Get Somebody New (29 page)

“Give me
that! Negro did you hear me? Give me that envelope right now, you
bastard!" She yelled. When I didn’t acknowledge her, she hit me in the
back of the head and clawed angrily at my back. I turned around and pushed her
down into a chair.”

“You won’t
even be able to get a job at Wal-Mart when I get through with you. I’m calling
the police on your ass right now.”

“You are
gonna sit your ass down in that chair and shut the hell up!”

“Nobody talks
to Marlena Dalton that way. You are finished! Do you hear me?” She yelled in
her shrill, sharp voice”.

Her voice
annoyed me and I could stand to hear it no longer. I grabbed her entire face
with my right hand and pushed her backwards in the chair, then balled up my
fist and dared her to get up. I took a moment to verify the contents of the
envelope before I left.  The first thing I pulled out was a quarterly
earnings statement for all the songs I’d done. There were 2 statements and they
were both for the same time period, and the same songs, but the figures were
different. The one with the lower figures matched all the checks I’d received
from the record label during the last quarter.

It
immediately dawned on me that she had been keeping a fraudulent second set of
books and had cheated me out of about $500,000. The shady accounting was as
clear as day. The pictures were still in there, but there were also about 3
pages of handwritten notes that documented every move Zeke and I had made over
a period of about 3 months. She’d had someone watching us. I was fuming.

“You are so
finished in this business forever. Kiss your black ass goodbye.” She said.

“You have
been stealing my royalties, blackmailed me into sleeping with you, and messed
up the best relationship I ever had! You got some nerve to threaten me. I
should kill your leeching ass!”

“I’m calling
the police.” She huffed.

I snatched
the cordless phone out of her hand and threw it against the marble floor,
smashing it to pieces.

“Sit your ass
down! Get up again and I’m gonna beat the shit out of your conniving, lowdown,
devious ass.” I said as I roughly pushed her back into the chair.

“I’m gonna
sue the dust off of your tired ass!”

“I got
friends everywhere. This will never even make it into any court.”

Marlena
lunged at me. I tried to hold her off, but she started swinging like she was
possessed. I gave her several warnings to stop, but she insisted on taking me
there so I obliged her. I slapped the hell out of her ass. She looked at me in
shock. She’d succeeded in pissing me off and brought my rage forth, full
throttle! We began to scuffle. I slapped her twice then I really got tired of
playing with her. I grabbed her, picked her up over my head and body slammed
her on the sofa hard as hell. I made her sit there as I went through the whole
house. I then made her open the wall safe and there I found a second set of
pictures, negatives, and accounting statements. I took everything.

“That’s it!
I’m gonna make sure you get exactly what you deserve. You are about to see who
Jazz really is. Bitch, I’m gonna be your worst nightmare!” I said as I gritted
my teeth in anger. I knew she wasn’t gonna call police after I’d discovered her
fraud.

When I got in
my truck all I could think about was Zeke and how much I missed him. The more I
thought about him the heavier my eyes became with sorrow. When I walked away
from Zeke, he said, “But I need you Jazz.” I knew then I was making a mistake,
but I was too stupid or too proud to go back and admit the mistake I was
making.

The next
morning I went to the record company’s studio to remix some parts of a song I’d
been working on. When I got there I saw Shay shoving all of her belongings into
a box on her desk.

“Good
Morning, Shay. Hey what’s up? What’s going on?”

“I quit.”

“Just like
that?”

“I’ll have to
call you and tell you about it later. I don’t want to get into it here.”

“Okay. I sure
hate to see you go. You got to do what you got to do though.”

“Yeah, here
is my number. Keep in touch.”

“Okay, I’ll
do that Shay. It won’t be the same around here without you.”

After
finishing the song I thought about Zeke. A feeling just came over me and I
didn’t care about consequences, I needed to get Zeke back. I called him and got
no answer. I decided to go by and talk to Alton face to face. I was prepared
because I knew I was not his favorite person after leaving Zeke like I did.

When I pulled
up Alton was walking out of his house to his truck.

“Alton,
before you say anything you can’t hate me more than I’ve hated myself for
months.”

“Jazz my
cousin was really hurt over what you did. I really wanted to mess you up bad
until I thought about what Randall did.”

“Randall was
only part of it. I left to protect Zeke. Alton you know how I feel about him. I
love Zeke with all my heart and I need to tell him. Marlena blackmailed me to
make me sleep with her. I resisted her threats about hurting my career. When
she said she would mess up Zeke’s career, I couldn’t let that happen so I left.
If I wasn’t with him then she would have no reason to do anything to him. I
don’t care about the business, the hit records, or anything else if Zeke can’t
be a part of it. Nothing is more important to me than him. I can’t let a secret
hold me hostage anymore.”

“Jazz I
believe you. You need to tell Zeke. He won’t admit it but he is still not over
you. He didn’t want to get over you.”

“Where is
Zeke? I can’t get him on the phone.”

“Zeke is at
the airport about to go to California. They start shooting the movie next week.
You didn’t know?”

“No, I didn’t.
I gotta get to him.”

“Get in. I am
going to the airport to see him off.”

“Great!
Thanks man!”

We got there
just in time due to being delayed with all of the damn security searches. The
boarding line had already formed. I searched for Zeke in a panic. Finally I
spotted him. He was in the middle of the line that was entering the corridor.

“Zeke!” I
shouted at the top of my lungs.

Zeke looked
back to see who called his name. I called him twice more and he finally found
me with his eyes.

“Zeke I love
you! I made the biggest mistake of my life, but I did it to protect you Zeke.
Please forgive me! I really need you in my life!” I begged as my tears began to
fall.

I felt a tap
on my left shoulder. When I turned around there were police officers everywhere.

“Are you Jazz
Hardaway also known as Slade?” One officer asked.“Yeah. What’s going on?”

“You have the
right to remain silent. Anything you do or say can and will be held against you
in a court of law.” He recited as he Mirandized and handcuffed me.

“What is
going on? What are you arresting me for?”

“You are
under arrest for the assault and murder of Marlena Dalton.” He said.

“What assault
and murder? What the hell are you talking about?”

“Come with us
sir?” He stated.

I turned to
look toward the plane entrance corridor and Zeke was looking directly at me. He
was trying to get to me but police blocked him and forced him to board the
plane. I could hear him yelling for them to let him come back. Finally he was
given a choice of boarding the plane or being arrested. He went ahead and
boarded the plane.

Alton looked
confused and horrified at the same time.

“Alton I am
innocent. I swear I don’t know what they are talking about. Tell Zeke I am
innocent, please. This is a mistake!”

Nadiah

Things
happened so fast it was somewhat of a blur to me. The thing that attracts me
most to Anthony is that he is not a pushover. Whenever a man gives in to me, I
use it to my advantage. Normally I demand my independence and privacy. That’s
why I am so surprised I agreed to marry my new beau. Soon I felt myself getting
restless. I didn’t want a repeat of my marriage to Alton. I had a new man and a
new life so it was up to me not to mess it up. There was not going to be any
moving in together without a ring on my finger. We got a quick wedding at the
justice of the peace. I didn’t tell anyone, not even my family. Alton did get a
call from me to rub it in his face.

It took a
week for the new to wear off. Ingrid and I worked out our differences and began
spending time together. My new man closed in on me asking where I’d been, why
it took me so long to get home, how long I would be gone when I left. I was
definitely the wrong woman to try that on. I was not about to come and go
according to any man’s rules.

“Listen I
don’t know what you did with your other wife but I don’t like all these
questions. If you are gonna be with me then you have to trust me. I don’t
appreciate you asking me where I’ve been and when I’m coming back. Please don’t
start smothering me.”

“Wait a
minute woman, smothering you? I have a right to know your whereabouts at all
times if you are my wife.”

“Here we go
again. I’m your wife not your child.”

“Look I don’t
want to argue, so I am going to drop this before I get angry.”

“Before you
get angry? I don’t care if you get angry. You are not going to give me the
third degree every time I come and go. You need to get that straight.”

Before I even
finished the sentence he walked away from me, which is a definite no-no in my
book. As a natural reaction throwback from my days with Alton, I ran up behind
him and hit him across the back of his head. I found out quickly he was not at
all like Alton. He turned around and slapped me so hard I saw stars.

“Don’t ever
run up behind me. I’ll kill your ass woman! You hear me? Since we are getting
shit straight I don’t like your friend Ingrid and don’t bring that bitch in my
house again!” He shouted.

“Why she
gotta be a bitch? You don’t know her like that.”

“I know all I
need to know. Don’t let me find out she’s been in my house. As a matter of fact
don’t you see or talk to her again. You do and you’ll regret it.”

“Who do you
think you are? You don’t tell me who I can be friends with.”

“Don’t do
what I say and I’ll show you who I really am.”

I left the
house without saying anything and he didn’t try to stop me.

“What have I
gotten myself into?” I asked myself as I pulled into the parking spot at the
restaurant. In defiance as soon as I left my driveway I called Ingrid just
because he told me not to.

“I can’t
believe that bastard hit me. It’s still sore.” I complained.

“I don’t know
why you can’t believe it. You hit him first. All men won’t take the stuff Alton
took from you.”

“I thought
you were on my side.”

“I am just
telling you the truth. You can’t be putting your hands on people thinking
they’ll excuse it because they love you.”

“Well nice to
have your support. Let’s change the subject.”“Let’s.”

The waiter
came to take our orders.

“He told me
not to see or talk to you again. I told him he couldn’t control who I am
friends with.”

“I don’t know
Nadiah he sounds crazy. You may not want to play with him. If you are gonna be
with him then you need to leave me alone. I am not playing that game with you
again.”

“He won’t do
a damn thing. Don’t worry.”

“You can’t
keep playing with people like that. You’re gonna meet your match. He just may
be it.”

“You sound
more afraid than I am. I ain’t scared of any man and that goes for this one
too.”

The waiter
came to bring our order. After he set the plates down he didn’t leave. I knew
he wasn’t waiting for a tip because we were still sitting there.

“Ma’am.” He
said.

“Yes.”

“This is
compliments of the gentleman at the bar.” The waiter said as he placed a bottle
of wine on the table with a note.

“Enjoy your
disobedience. I keep all my promises.” –Ant.

I was caught
completely off guard by the note. I looked toward the bar but no one was
there.”

“Who sent
this?”

“There was a
gentleman at the bar he must have moved.” The waiter said with confusion.

I decided to
ignore the attempt to rattle my nerves and continued eating. That man was gonna
get a big surprise when I got home after he followed me and pulled that little
stunt. After taking my time and eating as slowly as I could, I finally decided
to go home. I took my sweet time driving home too. The closer I got the angrier
I became. How dare he try to scare me. He needed to be taught a lesson.

When I got
home I didn’t bother putting my car in the garage. I was prepared to have an
all-out war!

“Where are
you? That was a nice little trick you pulled and I didn’t appreciate it one
bit. Don’t hide from me. Where the hell are you?” I called out as I walked
around the house looking for him.

When I
reached the bedroom, the bed was made and the lamp over the bed was pointed
toward some papers in the middle of the bed. When I picked the papers up I
noticed what it was immediately. It was a letter I’d written to Ingrid a while
back but never gave to her. Seeing that made me irate because that meant he’d
searched my purse. That bastard had some nerve going in my purse. I still
hadn’t seen him so I checked the garage and saw that his car was gone. I was
gonna make him sorry he pulled that little stunt.

Sixteen

Ezekiel Nelson

My plane ride
was tense for good reason. I had no idea what was going on with Jazz nor did I
get a chance to ask any questions. It had to be serious because it looked like
half the police force was there to arrest him.

When the
plane landed I couldn’t wait to get my luggage and get to the hotel to find out
what in the hell was going on. I couldn’t use my cell phone on the flight so I
packed it in my bag, or so I thought. When I got to the hotel I searched all of
my bags 3 times and my phone was nowhere to be found. I called my cell phone
provider and found no one had used it, so I decided against suspending service
in case I ran across it.