by Roy Glenn
“They went out of business when people started posting videos of how to crack it.” They both laughed. “Watch my back,” Kamau said and went to work on the combination.
“Once they said it was burglar proof, I’m sure their competitors went to work on breaking into the safe right away.”
“They did.”
“How long is it gonna…”
“Got it.”
“Take.”
“I trained on this model on the farm.”
Now that the safe was opened, Kamau stood watch while Carmen searched the safe. What she found was a journal. She quickly flipped through the pages until Carmen found the pages she was looking for.
“The line items have transaction dates for a company called Truckload Freight Transportation that corresponded to the shipping manifests.”
“So Ingram International was using Truckload Freight to transport … what?” Kamau asked as he continued looking in the safe.
“I don’t know,” Carmen said as took pictures of the pages with her phone. “Did you find anything else?”
“Not really, just some flash drives.”
Carmen stopped. “Get them.”
When she was finished with the journal, since it was on, Carmen used Darby’s computer to copy the contents to her flash drive and they got out of there.
Chapter Twenty-three
After Carmen left the hotel suite, Jada prepared to receive Chanté for breakfast. With things being the way, they were, Jada decided that it would be best to speak with her in person and more importantly, in private. Rain had allowed her to handle the situation with Detective Bautista and she wasn’t going to fail her. Jada meant it when she said she respected Rain’s position and authority and her respect and loyalty for her were absolute and not to be questioned by anybody.
Jada had the Clement Restaurant in the hotel cater a breakfast buffet in the study with Maine lobster, beef tenderloin, smoked salmon and Canadian bacon, grilled ham, country sausages and applewood-smoked bacon. There were poached eggs, sunny-side up eggs, hash browns and spicy roasted tomatoes. And not to forget the New York bagels with cream cheese and toasted English muffins.
“All this for me?” Chanté asked as the room service attendant held a chair out for her.
“Goodness no.” Jada laughed as the other attendant seated her. “Caprice and Fantasy are here with me. Victor and Simone will be here sometime this morning too. And between you and me, Fantasy eats like a horse.”
Chanté laughed. “I don’t think I’ve met Fantasy.”
“I’m sure that you will. I promised Mr. Freeman that I would stay in the city while he gets my case resolved.”
“So you’ll be here for a while?”
“Yes, Chanté, I’m afraid you’re stuck with me.”
While the attendant served, Jada and Chanté made idle chitchat about this and that. Talking around, but not about the situation with Bautista until he was finished serving and closed the doors behind him.
“So you’re familiar with these guys?” Chanté asked as soon as he was gone.
“We’ve had run ins with them before,” Jada replied.
“I’ll reach out to a friend of mine at the ATF; see if she can give me anything on them that you can use.”
“Thank you, Chanté. I’m sure that information will be useful.” Jada paused. “But is there anything else you can tell me about the detective and her informant?”
Chanté told Jada again what she overheard Kirk and Bautista say that morning at the precinct. “She said that her informant told her about the meeting at Salsa Con Tarifa with El Decreto de Guerra and she was there.”
“Was the detective able to identify any one at the meeting?” Jada asked and sipped her coffee.
“No,” Chanté said with her mouth full. “This smoked salmon is incredible.” She wiped her mouth. “They put her out with the rest of the crowd before the meeting began.”
“I see.” Jada took a bite of her poached eggs. “But you’re sure that it’s a woman?”
“It’s a woman and by now, she’s wearing a wire, and if she isn’t now, she soon will be,” Chanté said and continued eating the delicious breakfast.
“Why hadn’t she been wearing one all along?”
“Bautista needed to know that she was real. Overhearing someone give the order to go to a meeting with a group of gunrunning Colombians was all she needed to bring Kirk into it. He’s the one that insisted she wear a wire.”
“But they’re still running her off-book?” Jada asked.
“Yes. Sanchez thinks a lot of Kirk, but he is a by the book guy, and they don’t have enough to go to the lieutenant with.”
“Well that’s something.”
After Chanté left for the precinct for her first day with her new partner, Jada took time to consider her next move. Although there were a number of women that were associated with the family, this woman seemed to have access to power and if she was about to get wired up, that wasn’t a good thing.
Later that afternoon, Patrick Freeman called to ask if Jada had some free time, if she did, he would like to hear from her.
“It’s nothing earth shattering, Ms. West, just some things that I need to share with you personally.”
“Of course, Mr. Freeman. These matters are best handled face to face. So let’s say four o'clock. Is that good for you?”
“See you then, Ms. West,” Patrick said and ended the call.
Jada put the phone down and turned to Victor. “With Mr. Nesmith recovering from his injuries, I am going to need somebody to escort me to Mr. Freeman’s office, please.”
“Somebody good, Victor,” Simone said. “There’s too much going on out there.”
“I don’t need to call anybody. It would be my honor to escort you personally, Jada,” Victor said to Jada and then he turned to Simone. “That way she’ll have the best. You think that will satisfy you, Simone?”
“I’ll be satisfied knowing that Jada is safe,” Simone bit back. Victor had counseled Simone against sending the ladies to Flip, their relationship had been strained since.
“I don’t know what’s going on between the two of you, but whatever it is, it needs to stop now.” Knowing her tendency to hold onto things far longer than she should, Jada looked at Simone. “Am I making myself clear?”
“Yes, Jada,” they both said.
Jada looked at Victor. “Simone is right, there is entirely too much going on for me too have to deal with this friction between the two of you. I need you now; this family needs you now.”
“Understood, Jada,” Victor said.
After the issue he had with Jackie over The Game, Black talked to him and reminded him that it wasn’t about him, or position. It’s about doing whatever needs to be done so we all make money, Black told him the day he took The Game away from him and sent him to protect Jada. I promise you it will lead to better things. Now Victor ran all of Jada’s gambling operations in the city and he was her loyal soldier.
“Outstanding. I’m going to change,” Jada said and then she looked at Victor. He was dressed casually in jeans, a black t-shirt with the Green Lantern symbol on it and a jacket. “Perhaps you should too.”
When Jada came out of her room, dressed and ready to go in a Rubin Singer metallic asymmetric dress, Victor stood up. He had changed into a navy blue Milano fit two-button Brooks Brothers suit, a white shirt and a tie.
“Much better,” Jada said, and they left the suite.
When she arrived at Patrick’s office, he told her that he was able to verify that Moriah Watts was in New Orleans.
“I have an operative there and he is going to reach out to her today to remind her of our agreement,” Patrick said.
“What about Jadonna Marrin?”
“She is back in the city. I had an operative drop by the address we have for her yesterday. She does live there, but he just missed her.”
“I haven’t seen Jadonna in years,” Jada said, and smiled.
S
he remembered Jadonna as being an excellent earner and she wouldn’t mind having her back with Simone.
“If you give me the address, I’d be happy to check in with her.” Jada said.
It was crucial to Patrick’s plan that she wasn’t available on Jada’s day in court. So, he very gladly gave Jada the address.
When Jada arrived at the apartment building, she saw Jadonna coming out of the building with a woman.
“That’s Detective Bautista that she’s with,” Victor said as they watched the detective get in the car. “And that is Kirk that she got in the car with,” he said as Jadonna got in another car and they both drove away.
“Follow her,” Jada commanded.
“It might be a bit conspicuous for us to follow her in the limousine,” Victor said.
Keeping Jadonna in sight, he got out of the limousine and quickly got a cab to stop for him. Once Jada was in the cab, Victor ordered the driver to follow Jadonna. They trailed her to a unisex hair and nail salon.
“That salon is one of Jab Baldwin’s spots. He runs numbers and book outta there,” Victor informed Jada.
“I see. If memory serves, Mr. Baldwin works for Mr. Garrison,” Jada said and watched Jadonna as she went in the store. Victor got out of the cab and approached to get a closer look inside the salon.
“She’s in there sitting on Jab’s lap,” Victor said once he returned to the cab.
“I’ve seen enough. Have the driver take us back to the limousine, please.”
Jada knew that she needed to find out for sure if Jab was the one that Jadonna said was ready to flip on Rain. When they were back in the limousine, Victor asked Jada where she wanted to go next. There weren’t too many people that Jada was willing to trust.
“Give me a moment, please.” She thought for a moment and then Jada got out her phone and dialed a number.
“Who is this and how did you get this number?”
“Monika.”
“Yes.”
“Jada West speaking.”
“What can I do for you, Jada?”
“I need a favor.”
“Whatever you need.”
“Superb. Is it possible for you to meet me someplace?”
“Just let me know where and when,” Monica said.
“How about the Bemelmans Bar on East 76th.”
“Isn’t that in The Carlyle Hotel?”
“Yes, it is.”
“I could be there in an hour,” Monika said, and they ended the call.
When Monika arrived at The Carlyle, she went directly to the Bemelmans Bar. It was a sophisticated, upscale piano bar, which was adorned with Ludwig Bemelmans' famed murals on the walls. She looked around for Jada and found her and Victor seated at a table near the back.
“Would you give us a minute, Victor?” Jada asked.
Once Victor was gone, Jada explained the situation to Monika. “I need to be sure that it is indeed Mr. Baldwin that plans to become the detectives’ informant before I take it to her.”
“I understand. His life depends on you getting this right because Rain will kill him,” Monika said.
“Can you help me with this?”
“Me, Xavier and Carla aren’t doing anything right now, so I can throw the whole team at this.”
“With everything that is going on in our house, time is of the essence,” Jada reminded her.
“Don’t worry Jada, I got you.”
Chapter Twenty-four
After breaking into Ingram International, Carmen and Kamau took the flash drive and journals that she copied back to the station for a more detailed examination. During the ride, Carmen explained exactly what she was involved in and about the flash drive that Simpson gave her and about their contents.
“What do you think is on the drive you copied?”
“I hope it will tell me what it is about the first drive that’s worth killing over,” Carmen said and settled into her seat.
When they arrived, Kamau escorted Carmen in the building, and then they took the elevator up to her floor. She signed him in as her guest and he was given a badge that was coded to grant him access to the areas Carmen designated. He started to tell Carmen that he already had an all access badge, but he looked at her beautiful face and her smile as she checked him and decided why bother.
“I’m just gonna step in the restroom. I’ll catch up.”
“It’s down that hall and … and you already know where the restrooms are, don’t you?”
“Yes, I do. I’ll catch up,” Kamau said again and started in that direction.
“I’ll be right here,” Carmen said and leaned against the wall to wait.
It hadn’t quite been ten minutes, when Carmen began wondering what was taking him so long and another minute or two before she decided to go and check on him. Carmen got to the men's room and pushed the door.
“Kamau!” she called to him, but got no answer. “Kamau!”
It was then that she realized what was going on, laughed, accepted it and headed toward the newsroom. On the way, she stuck her head in Dan’s office.
“Going to check out another drive. Wanna join me?”
Dan bounced out of his seat and rushed to catch up with Carmen. “Where’d you get this one?”
“You don’t wanna know.” Carmen pushed the door and went in, leaving Dan standing there for a second or two before he followed her in.
“Hey, Max,” Carmen said as she went into Studio C.
“What’s up?” Max asked, but when he saw Dan rush in the studio, he knew that was where he needed to be.
“What’s on there, Carmen?” Dan asked anxiously as Max came in.
“What’s going on, guys?”
“Carmen’s got another drive,” Dan said, while Carmen accessed the folder.
“Where’d you get it?”
“You don’t wanna know,” Dan answered for Carmen and pulled up a chair.
“More videos,” Carmen said.
The drive contained more videos with some of the same women, “But these are different,” Carmen added.
“I see,” Dan said.
They were bondage, dominatrix and sex slave videos. Dan noticed that in some of the videos, some of the women looked like they’d been crying before they did their introduction. And in bondage, dominatrix and sex slave videos, Carmen noted that the women don’t seem to be there willingly, and one is actually crying while she is fucked by two men in her sex slave video. The videos all ended with a numeric code.
“There’s that code again,” Max said.
“It’s got to mean something,” Dan said and stood up.
“But what?” Carmen asked.
“Let’s start with what we know.”
“Katana Jackson found out something is going on at Abbate Construction, but she’s murdered before she can tell me what. I go to Abbate, and Calvin Simpson gives me a drive with videos on it, and then I come across this one and they’re both made by CTI.”
“We go see Castor, found him dead, but we do find shipping manifests from Ingram International that Castor was shredding,” Max added.
“Ingram International,” Dan paused. “That where you got the other drive?”
“Yes.” Carmen Paused. “And I have copies of journal entries for a company called Truckload Freight Transportation that correspond to the shipping manifests.”
Just then, Louis Carr came in the studio and his eyes got wide when he saw what was on the screen. Max quickly closed the window, but the damage was done.
“What the fuck are you three doing in here?” he demanded to know. It took a while for Carmen to lay it all out for him, but when she was done, Louis needed some clarification.
“So, if I’m understanding this correctly, somebody used Truckload Freight Transportation to transport something having to do with those women to Ingram International.”
“Right,” Dan said.
Louis walked in the newsroom with Carmen, Max and Dan trailing closely behind him. He clapped his hands and
the room quickly became quiet.
“All right, listen up people,” Louis began and explained, without going into any detail at all, what he needed. “I need to know what connects these three companies and I need to know yesterday, so let’s all get on it,” Louis said, and the newsroom immediately became alive with activity.
But then Louis had one more thing to say.
“And people.”
The activity stopped.
“This is more than just another story. Carmen is putting her life on the line, so let’s make sure we get this right.” Louis paused. “What’s everybody looking at me for?”
And just as quickly, the buzz of activity resumed.
It was about an hour later when Lacara came in Louis’s office carrying a handful of papers.
“What you got, Lacara?” Louis asked.
“Milton Petty.”
“Who’s that?” Carmen asked.
“He’s what ties it all together.” Lacara laid the papers out on Louis’s desk. “All of the companies involved are owned by a number of shell companies, mainly for tax avoidance purposes, but,” she flipped a couple of pages and pointed. “But if you look here, you see that they all have the same parent company. MP International that is owned by Milton Petty.”
“Good,” Louis nodded. “Good stuff.” He turned to Carmen. “Get started on this.”
“Yes, sir,” Carmen said, and stood up.
“This is good work, Lacara,” Louis said.
“Thank you.”
“I can’t take all the credit. Sheila did most of the leg work,” Lacara said.
“You just walked it in here,” Max whispered to Carmen as they left the office.
“Be nice, Max. Lacara works hard.”
“Lacara is a power-hungry suck up,” Max said.
“Anyway.”
“What are you going to do now?” Max asked.
“I need to talk to Milton Petty,” Carmen said and began looking around the newsroom.
“How you gonna do that? If he’s our guy, you’re the last person he’s gonna wanna talk to.”
“I guess I’ll just have to be where he’s gonna be and bum-rush him,” Carmen said and then she saw the person she was looking for.