Cocked **** Chapter Ninety

When we arrived back in Shreveport the whole day had gone by, and as usual I was hungry as hell. I worried about my sister and after sitting at the Ethel Texaco longer than the Rasta wanted, whose name was Benjamin we decided to get on the interstate. Nikki could tell I was disappointed, I had tried to find Kerri without any results. I guess I should have been relieved she was out of the shed but where did she go? I was just as lost as I was before I gave Benjamin the $1500. His African themed taxi had begun to nauseate me halfway back, he pulled over, I tossed the gun in the marshlands. I was pissed my mother could be so trifling!

She had known Nathaniel and I had been trying to figure him out for YEARS!

He was my children's grandfather and the impression I'd been under was he was dead initially, but when Trenton said he wouldn't come back because Twan and Tobias would kill him I knew he was alive. Now it seemed they had no reason to kill him and I knew Trenton had Twan killed. He had died for that money. Trenton had used Veronica to transfer the money and the transfers had continued long after she was killed. What had she done?

There was a mysterious account number the funds were transferred to, I wondered whose it was. If it was Trenton's it was now mine.

I would call BeBe---the attorney.

It was dark and Troy had instructed me to go to the room and wait on him but I was still trying to find Kerri, of all the phones I had found I hadn't found hers. I told the taxi driver to take me to her home off of Hearne Ave, I wanted to know what was going on, surely she would return home and I concluded there was no was possible way she hadn't known Martin was her father.

We pulled into the driveway where the Kia Optima was parked, a layer of weed pollen had covered the windows. The mail was compacted in the mailbox, mostly bills but an envelope stood out, there was no return address. I had no way to get inside and prayed the home was not armed, I hadn't saw a sign so I'd known she likely couldn't afford the home security. I went back to the cab and asked the driver if he had a crowbar as he said he didn't want to be involved I told Nikki to get out. She had the "not again bitch" look. I would buy us a car I assured her. After sending the Rasta on his way and him yelling to Nikki don't forget to call she followed me talking shit as I checked the windows. They were all locked but I could look through the kitchen blinds and see the living room was ransacked, Aydens swing was laying down and the flat screen television mounted on the wall was destroyed! I needed to call Martin! Why did Trenton abduct my sister, it had nothing to do with me! I was tired of all the secrets! I facetimed that fucker, to my surprise his handsome, rich ass answered COCKEYED AS FUCK!

It took all of me to maintain my stealth demeanor. What happened back then?!

"Have u saw my sister Mr. Poindexter?"

"She is safe, it is a pleasure to finally meet u Hazel. Why don't u come and rest?"

"I'm not tired! Where is Kerri? I want my sister!"

"I would not bring anymore harm to her or her child, and I would never harm them myself. There are things u don't know, I understand your aggravation but I'm here to help u, u have done a good deed. U are much like your mother."

My mother was a coward!

I had no time for his bullshit. "Where are u?" He asked while I surveyed his surroundings, "U need healing, also I have a masseur to help u relax, unless u prefer a masseuse."

His arrogant ass had jokes. He was so much different than my father and I wondered how the fuck had Mama left Martin Poindexter for Percy Givens. The man looked rich even on the phone screen, he paced in a lovely home and his perfect teeth gleamed. "Are u close?" I asked.

"I will send someone for u, they will bring u to me, but come alone."

I looked at Nikki, she hadn't even heard but said, "UNH UNNNH BITCH, HELL NAWL!"

I refused to leave my friend. I just wanted my sister and if he assured me she was safe I would find my children and move on with my life. I yet had $60,000 of my own money stashed away, I thought.

What had he seen in Pam and when had he been with her! I knew what I needed to do, she would tell me something! MP was Troy's uncle, which meant Kerri was his first cousin and as I texted him and asked about the man from Nikki's phone he began to call my own, finally he texted after no answer.

We no longer had a ride.

Martin didn't look like he had left home in days.

I told him to meet me at the Casino in exactly 48 hours, powerful people calculated time by hours, I had to sound powerful. He objected by saying he would send for me as I knew he would, he was elsewhere and I had a feeling Kerri was headed where he was. I became upset and yelled at him. I began to tell him everything I had been through and the beast I had become, "I've heard," he said. "So much like Sharon, and very stubborn. She left thinking it was better on the other side, but look at her now. Does she still try to drink the memories away? "

"Leave my mother out of this!"

"She was concerned for your sister, that's all. As my nephew is concerned for u."

"Where is Trenton?"

I just wanted to know if he was dead, "He has been taken care of."

Grief overwhelmed me physically, I began to shake as Nikki asked what was wrong. She slapped at her legs saying the mosquitos had teeth in Louisiana. I knew I couldn't take her away from her children, or even society as I had been. I had a friend to genuinely love, I realized if u can't care for a friend, they are not a friend. I ended the call with Martin as I heard Kerri's front door open, I had told him I would call him back, he said he was expecting it and to take care of myself, sounding so concerned but so had Trenton.

A nigga stood in Kerri's doorway wiping the sleep out of his eyes, I recognized him! Victor? The motorcycle riding ham serving ass nigga. "What the hell are u doing at my house? U are crazy and what the---"

"This is my sister's house! Why are u here?"

"WHAT? WHERE IS KERRI, WHY DID SHE LEAVE WITH MY BABY?"

I could tell the nigga had been stressing, he was drunk for days, his dick was visible through his fly hole in the twisted ass boxers he'd worn. She was trying to leave him, but why? It made sense so I played along. I needed a ride, I went inside past his drunk ass while he tried to say disrespectful. "Well suffering succotash to u too muthafucka." I was prepared to tie his ass up. I was walking around with a bag full of juice for him if he had any objections. I found Kerri's keys, opened an applesauce cup and drank the contents, I had eaten 2 nutty bars, some rap snacks and a twix but I was so hungry, weak and in so much pain. I was getting bigger in the belly but losing weight! We left while Victor yelled he was calling the Police! I went back inside and walked to the table where I'd seen 2 cell phones, I grabbed them both before realizing one was Kerri's. We left and drove through a carwash while Nikki rolled up---again.

I read Troy's threats and I could hear his anger as I read. I decided I needed to leave him alone, seriously. I cared but I couldn't be his Mama. HA! I drove and thought about how I would beat Victor's ass for even threatening to call the police because I knew he couldn't report my sister's car stolen. I headed toward Monkhouse to shower and continue my mission, I needed to find Sabrina and I would not allow Troy to stop me. When I arrived he had checked out and hadn't paid, I'd left so early I forgot to. "Where are u!" I texted.

"Pines Road," he replied. I headed toward the home where he'd first taken me. As I approached the home I texted, he opened the garage. See-Hell Naw.

He tried to hide the relief that covered his face when I stepped out of the car. He turned around sock-foot telling me to tell Nikki to get out. She had texted Von, he was on his way to Hearne Ave. Troy and I needed to talk, I wanted him to know Twan died behind the money in that account and he stood to inherit it if Veronica left a will. When I mentioned it he showed me an archived picture, of a safe---study this he said. Was that---? Wait a minute, how did he have a picture of Lamont's safe? I could not just study the keypad! He was tripping, and the safe had no fire damage. "Ok, send it to my phone," I said...I needed the timestamp.

One thing I had learned about Lamont, he was precise with everything, it needed a significance, nothing was random. What was important to him if Christy wasn't? "How many numbers," I asked. Troy had no idea. I needed Katarina's birthday, Mrs. Creighton's birthday, something!

I became tickled inside, it's amazing how social media could get u robbed. Had he wished them Happy Birthday? He didn't love Christy, did he? I agreed to do what I could, while contemplating calling Mama, we needed to talk, I couldn't be happy until she told me what was going on.She knew everything.

The fact that Troy had that picture didn't set well with me until I found out Lamont's home had been in Veronica's name. There were professional people to open safes, I assured him. "Nah. Not this one."

What was inside?

Von arrived, I watched Nikki as she put on lip gloss and laughed. How could she forget her child's father so easy! She wore his baby picture on her skin!

What I didn't understand was if Martin was Troy's uncle why didn't he care for him?

Daddy had never mentioned them, and started killing people like he had experienced ptsd of some sort. What happened to my father! WHAT DID MARTIN DO?

WHAT FUCKED MY MAMA UP? SHE FED US HUMAN ASHES! She wanted to love God but couldn't stay sober. I called her, "I saw Pamela, she said hello Mama."

She paused, "I knew she would regret being with Nathaniel sooner or later, couldn't tell her shit back then. I told her son at the hospital I didn't want u to ever know about what happened back then. I can say Pam always was a good person and I know her son was too."

"What happened to u guys?"

"Oh, I don't remember, that was almost 40 years ago! Your father wanted out, he turned to the church but they still wouldn't leave him alone! He just wanted to live for the Lord! Percy, Nathaniel, Martin, Cliff, all of them would run together. Nathaniel moved, and got with Pam, LaDonna lost her mind, took his children and left them on the corner out of spite, then she come up missing!"

"Daddy killed her. I was there."

He told me to load the revolver, we had gone through how to put the bullets in over and over, but dirt had collected behind the cylinder, it would not discharge so he had to kill her with his bare hands afterward he gave me the brick.

"U are making things up as usual! None of u will let my husband rest! U were his favorite, how dare u! Missing, that's all...she's missing!"

"AND U KNOW WHYYY! BITCH!"

I just wanted my babies, fuck everybody! SHE KNEEEW HE WAS A KILLER! HE SHOWED ME HOW TO KILL! After so long my adolescent mind wanted to try it too, as Rashinda's body burned I wanted that power I believe, I was not afraid! My mother would tell the doctor's I had Epilepsy! She knew the drugs would make me forget, but just like any other they had side effects.

"Just come over, we can talk Baby. Mommy loves u!"