Elimination **** Chapter Ninety-Three

Christy's deposit box kept resurfacing in my mind. It hadn't been confirmed she was dead, nor had she been reported missing. Even though Nikki was smaller I needed her to convince Von to make an ID with her description, height and weight, and Christy's information. I'd initially put the key Twan had given me in her deposit box but decided to bury it in Pam's old back yard, even back then I didn't trust her, Twan said it was our future so I tried to guard it with my life. He also said if something happened to him I would know what to do with it, I found it strange it fit the shed. Also, I was almost certain the key was somewhat different when I'd asked Trenton to retrieve it, however I paid the replica no mind.

We'd gone to the deposit box and she removed some items, including the key, but I remembered seeing a large envelope with the last name Griffin on it, as well as a Charles Schwab ink pen laid inside. She opened the envelope, looked and replaced it back into the safe after saying "...And this is only the interest."

The envelope had only contained statements, she put another one inside. I felt whatever was in it was vital and Nikki would be the disloyal bitch to get it and see.

Twan had refused to give up the money, after the heists they knew they could not spend it so instead they deposited it in CD accounts, to be collected with interest after so long. The account the money was transferred into had to have been opened by Christy, and I'd known if she was gone it had to have been still there. I called the bank and inquired about the monthly payment that was being electronically drafted, I'd known if any payments were being made they had to have been electronic, thanks to Troy. Dead people can't pay deductibles and bills. The 245 dollar payment was drafted annually and it was scheduled to be taken from the Emily Orchard account ending in 2935. "Would u like to schedule a payment to come from a different account?"

"Yes, the account ending in 7989, I would like to pay it from that one please."

"Ok, let me just confirm, u would like to use account number 137247989 to pay the $245 that was scheduled to be drafted from account number 129004424? Ok, could u just verify the routing number to ensure it will be drafted as scheduled?"

"Um, oh----yes, just hold on. I have to get my handbag." Shit. What about 0517?

I continued the conversation pretending to look for my checkbook while I googled Charles Schwab's routing number. I'd known every account had the same routing number at that bank and was willing to bet it too was a Schwab account, but for security purposes she couldn't say. I had the bitch's social security number, her real one---Veronica was smarter than Christy ever thought, but how could she not be? She had had a policy on Christy and Lamont, Mandel was supposed to kill them both.

"Here, I have it---121202211."

"Yes, and that's what we have!" Like she didn't know it too was a Schwab account.

I'd written both account numbers down. After the call ended I contacted the attorney who I had previously called for Christy, she was no longer in practice. FUCK! I had to figure out how to move the money from the accounts. Also, Nikki was responsible for giving me my money back, I didn't give no fucks how she got it back. When she said Von had agreed to make the ID, I'd known he had made them for Christy and already had the information he needed. I would get to the bottom of this because I had had their children, and birthed their children's children if that son of a bitch wanted to be technical.

My father never had the riches in life they had, we were forced to depend on a congregation of poor senior citizens on fixed incomes. Martin owed my father as he had said. At some point he decided to cut ties and had turned against Nathaniel Martin and Cliff.

I had to talk to Pam, I knew she protected my girls with her own life, but I needed protection for my own. I went and sat in Kerri's car and dialed her number, she had no reason to worry about Trenton, he was dead---wasn't he?

She answered hesitantly as usual, I asked about my children.

She said they were fine, I awaited to hear their voices in the background without any results.

While we conversed she somewhat confirmed what Mama said, Troy's father had gone on a dangerous robbery, my father had gone along with him, as instructed. "All I know is Percy couldn't leave Cliff, he wouldn't let him die by himself in that bank. Martin knew the security was heightened, there were armed officers all over. He was just greedy. Percy was arrested but he got out, only because he testified against Martin and was under witness protection. While he testified, he just smiled at him. It was a cold courtroom, his smile sent chills through my body, I even saw the assistant DA wrap her shawl around her shoulder afterward. I was with Nathaniel but ya know, he had other women. I was getting too old for him, he liked them young---a little too young. 'I remember that old man saying, I just can't lose the Orchard, and I need Trenton more than I need Trena.' Trenton just couldn't let go---ya know, drove him crazy. I don't agree with what Carlita did, but I knew why she left---he would always kill the babies. He just didn't wanna have to leave nothing behind. Miss Emily died in that fire, the Orchard kept running like that home wasn't still partly standing. Trenton knew when he turned 21 he stood to gain everything, and Nathaniel made sure of it. Tawanna always said Trena was afraid of Trenton, and all they knew were each other---started real young. He knew she was pregnant, and couldn't let nobody find out it was his so he made Twan, Tobias and Kevin fuck her too. Twan said he ran and got the old man and he hit her, and broke her neck but she wasn't dead. Nobody knows what happened to her, he always thought she was in the old shed and was going to collect the 100,000 dollar reward the FBI was offering for information about her disappearance and have Trenton arrested. Instead, he joined the FBI and closed the case. He became untouchable, and yet orchestrated criminal activity. Keyon Brown could destroy evidence and they were a team until the casino robbery went sour. Martin gave Trenton so long to find the money, he moved when he knew the deadline was up. I don't know what's going on Hazel, but I'm sorry about the boys..."

WHAT? WHAT ABOUT MY BOYS?

As I asked her what she meant she said she really had said too much and had to hang up, "The social worker just arrived, I gotta go."

I beat the steering wheel in a rage, what the fuck did she mean? Was that the reason my father had been so psychologically disturbed?

I believed Pam 100 percent, but why was she only giving me bits and pieces? I needed to know and decided to call Sabrina on messenger. "Yea I knew who Trenton was, but didn't know him, only he worked for MP and was Nate's son. Goat' s wife was a nurse at the prison, the men would pay her to sneak shit inside. She would alter medical records and tell people they were sick when they really weren't and report they were being treated for various diseases for compensation. Also they would use the method to make co-defendants turn against each other. I heard Twan killed her because Veronica paid him to, she had her gunned down. I knew they were fucking around and he probably wanted the bitch, besides business was business. Goat found out, she had transferred the payment to Twan's account with her name in the details. Of course he wouldn't kill his own mama, would he? Makil would before he would have, he was the one with the issues, Goat was spoiled, Veronica hated Makil and he hated her too. He started plotting with his step daddy to rob the bitch blind but they got robbed. That's all I know."

I was still confused, Twan had been fucking Goat's wife? I knew the nurse from the prison, she had given me---

I asked, "What does Nathaniel have to do with it all?" I heard a small child in the background and wondered if it was Redd's baby. Also where were Shan and Netta?

I desperately needed to find my sons, Pam's words echoed in my skull.

"I-I gotta go," she said, "Ill message u."

The call ended before I had a chance to say anything else, was she scared? She hadn't even sounded like the Sabrina I had encountered, maybe almost, but life had humbled her. I had killed Goat with no remorse and would kill his ass again. Basically, she still hadn't explained why she had led him there but I'd known she was bitter, she wanted the money. I realized it when I heard Lawson in the background---I would never forget that voice.

Nikki texted saying she would be pulling up in a minute, she had a new car. I waited.

When she arrived she was in possession of an identification card with her picture and Christy's information. It was time to visit the bank. I knew how Christy dressed and told her to get in Kerri's car and out of the new Honda she had driven. We drove to Veronica's home which was under construction, I bypassed the construction crew like I owned the home asking them to be careful with the brass. I went to the Stella McCartney pearl jumpsuit and gave it to her from the closet, she went inside of the bathroom changed, and twisted her freshly done Senegalese twists in a bun. The bitch looked professional, I must admit. We went over her ghetto ass speech and I told her what to say. She was nervous and I couldn't accompany her, I was yet bruised and ashamed to be pregnant.

I grabbed the Hermes tote, opened the Balenciaga box and concluded the purse must have been the handbag she carried when she died, contents were still inside. We departed the home. The security cameras had been turned off. I wondered if Trenton had switched keys, the key Twan had given me was almost identical to the one the Teller had given Nikki, she exited the bank with the contents of the box, along with a new key since she had lost the old one. HA!

I was soon dumbfounded when I opened a small box she was in possession of. Christy had had many Identification cards made, even one in Carlita's name. There were documents for an offshore account that had Trenton's name on it with the account numbers to the account with Trenton Jerome Carter on them. Also Nikki returned with a cell phone, I powered it on and to my surprise the service was active. I decided I needed to park.

I watched Nikki from the corner of my eye admire the Shellac on her nails and toes, she couldn't stay out of the mirror, "U like my piercing? She asked showing me a cartilage piercing she had said she wished she could afford long ago. "I need to go to Yvonne's" I said, "U in a rush, I just need to see if Trenton is still inside." I looked at the keys I kept which I had combined with Kerri's that belonged to Trenton and knew if the Cruz was gone he was alive, it remained. We continued our mission and arrived to find Yvonne had moved out. It didn't stop me, we went inside and climbed up from the ground entrance door. I let Nikki go first and as soon as she stepped up and said, "U need help friend? I got u, since u bigger than I am, how many months do---"

I pulled the trigger, blew that bitch's face off and closed the door behind me, this time I locked it. I wiped the blood specks off of my face and licked my hand.

I returned to the Pines Road to see the Honda yet parked curbside, "Where's is Nikki?" I asked Von and Troy.

"Fuck that bitch, she see me calling her tired ass, fuck that hoe. I need to see my real bitch anyways, I need some good pussy."

I didn't trust that bitch ass nigga.

I threw Kill the key and remote to the Accord outside while Von said Nikki had tried to fuck him as soon as he picked her up from the car, but I had known. I hated disloyal bitches that's why I stayed to myself. Couldn't sympathize for her kids, hell she hadn't, she chose that nigga and hadn't sent the $1000 I had given her to send to her aunt.

I went into the bathroom and studied the contents of the deposit box I had removed from my handbag. I called Schwab, and identified myself as Karma Creighton from her phone, the number on file. I scheduled a transfer for all the money from the accounts Christy had taken from Veronica into Trenton's account. I knew if he was alive that would bring him out of hiding, if not I was sole beneficiary of the bonds Nathaniel waited to collect as well as everything else he owned---regardless to whether or not my son's name had been changed to Carter or not. I had that capability and remembered Trenton would park his cars in airport security at times. I'd known why now.

After I showered and watched Von call Nikki's phone, I finally texted him back from it after the last call ended. "It's over---enjoy the money."

Dressed fully, I walked right past them both without a word, got in Kerri's car and drove to the airport exit. I circled airport security and found the E class by pressing the remote. I got inside and checked the cars gps system and retrieved her last destination which was close to the home where Trenton and I had lived in Keithville before wiping my prints. Troy had admitted to killing her and her body was yet to be found. I noticed how the car was parked away from the rest of the vehicles and how a layer of dust had covered the cars exterior, why would it be set aside from the rest if the purpose was for it to not look out of place? Veronica had been head of airport security but who else was there to make Trenton feel comfortable enough to park it there? I put Trenton's phone inside and erased every message except theirs.

After hitting the trunk release button, I drove away unsure of the plot, went home and made love to my child's father.

The nightly news came on, I turned up the television to it's maximum volume while I kissed Troy's chest.

"This is KTBS late-breaking news. This evening at the Shreveport Regional Airport a mutilated body was discovered in the trunk of the car, it had been decapitated and officials believe its in connection with a head that was found last spring in this field right off of Interstate 20. There has been an ongoing investigation in the disappearance of an undercover agent---"

Christy Michelle Creighton was an officer but Karma Christina Creighton wasn't.

I was playing a game of elimination to get to the top dog.

"We've spoken with Head of Homeland of security Lawrence Poole and this is what he's had to say:

'Early on last spring there were complaints of a foul odor on the premises but we never suspected a body to be inside the trunk of a car. The security cameras will be reviewed for any leads in the investigation.'

Thank u Mr. Poole, reporting live this is Brenda Teele for KTBS news from Interstate 20, Gerry, back to u."

After I read the messages between Trenton and Christy I'd determined she'd taken money to kill me, but had actually given it to me. She had been paid to kill Veronica and Carlita, Troy had followed her and shot her twice. She was arrested on the murder charges afterward and regretted not killing me. The bonds doubled because she had left the state. She'd thought Twan had called the bondsman but it had been Trenton, hadn't it?

He used the money from the account to bond her out, in exchange she had to locate the 6 million Twan had taken from Trenton. All along it was in an account with my sons' name on it. Nathaniel hadn't touched it. I checked the accounts, 3 million in each---with interest.

They were both dead and Veronica's estate was left to her oldest son---but in the event of his demise...

At 12 midnight, after I had created user names and passwords for the online accounts I received a notification for the new balance in Trenton's account. He'd made me an authorized account holder for the Emily Orchards account he used to recycle the money---I too was account manager. I waited, days passed the balance stayed the same, he was dead.

Veronica and Twan's account stood at a zero balance as well as her personal account.

I saw the look on Troy's face when the balance notification of 0 dollars came to his phone as scheduled daily. I laughed as he tried to silently hide his emotion, "Where are u going?" I asked as he paced, picking up and putting down his gun, unsure of what to do. He had no control, I figured it out. The money was his right? Goat was gone, he'd known and hadn't given a fuck if I had eliminated him. Now it was gone, however, I would make sure he had what he was entitled to.

Martin had destroyed my father and the situation had become personal. It had effected 3 generations and my children suffered likewise.