Lies of a Real Housewife (12 page)

of the trade.

I would like you to think about it for a minute. Please, relax and

breathe. Now analyze the state of affairs for a moment. Phaedra was this crooked attorney who knew how to commit crimes against the federal government. She also knew how to get away with it. Phaedra Parks stu
died the law extensively, and learned how to manipulate the cracks in the system.

Our meeting was scheduled for three in the afternoon at Phae’s of-

fice. I didn’t think twice about the person she wanted me to meet. If there was one thing I knew about Phae, it was that she was always a business woman first, and she kept her business wrapped tight. She was a consummate master

of her trade. For that reason alone, I never felt a need to question her tactics.

She introduced me to a five-foot-ten-inch, pale complexioned man

known as E. The most intriguing thing about him was his hazel eyes. They were the same color as mine. Actually they were just like my father’s. I took this to be the number one indicator that this dude was a slick one. So was I as well a
s my father. I didn’t hate on him, especially if Phae brought him

onboard.

By the time I left that meeting, whew boy, my mind was racing. Phaedra was witty. Her ideas, her brain, and the way she orchestrated things, so clever. It did not cross my mind that I would or could even get caught. It all just seemed so simple back then. We were above the law. Hell as far as I

was concerned, we were the law. Thanks to you know who.

Phaedra was the answer to everything. The only thing I really need-

ed to know was
how to act. All my life I always believed that acting was part of my God-given talent. Along with hustling, acting came natural. I began thinking of myself as this smooth criminal. I had gotten accustomed to the quick money by now, and quite naturally I never turned down any jobs, no matter how high the risk. The next mission would be one of the biggest jobs ever assigned to me by Phae. The assignment was well thought out, strategized, and planned. The factor of time was very important in the execution of this mission. Combine this with patience, and it became very demanding. These types of jobs have to crawl before they mature and start walking. Then

low and behold, before you even know it, they were off and running.

The first part of my assignment involved scoping out potential ve-

hicles at luxury car dealerships. Each day I simply drove around Atlanta, and the surrounding cities looking for potential prey. Every car lot I visited had several luxury cars. I spotted a
ll of the latest models of Porsche, Mercedes Benz, Hummers, Corvettes, and Cadillac.

After selected luxury dealerships were identified, I would then  walk

around the lots with pen and pad. I casually, but discreetly recorded the VIN numbers, makes, and models of not only the latest, but the hottest whips to

hit the city.

Once I had the information recorded, I reported it back to E. We

rarely discussed business on the phone. So E and I met daily, and swapped information, and fake documents. It seemed like we never stopped. I provided the VIN numbers, and he gave me the fake identification cards, and fraudulent registration cards matching
the vehicles I had previously recorded. At this point, I was handling all of the day-to-day operations.

Phae never had to worry about the illegal side of the operation. She

was a very busy woman, and spent all of her time managing her thriving law practice. Honestly, everything with me was infallible. Phae knew as long as I was on the assignment, she would get her money, and remained focused on the affairs of her clients.

With the state issued ID, and proof of ownership, I would be able to

visit any ot
her luxury car dealership, provide them with the necessary documents as well as a fee, one hundred and eighty dollars at that time. Then just

like that, they would cut a computerized key to the vehicle.

The second part of the scheme involved a late night visit when the

dealership closed down. We would return to the dealership and drive away in brand new vehicles, with no disturbances. Even if we did run into a problem such as getting pulled over by the cops, we had all the right paperwork in our possessi
on. The right key and a bill of sale that could be verified by the police. They would never suspect anything because the vehicle hadn’t been

reported stolen.

The cars were then sent to a chop shop. The VIN numbers were

filed down, and replaced with new
ones. Once replaced, I was provided with fraudulent certificates of vehicle titles from the state of Ohio. It seemed like I was going back and forth to the Department of Motor Vehicles in Hapeville, Georgia, on a daily basis. The Ohio titles had to be swapped out for Georgia. No ifs, ands or buts about it, which was an important step of the scam.

There were other areas of the business which required my utmost

attention. This was a major operation, and I could only be in one place at a time. Phae insisted that I enlisted the help of my cousin, Sheree. She too was a go-getter, and Sheree was about her business as well. Anything having to do with making money, she was with it, and so was I.

Sheree would now assume the position off title-swapper. Her job

was to visit the Department of Motor vehicles at least twice a week. Relieving me of that duty, she was giving me time to actually enjoy my private life. As all young women do, I found myself right back in love again. This time, I

thought for sure it would b
e different and actually last.

He was older, more mature, and intelligent. Shaheed was considered

a boss on the streets of Atlanta. He had money, power, and was well respected wherever he went. This gave me a feeling of superiority. I was caught up in the excitement of being Shaheed’s girl. There were great rewards and major benefits.

The biggest incentive of being in this relationship was that anyone

who knew him, and was aware of my ties with him, gave me the highest

respect possible. In fact, if I e
ven looked as if I had a problem, all I had to do was mention his name, and my problem went away instantly. Love was in the air and my aura of invincibility had suddenly grown way beyond my wildest

imagination.

He was a Muslim brother, and Shah was ruggedly handsome as he

was tough. I had never been involved with a Muslim before. To say the least, I was intrigued by his dedication to his family, and religion. Watching him going through his religious ritual of praying five times a day, no matter what

he was doing or where he was, was itself an attractive thing.

I had heard the rumors floating around the city about Shaheed,

but didn’t pay them any mind. There were claims of him being a hit man, a murderer, and the devil. The list would go on and on. He never gave me any indication that he was anything like what people were talking about. But he

did tell me about the violence
that occurred when he was still a child.

Shaheed was only six years old when his mother was brutally

murdered. She was seven months pregnant and was stabbed twenty-seven times. Her throat was slit, and even though he was terrified, Shaheed was forced to
watch this heinous crime. Then the murdering son of a bi**h threw the young, innocent Shaheed into a closet. Scared to death, Shaheed waited

in the dark closet until he was discovered two days later.

After hearing his painful story, and all the rumors about him, I knew

it was dangerous to be involved with Shaheed. But I also knew, just like me, Shaheed was a victimized child. For that reason alone, I saw a light shining in him when other people only saw darkness. He was a product of his environment, and
a victim of his own circumstances. That did not make his actions right and I was in no way condoning the decisions he made, but I

understood his pain.

In the three months or so that I had known him, Shaheed was always

kind to me, and had never done me wr
ong. Something inside wouldn’t allow me to accept that the man I had fallen in love with could be a cold-blooded murderer. Even Phaedra had heard the stories about him. Anyone we came

across who knew anything about Shaheed had the same thing to say.

My take on Shaheed was much different. He had a job and a

religiously, healthy routine for living. He was an excellent father and provider. Shaheed was a wonderfully gifted and passionate lover. There was nothing about him indicating he was even capable of committing the kind of monstrous acts I had heard about o
n the streets. He appeared as an angel of

light.

He would stop by Phaedra’s office whenever I was there. He was

my protector and knew about the business between me, Phaedra, and Everett. Shaheed had no problem letting them know that he was there to
make sure all the business ventures went smoothly. Everett aka E was affiliated with the west side of Atlanta. He was well aware of Shaheed’s reputation on the streets, and now approached me with extreme caution. E did not want any

problems.

Shaheed liked kicking it with me, and Phaedra. Phae was crazy, and

would run her mouth about anything. I remember one day we were sitting in her office and somehow we got on the topic of oral sex. I was very, very uncomfortable, but it was Phae, Shah, and me. So I thought
not too much of the conversation. Phae decided to share the intimate details on the proper way to perform oral sex. Suddenly she began demonstrating with her lips, mouth,