The Loss of Love and Truth

by R Kenneth Donaldson

  Minna and I looked at each other.

  “And so, we need your help.”

  “I don’t understand. Why would someone want to frame me?”

  “Whoever it was, knew you were acquainted with Mr. Urbans. Would you have any idea who could have this type of information?”

  “Not really. I can’t think of anyone….,” I pause for a second.

  “What’s wrong, Trevor, do you know who could have done this?”

  “No, no.” I say quickly. “I was just thinking of someone, but there’s no way he could be involved.”

  “Well.” the Assistant DA started. “I would first like to apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you, Mr. Morrows, but I’m sure you can see how we had no choice.”

  “Right. Listen if that will be all, I would like to go home and enjoy the rest of my day.” “Surely. But, please don’t leave town, just in case we need you for anything.”

  “No problem.” I said. “Minna, if you’re ready to go?”

  On the way back to the office, I was completely quiet. “Alright, Trevor, I can smell the rubber burning. What’s up?”

  “Minna, I don’t think telling you would be a good idea. Already two people have died because of this mess. I really don’t need to put you in the middle of it.”

  “Excuse me, Mr. Morrows, but I believe I am a grown woman. I think I can take care of myself.”

  “Fine, just let me make sure my instincts are on the money before I let you in on it. If they are, then this could get really ugly.”

  “Alright fine.” Minna was quiet for two minutes. “So what time are you going to pick me up on next Sunday?”

  “How does 5:30 sound?” “Sounds great.”

  I pull up next to Minna’s BMW.

  “Trevor, listen, whatever you do, please be careful. You really don’t know what you’re getting into.”

  “Minna, I appreciate your concern, but believe me, it’ll be just fine. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Chapter Eight

  Around 3:00 on Sunday evening, the day of my father’s dinner party, I pull the dry cleaning plastic off my black tuxedo and laid it across the bed. I smile to myself, knowing my father is going to flip his bald head when he sees me walk through the doors with Minna on my arm. But then again, it may give the man false hope and I will enjoy crushing that hope. Damn, I can be so evil some times.

  I decided to take a long hot bath to prepare my body for the tension tonight was sure to bring. I tested the water with my hand and it was perfectly heated. As I eased myself into the water slowly, I let out a sigh.

  During my bath I contemplate the past week’s events. After the meeting with the Assistant DA Sunday, I began to suspect that it had to be someone on the police force who was trying to set me up. Someone that knew me, and knew me well. At first I suspected Matthew Lirday. But after considering that he wasn’t even on the force during my term, I quickly crossed his name out. The only other person I suspected was John, which bothered me immensely. How could I suspect John? John has always been there for me. Nevertheless, I did some snooping. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find anything.

  After forty-five minutes in the bathtub, the water was cold and my skin shriveled up like a prune. I stood up and stepped out the tub and grabbed a towel to dry myself off. I looked in the mirror and was amazed at how quickly my face had healed. As I finish drying myself off, the phone rings. I run into the bedroom and pick it up.

  “Hello?” I answer.

  “Trevor Morrows?” the course voice asked. “Yes. Who’s this?”

  “Never mind that. I’m calling to give you a warning. If you wanna live to see tomorrow you’d better mind your fucking business and stay away from this case.” “What, who is this?”

  “Like I said, if I were you I’d keep your nose out of this.” Then the line went dead.

  What the hell was that all about? What case? It couldn’t be the Lyons’ case. I had already settled up with Mrs. Lyons during the past week.

  Mrs. Lyons was extremely upset when I showed her the pictures of her husband in bed with a transexual. Her tune changed dramtically though, when she read my report of the five different swiss bank accounts that her husband had in his mother’s name, the pieces of property in Canada and a timeshare in Florida. Mrs. Lyons also gave me a very generous bonus on top of my fee for my troubles.

  Then it only left the predicament regarding Mitchell. Evidently, whoever it was knew I was getting pretty close in figuring out who was trying to frame me.

  But, I decided, I wasn’t going to let a little threatening phone call spoil the evening. With the towel still draped around my waist, I walked downstairs to get a glass of wine. I needed something to ease my nerves.

  While slowly sipping the glass of white wine, I dressed. I took my time dressing, enjoying the short time I had to myself. The wine mellowed me and I was actually starting to look forward to tonight’s affair.

  I pull up in front of Minna’s high rise apartment building at exactly 5:30. Before I left my house, something in the back of my mind knew she wasn’t going to be ready. But no matter what, I was going to be on time when I picked her up.

  I walked into the lobby and looked for Minna’s name on the registry to buzz her apartment. But, her name wasn’t on the registry. I walked over to the front desk where an elderly white man was sitting half nodding.

  “Could you tell me what apartment Minna Town send is in?” I asked. “Can’t you read the registry?” The old buzzard snapped.

  “I don’t have any trouble reading at all, sir. And if Ms. Townsend’s name were on the registry, I wouldn’t have bothered to shake your coffin.” I said with a smile. “What?” he asked visibly awake now.

  “Oh, I’m sorry, you probably couldn’t hear me with all that crust of hair in your ears.”

  “Listen young man, there is no need to get nasty.”

  “Well, sir, if you would just answer the question, we wouldn’t have had to go through all of this now, would we?.”

  “She’s on the 15th floor.” he replied heatedly.

  “Thank you so much sir. You see how easy that was? You can go back to sleep now.” I said heading towards the bank of elevators.

  I don’t know who pissed in that old goat’s Com Flakes this morning, but I’m not the one. The elevator doors opened and I leisurely looked for Minna’s apartment. I rang the bell on the door of the apartment that read M. Townsend. In two minutes the door swung open.

  Minna looked stunning. She was wearing a black silk gown with spaghetti straps. The dress ended just above her knees with a slight slit on the right leg. It fit her aerobicized physique exquisitely. Pearls hung around her neck loosely and were matched with a pair of earrings. She wore her hair swept in a bun with a few strands dancing across her face.

  I was speechless.

  “You look fantastic,” I finally was able to blurt out.

  “Well thank you, Mr. Morrows. So do you. Come on in. I’ll be ready in about 10 minutes.” She said letting me in.

  She rushed into the back room and I walked over to the stereo to put some music on. Minna had a large collection of c.d.‘s. I decided to pop in Sade’s Greatest hits. I sat on the high back sofa opposite the stereo. Ten minutes go by before I started to get a little agitated.

  “You need some help in there?” I asked.

  “If I said I did need some help with my pantyhose, would you come to my aid?” she said laughing.

  “No, I guess not. But what’s taking you so long?”

  “Trevor, be patient. There’s some wine in the fridge, help yourself. Pour me a glass too, would you?”

  Well the chick knew how to settle me down. A glass of wine would hit the spot. I quickly walked through the doors to her kitchen and could see that either she was a freak about cleaning or she never cooks. The place was spotless. Not a bread crumb in sight or a glass out of place.

  I reached in the refrigerator and pulled out a carafe of Paul Masson and quickly filled o
ne glass. As soon as I gulped that down, I refilled the glass and poured another glass for Minna. With both glasses in tow, I pass through the doors and place her glass on the dining room table.

  “Could you bring my glass in here?” Minna calls out from the bedroom. “Sure.” I answer back.

  Then a flash came through my head. I hope she didn’t have plans on seducing me or something. The last time a woman called me into her bedroom, she met me with nothing on except a pair of red pumps. I quickly shook the thought out of my head.

  “Trevor, you’re flattering yourself, aren’t you? She probably doesn’t think of you in that manner. At least I hope not.” I think to myself.

  I walk to the bedroom door and knock.

  “Are you decent?” I ask.

  “Yes, Mr. Morrows. I’m decent. Stop being silly.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to put you in any compromising position.” I say as I walk through the door.”

  “Trevor, it’s only my bedroom.”

  And a bedroom it was. Everything in it was white. White walls, white throw rugs, white sheer curtains and in the middle of Minna’s bedroom was an ivory canopy bed, which had a white comforter draped over it.

  “Is this a bedroom or a cloud?” I asked teasingly.

  I walk towards the gold vanity where Minna was sitting. Evidently she was applying the final touches to her makeup.

  “So, are you about through?” I ask.

  “Yes sir. I should be done in about two minutes.” “Okay, I’ll just be in the living room.”

  “What for? Do you think I’m gonna violate you or something?” “No, not after the hard work you took to get ready.”

  “Well, sit down and talk to me.”

  Minna and I chit-chat for about fifteen minutes before we head out of the apartment. When we cam e down to the lobby, the doorman was totally unconscious.

  “Just think,” I say to Minna. “You pay this guy’s salary.”

  “Oh leave Sam alone. He has to work two jobs besides his social security and pension, just to survive.” Minna says.

  It’s around 7:00 as Minna and I drive up to the circular driveway of my parent’s home and was amazed at how the place looked. The large front yard was brightly lit from the six lamps located in different ends of the lawn. As I pulled to the front door we were greeted by a valet. As I handed my keys to the valet, I was astonished as to the extent my father was going for this dinner party. I walked over to the other side of my jeep to open the door for Minna.

  “Well, aren’t you the gentlemen.” she said smiling. “Well, I do try,” I commented laughing.

  “Alright, let me just warn you. If my father’s mouth falls out onto the ground just pay him no mind.” I say as we walk up the steps to my parent’s home.

  “Trevor, come on, it can’t be that bad.”

  “Okay, just don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  The door swung open and we were welcomed by a tall white man wearing a butler’s uniform.

  “Where in the hell did he come from?” I asked myself.

  Walking into the large foyer I could hear laughter and talking coming from the living room.

  “The other guests are in the living room sir.” The rent-a-butler announced.

  “Thank you,” I responded, leading Minna by the hand towards the direction of the noise.

  As we stepped down into the living room, it seemed the whole room grew quiet. Immediately my mother pushes past a crowd of people and rushes towards us.

  “Trevor, baby, you made it,” she said giving me a huge hug. “Mother, I said I would,” I said smiling.

  “Yes, I know, but I wasn’t sure if you would back out or not.”

  “You know I’m a man of my word. No matter what they say about me. Mother, let me introduce you to my date for the evening. This is Minna Towsend. Minna, this is my mother, Elizabeth Morrows.”

  “It’s nice to meet you.” Minna said giving my mother a big smile.

  “My goodness, you look absolutely marvelous. Trevor, now where have you been hiding this beautiful young lady?”

  “Minna works in the same building as I do. She’s an attorney.”

  “Really, what type of law?” “Criminal law.”

  “Well then, you’ve come to the right party. Did Trevor tell you his father was a criminal law attorney, before he became judge?”

  “Mother, I’m sure Minna doesn’t want to hear all of that.” I said feeling a little embarrassed.”

  “No, no Trevor, I would love to hear more about your father and the rest of your family.” “Well then, I that leaves me with finding something else to do. I guess I’ll get this over with. Where’s dad?”

  “He’s upstairs in the bedroom taking a phone call. Go on up.” She says. She then directs her attention back to Minna. “It’s so nice to see such a beautiful young lady with my son. And girl, where did you get that dress? It’s utterly stunning…. “

  I made my way through the crowd giving my “hello’s” and “how-are-you’s” to the guests. I begin to wonder though if leaving Minna with my mother was the best thing. Knowing my mother, she would try to figure out if there was any “love interest” between the two of us. You would think she had a enough of that when I broke up with Kasha, but the woman was persistent.

  Before going upstairs, I decided to go into the kitchen and say hello to Laverne.

  Laverne has been with the family every since I can remember. She cooked, she cleaned and she practically raised me. I loved her as much as I do my own mother.

  As I walked through the double doors leading into the kitchen, I immediately turned around. The very last person I thought I would see this evening was deep in conversation with Laverne, Kasha.

  “Why didn’t mother warn me she was here?” I cursed under my breath. Before I was able to pass through the doors, Laverne called for me.

  “Trevor, honey, I know you ain’t gonna leave this here kitchen before you come over here and give me hug,” Laverne said in her overly loud voice.

  I slowly turned around and start to walk towards the two of them.

  “How are you precious? I haven’t seen you in a dog’s age. Whatcha doin’, hidin’ from me?” Laverne bellowed while giving me a bear hug.

  “No, ma’am. I’ve been extremely busy.” I said shyly with my head bent.

  Damn, no matter how old I get this woman always makes me feel as if I were two years old.

  “Look who’s here, Trevor,” Laverne said laughing.

  “I know. How’ve you been Kasha?” I asked with my hand extended to give her a handshake.

  Kasha stood up from the stool she was sitting, letting the long red dress she was wearing flow to the floor. The girl looked good. The dress was so tight I could practically tell you what she had for breakfast.

  Kasha walked towards me and slapped my hand away.

  “You know I deserve a hug, so stop playing,” she said laughing.

  As I hug her lightly, my hands ran across her smooth back. Almost as if I were burned by fire, I quickly pulled back.

  “What’s wrong? I know it’s been awhile since you’ve touched me, but I can guarantee that nothing’s changed.”

  “I can see that. Wow, that’s some dress,” I say sweating obviously. “So, who’d you come with?”

  “Your mother didn’t tell you?”

  “No, it looks like my mother neglected to tell me quite a few things.” “Well, I came with my fiancée.”

  “Your what?” I asked all astonished. “Oh yeah, see.”

  Kasha brings her hand towards my face and proudly displays this humongous diamond ring sitting on her finger.

  After gaining back my cool points, I take the hand slowly. “Wow, that’s a big rock. So, who’s the lucky guy?”

  “Oh, you remember Cornelius Edmonds, don’t you?”

  “Yeah, the dude you used to date before you met me.”

  “Yes, well we started dating about six months after you and I broke up and now we’re eng
aged.”

  “Well, that’s just peachy.” I said.

  Well color me green, cause I’ll be damned if I wasn’t a little jealous. And here she was just gloating like a cat who just swallowed a mouse. I can’t believe this girl was already dating after only six months. At least I waited a year before I started dating. But I guess the girl needed to go on with her life.

  “Well, you look good, Trevor. Who’s the lucky lady, er um fella you brought with you?” Kasha asked sarcastically.

  “I’m gonna choose to ignore that Kasha. It just so happens that a very beautiful young lady escorted me this evening. Why do you ask?”

  “No reason. I wasn’t sure if, you know, if things changed.” “Believe me Kasha, if I had you’d be the last to know.”

  “What does that mean?” she said, putting her hands on her hips. “Nothing. Listen, let’s not start this evening on a bad note.”

  Just then, the doors to the kitchen swing open.

  “Trevor, here you are.” My mother says. “I see you’ve found Kasha.”

  “Yes mother I have.” I say walking towards her, away from Kasha. “No thank s to you,” I whisper.

  “I’m sorry son. I completely forgot to warn you she was coming.” “Where’s Minna?” I ask.

  “I left her in a boring conversation with Senator Adams. Why don’t you go and save her.” She says as I start to push open the doors. “Take Kasha with you while I help the caterers and Laverne get ready for dinner.”

  I turn towards my mother quickly. I gave a very sour face, silently “letting her have it.” My mother looks at me, smiles and winks.

  “I don’t know the game you’re playing old lady, but payback’s a bitch,” I say to myself. Kasha quickly crosses the kitchen and grabs my arm.

  “Come, show me this gorgeous lady you’ve been raving about.”

  As Kasha and I make our way back into the living room, she is going on and on about her fiancé: “He’s such a good man. He’s a doctor you know.”