by Pamela Yaye
They chatted for several minutes about cravings and gained weight and phantom contractions. Monique was glad for the diversion. Even if only temporarily, it eased the ache in her heart over Niko’s betrayal. She thought about Emma’s suggestion to call Rob. It was a good idea. After a trying day in court or a hectic day at the office, his calm, steady demeanor had always calmed her. She’d appreciated different points of view gained from his perspective. An irony assailed her. If she’d stayed with steady, dependable Rob...none of this would have happened.
* * *
Niko, Ike Jr., Warren and Terrell sat around the conference-room table discussing how to handle this latest situation. If one Drake had a problem, they all did.
Ike Jr. eyed his brother. “How are you so sure it’s Dick?”
“It has to be him, considering his feelings about women in politics, poor people in our city and an upstart like me having the audacity to run for mayor. This wasn’t the work of a Democrat or independent. He did this.”
Terrell scowled, crossed his arms. “I think so, too.”
“When do you expect to hear back from Teresa?” Warren asked.
Niko looked at his watch. “By now, I thought. Let me text her.”
“I’m ahead of you, bro.” Terrell’s thumbs flew across the keys.
Ike leaned forward, steepling his fingers on the table. “What are we going to do with whatever proof Teresa finds? Dick isn’t foolish enough to have his name connected to something like this. If accused, he’ll deny. Then what?”
“Is the story true?” Terrell placed down his phone and looked at Niko. “That’s what I want to know.”
“She was terminated for an isolated incident, learned her lesson and moved on. We all make mistakes. That shouldn’t be held against her or used against her.”
Ike Jr. disagreed. “Come on, Niko. This is politics. Any part of her life is fair game.”
Niko sprang from his chair. “Are you justifying what happened?”
Ike Jr. stood and looked him in the eye. “I’m saying that if she can’t stand the heat, she never should have jumped in the fire.”
“Calm down.” Warren hadn’t raised his voice, yet his tone was authoritative and effective. The men sat. “Let’s keep focused on what we’re here to do.
“I say we start at the firm where this incident happened, get the names of the attorneys employed during that time and see if there’s a connection with Dick.”
“That’s a start,” Terrell replied, once again scrolling and texting on his cell phone. “But the Schneiders know some of everybody. His father was a judge for a hundred years.”
“The key is learning just who are the Independent Citizens for a New Paradise.” Niko reached for his iPad and opened a screen. “Either that or the corporation that’s bankrolling these ads. Commercial slots on major networks are not cheap. Not that money is a factor... Wait.” He checked the buzzing cell phone’s caller ID. “This is Teresa. What do you have for me, sis?” He listened intently while typing notes. “JDA Associates—that’s the corporation?” Terrell opened his mouth to say something, but Niko held up his hand. “Really? That’s interesting. Okay, got it. Thanks, sis. If you ever get tired of journalism, I’ll hire you as my detective. All right, love you, too.”
“What did she find out?” Terrell spoke immediately. “Is it him?”
“The corporation behind this Independent Citizens outfit is called JDA Associates. Anybody heard of them?”
No one had.
“They incorporated recently—I assume to help Dick. In recent weeks, they’ve made several donations to his campaign.”
“That’s opinion, Counselor. Conjecture. We need solid proof.”
“Okay, Ike. Check this out. After the debate, Schneider’s numbers took the biggest hit. He was being bested by a species he feels shouldn’t even be in the game. When it comes to that man and this election, circumstantial is all I need.”
Ike Jr. nodded, his eyes narrowing in thought. “Let’s assume you’re right. How can you prove it?”
Niko stood and gathered his things. “Haven’t figured that out yet. But I will.”
Chapter 27
“That sounds good,” Monique said, nodding as she navigated L.A. traffic and headed toward the airport. “I’ll write a draft and email it to you on the plane. I have a meeting first thing in the morning with the people securing the airtime, so let’s meet around noon. If at all possible, I want this ad to start running tomorrow night.”
As she was ending this call, another one came in. Niko. She tapped the ignore button and kept driving. Five minutes later, he called again.
“Niko, please stop calling me. We have nothing to talk about.”
“What about the presumption of innocence until guilt is proven?” Silence. “Monique, I’m trying to help you.”
“I’ll tell you how you can do that. Leave me alone.” End of conversation.
Monique took several deep breaths and tried to relax. Hard to do when you thought the man you loved betrayed you. Yes, it was love. As much as she’d tried to deny it, love was the only thing that could hurt this much.
She looked at her watch, noted her surroundings and turned left at the corner. It was a couple of hours till her flight, enough time to grab a to-go order from one of her favorite eateries. This quaint, family-owned Mediterranean establishment was not far from where Rob lived. Everything was homemade. Their falafels were divine. She found a parking space on the street, hurriedly walked the short distance to the door and stepped inside. Immediately she was assailed with a wonderful fragrance of spices, along with the beautiful smile of the daughter who ran the register.
“Monique! Hello! We haven’t seen you in ages.”
“It has been a while.” Before last night, she would have mentioned that she’d moved to Paradise Cove and was running for mayor. Right now, it felt good to just be Monique, attorney-at-law. “I’ve missed you guys.”
“We’ve missed you, too. This is for here, right?”
“Actually, no, can we make it to go?”
“Certainly. Your usual?”
“Absolutely.”
Monique paid for the meal, then took her drink and sat in the small dining room, separated from the take-out area by colorfully decorated drapes. Having checked only sporadically, she was sure her in-box was filled with unread messages. Head down, she scrolled the screen and had answered several emails when she heard the cashier greet a customer.
“Hey there, Rob!”
He responded cheerfully. “Good afternoon! How are you doing today?”
Rob was here? How perfect a coincidence was that! She’d decided against Emma’s suggestion to call him. Looked as though fate had intervened. Smiling, Monique hurriedly placed the cell phone in her purse, grabbed her drink and headed to the counter.
“I thought I heard a familiar voice,” she said while rounding the corner.
Rob turned. His eyes widened.
His deer-in-headlights look wasn’t what stopped Monique in her tracks. The person standing beside him did the trick.
Well, well, well. Within seconds, she regained her composure and approached with a smile. “Fancy meeting you here!” She leaned in for a hug.
“Hello, Monique.” His embrace was lukewarm and brief.
Monique’s eyes slid to his lunch date.
“Ashley, we meet again.”
“Small world, isn’t it?” she said with a smile as fake as her weave.
Monique watched her ex study a menu board he knew by heart. “Rob, can I speak with you for a second?”
Ashley subtly entwined her arm with his. Rob remained silent. Monique’s brow arched.
“Now’s not a good time,” he finally said after clearing his throat. “Why don’t you call me later?”
>
“It will only be a second. I want your opinion on a...project. I’m sure Ashley won’t mind.”
“Oh, you want to speak with him privately? The way I wanted to speak with Niko when you were around?” Laughing, she turned to the menu.
Rob placed his order. “How long are you in town?”
“Not long.”
“Call my office tomorrow. We can talk about your project then.”
The server came out with Monique’s order. Just as well since Rob’s back to her was a fairly clear sign that the talk between them was done. She exited the eatery, thoughts going in a thousand directions. What is Ashley doing here? With Rob, of all people! She reached her car and quickly drove off, the delicious falafel all but forgotten. Instead she chewed on what she’d just seen. A situation that required a second opinion. She dialed Lance and told him what had happened.
“What do you make of it?”
“It’s definitely interesting.” Monique imagined him squinting and rubbing his fingers together as he often did while deep in thought. “How did they meet?”
“I can’t imagine the coincidence of their meeting here. It had to have been during his last visit to Paradise Cove. We argued. He left early. Looks like Ashley was somewhere between my house and the airport.”
“And you say she’s friends with Niko?”
“They used to date, but are just friends now.”
“Convenient, wouldn’t you say?”
“What do you mean?”
“Your ex comes to P.C., spends a weekend, and weeks later you see Niko’s friend all cozy with him.”
“I’m not sure I follow.” Truth was, she didn’t want to.
“Niko met Rob. Niko knows Ashley. Niko’s an independent. Connect the dots.”
“You think he’s behind it?”
“A guy who was leading by more than ten points is now leading by three? With just a couple weeks until the election? Absolutely.”
“Do you still think I can win?”
“Absolutely!”
“Good answer. I’m at the car-rental place, and when I get to the airport, I’ll be working on the script for tomorrow’s shoot. If I need you to come over tonight—”
“Just give me a call.”
“Thanks, Lance.”
“Don’t worry about a thing, Mo. We’ll get it done.”
* * *
Niko sat in his darkened home office, sipping a rare snifter of brandy. It had been a long day. His body was tired. But his mind was wide-awake. Who could have given Dick’s people the information on Monique? He rested his head against the office chair, slowly swiveled back and forth. Terrell was right. The Schneider family knew a lot of people. It could be anyone.
Deep in thought, he didn’t hear the doorbell. But when it buzzed a second time, he set down his glass and walked to the door. Rare that he had unexpected company. Monique, perhaps? He quickened his steps and looked through the peephole.
“What’s up, Terrell?” He glanced at the wall clock. “It’s rather late for visiting hours.”
“That rule doesn’t apply to family.” He followed behind Niko.
“Come on back. I’m in the office. Want something to drink?”
“No, I’m good.” Terrell plopped into an office chair. “Just left a little birthday bash over at The Groove.”
Niko sat and picked up his drink. “Who was celebrating?”
“One of my partner’s friends who just moved here from Vegas. He wanted us to show him a little P.C. love.”
“Translated, he wanted you to bring some ladies to liven things up.”
“Pretty much. I called a few friends and invited them over. One of the girls had something pretty interesting to say. Said she wasn’t supposed to tell anybody but, you know, a little alcohol and Drake persuasion...”
Niko lifted the snifter, took a sip and waited.
“Ashley doesn’t live here anymore.”
“Now, that’s a cause for celebration. Sure you don’t want a drink?”
Terrell shook his head. “She moved to L.A. with a guy she met here, a dude who was visiting for the weekend.”
Niko shrugged. “I’m really not interested in news about Ashley.”
“You will be. She’s now dating and has moved in with Monique’s ex.”
“Rob?”
Terrell nodded. “The one we met while having dinner at Acquired Taste.”
Both men were quiet as Niko digested this news. “Ike mentioned not seeing Ashley at the debate. But with so many people there that night, I figured he just missed her.” Niko stood and paced.
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
“That Rob shared information about Monique with Ashley, who then gave it to Dick? No, Terrell, I can’t see that happening. Ash is beautiful, but she’s not too bright.”
“Perhaps, but she’s greedy. And Dick’s shrewd. What if he paid her to try to get the goods on Mo?”
“But how would he know about Rob?”
“It’s a small town, man. Eyes and ears are everywhere.”
Niko returned to his chair and wearily sat down.
“You know Ashley’s a charmer. If a man isn’t careful, that girl can get anything she wants.”
“If Rob is indeed the man she’s with, he wouldn’t stand a chance.”
He reached for his phone and sent Monique a text:
Call ASAP re Rob, Ashley and how your story got leaked.
* * *
Lance had left and she was basically satisfied with what they’d worked out. Still, before she sent the final copy to her PR manager, Monique decided to read the script aloud one final time:
“‘Years ago, while working as an intern at my very first law firm, I made an unwise choice, developing a friendship with a young man while working his case. I was young. He was scared. And alone. I brought personal feelings into a professional situation. This mistake cost me my job, but not my integrity. A hard knock, but a lesson learned. I’m a better person for it.
“‘Recently my conduct, character and choice of acquaintances have been called into question. I am disappointed that someone felt it necessary to use unscrupulous tactics to sully my name and forward their agenda. Because I am a woman of character, I will not respond in kind. I will continue to be who I’ve always been—the person who wants to move beyond smear tactics and innuendo and help lead the citizens of Paradise Cove into a new day. I am Monique Slater, and I approve this message.’”
She sent off the email and, after turning off her laptop, climbed the stairs to her bedroom. With the adrenaline of anger wearing off, exhaustion crept in to replace it. Mind, body, spirit—every part of her was tired. All she wanted to do was take a hot shower and crawl into bed.
Shoot! I forgot to tell Lance where to meet us in the morning. She reached for her phone to send him a text. Instead, she read the one from Niko...twice, and then again. He thinks Rob outed me? “That’s ridiculous. Rob would never do that.” Would he?
She sat on the bed, remembering the L.A. run-in and how nervous and out of character Rob had acted. But the Rob she knew would never participate in tarnishing her image. Until today, the Rob she knew would not date someone like Ashley, either.
She snatched the phone off the bed and dialed his number. It went to voice mail. “Rob, this is Monique. We need to speak as soon as possible. No matter the time, when you get this message, call me.”
Reenergized, she scrolled to another number. Then, on second thought, she placed the phone on a nightstand and headed to her closet. The conversation with Niko had to be face-to-face.
Chapter 28
Terrell had barely been gone thirty minutes when Niko’s doorbell rang again. He’d just stepped out of the shower.
“What
did he forget?” Niko mumbled. He reached for a towel, wrapping it around himself as he padded barefoot down the stairs and to the door. “Man, you’d forget your head...” The rest of the sentence died on his lips. “Monique.”
She immediately noticed his state of undress. “I’m sorry to come over without calling, and I hope I didn’t disturb you. But I had to talk to you, in person. It couldn’t wait.”
He nodded. “Come in.” They walked into his living room. Niko sat on the couch, just as comfortably as he would if fully dressed. He motioned for Monique to sit, as well. She chose an accent chair across from him.
“I take it you read my text and finally decided that you might need to listen to what I have to say.”
“Yes.”
“Good. The first thing you need to hear and understand is that neither I nor my independent party is behind that ad.”
“I’ve begun to entertain other possibilities.”
“I understand you were angry, with every right to be upset. But I’m offended that you would think so little of me as to rush to judgment and declare me guilty without so much as a conversation. Even an admitted murderer is entitled to a fair trial.”
“You’re right. I should have listened.”
“I’m sure mentioning Rob and Ashley in the same sentence got your attention. Rumor has it they’re together, living in L.A.”
“It’s not a rumor.”
“You knew about this?”
“I ran into them today.” Niko’s brow arched. “On my way to the airport, I stopped to grab a bite to eat at one of my favorite spots. The place just so happens to be near Rob’s house and also just so happens to be one of his favorite places, too. So, I’m sitting in the dining room waiting for my order when I hear him being greeted as he walked through the door.”
“He didn’t see you?”
“There’s a curtain that separates the rooms.”
“What happened?”
She told him. “He acted strangely,” she finished. “But given that he was with someone new and we used to date, that’s not unusual. The weird part was Ashley. Rob hardly seems her type.”