“What happened?” Santiago screamed as he jumped from the car and pounced at the guard.
“The lady came out screaming that there was a fire, and when I went to investigate, the shrubbery was burning pretty good.”
“Where is Angelica? Did she go back into the house?”
“I told her to stand on the sidewalk while I contacted the fire department. I tried to see if I could put the fire out myself, but the blaze was going pretty good. In less than five minutes, the fire trucks were here, though. The lady may have gone back into the house.”
“Freakin’ fire trucks! Those firemen are going to pay to have this place landscaped. Look at that, Sammy. Look at the freakin’ mess they made! I don’t care if they were coming to put out a fire, they should have used the damn driveway instead of crushing my blooms and leaving tire tracks all over the place.”
“I’ll take care of it, boss,” Dom said. “I’ve got a friend that works with the union. We’ll get it straightened out.”
“Do that. Now I want to be alone for the rest of the day.” Santiago went into the house, leaving Sammy and Dominic to their own devices. Dominic and Sammy walked to Dom’s car that sat in one of the four garages that was attached to the house and then drove off.
Santiago went to Angelica’s room. Not finding her there, he went to the rec room, the scene of their last sexual encounter. Skipping down the stairs two at a time left him out of breath, but not seeing Angelica in the room caused his adrenaline to flow at a rapid rate. He peeked into the indoor basketball court, but no luck. The house was big; she must have wandered to a corner where he had not yet looked.
Anger rose in Santiago’s bowels as he rushed from one room to another. He thought maybe Angelica had walked to one of the other houses in the neighborhood. It was at that moment Santiago began to see the light. How did the fire begin? No one said how the fire started. He knew; Angelica staged the fire in order to get away. But she couldn’t have done it all by herself.
Santiago hit the wall with his fists. “No one screws me over and gets away with it,” he hissed out loud. “She wouldn’t go back to Queens, but the doorman has to know where she went.”
Anger turned to rage. Santiago picked up his cell phone and immediately dialed Sammy.
“Sammy, you and Dom come pick me up. We have a job to do. Now!”
Santiago slammed the phone shut and knocked over a lamp and the contents that sat on a nearby end table to the floor. “Somebody’s gonna pay!”
More than a month had passed since Angelica sat behind the wheel of a car. After fifteen minutes and a steady dose of jazz flowing through the radio, she felt reacquainted with driving and sailed down the road.
Angelica shook her head as she thought about the last image she had of Ari. What a handsome guy. She regretted that their time together was so short because she was having more than “feelings” for him. Ari showed her how much a man could care for a woman-something she didn’t know much about. What made her shiver was the thought that he had been there for her, even when she didn’t deserve it. She owed him so much.
She moved effortlessly down the turnpike, her mind somewhat at ease. The taste of freedom did wonders for her psyche, and she whispered a short prayer, thanking God for her release. What she didn’t have was a plan once she returned to Fayetteville, and the thought of calling Margo was out of the question for now.
Although it was spring and it would be light outside longer, there was no way she was going to drive straight to Fayetteville. Angelica picked up her cell and dialed.
“Thompson, Smart and Fisher,” the voice at the end of the line said.
“May I speak with Edward Thompson, please?”
“One moment, please,” the voice replied.
“Edward Thompson.”
“Hey, big brother.”
“Hey, Sis, I’m sorry I haven’t called you with more information.”
“That’s okay. Guess where I am?”
“New York?”
“No, Edward. I’m heading your way. I may need somewhere to sleep tonight, and then I’m going to Fayetteville.”
“Sure, Sis, but how are you getting here?”
“I rented a car, for goodness sake. You’re a brilliant attorney. That should have been an easy one for you.”
“You know what I mean, Angelica. You didn’t have a car, you were upset about Hamilton, and sometimes I don’t know what’s up with you.”
“Edward, I’m going to tell you something that I’ve kept hidden from you. You’re not going to like it, but I had no other choice at the time.”
“Well, spit it out. Nothing surprises me when it comes to you.”
“Edward, I was staying with Santiago.”
“Say what? Santiago? How in the hell did that happen?”
Angelica sighed. “I ran into him at a nightclub. He all but threatened me to come stay with him.”
“I knew you sounded strange when I spoke to you a couple of days ago.”
“Edward, I was afraid of him. He wasn’t physically abusive in any way, but mentally, yes. I even had the nerve to think that he may have had something to do with Hamilton’s murder, but I know that’s far-fetched.”
“It really isn’t far-fetched, Angelica. Another inmate did the killing, but my sources believe it was a hit with orders that came from outside of Central Prison. Do you know what that means, Angelica?”
“I’m in danger?”
“Hell yes, little sister. Santiago isn’t going to let you get away this time.”
“But we don’t know that he did it or that he even knows Hamilton is dead.”
“I’m betting Santiago knew long before you knew. How much longer until you get to D.C.?”
“I’ve only been driving about two hours-another two hours, I think.”
“You’re going to stay with me tonight. We’ll turn the car in tomorrow, and I’ll drive you down to Fayetteville. That way, I’ll feel better knowing you’re safe. We’ll have to get a hotel since your condo is rented. I’ll see if I can find out the date and time of Hamilton’s funeral.”
“You know they say, death comes in threes-first Donna, then Hamilton-who’s next?”
“Look, I’ve gotta go. Drive safe and give me a call when you get to D.C. We’ll hook up then.”
“Thanks, Edward. I feel much better since I’ve talked with you.”
“Okay, Sis. Talk with you later.”
Angelica flipped the lid on her phone. Just when she felt safe, Edward gave her reason to feel insecure. She looked into every car that passed by, hoping that the evil she left behind hadn’t caught up with her. Nerves shook her self-confidence, but she gasped as the steering wheel began to shake and the car felt strange as it rolled over the asphalt.
She took her foot off the accelerator and moved over in the right lane and then onto the shoulder. When she was able, she got out of the car, walked around it, and discovered the culprit-a flat tire.
Angelica grabbed her head. “Why me, Lord?” She was out on Interstate-95 without a credit card or AAA. She had enough money to fix it plus the two hundred dollars Ari gave her. She lowered her head.
She went back to the car and got her cell phone. She hated to call Edward again, but she had no choice. As she was about to dial his number, a red pick-up truck pulled off the highway. Angelica froze still with thoughts of Santiago in the back of her mind.
A middle-aged white man with two front teeth missing jumped from the truck. Angelica stood there, not sure if this man was going to rob her and take her car. Before she had a chance to assess him further, he stood in her space wearing a crooked smile.
“Ma’am, you need some help? Saw you off to the side of the road.”
“Well, yes,” Angelica said, sizing the man up. He seemed harmless. “I’ve got a flat tire, and I don’t have Triple-A.”
“Shoot, it may take Triple-A three or four hours, before they get here. If you have a jack and a spare, I’ll change your tire for you. Won’t take long at all.”
“Listen, I don’t know what I have because this is a rental vehicle. I’m trying to get to…” Angelica hesitated. She
