10th Commandment | Revamped

Chapter 3

What a day, huh?

After such a long day, the ladies hit the sack.

But they both surprisingly woke up at the crack of dawn. Fantasia had to swing by the warehouse before work, and Taraji was on a mission to gather all the info she could find about Fantasia Barrono Smith, a 26-year-old connected to the notorious thug known as Triple 4.

"Exactly, it's a stroke of genius—who would ever think she could be involved? But why is her DNA listed as suspect number five in the system?"

That question lingered in Taraji's mind.
She decided to ring her husband for some answers.

Taraji: Morning, babe. Did I wake you?
Paul: Nah, don’t worry about it, love. What’s up?
Taraji: Oh, just at the bureau, wondering why they haven't caught this Triple 4 yet. You know me—curiosity got the better of me. I found five suspects: four guys and one girl. The girl seems young—like 26. What’s her deal?
Paul: So, you called me to ask about some female thug? Okay, hold on. I’ve got a file right here. Oh babe, you’re not going to like this. Her DNA was found at Daniel's murder scene, and we concluded your cousin was killed by Triple 4. That's what got her on the top five list. But I suspect she’s just a decoy.
Taraji: Wait, are you saying she killed my cousin?
Paul: Yeah, just drop it for now. I’ve got this handled.
Taraji: Sure, you’ve got it.
And she ended the call.

“Son of a gun!” Taraji muttered, feeling a surge of frustration. She gathered her evidence and stashed it away in her safe deposit box before heading to work.

It was Wednesday—staff meeting day.

As she sat in her office, memories flooded back to the day she found her cousin’s lifeless body. Her husband had pulled her away while she fell apart, and the entire week felt like a storm in her heart, a reminder of the trauma she had faced when she lost her brother, Dante.
Both had fallen victim to gun violence in New York City. While Dante’s murderer was locked up, it gnawed at her that she hadn’t yet caught the thug who had killed her cousin.

Tears streamed down her face, guilt consuming her for having the killer within reach last night but taking no action. In a moment of anger, she picked up a picture frame from her desk and smashed it against the wall.

Someone gasped in shock. Looking up, she saw Fantasia standing in the office. "I was about to knock. Is this bad timing?"

Wiping her tears, Taraji replied, "Honestly, every time is bad timing for us."
Fantasia felt the weight of the moment. "We’ve got a meeting in ten minutes. I don’t want you to be late."
"How about we take a quick drive after the meeting? We could talk," Taraji suggested firmly.
"I can’t. I have... something else."
"I wasn’t asking. Postpone your plans for mine," Taraji insisted, locking eyes with her.
"I'm sensing I might not enjoy what you have planned, especially with that look on your face. But fine."

Taraji grabbed her iPad, brushed past Fantasia, and made her way to the staff meeting...

The meeting wrapped up in under an hour. Taraji grabbed her phone, tucked the iPad away, and headed for her car, waiting for Fantasia to join her.

When Fantasia climbed into the passenger seat, Taraji drove off.

They hit the freeway...
Eventually, Taraji pulled over to the side of the road, prompting Fantasia to question her next move. "Okay, what gives?" she said, clearly confused.