“Anyone interesting?”
“John Talley.”
“Is that strange? I mean, I talked to a lot of people, most of them I didn’t know. John’s the board president and he probably talked to a lot of people.”
“Maybe not,” Mingus said with a shrug, “but you never know.” He took another sip of his beer, resting the bottle against the table.
“Tell me about your business. I realize I don’t know much about how you operate.”
“There’s not much to tell. People bring me their problems, and my team and I try to solve them. We investigate cases, do surveillance and gather facts that are usually admissible in court.”
“Is my case unusual or different from the kinds of cases you usually work on?”
“Not at all. We’ll work anything from civil to criminal. I’ve handled child custody, domestic cases, fraud, missing persons, wiretaps, surveillance and forensics.”
“You said you had a team?”
He nodded. “There’s my secretary and I have six agents who do investigative work for me. They all have specialized talents and we’ve had a decent success rate.”
“Just decent?”
Mingus laughed and chugged back his beer.
Joanna relaxed with her drink, shifting her attention to the evening’s entertainment. There was a lovely young woman backed up by a trio playing on the stage. The piano player, a bassist and a drummer were covering a medley of jazz hits. The music was seductive and engaging, and a quiet reverie had settled over the whole room.
Mingus waved the waitress back over and ordered a cornucopia of dishes for them to savor: a platter of fried chicken, chopped barbecue, macaroni and cheese, green beans seasoned with bacon, candied yams and homemade biscuits.
It was more food than either of them could’ve eaten and every forkful was delicious. Joanna ate until she was stuffed, her tummy bulging. Mingus was equally full.
“I would order the peach cobbler for dessert, but I don’t think I could eat it,” he said.
“I know I couldn’t eat another bite,” Joanna said.
He gestured again for the waitress. “Let’s take it home,” he said. “We might get hungry later.”
Joanna smiled.
* * *
On the ride home Joanna couldn’t stop talking. She talked about her mother and her father. She asked about Mingus’s parents, curious about the longevity of their relationship. She told him about teaching and how she had hoped to one day open her own school. She shared her dreams and her disappointments.
Mingus was thoroughly amused, listening intently and sharing his own aspirations and dreams. They laughed and there was a harmony of sorts that echoed through the space.
At the front door of her home, he hesitated.
“Aren’t you coming in?” she questioned.
“I don’t know if I should, Joanna.”
“Do you want to?”
He nodded, suddenly feeling like a teenager on his first date.
Joanna laughed. “Then come in.”
He paused a second time.
“What’s wrong?”
“I don’t want us to do something we’re going to regret.”
“I think we’re past that point of no return,” she said. She licked her lips slowly as her eyes locked with his. “But if you’re really concerned, I’ll understand.”
“You’ve had a lot to drink. I don’t know if you’re thinking clearly.”
“Trust me, I’m not drunk. I am fully aware of what I’m doing. I’m talking too much because I’m nervous. I’m sweating because I’m excited. And I’m not planning to hold you hostage or do anything crazy, Mingus. I promise.” She turned and stepped over the threshold, tossing him one last look over her shoulder.
Mingus met the look she was giving him and trailed after her. Joanna kicked off her shoes in the entrance and he followed suit, turning to lock the door behind them. She moved into the kitchen and rested the bag of dessert on the counter. Mingus watched with bated breath as she turned to him and moved slowly in his direction.
“I want dessert,” Joanna stated, meeting his gaze evenly. She moved against him.
“Dessert? I don’t...”
“Yes, you do,” she said in a soft whisper.
Mingus felt his pulse quickening, his body responding to the soft whisper of her breath on his skin. “Oh...dessert!” he managed to blurt out.
She laughed and nuzzled her face into his neck, pressing a damp kiss against his skin.
Mingus slipped a large hand beneath her blouse. His fingers tapped gently against her skin. “I like dessert,” he said.
Joanna arched her back ever so slightly as she felt his fingers gently running over her flesh. Mingus dropped his mouth to hers and kissed her hungrily. His lips danced against her lips, tasting the remnants of sugared yams. Tracing his tongue along her profile, up her neck to her ear, gently licking and biting the lobe, he could hear the desire in Joanna’s breathing and he was instantly hard, every muscle below his waist tightening. He turned back to her lips, inviting her tongue to dance with his as he kissed her.
Time seemed to come to a standstill and it was surreal. Both had imagined the moment, fantasized about it, and in that moment, it was more than either imagined. Her lace bra suddenly became undone, her hardened nipples like rock candy protrusions pressing for attention.
Mingus pulled at her top, the buttons flying as he snatched the fabric, tearing it from her and tossing it to the floor. She reciprocated, the buttons of his dress shirt hitting the hardwood floor like small pebbles. His hands trailed down the length of her back, exploring every square inch of flesh. The bra slid from her shoulders, tangling in the crook of her arms, her hands sliding across his broad back and shoulders as her mouth continued to taste his.
Standing in the center of her kitchen, he stripped her naked. His kisses trailed a damp path from her head to her toes, following where his fingers led. He pulled her closer, her breasts pressed against his chest. His desire was rampant, his heart beating like a drum line in his chest. It took everything in him to contain the wealth of emotion exploding through every nerve ending. He had never wanted anyone, or anything, more than he wanted her. He wanted to claim her and make her his, to ensure no one and nothing could ever come between them. He needed to feel himself settled in her soft folds, to savor his hard lines enveloped in her silky lining. He was territorial, and in that moment every part of him belonged to her and no one else.
Mingus suddenly swept her up in his arms, moving swiftly toward her bedroom. As he laid her across the bed, he snatched the bedclothes away, sending them flying to the other side of the room. He covered her body with his own, his lips finding their way to her breasts to suckle one and then the other. Joanna moaned, a soft purr that sounded like the whisper of a prayer to his ears. Her hips lifted against him, her own need growing with a vengeance.
* * *
Mingus pulled himself from her and the bed, tearing at his clothes until he stood in all his glory. He was decadent and delicious, a visual treat of pure, unadulterated pleasure. Taut abs, thick thighs and an erection that stretched full and abundant teased her sensibilities.
Joanna rose onto her forearms just enough to stare in appreciation. The sight of him took her breath away. She begged him back to her with her eyes, her stare like a call to arms. Mingus crawled between her parted legs and kissed his way forward. By the time he captured her mouth again she was bathed in perspiration, every raw nerve begging for release.
After fumbling with a condom retrieved from her dresser drawer, Mingus sheathed himself quickly and entered her slowly. They took delight in not rushing, wanting every second of their time together to last forever. He stared into her eyes, pleasure exploding in his dark orbs. Joanna gasped, his name spilling past her lips as she welcomed him home.
* * *
&
nbsp; He loved her slowly, and completely, like she had never been loved before. He loved her over and over again, not stopping until the wee hours of the morning. As he curled his body around hers, a hint of sunlight beginning to peek through her window blinds, he fell asleep loving her with every ounce of his being.
* * *
When Joanna finally woke, the midday sun was sitting high in a cloudless sky. The afternoon news was playing on the bedroom television, the volume turned low. She rolled, searching out the heat from Mingus’s body, only to find the bed empty. She jumped, startled. Waking up alone suddenly felt unnatural, the anticipation of waking next to Mingus having consumed her. She called out his name but got no answer.
Rising from the bed, she headed into the bathroom first and then made her way to the kitchen. Amusement crossed her face as she retrieved her clothes, garments trailing from the hallway to the refrigerator. Her lace bra was even hanging from a cabinet near the stove. Mingus had left her a note on the kitchen table, which she read once and then a second time. Beside the note on the table was a key to his home. Joanna moved to the refrigerator and poured herself a glass of orange juice. It was going to be a good day, she thought, and then her telephone rang.
“Hello?”
“Joanna, hello! It’s Ellington Black. Do you have a moment to talk?”
“Ellington, hey! I do. How are you?”
“Unfortunately, I’m calling with bad news.”
“Let me sit down for this,” she said. “I keep saying that it can’t get any worse, but clearly it can.”
“Well, it’s nothing we didn’t expect. David Locklear and his parents have filed a civil suit against you and the school. The school has indicated that they will file to have the cases separated and your liability excluded from theirs.”
“A civil suit? So how much are they asking for?”
“Ten million dollars,” Ellington stated.
Joanna choked, beginning to cough as orange juice spewed across her kitchen table. “Ten million dollars? Are they crazy?”
“Clearly they’re taking advantage of the situation.”
“Can they actually sue me before I’m convicted? What happens when I’m found innocent?”
“They can sue you for anything, but it doesn’t mean they have a case or that they’ll win. And, of course, if there’s no credibility with the legal case, we will be able to get the civil suit dismissed.”
“Unbelievable. This is absolutely unbelievable.”
“I wanted you to hear it from me personally because I’m sure once the media gets its hands on the filing, it’ll be featured in the news. It also means they’ll have access to the details of your case, including the photographs.”
“Can we ask for the document to be sealed? Is that a thing?”
“That’s definitely a thing,” he said. “We can definitely petition the court and ask for that to happen.”
“Please! My reputation has already taken a hit, but if the media gets their hands on those photographs, they will follow me around even after I prove I didn’t do it.”
“I understand, and we will do everything in our power to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
“Thank you, Ellington. I really appreciate everything you’re doing.”
“You are very welcome, Joanna. And we’re going to do everything we can to make this go away.”
“You have a good afternoon,” she said and then she disconnected the line.
Joanna sat for a good half hour, staring into space. She knew that everyone was doing everything in their power to help her, but she was desperate to help herself. She needed answers and she wasn’t going to get them waiting around for other people to ask the questions that needed to be asked. Rising, she headed to the bedroom and the shower, needing to get dressed. If she didn’t hurry, school would be out and she would lose her window of opportunity.
Chapter 14
Mingus had risen on just a few hours of sleep, wanting to get to the office. Joanna had been sleeping soundly, snoring softly as she rested on her side. He wished he could stay under the covers with her, his body wrapped around hers, but there was work that needed to be done. He had pressed a gentle kiss to her shoulder before pulling the covers over her body and tiptoeing out of the room. Putting Frank Sumpter’s name to the face had Mingus wanting to know more about the man and what he was up to.
No one was in the office when he arrived. But the reports he’d requested were sitting on his desk, front and center. He made himself a hot cup of coffee and settled down to read. A few hours later, Mingus was back in his home office, connecting the dots with what he already knew.
Frank Sumpter’s résumé read like a how-to manual for self-made success. He’d been orphaned as a child and raised in foster care by the state of Michigan. He’d put himself through college working multiple jobs and eventually landed an internship with a local law firm that had helped him through law school.
Mingus learned that Sumpter’s relationship with the Talley family went back to the schoolyard. John Talley and Frank Sumpter had both spent time in the same group home as children. Their little clique had also included one Kyle Rourke. School reports reflected a host of devious behavior revolving around one or more of them. The trio was eventually busted in high school for shoplifting, an incident that had been the catalyst for their separation. Frank had aged out of the foster care system. John Talley had been placed in the custody of an aunt who’d moved to Chicago from Texas and Kyle had gone to live with a single father raising four other foster children. Nothing in the records told Mingus when or how the three had reconnected.
The Tower Group was something of an anomaly. It was a shell organization for multiple real-estate holdings and investment companies. Ownership was vague at best and management turned over frequently. Mingus knew he would have to dig a little deeper if he wanted to know more. He did learn the Tower Group was purchasing large acreage of property around Chicago. Two massive skyscraper projects bearing its name were currently under construction. The land it wanted from the purchase of the school would give them a third. Hundreds of thousands of dollars were being pumped into the Tower Group and their investments. He was going to have to call in more than a few favors to follow the money trail.
His cell phone suddenly ringing was the first distraction he’d had all day. He was disappointed to see the call was from his brother, having hoped that Joanna had started her day with him on her mind. He answered the call with a hint of attitude in his tone.
“Yeah, what’s up?”
“Good morning to you, too,” Ellington responded.
“Sorry, I just have a lot on my mind. How are you?”
“Frustrated. Where are we on the Barnes case?”
“Frustrated,” Mingus answered. “But I think I’ve got a new lead,” he said, filling his brother in on the school board meeting and what he’d learned about the new players.
“So you think the Tower Group has something to do with this? You’re reaching a bit, aren’t you?”
“I may be, but at this point we don’t have anything to lose.”
“I don’t know how much longer we have before I’m going to need to consider advising her to take the plea deal.”
“Don’t you dare!” Mingus snapped. “She’s not taking a plea deal. Joanna is not guilty.”
Ellington snapped back, “Then give me something I can use to clear her name. Because right now, what we do have will get her a maximum sentence at Metropolitan Correctional Center.”
Mingus released the breath of hot air he’d been holding. “I hear you,” he said finally.
“You are keeping things professional between you two, aren’t you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Mingus, you know exactly what I mean. Let’s not play games. If there is something going on between you two, don’t let it be a surprise that throws
another crimp in this case. Please. I don’t know if we can take another hit.”
“Do you really want to know?”
“Not really. But as her attorney, I will need to know if it could potentially impact the credibility of anything you discover.”
“It won’t.”
There was a moment of pause. Ellington broke the silence. “She must be pretty damn special. You have never mixed business with pleasure. That’s not like you.”
“No, I always left that for you and Armstrong.”
“Armstrong maybe, not me!”
Mingus laughed. “Not to worry, big brother. I’m not purposely trying to make you job harder.”
“So is she coming to family dinner any time soon?”
Mingus laughed again. “Soon!”
“Keep me updated, please. I really could use some good news!”
“Before you go, I need a favor.”
“What’s up? What do you need?”
“I need to visit the school again during class. Tell them I need to see Joanna’s classroom specifically.”
“You do understand you can’t talk to any of the students, correct? In case that’s what you had planned. Not without a parent or guardian present.”
“Just get me in.”
Ellington sighed. “I’ll take care of it,” he said before hanging up the phone.
Chapter 15
Principal Donato did not look happy, but she greeted him warmly. “Mr. Black. I’m surprised to see you again.”
“I appreciate you taking time to see me.”
“How can we help you?”
“I need to see Joanna Barnes’s classroom. I won’t interrupt the students. Something Ms. Graves told me at the board meeting has me curious.”
The principal looked confused. “And what exactly did she tell you?”
“A student stole her wallet?”
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