by H. H. Fowler
“Are you John Dewey?” he asked.
“I am…” Elder John slowly shifted his gaze from one officer to the next. “What is this inquiry all about?”
“Yasmine Strummer.”
“What about her?”
“So, you do know her?”
“What kind of question is that? She is my daughter.”
Mitchell narrowed his eyes at the man, who didn’t seem alarmed in the least that the police were standing there asking questions about his daughter. Too nonchalant for Mitchell’s taste. Right then, he decided not to waste time beating around the bush. “We have a warrant for your arrest for suspicion of attempted murder…”
Elder John chuckled. “You’re telling me that I tried to kill my own daughter? What kind of silly nonsense is that?”
Mitchell continued, ignoring Elder John’s outburst. “Ms. Strummer alleged you have been sexually abusing her since she was fourteen...detaining her against her will by the use of physical cruelty and verbal threats. Where I come from that is known as coercion. I would even go so far as to say that it is a form of kidnapping.”
In a flash, that genteel expression disappeared from Elder John’s face, transforming him into the replica of an angry troll. “You men can’t be serious! Are we talking about the same Yasmine? My daughter would never say anything as atrocious and as untruthful as that!”
“You have the right to remain silent,” Mitchell went on. “If you do say anything from this point onward, it can be used against you in a court of law…”
“Shut your crazy mouth, young man! Do you know who you are talking to? I am the presiding bishop of El Shaddai Ministries.”
Mitchell smirked. “You could be the archbishop over the diocese of China, but you’re still coming with us. Now, you can either go quietly or you can go kicking and screaming.”
Despite the detestable look on Elder John’s face, he responded quite calmly, “There is no need for that, gentleman. At least let me change out of these old clothes and put on a sensible pair of shoes…”
“You won’t mind if my officer here accompanies you, do you?”
“There’s no way for me to escape,” Elder John spat, “if that’s what you’re worried about.”
Mitchell smiled. “We’re not worried at all. And by the way, we have already gotten a court order for you to provide samples of your DNA, just in case you’re thinking about giving us a hard time.”
It was a lie, but Mitchell could see traces of panic peeling through Elder John’s expression, which seemed to say that there really was no possible way of escape. He’d been screwed by his own daughter. Be that as it may, Elder John had another piece of wood, kindling in the fire, as it were and in short order, things would get pretty intense for Yasmine and her whorish ways. He wouldn’t even be shocked to hear of her tragic and untimely demise. How could he allow that whore to live to testify against him in court?
And as for Drake Beckford and his prissy little wife – well, if he (Elder John) couldn’t be the bishop over El Shaddai Ministries, no one else would and he had already made sure of that. John Dewey was not one to be messed with and in time those inquiring minds who knew nothing of his rugged upbringing, would be forced to show him that respect.
How beautiful you are, my darling, how beautiful you are!
Song of Solomon 4:1 (NASB)
Chapter Four
8:22 p.m.
The Shale was becoming one of Kevin and Hunter’s favorite places to enjoy some of the best-flavored coffee on the island. But even more of a place for them to relax and appreciate the oceanic views surrounding the harbor. The breeze was to die for, which would have rocked them to sleep had they not been so engrossed in each other’s presence. Every now and then, Hunter would mentally pinch herself because she couldn’t believe how comfortable she felt talking with Kevin, sharing parts of herself that she’d never shared with anyone else. It literally felt as if she’d known him all her life and even though she could barely look at his handsome face without blushing like a red tomato, she felt incredibly fortunate to have met him.
“So…” Kevin paused to sip his latte and then pinned Hunter with a questioning gaze. “What is your stance on long distance relationships?”
It was a serious question, one that Hunter was not prepared to answer. So instead of tackling the question right away, she used reverse psychology to turn the spotlight back on Kevin. “You’ve been back to Devin’s Cay for three whole days and you’re just now raising that question?” She almost smiled, but she suppressed it. “I am ashamed of you, Mr. Beckford – for having not thought of it sooner.”
Kevin grinned, realizing he’d caught her off guard. “So you have been thinking about it too. It’s a tough subject,” he said. “But we have to talk about it at some point – that’s if we decide to take this connection between us to the next level. I leave for Tampa tomorrow and this time I won’t be able to return for at least a month. My partners and I are looking to expand the sales area of our company and will be interviewing a stream of transitional consultants...”
“Wait a minute…Sasha told me that you managed an accounting firm; she didn’t tell me that you were one of the partners.”
“Well, she had the right concept. I am one of the managing partners.” Kevin cocked his head to the side. “You seem surprised by that.”
“I am…in a good way, though. I love to see men making huge strides in the business arena, especially black men.”
“Really?”
“Of course…I am a cosmopolitan at heart.”
Kevin grinned. “Really? How come it took you so long to date one of us?”
“It doesn’t matter the color of a man’s skin, I am bashful about dating in general. Besides, these past five years I’ve been so busy growing my jewelry business that I simply hadn’t the time to let down my hair, if you know what I mean.”
“I can relate to what you’re saying,” Kevin said. “My partners and I are always looking for ways to enhance some area of our company. This year we’re focusing heavily on maximizing our revenues. That’s why I said that I may not be able to come back to Devin’s Cay for at least another month. We have tons of interviews and sales pitches to sit through.”
Hunter considered Kevin’s words for a moment. A month was not that long, but it was long enough to know that she would miss him terribly. She managed to keep her gaze fixed on Kevin, and even with the breeze dissecting strands of her blonde hair and drifting them over her face, she ignored it, mostly because she was too entranced with the moment to even be bothered by it.
“This is new for me,” she admitted. “And this connection between us – if I can borrow your words, has happened rather suddenly…I will say this much: I am extremely comfortable with you, more so than I’ve ever been with any other man in my life. And have I ever told you how impressed I am with your loyalty to your brother? I love that about you and all the other wonderful traits I got to see when you were fighting to get Drake out of police custody. Altogether, you’re a pretty cool person to be around.”
Kevin released the breath he’d been holding. “Now why do I get the feeling that you’re setting me up for a gentle letdown?”
“Well, it doesn’t have to be. But I have heard terrible stories about long distance relationships, and personally, I am not an advocate of them. However…”
Hunter paused as a big-boned sistah walked by their booth, scrunching up her nose at Hunter as if she smelled an intolerable stench. This sistah’s gaze then flew to Kevin, which was flooded with envy. “You black men,” she mumbled in a derisive tone, “don’t know how to ‘ppreciate your own dern race…you love mixin’ with white trash, don’t you? Self-hating bastard.”
Kevin jumped to his feet, ready to put this big black woman in her place, but Hunter reached over the table and squeezed his hand. “I am not bothered by her ill-informed remarks,” she said. “Please, don’t let them get to you either.”
Kevin slowly returned to his sitting
position, the look of discomfort now etched in his visage. “I can’t believe she said that,” he spat. “What the hell is her problem?”
“Obviously, she is misinformed,” Hunter tried.
“I don’t care how misinformed she is. She has no right infringing on our privacy…I ought to report her to the owners.”
“Kevin,” Hunter called in a firm tone. “Please, try to calm down. Why are you so upset?”
Kevin grew quiet, because he himself didn’t understand why he was so upset. But he couldn’t stop thinking about the words of that fat woman. She’d called him a self-hating bastard. What was she trying to say? That he hated his skin color because he was having coffee with a white woman? The nerve of that woman – to even assume that he and Hunter were in a relationship. For all she knew, Hunter could be a client of his. What a ridiculous fool. Of all the stereotypes that were out there about interracial relationships, none got under Kevin’s skin like this one.
Hunter cocked her head to the side, assessing the drastic change in Kevin’s mood. “Are you okay?”
Kevin avoided eye-contact with the blonde beauty. “No, I am not okay. I wanted to put that woman in her place.”
“Why?”
“Why not? People like her shouldn’t be allow to come amongst the public. You heard what she called me? A self-hating bastard. She doesn’t even know me.”
“She called me white trash, but that went into one ear and flew out the other.”
“Well, Ms. Hunter Rose, you may be impervious to stupidity, but frankly, I am not.”
Hunter didn’t like Kevin’s tone, nor his remark. “Can I ask you a question?” When he didn’t respond, she asked anyway. “I need to know if people’s opinions about us will be a problem for you. Because I don’t intend to invest myself into something that looks as if it’s over before it even begins.”
Kevin leveled his gaze with Hunter and was instantly reminded of the reason why he was so attracted to her. Indeed, her looks were on point, and she had a smile that could stop traffic, but what outshone all of that was the genuineness of her heart. Hunter was simply a what-you-see-is-what-you-get kind of girl. This should have settled Kevin, but deep down he was far from being settled. Maybe the main reason why he never ventured dating outside of his race until now was because he knew he couldn’t deal with the dirty looks and obnoxious comments, like those of that cumbersome heifer.
“Aren’t you going to say something?” Hunter prodded.
“I’m sorry…” He flashed a smile, but he could tell by Hunter’s expression she knew it was half-hearted. “I don’t usually lose my cool like that.”
“I don’t mind you getting upset, it’s what I see in your face that has me concerned.”
“You can read expressions?”
“I certainly can read yours and right now it’s telling me that you are uncertain about us. I also see fear and…disgust.”
“I’m not disgusted with you; I’m disgusted with what that woman said.”
Hunter sat back into her chair and sighed. “If this is how it’s going to be when we go out, I am already discouraged, because it ruins the mood. People are entitled to their opinion and some will make their snide remarks and look at us as if we are from another planet, but are we going to allow those things to dictate to us who we should choose to spend our time with? Life is too short for that nonsense.”
Those words purged the tension in the air, causing Kevin to stare at Hunter with a newfound respect. “Why is this so easy for you?” he inquired.
“I didn’t say it was easy. I simply see the situation through a different lens and it helps me to remember what my father has always told me: love has no color.”
Kevin smiled, but this time it was genuine. “Wow…our first real argument ends with something for me to chew on. Usually arguments with the women I’ve dated in the past, ended with one of us either storming off in a rage, or cussing each other out…but you are…different…very different.”
Hunter wasn’t interested in hearing about Kevin’s past relationships with other women. She wanted to know where she presently stood with him. “You are leaving to go back to Tampa in the morning. Where does that leave us?”
“That goes right back to my original question,” Kevin said. “How do you feel about long distance relationships? You were in the middle of telling me, before we were rudely interrupted.”
“Oh…yes…as I was saying,” Hunter chuckled. “I’m not a fan of long distance relationships, but you are the first who will cause me to reconsider. Great guy and all with a great smile…how could I pass that up?”
Kevin laughed. “Well then, it is settled. I am officially your man.”
“Whatever happened to the friendship level?” Hunter said between her laughs.
“Oh that…” Kevin scratched his head. “I assumed after that good-bye kiss the other night, we’d long since passed that stage…besides, I want to scoop you up before anyone else does.”
Hunter leaned forward, a peaceful expression covering her face. “Oh my God…my head is spinning because things are moving so fast between us. But I’m loving what I feel…”
That envious big-boned sistah walked by again, eyeing Kevin and Hunter with the same dirty looks. However, Hunter wasn’t at all prepared for what Kevin did next. He leaned over the table and pulled her into a hot kiss that made Hunter’s toes curl in her shoes. The big-boned sistah fired off a slew of expletives before stomping her big behind out of the coffeehouse.
Kevin and Hunter broke the kiss and enjoyed a good laugh.
Chapter Five
Devin’s Cay Hospital
Yasmine was scheduled to be discharged from the hospital today, after spending four days recovering from a brutal attack by two masked men. She would have been released two days earlier, but Officer Mitchell would not have it to be so. Under the ruse of being concerned for her safety, Officer Mitchell had told the hospital officials to keep her detained until he figured out what he wanted to do with her. Obviously, he was still angry with her for wasting his time by falsely accusing an innocent man of rape.
Yasmine did not mind being detained anyway, considering she was now the main target on Ronnie/Elder John’s hit list. She’d called this man her father for seventeen years, but really, he was only a father to her in public. Behind closed doors, the man showed his true colors, coercing her through fear to submit to his robust sexual appetite and at times, his unreasonable demands. At a few weeks from sixty, Ronnie was as virile as a man in his early thirties, but of course, it was not without the power of Viagra. Nonetheless, Ronnie was a formidable beast who’d made it clear to Yasmine over the years that he was not one to trifle with.
How foolish she was to think that she would ever be free of his tyranny. She almost destroyed an innocent man’s life in exchange for her freedom. Had Drake been convicted and remanded to Devin’s Cay Correctional Facility, Yasmine would have scored big and used such an accomplishment as a bargaining chip to appeal to Ronnie’s ego. With Drake out of the way, Ronnie would automatically become the unopposed successor of the late Rev. T. G. Henderson’s spiritual legacy, of his estate and possibly the millions of dollars in insurance.
Ronnie wouldn’t need her anymore, because now that he was bishop over El Shaddai Ministries, there would eventually be an increase of wealth, fame and power, along with a stream of beautiful women, batting their eyes in his direction. But knowing how ruthlessly selfish Ronnie could be, deep down Yasmine knew, he still wouldn’t have given her her freedom. She was his property and he would be damned if he ever parted with her. It was what he drilled into her head each time they got together in that filthy bed of his. She belonged to him and no one else.
The man was so evil that Yasmine wouldn’t be surprised if it came to light that Ronnie had forced Rev. T.G. Henderson to change his will and then strangled him to death with his bare hands. It was all conjecture, but it was certainly within Ronnie’s scope to do so. He was no stranger to violence. In fact, R
onnie had come from a history of criminal misconduct, a delinquent from the age of sixteen who rose as one of the shot callers of one of the most cold-blooded gangs on the island. Yasmine could recall when her mother introduced Ronnie to her for the first time and even though she was only twelve years of age at the time, she’d sensed that something was off about him. His face had too many cuts and bruises for her taste.
But according to her mother, Ronnie had recently given his life to the Lord in one of Rev. Henderson’s tent revivals. And because her mother had signed up to help train new converts in a six-month home bible study program, Ronnie and another young lady were assigned as her mother’s first two candidates. But within less than three weeks the young lady stopped coming, leaving Ronnie to spend an incredible amount of time with her mother. Before Yasmine knew it, her mother and Ronnie were an item and were talking marriage seven months after meeting. They got married alright, but within eighteen months, tragedy struck and her mother was diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer. She succumbed to her illness shortly after.
By then Yasmine was fourteen years old and was in complete disarray over her mother’s death. She had no other family member to look after her, except her mother’s aunt, who was too old to even look after herself. She was stuck with Ronnie – the one who would continue to support her love of being in beauty pageants. But Yasmine would never forget the evening after her mother was buried, she and Ronnie went home alone, sad and emotionally exhausted. They sat side by side on a sofa in silence.
Eventually, she began sniveling uncontrollably when she began to think about the loss of her mother and what would become of her future now that her mother was gone. An intense feeling of hopelessness had overtaken her, leaving her susceptible to Ronnie’s hidden agenda. Yasmine would never forget that night, because it was the night when Ronnie introduced her to something that was corrupt, illegal and downright intimidating for a child her age.
“Come here, beautiful,” he’d called in a comforting tone. “Sit on papa’s lap...”