Daniel was a few meters behind when he saw the disturbing sight of a woman jumping from the bridge. It took less than a second before he realized that it was Eva. “Jesus! Eva!” He accelerated and stopped behind her car. A few drivers who had seen her jump were gathered around her car while some overlooked the river. Daniel unbuttoned his shirt and hastened forward. Before the onlookers could stop him, he dived into the water. He landed with a heavy slap of the water against his forehead, and for a few seconds, he lost awareness of where he was and what he was doing. The powerful force of the water began to push him further into its bottom. He didn’t offer any restraint. For a few seconds, he fell to the bottom of the river. Then, water filled his lungs and he began to choke. He fought the push, stretched his hands, and swam to the surface. At the surface, he coughed out water, took in quick breaths, and dived in. It was difficult to see through the water. His eyes hurt and his lungs
The white and orange brick of the walls that formed a high perimeter around the St. Nicholas Mental Home was occasionally visible where climbing Ivy had for some reason, turned and taken another course. The Mental Home was located a few miles from the church on a densely wooded and perfectly manicured six-acre estate in the middle of New Rochelle. Symmetrical rows of clipped boxwoods lined the sidewalks.Jamie parked her car in the visitor’s parking lot and rushed out to meet Daniel who was pacing about anxiously. The one-hour ride to the suburb had produced thousands of questions in her mind and she wanted answers. How did Eva end up in a Mental Home again?“What happened?” she asked when she was a few inches away from Daniel.Daniel was still suffering from the shock. It was not the diving into the sea that terrified him. It was the thought that Eva did it and almost lost her life.He knew Jamie wasn’t interested in exchanging pleasantries, and he knew she didn’t like him for her dau
Kate rushed to his side. The bruise on his cheeks had started healing but was still visible. Denzel smiled when he saw her.“What happened?” she asked.Denzel tried to sit up. Kate helped him. “It’s nothing serious.”“Nothing serious?” She stroked his cheeks. He winced. Kate frowned. “You have to tell me what happened?”“I called…you didn’t pick, Kate. You didn’t respond to my voicemail.”“I was angry. I realized that I overreacted. What happened to you? You have to tell me.”“A guy came in after you left…I thought it was you.”Kate grimaced. “He hit you? Why?”“Eva…”Kate huffed and pushed her back against the couch.“I think Eva got hurt.”“And he hits you for that?”“I don’t know. It was awkward.”“How do you feel?”“I ached all over all night but I’m good now…how are you?”Kate didn’t feel her bite was necessary again. “I’ve been working and trying to forget about you.”He pulled her. “Damn, you can’t. Didn’t you hear I drive ladies crazy?”Kate smiled and stroked his back. “You s
Kate stirred from her sleep. She smiled when she saw Denzel lying beside her. His hand was resting on one of her breasts and she wondered how they slept that way all through the night. Her stomach flipped when she remembered the thrilling sex they had the previous night. Kate knew why all the ladies wanted him now but she wanted him to herself and she wished he would be committed. She stroked his cheek gently and planted a wet kiss on his forehead. “I’ll be back before it dries up,” she promised him in his sleep state.The snow was falling quietly outside and was nursing the probability of a White Christmas. Rico woke from his nap as soon as she stepped into the sitting room. She bent down and ruffled its hairs. “Good girl.”She stuck her tongue out in excitement.“Not now,” Kate said, lifting herself up. “Denzel will take you for a walk when he wakes up.”Kate had thought of making pancakes while they had sex the previous night. She remembered the last time she made pancakes for him
CHAPTER 91It was a White Christmas. After four years, the sidewalks were filled with the snow that fell in the morning. Michel watched the turkey grilling in the oven while Kate attended to the cranberry sauce. The two women chatted in the kitchen while Denzel and his father discussed plans to gain back the company. Michel was pleased to have her son home for Christmas and it pleased her more that Kate had been the one who suggested it. After much work, they sat at opposite ends of the small family dining table in the kitchen and ate apples.“There’s a nice shopping mall around the corner – Littman Stores. We should check it out this weekend. What do you think?”Kate smiled slightly. Michel was inviting her to go shopping with her.“We could start buying some bridal items,” she added with a grin.“I’ll be here by the weekend,” Kate responded.“We should also take a little walk and get to know each other, Kate.”Kate nodded. It was heart-warming that Michel was making her feel at home
Abigail rode a 2016 Tesla Model S to the substation where she was supposed to meet up with Denzel.Denzel sat in a small restaurant that served only coffee in the mornings and watched the crowd of New Yorkers that trooped in for a morning shot of coffee before rushing to their offices. From where he sat, he could view the rail trail and passersby, either waiting for the morning train or going about their business.He sipped the watery coffee that had turned lukewarm and waited for Abigail. Denzel was not a patient man and he considered himself patient enough after waiting for five minutes. But it wasn’t like when he was CEO and his meetings were with clients who needed him. Now he needed Abigail if he wanted to become President. He took the bland coffee to his mouth and sipped again. His attention was drawn to the Tesla car that pulled up a few meters ahead and the woman that alighted from the vehicle. She wore dark sunglasses, a fitting office gown, and black heels. He watched her u
Karen returned from Florida when she heard Denzel was back in New York. She asked John who secured the penthouse if he had visited. He replied negatively. Good. She explained a second time that she was visiting her mother who had lung cancer and was due for surgery. John nodded nonchalantly.In her room, she wrapped one of her pants in a white envelope, inscribed some words, and sent it to Denzel’s mansion.Kate had left for her fashion school and Denzel was still asleep, feeling unmotivated. The news of Abigail’s death sent chills through his body when he thought of it. He couldn’t tell Kate. He couldn’t tell the police what he knew. It was a clean kill that was indisputably marked as suicide. McNeil warned him to lay low. Ray was a mad man. For three days, Denzel did nothing. His fight against Ray Dantley was no longer because he wanted the company back but because he wanted to put him behind bars. But Ray was guiltless. He had appeared during the wake keeping calm as a dove. Denzel
The sizzling heat waves that sauntered over the finely arranged cuisine were gone in their ascent and what remained was an aromatic, delicious, but cold display of what Kate had spent hours preparing. She was now fast asleep on her chair with her head hanging out of her neck. Before now, she would wake from her slumber periodically and check her phone for any calls, but now nature had taken its full effect on her, and although her posture was uncomfortable, she slept soundly. Denzel had driven at 80 mph when he stood up from Karen’s bed and saw the missed calls from Kate. Now, he drove quietly into the compound and hoped Rico wouldn’t bark at his arrival. It was almost midnight and he hadn’t come up with a perfect excuse for why he was late. He had thought of a thousand things to say but they weren’t good enough. If he was lucky enough, he thought. Kate would be asleep already and he’d have all night to think of a suitable lie. Maybe he would wake her with vigorous rounds of sex while
Kate stared blankly into the street ahead and let the tears flow from her eyes. She sat on the roadside bench and waited for Collins. He had promised he would come and pick her up. The cold evening breeze blew against her body and she shivered but she was too sad to cover herself. Neither did she care about her brutal wind. She could only blame herself. She had been foolish to believe she could find committed love with Denzel.Collins' car pulled over and he rushed out to meet her. When he noticed he was shivering, he took off his jacket and covered her. Kate sniffed and thanked him. Collins sat beside her, and for a moment, no words were spoken. Collins wondered what happened. Whatever it was, he knew it was terrible. Kate's box was standing behind the bench."You were right," she said with a light chuckle. "Denzel didn't deserve me and I was too foolish to see it.""I'm sorry, Kate."Kate pursed her lips and sobbed."Stop crying, Kate. Whatever it is, he doesn't deserve your tears.
Four NYPD vehicles blared along the road to the house of Raymond Dantley. The winter clouds had been dissipated by the sun and the morning dew soaked the tarmac. The cold winter breeze still blew and the men wore their police jackets and sipped hot coffee – their bosses swallowed bottles of gin in their office.The four vehicles came to a halt in front of Ray’s compound and instructions were given. Five cops, armed with a rifle, surrounded the perimeter of the house while the rest three made their way in. The truck loaders who were sniffing some of the drugs they stole were the first criminals they caught.“This is the New York state police department,” one of the officers recited with his rifle pointed steadily at them. There was no escape. “Your hands where I can see them.”Another police officer cuffed their hands from behind. He inspected the substance. “Codeine.”“Take us to your boss. A single mistake and I’ll blow your brains out.”***Stephen watched from afar as the four poli
The men were up long before dawn. Silently, they moved about their duties. In the underground warehouse, several boxes containing codeine, Vicodin, and oxycontin were labelled and placed on each other. The men in the lab were dressed in white overall coat inspected samples before they were lifted to the ground floor. The boxes were carried into the compound and loaded into a truck carrying the Culid company logo. The men ardently placed the boxes of hard drugs in between cartons of beverages.When they had finished uploading the boxes, Roland slapped the back of the vehicle and the driver started the engine. Roland slid into the passenger seat and lit a cigarette. He pushed his cigarette box to him.“Want some?”Tarry, the truck driver shook his head and reached for a bottle of gin. “Gin does it better.” He took a gulp and passed the bottle to Roland. “How’s the boss?”Roland took a gulp. “Mad as hell. He wants Stephen.”“Heard millions of dollars was missing.”“Raash wants his cut, n
Eva heard everything. The sounds of the birds singing on the tree outside her window. The yellings of the crazy men outside her door. The clicking sounds of shoes that belonged to the psychiatrist. At night, she could hear the creeping sounds of the bugs that wanted to feast on her. She hated the place. And she hated that she was locked with crazy people. She wasn’t crazy. She was only fighting for a love that was hers and Daniel betrayed her.The three nights at the mental home had been hell for Eva. The therapy sessions were worse. She sat, hand cuffed, before a man dressed in white overall coat.“Eveline. Can I call you that?”“I’m Eva?”“How are you this morning?”“I can’t be fine as long as I am held in this hell hole.”“Are you ready for a session?”“I’m not mad!”“You tried to kill a woman who dis nothing to you thrice.”“She took my man.”“He isn’t yours.”“How do you know that?!”“Because he said so. Eva, he was only your boyfriend in high school.”“You don’t know anything.”
Kate returned home after listening to Denzel’s voicemail. He explained why he was silent after discovering Eva had caused the accident and also threatened to kill her. He also pointed to her that he never had sex with Eva. Kate was too ashamed to remain in Collins’ company – much had been said and done. Going home was a relief.When she arrived, Denzel wasn’t in. There was a note stuck to the fridge in the kitchen explaining that he had gone to see his father. Kate sat down and thought about the event of the morning. She wondered if she would have enough courage to tell Denzel and she wondered how he would react.She busied herself all afternoon with responding to emails from contractors and business men. A particular fashion celebrity had been pleased with her fashion line and proposed partnership.It was a delightful news.Kate thought about how busy she was going to become as a design creator. She knew it was worth the time it would rob off her. She thought about telling Denzel the
Kate felt awkward and Collins sensed it. “Come in,” he said and moved out of the entrance. Kate stepped into the apartment. It was her first time coming to his place since he moved into New York.“We had an argument,” she explained.Collins closed the door and followed her in. “Was it because of what I told you earlier?”Kate sat down and sighed deeply. “I deserved to know, Collins. I could have died.”He took a seat opposite her. “Does he know you’re here?”Kate shook her head. “He doesn’t know I left the house.” She heaved a sigh. “I just wanted h to explain himself and then he left me.”“Does he know about your fears?”She shook her head. “He never asked.”“How about tea?”“Great.”Kate glanced around the room. She recognized some portraits from his previous house at New Rochelle. Collins loved art and he gathered artistic works. Whenever he was stressed or leisured, he painted.He returned shortly with two cups of hot tea.“Thanks,” she said.Collins thought about what she said ea
Denzel glanced at his sore eyelid in the mirror and decided it was better if he wore sunshades. He combed his hair, inspected his see eyes again, and exited the room. The news of Eva’s arrest had been communicated to him the previous night and he planned visiting her to give her a piece of his mind. But presently, he was on his way to the hospital. When he reached SEW 7, Kate was awake, and was having breakfast. She noticed the sunshades he wore.“What’s with the sunshades?” she asked.Denzel ignored the question until he was by her side. “Nothing.”Kate frowned. “I want to see your eyes then.”Denzel hesitated. “I fell.” Kate’s frown deepened. “I wanna see it.”Denzel took off the shades and Kate gasped softly. “This isn’t a fall. What happened?”“Nothing. I gotta go now. I’ll be here to pick you up by 6pm.”He eased out of the room. Denzel’s next stop was at the station. Eva was pleased to see him. “Denzel? Babe, you came for me? Please, tell them I didn’t do it. I don’t want to s
“You’ve got some effrontery, Eva. What are you doing here?”The glare in his eyes told her that he had not forgiven her yet. But Eva was in desperate need of shelter. “I’m sorry I had to hit you. I told you I did want to return to that place.”“You didn’t hit me, Eva. You tried to kill me. I was cumming when I passed out.”She smiled naughtily. “I can make up for it.”Daniel did not move from the door. “I found another woman who worships me the way I do.”Eva frowned. “I never wanted to be your woman, Daniel. If you’ve gotten a woman, I’m happy for you. I’m here because I’ve missed a friend and I’m in need of a shelter.”“You know where your home is, Eva.”“You know I can’t go home and you know why.”“And where you’ve been staying for weeks?”“It was at a motel downtown but the cops came over today. Please, let me in, Daniel.”“I have to talk to Sylvia about it.”“Fine.”He unblocked the entrance and she shoved in. She fell on the cushion and dropped her small bag. “Is there food in
Eva undressed and wrapped the bloodstained pen knife in a nylon. Then she kept it among her clothes. She moved to the bed with a wine bottle, prepared to celebrate her victory. When she had gone halfway through the bottle, she contemplated calling Denzel. Later, she slept off.Eva didn’t wake up until the next morning. She drove around town and stopped by at McDonald’s. At the eatery, she noticed sly gazes. She bought Chicken McNuggets and soda. When she stopped by at the gas station, the attendant asked her some personal questions before she drove off.Eva thought about Daniel for the first time in two weeks and hoped he had survived the hit. Daniel hadn’t called her.A few minutes before mid-day, she drove back to the motel she was renting at cheaply rate. After a morning of outings, Eva planned to remain indoors all day. Maybe she would watch an erotic movie and masturbate…It must have been the heavy food she ate that drowsed her back to sleep. Her slumber was disturbed as soon