𝓐𝓼 𝓦𝓮 𝓛𝓪𝔂

Ch. 26: The Optics

"No! I didn't have shit to do with that, like I already told y'all!" Lex's eyes darted between them again, watching Walsh write that down & Washington smirk.

"Then why are you getting so hostile?" questioned Washington, folding his arms over his chest, while Walsh waited with her pad & pen, as always.

"Because I have two cops in my face, showing up to my job unannounced while I'm prepping for something very important. Who clearly already have their minds made up that I did something or had something to do with something...And I didn't!" she shouted, she had gotten so heated she stood outta her seat and was pacing the floor.

"So why were you at the Howard's daughters birthday party where the altercation between you two occurred, if according to Mrs. Howard, you two weren't on speaking terms?" asked Washington.

"To be petty" she stated matter-of-factly, her hands hitting her thighs. Walsh wrote that down.

"I do blame her for causing my divorce and that was my way to get back at her...
It didn't go exactly how I thought & I got my ass handed to me, but hey. I'm not a bitch so I didn't press charges...As far as an attack on her husband, if I was gonna beat or have anyone beat. It would've definitely been her & not him."

"So you admit, you had motivate?" Walsh asked, raising her eyes from her notepad & locking them with Lex's, who in turn rolled hers with a huff.

"Oh my God. What part of, I didn't have shit to do with that are y'all not getting?! I didn't have him beat nor did I do the beating!" she stopped pacing & sat back down in her seat. Both of the Detectives eyes stayed affixed on her, watching her body language. Trying to clock her demeanor. She blew out air, settling more into her chair.

"I'll tell you what I saw as I was leaving the party, that seemed odd then & even more so now" she looked up from her lap at them anxiously waiting.

"Go on" replied Walsh.

"Ok so Maurice...."

Months Ago. Nevaeh's Birthday Party...

"Bae!" Maurice shouted as he pulled Niecy off of Lex. Jay came over to assist more & defuse the already messed up situation. He helped Lex to her feet, while Maurice continued to hold Niecy back & away from her.

"Yeah, get that bitch the fuck outta here!" she shouted Lex's direction as Jay basically shooed her, Darius & Dre out of the backyard.

"You got your fuckin' nerve. Don't ever bring your ass around my family again. Fuck is wrong with you?!" he asked calmly but sternly, as he watched Lex slowly walk down the driveway to her car, never answering him or saying a word. The two guys stood across the street at a parked car, looking just as confused as they did when the fight broke out. By then Jay had returned to the backyard to try his best at calming his sister down, whose yells in frustration could almost be heard clearly in the front yard.

"This is a new low, even for you" Dre said to Lex who walked over to them to get to her parked car.

"Yeah, you had me really believing Niecy was on some sheisty shit & I should've known better because she's always been real. That's fucked up" Darius proclaimed, looking down at her as he shook his head.

"Lex, I really thought that was my daughter in there & you just used the both of us for some petty shit between y'all. Like he said, that's fucked up" Dre added, looking into the backseat at his son, in the running car.

"Look, I apologize alright. I didn't think you both would show up at the same time--"

"And she's still going on with this shit bruh" Darius said annoyed.

"No listen to me. She's caused us all problems alright. Dre, she cheated on you with him" she stated as she pointed to Darius, who glanced over at Dre before she continued.

"And with her now husband, months before y'all were supposed to get married. Now that's fucked up. And Darius, she led you on for a while, knowing she had a fiancé at home & no intentions to be with you long term. She also essentially ruined my marriage, so you both may think what I did was petty or whatever, but she deserved it...I mean why does she get to get a happy ending after she's fucked us all over, huh?" she sat into her hip with her hand on the other. The two men, clearly were over her bullshit. Darius waved his hand dismissively, looking down the street.

"Whatever, you don't play when there's kids involved, Alexis. My son just watched you get your ass beat & now I'm gonna have to explain to him & my wife what the fuck went on today" he took a deep breath, while pinching the bridge of his nose. He looked into the backseat of his car again at his son, sleeping and shook his head again.

"Look, I got a financial situation going on but I was readily about to take care of what I thought was my third child, because you lied & told me she was. You don't see the optics & how fucked that is, to tell a man a kid is his & it isn't. For some petty get back shit?!"

"True shit bro. Look next time you wanna be petty...Don't" replied Darius pointing in her direction. She seemed appalled at their stance & didn't say a word as she backed up on her heels & turned around to get into her car.

As she started it up she saw a man walking over to the guys. He had come out of Niecy's house & was chatting with them. A woman followed right behind him, looking at them intensively. She was enthralled in the conversation, all four seemingly going into a deep conversation. That was all Lex saw before she pulled off.

Present Day...

"So like I said, I had nothing to do with what happened to Maurice. I'm petty, but I'm not violent. You should probably look into the old bald guy with the ears & Steve Harvey mustache. I don't know his name or the lady he was with, but ask the Howard's they should know them. After all, them people did leave their house. But looking my direction is a dead end" she said with her hands up.

"It just might not have been..." Detective Washington replied like a light bulb went off in his head. "Come on Walsh we gotta go" he said as he stood up abruptly.

"Thank you for your time, Ms. Rogers."

"Whatever" she rudely responded, moving her mouse to wake her computer back up.

"Wait, Detective what's going on?" Walsh quizzed. Confusion all over her face as she followed him outta the office.

"I'll tell ya in the car ride over to the Howard's. I think, we may have just solved this case!" he exclaimed.