According to Ohan,Chaya was still very much entangled with the man in the photos he had sent me. After dropping Junior off with the babysitter, I decided it was time for me to bust my move. I arrived on the same street as the hotel, ducking into Ohan’s black Mercedes parked across the street and a few cars down. He took a puff from his cigarette, blowing the excess smoke out of his cracked window and glancing over at me.
“I went inside. She’s in room 211. The name is Evans. I had a friend run him through the database. He’s a fucking cop,” Ohan revealed, lifting both brows at me knowingly.
“A cop? The fuck is she doing with him?”
“From what I can tell, nigga ain’t on no dirty type shit. I can’t find much on his background though, other than he came from a single mom, and his father is Aldus Williams. He grew up a couple of counties over and only transferred into this area about six months ago. No family, no ties, the nigga appeared out of nowhere.”
“Nah, that don’t just happen.” I shook my head. “Sounds like he’s hiding something.”
“I thought you might say that. I did a little research, and he’s been keeping a low profile other than this woman he’s been sniffing around. Chevelle Lamarck.”
“So he’s not just fucking my wife, but there’s someone else in the picture?”
“How you want to do this?” Ohan asked while I focused on the hotel building.
“I’ve reacted too quickly in the past,” I revealed softly, bringing a hand to my chin while I thought about how I wanted to proceed. “Get as many photos as you can. I’m going about this a different way. Call me when she leaves.” I got out of the car and retreated to mine.
Hours seemed to go by. I poured at least four different drinks and let the sounds of The Temptations play in the background. Junior was sleeping, and Harmonie never returned home from what I could tell. I had called her phone a couple of times, but she didn’t respond. I was worried, but another part of me was rehearsing what I wanted to say to Chaya when I saw her again.
Seated in the darkened living room, I let the lyrics carry me away while taking a sip from my glass. It was almost ten p.m. when the headlights flickered across the living room wall. Shehad arrived, and everything I wanted to say was suddenly fleeing my mind. I sat there calmly, waiting for her to enter. She was quiet, like a mouse, barely making a sound as she tiptoed inside. Her shadow filled the hallway as she tried to tiptoe past up the staircase.
“Kind of late.” My voice rocked her, sending her damn near stumbling backward down the staircase.
She tried catching her breath, clutching her chest as if she was turning on pearls or something.
“Shit, Harold. What are you doing up?” she questioned.
I couldn’t confirm, but she seemed sad, like she’d been crying or upset tonight. The TV was the only illumination in the room at this time. I had it on mute while my music played, allowing the latest news to play as a distraction. Chaya hovered in the doorway.
“Waiting for you,” I concluded.
Sloping forward a bit, I tossed the envelope that carried the photos that Ohan captured for me. Chaya stared at the packet on the table, and slowly, her guilt-ridden orbs drifted into mine.
“What’s this?”
“Take a look. I found it interesting,” I conveyed, tipping the glass to my lips, emptying it.
Chaya dropped her purse into a nearby chair and reached for the envelope. She took the pictures out and didn’t get past the first image before her eyes found mine.
“What is this? You following me?” Sneering, she tossed the photos on the table.
“You’re fucking another man behind my back, and you’re getting indignant on me?” I aimed a finger at her first, then back at myself.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about?” she argued.
“Nah, you didn’t get through all the photos. They tell everything, baby.”
“What do you want me to say?” She threw her arms up, exasperated.
“I don’t need you to say anything. Your bags are already packed upstairs. Just get the fuck out.” I kept a strong, even tone with her.
Her eyes widened and mouth parted in a large O. She hadn’t expected that response.
“You can’t put me out. What about Junior?”
“My son is fine where he belongs. I’m not going to uproot him because his mother wants to be a cheating ass hoe. Get your shit and leave, or I’ll put you out myself.”
“Is this how you treated your first wife? Is that why she left you and why both of your daughters are so fucking screwed up? One can barely stand to be around you. She went and got abducted and is living a life that has nothing to do with you. Then there’s Harmonie, the one you enable so much she thinks the entire world owes her something.”
