Chapter 26
The nervous civilian stood with his legs spaced. He wiped his bald head with a hand towel trying to appear normal because the lineup of suspects were women; but inside he was anxious looking at the females behind the one way glass.
Four females were standing behind the one way mirror in a separate room. It was so he could anonymously identify the suspect in Kalvin "Killah" West's execution. Every single one of the women were facing him but the police officers at the station assured him they couldn't see or hear.
"Alright sir, this is a police lineup. You know how these things work, right?" Officer Goldstein asked wanting to get on with the process.
The foreigner was having the worst week ever. He was originally from Uzbekistan and came to America for vacation and had the worst week ever. On the first day there'd been drama with his hotel room despite booking it two weeks in advance. The third day he lost his wallet and now day six when he came out to find an eatery he'd become a witness to a murder.
"No sir, please remind me again." He said, accent thick.
Goldstein rolled his blue orbs to the ceiling before his eyes settled on the four suspects, looking at one in particular while he spoke. "You're at a police lineup where you the witness have seen a murder take place. You the witness will identify one of these four women who may or may not have killed the victim. Each suspect has a number attached to her clothing. I will ask each suspect to step up when I call her number and ask her to turn left to right so you will have side profiles of the suspect. If you think you know which of the females have committed the murder, you will tell me by their number and my team and I will take it from there. As we asked bystanders at the scene of the crime what the suspect looks like, these are the descriptions we've gotten from those testimonies." Goldstein looked at the man for a second then cut his eyes at him as he kept going. "As you can see, each female is similar in height, weight, and even skin complexion so please be careful in selecting a suspect. As you know you decided to do this anonymously. Which means neither suspect can hear or see you. Keep in mind one or more than one of them may try to intimidate you in some way. But they can not see you, so don't get discouraged in helping us pick out the alleged suspect. Do you need me to repeat that again?"
He shook his head, using the rag to wipe his sweaty bald head.
"You can start when you're ready." Goldstein said.
The Uzbek let out a short breath. "I'm ready."
The witness watched the officer press a button on the wall before his voice came over a speaker located in the room with the suspects. "Suspect number one approach the white line please."
The first girl was five foot six at one hundred forty three pounds. Her jet black curly weave laid down to her back and she housed a blank facial expression. She stepped up to the white line that was not too far but not too close to the mirrored glass.
The Uzbek checked her face, tilting his head to the side. She had a broader nose, slight lighter complexion and more weight than the girl he saw.
"Can I have a side view?" The civilian requested.
"Please turn to your left suspect number one." Goldstein said into the speaker.
The girl turned to her left giving the witness a side profile of her face. He chomped on the chewing gum which had long ago run out of flavor. It wasn't her.
"No, it's not her."
"Are you sure?" Goldstein asked looking at him with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes."
"Suspect number one step back and suspect number two please step forward."
The second female in the lineup stepped up to the line. She was also five foot six and had a light brown skin tone like the first one. Her weave was curly and down to her back, also around the same weight as the first girl. She was shaking like a leaf and crying her ass off. Like she had never committed a crime in her life.
"Maybe..." The foreign man said. She had the same facial structure but not the skin tone and the weight he remembered.
"Turn to your right number two." Goldstein instructed.
The crying girl did as told and the witness watched her. She did look like the murderer a little but the complexion didn't match.
"I-It's probably not her."
"Don't let the tears deter you in making your judgement."
"I'm not." He said truthfully. Number two genuinely looked scared and more than likely was not the one who did it.
"Suspect two step back, suspect three step forward."
Suspect three was five foot seven, one hundred twenty pounds. She had mocha colored skin and bright velvet red hair tied in a high ponytail behind her back. She stepped forward with a stoic expression on her face. The foreign tourist looked her up and down but did a double take when he saw how hard she was staring at him.
"Axlat!" He cursed in Uzbek. He moved his face to the left and it looked like her eyes followed. The witness looked at Goldstein alarmed, his eyes nearly bugging out his head. "I thought you said they can't see me."
"They can't. I told you that's just an intimidation tactic."
The foreigner was not having it. She looked right at him, but because of his paranoia he didn't realize she actually wasn't looking at him. Her eyes were focused on one place but seemed to move along with him the way a picture on the wall did.
The Uzbek felt this was the one, the face felt familiar and the build was there. But he was scared shitless, he didn't know how the law worked in America. Would they let her out after this? It was just a lineup, not an arrest.
"Not her." He lied. She might've just been a girl but he felt like she came with a whole crowd of danger.
Goldstein clenched his jaws in annoyance. He knew suspect number three had to be involved in the murder. He had a background check done on all of them and number three and four were the only ones who came up with criminal records. Number four had one or two petty crimes on her sheet but number three's started since she was a child and grew into assault and battery, weapons charges, grand theft and heavy gang activity with the West cartel.
"Number three please turn to your right." The pissed off cop said through tight lips. He was getting upset because he knew she couldn't truly see anything but was still managing to fuck the process up. He didn't know how she was doing it but it was working.
Number three licked her lips and turned to the right with a smug look on her face.
Chills ran up the eyewitness's arms. The tourist knew it had to be this one. She fit the exact look of the girl that he remembered seeing, minus the hair color. She was petite like the girl he saw and had the same chocolate complexion. And besides that, she was too relaxed during a lineup for murder. It had to be her.
"Take a good look." Goldstein said.
He quickly shook his head looking at the cop. "It's not her."
The officer closed his eyes and bounced on his toes to keep his cool. This could've been a star witness but with him not even willing to admit the suspect was here she would be let free. He reopened his eyes and mumbled an 'okay.'
Number four was made to step forward but Uzbek denied she was the woman. He was then let go. The police officers all looked at each other and started making harsh jokes about his country and Uzbek people out of frustration.
Officer Goldstein told them to release the women but to bring number three back in a few days. She was also under investigation for Andre West's home invasion and another homicide involving a member from a Bronx gang called BK. He would use that to question her about Kalvin West.
He was going to get her some way, somehow.
***
Kylee stood on Tremaine's legs laughing uncontrollably. He kept trying to bite her finger and the adrenaline of him maybe catching her was getting her hyped up.
Kylee loved playing with her uncle because he was playful just like her dad. It'd been several weeks after Shaheem's death and Kylee would continuously ask for him. To the point of crying and having temper tantrums sometimes. She didn't understand why he'd just disappeared.
However, as time was starting to go by she was asking for him less and less. She had kind of attached herself to Tremaine. Tremaine and Samantha both realized it was because she starting to forget about Shaheem.
"Tree!" The little girl laughed excitedly, hesitantly pushing and pulling her finger away.
"Then don't put your finger in my mouth." Tremaine chuckled, watching as Kylee focused on his mouth hard to see when it would snap at her as she continued to push her finger near his mouth.
Samantha came and sat next to them Indian style, resting the tray of snacks she brought them. She now lived with her mother temporarily while she looked for a new apartment. She could've stayed in her old apartment if she wanted too. It wasn't about affording the rent, but she didn't want to go back to her old place. Not after her boyfriend had killed himself in it.
"Sounds like you guys are having fun. Can mommy join?" Samantha asked with a big heartfelt smile.
"No mommy!" The toddler said turning Tremaine's head back to her.
Samantha laughed at how possessive she was over Tremaine. Their bond was cute. Exactly how she always wanted it to be. Although Tremaine still wasn't her man, he was there for her and Kylee. None of it was sexual, after the death of Shaheem they couldn't do it anymore. It was strictly platonic and would be from now on.
Tremaine motioned his head toward the tray of Doritos, mini corn muffins and buttered popcorn. "Look what mommy got for you."
"No! Game!" Kylee insisted.
"Well maybe we can go outside to the park later." The mother suggested. It wasn't even park weather today at 40° degrees, but she wanted to get out the house.
"Samantha don't start her up with that shit. Why would you even say that?" Tremaine huffed.
"Par?" She said trying to pronounce park. She couldn't really speak yet.
Samantha nodded slapping her hands against the side of her legs, copping an immediate attitude. "Right." She got up and dusted her hands off, walking back to the kitchen.
Tremaine kissed Kylee on the cheek then got up right behind her, following her into the kitchen. "Hol' on Bubbles' i'm coming right back." He flicked one of her braids and followed Samantha into the kitchen.
He watched her cleaning the marble counter with a disinfectant wipe. He walked to the island table and dusted the edge of it off and took a seat directly across from her, staring at her back.
"So I know you have more common sense then to be mad because I'm tryna keep you and Kylee safe, right?"
After that stunt he pulled with Killah, he knew Andre's punk ass was somewhere lurking and ready to pounce. He doubted he would get to Samantha and Kylee because he knew them as Shaheem's family. But just in case, Tremaine was making sure they kept a low profile. Because he did go after Shaheem's cousin, J-Mac who also had nothing to do with their beef.
Samantha slammed her hands down on the counter. "Safe from what Tremaine?! Huh?! Safe from fucking what?!"
She had no clue what he had done so she didn't know what all of this was.
"Calm down before I smack the shit outta you." Tremaine warned.
Samantha immediately stopped talking. She shook her head, wiping the countertop in silence. Tremaine was stressed out and arguing was the last thing he wanted to do right now. He couldn't even see his other daughter and Ashely was still ignoring all of his calls. He was surprised she didn't put a restraining order against him. So more stress from anyone was the last thing he needed.
Samantha breathed out softly, obviously trying to hold in the tears. "I'm just tired of always having to be locked in here like some animal."
Tremaine squinted his eyes. "You think if I could let ya'll go outside I would have ya'll cooped up in here Samantha?"
Samantha waved her hand. "Tremaine whatever! When is this gonna be over? Answer that question. How long is this shit gonna last? 'Cause i'm tired of it. The last time we went out in public was two weeks ago. You can't be mad because I feel restricted."
Although Killah only died two days ago; he put them in hiding way before that because he knew what he was going to have done.
Tremaine slid off the counter and tugged on her wrists. She turned around and folded her arms across her breasts with water in her eyes. Tremaine tried to wipe her eyes but she smacked his hand away, looking in another direction.
The one thing she could say was no matter how upset Shaheem was, he never spoke to her the way Tremaine did. He was nice to look at but his personality was trash.
"I don't know when this is gonna end, Sam. Honestly I don't. I did something really bad."
"What did you do?" She asked.
"Don't worry about it."
"No Tremaine. I don't wanna hear don't worry about it. What did you do." She said turning back to him with an austere stricken face.
He bit his bottom lip and blew out a breath. After a moment he clenched his jaws while he scratched at his chin. "...I had my grandfather killed."
Samantha closed her eyes and slowly rolled them around in her head. She didn't really know what he was talking about because she didn't know the situation but she knew he wasn't lying when he said murder.
"What do you mean you had him killed? What does that mean, explain it to me."
"What do you mean explain it? I just said it. Plus, the less you know the better. It's just...I have an older brother who raised him and he's not gonna let that slide." He confessed.
This was so bizarre she didn't want to risk getting a headache trying to figure it all out. She already had so many questions. Like why did he have his own grandfather killed? When? How? And why on earth would what he did affect her and her daughter. But he already confessed to murder which made her an accessory to a crime. So she didn't ask anything more.
"You are so convoluted and sick. All you are is drama, the fact we're having this conversation right now is crazy." She said putting her hands up and walking away.
He chuckled. He was so convoluted and sick but she ruined her whole family for him. "Yeah okay."
"Shah never told you anything?"
She looked past him and out toward Kylee. Either to see if she reacted to Shaheem's name or just to look and see what she was doing.
"No."
"Well the dude that did Jasmine wrong is my brother. I went after our grandfather who I don't have a relationship with. He doesn't know about my connection to you guys, but just in case."
Samantha's face scrounged up like someone squeezed a fresh lemon in it. "Hold the hell up. The same dude that cut off your daughter's hands is the grandson of the guy you got killed? Tremaine are you fucking crazy!?" Samantha screamed.
Tremaine knew she would react like this and to be honest he couldn't even tell her to relax. She deserved to be angry and worried about her and Kylee's safety.
"Samantha I got this."
"Oh my God Tremaine why would you do that? What's gonna happen when he finds me and Kylee?" Samantha stressed.
Tremaine figured it was a bad idea to add in the fact Andre was also a kingpin of a drug cartel.
Samantha was crying in full on hysteria now. "What is wrong with you? You killed the grandfather of the man that killed your father and did that to your daughter?!"
Tremaine hopped off the counter. That was his cue to dip before he laughed at her hysterical ass. She was most likely a background character to Andre. She was thinking way too far into this and he regretted saying anything to her about it.
"Kylee baby, I'll see you soon." Tremaine saluted her like she knew what it meant and walked toward the door leaving Samantha to fret by herself.