“That day, I saw them gathered several hundred yards ahead of me. There were about six or seven of them. I scanned the area and didn’t see anyone else around. My instincts didn’t kick in until it was too late.”
She felt him pull her closer. His chin rested against her head. She snuggled closer, seeking his warmth. She had to finish.
“They spotted me. It was as if I could read their minds. I dropped my backpack and ran for my life. They followed. I screamed for help.” Her tears were flowing. She had never shared this experience with anyone. Not even her mother.
“It’s okay, baby, I’m here.”
She could hear their laughter as it hung in the air like the sounds of jackals. She ran as fast as her feet would carry her on the dirt-paved path. Her white dress shirt turned orange from her tears mixing with the airborne dust. She continued amidst the quivers moving through her body.
“They gained on me. I could hear their heckling. I thought they would catch me. Then I made it to the clearing and a man stopped me.”
She sat silent. He invaded her thoughts by asking, “Did you know him? Did he help you?”
“No and yes.” Her frosty tone stunned them both. Ashanta struggled to hold her temper knowing that she needed to make her point and move on. How would she tell him? He gave her the space she needed to finish. She placed a trail of kisses on his chest appreciative of his support. He moaned, rubbing her arm in support.
“He helped me. But later he would use that trust to deceive me and my family.” There she finished. She waited, knowing that he would want to know more than she was prepared to share.
“Are you in danger?”
Honestly, yes and no. She had a plan. She just needed time to pull together the pieces. Hearing her mother scream for her life had shocked her into action. She had to do something.
“I take your silence to mean yes.” His voice sounded different. She lifted her head from his shoulder and saw something foreign in his eyes. What was it…anger? The darkness in the room hid the finer details of his face. She ran her hand along his jaw. He grabbed her hand and kissed her palm.
“I won’t pressure you into saying more, but I’m here. And you know I’ll do anything I can to help.”
He caught her tears with the tip of his tongue. Flipping her onto her back, he let his kiss communicate everything she needed from him. She felt so lucky. He was giving her the courage to face her demon.
He pulled back and she whispered, “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
* * *
Harold did not return to bed after she left. He would call a few people and have an investigator look into it. He knew there was more to Ashanta’s story, not knowing made him feel uneasy. His decision to look into it further helped improve his mood.
He sat in the small family room for a while, reliving the moments they’d shared. Shaking it off, Harold walked to the bar, dropped a few ice cubes in a glass, and poured himself a double Bourbon.
He heard a knock at the door. The time on the wall clock showed closed to two o’clock in the morning.
“Ashanta,” he whispered. Maybe she changed her mind. Harold placed the stopper into the fluted neck of the crystal decanter. Gently storing it away, he made his way to the front door and opened it.
What is he doing here? “Son...” Harold stepped back, allowing Saul to enter. “Making late night house calls?” Saul gravitated to the family room. Harold walked closely behind.
“No, I just wanted to come by and apologize about earlier tonight,” Saul said sitting on the stiff sofa.
“It couldn’t wait until some other time? A phone call would have sufficed.” Harold finished pouring his drink. He suggestively held the cantor up towards Saul.
“I probably shouldn’t, but I’ll have a quick drink with my ole’ man.” They laughed. Harold poured another drink. He placed Saul’s drink on the coffee table positioned in the middle of the family room and sat in the nearby recliner. He took a long drink, placing the glass on the end table beside his chair.
Harold watched Saul, who appeared more relax than earlier tonight. He wondered whether he should ask Saul why he disliked Ashanta. But he really didn’t care. So why ask? They drank in silence. Both men sat silently assessing each other.
Saul stood and asked, “Would you like a refill?”
“Sure.”
Saul returned, passing Harold his drink.
“So, son do you have anything else you want to discuss?” Harold asked reclined, enjoying the quality of the brandy. He swirled the glass causing the ice cubes to tap in a singsong rhythm before nearly draining it.
“No, sir, I think I’ve had enough family drama for one night.” They stood and walked to the front door.
“I understand. I think that last drink did it for me, too. I’m going to bed. Do you need a ride home?”
“No. Goodbye father.” Saul stood motionless with an assessing eye.
“Good night, son.” Harold watched Saul, the eldest of his four children leave. The two constantly clashed over the smallest things. Saul needed to toughen up.
Harold felt the effects of one too many drinks while he climbed the stairs. His feet felt like lead as he slumped to the bed.
The phone on his nightstand rang and the caller ID displayed Ashanta Kenani. He quickly answered and they talked for a few minutes. She had arrived home safely and she thanked him for a wonderful night. At the end of the conversation, Harold pulled back the covers, climbed into bed and turned off the lamp. He and Ashanta had passed a great hurdle tonight. He was certain many more would come before things smoothed over between them.
Harold was willing to do what was necessary to have her and with that declaration, he closed his eyes, thinking of his ebony queen before drifting off to sleep.
Chapter 5
Two margaritas, a kiss from a handsome stranger…what was she thinking?
Her head was protesting and she would laugh if she didn’t feel like it would explode. Camille usually passed on the drinks, but stuck to her vow and had a good time.
She rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling willing her body to move. She’d skip her run, shower and work on transcribing her notes from last night. She would start with Harold and Saul after witnessing their little spat.
Camille pulled herself into a sitting position, grabbing her glasses as she noticed the time. It was close to nine o’clock. She groaned because she hated waking up late.
“Coffee first,” she declared. She made a mental note to call Ashanta.
Ashanta and Harold? She still couldn’t believe they showed up together as if it were nothing. Camille shook her head and pain ignited due to the unwelcomed movement. No more margaritas.
Lethargic, she placed her feet on the floor, moving toward the kitchen. She actually had two margaritas and they were delicious, especially the strawberry one. However, despite loving the fruity drink, her low tolerance for tequila was the cause for her hangover.
Moving with precision, she prepared her coffee. She pressed the power button only to stand and watch the dark liquid gather in the pot. The coffee settling in the pot made her think of Mr. Hershey. She caught her breathe thinking about his dreamy eyes and alluring body. She still felt the effects of her body fused to his in a slow dance.
Camille walked to the sink and splashed cool water on her face. She turned, leaning against the counter and wondered whether giving him the wrong number was a good idea. She had a feeling that she would have liked spending time with him.
“No, you don’t have time for that,” she chided herself. Secretly she wished she did. Her life was not her own, so pursuing a relationship was out of the question. She was not Camille Blackwell in Houston, but Camille Carmichael.
She recalled the look that Ashanta and Harold shared and she didn’t blame Ashanta for being attracted to him. Employment issues aside, he was good looking. His gray-streaked hair added to his appeal. He had it all – the looks, the money and he seemed to be
in love with Ashanta. Who would have ever thought?
She reached for a coffee mug, ready to clear her mind of the remnants of the happy hour and Marc. Pouring her coffee, she began to wonder about the source of the little spat between Harold and Saul? Camille watched the powdered creamer lighten the hue of her coffee as she considered whether Ashanta knew more than she realized.
She grabbed her cup and made her way to the living room to read her notes. She had another two weeks before her monthly meeting with her boss at the bureau, Derek Lewis, to report on her findings. Between now and then she hoped her promotion would give her access to the contacts they needed to end this case.
Camille lowered her body to the couch, placing her cup and files on the table. She liked Harold. In their interactions, he was fair and gave credit where it was due. Her personal feeling aside, Camille knew she could have a long road ahead.
* * *
Sandy wild curls, streaked with blonde highlights and a perfect nose covered with little freckles. He would classify her as adorable if her petite body didn’t send blood rushing to the very organ that made him male. Cute.
Marc lay in bed recollecting their dance. When it ended, he watched her walk away until the crowd absorbed her. He returned to his table with Jarvis and Darlene and the three of them stayed for another couple of hours shooting the breeze. He danced a few more times, but the other women didn’t hold his attention like Camille had.
Jarvis’ marriage to Darlene made him think about Ebony. They had not shared the same love and respect for one another. But he couldn’t call it a mistake because life was full of choices. However, he knew their relationship was doomed. Sooner or later, it would have ended in divorce. It turned out that it was the former.
His parents tried to warn him about marrying at twenty-one. His bride-to-be was a year younger. Their friends thought they planned to marry because Ebony was pregnant, but that wasn’t the case. They learned she was pregnant after their engagement.
He was excited, although the thought of becoming a father at twenty-one was terrifying. However, Marc planned to stand up to his responsibility and take care of his family. Shortly after marrying, Ebony lost the baby. That difficult time shattered any chance they had for staying together because things went downhill, fast. Time healed his pain, but he still remembered the lies and deceitfulness. Let it go.
Marc stretched and jumped out of bed. He would call his mother and hang out with her around the house. Camille’s face flashed before his eyes and he considered calling her and asking her to lunch. He stopped before the large window with her on his mind. He liked the thought of having dinner with her, alone.
He could see the sun rising. It was going to be a beautiful day. He walked toward the bathroom and stopped at the small desk to get his phone. He recalled her surprise when he didn’t write her number down. He’d always been good with numbers. In his line of work, it was best not to write too much down since things changed rapidly.
He dialed her number anticipating the sound of her voice. He wondered what she would sound like early in the morning. Imagining her voice laced with sleep caused his mind to envision her asleep in his bed, her ringlets surrounding her head.
Slow down buddy…dinner first and then, who knows. The pleasure of that thought made a smile dance across his face, but it quickly faded when he heard the recording.
The number you’ve dialed is not in service or is temporarily out of service.
“What the hell?” He pulled the phone from his ear as if imagining the operator’s voice. He dialed the number again. The same message repeated. He sat in the leather chair in front of the desk and walked through the events leading to her dictating her number, sure that he had remembered it correctly. Then there was only one logical conclusion; she had given him the wrong number.
His brow furrowed with that thought. He stood and resolved that maybe it was for the best. If she didn’t want him to have her number why didn’t she just say it. He shook his head with disappointment and stood to take his shower. Oh, well, her loss.
* * *
Harold and Kathryn Donovan divorced when Saul was nine years old, Camille read. She continued as she took a sip of her coffee. A few lines later, she learned that Kathryn had died from breast cancer two years later. Saul was sent to live with his father. Maybe there was some bad blood between them. She backed up and noticed the divorce was due to infidelity. Hum.
Camille grabbed the phone and dialed Ashanta’s number. She listened to it ring and flipped through notes about Saul’s issues with a few minor misdemeanors, stealing, arson and assault. He was expelled from several private schools before being sent to a boarding school.
Ashanta’s voicemail answered, so Camille left a message. She began to gather the files and bring order back to her living room. She needed to get out for some fresh air. She placed her coffee mug in the sink when the chime of her cell phone filled her home, she answered on the first ring.
“Hey, girl,” she answered, assuming it was Ashanta.
“Hey,” Derek responded, amused.
“Derek? Hey, what’s up? I wasn’t expecting to hear from you until next week.”
He paused and Camille waited to hear what prompted his call. He rarely called to limit the number showing up in her phone records.
“I have some bad news. Harold’s body was found by his housekeeper this morning.”
Camille froze. “What do you mean by found? As in, he’s dead?” She sank to the couch.
“Yes.” Neither spoke for a moment.
“What does this mean for the case?” Camille asked. She would not claim to have known Harold well, he was no saint, but no one deserved death. Something told her it wasn’t due to natural causes. Harold was active and in great shape for a man his age.
“I could ask you the same thing. I’m ready to move on from this case and they’re pushing us to close. He was our primary suspect and as it stands everything we’ve found could be dismissed as circumstantial evidence and now he’s dead.” She could hear him moving around. “And Camille, they suspect foul play.”
“Who could have done it?” she said more to herself than him, but he answered anyway. She looked around her living room at the scattered files, raking her mind for something that would equate to Harold dying.
“Again, that’s something I need to know from you.”
Camille began to tell him about her suspicions, but she lacked evidence. She told him about the incident between Harold and Saul the night before. She closed by telling him about the relationship between Harold and Ashanta. Ashanta would be devastated.
“Did they leave the club together?”
Camille paused. She didn’t want to answer his question. “Yes,” she said hesitantly. Friendship aside, Camille knew this would make Ashanta a suspect and it would bring in the local authorities. They were now looking at the trafficking charges and possibly murder.
“Camille, I need you to move on this, I need to know…we need to know who IJDC’s supplier is or I’ll have to pull you.”
She stood in the middle of her living room, all traces of her hangover gone. Anger surfaced, “You can’t!” She all but yelled in Derek’s ear.
He was a fair man, but he didn’t have patience. He was one of the youngest special agents in charge and the agency watched him like a hawk. A young black man moving through the bureau was still a sight to see. He constantly fought for tenure and rank and she knew that each case was highly scrutinized.
“I can and I will if you can’t uncover what is needed.”
Camille placed a hand on the counter and tapped her finger to calm her nerves. She meant no disrespect, but she planned to identify the information needed to close the case.
“You know the number of children that have potentially died because of conflict diamonds. They’re moving millions of dollars in diamonds and you’re willing to let it go just like that?” Camille snapped her finger for emphasis, but she knew if she failed to produce evidence it was a
ll over.
“You have to put some fire under your ass and get this case closed. You are going to have the local authorities in on the case, and if they realize who you are, your identity could be compromised. I’m not willing to bet your life on a hunch.”
Camille began to pace. She knew he was right, but she wouldn’t cry. Urgh.
Derek continued, “They’ve slipped through the fingers of the authorities for a while. That’s the only reason we’ve allowed you to hang around this long. Get something Camille and get it now or I’ll remove you.”
Camille froze. Two years for nothing. Nothing! They’d pull her just like that. She heard him release a sigh that sounded somewhat like a low growl.
Black Diamond Page 5