Baltimore Chronicles (9 page)

“Mrs. Fuller, this case is as high profile as it gets here. The exposure of a ring of dirty cops in bed with a drug kingpin suspected of killing cops and government officials is a dead winner for this office, and under my watch, it will assure me a win in the upcoming elections. It is what everyone needs around here to recover from the failed attempt at bringing Scar Johnson down. Now we have someone to blame for that cluster fuck,” Mayor Steele spoke, his pale white face filling with blood as he got excited about the coverage a case like this would garner for him.

Tiphani didn't understand why they were telling her their plans for destroying her husband. She just listened intently, waiting for them to drop the bomb on her.

“Tiphani, we know you are senior assistant district attorney here, but you will not be on this case,” the mayor announced, dropping what felt, to Tiphani, like an atomic bomb on her.

Tiphani felt like he had slapped her across the face with an open hand. Her cheeks flamed over and her head began to throb at the base of her neck. Before she could speak, he continued.

“It's a conflict of interest, for one, and I just don't think you'll be able to separate your feelings enough. Although I think you are the most talented body Anthony has in this office, I'm taking you off of this, and as a matter of fact, I don't even want you to attend your husband's trial,” Mayor Steele continued.

He might as well have fired her, as far as she was concerned. With everything that this case entailed, Tiphani knew it was going to be a high profile case, which meant she wanted to be on it. She wanted name recognition, just like the rest of them. It also didn't hurt that if she stayed close to this case, she could make sure that no one would find out about her connection to Scar.

“Ashley Simms is going to prosecute this case. She is the only other halfway capable assistant district attorney Anthony has in this office,” the mayor announced.

Tiphani almost fell on the floor with shock. She was livid. Anthony knew goddamn well that Tiphani and Ashley hated each other. They had been each others' fiercest competitors in the office. She felt betrayed by Anthony Gill and the mayor.

“Derek being my husband didn't matter when I was working cases with him and making this office shine like the brightest star in the state, did it? What changed now? Do you really think I'm that emotional that I won't be able to separate my feelings? I'm disappointed that you and Anthony view me as that weak,” Tiphani replied, shaking her head and halfway pouting. She was floored.

Not that bitch Ashley. She will definitely think she won my top spot in the office now. That bitch can't hold a match to me,
Tiphani was thinking as she tried to put a hold on her feelings in front of these two white boys.

“Look, we can't afford one mistake on this case. We damn sure can't afford Derek's defense attorney standing up in court, pointing out the obvious conflict of interest and the fact that you may have some culpability in his crimes. No way!” Mayor Steele told her. He was seriously not budging on the issue.

Tired and feeling browbeaten, Tiphani just acquiesced. She nodded her head in understanding and just remained quiet. Anthony Gill hadn't even tried to advocate for her, and Tiphani felt he knew exactly what the hell he was doing when he assigned the case to Ashley. Tiphani always felt Anthony might've been fucking Ashley anyway.

Weak-ass punk mu'fucka!
Tiphani screamed in her head, shooting daggers at Anthony with her eyes.

“Mrs. Fuller,” Mayor Steele began, standing up from Tiphani's desk and starting to make his way to the door, “I hope you understand what we are doing here and why. I just want to remind you that if I so much as get a sniff, one iota, so much as a fucking tick's dick worth of a hint that you had full knowledge, or even partial knowledge of your husband's dealings with Scar Johnson and the Dirty Money Crew, I will have your ass on a roasting stick in the same court of law you prosecute criminals like your husband in every day.” He smiled at her evilly.

Tiphani felt like hawking up the biggest wad of spit she could muster and spewing it in his face, but she remained cool, knowing that shit could be worse. They could know about her and Scar, which would fuck her out of the game.

“Do what you have to, Mayor, but I'm a woman of dignity and my word. You of all people should know that,” she said sarcastically, giving the mayor something to think about.

His face turned bright pink and he adjusted his tie. He broke eye contact with her, clearly uncomfortable. Without another word, Mayor Steele sped from her office, with little flunky-ass Anthony Gill on his heels.

“Punk-ass bastard,” Tiphani mumbled. She rushed around her office collecting files and certain things that she needed. Tiphani had planned to take some time off anyway. Between the family court proceedings and Derek's constant attacks, she was overwhelmed.

Tiphani picked up all of the files that she needed, checked her voice mail, and decided she would just leave the office. As she prepared to lock up, her cell phone rang. It was Scar. She picked up immediately.

“Yo, I need to see you now,” Scar huffed into the phone.

“I can't right now. The fucking mayor just left my office,” she whispered, looking around suspiciously to make sure no one was passing by and could overhear her.

“Get at me as soon as you leave there,” Scar demanded, disconnecting the line. Tiphani pulled the phone down from her ear and looked at it in shock. He had hung up on her, and he didn't sound too happy.

Not more fucking drama from him now,
she said to herself.

 

Feeling the weight of the world on her shoulder, Tiphani carried her stuff and loaded into the elevator, where some of her fellow prosecutors were already standing. Tiphani was sure they'd heard about what was going on with her, and that her arch nemesis was getting to move into her senior spot. She rolled her eyes, not wanting to deal with another fucking piece of drama right now. She gave them her back and didn't even acknowledge them.

Tiphani could feel them staring at her, and hear them trying to whisper about her. When the elevator reached the lobby Tiphani turned on them. “You know, if you put as much energy into trying to be half the prosecutor I am as you do into being in my fucking business, you might reach my level one day,” she spat, turning and storming out of the elevator.

With everything that was on her mind, all she wanted to do was get into her car and go the fuck home. She didn't want to see or hear from Scar. She didn't want to see or hear from Derek. Alone time is what Tiphani longed for; time to process the day's and week's events and figure out what her next move would be.

Walking toward her car, Tiphani noticed a tow truck parked behind her. “Now I'm gonna get blocked in. What the fuck else could go wrong?” Tiphani mumbled to herself. Then as she got closer, she noticed that her damn car was rigged to the back of the tow truck.

“Hey! Hey!” she screamed out, dropping all of her files and running toward her car. The tow truck driver looked at her strangely. To him she looked like another crazed lady running at him. In his line of business, he had seen this same situation play out a million times.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Tiphani huffed out, finally getting to where her car was being hoisted onto its two front tires.

“What does it look like, lady? I'm repossessing this car, duh,” the driver said sarcastically.

Tiphani looked at his little acne-ridden teenage face and had to restrain herself from slapping the shit out of him.

“Repossessing it? There must be some fucking mistake. I'm a fucking lawyer. You think I can't afford my goddamn car note?” she shot back, the heat of embarrassment settling on her face.

“That's what they all say, lady. Blah, blah, blah, I'm sure you can afford your car, but right here on this order I have, it says this car…Mercedes-Benz E550 that belongs to one Derek Fuller is to be repossessed today at the request of the owner, who has refused further payments to your lien holder. Repossession is to take place today, Miss. Not tomorrow, not next week—today. And that's what I'm fixing to do,” the smart-mouth boy said.

“Let me see that shit!” she screamed, snatching the orders from his bony fingers. Sure enough, that bastard husband of hers had launched another missile at her. He had taken back the car he'd given her as a gift. That bastard was really trying to destroy her piece by piece—a low, painful take down.

Tiphani was seething inside. Her heart was about to explode, and tears burned at the backs of her eyes. Tiphani whirled around, feeling like all eyes were on her. She could see people stopping to look. Then she felt like dying when she spotted Ashley Simms and a bunch of the same coworkers she'd just told off looking and pointing. They were getting a kick out of her misery.

“Listen. Whatever the fees are, or whatever is owed, I will pay it. I have a bank account full of money. Trust me,” Tiphani stammered, fumbling with her purse to get her checkbook.

“Miss, I can't even take your money if I wanted to. This car is not in your name, and I don't take bribes,” the boy informed her.

“I can pay you more than that piece of shit job of yours could ever pay! Listen, you little shit, I need to get home. Now, if you don't take my fucking car off that rig, I will beat your ass right here and now,” Tiphani barked. She had lost all sense of composure. It was not like her to come apart this way, but the ground was falling out from under her at this very minute. She was losing control of her life.

“Lady, if you want to go to jail, you can try that, but with all of these government folks watching, I don't think you will really do anything. Besides, you need to take this all up with this man, Derek Fuller, who I am assuming is your lover, boyfriend, or husband. Or you can simply call the car company and curse them out. But me, I'm just doing my regular nine to five job. Now, if you would move from in front of my truck, I would appreciate it.” The boy climbed into the tow truck, leaving Tiphani standing there, looking like an ass.

She hung her head and tried to think of what her next move would be. All sorts of ideas were cramming into her brain at once; then something hit her like a bolt of lightning. There was only one way to solve this shit with Derek once and for fucking all.

Like a woman possessed, Tiphani stormed back toward the building.

“Show's over, bitches!” she screamed toward the growing crowd of coworkers that had been reveling in her undoing. Some of them laughed, some felt sorry for her, but Tiphani knew what all of them were thinking: How does a woman who was once at the top of her game, with everything you could dream of, suddenly lose it to the point of being looked at like one of the criminals she used to prosecute?

Inside the building, Tiphani pressed the elevator buttons with urgency. She planned to go back upstairs and give Anthony Gill a piece of her mind. Yes, she had stayed passive in their meeting with Mayor Steele, but she wasn't going to take this shit lying down. Derek was going to regret the day he was fucking born, much less the day his whack-dick ass crossed paths with her.

Tiphani paced the floor, thinking and waiting for the elevator. She rehearsed in her mind what she had to say to Anthony, and the fucking mayor, for that matter. The elevator doors opened with a dinging sound, and Tiphani went to rush inside. She bumped head first into Mayor Steele and his protective detail. Tiphani's chest was heaving and her hair was like a crazy bird's nest.

“Mayor, I need to speak with you,” Tiphani said with urgency lacing her words.

“Mrs. Fuller, I think we've already discussed everything there is to discuss,” the mayor said dismissively.

“I don't think so, Mathias,” Tiphani said in a harsh whisper.

The mayor's eyes went squinty, resembling slits. He flexed his jaw and grabbed her arm, pulling her out of earshot of the officers in his detail.

“What the fuck are you doing?” he asked.

Tiphani had hit a nerve. She had always remained tight-lipped about their affair and all of the underhanded shit he did to become mayor. She had given him her word that if she was appointed as an assistant district attorney, she would never breathe a word of the things he was into or their little thing. Word getting out would make him seem like a philandering adulterer, and that would tarnish his chances of becoming governor.

“I am here to tell you that the fucking dirty cop case against my husband is the only chance I have left to try to put my fucking career back together and to be able to lift my head up with some dignity in this fucking town. I have worked extra fucking hard getting conviction after conviction to make you and Anthony look good! I have surpassed everyone is this godforsaken place, and the thanks I get is being pulled off the case of the century! I need this like I need food right now!” Tiphani said, her eyes low with contempt and her voice serious as cancer.

“You will have Anthony put me on the fucking case right away, or else, so help me God, I will tell it all. I will release the pictures and the video,” she gritted out in a harsh whisper.

Mayor Steele felt like he would faint. His head was swimming. The day they videotaped themselves fucking, the mayor knew he would come to regret it. He wished he had a gun. He would shoot this bitch right in her smart-ass mouth.

“You know that it will look bad if you prosecute the case, Tiphani. Why are you doing this?” he asked her, also whispering and looking around to make sure no one could hear them.

“I am doing what I have to do, Mathias. You and all of the fucking men in this county are trying to destroy me, when all I've ever done was work hard. Now I'm willing to work extra hard on this case, husband or not, but I am out to save myself. If Derek did something wrong and needs to be prosecuted, right now I'm the only bitch that can make it happen.