10th Commandment | Revamped

Chapter 27

With tires screeching, Fantasia raced back to the city and pulled up to her sister's mansion in Queens. She parked the car in the driveway, her mind bubbling with thoughts on how to handle the situation, especially since her relationship with her brother-in-law was anything but friendly.

As she lingered in the car, door ajar, her sister stepped out. “What’s taking you so long? You coming in or what?” Francine called out. “Honestly, I shouldn’t; I’m on the brink of getting arrested, and I don’t want my nieces and nephew to witness that,” Fantasia replied. “What happened? The Fantasia I know wouldn’t let this happen. It's Taraji's doing, isn’t it? Her fingerprints are all over this,” Francine insisted. Fantasia stayed silent.

Fran took a breath. “Come inside, tell me everything, and I’ll ensure this isn’t a rough arrest,” she offered.

“They found me, that’s all I can say for now,” Fantasia replied. 
“What can I do to help?” 
“Please, don’t let me take the fall for this. I can’t afford a life sentence. I’d rather serve time than die in there. You can help with that, right?” 
“Yeah, just come say hi to the kids before they see you in handcuffs. They’ve been asking about you.”

“Is he home?” 
“Yes, but no fighting with my husband, okay?” 
“Then I can’t go in. I’ll likely lose my temper and end up calling him names, and then you’ll be angry with me. Let’s chat here instead,” Fantasia said firmly, as she gestured for Francine to join her in the backseat. 
“What’s the plan?” 
“I’m not the big deal here; I’m just a small fry working for a bigger fish. I plan to ask for immunity in exchange for information about the Philly mobster,” she explained. 
“But if you’re not the main player, why all the hiding? You’ve got to know that raises a lot of questions,”

“To shield myself from the big G. I was scared. I know too much.” 
Fran nodded solemnly. “You’ve really got this scary vibe, you know that?” 
“Yeah, so, does my story hold up?” 
“It will. Let’s fine-tune it; any mobster in mind who can be kept busy while we put this plan in motion?” 
“Sure, there’s an arrogant guy in Philly named Devon Webster, aka Big Web. He’s involved in human trafficking, and I’ve been wanting to take him down for a while—he sickens me.”

“Understood.” Fran began typing a message on her phone. 
“What’s next? Do I just sit and wait? The anticipation is driving me nuts. Can’t I just turn myself in?” 
“Are you ready?” 
“To pin this on that deserving jerk? Absolutely. This is Taraji's car, and she’ll come pick it up. I’ll grab a cab after. And Fran, cut my girl some slack just because she’s with the FBI. We have an understanding, and she’s got nothing to do with this, trust me.” The sisters stepped out of the vehicle.

Fran called a cab. 
“Stay in touch!” 
“Right away!” 
“Let’s hope this works,” Fran murmured as she embraced her sister tightly.

A cab arrived, and they waved goodbye as Fantasia climbed inside, ready to turn herself in. She made sure to appear fragile and terrified, although inside she was anything but; she needed to play her role to get out of this predicament.

During the interrogation, she fell into her groove, pretending to inadvertently reveal clues, all part of her strategy to pin the blame on someone who truly deserved it. Her winning line was, “He framed me! How could a girl like me possibly kill all those people? He’s a twisted man who’s going to end up killing me if I don’t get immunity now.” She played them like a fiddle.

They promised her immunity. 
“I want it in writing—call my lawyer and set up a deal, and I’ll spill everything,” Fantasia insisted. She’d have to spend the night there while they worked out her agreement.