“No, Cecil. Not a thing. If we can go back to the present for a moment...I was thinking about inviting Kenny and his wife, Sylvia, over for a few refreshments, maybe next Friday if it’s alright with you.”
“Do what you want, Trina. Just let me know when and where.”
Trina went to Cecil and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Cecil, you are one of the best corporate attorneys in the city of Atlanta, and in my estimation, in the country. You’re one of the smartest men I know—black or white. You deserve everything that you’ve earned, and I’ll always be by your side no matter what. I love you for who you are. Don’t change, baby.”
“Thanks, Trina. I love you, too.” Cecil reached down and kissed his wife. “I’ve got to go. I’ve got some research that I need to do. I’m going to win this case, Trina. I’ll be back in a little while.”
Trina watched as the door closed behind Cecil. She was worried about him, but she knew he would be alright. Stress always came knocking at the door when he was involved in a big case. This one was no different.
It was eight o’clock and still too early in the morning to get her day started. The maid had come in and cleaned yesterday, and the house smelled fresh, like lilacs.
Trina lay down on the large sleigh bed she shared with her husband. She had cases she needed to go over, but today was going to be the day she did for herself. On days like this, she felt bouts of loneliness. After two miscarriages, she and Cecil remained childless, and there were many days of wondering what it would’ve been like to have a son or a daughter.
Sleep overtook Trina. Two hours passed before she was roused from her slumber. “Goodness, I’ve got to get up. I can’t sleep the day away.”
Trina put on a pink-and-white jogging suit and grabbed a bagel. Her thoughts went back to Cecil and his quip about moving from the neighborhood. It bothered her in a crazy sort of way.
Without giving it a second thought, Trina grabbed her purse and left the house. She drove to the end of Lake Front Drive and turned right. At the end of the street, the sign read RIVERDALE COURT. She made a right turn into the cul-de-sac and stopped in front of Kenny’s house.
It would have been nice if she had called first, but she didn’t have his number. Curiosity brought her there because she wanted to know if Kenny was living better than she. Trina admired the house; it was huge and architecturally beautiful. The stone lions that guarded the house seemed tame. Before she lost her nerve, she walked the brick path and climbed the stairs to the porch.
Trina rang the bell and waited a few minutes before ringing it again. She pasted her ear to the door to hear if there were any signs of life. It was quite embarrassing when the door flew open and she almost fell in.
“Well, look who’s here?” Kenny said sarcastically. “My cousin, Trina, decided to pay me a visit. Come on in.”
“I was out in the neighborhood...and...here I am.”
“Where is Cecil?” Kenny asked, looking past Trina. “Not ready to sit with the not-so-wealthy side of your family?”
“That’s not fair, Kenny. In fact, he’s gone into the office to work on the case for your firm. He puts his heart and soul into his work, and I’m sure he’s going to win this case for you.”
“Well, we’re counting on him in the worst way. Come in. There’s someone here I want you to meet.”
Trina gazed at her surroundings as she followed Kenny into the house. The interior was just as gorgeous as the exterior. Money had been spent on decorators, she noted, because everything in the house was quality and immaculate.
They entered the family room, and Trina was in awe. The collection of art made her giddy, being a collector herself. Then she noticed the scatter of family photos that graced the mantel on the large fireplace and were placed throughout the room. She hoped she’d get a chance to look at them. The furniture in this room was more mod, but complemented the fine furniture that she’d seen in the rooms she passed on the way in.
“This is my wife, Sylvia,” Kenny said, disturbing Trina’s personal tour of the Richmond house.
“It’s nice to finally meet you,” Sylvia said, extending her hand.
“And this is my partner, Marvin Thomas,” Kenny said. Marvin stood and shook Trina’s hand. “Trina is my cousin and also Cecil Coleman’s wife.” Marvin seemed impressed. “Trina is also a prosecuting attorney in Atlanta.”
“So you’re the Marvin Thomas my husband is so hyped up to defend.”
“Yeah, Cecil and I go way back. We did undergrad together and then he went on to law school, and I went on to get my master’s degree in engineering. If I may say so, it’s nice to meet you, also.”
“The pleasure is all mine,” Trina said. “As I told Kenny, I was just passing through.”
“Would you like something to drink,” Sylvia offered. “I’ve made mimosas.”
“Sure, I’d like to have one,” Trina said. “I didn’t interrupt anything?” She noticed the looks of concern on everyone’s faces.
Marvin spoke up. “This may be divine intervention. I have a situation that you might be able to help us with, Trina.”
Trina saw the frown on Kenny’s face. “What is it, Marvin?”
Marvin looked at Kenny and back at Trina. He waited until Sylvia handed the mimosa to Trina before he got started. “I’m being blackmailed to the tune of fifty thousand dollars by a woman I don’t really know.”
Marvin had piqued Trina’s interest. “How did this woman come to blackmail you?”
“It’s a long story,” Marvin said.
Trina took a sip of her mimosa. “If I can have a refill on my mimosa when I’ve finished this one, you’ve got my attention.”
“No problem,” Sylvia said civilly.
Marvin shared the sordid story of how he met Peaches and how she took him to her room and stripped him down to make it look as if they had sex together, leaving out the more graphic details. “She took photos of us lying together in the nude,” Marvin said, pausing a moment, looking away from the group. “My wife...my wife...let me back up. This morning, Peaches came to my house and handed my wife an envelope with a picture of Peaches and me in a compromising position. And my wife is very upset and has left the house.”
“Do you have a copy of the picture?” Trina asked. She noticed that both Sylvia and Kenny seemed disgusted by the question. “It’s not that I want to look at it, but it should be kept as evidence.” She saw Sylvia and Kenny relax.
“Yes, it’s at home, and I’ve put it away for the time being.”
“Do not destroy it under any circumstances,” Trina advised. “An analyst can determine whether the picture is posed or not.”
“Really?” Kenny asked. “That’s amazing.”
Trina looked from Kenny back to Marvin. “Marvin, do you know the woman’s full name?”
“Peaches is all I know.”
“You need to find out what her full name is. Peaches may be just a nickname. If she’s done this before, there may be something on her in the criminal justice system that we might be able to use as leverage to run her in. When does she want the fifty thousand dollars?”
Marvin sighed. “I have less than three weeks to come up with the money, which I refuse to pay. Peaches has been stalking me...calling on the job, showing up at the office. I can’t take much more of this.”
“I understand that your wife is upset, but if you believe that this is a set-up, you must convince her so that you can have a united front,” Trina said. “I know I’m not in her shoes, and I understand where her mind is at this moment, so I hope that what you say is true. Infidelity is a cruel thing.”
“I couldn’t get through to her, especially with everything that has gone on with me lately. I don’t even know where Rachel is. She hasn’t called, not even to check on our child, but I believe she’s alright.”
“She’s at Mona’s,” Sylvia said, holding her head down. “I saw her last night.”
There was a bright light in Marvin’s eyes. “How was she?”
“Not very good.” Sylvia stood up and went to Marvin. “Give her some time, Marvin. You can let Serena stay with us if you like. I think that woman coming to the house and confronting her on the porch was a bit much.”
Marvin bit his lip. “I’m going to kill Peaches. If I ever get my hands on her, I’m going to wring her neck. She’s trying to destroy my family and everything I’ve worked for.”
“Listen, Marvin,” Trina snapped. “No one is going to kill Peaches, literally. We’re going to do that in a court of law. Remember, you have some responsibility in this, too, because if you hadn’t gone to that bar and drunk yourself into oblivion, none of this might have happened.”
Marvin sat back in his seat. “Yeah, you’re right. Kenny, what’d you say about making a visit to Earl’s? The answers lie there.”
Kenny looked at his wife and back at Marvin. “I’m with you, man. Let’s go so we can get some answers.”
Trina extended her glass. “May I have another mimosa?”
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
It was going to take more than a cup of coffee to keep his mind alert while sifting through prior case studies. Cecil sipped his coffee and pored over the briefs that had brought him fame and acclaim. There wasn’t one precedent that looked like the Thomas and Richmond Tecktronics, Inc., case he was working on, but he knew that in the end this case would be a first and his victory.
He relaxed in his leather chair and contemplated the earlier conversation he’d had with Trina. Was he becoming too arrogant? Did he think he was better than other black folks who had only done what he had done—worked hard to get where they were? Cecil wanted to believe he wasn’t that kind of human being, but if he searched his soul, there was a bit of a pompous attitude bottled deep inside.
He recalled how he’d looked at Marvin, who he’d felt was beneath him. But the truth of the matter was, Marvin had made his way all by himself and was doing just as well. And so what if cousin Kenny had made it; there was room enough for all of them. Blackness united.
Big business was ruthless. Cecil watched the failing economy along with everyone else. It wouldn’t be long before everyone fell to their knees asking the Lord to bail them out. He smiled at the possibility of a black president running the country. Heaven help him.
In the middle of his thoughts the telephone rang. Strange to receive a call on a Saturday morning. Cecil answered the call on the fourth ring and was surprised to hear Robert Jordan’s voice at the end of the line.
“Cecil, this is Robert Jordan. I had hoped to find you in your office.”
“Now that you have disturbed me in my office on a Saturday, to what do I owe the pleasure or displeasure of this phone call?”
“Umph,” Jordan moaned, loud enough for Cecil to hear. “Regal Resorts wants to meet next week at a place of our choosing to discuss litigation on the merger. I do hope we can keep it out of the courts, though. An expedient resolution to this matter would be most favorable.”
“That’s highly impossible since the board of directors at Thomas and Richmond Tecktronics do not agree to the buyout. Now, we can resolve this in a favorable manner if Regal agrees to back out of the deal.”
“Let’s meet next Wednesday at noon. I’ll have my secretary follow up with the location.”
“Let me check my calendar. It appears to be clear. I’ll await the place.”
“Cecil, you’re wasting your time defending this corporation. Regal Resorts has more capital and is poised to fight to the death on this one.”
“Jordan, bring it on. They haven’t been up against me. I know your reputation, but I’ve got one, too.”
“See you next week.” Click.
Cecil picked up a piece of paper he had been doodling on. Robert Jordan had better watch out. Balling up the paper, Cecil took it and threw it at the window. “You want to play hard ball,” Cecil said out loud, “come on. I’ll be ready for you.”
Sylvia left her guests and went upstairs to her bedroom. Glancing toward the door to make sure no one was listening, she dialed Mona’s number.
“Mona, this is Sylvia. How’s our girl doing?”
“Rachel had a sleepless night. She cried for a while until Michael gave her a sedative. I feel so bad for her, Sylvia. I don’t know how long she plans to hole up over here, but she’s gotta face Marvin sometime. And what about Serena?”
“Look, Marvin is over here talking to Kenny and Kenny’s cousin who’s an attorney in town. I think Marvin forgot I was in the room, and he spilled his guts about the night with that woman. I’m as convinced as Kenny that Marvin might very well have been set up.”
“Well, that’s no consolation to Rachel. She’s got a picture of her husband butt naked with some slimy ho, and I tell you, Sylvia, if I had received a picture like that with Michael in it, I’d have to do the Lorena Bobbitt on him. Ain’t gonna have no crap like that up in this camp.”
“I know. Kenny would probably be dead already.” Sylvia and Mona laughed. “I’m going to keep Serena until Rachel feels like coming home. Kenny and Marvin are going to do some more investigation into this Peaches woman.”
“What you mean more investigating? Sylvia, you know more than you’ve been sharing. Girl, you know I like the juicy gossip. It makes the world go around. Maybe one day, I’ll even write a book.”
“Write a book? Girl, you keep stirring the pots, though, you’re enough mystery and intrigue all by yourself.”
“I think I hear Rachel going to the bathroom. I’ll call you later. And you can come over if you want to.”
“Mona, you just don’t want to be with Rachel all by yourself. Handle it. Feed her. Fill her up with drink. Give her another sleeping pill. Now, that was easy, wasn’t it?”
“Sylvia, I’m going to kill you. Bring your butt over here later on. I like that we got together last night.”
“Alright. I’ll bring Kenny Jr. over and I’ll see if Marvin will let Serena come with me. After his and Rachel’s fight yesterday, Marvin may be using Serena as leverage to get Rachel to come home.”
“Well, I hope she gets her butt up from here and goes on home soon. I can’t handle nobody else’s crisis right now.”
“Shut up, Mona. You know we’d be there for you.”
“Yeah, yeah. Ooh, I’ve got to go. Rachel’s out of the bathroom, and I bet she’s coming in here. Bye.”
Sylvia sighed. Dealing with Mona was always an ordeal. She sat on the bed and thought about Marvin’s insistence that he didn’t know what happened in that room with Peaches. An idea popped into her head. Oooooooooh yeah, she was going to become the next black Nancy Drew or Valerie Wilson Wesley’s Tamara Hayle.
Quickly, she redialed Mona’s number and waited for her voice. “Hey, Mona, this is Sylvia again. Listen. I’ve got a plan that’s going to take you, me, and Claudette to engineer.”
“What you talking about, Sylvia? I ain’t no spy.”
“I’ll call Claudette and have her meet me over at your house. We’re going to get to the bottom of this Peaches and Marvin ordeal.”
“Sister, you don’t have a license to kill. Leave that to Double Oh-Seven. Now, I’m double-oh out.”
“We’re not Charlie’s Angels either, but what if I tell you we’re going to have fun while we’re doing it? The three of us are going to Earl’s Tavern, or whatever it’s called, and hang out.”
“Risky. Furthermore, I don’t trust you. What about Rachel?”
“She’s a risk. I’ll tell you the plan when I get to your house. ’Bye.”
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
Robert Jordan slammed on his brakes. He nearly missed seeing the Stop sign. The call to Cecil Coleman hadn’t gone as planned, and he had to figure out another way to impress upon Coleman that he needed to leave the takeover case alone. It wasn’t that Jordan couldn’t win it, but Regal Resorts didn’t want to waste a whole lot of money and energy on a black-owned company whose shares they could’ve snatched up just as easily another way. It happened to be an opportunit
y that fell into their laps, and upon further examination of the portfolio, they’d decided Thomas and Richmond Tecktronics was well worth keeping.
He was not in the mood to visit his daughter. She had asked him to come, but going to the prison to see Ashley bordered on tedium. How many more years would his family have to endure it? Although he loathed William, Ashley didn’t have to kill him. Damn, they had just gotten divorced.
The visitors parking lot was sparse for a Saturday. Grudgingly, Jordan got out of his car and proceeded into the maximum-security facility. Because he was an attorney, he was able to bypass some of the red tape regular visitors had to go through just to see an inmate. He manufactured a smile upon seeing Ashley.
“Hey, Dad, glad you could come,” Ashley said, taking a seat in the visitors room. “You look beat.”
It always pained Jordan to see Ashley bound in hand-and-leg cuffs. She seemed to have accepted her fate and was living each day as it came. No makeup, no pretense, no office gossip or tales of a marriage that shouldn’t have been. But he was going to do everything within his power to cheer his little girl up.
“Yeah, I’m working on a case that should be cut-and-dried, but I’m going to have to work harder to win this son-of-a-gun than I had previously thought,” Jordan said.
“Is this the takeover case you told me about the last time you were here?”
“Yep, one and the same. I’m surprised you remember.”
Ashley dropped her head for a moment and brought it back up to gaze at her father. “Not a whole lot to keep your mind saturated. I’m so thankful that I get to help out in the library. I can still stay in touch with the outside world.”
“Well, the outside world isn’t doing so good.” Jordan exhaled. “The economy is in crisis, and the handwriting is on the wall. There are going to be more takeovers and mergers. I’ll admit that this Thomas guy has a good attorney working for him, but in the end he’s looking at losing it all.”
NOTHING STAYS THE SAME Page 21