Zakiya again, so I went and slept on the couch.”
“You think she had her killed? Does she have that kind of juice to have somebody killed?”
“I don’t know.”
Miles got out of the car and went back in the hospital.
Chapter 36
I let Miles get a bit of a head start before I followed him in the hospital. It wasn’t like I didn’t know where he was going. Miles was going to confront his wife about his dead mistress.
Ballsy; I’d give him that.
Did Lakeda really have Zakiya killed? I didn’t know much about her, but from what I saw I didn’t think she had it in her. But you never know how far a woman, or a man for that matter, will go in the name of love.
I, on the other hand, knew. I had no illusions about what Wanda was capable of, and what she’d do if she knew for sure what I was doing with Rain. Wanda could and would have Rain killed. It only served to remind me of what a dangerous game I was playing.
Miles went back to the unit. I couldn’t follow him, so I took a seat in the visitor’s area. I looked around for Jeff Ritchie, but didn’t see him. It didn’t take long for Miles to come bursting out of the intensive care unit dragging Lakeda behind him. Rain came rushing out behind them.
I got up and caught up with Rain as she rushed to catch up with Miles and Lakeda. “What’s goin’ on?” I asked, even though I knew.
“I don’t know. Miles busted in the room and pulled Lakeda up from her chair and said ‘I wanna talk to you.’”
We followed them out into the parking lot and caught up with them just as the show began.
Miles stopped and grabbed Lakeda by the shoulders and shook her. “What did you do?”
“Nothing. I didn’t do anything!” Lakeda yelled back.
“What did you do?” Miles screamed again and continued shaking Lakeda.
“Stop it, Miles. What the fuck is wrong with you?” Rain yelled.
“Stay out of this, Rain! This has nothing to do with you!” Miles yelled at his sister.
“Tell me what you did!” Miles yelled at Lakeda.
Rain took a step toward Miles like she wanted to try and separate them, but I stopped her. “Leave him alone.”
Rain looked down at my hand on her arm and snatched it back. “You did this, didn’t you? What did you tell him?”
“The truth.”
“What truth?”
“Miles was having an affair was Zakiya Phillips.”
“The chick that got killed at your spot?”
“Miles thinks Lakeda sent those men to kill her.” Rain looked at me like she didn’t or couldn’t believe what I was telling her. And then she looked at her brother; saw the fury in his eyes. “He was in love with her.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Miles,” Lakeda insisted.
“Don’t lie to me!”
“Stop it, Miles, you’re hurting me.”
“Then tell me what you did.”
“What are you talking about?”
“About Zakiya.”
“What about her?” Lakeda asked. She looked confused by his question. Like she really didn’t know what he was talking about.
“You knew about her. You were the only one who knew about us and you had her killed.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I didn’t have that bitch killed. I didn’t even know she was dead.”
“Don’t lie to me Lakeda! It was you! After you heard me say that I loved her, you got somebody to kill her.”
“Damn, Miles, you told her that shit?” Rain said, but I’m sure Miles didn’t hear her.
By that time a small crowd had joined us to watch the show. There’s nothing more entertaining than black folks fightin’ in public.
“Let me go, Miles,” Lakeda said and suddenly found the strength to break away from Miles. Probably that line about loving another woman gave her strength. “I didn’t have her killed. I wish I did and I’m glad that bitch is dead, but I didn’t get anybody to kill her.”
“You knew I was going to meet her that day. You knew where I was meeting her!” Miles grabbed her again and Lakeda struggled to get free.
“Let me go!”
“Tell me what you did!” Miles yelled and slapped the shit outta her. I grabbed Miles and held him before he could slap her again. Rain rushed to Lakeda’s side and held her. Miles began to cry to again. “Just tell me what you did.”
“Okay, people. Show’s over,” I said and walked Miles away from the crowd. Rain followed with Lakeda. Once we were far enough from the slowly dispersing crowd I stopped, but I kept my hands on Miles just in case he decided to go at her again.
“Where did you go after you left that night?” I asked Lakeda.
“All right.” Lakeda pushed Rain off her. “All right.” Lakeda was breathing hard and took a second to compose herself. “I drove around for awhile and then went back to the club looking for her. I was gonna make her leave you alone.”
“Was she there?”
“No.”
“What did you do then?”
“I had a few drinks and I came home,” Lakeda said, and then the look on her face changed.
“What?” I asked.
“What did you do!” Miles demanded to know.
“I talked to Jeff Ritchie.”
“What did you tell him?” I asked.
“I needed somebody to talk to. So I told him about the affair. Told him that you said you loved her.”
“But I told you that I would never leave you and the kids, Lakeda. I told you that.”
“I know what you told me, Miles. But I was mad that night; Mad enough to kill you, not her, Miles, you. That’s why I left.”
“What did you tell Jeff Ritchie?” I asked.
“I told him that Miles said he was meeting her at that restaurant. I told him that I was going to be there, too.”
“What did he say?”
“He said that I should go home and be with my husband. That he knew how these things were, and when you realized what you had, and what you had to lose that you would come to your senses and leave her alone.”
“Let me go,” Miles said calmly and I did what he asked. He walked up to Lakeda and slowly reached for her hand.
“I didn’t have her killed, Miles.” Now its Lakeda who began to shed tears.
“I know. Don’t cry, Lakeda. It wasn’t your fault. This is all my fault. I should never have let that happen. Never did that to you.”
“I didn’t deserve that, Miles. Do you know how hard it was for me to hear you say ‘I love you’ to another woman?”
“Yes, and I’m sorry that I hurt you, I swear, nothing like that will ever happen again. I only hope that you can
