by Emery, Lynn
“You’re telling me? It takes forever to get even a minor contract through review since that last little scandal. You’d think these guys would learn. Reporters love to read public records.” Jade gave a grunt of distaste.
“Yeah, they used to slip it by them all the time. Keep it under fifty thousand and word it just right. Throw your old frat brothers a plum contract. That way no review by the legislative auditor, contract review or the inspector general.” Shaena gave a short laugh. “Gotta hand it to ’em, they’re slick.”
“But I’m telling you, Shaena, Bill hasn’t pulled any tricks. And you know I’ve seen it all.” Jade stood before her. The more she thought about the last few months, the better she felt.
“Like I said, I hope you’re right.”
“Look, I’m not going to lose my jazzed-up feeling from this weekend.” Jade pushed department worries from her mind. “There is life outside that Ten-story box downtown.”
“There is? Why didn’t somebody tell me?” Shaena cackled.
“Girl, you and Brad are both workaholics. I’ll bet you’d sleep down there if they let you.” Jade shook a finger at her.
“Well, we didn’t exactly sleep on Brad’s desk late on Thursday night,” Shaena said with a sassy wink.
Jade’s mouth flew open. “You didn’t! His desk?”
“Overtime has its benefits.”
“Have mercy.”
“Whew! Just thinking about it makes me hungry. How about the all-you-can-eat buffet at the Red Dragon?” Shaena stood up.
“I’m with you. Boy, you are something else.” Jade stopped and stared at her friend, then shook her head.
“Hey, we got caught up in the moment. Just like you and your honey. He’s something else, I bet.”
Jade’s smile returned. “Yeah, Damon is the original Dr. Feelgood.”
“Brad ain’t no slob, either.” Shaena moved her lips seductively. She hummed and snapped her fingers.
Jade belted out the words, doing her imitation of Aretha Franklin. They danced out the dance floor, giggling and singing off key. Still they did not fully recapture the buoyant mood left over from her Barbados weekend. Jade made a decision that she would speak to Bill about the rumors at the first opportunity. She was sure he’d heard at least some rumblings by now. Even if he had made a few poor judgments, Jade could not stand by and watch another talented black official suffer an unfair setback. Yes, she would definitely talk to him.
* * *
Two days later Damon sat stone-faced in Eddie’s office at the center. He did not like what he was hearing.
“I should have known,” Damon said. He slammed a fist down on the desk. “That sleazy bum.”
“Keep your voice down, man.” Eddie got up and closed the door. “Anyway, it’s all unsubstantiated rumors right now.”
“William Jefferson Lang, III, is a rotten, lying—” Damon broke off at the look of reproof from his quiet-spoken friend. “Sorry. It’s just that we need people in those high positions so much for the sake of communities like this. But what we keep getting is Bill Lang and his sort.”
“I know how you feel. But like I said, this is just talk going around certain circles. My buddy in the Medicaid office swore me to secrecy.” Eddie watched his friend. “What is this with you and Lang anyway?”
“Let’s just say I’ve seen his handiwork, man. Lang is a master at orchestrating shady schemes. But he always manages to escape without a scratch.”
“He’ll need every ounce of skill to get out of this if it hits the fan. If they can trace it back to him.”
“At least the center isn’t involved.” Damon started to relax until he noticed the look on Eddie’s face. “What?”
“Uh, more bad news. Questions are being raised about the way decisions were made on several grant programs.” Eddie held on to the arms of his chair, braced for a new outburst.
“Then we’ll just show them that Gracie Center is squeaky clean.” Damon did not raise his voice, but it was obvious he was struggling to control his temper. “We’ve got to protect the at-risk teen programs we just started.”
“You might as well know it all,” Eddie muttered. He ran a hand over his short haircut. “The contract we have to operate our AIDS prevention program and drug programs are being criticized. It’s not just the new grant.”
“That’s almost one quarter of our budget. This is bad, Eddie. Really bad.” Damon, in true fashion, began to worry about the people being served. He forgot about his anger toward Lang.
“Reverend Little is going to say ‘I told you so’ real quick if we lose that money.”
Damon let out a groan at the mention of the stern young Baptist preacher. “Over a year ago, Ted brought up that we shouldn’t be so dependent on state money. And we got into a hot argument that stretched over three meetings.”
“This is my fault. I should have pursued grants from Greek organizations, the Links—and others. I’ve let myself get too wrapped up in the day-to-day running of this place, going from one crisis to another.” Eddie let out a long breath.
“Don’t talk nonsense. You’ve done an outstanding job,” Damon said with intensity. “You can’t be everywhere at once.”
“I don’t know, man. Maybe my focus should shift to being a better administrator.” Eddie shook his head. “Just the thought of losing those programs because I didn’t take the time to go after more money makes me sick.”
“Eddie, if you put in more time at the center, Beverly would never see you. You work late on a regular basis and come to weekend center activities. Beverly comes with the kids as much to see you as to help out,” Damon said with a grin.
Eddie smiled at the mention of his family. “Yeah, she’s one of a kind. Bev is what makes our house a home.” He grew grave again. “Lots of kids don’t have that, Damon. I feel like this center is a lifeline. We’ve got to protect it.”
“And we will, man. We will.” Damon clenched his fist again. “Grade Street Center and the Heritage Foundation have over ten years of credibility in this city. Not to mention a powerhouse board backing it.”
“Like Reverend Little,” Eddie said. “He’s not just fiery in the pulpit. He may fuss behind closed doors, but when the chips are down, he’ll be behind us all the way. Still I’m going to make a few phone calls to the River City Links president, AKA, the Deltas and a few others today.”
“They can’t give us the kind of money we get from those grants. We’d have to scale back, even eliminate programs.” Damon got angry again. “No, we haven’t done anything wrong, so our community center should not suffer.”
“Good. That’s exactly what we’ll need to say when we get dragged before a legislative committee,” Eddie said. He seemed resigned to rough times ahead.
“Let’s hope it doesn’t get to that point. But if it does, we’ll be ready.”
“Bev could definitely give us pointers on that score. Her courtroom skills have saved me many a day. The woman has nerves of steel—which comes in handy with our little rascals.” Eddie laughed.
Seeing the soft light of affection on Eddie’s face as he spoke of his wife made Damon think of Jade. What was her role in all of this? How much did she know? Damon silently chided himself for the small prick of suspicion. Of course she had nothing to do with Lang’s crooked dealings. There was no reason to think Jade and Bill Lang were involved in wrongdoing together. None at all. Still he could not resist asking.
“Anyone else in the department mentioned in the talk you heard?” Damon tried to keep his voice neutral. “Mike Testor or...”
“Or Jade,” Eddie finished for him. “No, at least not by name.”
“What do you mean?”
“Listen; don’t get yourself worked up over this. It’s all DHH scuttlebutt. It could mean nothing.” Eddie tried to sound convincing and failed.
“Eddie, you wouldn’t waste time on gossip. Now tell me.” Damon wondered if he really wanted to know even as he spoke the words.
“My friend
just said that there are questions about how Lang’s office has been handling things. His key people will be asked to provide explanations on some recent rules.”
“And Jade is one of his key people,” Damon said in a low voice. His jaw muscles worked.
Damon tried not to think of Jade and Bill Lang linked any way. Yet they did work together. Jade would somehow be painted with the same broad brush if a scandal broke.
Eddie squirmed under Damon’s gaze. “Look, I wouldn’t even mention this, but...well, it’s fourth hand ‘he say-she say’. I mean, people are always running their mouths.”
“Tell me.” Damon sat very still.
“They say Lang and Jade are extremely close. She’s got a lot of power because of Lang. They work a lot of late nights and— look, man; this is all probably a bunch of garbage.” Eddie tugged at his tie.
“What else have you heard?” Damon wanted to hit something. He wanted to pound the table in rage. But he pushed down the visceral reaction to Eddie’s words. “Are they having an affair?”
“Supposedly that’s how she got the job without much experience at such a high level. They say she’s very ambitious.” Eddie tried to lessen the impact of the ugly gossip. “Look, people are always saying things.”
Damon thought of all the evenings Jade worked late, how distracted she’d been. Was it just pressure at work, or was she bored with him? Maybe he’d been only a welcome diversion. And Jade herself had talked about wanting to move up to make a difference. Could he have misjudged her? The memory of touching her, making love to her rushed back. It was true that nothing mattered when he was in her arms. Which meant he could have seen what he wanted to see, not the real woman. And she was working late tonight. No, it had to be just vicious gossip.
“It’s all lies,” Damon said with force.
“Sure. Besides, Lang may have done nothing wrong.”
“Bill Lang has always loved beating the system. I wouldn’t put anything past him.” Damon felt his dislike of the man crystallize into loathing. “If he’s made even one suggestive remark to Jade or involved her in his scams—”
“Hold on, my brother.” Eddie looked worried at the menace in his quiet assertion. “Don’t go off on him before you know he’s guilty.”
“Bill Lang hasn’t changed one bit. Making the center lose out is one thing—but if Jade gets dragged through the mud because of him, he’ll be very sorry. I’ll make sure of that.” Damon gazed ahead with a look of cold, hard determination.
* * *
“Goodness, your new lady friend seems to be having a bit of a problem.” Marlene turned down the sound on the television newscast. She brushed back her hair. It was cut in a new style that made her look younger.
“Mother, the report was about the department she works for, not Jade.” Damon felt as though a tender spot had been touched.
“She’s Bill Lang’s top assistant. Seems they are very close.” Marlene spoke in a quiet voice. She glanced at her son then away. “Well, I’m sure it’s nothing.”
“Nothing at all,” Damon said in a strained voice. That was all he could manage.
He hated the pictures that came to mind, that had been rolling around like the reel of an old movie for the last few days. Bill and Jade. Damon saw her at odd times, but she still worked late much too often.
“You’ve been seeing quite a bit of her lately. Isn’t that nice.” Marlene seemed to be clairvoyant. She studied his face for a long time.
Not nearly enough was the first thought that sprang to his mind, but he was not about to voice it. “Yes, we have. Listen, is Dad around?” Damon said to change the subject.
“Yes, I am. Hello, son.” Oliver came in and gave Damon a pat on the back.
“How are you feeling?” Damon was worried at the grayish tinge to his dark skin.
“Tired. I went to the store in Lafayette this morning. Gave the manager hell for letting those salespeople lounge around like they’re on vacation.” Oliver eased down into his favorite chair.
“Don’t push it, Dad. Just because the doctor said—”
“The doctor advised me to keep active. Okay, that’s exactly what I’m doing. Look at this.” Oliver flexed his right hand to show the side most affected by his stroke was stronger. “I’m doing fine. You better keep an eye on Tessier.” He pointed a finger at Damon.
“Yes, sir.” Damon respected his father’s judgment. He’d take a closer look at the store manager. “Dad, what did you think of the marketing ideas?”
“Good solid information. Son, I built my business on being able to change with the times. Go for it.” Oliver nodded.
“Rachelle did the work for you? How wonderful. And she is looking lovely as ever these days,” Marlene put in.
“Yes, those figures mean the home renovation should be on solid ground as soon as a year from now.” Damon sidestepped mentioning Rachelle directly.
“You know, she still cares a great deal for you.” Marlene spoke before her husband could reply.
“Rachelle cares a great deal about Rachelle, Mother. Look, I have to go.”
Damon made a quick exit before his parents could start on their old familiar theme. The last subject he wanted to explore was his ex-wife and failed marriage. For the rest of the evening, he fought hard against troubling questions about Bill Lang. And Jade.
* * *
“Told you it would be a breeze.” Lang smiled at Jade.
“You were right. After three days Dumaine was satisfied with our documentation.” Jade was relieved and happy. “I just wonder why he decided to investigate our section.”
“Who knows? Dumaine seems to randomly select agencies to scrutinize. But since we have nothing to hide, we don’t care how many documents he asks for. Right, number-one assistant?” Lang gave her a pat on the shoulder.
“You got it, chief.”
“And I’ve got a treat as a reward for all your hard work. A trip to Hawaii.”
Without bothering to look up, Jade gave a short laugh. “Yeah, sure. When will the limo pick me up?”
“I’m not kidding.” Lang came to stand beside her. He held a brochure in front of her face. “See for yourself. Four days with plenty of time to see the sights.”
“Oh, gee, I don’t think...” Jade was uncomfortable with the implications of this. She took the brochure and glanced through it. “A conference on community-based care for troubled children. Who else would go?”
“Just you and I.” Lang went on despite her small frown at this. “It’s going to be great. Hawaii has implemented a coordinated care system across disciplines. There is a single point of entry, which means the family of a child who has multiple problems only has to call one number to have all his needs addressed.”
“Sounds very interesting, but I’m still shoveling through the paper that collected on my desk while we were in D.C.” Jade moved away from him.
Bill followed to stay close to her. “The conference isn’t for another three weeks. June is a great month in Hawaii, Jade. The colors are so vibrant, and the waterfalls are magnificent.”
“Maybe some of the others should go this time. I don’t want to hog all the plum trips,” Jade said with an uneasy smile.
“The state doesn’t reward the way corporate America does. It’s one of the few perks you get being at this level. Take advantage of the chance.” Bill went back to sit behind his desk. “Besides, the secretary is very interested in moving DHH toward the same kind of system.”
“Yes, I know.” Jade could not deny that Dr. Chauvin had made breaking up centralized service delivery one of his priorities. “He feels strongly about placing decision making at the local level.”
“And we’re expected to take a very active role in making such changes. This isn’t an excuse to hit the beach.” Lang wore a charming smile. “Hawaii happens to be lagniappe. Now are you feeling better about it?”
Jade felt reassured the more she thought about it. “Sure thing, boss.”
“Good.” Bill kept
his voice light. “All you have to do is pull out those island outfits you wore on Barbados.”
“Listen, Bill, about that—”
He held up a palm. “We’ve been over this more than once. We didn’t have one problem while you were gone.”
“So you don’t need me around here?” Jade chuckled.
“Of course we do. But you’ve got my office so well organized, we both can be away for a few days, and the well-oiled machine keeps going.” Bill tapped a manicured fingernail on the blotter of his desk. “Knight’s business must be run just as well for him to be gone.”
“He’s got great managers.” Jade felt a rush of pleasure at the thought of Damon.
“Yeah, he’s got one impressive set of stores. I hear he’s branching out into home remodeling soon. He’s a smart businessman.” Bill watched her closely. “And lucky to have you.”
“Thanks.” Jade felt shy at the vague reference to their relationship.
“Anyway, let’s get that meeting set up for Tuesday if we can. Oh and here are some more policy changes.” Bill shifted into business mode again.
Jade worked with him for another hour on a host of pressing issues that had to do with funding cuts. When Mike Testor knocked, they were finishing a memo to the managers of each of the major programs.
“Hi there, Jade.” Mike ignored the sour glance his chummy greeting brought from Bill.
“Hi, Mike. How are you?” Jade gathered up her notes. She wore a friendly expression. Jade had decided he was okay, at a distance. He could not help it if he was less than charismatic.
“Fine now that I’ve had a breath of fresh air from a pretty lady.” Mike did a bow.
“Aren’t you the charmer this morning, or should I say afternoon.” Jade turned to Bill. “I’m going to lunch with a friend. Text or e-mail if you need me.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t interrupt a much deserved break.” Bill waved her out.