Bodies

vingt-neuf

Milan, Nicoletta, and Valerie brain stormed every other possible person they could bring up to be a closer character witness for Ramses than Tatiana.

However, to make a good case before the person even opened their mouth, they had to have a clean record, not gang affiliated, and able to not accidentally incriminate themselves as well. This brought down their prospects significantly. 

Hell, Daya couldn't even testify because she was bound to bring up how much she hated the recently deceased Diamanté on the stand and the court did not need to hear how she served him up to get killed. 

Nicoletta broke down the dire need of Tatiana's testimony like this:

"Although she definitely a little off, by your description of her Milan, she is the best we have save for you. Ramses needs more padding than you think." 

So, before they called it day, Nicoletta asked if Milan could contact her and see if she would even be open to it. 

And begrudgingly, Milan agreed to do it. She really just needed a reason to talk to the girl to uncover if Tatiana was going to stay with the theory that Ramses is her baby's father. When it was all said and done, Milan left Nicoletta's office with a heavy task on her. 

As she rode back to her hotel room in the same chauffeured truck that picked her up, she scrolled through her blocked caller list and found the number she contacted Tatiana with last. It had been at least three weeks if not more since Chrisanto's death.

It was as if her life had been fast forwarded since then. So much had happened and was still happening. 

And it wouldn't be done until Ramses was either back on the streets or behind bars. 

Milan hated that Tatiana held so much power over which way the scales turned for him. 

Even though she herself wasn't too sure on which way they should turn. 

The car sped through downtown as Milan mustered up the courage to push the call button. She did, the phone rang 3 times before a man's voice answered the phone.

"Hello?" Milan answered, confused. She looked at the number and the time stamp again. 

It was definitely Tatiana's number she'd gotten from Ramses's homeboys. 

"Yeah, wassup? Who is this?" The man replied. 

"Can I speak to Tatiana?" Milan asked this time, and the man didn't reply immediately. 

In the background, Milan heard what seemed like kids playing and definitely a baby crying. It didn't sound like it was coming from a television either. 

"Hello?" She asked again, waiting for the man's response. 

"Hold on..." He replied again, sounding like he was getting up from a low seat. Milan continued to hold while she listened to the man walk through where ever he was. "Here, somebody wanna talk to you. Stop giving out my damn number." She heard the man exchange with someone. 

"Hello?" Tatiana's voice finally came through the speakers of the phone. Although Milan was beyond confused because of the dynamic she was hearing, she took a deep breath and began to speak.

"Hey, Tati. It's Milan--"

"Bitch why the fuck are you calling my phone?" Tatiana immediately barked over the line and it honestly ticked Milan off in a way she hadn't felt before.

Glancing at the chauffeur of the car, she silently asked for his forgiveness before she lit into the girl over the phone like she was about ro.

"Listen bitch, I don't wanna be fucking calling you just as much as you don't want me calling your ass. I keep having to contact you because of the n*gga you claim you pregnant by. If you haven't fucking noticed, your baby daddy is locked up and obviously you up under some other n*gga ballsack and don't seem to care, right?"