by Jacob Spears
* * *
After hanging up the phone with Monica, China dialed the number to the D.A.’s office. After being transferred and placed on hold multiple times, she was finally told that the district attorney assigned to her case was out to lunch.
She refused to offer to leave a message and said that she’d try back later.
With nothing left to do, she called her sister.
“Hello,” Roxy answered.
“Hey hoochie! What’s up?”
“Un-uh, baby girl. It’s Ms. Hoochie. Get it right!”
They both laughed.
“What’s going on?” China asked.
“Nothing much. I’m hanging out with Kimmy.”
China heard the girl in the background telling her to keep her head up.
“Why haven’t you called Smooth yet?” Roxy got serious with her sister.
“What am I calling for him for?”
“Are you serious? That boy is doing everything he possibly can to get you out of that place, and making it as easy as he can for you while you’re there. Who do you think put money on your books? Smooth, that’s who!” Roxy answered her own question.”
“Yeah, my money,” China said inaudibly.
“What?”
“I said it was my money.”
“How was it your money when that trifling bitch stole all of your shit?” Roxy asked.
“I see he told you that bullshit too, huh? Don’t worry, I got something for his ass.”
“Bullshit. No, he didn’t tell me any bullshit. He told me the truth. I know it’s the truth. Too bad you don’t believe him.”
“What makes you so sure he’s telling the truth?” China asked.
“The bitch packed all of her shit and moved out. Why would he pay the dude the money that you owed? Why would he hire the best attorney in Miami for you? Use your head, girl!”
“So he really did get an attorney for me?” China asked the question but already knew the answer.
“Not just any attorney either! Now ask me how I know that’s the truth?”
China remained silent.
“Now you’re ass don’t want to talk. I’ll tell you how I know anyway. I’m the one that paid the lawyer. Why would he go through all that for you?”
Something wasn’t right.
She knew what Roxy was telling her was the truth, but that truth still didn’t explain the pictures. The pictures that she also knew were telling her the truth.
Still, Roxy had a point. Why do all that?
China wanted to think. After hanging up with Roxy, she headed to her cell for whatever privacy she was able to get.
Everything was a jumble for her.
Smooth paid for her lawyer.
Smooth paid Jefe.
Smooth made sure they were there to visit her.
Smooth’s actions were not that of a disloyal person. But there were the pictures. Smooth’s face was there clear as day. No matter what Roxy said in his favor, it was obvious he’d betrayed her. Again.
It was obvious what he’d keep doing if she allowed him to.
Then there was Monica.
What about her? China wondered.
She couldn’t point to a single reason that led her to believe what Smooth had told Roxy about Monica stealing the money—what Smooth told her.
She cautioned herself not to think with her heart. Her head told her clearly who was responsible.
Yes, Smooth had done a lot for her in the past several days, but it was all done with her own money.
China left the cell and went back to the phone.
She was told that the D.A. was still at lunch.
She hung up the phone in frustration.
She needed to reach the D.A. before her court date to ensure that she did, in fact, receive bond.
Chapter 19
Smooth and Roxy sat in the front row of seats in the courtroom waiting for China to come in. Before entering the courtroom, he’d spoken to her attorney and was told that he’d be there in 15 minutes.
Every time the door opened, Smooth looked behind him to see who had entered. He knew the lawyer was on the way, so he urged himself not to get anxious. Still, he was unable to control himself.
The door opened again and finally Mr. Hevralesky entered. His eyes scanned the pews until they found who he was looking for.
He made his way over to them.
“Good morning,” he said, as he placed his briefcase on the floor next to his feet.
“Good morning,” Roxy replied.
Smooth simply nodded.
“Don’t worry about anything. The judge presiding over her case is Judge Bach. He and I were roommates in college. But more importantly, we spoke by phone last night.” He winked at them.
They both caught his drift.
“Let me ask a question before Ms. Preston goes before the judge,” Hevralesky said, as he looked down at them in their seats.
They waited.
“How much bond can you afford? I’m only asking because I don’t want to get a bond that the family can’t afford.”
“So why don’t you get it as low as you can?” Smooth asked.
Hevralesky smiled, unbuttoned his coat, and then took a seat next to them.
“Let me explain how this works. First of all, on a charge like this, the defendant normally sits in jail until the trial date. That’s not going to happen here. You don’t need to know why. But since she’s not going to sit in jail, the D.A. is going to raise holy hell. The way we quiet him is by simply not insulting him. You simply don’t give a no-bond defendant a low bond. It has to be plausible. You get me?”
“Yeah, I get you,” Smooth answered.
“So what’s plausible?” he asked the lawyer.
“One hundred thousand.”
Smooth simply nodded.
With that, the lawyer got to his feet and went over to where the docket was kept.
China was scheduled to be in the first group brought to the courtroom.
Rather than going back over to Smooth and Roxy, the lawyer went over and chatted with the clerk. It wasn’t long before she was laughing and touching his arm affectionately.
Judge Bach entered the courtroom.
After calling the court to order, the clerk sat back down.
“Mr. Hevralesky, who do I owe the pleasure of having you grace my courtroom?” the judged asked.
“The pleasure is all mine, your honor,” Hevralesky said, picking up the docket. “Page one, Ms. Preston, your honor.”
Judge Bach peered through the glasses perched atop his nose, looking at China’s charges.
It was all for show. He knew every piece of pertinent information related to her case.
The door where the defendants entered the courtroom opened and a guard led a line of handcuffed people to their assigned area.
China waved in Smooth and Roxy’s direction with both hands.
They both waved back at her.
Smooth noticed China rolling her eyes. He could only shake his head.
“Your honor, Ms. Preston is present,” Hevralesky pointed in the general direction of the defendants. He had caught Smooth and Roxy’s waving at one of the defendants.
“What is the matter before the court?” the judge asked.
“Your honor, Ms. Preston was arrested for the first time on ...,” he said, as he flipped through several pages looking for the date of her arrest. “She was arrested on November 2 for trafficking cocaine and has been held on a no-bond charge. I’m requesting bond to be set in this case, your honor.”
The judge turned to the D.A.
“Any objections?”
“Yes, your honor. The state strongly opposes any bond being set in this case. Counsel for the defendant would like to put forth the notion that the defendant is a juvenile, but the 60 kilos of cocaine she was caught with is very disturbing. Again, we strongly oppose.”
The judge listened to the D.A. and Hevralesky went back and forth trying to persuade him to side wi
th their argument.
“I’ve listened to both sides and I’ve reached a compromise. I’m going to set a bond in this case. Counsel, what do you think is an appropriate amount?”
At this, Hevralesky smiled.
“Ten thousand, your honor,” the lawyer answered.
“And the state.”
“Two hundred thousand, your honor.”
“Bond is set in the amount of $200,000.”
“Thank you, your honor,” both lawyers said.
Hevralesky shook the other lawyer’s hand, and he then walked over to where Roxy and Smooth sat.
After exchanging a few words with them, he gave the judge one last look and walked out.
* * *
After leaving the courtroom, Roxy and Smooth drove over to the bail bondsman’s office. The bondsman’s name was Duwan Raymond. Smooth had initially gone to Speedy’s bail bonds in Miami, but he was directed to the office in Jacksonville.
After arriving they were asked to have a seat. Mr. Raymond would be with them shortly.
After waiting several minutes, a short, heavy-set black man with far too much jewelry and not enough hair emerged from the rest room, wiping his hands with a paper towel.
“You got visitors,” the secretary said, pointing to the two.
“How’s it going?” Raymond said, extending his hand to Smooth.
“I’m good,” Smooth shook his meaty hand.
“What can I do for you?”
“I got someone I need bonded out.”
“Sure, sure, sure. Bonds we can do. If you needed a hit man, you came to the wrong place, but bonds we can do. That’s our business. That’s what we do!” he laughed at his own joke.
Smooth and Roxy looked at each other.
“Come on over here,” he guided them to his desk.
“Who’re we springing today?” he asked, as he sat in front of his computer.
Roxy slid the paper with China’s name and jail number across the desk to him.
They watched as he typed in the information and then slowly shook his head.
“What?” Smooth said.
“She don’t have a bond,” he replied and turned the computer screen toward them.
“Yes, she does! Her bond is $200,000!” Smooth said with a lot of emotion.
“$200,000?” the bondsman asked. “Hang on!” He picked up the phone to call over to the courthouse. He didn’t want to miss the 10 percent fee.
Smooth got to his feet. He needed to move around.
What did he mean she didn’t have a bond?
He walked back to the desk as the bondsman hung up the phone.
“What’s up?” he asked.
“Everything’s A-Okay. Just a slight oversight. The clerk forgot to enter the information into the computer. It should be done now.”
He re-entered the information into the computer and turned the screen around to them again.
There it was.
“Do you folks know how it goes?”
“No,” Smooth quickly answered.
Mr. Raymond’s eyes told him he didn’t believe him, but he explained it anyway.
“So,” Roxy said, after he got through explaining, “... if we decide to use you, we got to pay you $20,000?”
“That’s me or anybody else. This is a risky business, sister.”
“How long will it take for her to get out of there once her bond is paid?” Roxy wanted to know.
“The information goes into the jail system right away. It’s up to them after that. They normally take anywhere from 45 minutes to 8 hours.”
“Just pay the man, Roxy. The longer you sit here asking questions, the longer she’ll have to sit in jail.”
Roxy pulled out two $10,000 stacks from her handbag and slid them to Mr. Raymond.
He fanned through the money and then called his security over.
“Count this and get me a receipt,” he ordered.
“That takes care of that. There’s still the matter of collateral.”
“You need to call Speedy’s,” was Smooth’s only reply.
With that, the bondsman filled out the paperwork. After everything was completed, he had Roxy sign, and he gave her a copy of the receipt. He thanked them for their business and then watched as they left.
After leaving the bonds office, they drove back over to the jail. There was nothing left to do but wait. They both hoped the wait would be closer to 45 minutes rather than 8 hours.
* * *
It had been almost 48 hours since Monica last spoke to China. The conversation had taken a turn for the worst when China demanded her to replace the gun back in the speaker.
Monica had told her that she’d taken the money. She knew that sooner or later she’d find out any way. Why delay the inevitable?
Besides, Monica had all the security she needed. China had told her out of her own mouth that she was facing 20 years and possibly a lot more. With any luck, Monica hoped that was what she’d get.
As for Smooth, she was certain he’d stay in his place. She had nothing to worry about, she told herself.
She lay across her bed reading the Investor’s Business Daily on her iPad. She had invested a large amount of money into four companies and checked them obsessively. She was proud of her choices. So far, the companies she selected had made her more than $17,000. And that was in three days of trading.
Maybe she would make enough to give China a loan, she laughed to herself. NOT!
Just then her phone rang. It was China.
“Yesss,” she answered in a teasing tone.
“What’s going on, Monica?” China asked.
“Oh, just looking at my investments,” Monica continued with the tone.
“What investment would that be?”
“Nothing you’d understand. So tell me, why are you calling me?”
China knew exactly what Monica expected from her, so she approached her from a different angle.
“Do you remember how we first met?” China asked her.
“Yeah.”
“I was the one that befriended you when everybody shot spitballs at you. If I’m correct, I’m the one who made them stop.”
“You were.”
“Do you remember when your mom lost her job and couldn’t afford school clothes for you? Do you remember who gave you half of everything she’d gotten that year?”
“You did.”
“Do you remember who you came to when your mom passed away?”
“I remember,” Monica’s voice was low.
“Not one time, Mo, have you ever needed me and I wasn’t there for you. Not one time! And the first chance you got, you do me like this? Fuck the money. I don’t even care about that part as much as you might think I do. What’s hurting me so much is that it’s you who did it to me. I didn’t even hurt this much when I thought it was Smooth who did it to me. But come to find out, it was you! My best friend, my sister, one of the few people I’d give my life for.”
Monica remained quiet.
“Even if you were to offer me back that money, I wouldn’t accept it. That money was worth the lesson you taught me. I just have one request Mo, and you’ll never have to worry about me every again.”
“And what’s that?” she asked.
“The item I asked you to check on. The item I asked you to check on ... not touch. Can I please have it back?” China pleaded.
“As bad as I want to, I can’t do that!”
“You can’t or won’t?”
“Whatever suits you best. Just know that I’m not!” Monica stated firmly.
“Just tell me why!”
“I’m not telling you anything. As a matter of fact, lose my number!” With that, she ended the call.
She replayed everything China had just said.
China was right. She always had Monica’s back. Even the times when she hadn’t said anything to China, she’d found out somehow and was still there for Monica.
She had kept China on the phone for more than s
ix hours when Gary had dumped her. It took someone who really cared about her to listen to her sobbing for that long.
China had always been a friend to her, but she was never a friend to China. It was about time China recognized that. She figured she was doing China a favor in the long run.
* * *
“So ...,” Roxy turned in her seat to face Smooth, as they waited in the parking lot for China to get released. “How much money do you guys still have?”
“Touch your nose, Rox. Touch your nose.”
“I’m not trying to be all up in your business. I’m just asking because I want to ask a favor of you.”
“How much the outfit cost, Roxy?” Smooth went into his pocket.
“No, Smooth. I’m thinking about opening a restaurant,” she said.
He leaned over and placed the back of his hand on her forehead.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Yeah, I’m okay,” she slapped his hand away laughing. “I got to start planning my future. Ga Ga keeps stressing this college shit, and I’m not feeling it. Maybe if I can start a successful business, she’ll lay off.”
“Maybe.”
“She might even give me the money she saved for me.”
“Yeah right!” Smooth said.
“A girl can wish.”
“I’ll tell you what. If China’s okay with it, I’m okay with it.”
“Noooo ... you’re putting me off on the Wicked Witch of the West?” she laughed. She laughed because she knew she’d get the money.
China wouldn’t turn her down.
“Speaking of the Wicked Witch ...,” Monica pointed.
Smooth got out and waited by the hood of his car as China made her way towards him.
With tears in her eyes, she ran to him. She needed to feel the familiar strength of his arms wrapped around her. She needed him to know she loved him. She needed him to know how sorry she was. But more than anything, she needed his forgiveness.
Smooth swept her off her feet and held her tightly. They were in another world. It was Roxy who brought them back.
“Hey jailbird.”
China broke free from Smooth’s embrace to give her sister a hug.