Justice Black: The Game Never Ends

by Gartia Bansah

  A hard, hot lump pressed against Kaitlyn’s throat, and tears misted in her eyes. She was so moved by this enigma of a man. Her stomach quivered at how she’d implied he was cruel to anything.

  “Justice, you didn’t know about Jeremiah. It was not your fault.” Kaitlyn wiped his eyes. “May I ask where Jeremiah is?”

  “He’s in his third year at the university studying medicine. He graduated from high school at sixteen and went straight to medical school. Right now he minors in being a charitable diplomat.” He laughed.

  “How’s that?” she laughed.

  “My son is passionate for homeless kids,” he explained. “I never know how many to expect during his breaks. I don’t mind it at all; some of the kids, I have to admit, are very strange.”

  “Your son sounds like a good man with a good heart.” Like you.

  “Yes, he is.” He wiped her tears. Rayford had refreshed his memory about Justice’s indirect contact with Kaitlyn. Justice remembered that fiery moment and grinned. Kaitlyn had launched that same temper at him that morning about his noise.

  “I don’t play around. I’m disease-free. I have all my teeth. I don’t smoke. I occasionally drink.” He winked. “And I don’t get drunk.”

  “Good to know,” she laughed. “On all of that.”

  Justice handed the floor plans back to her. “What would you change?”

  Relieved, she renewed her interest in the plans.

  “I would have a picture window to overlook a vegetable garden. My kitchen would be large enough for my family to be comfortable while I cook and the kids do homework. You know, a family kitchen. Also, I would have a mudroom and a porch. I love porches, and if you have a garden, you need a mudroom.” She was so absorbed with the plans Justice believed she had forgotten he was there.

  “You cook?” he interrupted.

  Kaitlyn breathed deeply. “Cooking is that important? Yes, I cook. What about you?”

  “Well, the food has to at least taste good. I cooked for Jeremiah and sometimes for my sisters, and everyone survived.” He placed two keys in her hand and closed it. “Here. While I’m away, I need you to feed the parrots and look after my car. You can drive it, can’t you?”

  Dumbfounded, Kaitlyn managed to nod.

  “Good. Then you can take me to the airport.”

  “I can’t. I’m going out of town next week. I can’t.” This was too much too fast.

  “Yes, you can. Don’t forget the fish. I’ll be gone for two days to New York. The days you are gone, take the parrots to Barrett.”

  He needed to get to New York. It was a solid lead. Victoria’s information from Jarrod was helpful. The codes from the menu identified someone called Evening Primrose’s plan to hack into their security system. It was a wild card, and this could be another distraction from the fire, but no matter how the media slammed him, he’d do his job. And he’d find Evening Primrose.

  He waited for Kaitlyn to balk again. “You owe me for that animal cruelty stunt. I don’t think I can ever forgive you for that one. You, Dr. Joseph, of all people, know the emotional scars trauma causes. I am traumatized.”

  She didn’t buy that. No way was he traumatized. “Since you’ve discussed it with Barrett, why can’t she do it the entire time?”

  “No.” He shoved his suitcase with his foot toward the door. “Barrett can only do it the days you’re gone.”

  After he showed her where the bird food was stored and how to operate his car, he walked her back to her apartment and checked inside, as any caring gentlemen would, he explained when she started to protest. He picked up the bat and hefted it in his hands.

  “Honey, you hit someone with this, they’ll either haul ass out of here or they’ll be hauled away.”

  She shrugged it off, and her throat suddenly became dry. “If they’ve been invited, they haven’t anything to be worried about.”

  “I’ll remember that.” With caution and care, he placed it back in its place for safety reasons.

  His presence made her thirsty, and she quickly escaped him for a drink. The water didn’t soothe her thirst. It made it worse. She tried to avoid getting too close to him, but everywhere she turned, he was there, with his hands in his pockets. Conveniently, his arms happened to brush lightly against her whenever she moved past him. He was too close. His masculine scent made her edgy. There was no place to look other than at him. Kaitlyn moved back to the sink and washed her glass. He was doing that staring thing again; she bet it was purposely to make her nervous.

  “When’s the next show, and who is this date?” He couldn’t put if off any longer.

  She turned and cupped his face and with a faint giggle whispered, “In three weeks, and the date is with Calvin.”

  “Funny. Won’t Cassie get jealous?”

  “Barrett’s taking Cassie to the nail shop. Don’t worry about your car; I won’t gun the engine—much.”

  He let out a moan before leaving.

  chapter

  THIRTY-THREE

  The lack of pictures infuriated Ed, and Eunice really needed an ally. She was isolated, except her sister occasionally called. After she’d moved in with Ed, her parents were furious and had stopped communicating. Whenever she mentioned having a friend over, he’d say his business made it necessary that he kept a low profile. Eunice laughed; they lived in Port Charles, less than an hour drive from BrightTown. No one came by anyway.

  Eunice thought of telling Mavis about her relationship with Ed, but he cooled down after she explained the camera malfunctioned and she decided against it. She thought how passionate he was that night and couldn’t help smiling.

  “Mavis would be so disappointed if she knew I was living with Jacobson. He was so charming when I met him. Everything about him was attractive, down to the patch over his eye. He made me feel wanted.”

  Eunice jumped when her cell phone rang. It was him. She couldn’t remember when she’d started talking to herself. “I’m losing my mind,” she whispered.

  “Are you coming home soon?” Ed asked wthout any preamble.

  “Yes, but I need to stop by the store. I’ll be there within an hour. Did you need anything?”

  “No. Hurry home. I miss you,” he said before he hung up. Ed knew Eunice lied about the camera, but that, too, could wait. He had his own plans. As long as Eunice did what she was supposed to do, Black will be out on his ass very soon.

  Senator Wray was furious with the chairman. The bottle of vodka he’d downed after that fiacso hearing hadn’t calmed him down. He roughly set the empty bottle aside as he glared at the phone and listened to the chairman. He’d placed the call on speaker. He didn’t trust himself to safely hold the phone without breaking it listening to that pompous chastisment the chairman was spewing.

  “Judge Belcher threatened to have me sanctioned if I can’t back up the information on Justice Black. I can’t afford to lose the Senate seat. I hear the town hall meeting didn’t go well. Already, a couple of the other senators are pulling back their support. You swore the information was solid. I won’t be made a fool of—not by you or anyone else. You obviously don’t know who the hell you are dealing with.”

  “Kane, you really should hold your threats; they are useless to me, in case you’ve forgotten. You owe me. Give me the names of the two senators. I’ll take care of them. Your job is to get Justice Black discredited and out of that position.”

  The chairman wasn’t angry, only annoyed. Kane Wray was no threat. God, he’s nothing like his father: Kane’s such a weakling. But he’s right; we need to keep him visible.

  “All right, but you make damn sure you hold up your end of the bargain. Judge Belcher is no fool. Have they found Clarissa Murphy yet?”

  “No. Dragus is still looking. He tracked down her family, but they swore no one had seen or heard from her in five years. Do you know something?”

 
“No, but keep looking. Find her! How hard can it be to find one damn black woman? I have a press conference tonight, and I need some damn good talking points. Find Clarissa Murphy. It’s our trump card over Justice Black and Pen Solomon.”

  chapter

  THIRTY-FOUR

  The pictures on the wall shook, and her bed vibrated. Kaitlyn sat straight up from her sleep. Was is an earthquake? Then she remembered where she lived and then wondered whether Justice was noisy as a child.

  This one time she was grateful for his rudeness. She’d nearly overslept; the clock chimed five times at the precise time of the next thud. Her sleepy body tried to make it in one piece to the bathroom but instead fought a battle with her legs and tangled sheets. Dazed, she fell.

  “With my luck I’ll break my neck,” she whispered.

  Exhausted after another grueling day of questions, interviews, and press releases, she’d barely made it to bed before one. She’d learned Caldwell had an even shorter fuse than Justice. Mayor Tevis tested everyone’s patience. She was afraid they’d throw him out the window. Everything had to be explained twice until Justice asked whether he was really serious.

  Genevieve had tried to lighten the atmosphere. “Honey,” she’d said, “when you get to be as old as me, you’ll learn that annoying people aren’t important.”

  Later that evening, she and Justice had sat in his car until close to midnight, talking and laughing. It was his idea. She would never have suggested such a thing.

  Twenty minutes later the pounding moved to the door. Kaitlyn rushed to open it before Justice took it off its hinges or the neighbors called the police. She took one look at him and nearly cried. There he stood with a rakish grin, neatly dressed, looking rested and fresh in a crisp lavender shirt.

  “Come on.” Justice walked past her and easily ignored her displeased look. “You need to take me to the airport.”

  He really didn’t need her to do this. It was an excuse to see her.

  “What time is it?” She squinted at the clock on the wall. “I barely crawled into bed, and how can you look so fresh? It’s disgusting.”

  Yet she was dressed in sweats and sneakers. “You’ve been jogging?” he asked.

  “No.”

  “I see.”

  The leaves on the carpet and the open patio door caught his attention. He thought, If she took that much care making sure she had a club handy, how could she be so careless with something as an open door?

  “Dr. Joseph, you need to lock this damn door.” His words were rougher than he’d intended.

  Kaitlyn panicked. How could she have forgotten that? She was sure she had locked it—or had she dreamed it? She’d never made that mistake before.

  “You can’t leave it open like this.” He grabbed the broom from the patio, slammed the door closed, and locked it. Then he broke the broom handle across his knee and wedged it behind the sliding glass door. “Damn, Marvin, these apartments should have safety latches.”

  “I can take care of myself,” she said and rushed past him.

  Because Kaitlyn ran like a scared rabbit, he’d shelve everything, for now.

  A half hour later, Kaitlyn returned, plainly dressed for work, head held high with body language that said, “Don’t ask me anything.” That convinced him that when he got back, she’d damn well tell him who she was afraid of and why.

  “I forgot I had to drive you, or I would have gotten up earlier.” She gathered her purse and peeked outside.

  “What’s wrong?” He pulled her back and looked himself.

  “It’s a habit. I’m not yet familiar with my surroundings.”

  That was a lie. He didn’t say anything. He took her key, locked the door, took her by the elbow, and guided her to his car. He’d seen that cautious and fearful behavior in women who had been subjected to violence by the hands of a man.

  “Good habit,” he finally said.

  The airport was in Castleview, and he was speeding. Why he insisted upon driving was beyond her. “Aren’t you driving too fast?” she asked. “You should let me drive. I want to get there alive, not mangled on the roadside.”

  She needed something to distract her from her impending death.

  “Gabe Sanderson is doing well, and Mr. Harrison’s ex is still under sedation.”

  “I know.” Justice showed no emotions, and his face hardened.

  Kaitlyn wasn’t surprised at his reaction, not after what he’d told her about Clarissa. When it came to neglect of children, Justice Black was unforgiving.

  “Let her be upset,” he continued. “She dragged that man to court so he couldn’t be with his kids until gambling became more important to her. If it wasn’t for Desirae, her kids would be dead like Jamie.”

  Tensed quietness suddenly entered the confines of the car like smoldering heat. It was too painfully true, and for a while, neither said a word.

  Kaitlyn broke the silence with uplifting news. “Mr. Harrison and his children will move in with his sister; he’s a fighter and will do well.”

  “I’m not sorry for Peter’s ex. Peter worked that second-rate job to cover her child care. She turned her back on her kids. She should go to hell.”

  “I think she’s already in hell, Justice. Did you know Mr. Harrison was scheduled to see me the following week for an evaluation of his suitability to be with his children? What a mess.”

  “Yeah, some mess.” When he’d visited Peter’s ex in the hospital, she’d cried for forgiveness. He’d simply told her to ask Peter and her kids. “I’m hungry. I’m buying you breakfast.”

  “You don’t have to do that. I can buy my own breakfast.”

  “My treat. Next time I’ll let you fix breakfast for me.”

  Her mouth flew open at his audacity. “You’ll let me? That’s mighty big of you, Dr. Black.”

  “I thought so too, Dr. Joseph.”

  They ate at the mom-and-pop diner near the airport. The place was quaint, with rooster-patterned plastic tablecloths and ceramic roosters as centerpieces. The morning news blared on a black-and-white TV that actually had knobs. Someone played an oldie from the mini-jukeboxes that sat on every table. Mom served, and Pop cooked. They knew Justice very well and asked whether he wanted his usual. The food was good but heavy. Kaitlyn took toast, oatmeal, and green tea. He ate the number-one special: steak and grits, two eggs over medium, homemade biscuits with homemade fig preserves and fresh churned butter, and black coffee, all served to him accompanied by a hug from Mom.

  Kaitlyn stared in utter disbelief as he ate. “You’re incredible.”

  “I like this place. It’s homey, and the food’s great.”

  Soon they were back on the road; Kaitlyn braced herself and squeezed the door handle when he narrowly passed two cars. Everything was a blur when Justice barely made his exit.

  “They needed to be in the slow lane,” he suggested.

  It was too much early-morning excitement for her. She closed her eyes and prayed she’d get to the airport in one piece. When the airport sign was finally in sight, she sighed and relaxed. She desperately needed to take her mind off his driving.

  “Grief sessions are being held for the restaurant employees; Jamie’s mother is attending.”

  “I know. You told me that.” He also knew the mother unexpectedly had brought her child there for Desirae to babysit.

  He found a spot where he could see the planes. He had plenty of time before his flight and purposedly had arrived early to spend more time with her. He took her hands and studied her fingers. Her hands were soft. They felt good on his skin.

  “Have I told you how good you are on the sax and guitar?” He played with her fingers, noticing how delicate they were. “Who taught you how to play?”

  She smiled. “Yes, you did. Twice. My dad taught me how to play the guitar. One of my uncles enjoyed competing with him, taught me
how to play the sax. When I was in college, I took private sax lessons from one of my music professors. Grandmom Daisy taught me the piano.”

  He gave her a smile and thought of the dance and how natural and relaxed she had performed.

  “What was that amazing dance called again?”

  “We call it the sister dance as a way of connecting. Actually, it was Wil’s idea to do it at the end of every performance. Gracie learned some steps from her husband, and we did the rest.”

  “Hmm, I liked it.” He had to ask to be sure. “What’s between Dan and you?”

  “He’s a sweetheart. When my car broke down again, Dan picked me up for rehearsals. Why?”

  Justice shrugged as Kaitlyn fiddled with his shirt collar and sighed as she focused on the stitching. “Where is Seymour? I’m not feeding that thing too.”

  His mind was on the trip, but he answered, “Seymour ran away.” Actually he didn’t know where Seymour was.

  “Tobiah, our relationship can’t be a problem.”

  “We won’t let it be. You can back away whenever you want. But I hope you don’t.”

  She couldn’t do that, nor did she want to, and she didn’t see his next move coming.

  Justice slowly pushed her back against the cold window and kissed and caressed her until she relaxed. The window slowly clouded from the inside heat that competed with the cold outside.

  “You’re beautiful.” He slowly moved his hand over her sweater and teased one breast.

  Thrown off-balance, she jumped.

  “Justice, what are you doing? Are you crazy? We can’t do this.” Though it was weak, she protested.

  “And why not?”

  “It’s indecent. That’s why.”

  “So you say.” These were words coming from a woman whose performance had brought a crowd to its feet. He chuckled, delighted with her dazed look as he gently nibbled and suckled her neck as he moved his hand where he’d left off.