It's in the Rhythm (24 page)

Tamara removed her hand. “I'm not asking you to wait for me. I just know that, right now, I have to do this.” She headed into the bedroom, removing a suitcase from the closet. Nina was hot on her trail. She was fuming.

Nina walked further into the room, knife still in hand. “Then I will tell the pastor about his daughter. I'm sure he'd love to know how I turned his daughter out.”

Tamara inhaled a deep breath. She was trying her best to compose herself. She knew Nina was upset and being spiteful, but she'd already told her family. As far as she knew, her father may already know the truth. If that was the case, she was ready to face the music.

“Go ahead. I've already told my family.” She watched as Nina's eyes widened in disbelief. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. “I'm sure my father knows by now.” Tamara returned to the closet, removing more pieces of clothing, and a couple pairs of shoes. “It will be tough, but we will work through it.”

Nina placed the knife on the bed and began removing Tamara's clothing from the suitcase.

“You're not going anywhere,” Nina said.

“Give me that.” Tamara threw the clothing back into the suitcase.

“You're not leaving.” Nina grabbed hold of a white blouse. Tamara jerked it from her hand. Nina pushed her hard onto the bed.

Tamara looked at her in bewilderment. “What's wrong with you?” She attempted to get up, but Nina pushed her back on the bed again.

“I said you're not leaving,” she said through clenched teeth. When Tamara tried to get up, Nina straddled her to prevent her from moving.

Tamara managed to push Nina off of her. As she attempted to get out of bed, Nina grabbed her by the shoulder and the two women began to struggle. Nina got the best of her, striking her repeatedly in the face. Tamara covered up as best she could. She reached out and dug through her opened suitcase and until she found one of her high heels. She began striking Nina alongside the head.

This time it was Nina covering up. She fell back on the bed, giving Tamara the opportunity to escape. She made a beeline out of the bedroom and bolted down the hallway. The front door was only a few feet away. She placed a hand on the knob but was unable to turn it. She couldn't. The pain in her back was unbearable. She slumped to the floor.

* * *

Sitting across the room at her house, Trinity watched as Darius sat in front of the television. He was acting like she wasn't even in the room. He'd been quiet since they returned from church. He didn't speak to her on the drive home.

“What's going on, Darius?” Trinity asked. She noticed he didn't turn to acknowledge her. “Darius?” she called again. “I know you hear me talking to you.” She was irritated. He knew ignoring her got under her skin.

Darius's head slowly turned. “You know what's wrong.”

“If I knew what was wrong, I wouldn't ask. So why don't you tell me?”

“You tell me.” Darius turned all the way around in the chair, facing her. “You're the one keeping secrets.”

Trinity snapped her mouth shut, stunned by his statement. She had no idea what Darius was referring to. “What secret?”

Darius jumped to his feet. “I overheard you and Garrett talking tonight in the church foyer. How you confessed your love for him. Garrett said you are marrying me because of what happened between you two. So tell me, Trinity. What is he talking about?”

Trinity slowly stood. Her heart was thumping in her chest. “Darius, it's not what you think.”

“I think you lied to me. You said there was never anything between you, even when the media said there was. I believed you, when you said you were just
friends.
”

“We are friends.”

He stepped closer to her. “What kind of friends?”

Trinity blinked. The meaning of his words sunk in. “There is nothing between us.”

“What happened, Trinity? What was Garrett talking about? And don't lie.”

“Imani is pregnant,” Trinity admitted.

“So now you come running back to me when the preacher's son decides to do the right thing?”

Trinity's voice was low. “Let me explain.”

Darius raised a hand to halt further words. “I can't trust anything you say. I should have known better. I see the way you look at him, the way you react when he's around.”

Startled by his observation, Trinity was speechless.

“Tell me the truth, Trinity. Did you sleep with him?” Darius asked.

Her chest felt as if it would burst. “Darius,” she said softly, not knowing what else to say.

“I just got my answer.”

“I didn't say anything.”

“You don't have to, Trinity. I can see it in your eyes.”

Trinity sucked in a deep breath. She let it out slowly. “Darius, Garrett is going to marry Imani. It's over between us.”

Darius shook his head. “Don't change the subject. Are you in love with him?”

Trinity didn't know how her engagement with Darius would be affected by her honesty, but he had to know the truth.

Darius let out a soft chuckle. “Ain't this a bitch.”

“I'm being honest with you now. Doesn't that count for something?”

“You are only being honest now because you're busted. I don't like being second best.”

Trinity looked past Darius to the television screen. The local news was showing the James Martindale Church. A moment later, a female reporter was standing in front of the Washington Hospital Center in D.C. Trinity rushed past a puzzled-looking Darius and turned up the volume.

“Our top story is the stabbing of the sister of R & B singer Garrett Martindale,” the reporter announced. A photo of Garrett and Tamara appeared on the screen. “She was rushed to hospital following a stab wound to the back earlier this evening.”

Trinity stood frozen. Her breath caught in her lungs. “Jesus,” she finally said. All she could think about was Garrett and what his family was going through. She glanced up to find Darius gawking at her.

“Go ahead. Go to him,” he finally said.

Trinity removed the engagement ring from her finger and handed it to Darius.

Darius headed toward the door. Before he closed the door behind him, he turned and said, “I hope his sister is all right.”

* * *

“Your wife is very lucky,” Dr. Angela Wheeler relayed to Brian and the rest of the family. “The knife punctured a lung, causing a pneumothorax, or collapsed lung,” she explained. “But we managed to treat the wound, and she's resting comfortably.”

“Praise God,” Ginger said, raising a hand toward heaven. Pastor Martindale reached out, closing her in his embrace.

“We're going to be moving her to a room upstairs in a few minutes,” Dr. Wheeler said. “You can go in and see her. But only for a few minutes,” she stressed to Brian. “She's been through a lot and needs to rest.”

“Thank you, Dr. Wheeler. I'll follow you in,” Brian said, hurrying off toward the recovery room.

“What happened?” Ginger whined. She was beside herself. Pastor Martindale escorted her to a nearby chair.

“I hope the police will be able to tell us something,” Garrett added. He was at his parents' house when Brian phoned. The police informed him that Tamara had been injured and was en route to the hospital. That was all they knew at the moment.

“Martindale family?” a short, Hispanic man dressed in a police officer's uniform asked. “I'm Officer Vasquez.”

“Yes, Officer Vasquez,” Pastor Martindale answered. “I'm Pastor Martindale. This is my wife, Ginger, and my son, Garrett Martindale. Her husband is in with her now.”

Officer Vasquez shook everyone's hand. “I know I may have sounded pretty vague when I spoke with the husband, but at the time we didn't have very much to go on.”

“What can you tell us?” Garrett inquired.

The officer opened a black notepad. “Tamara was stabbed by her roommate, Nina Wilson. She was at the scene when we arrived. She admits to the stabbing. We have her in custody.”

Ginger sat hard in the chair. “No,” she said aloud.

Garrett's face frowned in confusion. “Why?”

“Miss Wilson says they got into an argument. It became physical. Your sister was going to move out, and Miss Wilson stabbed her,” Officer Vasquez answered.

Garrett gave his mother a knowing look. His mind was running to and fro. Was Tamara going back to Brian? Nina attacked her to stop her from leaving.

“I'm going to take a statement from your daughter. I wanted you to know where we were with the case. With Miss Wilson's admission, it's an open-and-shut case. I will keep you posted.” Officer Vasquez pulled out his wallet, removing a card. He handed it to Pastor Martindale. “If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call me.”

Pastor Martindale reached for the card. “Thank you, Officer Vasquez.”

“I wish all lovers' quarrels were this easy,” Officer Vasquez said before walking away.

Pastor Martindale's mouth dropped open. “What did you say?” he asked, strolling behind the policeman for an explanation.

Ginger stood on wobbly legs. She moved to stand next to Garrett for encouragement. Garrett grabbed her hand. She watched the two men engrossed in a deep conversation. A moment later, Pastor Martindale walked toward his family, looking like a truck had hit him.

“Nina was her lover?” Pastor Martindale said in disbelief. “I don't believe it.”

Ginger touched her husband's shoulder. “It's true,” she said. “Tamara told me.”

Pastor Martindale glared at his wife. “You knew? And you didn't tell me?” he asked, his voice raised. The hospital staff members looked in their direction.

“I wanted to,” she confessed. She vigorously shook her head from side to side. “I didn't know how.”

Garrett came to his mother's defense. He was just as guilty. “Don't blame Mother. I also knew about Nina. We wanted to tell you. We didn't know how you would react.”

Pastor Martindale looked from his wife to son, then back to his wife. “So you two were in this together? What about Brian? Does he know?”

“Yes, he knows. No one was in on anything,” Ginger exclaimed. Her eyes clouded with tears. “Right now, I couldn't care less about who knows what, or about her sexual preference,” she said, her voice shaking. “ My baby was almost taken from us. I'm grateful to God she's alive.” Tears slowly found their way down her cheeks.

Pastor Martindale stepped forward, enclosing her in his arms again.

“You're right.” He patted her on the back. “She is alive. That is the most important thing at the moment.”

After a prayer session, Garrett again thought about what Officer Vasquez said. “Tamara was moving out. I'm thinking she was going back to Brian.”

“Or she was coming home for good,” Ginger chimed in.

“We will soon know the answer,” Pastor Martindale added.

Brian came from Tamara's room. “She's asleep. She's on quite a few medications that are making her groggy. You might want to go home and come back tomorrow.”

“What about you?” Garrett asked. “You look wiped out.”

Brian ran the back of his hand across his eyes and groaned. “I'm going to stay a little longer, then head on home.”

They all said goodbye to Brian before heading home. Garrett decided to spend the night at his parents'. Once on the road, Garrett phoned Imani to let her know about Tamara. The media had already picked up on the story.

“Have you thought about my proposal?” Imani asked.

“I have thought about nothing else,” Garrett answered. “Getting married is serious.”

“What is your answer?” She hadn't heard from Garrett since he left several days ago. He said he needed time to think.

“I don't have an answer.”

“Garrett, you are not taking this seriously,” she screamed into the receiver. Her voice was so loud, Pastor Martindale and Ginger turned around.

“I am taking this very seriously,” Garrett tried to interject.

“No, you're not. Why haven't I heard from you?”

“Because I want to do the right thing.”

“Then do it, Garrett. Do the right thing by me and the baby.”

Garrett closed his eyes. “I'll tell you what, I'll fly out to Los Angeles. We will discuss it.”

“When?”

“I'll let you know.”

“Don't take too long. I have an appointment with Dr. Gunn in Beverly Hills on Friday. I was hoping you could come with me.” He could hear the excitement in her voice.

“We will see.” He hung up before she had a chance to answer. He'd never felt so trapped. There was no way he could live the rest of his life like this. Looking out the rear passenger window, he said a silent prayer.
Lord, what is the answer?

“Garrett, do you know if Imani is really pregnant?”

“She said she is.”

Ginger turned around in the front seat, facing him. “You need to find out for sure.”

“Your mother's right,” Pastor Martindale chipped in. “And don't think I've forgotten about the little secret you kept from me.”

Ginger and Garrett moaned in agony. It was the last thing they wanted to talk about. “Let me tell you one thing,” he began.

* * *

The next morning, Garrett rose early. He hadn't gotten much sleep. He jumped into the shower, dressed, and headed downstairs. The aroma of bacon and eggs reminded him how hungry he was. Walking into the dining room, he found his parents already seated at the table.

“Good morning, Garrett,” Pastor Martindale spoke. He poured himself a cup of coffee, then nodded at Garrett. Garrett took the chair next to his mother, placing the empty cup in front him. Pastor Martindale filled it with black, steaming coffee.

“The story about Tamara has been on the news all night,” Pastor Martindale said. “The media is camped outside.”