10th Commandment | Revamped

Chapter 17

After hours of work, Taraji sank into her chair, utterly drained from back-to-back meetings. Just then, Raven burst through the door. "Knock knock!" she exclaimed. "Oh my gosh, Lil Ray!" Taraji jumped up from her seat and hurried over to embrace her friend. "Hey TRJ." Taraji grinned widely, wrapping her arms tightly around Raven as she inhaled her familiar scent.

They broke the embrace, and Raven eyed Taraji in disbelief, "Do you still have a thing for guys? Because wow!" Taraji laughed, biting her lip. "Well, not exactly."

"Really? I'm intrigued! Who's the lucky lady? I should have been your first,” Raven teased.

Taraji just chuckled again. "What brings you to my OR, Dr. Simmons?" she asked.

Raven sighed, taking a seat. "An Agent came to me, trying to talk me into reopening Ryan's murder case. I just felt like I needed someone to confide in. The Agent seemed fishy," she explained.

"Did you catch a name?"

"Yep, Agent Carter."

"Forget her, sweetheart. She's not on your side. Whatever her motives are, it’s not about your cousin’s justice or your peace of mind; it’s about her own agenda. Did she give you a reason?"

"She claimed there's new evidence and a witness ready to testify."

"What do you want to do? I've got your back no matter what happens," Taraji assured her.

"That's the issue, TRJ; I'm feeling torn in multiple directions, and I'm not sure which way to go,” Raven confessed.

"Who else is involved in this?" Taraji pressed.

"Some bulldozer lawyer named Fran—something with F. A. N. She's trying to convince me to stay silent about reopening the case. It feels like she's protecting someone."

Taraji's eyes widened, her mind racing as she processed this development.

"TRJ?"

Taraji snapped back to reality. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I just have to be somewhere, baby girl. I’ll call you later, okay?” Raven replied, nodding as she made her exit.

After Raven left, Taraji immediately dialed Fantasia.

Tasia: hey there, baby...
Taraji: we need to talk. Right now! Where are you?
Tasia: um, is everything okay?
Taraji: I’ll find out when I get there… now tell me where!
Tasia: The warehouse. But I have meetings. Can’t this wait?

Without hesitation, Taraji hung up the phone and stormed out of her office. She hopped into her car, driving like a whirlwind towards a towering law firm. Bursting inside, she ignored the front desk entirely and headed straight to Fran’s office, prompting the receptionist to call security.

Without knocking, Taraji swung Fran’s office door open.

Fran whipped around, a smirk crossing her face. Taraji slammed the door shut behind her. "I need you to spill the truth, Fran—no more games!"

"Wow, feisty today, aren’t we?" Fran replied, twirling in her big office chair. The receptionist peeked in. "Boss, is everything okay? Should I call security?"

"No, she’s fine for now. Tell security to back off! I’ll holler if I need help. Close the door!" Fran commanded. The receptionist nodded and left, shutting the door behind her.

"So, Agent... what can I do for you?" Fran asked casually.

Taraji’s expression turned serious. "This is about my best friend. Did Fantasia kill him, and are you covering for her?"

Fran flashed a smile.
"Why don’t you ask her yourself? She’s your—what was it you called her last night? Oh right, wife. So go on, ask your wife about it. I’m not answering any of your questions, Taraji. I owe you nothing."

Taraji bit her lip, frustration bubbling inside her. Pacing around, she said, "You’re still in my office; should I call security myself?"

"You know what's amusing, Fran? I genuinely care about your sister. But she’s playing me like a fool, lying to my face while smirking behind my back." Kicking a trash can, she exclaimed, "She’s toying with me! She killed someone I deeply cared for—my best friend, my first love, my family!"

Tears of anger welled in her eyes as she vented, her voice raw and trembling, while Fran watched, capturing every moment on her phone. Taraji was a whirlwind of emotion, and it was both heartbreaking and frightening.

Fran felt the weight of it all; her heart raced with fear and anticipation. "I was starting to take our marriage seriously, and she lies like it's second nature! I don’t think I can ever forgive this."

Taraji wrapped up her thoughts and stormed out in a huff.

Fran jumped at the sound of the door slamming and quickly sent her sister the audio clip. Accompanied by a caption that read: 
*She knows it would be best if you stopped lying to her. If you really want to avoid prison, listen up—I've known Taraji for years; she can send tough guys like you behind bars in a flash. Make her believe you can't live without her; be convincing! I know you're not a crier, but practice it—otherwise, it’s game over for you, Fantasia!*

Receiving the text, Fantasia hit play on the recording.

Raven knocked and walked in. 
"Hey there, stranger!" she greeted... Fantasia gasped, standing up. "Uh, Ray? What are you doing here? Where's your boyfriend? Aren’t you married and living in LA now? What’s happening? I thought you were done with me—didn’t you say that before you left?" she stammered, still on her feet.

"Calm down, rock star... What’s with the twenty-one questions? I'm here. Didn’t you miss me at all?" Raven replied, and Fantasia swallowed hard.

"We need to talk," Raven said as she settled into a chair across the table. 
Fantasia began to pace. "Okay, let’s talk," she agreed.

"It’s about my cousin; there are people coming for you... very determined people."

"I want names!" Fantasia demanded.

Suddenly, there was a loud bang on the door. "Oh God, no!" she exclaimed in a panic as Taraji barreled in.

"You have two minutes to explain exactly how you killed my friend and why you did it! Speak now!" Taraji ordered. Fantasia's mouth fell open in shock as her gaze darted from Taraji to Raven, and Taraji’s followed, landing on the unexpected visitor. She gasped. 
"What on earth is happening here? Raven, what are you doing here? How do you two know each other?" Taraji shot out, getting more exasperated by the second.

Raven rose and looked at Fantasia, who was visibly rattled, her heart racing. 
"Start talking!" Taraji shouted at the top of her lungs.

With a sigh, Fantasia quickly conjured a hasty excuse.

"This is my doctor!" she declared.

"Nice try, but let’s be real. Don’t waste my time, I’m too furious for games today. Spill the truth, now!" Taraji insisted.

"Where should I even start?" 
"How about from the very beginning? I’m all ears!" Taraji replied. 
Fantasia's heart continued to race. Raven sat quietly, watching her, as the nerves grew.

...........