Murder Mamas Part 6

He would forever regret those words. That single word sent Macy over the edge, and he turned around, drew his gun, and put a hollow tip through Boomer's head. Macy didn't even think twice about what he had just done.

Just as quickly as rage had entered Macy's mind, guilt crept in. As he saw his son lying on the floor staring into s.p.a.ce, he began to think about Fatima. Fatima and Boomer shared the same eyes, and that was the hardest thing he had ever done. But he knew that if he didn't do it, Boomer would have eventually killed him. Boomer's hate for Macy was deep, and it wasn't a secret.

The guards were totally taken off guard by Macy's actions, never thinking that he would or could kill his own son. Macy slowly knelt down and gently kissed Boomer on the forehead. He then ran his hand over Boomer's face so that he could close the eyes that seemed to be staring directly at him. Macy had just done something that he could never take back.

Macy knew that he was slipping. He was moving so sloppy and jeopardizing his entire life over money. He had never shed a tear in his adult life, but as he sat parked in his driveway, watching his wife's silhouette as she moved around in the upstairs window, he cried. Silent tears ran down his face as he thought of how he had singlehandedly ripped his family apart. He had killed his son, and despite the fact that Boomer was in the wrong, Macy was far from right.

Macy was usually a calm and collected man. He barely moved if his actions weren't strategic or well thought out. Everything that had occurred since his anniversary dinner was chaotic, sporadic ... stupid. He hit his steering wheel, wis.h.i.+ng that he could take back the past hour of his life. Dazed, he watched his wife's shadow move around their room.

"I can't go in there right now," he said aloud, knowing that when he looked into her eyes, he would see Boomer staring back at him. He pulled out and immediately called Edris.

"Everything's in order," Edris stated as soon as he picked up the phone. "I cleaned up that mess. Fatima will never know anything."

Macy stopped him. "I f.u.c.ked up. I need you to meet me at my office."

"Yeah, I'm on my way," Edris stated as he looked over to ensure that his wife was fully asleep.

"Bring me a change of clothes and hurry, E. It's important," Macy said.

Macy sat with his executive leather chair turned toward the floor-to-ceiling windows. He was deep in thought when he heard Edris enter the room.

"The clothes will be a little big, but they should fit okay," Edris stated as he stepped toward the desk. He had no idea why Macy needed the clothing, but he had learned a long time ago not to ask questions.

Macy turned around, and Edris' eyes bugged out as he noticed the blood that stained his slacks and s.h.i.+rt.

"I found Boom," Macy stated.

"What did you do, boss?" Edris asked. He could tell that things had gone bad. Macy's red eyes and solemn demeanor told Edris so. "What did you do?"

"I snapped," Macy replied in a low tone. "I f.u.c.ked up. I forgot who he was, and I just snapped." Macy knew that if he was in his right frame of mind, he would have never killed Boomer, but anger was like a drug to him. He was never clear when pushed to the edge.

"I can't tell Fatima this. She will never forgive me for this. He was our son... . He was family."

Macy shook his head and looked at Big E. "I need you to get that tape from the hotel. I was messy. I slipped out of an emergency exit after I shot Boomer. I can't be tied to this murder. Housekeeping doesn't come around until ten, so they won't discover the body until morning. After that the police will be knocking on my door. No one can know that I was anywhere near that hotel. If they ask, I was with you tonight. We were here at the office working late. Without the surveillance video, no one will ever suspect me of killing my own son."

Edris nodded. He was speechless and in utter disbelief that Macy had taken it to this point. He had witnessed the tension firsthand between the father and son duo. Boomer had been a problem child since he hit p.u.b.erty, rebelling every chance that he could. Macy had pegged it as teenage rebellion, until the drug use entered the picture.

"You all right?" Edris asked.

Macy nodded his head and reached into his desk. He removed a large yellow envelope filled with money. He tossed it on the desk toward Edris. "When you get that tape, I'll be fine," he replied.

Edris entered the hotel and walked directly up to the desk clerk. The young Asian girl flipped carelessly through a magazine as she worked the night s.h.i.+ft.

"I'm sorry, we don't have any availability. All of our rooms are reserved for the night," she said without looking up.

Edris leaned into the counter. "I'm not here for a room." He went into the inside pocket of his pea coat and pulled out the money-filled envelope. He placed it on the counter and slid it to the girl.

"What's this?" she asked as she grabbed the envelope.

"Take a look inside," he urged.

The girl opened the envelope, and when she saw all of the Ben Franklins staring back at her, she dropped it as if it were hot to the touch.

She leaned over the counter, and her c.h.i.n.ky eyes peered at him suspiciously. "What is this?"

"It can be yours if you cooperate," Edris responded. Macy had already acted irrationally, and Boomer's murder was going to blow up the spot. Edris couldn't bring more conflict to the situation. It was sometimes more effective to put a little sugar in the game, as opposed to s.h.i.+t. He was going to sweeten the pot for the young girl so that she would help him cover up Boomer's murder.

"Cooperate how? I don't understand what you want from me," the girl replied with a slight tremor in her voice.

"Relax, sweetheart. If I wanted to hurt you, you would have never seen me coming. I just want to talk. You understand?" Edris asked. "Can we talk?"

She nodded her head, still nervous as she looked around the empty lobby. She had no choice but to hear Edris out because there was no one in sight, in case she needed help.

"Now, something happened inside this hotel tonight, and I need the surveillance tapes," Edris stated. "How much would I have to give you for you to give me the tapes and forget that you ever saw me?"

"I ... I ..." The girl stammered, unsure of what to say or even what number to throw out.

"I'm trying to talk business with you, baby girl, so just calm down and put your big girl panties on," Edris stated. "What's your price?"

The girl knew that she could be fired for even thinking about giving over the tapes, but she had a feeling that this could be a bigger payday than she would ever see in a week's check. She thought of all the bills that were stacking up at her house and of the college tuition that was due in a few weeks. "Five thousand dollars," she said, feeling as if she were reaching. The girl never expected Edris to pay her that much money for one measly tape, but she had no clue who she was dealing with. Edris did not immediately respond, and she was worried that she had gone too high.

"If that's too high ..."

"There is twenty thousand dollars in that envelope. You can have it for the tapes and for you to forget about this little conversation," Edris proposed.

The girl slid the envelope behind the desk and was too excited to contain the sly smile that spread across her thin lips. "What conversation?" she asked.

Edris chuckled and nodded his head. "My girl. Now, the s.h.i.+t is going to hit the fan soon, and when it does, you don't know s.h.i.+t and you didn't see s.h.i.+t," Edris schooled. "Now, show me where the surveillance is."

The girl led him to the back, where the recording system was set up. Edris had the girl leave him alone, because he did not want her to notice Macy's face on the tapes. He didn't need her looking over his shoulders. He ran the tapes back and watched as Macy walked through the lobby and up to Boomer's room. He could only imagine what had gone down inside. He immediately popped the tape out of the recorder and then erased the data on the system for the entire day. He pocketed the tape and then emerged from the room.

"Give me your license," he told the girl.

"What?" she questioned.

"For insurance. You will be completely safe as long as you keep up your end of the deal. If you talk about this to anybody, especially the police, I'll know where to find you, and I'ma come see you. My next visit won't be so friendly," he warned.

The girl removed her license with hesitance. She made a copy of it behind the desk and slid him the copy. "I won't say a word."

He folded the paper and put it in his pocket with the tape and replied, "You better not."

He walked out of the hotel like a ghost. It was the first and last time that the place would ever see him.

Chapter Seven.

Fatima lay in bed restlessly as her mind spun uncontrollably. It had been two days since she had spoken to Boomer, and she wished that he would just come home.

"What if something happened to him?" Fatima asked as she turned to face Macy, who was reading a copy of Black Enterprise, catching up on his finances before he went to bed.

Macy heard her question but acted as if he were too distracted to respond. Guilt filled him because he knew that she was waiting for a child who was never coming home again. He wanted to tell her what had happened, but she would never understand. He knew that Fatima's love for her son outweighed any love she had for anyone else, even herself. He could never let her find out that he was behind Boomer's death. It was a wrath that he knew he did not want to see.

"Macy?" she whined.

He looked up from his reading and saw the apprehensive look on her face. Her tired, red eyes revealed her worry, and she looked as if she had aged five years overnight. He reached over and pulled her near him so that she was snuggled against his body, resting her head on his chest.

"You said he was high when you spoke with him, right?" Macy asked.

"Yeah, but-"

"Don't panic, Tima. You know how Boomer gets when he goes on his binges," Macy said as he rubbed her hair gently. "He'll turn up. Don't stress out over this."

"You're probably right," she whispered as she shook her head. "I can tell you this: If he is okay, I'm going to kill him when I finally see him. He can't keep doing this to me. The drugs and the recklessness, it all has to stop. He's my baby, and I can't be up worrying over him like this. He has to get help. Macy, you have to help him. He loves you and he looks up to you."

Her words penetrated his heart, and he felt a small pain in his chest. "I will, baby. Get some sleep," he said, his voice breaking slightly as he kissed the top of her head. He folded the magazine in his hands and reached over to the nightstand to turn off the lamp. The darkness helped conceal the sin he had committed. He didn't know if he could keep up his lie if he had to see how badly Fatima was hurting.

The doorbell rang, and Fatima shot up, throwing the covers off of her body. "That's him!" she a.s.sumed, knowing that no one else could be at the front door at 2:00 A.M.

She threw on her short silk kimono robe. Macy was barely out of bed before she was racing down the stairs to answer the door. She s.n.a.t.c.hed open the door, and her anxious face fell in horror when she saw the two police officers standing before her.

"h.e.l.lo, Mrs. Sigel," one of the officers greeted. His tone was respectful, and even though she didn't know him, the officer was well aware of who she was. As the mayor's wife, she was very well known throughout the city.

"Officers," she said back. "Can I help you?" she asked as she tightened her robe.

Macy finally came down the stairs and stood by her side. He put his hand on the small of her back. "Jamison, Williams," he greeted as he reached out to shake the young men's hands while calling them by name. "Please come inside."

They stepped into the foyer and hesitantly directed their attention toward Macy.

"Mr. Mayor ... um, we ... we're here about your son."

Fatima's heart sank when she heard those words. "No ... no ..." she whispered, already knowing the news that they were about to deliver.

"I'm sorry to deliver the news that he has been murdered."

"No! Macy, no!" Fatima shouted as pain took over her entire body. The wind was knocked out of her, and she doubled over as if she had been punched in the abdomen. She gripped her stomach as she let out an animalistic howl. "No! My baby!" She broke down, not caring that she had an audience.

Macy went to her side, and she collapsed into him as she cried her eyes out on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Tima. I'm sorry, baby," he whispered. She didn't know the true meaning of his words, but he was apologizing because the burden of Boomer's death rested on his shoulders. He was the one who had pulled the trigger, and now he was forced to watch his wife fall apart.

"Thank you, gentlemen. Please see yourselves out," Macy said without ever letting Fatimah go. She was hysterical and so weak at the knees that if he let her go, she would hit the floor.

"When you get a chance, we need one of you to come and view the body to confirm that it's him," the officer said in a low, hesitant tone.

Macy nodded, and the officers left as Macy catered to his wife.

Fatima could hardly contain herself; she was sobbing so hard. "Oh my G.o.d... . Macy, he's dead," she screamed sorrowfully.

"Shhh, it's okay. I'm going to take care of you, ma. Shhh, everything is going to be okay," he whispered as he tried to soothe her. He had known that she would react this way, but seeing it made his conscience heavy.

The two of them had never had any secrets between them, but Macy's actions had polluted their relations.h.i.+p. This was a secret that he could never tell her because he knew that she would never understand. Forgiveness for this act was something that Fatima would never lend him, and as he held her tightly, he told himself that he could never let her find out. Boomer's murder would be something that he took to his grave.

Fatima went numb after they identified the body. Seeing her only child lying so stiff in the city morgue killed her. It was as if a vital part of her had died right along with Boomer. She completely withdrew inside of herself and allowed Macy to take the lead. She didn't make one funeral arrangement. Macy planned everything and spared no expense. Fatima appreciated Macy because he held her up in front of the cameras and the crowd. He would send Boomer home with cla.s.s and style, ensuring that the last memory that people got of him was a positive one. What she thought he did out of love was really out of pure guilt.

Macy tried desperately to pull Fatima out of her funk. He needed her to be at her best at all times, and Boomer's death was taking a hefty toll on her. A great sadness had taken over her spirit.

Boomer's death was nothing but bad press for Macy. As an elected official in the city, people were having a field day and labeling him as a man who had strong ties with L.A.'s most notorious drug dealers and gang leaders. Things grew increasingly tense as he tried to maintain a good image. Everything had to be carefully calculated. He couldn't make any spontaneous moves without it being scrutinized. Not only were his policies in jeopardy, so was his character, and the last thing Macy needed was this unwanted attention.

He was well aware that he had brought it upon himself, and he tried everything to right his wrongs, but it was useless. Fatima was completely torn up over Boomer's death, and the lady who usually made him look good could barely even hold herself together. All of the chaos had been a direct result of Macy's stupid actions. I should have never gone to see Boomer with a pistol on my hip, Macy thought with regret.

Los Angeles was a city that would build you up just to tear you down, and Macy was feeling the pressure. He had set himself up to win, and all of the cards had been stacked in his favor until Boomer had deviated from the plan. Boomer was the only piece of his puzzle that didn't fit. He wasn't a part of Macy's American dream. His drug addiction and reckless behavior had made him the bad seed in the family. The way that Boomer was living, Macy knew that one day Boomer would become a problem. Never in a million years did he expect to be the one to rock him to sleep.

As Macy stared out of the window of his office he shook his head, hoping that the entire situation would become yesterday's news sooner rather than later.

"When are these mu'f.u.c.kas going to move on from this?" he asked rhetorically.

Big E, who sat across from Macy's executive desk, shrugged his shoulders and replied, "I don't know, but the longer they linger on it, the more attention they bring to it. That means the spotlight and all eyes are resting on you right now."

"That's a problem," Macy said in a low voice. "We still have people on payroll inside of the police force, right?"

Macy hadn't wanted to grease political palms or make friends before, but he was glad that he had. The connections that he had been hesitant about making were the same ones that were going to save his a.s.s.

"Yeah, they are in place," Edris responded.

"Good. I need Boomer's murder buried. This can't get out," he whispered.

Macy realized what was on the line; not only was his freedom in jeopardy, but also his marriage. Everything he had done to get to this level of success would be in vain if it was all taken away because of Boomer.

He closed his blinds and turned toward Big E. "Make sure this goes away as soon as possible, and I want those f.u.c.king news vans off of this property," he snapped.

Macy watched from the window as Edris went and did his job, ensuring that no one got into the building who wasn't employed there. He couldn't allow this situation to get out of hand. It was containable at the moment, but Macy knew that one more negative encounter was all that was needed to send his world spiraling downward.

It wasn't the act of murder that disturbed Macy. He had put in work before, and he understood what came along with taking the life of another. But this one had not been planned, and it hit close to home because it was the biggest mistake that he had ever made.

As he watched the media pack up their things and drive away in their TV news vans, he sighed in relief. Macy just hoped that this would not escalate because he truly believed in karma, and after the sin that he had committed, he knew that nothing good could lie in his dismal future.

The seams to his life seemed to be coming undone, and with Fatima devastated over Boomer's untimely death, she was no longer the glue that held everything together. As a couple they had never been so vulnerable, and as a man, Macy had never felt so low.

What type of man does that to the child he raised? he thought somberly. He remembered teaching Boomer to ride a bike. It was Macy who had stayed up with Boomer teaching him the ins and outs of sports as they watched different games together. Before Boomer began experimenting with narcotics, the two had been close, but that seemed so long ago. The world had corrupted things too much to go back to those happier times, and whether he wanted to admit it or not, things would never be the same.

Chapter Eight.