Wrongful Accusations - Chapter 23
Files and Framed
Mallory was going to receive a visit from me soon. To make sure I had her correct address, I went to the file cabinet to pull Shannon’s file.
When I opened my drawer, I saw that all of my most recent files were missing. I sometimes took my current cases home while actively working on them. Was that what Mallory was hoping to find when she cleaned my place? I wondered why. What was in my files that she wanted? Shannon mentioned that Mallory had helped Joshua find work a few times. Was it possible that she knew Kadijah and Hinniyah as well? Which of them would admit to knowing each other?
I needed my treadmill, but I didn’t feel like climbing down my stairs, driving to the office, walking up the stairs, and getting on the treadmill. Mrs. Alma would have to drag me to the car afterward.
I made a mental note to ask Shannon for Mallory’s address at dinner. Then I took a nap so I could prepare myself for drinking.
Shannon and I pulled into On the Border’s parking lot at the same time, exchanging quick smiles as we headed toward the entrance. The sun was dipping low, casting long shadows over the packed lot. Happy hour always drew a crowd, but the buzz of laughter and clinking glasses seemed louder tonight. We were still chatting when Cole Slaw’s car rolled into a spot near the entrance.
We were seated within ten minutes, the aroma of sizzling fajitas and lime making my stomach growl. We stuffed our faces first—priorities—then turned our attention to the two-for-one margaritas. Between bites and sips, my mind drifted back to before Jerry died.
The tension in the hospital room was thick. I stood by Jerry’s bedside, my heart breaking a little as I ran my hand along his cheek. His breathing was shallow but steady. This wasn’t right. Jerry was a good guy—he didn’t deserve this.
“I’m going to make sure they pay for doing this to you,” I whispered, squeezing his hand. For a fleeting moment, I thought he squeezed back, but maybe it was just my imagination.
Marcus appeared in the doorway, his face a mix of exhaustion and determination.
“Did they catch Hinniyah?” I asked, cutting straight to the point.
He shook his head. “No, she got away. Your car broke her fall, so she just slid off the hood and vanished.”
That didn’t surprise me. Hinniyah had always been slippery, one step ahead.
“Leave it to us, Sassy,” Marcus said firmly. “We’ll catch her. And Kadijah? She’s under watch 24/7—there’s an officer outside her hospital room at all times.”
“Be careful,” I warned. “She might climb out the window.”
Marcus smirked. “Not unless she can chew through handcuffs.”
Cole Slaw’s voice brought me back to the present. “Sassy, you’re zoning out. Margaritas that strong?”
“Or the case,” Shannon added.
I took a sip and leaned forward. “Cole, what do you think? How is all of this connected?”
Cole frowned, swirling her drink absently. “Hinniyah and Kadijah—were bold, but desperation makes people messy. We’ll find the loose end eventually.”
“Shannon, how close were Mallory and your baby’s daddy? Do you think she ever met his wives?” Cole asked.
“They only knew each other because of me. But thinking back, I have been fooled so much, it’s tough to say.”
That’s when I told Shannon my suspicions about my files and asked her for Mallory’s address. She gladly gave it to me.
Two weeks after Jerry’s funeral, the police got an anonymous tip that Hinniyah’s body was in the dumpster behind my office building. It wasn’t surprising that I was fingered for the murder. The arresting officer worked closely with Marcus, so he knew my story. Mrs. Alma was super pissed but I told her that everything would be alright and that I was leaving her in charge.
“You have to keep Cole Slaw in line for me.”
“Okay, but she’s even more stubborn than you.”
I smiled as the officers led me out of the building.
I agreed to leave quietly so the officer that was holding my arm waited until we had gotten out of my building before cuffing me. He told me that I had the right to remain silent which was a wasted statement because I was pretty much speechless as it was.
The investigators asked me a hundred questions about how I came to know the victim. I ran through Shannon’s case, finding Carl’s body in a hotel, how I was kidnapped at gunpoint and how I had kicked the dog mess out of Kadijah the same day Hinniyah carved my fiancé’s chest open.
Maybe my answers didn’t put me in the best light. It was hard for me to play the role of the helpless victim when I was so annoyed at being accused of mutilating the body of someone that I didn’t have the pleasure of killing with my bare hands.
The pictures of Hinniyah’s body were extremely gruesome. Her face was practically eaten off and one of her breasts was missing. They said that the only way that they were able to identify her body was by her fingerprints that were on file.
As sad as it was, I couldn’t muster much sympathy. Hinniyah and her crazy twin sister had ruined my life and I was not sorry that she was dead. I didn’t say that out loud but apparently Detective Jeremy Wilkins thought that my nonchalance was a sign of guilt.
“Did you do this to Mrs. Muhammad?”
“Nope.”
“Where were you on the night of December 15?”
“Making out my Christmas list to mail to Santa.”
“Ms. Johnson, you do realize that you can be charged with first-degree murder if we find enough evidence to convict you?”
“I’m not new to the system. Can I speak to Marcus Wilson? He knows me.”
“Detective Wilson is not assigned to this case, Ms. Johnson. If you killed this woman it won’t matter who you know.”
I had enough of cooperating so I told Detective Wilkins if he wanted to talk to me anymore, I would have to be allowed to call my lawyer. He didn’t like that so I was escorted to a cell.
I didn’t think that my luck could get much worse, that is until I ran into Kadijah on day two of my stay at 201 Poplar. She had a scowl on her face that I felt would end up being permanent if she didn’t smile within the hour.
Even though she was fresh out of the hospital, I still didn't want to get into a tussle with her.
“If I didn’t have hopes of getting out of this place one day I would choke the life out of you right here.”
I just looked at Kadijah. I had lost someone I loved just as she had. And even though I had envisioned her sister sitting at the Devil’s dinner table several times, I had not laid a hand on her.
“Kadijah, I did not kill your sister. I’ve been so out of my mind I couldn’t kill a mosquito if he was sucking all of the blood out of my pinky toe.”
“I just may suck some of your blood out with a turkey baster. You killed her and I’m going to get you or die trying.”
“Yeah, whatever,” I said walking away.
Cole Slaw and Aunt Essie bailed me out of jail. I was so happy to get out of that place with all those crazy women. I wasn’t a killer so I couldn't take them trying to push me over the edge to insanity. It took a couple of hours after bail was posted before they finally let me out. I called Aunt Essie, and she came right away.
“Sandra, darling, are you okay? How did they treat you? If you were molested, we will sue the mayor’s pants off.”
“I’m good. And thank God I was not molested but I did get a promising death threat.”
“Death threat, did you get into a fight?”
“Kadijah,” was all I said.
We were quiet for the rest of the ride to my aunt’s house. She said that I could live with her for a while for my protection.
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