“No, Nick, let me go, I’m all right.”
Since he appeared to be calm enough, I let Miles go.
He walked up to Jeff Ritchie and got in his face. “I know what you did,” Miles said quietly. “I know you had Zakiya killed. It couldn’t have been anybody but you. The family protector; the man who makes things right.”
Lakeda finally caught up to us and Miles turned and looked at her. “Lakeda told you everything. S
he told you who Zakiya was and where she was gonna be, and you sent two men to kill her.”
“I’m sorry, Miles,” Jeff Ritchie said. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this.”
“Like what? Wasn’t supposed to be like what? I wasn’t supposed to find out, is that it?”
Jeff Ritchie shook his head. “I only did what had to be done.”
Miles nodded his head and backed away from him slowly. “Yeah, me too.” He turned and walked away from the area. Rain started to go after him. “Leave me alone, Rain.”
“Where you goin’?”
“I need some air,” Miles said and kept walking.
Rain stopped and watched as her brother left the building.
Jeff Ritchie looked at me like he wanted to do something. “Come on with it,” I said softly.
“Me and you will settle this another time,” Jeff Ritchie said to me. Then he went and sat down.
Rain walked up and stood by me. “Something ain’t right about this.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ll tell you later,” Rain said. “I’m goin’ to check on Pops. Why don’t you go check on Miles and then go on and get outta here. And call me tomorrow.”
“I will,” I said and started to leave when I saw Miles coming toward us.
Miles walked by Rain and I calmly. “You okay?” Rain asked as he passed.
“I’m fine, Rain, you go check on Pops,” Miles said and went back in the visitors area. Miles walked up to Jeff Ritchie and stood over him. When Jeff Ritchie looked up, Miles took the gun out of his pocket and pointed it at him.
“Miles, no!” Rain yelled and we rushed at him.
“She was having my baby!” Miles yelled and put three shots in Jeff Ritchie’s chest and one to the head.
Miles let the gun drop to the floor and sat down in the chair next to Jeff Ritchie. Lakeda sat down next to him. She took his hand in hers and tears rolled down her cheeks. Doctors and nurses flooded into the room and tried to save Jeff Ritchie, but he was dead.
Miles didn’t offer any resistance when the police and hospital security arrived on the scene. Miles stood up and put his hands behind his back.
I stood there with Rain, watching as they took Miles away. Then she turned to me. “Something ain’t right about this.”
“What?”
“Come on.” Rain took me by the hand and we walked toward the intensive care unit. She told the attendant that I was her husband and they let me go in with her.
We went in JR’s room and Rain sat down next to him. She took his hand. “The police just took Miles to jail for killing Jeff Ritchie.”
“What?” JR said in barely a whisper. “Why?”
“Lakeda found out that Miles was having an affair. She said she told Jeff Ritchie and he sent the men that killed the woman.”