by H. H. Fowler
“It’s good to see you smiling,” Montgomery said, refocusing his attention on his young impressionable wife, “because we have a lot of work ahead of us. With Ms. V in police custody now, it’ll be harder to communicate with her.”
“I was thinking about that,” Della said. “How are we gonna get the rest of our money?”
“We can’t think about that now. I have been in constant contact with Viola’s assistant in Mexico. She said they are thinking of using the escape plan behind Station 61 when they break Viola out of police custody.”
“How will that be possible? The police are swarming all over this island. I even heard on the news that FBI agents from the United States are landing here later on today.”
“Don’t underestimate the power of the organization,” Montgomery reminded Della, while he hid his own doubts. “Our job is to prove to the organization that we can be trusted.”
“I have a better plan,” Della quipped. “Why don’t we take the money that we’ve gotten so far and split?”
“Not a good idea, Della. These people are powerful and I don’t intend to double cross them. Ms. V will be broken out of jail and shipped back to Mexico where she belongs. That is a guarantee.”
Della raised an eyebrow. “We’ll see. These people are not that powerful.”
Chapter Nineteen
For the last forty minutes in the interrogation room, Richard and Karissa had been pulling out their strongest police tactics to get Ms. V to answer their most important question: Where was Gregory Beaufort? But the woman sat so still the detectives thought in one instance that she had silently suffered a heart attack. It was downright aggravating, to the point where the detectives were the ones losing their cool. It was clear that Ms. V was not intimidated in the least. She often smirked and stared at the detectives like they were subservient to her. She was much more obstinate than the detectives first presumed.
Karissa slapped the table in anger. “Viola! Let’s get something straight. You are no longer in charge here. Ditch the act and tell us where Gregory is!”
Ms. V kept her smirk going, loving the fire coming out of Karissa. All it did was make Ms. V visualize Karissa in an ungodly manner.
“We’re not playing games with you, lady. I’m gonna slap that smirk off your face –”
Richard cut in, taking a seat directly in front of Ms. V. “Your men confessed to the crime of kidnapping. They admitted that Mr. Beaufort was on that island with you and that you were the one who shot him.”
Ms. V gazed at Detective Shelby with acute suspicion. She could not tell if he was telling the truth or was simply grasping at straws. Her men? The thought almost made Ms. V burst into a prolonged state of laughter. Those “men” had turned against her and were only concerned about saving their own butts. Of course they would try to pin this crap on her. They were the ones who’d put a bullet in Gregory’s back. The only thing she did was secure one of the guns from the men and held the Coast Guard at bay long enough for those fools to get rid of Gregory’s body. Even though they’d betrayed her, they still needed her expertise to concoct a plan.
Finally, Ms. V decided to break her silence, simply because she was bored with just sitting still like a blithering mute. “Get me a cigarette,” she instructed the detectives. “My preferred brand is Virginia Slims Menthol Lights. They have an excellent taste and are not too overwhelming.”
“You don’t get a thing except a swift kick in your flat butt!” Karissa lashed out. “Where the hell is Gregory Beaufort?”
Ms. V tossed her head back and gave a deep, throaty laugh. “You are one sexy woman! Full of unused potential. A pretty girl like you would do exceptionally well in my organization.” Tilting her head slightly, she asked in a salacious tone, “What is your breast size? 34, 36C? Just the way I like them. Not too insignificant; not too overpowering.”
Karissa gripped the edge of the table to stop herself from smacking Ms. V out of her chair. Instead, she growled like a dog that was about to attack. “You disgust me. Up close, you’re not even all that, witch. Richard, I am going to take a break before I do something that will get me suspended.”
Ms. V’s licentious gaze followed Karissa out of the interrogation room.
“Nice try,” Richard told her. “You are really good at deflecting.”
“Have you taken her to bed yet? You have a healthy dose of lust in your eyes for her. And I can see why. She’s is very enticing.”
“Is sex the only thing you think about all day?”
Ms. V laughed. “What else is there to think about? It is pure ecstasy – the most enjoyable sensation two warm bodies can ever experience.”
Richard found his thoughts going along with Ms. V’s words. It was amazing how influential her presence was, even while she was under arrest. “I heard you tried to seduce the Coast Guard members out of arresting you. This is sadly your MO.”
“Well, you can’t fault a girl for trying.”
A beat of silence passed between them before Richard spoke again.
“Are you going to tell us where Gregory is?”
“I don’t know where Gregory is,” Ms. V answered. “Haven’t seen him in three years.”
“I find that hard to believe. The Coast Guard found blood on the island. Soon our lab will return with results on the blood samples, which will only confirm our suspicions that Gregory was with you when that yacht capsized into the ocean. I’m giving you the opportunity to tell the truth and maybe you won’t incur the death penalty.”
“Detective Shelby, don’t waste my time or your time. My able attorney from overseas will be here by this evening and will advise me of what to do. But for the time being, leave me alone so that I can think in peace.”
Richard heard Karissa come back into the room. She still had a look of petulance, but she did not bother to say anything to Ms. V. The FBI agents from the U.S. had just pulled up in the parking lot of the police station. It was time to split and head to the inspector’s office.
“It’s time,” was all Karissa said and Richard knew exactly what she meant.
With mischief filling her gaze, Ms. V let out a derisive laugh as the detectives left the room. I don’t care how you fools try to intimidate me; you will never find Gregory ever again! He’s gone for good this time.
****
That evening when she’d gotten home from work, Asia decided to skip the family meeting in the living room (which now included Dallis and Anwar), to be alone to organize her thoughts. Although she wanted to get the scoop on how they’d spent their honeymoon in Orlando, the atmosphere was too gloomy to be able to appreciate the funny stories. Everyone was talking about Ms. V’s arrest and what that could mean for her father’s return. It was not that she did not share the family’s pain. She simply could not deal with her mother not considering the possibility that her father could be dead. They argued strongly about it and Asia was not in the mood to experience another migraine.
She continued on toward the veranda and took a seat near the wooden balustrade. The Alsatians stirred at her intrusion, but shortly thereafter, they slipped back into their quiet snooze. She had brought along a cell phone, intending to use it to communicate with Izaiah. The way she’d stormed away from him the other day left an unsettled feeling in her stomach. However, she did not have the guts to face him. How deplorable her behavior had been – to go off on the one man who’d lovingly supported her and her family through the worst of situations.
Asia knew she needed to ask for Izaiah’s forgiveness and then learn how to work on her temper before it drove Izaiah into the arms of another woman. But why was she even thinking that? Maybe Candi’s annoying little words were right all along: “You are stringing Izaiah along and sooner or later he is gonna end up being hurt in the process. I can see that Izaiah is a decent man. Don’t use him as a crutch, Asia, because he deserves better than that.”
The thought forced Asia to focus on some really tough questions. Did she really love Izaiah? Had she really
gotten over Jorge and the passion they’d shared when he was alive? Would she ever be ready to marry another man? Sure she could blame her crazy moods on all the crap she’d been through with her father and the mess he’d left behind, but it would still not be fair to put it all on Izaiah. He had done nothing but express his deep love and commitment for her. But was that enough for her to be happy for the rest of her life? She was so taken with her thoughts that she didn’t hear when Izaiah approached her.
“I would have asked why you’re sitting out here alone, but I already know the answer that I will receive.” Sporting a concerned expression, Izaiah gestured for permission to sit in a chair that was about three feet away from Asia. “May I?”
She replied stiffly, “Sure, if you’re not that disgusted with me.”
Izaiah responded, “You should realize by now that my shoulders are very broad, which means I can handle every bit of your independence and vivacity. When you need your space, I give it to you. When you need comforting – like right now – I show up. I don’t hide my desire to make you my wife, but I will never force you into something you are not ready for. I am sensible enough to know that these past three years have been extremely challenging for you, especially during the loss of a man you thought was going to be your husband. What you two shared is something I will probably never understand, but that is okay. However, I do know that I will never leave your side. I will stand by you in everything.”
At that juncture, Asia dropped her head toward her lap. She felt that familiar sting in her eyes, which meant that her tears were not that far behind. Izaiah reached over and gently covered her hand with his.
“I love you, Asia,” he whispered. “And there is nothing I wouldn’t do for you. Please, don’t ever forget that.”
Asia raised her head to stare into Izaiah’s eyes. She did not want to confess her love for Izaiah until she was really sure of what she was feeling for him.
“So you still think my father is alive?” she asked in response and then quickly added, “I didn’t ask that question to start another argument. I simply want your most honest answer.”
“Well,” Izaiah said, clearing his throat. “I do.”
“What makes you feel so certain that my father is still alive? He’s been gone for three years.”
Anwar didn’t reply right away. He glanced through the French doors at Dallis talking to her husband. She had just revealed to the family that she had seen Gregory the afternoon she and Anwar were married. Izaiah believed Dallis, though he couldn’t understand why she waited until she’d returned from Orlando to tell everyone. Instead of bringing Asia up to speed with what had been discussed in the family meeting, he decided to relay to her a strange occurrence he’d never shared with anyone.
“The night your father went missing,” he started, “your mother was rushed to the emergency room. While in the hospital, I ran into Detective Shelby and explained to him the situation about how I’d dropped your father off at Station 61 and was instructed to pick him up once Mrs. Beaufort had been stabilized. I cannot explain the way Detective Shelby looked at me. It was as if I’d made the dumbest mistake in the world. He suddenly ran, yelling that he had to leave. I knew then that I had probably made the dumbest mistake in the world. To make a long story short, you can imagine how broken I was to think that I had placed your father right into the hands of his kidnappers.”
“But you didn’t know what was going on at the time,” Asia said. “Don’t continue to beat yourself up about it.”
“Well, I am coping much better,” Izaiah admitted. “I have learned that we simply can’t control the outcome of certain situations. But I want to tell you that I prayed a prayer that night – fell to my knees in the waiting room and almost prayed my heart out. I asked God to destroy the evil strongholds that were trying to ruin your family. And similar words along that line. Fervently and with much focus I laid my request before God. And as I was about to conclude my prayer, I heard some voices say, ‘amen’.
“I looked up and saw three women – dressed in the purest white. Their smiles were very warm and inviting. And I could feel an atmosphere of peace coming from their presence. By the time I’d straightened to my feet, they were gone. I looked left and right down the halls and could not spot them anywhere. There was no way they could have vanished so quickly without me seeing where they were heading. I didn’t think much about it then, but as the days wore on, that incident kept coming back to me. It soothed me many nights when I sank into depression about how careless I’d been with your father that night.”
“You believe the women were angels,” Asia said as more of a statement than a question, though she was keenly interested in what Izaiah had to say at that point. “How does that incident give you an assurance that my father is still alive?”
“Because I asked God to keep him safe. I believe those angels appeared to tell me that my prayers had been answered.”
Asia stared at Izaiah as if he’d lost his mind. “My father would have returned by now. Haven’t you been listening to the news? They are saying that he drowned.”
“Forget what the news stations are reporting,” Izaiah said. “My question to you is this: Are you ready for your father to return? Because that will mean you have found it in your heart to forgive him. And by the way you’re being so inquisitive about this, proves to me that you miss your father very much, despite all of the terrible mistakes he’s made.”
“You’re reading too much into nothing.”
“Am I?”
“Of course. It’ll be a cold day in hell before I find it in my heart to forgive that man.”
“You don’t mean that.”
Asia rolled her eyes and then stared away into the darkness. She did not wish to start another argument with Izaiah, so she felt it was best she shut up at that point. Izaiah soon got the message. He rose up from the chair and walked back into the house.
Never forget the three powerful resources you always have available to you: love, prayer, and forgiveness.
H. Jackson Brown Jr.
Chapter Twenty
Another week passed without any new developments on Gregory’s disappearance. But that didn’t stop people from coming out in droves to St. Donovan’s Chapel, where a gathering of prayer warriors had taken the spiritual airwaves by storm. Their requests were bold and fiery, asking God to superimpose His plans over the plans of the evil one. They held on to faith that Gregory was still alive and that God was able to bring him home, despite the negative information that was being pushed through the media outlets.
Montgomery and Della were at the front, joining in with Izaiah and the congregation, as they formed a tight circle around Dana and the other members of the Beaufort family. They appeared as pious and concerned as the others in the congregation, who were supporting the prayer warriors with their ‘amens’ and ‘hallelujahs’. Montgomery and Della were excellent actors, even to the point of sharing bogus tears over the anguish of the Beaufort family. But even they could not downplay a feeling of uneasiness for long, which multiplied each time the prayer warriors released a string of rebukes against the kingdom of darkness.
“According to Ephesian 6, verse 12,” someone declared. “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against evil rulers, and wicked authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly realm. And according to Ephesian 2, verse 6, God has raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Therefore we put on the full amour of God and war against our enemies! From this heavenly location we legislate and take authority over the works of demonic schemes and tactics!
“We bind the plots and wicked progression of those pursing Bishop Beaufort. We pray that he will be released from their tyranny and that the blood of Jesus Christ will force the secrets of dark places to be revealed. We declare in the atmosphere that victory has already been won and that every evil accomplice and hidden agenda will be exposed. Now Lord,
cause unrest and a mighty disturbance in the camp of the enemy that they will have no other choice but to yield to Your Lordship.”
By the time the prayer warriors were through, Della was shaking in her boots. A strong sensation had overtaken her and suddenly she had an urge to confess everything she and Montgomery knew about Gregory’s disappearance. They were the ones assigned to thwart the blessings on the lives of Dana and her daughters and here they were holding hands with people who were urging heaven to hasten their own demise. Della could not recall ever being so frightened in all her life.
People were returning to their seats, but Della felt as if her feet had gotten wedged into the floor. Montgomery was quick to notice the behavioral patterns of his wife, because he, too, was experiencing some of the same sensations. But Montgomery’s conscience had little tolerance for God and anything associated with Him. So it was easy for him to bounce out of the incantations those zealots had tried to place on them. He gripped Della’s shoulders and led her to her seat.
“What’s the matter with you?” he whispered in her ear.
“I don’t know,” Della whispered back. “I can’t explain what I feel going on inside me. Do you think it’s the Holy Spirit?”
Montgomery snapped, “There’s nothing going on inside you except the eagerness to carry out our assignment. Don’t let those zealots frighten you into doing something stupid.”
Della began to shake her head in a confused manner. “Monty, I love you, but I don’t think I can go through with this. My heart is beating so fast right now; it feels as if I’m gonna pass out.”
Montgomery quickly stood to his feet. “Follow me; let me get you some water to calm your nerves.”
The actions of Montgomery and Della got Dana’s attention right away, as well as some of the congregants. They all watched in shock as Montgomery lifted Dana’s arm and practically dragged her through the exit doors. The way he was talking into her ear, looked as if he was reprimanding her about something. Dana turned her attention back to Izaiah, who was preparing to speak on the family’s behalf. However, her mind was torn over whether to stay put or to get up and follow Montgomery and Della. What could a fifteen year old do in church that would cause her father to embarrass her like that? I never thought Mr. Black was that brutal.