by Roy Glenn
“I know. But in this particular case, it will be to your benefit because—”
“You can help me.” He shook his head. “Business. With you it’s always business,” Andrade said, knowing that it was that mindset that would truly be the instrument of her destruction.
Andrade also knew that if Ezequiel had anything to do with it, the only one that would truly benefit from it was Ezequiel and maybe, his nephew, Pérez Ferreira.
Valencia pressed forward. “Be that as it may, and the fact that it’s true notwithstanding, tell me about the expansion.”
“I’ve been working with a representative from a company called Innerbond. They have a High Speed Cigar Rolling Machine that can produce four hundred to twelve hundred cigars per hour.”
“I see. Have you committed to anything yet?”
“Not as of yet. There were a few modifications that I want to make, and they were going to get back to me with a new proposal.”
“I know somebody who may be able to help you with that,” she said, not knowing whether Shy could do anything to help him or not. “Can you at the very least meet with their representative and give them an opportunity to give you a better price.”
Andrade smiled at Valencia. “As always, I am putty in your hands, my dear. Of course, I will meet with your associate and I will make this commitment to you. If they are competitive with the price that I receive from Innerbond, the contract is theirs.”
“Thank you, Andrade. An opportunity is all they will need,” Valencia smiled because it was happening. Shy would make this deal and she would be that much closer to being free of Ezequiel.
Or at least she hoped to be.
Since he never answered a direct question and when he did, his answers were always vague or he would speak in riddles that lacked any type of commitment, she could never be sure. Valencia knew that there was a chance and a strong one that she would do exactly what he asked, and he would just want something else.
I wish it was him that was dead.
Now that she had all of the information that she needed from Andrade; Valencia put in a call to Shy. Once she told her about him, what he was actually looking for, and she had given Shy all the relevant information she’d needed, she got to work. As soon as she ended the call with Valencia, Shy began researching Innerbond. It didn’t take much for her to find out that they were a subsidiary of a Chinese company and then she called Black. He was in Port Saint Lucie, Florida with Deana Butler and Jaila Bell working on the real estate projects.
“I’ve been working with Valencia DeVerão and she put me in touch with a potential client who is looking to do business with a Chinese company called China Tobacco Machines.”
“I’ll take care of it for you,” Black promised his wife, although he was apprehensive about anything having to do with Valencia. Changpu Zhao, a representative of China Tobacco Machines called her the next morning.
It was a simple matter for Black to call his good friend and business partner, Wei Jiang, who made the necessary calls to make it happen for Shy. When the conversation with Changpu Zhao was over, he had sent her a proposal that both were confident would be pleasing to Andrade Ferreira. An appointment was set for Shy to meet him at the Manhattan office he’d rented the following morning.
“As I look at the cigar market today, there is cause to be optimistic about the factory expansion. But to gain market share, changes to the original production process is imperative.”
“Yes. Many tobacco factories are scrambling to change, thereby improving the operating environment, improving production efficiency and quality of tobacco is critical.”
“Indeed. However, availability of cigar rolling equipment at home is practically nonexistent. So I am interested in hearing what you have for me.”
“Valencia tells me that you’ve been working with a representative of a company called Innerbond about their XJ14 Cigar Rolling Machine and they’ve been keeping you waiting on the proposed cost of the modifications that you need. Is that correct?”
“Yes, Mrs. Black; yes, it is,” Andrade said, even though he had heard from them that morning and wasn’t at all happy with the price they proposed for the modifications. Shy reached in her satchel and took out her proposal. She handed it to him.
“Innerbond is the overseas agent for China Tobacco Machines. I took the liberty of reaching out to them directly and they were kind enough to share with me the modifications that you requested and were able to quote me what I believe is a much better price per unit than Innerbond will be able to offer you.”
Andrade looked over Shy’s proposal and the longer he read, the more the corners of his lips curled into a smile. When he began nodding his head, she knew that this was a deal that she could make.
“I am very impressed, Mrs. Black, and I think that based on this,” he said, holding up the proposal. “this is the beginning of a beautiful, long, and of course, mutually profitable relationship,” Andrade said, then stood up with his hand extended.
Shy stood up and they shook hands to seal their deal. “I agree. And once your product is ready for the market, I am confident you will find a number of opportunities in the international cigar market. I could help you with that as well.”
“Of that I am confident,” he said, sitting down to sign his acceptance of her proposal.
“Excellent. I will have the contracts drawn up and sent over for your review in a few days.”
“Very good.”
She put the signed proposal in her satchel. “Thank you very much, Mr. Ferreira. One of our representatives, Reeva Duckworth, will be in touch with you tomorrow so we can get things in motion,” Shy said, and after more hand shaking and a bit more conversation as he escorted her to the door, she left the office.
In the lobby, two men sat waiting. When they saw Shy leave the building with Chuck, they stood up and proceeded toward the elevators. The men went up to the floor where Andrade Ferreira had rented an office. They went in, one drew his weapon and shot Andrade Ferreira once in the head and then two shots to the chest.
Chapter Sixteen
At the home of Michael and Cassandra Black, it was the same thing every morning. Shy gets the children up and moving around to start their day. At that point, she goes to see about the baby and Joanne takes over to see that they bathe—and yes, I am talking about Easy—and are dressed appropriately for school—and yes, I am talking about Michelle. M makes their breakfast, and after they eat as a family, Shy and Chuck take them to school. After which, Shy goes to work at Prestige. That morning was no different.
After having phone sex with her husband the night before, Shy slept like a baby. She hit snooze a few times when the alarm went off, she got up that morning and headed for the shower, thinking fondly about the mornings when she used to take the children to school, go back to bed, and sleep until noon. Those days now seemed like a distant memory.
But I would love to crawl back under those covers and bury my face in the pillow, Shy thought as she dried herself. Once Shy was dressed and ready, her first stop was Michelle’s room.
After years of conflict between mother and daughter, the relationship between them seemed to be getting better. It took Michelle some time to admit it to herself, and she still hadn’t mentioned it to Shy, but she realized that she was jealous of her mother. Without realizing it, she had come to resent her for taking her daddy away from her.
Before Monika and Travis rescued Shy from that island, it was just Michelle and her daddy. During the years she was gone, Michelle was his constant companion and then Shy came back and she was forced to share her daddy with this intruder.
But since Mansa was born, their relationship had changed. Of course, it helped that with Shy’s attention being on the baby, she had more time with her daddy, but that was beside the point. The point was Michelle and her mother were becoming friends. Shy looked to Michelle for support and help with her brothers.
“Especially Easy.”
Shy remembered her being
a daddy’s girl, and her getting closer to Joanne during her teenage years.
“Before that, you were a mouthy mess, just like that one,” Joanne reminded her daughter, and M laughed.
“It’s the parents’ curse. You get a child who acts exactly the way you acted,” M said, and the three generations of women laughed.
Now that the children had been dropped off, Shy went to Prestige to begin her workday. Generally, she would stay in the office until sometime after noon, before going home to spend some time with the baby before she and Chuck went to pick up Michelle and Easy from school.
Shy had just wrapped up a Zoom conference with Reeva Duckworth and Changpu Zhao, about the deal with Andrade Ferreira, when her personal assistant, Elsie, tapped on her office door.
“Lenecia said that there are three detectives in the lobby to see you.”
“Did they say what it was about?”
“No. She just said that they asked to speak with you.”
“Thank you, Elsie.”
“You’re welcome, Mrs. Black. What do you want me to tell Lenecia?”
“I’ll take care of it,” Shy said; and once Elsie shut the door, she called Patrick Freeman at the law firm.
“Good morning, Shy,” he said when he came on the line.
“Good morning, Patrick. I am sorry to bother you, but there are three cops in the lobby who want to talk to me.”
“Did they say what it was in reference to?”
“No, they didn’t.”
“I’m assuming that since they asked to speak to you, that they don’t have a warrant.”
“If they did, they’d have just came on back here and arrested me.”
“What do you want me to do?” Patrick asked, thinking that he should have had a criminal attorney work out of that office for just this reason.
“I’m going to go ahead and talk to them.”
“You sure?”
“No.”
“It might be nothing, and besides,” Patrick laughed, “you and Mike have been playing nicely in your own sandbox lately.”
“That we have,” Shy giggled. “And I will call you and let you know how it goes.”
“Please. And let’s hope that call isn’t made from the precinct.”
“You know what I’m saying,” Shy said, and ended the call with Patrick; and then she called Lenecia and told her to send the detectives back.
“Mrs. Black, I’m Detective Sanders, and this is my partner Detective Ross, and we’d like to ask you a few questions, if that’s all right with you?”
“Sure. Please, have a seat,” Shy said; and made particular note of the fact that they didn’t introduce the third man. “What can I do for you, gentlemen?”
“Yesterday you had a meeting with Andrade Ferreira,” Ross began.
“Yes,” Shy said cautiously.
“Can you tell me what that meeting was about?”
“We met to discuss him importing cigar rolling machines from China for use in his business in Brazil,” she said, and since the proposal from Changpu Zhao and China Tobacco was still on her desk, she handed it to Detective Sanders.
“Brazil,” the third man said softly.
“How long have you and Mr. Ferreira been doing business?” Sanders asked, handing the proposal to Ross.
“I met him for the first time yesterday.”
“And prior to that, you’ve had no business or personal dealings with Mr. Ferreira or any of his associates?” Sanders asked.
“No. As I said, Mr. Ferreira and I met for approximately forty-five minutes to discuss the proposal in your hands. Prior to that, I didn’t know him, and I have no knowledge of any of his associates,” Shy paused. “Can you tell me what this interview is in reference to?”
“I’m sorry to inform you that Mr. Ferreira was murdered in his office yesterday,” Ross said.
“Right around the time you were allegedly discussing this proposal,” the third man said, holding up the papers.
Sanders and Ross looked at him because he was supposed to be along just as an observer. They turned their attention back to Shy.
“After you left the office, did you see anybody go in the office or was anybody in the area?”
“No, I didn’t,” she said, thinking that this was why Black was very leery of anything having to do with Valencia DeVerão.
Now that the detectives had asked all the preliminary questions that they had for Shy and knowing that they would have more questions to ask her later, they were about to thank her for her time and leave. But the third man had other plans.
“Mrs. Black, I’m Agent Dietrich. I’m with the DEA. Do you mind if I ask you a question?”
“Go ahead.”
“You’ve been arrested and charged with several counts of murder, and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance—” he began, and Shy quickly shut it down.
“I think that we’re done here, gentlemen.” Shy reached in her desk drawer and took out Patrick’s card. “If you have any more questions for me, please contact my lawyer, Mr. Freeman, and we’ll schedule another interview.” Shy stood up and handed each of them a card. “But right now, I’m going to have ask you gentlemen to leave.”
The detectives and the agent stood up.
“Thank you for your time, Mrs. Black,” Sanders said, as Agent Dietrich sprung to his feet and left the office.
“We’ll be in touch if we have any more questions,” Ross said, and then the detectives left the office.
Shy sat down in her chair and picked up the phone to call Patrick to tell him what happened. And then she did the last thing that she wanted to do.
I gotta call Michael and tell him that he was right.
Chapter Seventeen
“Who?” Black asked, when Shy called him in Port Saint Lucie.
“Andrade Ferreira?”
“Shit.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I wish you would have told me that’s who Valencia put you on to.”
“What?”
“Andrade may be a simple tobacco farmer, but the rest of his family are The Comodoro Cartel.”
“Oh, shit.”
“Yeah, oh, shit.”
“That’s what the DEA asshole was doing there.”
“You think?” Black exhaled. “I’ll be back tonight.”
“No, Michael. I don’t want you to cancel your meetings. This is nothing but the DEA fishing. They don’t have anything on me … because there is nothing,” she laughed. “It’s like Patrick said, you and I have been playing nicely in our own sandbox lately. Stay and finish your business.”
“You sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure.”
“Okay. But I will be home tomorrow night.”
“Good. You’ve been gone too long.”
“I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
“See you tomorrow,” Black said sweetly and ended the call. “Fuck!” he shouted and slammed his fist on the desk, causing Deana and Jaila to look at him like he had lost his mind. But that was only natural because they’d never been exposed to this side of their boss. They had never seen him in protect-Cassandra-at-all-cost mode.
His first call was to Rain. She was in her office with Carter and Geno, talking about Rex Steward and who he could have been protecting. And as Rex feared, the names Jaylinda Harvey and Hareem Epps were being discussed.
“What’s up?”
“Two cops questioned Cassandra about the murder of Andrade Ferreira. See what you can find out.”
“Who the fuck is Andrade Ferreira?”
When Geno heard the name Andrade Ferreira, he felt a cold chill all over his body.
“He’s a tobacco farmer, but his brothers and the rest of his family are The Comodoro Cartel.”
“That’s not good.”
“Not at all. See what you can find out. I’ll be back in the city tomorrow, and I expect you to know everything about this,” Black said, and without another word he ended the call. Rain
turned to Carter and Geno.
“What’s up?” Carter asked.
“Cops questioned Shy about the murder of some guy name Andrade Ferreira.”
“That can’t be good. The Ferreira’s are The Comodoro Cartel,” Carter said, and Geno dropped his head in his hands. He had heard Valencia mention Andrade Ferreira while she was in the hospital, and then suddenly Shy is questioned about his murder. Since in his mind there is no such thing as coincidence, Geno knew that in some way, somehow, Valencia was involved in this. And as soon as he got away from Carter and Rain, he would find out what her involvement was.
“What the fuck did you do?” Geno asked the second Valencia opened the door.
“What are you talking about?” Valencia asked as Geno pushed his way past her.
“What were you thinking?” he shouted.
“Geno, calm down and tell me what’s wrong?”
“Who is Andrade Ferreira?”
Valencia was caught off guard by the mention of his name, and in that second, she knew that Ezequiel Simmonds had played her again. But why?
“Answer me! Who the fuck is Andrade Ferreira?”
Now Valencia was scared. She had never seen Geno so mad before, and the fact that it had something to do with Andrade Ferreira meant that this couldn’t be good.
“He’s my late husband’s uncle.”
“And a member of The Comodoro Cartel!” he got in her face and shouted.
“No, he’s not!” she shouted back. “He owns a tobacco farm in Brazil.”
“A farm? In Brazil? And you thought that hooking him up with Mike Black’s wife was a good idea?”
That diffused Valencia’s anger. Geno saw the look on her face soften from the exasperation of not knowing what he was talking about, to the resignation that whatever it was, was her fault.
“What happened?”
“Andrade Ferreira is dead, Vee. The police and the DEA questioned Mrs. Black about his murder.”
Valencia said nothing. She dropped her head and went to sit down. “Did they arrest her?” she asked on her way to the couch.