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En Vogue (lyrics from the song Lies)

"Explain how your phone ended up by the victim?" the detective asked.

"For the fiftieth time, hell I don't know how my phone ended up by her. Look, Aries and I got into an altercation. When he pinned me up against the wall my phone must have fallen out my hand. I didn't realize it was gone until after I left the stadium."

"What time did you leave the stadium?"

"Right before the celebratory party started." Again the same ole questions.

"What caused the altercation?"

I rolled my eyes, duh maybe because he's a maniac!

"Because the so-called guy I was dating had been cheating on me with other women, having a child I knew nothing about and trying to force me to conform to his dictatorship. I originally came here to break it off with him. I thought maybe we could be friends and I didn't want to breakup over the phone. I'm not a coward."

"You were breaking it off, but you attended his Fan Day?"

"I still wanted to support him. Prior to finding out about his side piece, his baby mama and his violent streak, he never showed the signs of having a punkass bipolar disorder."

"Aries mentioned that you had words with Rue and his mother was able to collaborate that. Care to explain?"

"Rue came and introduced herself to me as his ex fiancé and the woman he's been messing around with. She and Aries have apparently been together lately. I live in Louisiana not Atlanta. Long distance played a major factor in our relationship. Aries wanted me to move here but my life is there. And by the way, Mrs. Wilson didn't care for her either."

"Did you confront Rue about her relationship with Aries?"

"Not confrontationally. I barely spoke to her. To be honest I thought she was lying. Exes play games all the time when they want the other person back. I left to play tour guide with AJ who actually ended up being Aries's long lost son."

"Interesting," the Detective said. "That's not what a witness said."

"Excuse me?"

"A witness stated that you and Rue had explicit words, they said they had to separate you two. Several witness say that."

"Whoever told you that are some low down lying muther..." I looked at Sam and he shook his head so I didn't finish.

"How do you know she wasn't jealous of me? Maybe she thought I was the one interfering in her relationship with Aries. Or he could have been the one that wanted to get rid of her. He was excited to be introducing me to his mother saying something that I had a career and not a gold digger. Look, I didn't come to Atlanta to this Fan Day with the intent to get into any altercations. I wanted to call this relationship off and move on. I'm sorry Rue got hurt."

"Who is Shaunte Waters?" he asked me.

"A low down dirty dog that lies with fleas."

"So you do know her?"

"Unfortunately, but not much except she lies, and she's a state of the art gold-digging manipulating tramp-whore with horns, claws and a deadly tail." Sam narrowed his eyes almost scolding me.

"Since you gave us permission to check your phone, you had a conversation with her. We have you calling her."

"First, I don't have her number. All I know is when I tried to call my friend, she picked up. If you're so high-tech then I'm sure you could have heard the conversation of her describing how she was with Sean, which I might add was a lie. Please don't get me started about that devil-bitch. She makes my blood boil." Sam looked my way and shook his head, I'm assuming I was getting off track, again.

"So you were dating Aries and another guy named Sean?"

"No."

"Who is Sean?"

I looked at Sam and Sasha and they nodded. I wanted to keep Sean out of this.

"Sean Gipson."

"Quarterback Sean Gipson?"

"Yes."

"And the relationship?"

"We are best friends, have been since we took our first steps. She claims she's pregnant with his child which is a lie, hell that's a whole another story."

"Is that why you beat her up?" He slid an envelope towards me. I looked down at the table and back up at him. "Open it."

My hand trembled as I grabbed the envelope. I swear if it's what I think it was... I opened it and it was pictures of Shae. Her face was messed up, her throat was red along with her cheeks and cuts were on her face.

"When we traced Rue's phone the last call she made was to Shaunte Waters. When we called, she was all to glad to tell us all about you Ms. Johnson. She said you have a habit of beating up women that mess with the men you're interested in and that you were the last person with Rue."

"That's a bald face lie!"

"She said Rue called her. She said you did something to her. That Rue sounded really bad on the phone, care to explain?"

"Like I've told you, she's doesn't like me and vice-versa. She knew I was here because she answered Sean's phone when I called. She is the trouble maker."

"Are you sure about that? Just like when she told you that she was pregnant with Mr. Gibson's baby, you beat the hell out of her."

"Yes we tousled but she came at me, but that I didn't do," pointing at the picture. "I had to protect myself, from the devil reincarnate. She provoked me but I didn't do that kind of damage to her. By the way she isn't pregnant let's put that on the record."

The detective rolled his eyes.

"Ms. Waters claims that when she spoke to Rue, you were the one who started the altercation because you found out she was pregnant with Aries's baby."

"I knew no such thing. Believe me after all the lies that Aries has created, I'm not even fazed. Good luck to him as I don't want anything to do with him, Rue, Shae, or his fake ass mama. I just want to go about my life and forget about all of this craziness."

"Rue is in her first trimester, the doctor has confirmed."

"I don't care, honest, I'm so over this. I didn't touch Rue and I only spoke to her in the main room."

"Well I have witnesses that say otherwise."

"Let me guess. Aries, his mama and Shae who wasn't even there. They are all liars and I refuse to be the scapegoat."

"Well as I see it, all chips are stacking up against you Ms. Johnson."

The door opened and Mr. Roberts, Alanna's dad, walked in. He whispered something to Ms. Sasha, gave her an I-pad and walked back out the door. I looked at her and she looked fed up as she looked down at the screen and passed it to Sam.

"Why don't you just admit that you and Rue got into a spat and out of anger you pushed her and she hit her head on the stairs?"

"I didn't do it."

"Then I'm charging you." He stood up and Ms. Sasha jumped up.

"You can't charge my client with hearsay. Here is a video of Rue coming up to Elizabeth and Ms. Wilson in the main hall." Sam passed an I-Pad to the Detective and he watched.

"You will also see Elizabeth and Aries's mother walking back to their seats leaving Rue standing there by herself. Speed up the video and you will see Rue sitting at the bar, the bartender comes up to her giving her a piece of paper, whispers something and she leaves through the side door, but look closely." She made the video bigger on the screen.

"Aries comes out that same door about five minutes later. He walks up to Elizabeth and the beginning of the unwanted confrontation starts. Elizabeth walks out, he follows in pursuit. The crowd is watching as his baby mama is taken out by security for disorderly conduct."

She switched the video. "Now you can see the rest of the altercation where he grabbed my client and she tries to fight back. Brandon and Charlene Yates is the couple that pulls them apart and Elizabeth leaves. Just as Aries walks back, he grabs something off the ground and walks back inside." She adjusted the video.

The video goes back to the main room. I could see Aries parents in the corner talking and his niece at the buffet. All of a sudden, Aries comes out.

"The door closes and Aries comes out again where Rue was last seen going in. It was determined that there are two other entrances to this stairwell, he just so happens to come out the door she went in? Thirty minutes later Rue is found at the bottom of the stairs with no witnesses. Elizabeth only used the front entrance and never that door. Coincidentally, I think not."

"Mrs. Denson all the evidence points to your client. She has motive, I have witnesses and enough evidence to hold her, until I get the truth. This video could be a fake. How do I know you and Mr. Roberts didn't create this video yourselves? You should know giving fake evidence is punishable by law."

Ms. Sasha moved her neck from side to side. I think the Detective had messed with the wrong one. She passed the I-Pad to Sam and this devilish look appeared on his face. Although I didn't know either one of them that well, I could tell they were both in attack mode and ready for blood.

"I know the law very well, Detective Prescott. Question my intelligence or my credibility again and I will end this unnecessary line of questioning. She has answered your questions to her ability and please call her by her proper title, Dr. Johnson, she's earned it. Look we have given you proof that Ms. Waters and Rue work together, as they are both employed through one of the top sport agencies in the country in a call girl position."

"I...," the Detective started to say but was quickly shut down by Ms. Sasha.

"Dr. Johnson has cooperated with you all since the beginning and you still have no proof that she has done anything wrong. From what I see you should be charging Mr. Wilson with aggravate assault, maybe even attempted murder of my client. She is also a victim by the hands of Mr. Aries Wilson. You can't pin shit on her and you know it." She got right up in his face, almost daring him.

He turned his head to me. Was he scared of Ms. Sasha? "Do you want to press charges against Mr. Aries Wilson?" he asked.

"No."

"Moving on then." The Detective turned his attention back to Sasha handing her the pictures of Shae.

"Have you not seen the pictures of Ms. Water's face."

"I have. I have already examined them." She tossed them on the table like they meant nothing.

"Then I can charge Dr. Johnson with assault." The Detective had a smug look on his face.

"Do you really want to go there Detective Prescott?" She laughed looking at Sam and then at her watch.

"It's time to end this Sam, the Detective has no clue." He nodded at her as the plot was ready to be revealed.

"The cut above her brow is fake, if you look closely you can clearly see its makeup. The bruising is fake, there is a 13 step tutorial on how to do it online. Personally she used a little too much purple, she's not a very good blender. You can see the traces of the purple shadow right under her eyelashes. Now the scratches are real you can see the nail marks. Usually a sign of a very unstable person."

The Detective put on his glasses to examine the picture closely.

"As far as Rue, she was engaged to Aries and Elizabeth was right, they have been fooling around."

She pulled out an envelope and gave it to the Detective. "Elizabeth lives in Louisiana and these pictures will show Aries coming out of Rue's apartment a week ago, look at the time stamp. 3am is what it says and you can't tell me it was a business call."

The Detective looked pissed.

"Look Detective Prescott. This case is bigger than Elizabeth. She's the innocent one. There are other fish to fry. I'll make you a deal, you let my innocent client go and I bet I can get you newsworthy recognition." He looked at her squinting his eyes.

"She did this and I'm going to prove it."

"All the evidence you have won't hold up in court and you know it. I will have everything you present thrown out and you will be the laughing stock of this department. By the time I finish destroying everything you produce, you will be lucky if they let you sit as a desk sergeant. Do you want that, because I can easily make it so?"

Alanna's dad walked in. Looking at Detective Prescott, he said, "we have the bartenders that were at Fan Day and Charlene Yates that will contradict your three unreliable witnesses. Detective I hate doing your job, although I'm really good at it, but you need to let Elizabeth go. There is no evidence leading to the victim's assault that Dr. Johnson is connected to."

The detective looked like he was about to blow a gasket.

"Mrs. Yates is in Room 4 and Freddie Delgado, the bartender is in Room 5 awaiting your questioning. Oh by the way Freddie has the note that Aries wanted him to give to Rue. If you check the handwriting you will see it's a match." Alanna's dad smiled as he held the door open.

"If I find out you have something that will jeopardize this case then I will see you disbarred Mr. Roberts and you too Ms. Denson."

"Do you know how many times other detectives have said that. Oh by the way I represent Mr. Delgado and he is ready to tell you what happened, no tricks. Ms. Yates will corroborate Dr. Johnson's story from beginning to end as she was with her ninety percent of the time. Mr. Roberts will be her attorney in this matter. She was even in the main hall when Elizabeth confronted Aries about him cheating and she knows Rue. It's a very juicy tale I might add," Ms. Sasha said smiling.

The Detective was red in the face.

"She is not allowed to leave," he told the cop standing by the door pointing at me.

I watched as he left the room. I wasn't sure to be excited or balled up in a corner and boohooing.

"Don't worry you will be going home soon," Sam whispered in my ear before walking out the room with Ms. Sasha and Mr. Roberts. I sat there trying to be strong but I had no clue what was coming next.

I looked down at my watch and it was almost six pm. No word from Lizzy and now I was getting really worried. I tried calling Sam but somehow I always got a busy signal. I had showered and now I was sitting on my bed. I was getting ready for the team dinner slash sponsor roundup, we had every year after Fan Day. I hated it but hey it was a part of the job.

I sat there with my phone in my hand looking at the black screen. I hit the home button and a text from Jarreau came through. I slid the message and it was pictures of Lizzy and I in Vegas during and after our ceremony. At the bottom it read: hang in there she's worth it.

Looking at the pictures made me smile. Although we got married in the most unconventional way, I loved her and she was now my wife. Somehow with her not being here this whole situation felt wrong. Yes she was hot-headed, stubborn and spoiled but she loved hard, and she would give you her last as she had a heart of gold.

I texted back: thanks. Even looking at the pictures I could see happiness on her face. I picked up my wedding band and twirled it in my fingers. I couldn't wait to tell the world how happy I was that I had found my soulmate.

Hopefully my plan to incriminate Shae would work and I could live as a happily married man. I stopped by the house and things were coming along. The guys had installed state of the art equipment including mini microphones placed strategically throughout along with mini cameras. Her scamming was coming to an end and I would expose her to the world. Every media outlet will know her face and name along with Michael. The moment everything unraveled, Michael will be wishing he was that little young agent from back in the day. He was good, actually one of the best but greed had overtaken him.

I skimmed through my phone and dialed a number.

"Hey Sean."

"Hey Alanna. I hate to bother you but I was wondering if you've heard from Lizzy or Sam."

"Sorry but I haven't since they made it to Atlanta. My dad is there along with my aunt Sasha."

"Why are they there? I'm a little confused."

"They are both attorneys. Actually partners. They mostly deal with corporate and international law now but their background is criminal. My dad worked for the FBI and CIA and my aunt is married to his old partner, Chase Denson and she's my mom's twin. If anybody can get Lizzy out those two can. They are the best and I'm not saying that because they are my relatives. Also with Uncle Sam on the case, Lizzy should be walking out of there soon."

"That good uh?"

"Without a question Sean. I know it's probably difficult but hang in there. I think if something bad was going to happen you would know by now."

"You think so because I'm nervous as hell."

"That's to be expected. I know how much she loves you and best believe she will find a way to get back to you soon."

"Thanks Alanna. If you hear anything can you call me?"

"Sure. I'm being paged so I have to go. We will talk soon okay?"

"Okay, bye."

My phone vibrated and it was a text from Jarreau. Open now!

When I swiped it, it was a picture of a social media post from Shae. It was a picture of her face bruised up and it looked as if someone had attacked her. The caption read: Doc about to be on Loc...Bitch about to go down, with an (emoji of handcuffs and a policeman). I read it again trying to figure out what the hell was going on.

I called Jarreau.

"Man this bitch is some kind of crazy."

"What's going on J?"

"I'm trying to figure that out too. Is this real?"

"I have no idea unless it happened in the past few hours. She looked perfectly fine at Fan Day."

"I know so I wonder what she's trying to do or accomplish?"

"I have no idea."

"You need to put a muzzle on home skillet. She's getting out of control."

"I just need her to confess this is all a lie. Once I can do that, I am going to destroy her and anyone else that thinks they can get over on me."

"That's my boy. I'm headed to your crib. I will drive us to the dinner. I'm assuming you haven't heard from Lizzy."

"No and it's killing me."

"Hang in there partner. It will be over soon."

"I sure hope you're right."

I finished dressing eyeing my phone the whole time. Jarreau texted that he was almost here so I met him outside.

"Looking good, Tom Ford, I'm guessing," Jarreau said as he pushed the button for the automatic door opener in his pimped out convertible Mercedes AMG SL65, black on black toy. Or as he called it Shaka Zulu.

"Yeah, Ralph Lauren right?"

"He helps pays the bills, they keep me looking fly and as long as those endorsement checks keep rolling in I'm down. Even got the drawers on, this new comfy waistband keeps everything in."

"TMI man." I got in the car.

"Anyway put your seatbelt on." I looked at him strange.

"So talking to some of my peeps the picture is old. No one knows where it came from but somebody said they think she did it to get sympathy."

"Well looking at it, it worked. She had thousands of comments saying that she was abused and some people are calling for the perp to be arrested."

"The girl is good. I just wonder what's she plotting?"

"Besides trying to destroy me?"