Black Diamond
Page 1
Praise for
Black Diamond
“With an inventive plot of murder, romance and espionage, you'll find yourself drawn into the characters and the story. And just when you think you have it all figured out, Ja'Nese throws in a twist, taking you in a totally unexpected direction.
A great read, BLACK DIAMOND is perfect for a lazy, summer day. So make your favorite drink, kick off your shoes, put your feet up and get ready for Black Diamond. You'll be glad you did. “
- Jean Holloway, author of Ace of Hearts and Black Jack
"BLACK DIAMOND was not your typical page turner. Ja'Nese Dixon made this educational thriller worth the effort it took to turn the pages continuously! The intensity of her construction to reach this marvelous plot was absolutely awesome, and made it a read that will not easily be forgotten. Hats off to Ja'Nese Dixon on this brilliant read that gave me a glimpse of knowledge of a diamond I never knew existed!"
- Danyelle Scroggins, author of His Mistress or God’s Daughter
“If you enjoy intrigue, thrills, romance, and fast-paced storytelling, then you owe it to yourself to check out Ja'Nese Dixon's debut novel, the romantic suspense Black Diamond. … There's enough spice and attraction between Camille and Marc to keep romance lovers reading, and there are definitely enough twists and turns and mystery to make the lover of action read to the end. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what Dixon brings to readers next.”
- Shon Bacon, author of Death at the Double Inkwell
“In Black Diamond, author Ja'Nese Dixon intertwines a web of love, deception, and money, expertly developing realistic characters that her readers can visualize with ease. Black Diamond starts with action that will draw you into the story from the prologue until the last sentence of this shiesty story of cat and mouse.”
– Yolanda M. Johnson, author of Circumstances
“Black Diamond, the story of Camille Blackwell, working undercover for the FBI to expose the underworkings of the diamond trade, Ja'Nese weaves us a tale of love, trust, betrayl, murder and greed - all the things that make a story good!”
- Nanci Arvizu of Page Readers Book Club (Scottsdale, AZ)
Ja'Nese Dixon's debut book is a romantic suspense and even saw it to be as a legal thriller. Camille takes us on a wild-goose chase to unlock the secrets and illegal acts, even murder, when taking on the case on international diamond trading.
- Adrienna Turner, Dream 4 More Review
“Ja’Nese Dixon made the characters real for me. She cleverly described each character so well that I felt as though I was part of the story as an extra. The suspense kept me wanting to read more and more. The twist in the storyline rivals that of authors who are well known for writing mystery and suspense novels.”
- P. Johnson (Texas)
“A fast paced page turner, will keep readers up late into the night. Twists, turns, and sexual desires abound in this exciting read, will keep you on the edge of your seat until the exciting last page.”
- S. A. Wilkinson (Illinois)
Black Diamond
A novel by
Ja’Nese Dixon
Published by: Purpose Prevails Publishing
www.purposeprevailspublishing.com
This book is a work of fiction. All characters and events in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to action person, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Copyright @ 2010 by Ja’Nese Dixon.
Excerpt from Intoxicated copyright © 2010 by Ja’Nese Dixon.
Purpose Prevails Publishing
2231B Center St. STE 144
Deer Park, TX 77536
www.purposeprevailspublishing.com
All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Special discounts are available on quantity purchases. For details contact the publisher at the address above.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2010938547
ISBN-13: 978-0-9740762-1-8 (paperback)
ISBN-10: 0-9740762-1-X (paperback)
First Edition Paperback June 2010
Second Edition Paperback October 2010, revised
Printed in the United States of America
Acknowledgements
Words cannot express the way I feel as I type the final words of this book. I have been blessed and highly favored; despite my tendency to drag my feet through the tough lessons of life. I won’t stop until I birth what You have placed in my spirit.
Thank you to my husband, I love you and thank for your support. To my children, you rock! I can’t imagine my life without you.
To my blood sisters and my sisters that God placed in my life to keep me grounded, humble and sane, I love you.
To my family, friends, and special thanks to Lois Eighmy, Jean Holloway, TL James, Danyelle Scroggins, DeiIra Smith-Collard, Arlether Wilson, Eursella Williams, Milli Thorton, and my critique group members Jenny, Linda, and Nancy.
Thank you to my test readers, I appreciate your honesty, the laughs, and your constructive criticism. Get ready for round two.
To Tee C. Royal and RAWSISTAZ, Tanisha Webb and the KC Girlfriends Book Club, Destiny Carter of Date with Destiny, Terra Little, and all the other book clubs, radio shows, and blogs that support authors and love reading.
If I missed someone, please know that it is unintentional. Charge it to my head and not my heart.
Happy Reading,
Ja’Nese Dixon
www.janesedixon.com
Contents
Acknowledgements. 9
Prologue. 13
Chapter 1. 17
Chapter 2. 25
Chapter 3. 36
Chapter 4. 54
Chapter 5. 62
Chapter 6. 71
Chapter 7. 82
Chapter 8. 101
Chapter 9. 112
Chapter 10. 123
Chapter 11. 134
Chapter 12. 144
Chapter 13. 153
Chapter 14. 160
Chapter 15. 174
Chapter 16. 189
Chapter 17. 201
Chapter 18. 210
Chapter 19. 224
Chapter 20. 230
Chapter 21. 240
Chapter 22. 249
Chapter 23. 262
Chapter 24. 274
Chapter 25. 280
Chapter 26. 286
Chapter 27. 292
Chapter 28. 298
Chapter 29. 301
Epilogue. 306
Prologue
“Life is precious, dear, don’t you think?” he asked in a chilled tone that caused her blood to run ice cold through her veins. She clutched the phone to her ear, contemplating her next step. He was nearly a day away by flight. What could he possibly do to her?
Pushing her thoughts aside, she refused to let her mind answer the frightening question left hanging. Instead, she refocused on his successful attempt to scare her into submission.
“Yes, I know life is precious. However, I strongly doubt whether you do,” she responded.
Ashanta Kenani was a proud Angolan woman, but pride would not solve her dilemma. She sat in her small condo, alone, near the edge of her bed with her shoulders back in mock courage. He had a way of making her feel like a child, which usually meant her emotions would overrule her common sense. Her mind could not process the scene fast enough to register the threat lying behind his words.
Ashanta pulled the phone from her ear as if it were poisonous. His light-hearted laughter floated through the air. His cryptic influence had transformed her life into a living hell. She knew all too well that he could fool almost anybody w
ith his good looks and charm - but not her; not anymore.
“Call it what you may, but, I promise you this, cross me and someone will die.”
The silence that followed caused her more concern than his threat.
“But,” he continued, sarcastically, “I doubt you will take my words seriously, with you being in the States and all. So let me send a message that translates well in any language. Would you hold for a minute dear? Someone wants to speak with you.”
Ashanta sprang to her feet and began to pace the floor. Who could it be? The passing seconds felt like hours. What had she gotten herself into? How would she get out of it? And, how many people where going to pay for her stupidity?
The muffled voices on the other end of the line caused her to lean closer into the phone, as if it would help her recognize his surprise guest. It helped. What she heard caused her eyes to burn as her determination melted into pure fear; then hatred.
“Don’t...don’t...!”
Ashanta held the phone in a death grip. She recognized her mother’s frail cries in the distance masked by the commotion of wrestling. Then the phone tumbled to the floor.
“Momma!” Ashanta screamed. She hoped her ears were failing her. What was he doing with her mother?
“Hello…” A strained voice seeped through the line.
“Momma…Momma, what are you doing there?” Ashanta shrieked.
“Ashanta? Baby, I’m scared—“
“Shut up! Either do as I say or you will lose more than your finger. Now, pick-up the phone and tell your daughter hello for us all.”
She cringed as every muscle in her body responded to his words.
“Don‘t! I promise...“ Ashanta wanted to show him that she would comply with his wishes. “I promise I will do whatever you want. Just leave my mother alone. Please...please don’t do this.”
Amidst the commotion, she could hear him laughing. The laughter was not one of mutual amusement, but of the devil-playing cat and mouse games. Unfortunately, she was the mouse…trapped.
Sling. The sound of metal sliced through the air. Tears began to stream down Ashanta’s face.
“What was that? Answer me, damn it…Momma?” She screamed for her mother, for him, for anyone.
The line went dead.
Ashanta fell to the bed, crying. Who would pay? She heard the question ringing in her mind as she stared blankly at the phone now buzzing in her hand. She took several deep breaths, attempting to slow her racing heart. The answer was clear; her family would pay the price for her ambition. He would harm her mother, her father, and even her young sisters if it served his purpose. She now knew her naiveté and determination had sealed a deal with the devil.
“Talib, you son of a bitch, this is not over...!”
Chapter 1
The buzzing of the digital clock signaled Camille Blackwell’s anniversary at International Jewelry Distribution Company, her faux employer and the source of one of the most challenging cases she had accepted since joining the Federal Bureau of Investigations six years ago.
Thank God, it’s Friday, she thought, rolling onto her stomach and hiding her face underneath her pillow. She almost dreaded the day ahead. It would start early and end tonight with the office happy hour to celebrate her anniversary and latest promotion.
Camille pulled back the satin covered haven determined to end the obnoxious siren beckoning her to begin her day. She squinted, until the red, glowing numbers came into focus. It was 4:40 am. She grunted upon realizing she had hit snooze one time too many. Her morning routine was simple, but required that she start her day early. She would run for an hour and then spend some time reading the Houston Chronicle newspaper and browsing the Internet, hoping to find anything to close a case that seemed endless.
Camille grabbed her glasses off the nightstand and tossed back the covers, exposing her to the cool air. She placed her sock-covered feet into her slippers and plodded to the small corner desk. She started her computer before dragging to the kitchen to brew her morning coffee. She selected Southern Pecan coffee, her favorite, and mindlessly added the filter and ground flavored beans as she contemplated the state of the current case.
Camille was an undercover agent assigned to investigate the suspected illegal dealings between International Jewelry Distribution Company, or IJDC, and stateside trafficking of conflict diamonds. The Bureau suspected that one of IJDC’s key suppliers obtained its stones from diamond mines in South Africa. Her directives required that she observe company relations, identify the major suppliers, and form relationships within the company to determine whether they were in fact, obtaining their merchandise through illegal means.
Her degree in international business and minor in fashion merchandising made her the Bureau’s prime candidate to pose as an account representative responsible for purchasing precious stones. Initially, she welcomed the assignment away from DC and him. Now, she realized she enjoyed working at IJDC and for the first time, in a long time, her life seemed somewhat normal.
Her job as an agent required much of her time and when not on assignment, Camille spent her free time trying to stay connected with her family back home in Dallas. Since taking the assignment in Houston, she went to work and socialized, but what she thought would be an easy, four-month assignment soon became complicated. Her initial position did not provide the necessary access to internal records of wholesale accounts, which left her working double duty to prove herself to the Bureau and IJDC.
A significant change began six months ago when she had been promoted to senior account representative for International Accounts. She now had a few subordinates and things were beginning to look up. She only hoped she’d uncover something soon or she was sure Derek would remove her from the case.
Camille looked at the clock on her microwave. She needed to get a move on and start her run. She pressed the timer on the coffeemaker and dashed out of the kitchen to her bedroom to change out of her nightclothes. She adjusted an accent pillow as she passed the living room. Her furnishings closely resembled the crimson-colored sofa covered in velvety plush microfiber in her home back in DC. The Bureau had spared no expense to make her comfortable once they agreed she would invest more time on the case. The two-bedroom condo placed her in the heart of Houston and she was less than twenty minutes from nearly everything, including IJDC’s headquarters.
She quickly dressed in a sleeveless top and a black running skirt and then tamed her unruly, curly tresses into a ponytail. Camille locked the front door, securing her house keys and cell phone in the hidden pocket in the lining of her skirt. She powered up her heart rate monitor and started her stretching routine while scanning the street, noticing the normal unoccupied vehicles.
Camille positioned her earplugs in her ears and selected her favorite hip-hop playlist. She pressed play, heading north at a slow jog. She loved running. There was something about the burn in her muscles and the ability to exert power over her body, moving beyond her comfort zone.
This case was much like every other case she accepted. They challenged her aptitude to find the bad guys causing unknown harm to the country. For that she was proud, however, she paid a great cost for serving her country.
Camille slowed her pace as she approached a red signal light. Labeling her a hermit would be a compliment; she had no life. Her last intimate relationship ended months before she accepted the IJDC case. She had a few friends from college and a supportive family, but she limited her contact with them to minimize their potential exposure to her cases. The rest of her friends did not know her true identity, leaving her to live a lonely, isolated life.
Dismissing that thought, Camille increased the volume on her iPod as Marvin Gaye crooned and Jay-Z rhymed about the deceptions of American Dreamin’. She decided to take the long route. Her run would serve two purposes; physical activity and to pass the IJDC grounds. She would run the extra five miles, hoping something, anything, would appear out of place on the premises because she was ready for this case to en
d.
* * *
All work and no play made Marc Fulton a boring man. But not for long, he thought as he zipped the last suitcase closed. He decided to travel for a few months with no definite plans other than visiting his home of Houston, Texas. Marc grabbed his bags, placing them by his front door. He expected the car service shortly and still needed to walk through his house once more before heading to the office for the morning meeting.