After the Ordeal

Because of a delay Chad’s plane didn’t land in Detroit until after nine; Quisha had been in bed a couple of hours and was drifting off again when she heard the key turn in her lock.

She had given Chad a key a few months earlier and she was glad. She couldn’t even bring herself to get out of bed. The ordeal had left her physically and emotionally drained.

When the criminals left they warned that she stay still for an hour or else she would be sorry if she didn’t. When she felt the coast was clear she struggled for the longest to get out of the knots until she fell over.

It didn’t dawn on her until a few hours later that Chad wouldn’t be home for over a week and she would possibly die of dehydration. Her wrists and ankles were raw from trying to get out of the restraints. At one point she had given up and was so exhausted from the struggle she fell asleep only to be awakened by Bryan righting her chair. As much as she disliked him she was so glad to see him.

Chad walked over to the bed and placed a hand on her back and gently woke her. She rolled over and sat up and let him embrace her.

“Are you alright?” he asked, concerned.

“It was awful, but, it’s over,” she said.

“I’m just glad you’re ok. We can discuss it in the morning. It’s been a long day for me too. I’ll take a quick shower and turn in,” he said.

* * *

The following morning, Chad called his favorite Coney Island for breakfast.

When he had to stay in Detroit for any length of time they were his go-to for a quick meal, so they knew who he was and didn’t mind doing delivery because they knew they would get in excess of a one hundred-dollar tip.

Quisha got up, showered and joined Chad at the kitchen nook as he sat out the breakfast.

“Wow, I’m impressed. I didn’t know you could be domestic,” she told him.

“There’s a lot of things you don’t know about me,” he responded and poured her some coffee.

She told him her harrowing experience from beginning to end.

“I will talk to the police in my community. We have to solve this,” he said. Quisha could tell he was beyond angry.

“I just wanted to make sure you were ok. I’m going to go to the mansion check things out and see if I can give more information to the police,” he said after breakfast. He kissed her forehead absently and left. Quisha called Heavenlee.

“You’ll never guess what happened to me,” Quisha started.

As Heavenlee listened her heart sank. She felt guilty knowing who may have committed the robbery, but she couldn’t say anything.

“Did anything stand out to you about who did this?” Heavenlee asked.

“You sound like the police,” Quisha said. The only thing I remember was the name “T” was called out and someone had a tattoo of a scorpion on their neck.”

That was all the confirmation Heavenlee needed. It was Thaddeus and his gang. And the scorpion tattoo belonged to Spencer—Thaddeus’s strong-arm man.

* * *

“Is anything wrong?” Donte asked as he came into the bedroom with a breakfast tray for Heavenlee. “Breakfast in bed—how thoughtful,” she said and let him kiss her lips.

“Last night was wonderful,” she said to change the subject. She didn’t want to discuss anything about the robbery.

“I told you no one can forget you. I told my sister about you and she remembers you,” Donte said. “She wants to do lunch with you one day,”

“That will get great. Talking about old times is always fun,” Heavenlee said even though her mind was still a million miles away.

* * *

That evening at Drop it Like it’s Hot

“When did you and Donte get so close?” Thaddeus asked when she got to the club.

“What?” Heavenlee asked.

“Don’t play stupid. You know that pisses me off. I know he left your apartment this morning,” Thaddeus said.

“You’re spying on me?”

“I wouldn’t have to if you gave me the information that I asked for.”

“I don’t have anything to tell you,” she said and she didn’t.

Two weeks later, Heavenlee was sitting across a table at a restaurant with Donte’s sister Denise. They talked and laughed for hours reminiscing about high school.

“I sure don’t miss those days,” Heavenlee said.

“Me either,” the sister said.

“Heavenlee, do you by chance know a Bridget Matthews?”

“No, not personally but, I know her cousin Quisha. Why?”

Denise took the picture out of her wallet and showed Heavenlee. Allencourt 1981

“I just wanted to know why she had a picture of my brother and what relationship is he to the Allencourt family. Do you think he’s related to that guy Chad Allencourt?”

Was that Thaddeus’s interest in Donte? Heavenlee wondered and then shook her head.

“I don’t know. Sorry,” Heavenlee said.

When she and Denise parted ways, it was with promises of meeting up again.

“Hey, Quisha. Are you doing ok?” Heavenlee asked when she called to check up on her.

“Yes, as well as can be expected,” Quisha said.

“Quisha, I don’t know where to begin, but does Chad have an illegitimate brother?” Heavenlee carefully asked.

“Not that I’m aware of. I don’t know that he would tell me if he did. Why?”

“I think I might be dating his brother,” Heavenlee said.

“What? Aren’t you dating a Black guy?” Quisha asked.

“Well if it turns out Donte is his brother, then he is mixed technically,”

“Why are you asking me this?” Quisha asked.

“His sister found a picture in Bridget’s apartment of her brother and the back said, Allencourt 1981.

“Oh-my-God; first of all, that’s not Bridget’s apartment,” Quisha exclaimed. “I let her use it while I was away, and what right did his sister have to take a picture that didn’t belong to her? Even if it is her brother.”

“She just wanted answers,” Heavenlee said in her defense.

“Well she could have gone to Bridget, who would have come to me,” Quisha said, feeling violated all over again.

“Wait, there’s more, much more—but you have to promise to keep it between us or it could mean life or death,” Heavenlee warned.

“What is it?” Quisha asked, without promising to keep things a secret.

“I have reason to believe that Thaddeus and Spencer were behind the robbery,” Heavenlee said and continued, “Quisha please don’t say anything. I wouldn’t put it past Thaddeus if he’s killed someone before or at least maimed someone. He said he would never go back to prison. Also, he has some interest in Donte. I wonder if he knows that he might be an Allencourt?”

Quisha’s mind started racing with all of the information that she just received. Chad and a possible illegitimate brother and the robbery were closer to her than she ever imagined.

She knew who Thaddeus was in passing and she couldn’t believe she didn’t recognize Spencer. The voice of the tattooed man was familiar to her now. But, did he recognize her? I hope not she thought to herself and wondered how she could get this to the police without endangering Heavenlee or herself.