Trouble In Paradise (17 page)

“Oh no
you won’t get away today,” Shay said.  “Not on my watch.”

Victoria ran to Joshua, he had been shot. 

“Somebody call 911!” 

Victoria heard Shay scream.  She looked up and that’s when she noticed Leon, he was dead.  He had a bullet right between his eyes. Shay screamed so loud she could be heard down the street. 

“Call 911!” Victoria screamed.  This was a nightmare.  Leon’s eyes were wide and his mouth was in the shape of an O.  Shay was crying and shaking trying to keep the gun steady on Danielle and call the police at the same time. 

“Hurry!” Victoria screamed.

Shay dialed 911, but the police were already on their way.  They live in the suburbs and when the first gun shot went off the police were called by neighbors.  Three minutes later the ambulance and police pulled up and went in through the side door.

“Police!  Make yourselves known,” they said. 

“We’re upstairs!” Victoria yelled. 

Detective Sanchez walked into the room and seeing Shay with the gun pointed at Danielle immediately made him point his gun at Shay. 

“No! Don’t shoot!  She’s the one you want,” Victoria pointed to Danielle. 

When Detective Sanchez realized she was the same young lady he arrested the night before, he shook his head. 

“Ok, put the gun down,” he said to Shay and she did. 

The paramedics rushed to Joshua and Leon. They strapped Joshua onto a gurney and carried him out of the room, Victoria tried to go with him but the detective said,

“I’ll have to put you all in cuffs until we figure out what’s going on.” 

The police officers walked up to Shay, Victoria, and Da
nielle and put them all in hand cuffs. 

“
Take them to the squad cars and I’ll speak to them in a minute.” 

The officers did what they were told.  Detective Sanchez looked around at the place.  It was a mess. The room told its own story.  Blood splattered on the bedroom door and wall.

“So someone was shot
right here,” he said to himself.

P
robably the guy with his brains all over himself
he thought.  He knew what kind of case this was being that there had already been a report of violence at this address but he still had to question them. 
Blood on the opposite wall; blood splatter on the carpet, wow, it never gets better
, he thought.  Leon’s body was being lifted and covered with a black body bag.  Yellow tape was being put around the perimeter and pictures were being taken.  This was a crime scene and it was ugly. 

             
Fifteen minutes later five news crews were outside of their condo recording and taking a full report.  Connie Braskow was headline reporter for Channel 3 News. 

“Ok Danny I’m ready,” she said.

“And five, four, three, two,” Danny pointed at Connie. 

“Breaking news tonight as a quiet suburban neighbo
rhood is disturbed by a love triangle that ends up in a fatality.” 

Caroline turned up her TV when she caught a glimpse of someone who looked like Victoria. 

“Oh no,” she said out loud covering her mouth with one hand and her chest with the other. 

The bottom of the screen read: “Trouble In Paradise.” 

The reporter continued,

“A young couple recently moved into this quiet suburban condo in Paradise C
ondominiums.  Shortly after their arrival, they received harassing encounters with an ex-girlfriend.  The couple tried to put a stop to the violence by putting out a restraining order but the ex-girlfriend, twenty eight-year old Danielle Shumaker of Memphis, Tennessee (a picture of Danielle popped up), wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer.  She came back to the house and vandalized the young woman’s car, twenty eight-year old Victoria Mathis of Memphis, Tennessee, and shot twenty nine-year old Joshua Eubanks of Memphis, Tennessee. 

The camera zoomed in on Victoria’s car. 

“Joshua Eubanks is being taken to ICU by paramedics and one innocent friend, Leon Taylor, was shot and fatality wounded.” 

Caroline gasped. 

“He just happened to be coming through the door when Joshua was trying to talk the gun out of Danielle’s hand according to recent statements by all involved.  When Leon rounded the corner, Danielle turned the gun on him and he was shot.” 

In the background you could see yellow tape outlining the house.  Caroline sat down, still staring at the TV in disbelief.  Her husband walked in the room.  He saw the look on Caroline’s face. 

“What’s wrong?” he said. 

She pointed toward the TV.

  “Victoria.” 

He looked at the TV and turned up the story.  It was repeating for the last fifteen minutes before going to comme
rcial.  He went to her. 

“Are you ok?” he asked. 

“Yes,” she said.  “Do you think I should go to the hospital?” 

“Well just call her and let her know she can take tomo
rrow off and let me put you in the bed,” he said. 

She shook her head and grabbed her phone.  She dialed Victoria but it went straight to voicemail.  She left a message,

“Hey Victoria this is Caroline, I saw the news and I just want to say I’m so sorry about that and I know you’re in pain right now and busy but I just wanted to let you know you have my support and don’t worry about coming in for the rest of the week.  You can take it off and it won’t go against your file for missing days on your probationary period.  Call me if you need me my number is. . . .” 

Once she left the number she hung up.  She looked at her man.  He was so handsome and caring.  He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. 

“I’m so lucky to have you,” she said.  “I’m glad we don’t have drama like that.  I should really count my blessings.” 

He smiled, “Me too.” 

He picked her up and carried her upstairs.

Chapter 21

Dantae walked through the doors of Mercy Hospital and Medical Center, down the long corridor he slipped in through the emergency doors as a nurse was coming out. 

“Hey!” she tried to stop him but he was already through. 

He had gone to the store to grab a pack of Newport’s and ended up talking to a girl who leaving.  He stood there talking to that girl for more than thirty minutes.  His phone rung, he looked down at it, it was Shay.  A smile spread across his face. 
Imma call you right back boo
, he thought.  He wrapped his conversation up with the girl who looked to be flattered by the attention she was receiving. 

“Cynthia,” he said, “it was nice to meet you.  Now I know you’re going to give me a way to get in touch with you right?” 

“Yeah you can have my phone number.” 

Dantae looked down at his phone he had a text message, it was from Shay.  He shook his head,
hold on
, he thought,
here I come baby. 

“What’s the number?” he asked.  While Cynthia called out her number he put it in his phone. 

“Ok baby girl, when can I call you?”

“Anytime,” she said blushing. 

“Alright now, I’m not gone call and a big husky voice answers the phone right?”

She laughed and rolled her eyes, “No.  If that was the case I wouldn’t give you the number.” 

“Ok,” he smiled, “just checking,” he walked off. 

He opened up his phone to check the message.  He now had three mess
ages.  Hmm, she really is trying to get in touch with a brotha.  He opened the first message.  It read:
this is an emergency Dantae you really need to call me back.
 

“An emergency?” he said out loud puzzled. 

He opened up the second text it read:
Dantae! Joshua’s been shot! We’re being questioned by the police get here as soon as you can!
  Dantae was frozen in place for a second. 

“Not my homeboy,” he said. “No, no, not my homeboy.” What could the third message possibly say?  He opened it, it read
: Joshua on his way to Mercy hospital, they’re holding us for questioning, somebody needs to be with him at the hospital.  Victoria is going crazy she wants to go to him but they won’t let us
. The text ended there. 

Dantae jumped in his car and cranked up the engine, he roared off down the street in a mad dash as his tires spun and coughed up smoke.  The car almost spun around as his made a hard right.  He pressed the call back button on his phone to dial Shay back. 

“Hello! Hello!” Shay answered frantically.

“Wh
at is going on?” he said. 

“I’m sure you know the story about Danielle right?” 

“Yeah, yeah, what about her,” he said.

“S
he has broken into the house and basically held me and Victoria hostage.”

Dantae dropped the phone, he swerved
, and cursed.

“Hello?” Shay said.  “Dantae!” 

“Yeah, yeah my bad I dropped the phone, go ahead.” 

“Are you ok?”

“Yeah, yeah go ahead.”

“So Joshua walked in on her, to try and make a long story short he tried to talk the gun out of her hand and someb
ody else walked in and this mental loon started shooting.”

Dantae’s eyes were wide and he was in disbelief. 

“I’m rounding the corner now.”

She hung up and Dantae pulled up to the condo as close as he coul
d get.  Ambulances, reporters, CSI, police, neighbors, and yellow tape was everywhere. The red and blue lights from the squad cars were flickering trying to keep a barricade around the condo from onlookers. 

“This is insane,” he said. 

He put the car in park and got out.  He walked up the walkway past some onlookers and past some reporters. When he lifted the yellow tape and went under, the reporters noticed him and so did the police.  They tried to stop him but Shay told them he was with their party and had just went to the store before everything happened. The police let him through and he questioned where Victoria was? 

“
They cleared her she went to the hospital,” she said. 

“What about you?” 

“Well they cleared me too since mine and Victoria’s story match up, but they wanted me to stay back to answer more questions.” 

“Are you ok?” he looked at her with concern.

“Yes, I had to pull my gun on the psycho.” 

He laughed, “I knew you were a Charlie’s Angel.” 

She smirked. 

“Charlie’s Angels ain’t got nothing
on me.” 

They laughed. 

“You know I gotta go to the hospital, that’s my homeboy, I’d have to strangle Danielle if he’s seriously hurt.” 

Shay had a faraway look in her eyes. 

“Hey,” he said, “you sure you ok?” 

“She was crazy in love Dantae.  I don’t think I ever want to be that crazy in love.  It’s very powerful it’ll make you do
things you never thought you would do; the girl had a lost look in her eyes.  I thought I was going to have to pop her.” She shook her head. 

“Well you didn’t
and love is all about endurance, you can’t say you love someone if you’re unable to persevere through the hurts and pains it comes along with the joys and happiness boo.”

He caressed the side of her face.

“Do you want to ride with me to hospital?  Imma head out now.” 

She was completely surprised by him; never expecting a response like that.

“Yeah hold on
for a second.” 

She walked up to one of the officers to tell him she was going to the hospital.  They cleared her to leave. 

“Detective Sanchez will be contacting you soon enough.”

  She shook her head and walked off. 

“What about their condo, should someone be here to lock it up or something?” 

“I don’t think anybody will be locking it up for quite some time it’s an official crime scene,” he said. 

They jumped in Dantae’s car and drove straight to Mercy Hospital.  Twenty minutes later they were in the parking lot of the hospital.  Dantae told Shay he would be right back and went flying into the hospital.  At the nurse’s station he said,

“I’m looking for Joshua Eubanks, he’s a gunshot victim that just came through emergency about thirty minutes ago.” 

The nurse said, “Yes” and pointed to a door. 

“Through
the door second room on the right.” 

Dantae was gone before the nurse could finish.  Once he got to the second room on the right he noticed it was a waiting room. 

“Is this some kind of joke?” he said to himself. 

“No,” a nearby patron said.  “If you have someone in ICU they won’t let you back while they’re in there so you wait here, when that person is moved to a room then you can go back there.” 

Dantae nodded,

“Thanks.” 

He turned around to go get Shay but she and Victoria were walking toward him. 

“Hey, I was just coming to get you, Victoria.  Are you ok?”

He looked her up and down noticing she was bruised and the side of her face was swollen. 

“Yea, I’m ok.” 

“What happened?”

H
e looked over her bruise with sympathy. 

“She hit me with the butt of her gun, twice.” 

“Insane,” he said. 

“Yeah, well I smacked that psycho
with the butt of my gun!” Shay said. 

“Shssh, don’t incriminate yourself.” 

“Oh yeah you right,” she covered her mouth.  “I didn’t say that.” 

Dantae said, “Well it’s good you had one of Charlie’s A
ngels over here.” 

They chuckled.  They were dry, nervous chuckles.  Dantae was trying to lighten the mood but it was hard to do with their best friend, confidant, and lover’s life hanging in the balance.

“Have you eaten?” Dantae asked.

“No, but I’m not hungry,” Victoria said.

“Well, have you had anything to drink?  You should put something on your stomach.” 

Victoria walked over to the water fountain and took a drink.  She stood up and looked at him,

“How about that?”

He shook his head. 

“Maybe two Charlie’s Angels, you girls are tough.” 

“I’m not feeling real tough right now.” 

They all sat down. 

“So the girl came back and snuck in.  Victoria your car was vandalized?”

“Yes,” Victoria said.  “I think she wanted to kill me but Charlie’s Angel One decided to bump her gums so she had most of her focus until Joshua walked in the room.  Then her friend Leon . . . ,” she trailed off. 

She looked at Shay.  Shay really knew Leon she was closer to him then Victoria was.  Victoria really knew him from hearsay and they all got together and went out once after work.

“He came all this way, I don’t even know what for and was killed,” Shay said somberly.

“Well it looked like he was with Danielle; we didn’t realize he was outside in the car.”  

Dantae looked from Victoria to Shay and said,

“I can’t believe this all happened in the forty-five minutes I was gone.” 

Shay looked up and said,

“What took you so long anyway?”

“What?  These things take time some time.”

Shay looked at him sideways with a knowing smirk. 

“Yeah right,” she said.

“What?” he said.

“Whatever,” she said in a playful tone. 

“So y’all won’t have to worry about this chick anymore because I’m sure this means she’s going to jail and she won’t ever be getting out, right?” 

“Maybe,” Victoria said, “unless she gets a high power a
ttorney and call it an accident, there are ways around these things.” 

Dantae looked at Victoria,

“So what are you like the D.A.?” 

“What? I watch a lot of crime shows.  They’re on all the time nowadays, ‘First 48,’ ‘Criminal Minds,’ ‘CSI,’ . . .”

“Ok, ok I get it, you’re a part-time detective.” 

They laughed.  That laugh was better than the last.  Dantae was trying hard to lighten the mood; he had to because his stomach was doing flips.  He didn’t know what he would do
if his homeboy didn’t make it, and truth be told he was scared to death. 

Three hours later Dantae got up to get some coffee.

“You ladies want some coffee,” he asked, “or anything out the vending machine?” 

“I’ll take coffee,” Victoria said. 

Shay answered with her snoring.  She didn’t need coffee she wasn’t trying to stay awake, she was already sleep.  Victoria was so tired she could sleep for two days.  Her phone chirped.  The clock on the wall said it was three in the morning.  She looked at the text, it read:

How are you doing?
 

She hit reply and said:

Honestly I’m tired, fatigued, starving and in very bad need of a massage
. Send.  Dantae brought her a cup of coffee.

“I’m going to stand outside for a minute,” he said.  “I need to get some fresh air.” 

“Ok.” 

Her phone chirped. She looked at it, it read:

Let me take care of you, I can do all that and more
.

I wish, she thought.  What would I look like leaving my fiancé in ICU while I let another man take care of me?  She shook her head,
no
.  The doctor came out,

“Party for Joshua Eubanks,” he called. 

Victoria jumped up and rushed over to him.  Shay stirred then seeing Victoria up, she jumped up and went over to them. 

“Yes doctor, is he ok?  Please tell me he’s ok. I’m his f
iancée, Victoria Mathis.”

“Hi Ms. Mathis, I’m Doctor Stevenson, yes, Joshua is alive and he’s in stable condition, we’ve moved him to a room where he’ll need to stay overnight for observation.”

Victoria let out a deep breath she had been holding since the doctor started speaking. 

“Thank you, thank you so much,” she said. 

“No problem, if you’ll just follow me.”

Dantae walked back in the room. 

“What’s up?” he asked.

“Come on we’re going back in the room to see him,” Victoria said. 

“Dang ya’ll wasn’t going to tell a brotha or nothing, just leave me hanging?”

“Boy shut up and come on before you get left in the waiting room,” Shay said. 

“This is a good sign right?” he asked. 

“Yeah, the doctor said he’s in stable condition but he wants him to stay overnight for further observation.”