growled.

  “Don’t get mad at me. I ain’t did shit to you. Just do this so I can get the fuck away from you,” Dana muttered, glaring at Brittany.

  Brittany smiled. “Dana, you just don’t know when to quit. But I’m telling you, quit trying me.”

  Dana smiled back but said nothing. She couldn’t wait to finish this and be on her way. She decided that once the Debra situation was taken care of, she wasn’t fucking with any of them again. It was time to move on, and that’s exactly what she was going to do.

  A few seconds later, Deondre and Minx walked up. “What’s going on? Why are y’all just standing out here?” Minx asked.

  Dana stepped back and waved her hand toward Brittany. “Ask her.”

  “Man, if you don’t get in there and fucking kill that bitch, Brittany . . . We ain’t got time for no bullshit,” Deondre said, clearly aggravated.

  “All right, damn. I’m going,” Brittany replied. She opened the door to the room and turned the lights on. There was a strong odor of urine and feces in the air.

  “Oh, my. Damn!” Dana said, covering her nose.

  Deondre waved his hand through the air, furiously fanning. “Eww, fuck! It stinks like fuck in here. Let’s get this over with!”

  Debra was so weak that she could hardly hold her head up. The light severely hurt her eyes, due to being in the dark for so many days. She hadn’t eaten or had water in a while.

  Brittany looked at how sunken in her eyes were and how thin her face was. It was shocking to her that Debra wasn’t already dead. She decided to make it quick because, in her opinion, Debra had suffered enough.