Chapter Ten
Oh my God! Oh my fucking God! Shit, shit, oh my fucking God! How could I be so damn stupid and careless? Damn! Why didn’t I look on the floor to see if anyone else was in here? Damn, that sneaky little bitch didn’t say a word!
Prosecutor Campbell paced around in a circle. While her mind was racing with thoughts of what to do next, her heart was racing as well. She overplayed every single thing she’d said talking on the phone to her sister. It was bad, all bad, and incriminating as hell. She felt light-headed over what had just taken place. Damn, I really messed up. I can’t believe this! What am I gonna do?
The ordinarily calm individual took several deep breaths, exhaling slowly. Her daily condescending attitude toward life and how she moved was now collapsing. Panicked and feeling dizzy, she turned on the water in the sink. Using one hand, she splashed some up in her face a few times in hopes of thinking what had just happened was all a bad dream.
It didn’t work.
What Prosecutor Sylvia Campbell had slipped up and done was no bad dream or nightmare. Her current reality was still just that . . . real. The poor woman was hyperventilating on the verge of passing out. Leaning back against the wall, she could hear the echo of Kapri’s cell recording of her voice loudly in her brain.
This is the worst thing that could ever fucking happen! Now what? Now, what do I do? I gotta think quickly because if that bullshit gets out, I’m ruined. Once more, she started to walk from one side of the bathroom to the other. With tears in her eyes, she got her phone. Hands nervously shaking, she pressed her sister’s number, calling her back. Hearing her younger sibling pick up, the traditionally strong personality female started to bawl uncontrollably. She sobbed as if someone had a gun shoved in her face, threatening to pull the trigger. And truth be told, Kapri James was doing just that with the newly heard information she’d just overheard and thrown in her lap to deal with.
“Sylvia, sis, hey, girl. Can you hear me? What’s wrong? Sylvia!”
The hard-line prosecutor heard her sister talking, yet couldn’t seem to stop crying. She wanted to answer her, but in truth, what could she say? Would she just come out and say that her entire career she’d worked so hard to achieve despite harsh odds was now over? How could she tell her little sister? She had always looked up to her to fix things since their youth… tell her that she was a careless fuckup? Fighting back the urge to just jump out of the window and end all of her potential problems, Prosecutor Sylvia Campbell got herself together. Finally, she answered her now confused and worried sibling. “Hey, girl. Hey, I messed up. I messed up big time.”
“Huh, what are you talking about, sis?”
“Well, you know when I just before had called you?” The tears had slowed down, but the usually great speaker still struggled to get her words out.
“You talking about when you just left the courtroom?”
“Yeah, girl, that’s when I made the biggest mistake of my damn life. Sis, I done fucked up all the way. I’ma get fired off jump or maybe even get locked up.”
Prosecutor Campbell pushed the trash can in front of the door to avoid anyone coming inside. And even if they ignored the trash can, she’d still be made aware of their presence. Things were bad enough. Totally distraught, the last thing she needed or wanted was for one more person to overhear her dirty little secrets. Wiping her face with the sleeve of her clothes, she went into a stall and sat down on the toilet. Still in shock, Sylvia Campbell started to explain what had just jumped off moments before.
Her sister was, of course, dismayed. “This shit is so fucked up. Damn. Why ain’t you check before you started running off at the mouth? That ho-ass nigga gotta pay!”
“I know, I know he got it coming. But I didn’t check. And now that bitch of his is going to do everything she can so her husband can walk free. Or at least get a mistrial.” Full of regret, she pressed her free hand against her chest, starting to hyperventilate once more.
There was dead silence on the line as the bloodline-linked pair both contemplated what was or could take place next if Kapri let the cat out of the bag. Knowing what she had to do, Prosecutor Campbell ended the conversation asking her sister to pray for her. The judge had already ordered her to his chambers this afternoon, hinting that she would be held in contempt of court for her earlier inappropriate comments. Taking into consideration what she would soon need to find the courage to confess, being held in contempt would merely be a light tap on the hand. Maybe she could get in touch with Kapri and work something out. But she was no fool. The tough young officer of the court knew anything short of Nolan White walking out the doors a free man would be unacceptable. Looking at her watch, Sylvia Campbell knew she had less than thirty minutes to figure out her next move.