by Roy Glenn
“What about the husband? She scam him?”
“To the tune of fifty grand, and on top of that, Daniels and another guy I talked to were both giving her money for her condo and her car.”
Silver laughed. “Both of ’em, huh?”
“She was some piece of work,” Garrett said.
Silver rubbed his face and thought about what Garrett was telling him. If all he said was true, and there was no reason to believe that it wasn’t, any one of the men she was involved with would have had a reason to kill Abril Arrington. “What about this banker guy? She get him to invest in something too?”
“Magazine. He didn’t say how much he’d given her.”
“You know, Garrett, this is all very interesting stuff, but how do you explain the fact that hours after your client finds out that her husband is banging this broad, she ends up dead? Coincidence? I don’t think so. But it’s worth checking out.”
“I know it is. So why don’t you drop by my office, and I’ll share what I have with you,” Garrett said and the two men parted company.
19
During the months leading up to the trial, Marcus and Panthea discreetly continued their illicit affair. Each weekend the lovers traveled separately to different U.S. cities. For her part, Panthea would have liked to go to the islands, but as a condition of her bail, she had to surrender her passport.
They spent a weekend in Marco Island, a recreational paradise located on one of the fabled Ten Thousand Islands located between Naples and the Florida Everglades, on southwest Florida's Gulf Coast. It was a place where visitors came to enjoy the subtropical climate and pristine beaches.
Marcus chose the spot because Marco Island was home to only sixteen thousand year-round residents and thirty-five thousand seasonal residents. Spots like that would lessen the chances that they’d be seen together.
They stayed at the Marco Beach Ocean Resort overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, which featured five miles of white sand beaches, a spa and fitness center, pool and hot tub as well as rooftop gardens.
Marcus booked a one-bedroom suite furnished in rich wood, lavish marble showers, floor-to-ceiling glass doors which led to a private balcony with full table and chairs. The resort also offered its guests maid service twice daily and twenty-four hour concierge service, of course.
On Saturday afternoon, Marcus and Panthea ate lunch at the beach. They dined on New York strip steaks and grilled salmon served with mixed greens. They also drank way too many French Kisses—a drink made with Grey Goose, Chambord, Melon Liquor and Sweet Vermouth.
While they enjoyed their meals, Marcus noticed a very attractive woman with nice sized breasts getting some sun. Panthea observed his interest in the woman and decided to have a little fun.
“You like that woman, don’t you, Marcus?” she asked and pointed to the woman.
“What woman?” Marcus asked, without taking his eyes off of the woman.
Panthea smiled at Marcus. “The one you’re staring at.”
“Was I staring?”
“Yes, Marcus, you are staring at the woman. But you don’t have to worry. It’s all right. A man is supposed to look at a beautiful woman like that,” Panthea said and ran her hand across his chest. “You want her, don’t you?”
“No,” Marcus said quickly.
“Come on, Marcus, be honest.”
“No,” Marcus said and leaned close to Panthea. “I’m here with you,” he said and kissed her on the cheek.
“I understand that, Marcus. But if you were here by yourself. Or better yet, if you knew I wouldn’t get mad at you, would you want her?”
Marcus sat back in his chair looking curiously at the playful look on Panthea’s face and then at the woman, who by that time had just taken off her bikini top. He looked at Panthea again. She was looking at the woman too. “Yes, Panthea. I want her.”
Panthea turned slowly toward Marcus. “Whatever Marcus wants, Marcus gets,” she said and stood up. She kissed Marcus on the lips. “I’ll be right back.”
“Where are you going?” Marcus asked as she walked away without answering.
Marcus watched as Panthea walked over and sit down next to the woman. He looked on as the two talked, then Panthea pointed at Marcus, and he wondered what she was telling the woman. The woman glanced at Marcus, smiled and waved to him before turning her attention back to Panthea.
The woman began smiling and laughing at whatever Panthea was telling her, so Marcus figured it was just Panthea having fun, and it was no big deal. Then the expression on the woman’s face changed, and she looked over at Marcus again.
Slowly the woman’s expression began to soften and turned into a smile. The woman said something else to Panthea, and she said a few more words before she got up and returned to the table.
“What did you say to her?” Marcus asked as soon as Panthea sat down.
“Slow down, Marcus. Don’t act so excited,” Panthea said. “Her name is Nicole, she’s from Chicago and came here, as you can see, to get some sun. Her boyfriend was supposed to join her here today, but got tied up and can’t get here until late tonight.”
“And?” Marcus asked and glanced in the woman's direction. He watched as she stood up and wrapped a towel around herself.
“I started to tell her our names were Scott and Abril, but then I remembered—she’s dead,” Panthea laughed. “So your name is Mark and I’m Pam, and we’re from Baltimore.”
“Good, baby, that was good thinking,” Marcus mused and watch as Nicole gathered her things to leave the beach.
“Thank you. I like it when you’re proud of me. Anyway, I asked her if she wanted to have sex with you,” Panthea said calmly.
Marcus laughed because he didn’t believe she had actually said that. But he was there to have fun, so he played along. “What did she say?”
“She said no.”
“Oh, that’s too bad,” Marcus said and tried his best to look disappointed. “I was really looking forward to getting with her.”
“But when I told her she could have both of us, she changed her mind. So I told her what suite we were in and said she should be there in about an hour. You understand. She wanted to freshen up a bit first. I think we should do the same.”
“Right,” Marcus said and laughed as Panthea stood up. “Where are you going?”
Panthea looked at Marcus strangely. “Ah, to the room to freshen up,” she said and let out a little laugh.
“You're serious, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“So let me get this straight. That woman—”
“Nicole.”
“Right, Nicole is going to meet us in our suite in an hour to have sex with both of us?”
“That’s right.” Panthea sat down and took Marcus’s hand. “Is that all right with you? I mean me—us having sex with her? I mean, that wasn’t what we discussed before I went and spoke to her.”
“You’d do that? I mean—with woman?”
“I have before, but it’s been years since I’ve done anything like that.”
Marcus leaned back in his chair and looked at Panthea. “You want her, don’t you?”
Panthea offered a shy smile. “Yes, I do,” she said softly.
A little over an hour later, Marcus and Panthea had made love in the shower, and then freshened up and sat waiting on their deck for Nicole to arrive. They had room service deliver a couple of bottles of champagne, which was chilling in the living room of the suite. Panthea was getting a little nervous.
Maybe I should have told her we’d come to her room, Panthea thought. She hadn’t done anything like this in a very long time. It was a part of herself that she never shared with Scott, never really wanted to. But for reasons that she couldn’t explain to herself, she wanted to share this with Marcus.
As she gazed at the Gulf of Mexico, Panthea’s mind drifted back to thoughts of those days, thoughts of Aisha. She and Aisha Kaufman had been best friends since first grade. By the time they reached high school, th
ey were both very pretty and pretty wild. They even looked a little alike.
I miss you, Aisha.
But Panthea was a different person in those days. In those days, it was all about men and all about the money. Panthea and Aisha had a lot of good times and some bad times too.
Marcus noticed the distant look on Panthea’s face. “Hey,” he said and touched her hand. “You okay?”
“I’m fine,” Panthea said and was startled by a knock at the door. Panthea’s expression changed. “You didn’t think she was coming, did you?” She asked and left Marcus sitting on the deck and went to answer the door.
20
Marcus stood up when Panthea returned to the deck with Nicole, who was wearing a bikini top and had a towel wrapped around her waist.
“Nicole, this is my husband, Mark.”
Marcus gave Nicole a friendly hug. “It’s nice to meet you, Nicole,” he said and extended his hand, “Please sit down.”
Once the introductions were made, the three sat for a while getting acquainted. “So, what do you do, Mark?” Nicole asked.
Marcus glanced at Panthea. “I’m a lawyer.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
“What type of law do you practice?”
“Criminal,” Marcus said proudly.
“That must be very exciting,” Nicole commented.
“It can be at times, but usually it’s just a lot a reading law books and filing papers.”
“You working on something interesting now? A juicy murder maybe?”
“As a matter of fact I am.”
“Can you talk about it. You’re not like under some court ordered silence, or something?”
“No, nothing so serious.” Marcus smiled at Panthea, and she rolled her eyes. “I’m defending a woman who is on trial for murdering her husband’s mistress.”
“Really?”
“Really.” Marcus laughed.
“Wow. How’s it going?” Nicole asked
Marcus looked at Panthea. “I think I can get her off,” he said and turned to Nicole. “The prosecution’s case is mostly circumstantial. And I believe I can create enough reasonable doubt for them to find her not guilty.”
“Well good luck,” Nicole said.
“Thank you. Luck is always a good thing to have on your side,” Marcus added. “What about you, Nicole. What do you do?”
“I’m a physical therapist.”
“So you’re good with your hands.” Marcus laughed.
“Oh, I’m very good with my hands, honey,” Nicole said and laughed.
“That’s good to know,” Panthea said and touched Nicole's hand.
The chitchat continued in that manor for over an hour until Panthea suggested that they go inside and have some champagne.
There was still something in Marcus that didn’t really believe a threesome was actually going to happen. By the time he cracked the second bottle, Marcus was sure that this would turn out to be nothing more than three people on vacation sharing an afternoon drink together. And then the conversation turned, and it wasn’t too long after when Nicole accepted Panthea’s invitation to join her and Marcus on the couch.
Nicole put her flute on the coffee table and began to run her hand across Marcus’s leg. Panthea took that as her cue. She took Marcus’s face into her hands and kissed him. Marcus stroked Panthea’s thighs with one hand and put the other arm behind Nicole’s back. He immediately unhooked Nicole’s bikini top. As soon as her big twins were free, Marcus did what he had wanted to do from the second he saw Nicole. He eased away from Panthea and took one of Nicole’s nipples into his mouth. Nicole leaned back on the couch and held Marcus’s head in place with one hand and squeezed her breast with the other.
Panthea stood up and moved the coffee table out of the way and got down on the floor. She quickly pulled off Marcus’s shorts and began to stroke him until he got hard. Once his dick was firm, Panthea took Marcus, who by this time was kissing Nicole, into her mouth.
Nicole stood up and dropped the towel to reveal that she had nothing on under it. She got down on her knees and ran her hand over Panthea’s body. She started from her ankle then rubbed along her leg just before stopping for a moment to remove Panthea’s bikini bottom. Then she joined her between Marcus’s legs.
“Let me have some of that,” Nicole said.
“It’s big enough to share,” Panthea mumbled.
For Marcus, this was a fantasy come true. Like most other men, Marcus had always wanted to have sex with two women. He looked down at Panthea as she and Nicole ran their tongues along the sides of his shaft. She had made his fantasy a pleasurable reality. The excitement of the moment was starting to get a little overwhelming for Marcus. He took a deep breath and tried to relax so he could enjoy every second of it.
Nicole stood up and sat down on the couch next to Marcus. Panthea separated herself from Marcus and crawled between Nicole's legs. Panthea reached between her thighs and fingered her clit with one hand while squeezing her breast with the other.
Nicole stroked Marcus until he stood up, and she took him into her mouth. Panthea very deliberately spread Nicole’s lips with her thumb and forefinger while making small circles around her clit with the tip of her right forefinger. All the time, she stared at Marcus. Panthea slid her tongue inside Nicole and sucked her moist lips gently. Nicole felt her body quiver as Panthea licked her clit with the tip of her tongue. Panthea sucked her clit and it grew harder. Her thighs pressed together as her body convulsed uncontrollably.
Marcus looked down at Panthea’s ass and stepped away from Nicole. He fell in behind her, held onto her hips and entered her slowly. He got into a long, rhythmic stroke while he watched Nicole squeeze her nipples in the throes of ecstasy. Marcus pulled almost completely out of Panthea and then slowly entered her again. When he was inside her fully, he smacked her ass. Not hard, but firm.
After a while, they made their way to the bed. As Marcus lay down, Nicole lay next to him, gliding her hand up and down his erection. Panthea got up on the bed and lowered herself onto Marcus’s face. He reached up with his hand and ran them across her breasts. He ran his tongue along her lips and proceeded to lick her clit.
Nicole began gliding her hands across his skin to his now throbbing hardness and slowly began to massage it. She straddled his torso and eased herself down on it. She moaned her pleasure while continuing to slide up and down his shaft. Nicole rested her breast gently on Panthea’s back. She cupped her hands under Panthea’s breasts and squeezed her nipples while she nibbled on her neck and shoulder.
Panthea repositioned herself on Marcus’s face, so she would be facing Nicole. As Marcus licked and sucked Panthea’s dripping wet pussy, he pushed himself as deep as he could inside Nicole. Meanwhile, Nicole and Panthea kissed and explored each other’s bodies with their hands.
When everything was over, the trio was exhausted. After a short nap, Nicole got out of bed and got in the shower. Before she went back to her room, they made plans to meet for dinner.
Later that evening, when Nicole’s boyfriend called and said he wouldn’t be able to make it until morning, she found herself knocking on Marcus and Panthea’s door.
“Ready for round two?” Nicole asked as Panthea stepped aside and let her in.
21
After months of motions and legal wrangling, Panthea’s trial was set to begin in one week without a great deal of optimism from the defense team. Marcus needed someone to bounce some ideas off, so he went down the hall to Tiffanie’s office. He felt like she was the best lawyer he knew, and there was no one better at speculating on alternate theories of a crime than Tiffanie.
An hour into their session, they were in the same spot in spite of all the evidence they’d collected to support the theory that any of the men Abril Arrington a.k.a. Adina Banks was involved with could have had a strong motive for murder. The strength of the prosecution’s case was the witness who saw somebody leaving the scene in a black Mercedes Benz, the ty
pe of car that Panthea drove. That and the fact that hours after learning about the affair, Abril Arrington turned up dead.
“The problem is that Pascal Larrieux told the police through his lawyer that he’d never heard of Abril Arrington, and that he never talked to you and Garrett,” Tiffanie said.
“Add that to the fact that when Detective Silver talked to Scott, he denied he had given Abril any money for a business and that he never told Garrett that.”
“But you have phone records that support an entirely different conclusion. I mean we have her phone records.”
“That’s not exactly the issue. Us being able to show they talked to her doesn’t necessarily prove they were giving her money.”
“I understand since both of them deny having told you and Garrett what she was doing, it’s just hear-say.”
“Her bank records indicate that all of her large deposits were in cash,” Marcus added. “And with no bank records that show a direct connection. The judge deemed that any mention of either of those alleged incidents would be inadmissible without a witness to corroborate the story.”
“You could raise the fact that Abril Arrington had been using the name Adina Banks,” Tiffanie suggested.
“I plan to, but again without a witness to corroborate that she was using the other name to scam money out of these guys, it would do little good.”
“I wish you luck with this one. Do you plan on putting Mrs. Daniels on the stand?”
“I haven’t made up my mind about that one yet,” Marcus told her.
“Which way are you leaning?”
“I’m not really worried about her presentation, and I don’t think she’ll fall apart on cross, but I’m wondering if I do put her on the stand, what purpose it will serve—for us, I mean.”
“I don’t follow.”
“What is she going to say under oath. Yeah, I was very upset about seeing pictures of my husband with another woman. I was so upset that I drove around for hours, but I didn’t kill her,’” Marcus said, trying to make light of the situation.