The Reign of Rain Robinson

by Roy Glenn

  “And I been locked up for what I did. I did my time, Black!” Rooney shouted as Bobby kicked him.

  “And how you think you did that time, huh? How you think it happened that a piece of shit like you didn’t die violently the first night you got there? You ever wonder about that?”

  Rooney didn’t answer, but he knew, at least he did now and yes, he had thought about it. He thought, when he was going in, that he would be in constant danger in general population and would be forced to do all of his time in administrative segregation.

  “You were under my protection in there because I swore to the people in this room that nobody was going to kill you, but me.” Black paused and looked down at Rooney. “But now, after all these years, I know that I’m not the one who should end your life.”

  Black lowered his weapon and looked at Wanda.

  “You were right, Wanda. You have every right to be here. LaKela was your friend. You should be the one to kill him.”

  “He’s right, Wanda, you have to be the one,” Bobby said, and he took a step back.

  Wanda smiled, and then she removed the gun from her clutch. “Get him up on his knees,” she said and Black and Bobby helped Rooney up. “Look at me.”

  When Rooney raised his head, Wanda placed the barrel of the gun against his forehead and pulled the trigger.

  “Thank you, Mike. May her tortured soul finally be able to rest in peace.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Victor was the first one to wake up when they touched down at the airport. He had slept pretty much the entire flight back from Paris. He passed out the second he claimed a seat. Knowing that they were leaving soon and who knew when he’d ever make it back to Paris, he was determined to make the last two days memorable, so he did, and that meant not sleeping. Plenty of time for that on the plane, he said more than once during the two days.

  Victor unbuckled his seatbelt and stood up. After a good yawn and stretch, he went to wake up Jada. She was sitting with her legs crossed at the ankles beneath her seat and her hands on her lap.

  “Jada,” he said and shook her lightly. “We’re here.”

  “Thank you, Victor,” Jada said and wiped the corners of her mouth with the tissue she was holding.

  She covered her mouth and yawned as Victor went to wake up Carmen. She was propped up with her feet on the chair and a blanket over her head. Victor tapped her foot.

  “Wake up, Carmen. We’re here.”

  Carmen pulled the blanket from over her head as she yawned and made an unsteady attempt to stand up. She caught her balance before Victor had to grab her.

  “I’m all right,” she said and continued her stretch.

  Victor stood there watching her thinking.

  Damn, she even yawns sexy, he thought.

  They had a what happens in Paris, stays in Paris afternoon while Jada was out shopping.

  It was one afternoon I’ll never forget.

  As the jet taxied to the hangar, Jada stood up, smoothed out the wrinkles in her dress and got her clutch before walking toward the cockpit. She knocked lightly on the door and it wasn’t long before the door opened.

  “Good evening, Edward.”

  “Evening, Ms. West. I hope you enjoyed your flight,” Edward said. He was recently hired to be Jada’s personal pilot.

  “I just wanted to thank you for getting us here safely,” Jada said and took an envelope from her clutch. “This is a little something for you.”

  “You don’t have to tip me, Ms. West. I work for you.”

  “Which is exactly why if you wish to remain in my employ, you will allow me to tip you generously and simply say, thank you, Ms. West when I hand you an envelope. Is that clear?”

  “Yes, Ms. West.”

  Jada smiled. “Excellent. So, shall we try this again?”

  “Yes, Ms. West.”

  “I just wanted to thank you for getting us here safely,” Jada said and handed the envelope to Edward. “This is a little something for you.”

  “Thank you, Ms. West,” Edward said with a bright smile that matched Jada’s.

  Jada patted him on the cheek. “Was that so bad?”

  “Not at all,” Edward said and watched Jada walk away, thinking that he had landed the best job ever and she was the best boss he ever had. She’s definitely the sexiest and she’s friends with Carmen Taylor, he thought and happily went back to work.

  Jada traveled extensively between New York and the Caribbean and she had grown weary of the inconvenience of booking flights, long security lines and rude employees. Although Black had told her that Jake was at her disposal, Black traveled extensively as well, and there were times when Jake simply wasn’t available.

  Therefore, Jada being Jada, she went to Black with a proposal that would not only resolve her travel issues but make money for them as well.

  “I suggest that we start our own charter service.”

  Black sat back and laughed. “You just want your own jet, Ms. West.”

  “Yes, Mr. Black, I do.”

  “Make it happen,” Black said, and the money makers drank to their new business venture. It didn’t take Jada long to put her plan in motion and had leased four Phenom 300’s with a spacious and luxurious cabin that was designed by BMW and had seating for eight passengers. She put three in service and claimed one for herself in time for her and Carmen to fly to Paris.

  As Victor exited the plane to see to their travel arrangements and luggage, Jada hugged Carmen.

  “Thank you for inviting me to experience Paris with you. It was a time I will certainly never forget.”

  “Neither will I, Jada,” Carmen said and hugged her again. “I had a great time. The best time.”

  “I had a great time as well, but I promise you, Carmen Taylor, I will never go anywhere with you ever again.”

  Carmen laughed. “Sorry,” she sang and hugged Jada again, but Jada pushed Carmen off playfully.

  “Trouble just follows you wherever you go. I’m the one who is a criminal and I am perfectly safe until I go anywhere with you, Carmen Taylor.”

  “And you loved every minute of it,” Carmen said.

  “Wouldn’t have missed it for anything in the world.”

  “We make a great team, don’t we?”

  “We do, indeed,” Jada said.

  “How long are you staying in the city?”

  “I don’t know, a day or two at the very least.”

  “Just don’t sneak out of town without saying goodbye this time,” Carmen said, and they hugged again.

  “I won’t,” Jada said and they each got in different limos.

  When Jada returned to her suite, she made a cocktail while she ran a bath. And after a good relaxing soak, Jada dried herself, dressed in a La Perla desert rose nightgown and went to sleep. When she awoke the following morning, she came out into the suite to find Caprice, her personal assistant was there.

  “Good morning, Jada.”

  “Good morning, Caprice. How are you?”

  “I’m fine. How was your trip to Paris with Carmen?”

  “It was absolutely wonderful.” Jada paused and then she sat down. “Other than getting arrested and held for murder, it was an absolutely fabulous trip. I cannot wait to show you the pieces that I bought for you.”

  “Excuse me, Jada. Did I hear you correctly? Did I hear you say that you were arrested and held for murder?”

  “Yes, some designer friend of Carmen’s was murdered,” Jada said matter of factly. “And the police actually arrested and detained us for his murder for several hours. And you know Carmen with a mystery to solve. But fortunately, it did not ruin the trip …” Jada paused and thought about it. “It actually made the trip more exciting. Up until that point, all we were doing was drinking, shopping, clubbing and eating the absolute best food.” Jada giggled. “And somehow, that was starting to get old.”

  “So, are you going to tell me what happened?” Caprice asked, and Jada spent the rest of the morning telling Caprice about
her adventure in Paris over grapefruit and French Seventy-Fives.

  “Wow, that was quite a story, Jada. I am so glad that you are safe.”

  “Believe me, so am I.” Jada looked at her watch. “I would have thought that Simone would have been here by now.”

  “I apologize, Jada for that not being the first thing I told you. I was caught off guard by that amazing story.”

  “Get to the point, Caprice.”

  “Simone is missing.”

  “What do you mean, Simone is missing?”

  “I mean that nobody has seen or heard from her in three days. And you said that you did not wish to be disturbed with business matters while you were in Paris.”

  “When was the last time anybody saw her?”

  “She was going to meet Fiona,” Caprice said and explained the situation with Jackie, Travis and Fiona.

  “I see,” Jada said. “Find out where Ms. Washington and Mr. Burns are and get somebody to take me to them, please,” Jada said and got up.

  After dressing in an Elie Saab double crepe ruffle cold shoulder dress and Stuart Weitzman nudistsong strappy sandals, Jada was driven to Jackie’s home to speak with them about the matter. Fiona felt her world standstill when she switched to the security feed and saw Jada standing there.

  “No,” Fiona said softly as sadness set in. She was certain that Jada would be no less reasonable than Simone, so she went to answer the door and let Jada in knowing that she had to go back.

  “Good afternoon, Jada,” Fiona said when she opened the door.

  “Good afternoon, Fiona.”

  “Won’t you please come in,” Fiona said and extended her hand graciously.

  “Thank you, Fiona.” Jada stepped in. “How have you been, Fiona?”

  “I’m doing wonderful,” Fiona said with a big smile as she led Jada into the living room. She wanted Jada to see how happy she was with Jackie and Travis. Fiona looked at Jada and her expression told her nothing. “Please, have a seat and make yourself comfortable.”

  “Thank you.” Jada sat down and crossed her leg.

  “Can I get you anything to drink?” Fiona asked.

  “Nothing for me, Fiona, thank you. However, you could tell me if either Ms. Washington or Mr. Burns are available?” Jada asked.

  “I’m right here,” Jackie said when she came in the room and Jada stood up to greet her. “How are you, Jada?” Jackie may have given her a polite hug, but her mind was painting the picture that Black had planted in her mind.

  Definitely would have been nice.

  “And how was Paris, Jada?” Jackie asked and offered her a seat. Jada sat down, and Jackie watched as she crossed her leg and placed her hands on her knee. Definitely nice.

  “Paris was wonderful,” Jada said and since the explanation would have taken too long, she decided not to mention that she and Carmen had gotten arrested for murder. “Have you ever been?”

  “Twice, but we were there on business, so I didn’t get a chance to do much.”

  “You should go strictly for the pleasure of it. You’ll love it,” Jada said as Travis came in the room.

  He leaned in to hug Jada. “How are you, Ms. West?”

  “I am fine, Mr. Burns,” she said as Travis sat down next to Jackie. Fiona moved to stand by the couch beside them. “I have to say, I love that outfit,” Jada said to Jackie. “Yigal Azrouël?”

  “How did you know?”

  Jada giggled. “I know clothes,” she said and then she looked at Fiona. “Would you excuse us for a moment, Fiona? I need to speak privately with Ms. Washington and Mr. Burns.”

  “Yes, Jada,” Fiona said and left the room. Once again, not a part of the conversation about her future. You gonna kill Jada too? Fiona asked herself and closed the door.

  Now that Fiona was gone, a no longer smiling nor polite Jada asked a question.

  “What happened to Simone?”

  Jackie told Jada that they had made what they thought was a generous offer to compensate Simone for the income she would lose. Jada sat and listened intently, shocked by the story that she was listening to.

  “What was your offer?” she asked.

  “One hundred thousand dollars,” Travis said. “But she said that it wasn’t enough to compensate her for Fiona’s future earning potential.”

  “And did Simone counter?”

  “Simone wanted a quarter of a million dollars, and I told her that was ridiculous,” Jackie said.

  “As you should,” Jada stated.

  “And we said thanks, but no thanks,” Travis added.

  “And we agreed to send her back,” Jackie said.

  “So what happened?” a now angry Jada asked. For the life of her, she simply could not understand why Simone would do that.

  “Simone told Fiona that she belonged to her, so she didn’t get a say in whether she could stay or not, so Fiona shot her,” Jackie said.

  Jada blinked twice. “I beg your pardon, but did I just hear you say that Fiona shot Simone?”

  Both Travis and Jackie nodded their heads. “She did.”

  “Is Simone dead?”

  “Yes,” Jackie said cautiously, not knowing how Jada would react.

  “One shot to the head,” Travis said with a smile.

  Jada paused for a moment to take it all in. “What happened to Simone’s body?”

  “Edwina took care of it,” Travis said.

  “If you want to give her a proper funeral, we can see that the remains are returned to you,” Jackie offered.

  “That won’t be necessary. I am sure whatever arrangements were made are quite sufficient, and under the circumstances, warranted. Fiona is not property to be bought and sold. If Fiona wants to stay here with you, she is more than welcome to.” Jada stood up. “Fiona! Fiona! Come out here this instant!”

  Fiona came rushing out of the room, thinking that it was time to go back. She had changed into an eye-catching sequined black Joanna Mastroianni cocktail dress and black Rene Caovilla crystal mesh point-toe pumps and stood practically at attention. “Yes, Jada.”

  Jada took Fiona’s hands in hers. “I want to apologize to you for what Simone attempted to do to you. You are nobody’s property to be bought and sold. You can stay here with Ms. Washington and Mr. Burns.” Jada paused and looked directly at her. I need to be sure that this is what she wants. “But only if you want to.”

  Fiona hugged Jada. “Thank you, Jada,” she said as tears rolled down her cheeks. “Yes, Jada, I want to stay.”

  “Then you are more than welcome to,” Jada said when Fiona finally let her go. “You don’t belong to me, Fiona. You and I were always partners in this business. Call me tomorrow morning and we’ll make arrangements to have a late lunch.” Jada smiled. “Of course, you are welcome to bring Ms. Washington and Mr. Burns, if you like. We’ll have a nice meal and I’ll provide you with all the information you’ll need to access your account in the Caymans.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Glenda Dukes was changing her life. She had graduated from New York Medical College to become a trauma surgeon and had just began her residency at Westchester Medical Center Hospital. She was looking forward to beginning her residency training in general surgery before moving on to training in trauma and surgical critical care. Her goal after certification was to be accepted into a trauma surgery fellowship.

  At the end of a long shift, she was talking with fellow residents, Jordina and Susanna about the shift they’d just come off and where to get the best pizza.

  “I know where they make the best pizza in the city.” Glenda looked at the two younger residents. “But the environment may be a bit much for you ladies.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, in addition to having the best pizza, there’s … let’s call them a criminal element that hangs out there.”

  “I love me some bad boys,” Jordina said quickly. She was twenty-seven years old, self-confident, bold, some would say a brazen and arrogant woman, but there was no quest
ion about her passion for medicine. Jordina was smart and she was beautiful and apparently adventurous. “Let’s go.”

  “Are we talking real thugs, or just a bunch of wannabes?” Susanna asked. If there was somebody in the world that was Jordina’s exact opposite, it would be Susanna. Where Jordina was considered to be brazen and somewhat arrogant, Susanna was cautious and diplomatic. The only similarity between them was their knowledge of and passion for medicine.

  “Trust me, these are the real thing and some of them are quite dangerous,” Glenda said with a smile as she thought about one man in particular. “But they are some of the nicest people you ever wanted to meet.”

  “How do you know them?” Susanna asked.

  “My husband grew up with them,” Glenda said and thought about Perry.

  Glenda Foster was an impressionable nineteen-year-old nursing student who was working her way through school as a certified nursing assistant when she met a handsome young med student named Perry Dukes. Glenda fell in love, got pregnant and was a mother before her twentieth birthday. Glenda and Perry were married, and she was pregnant with their second child before she graduated at twenty-two.

  It didn’t take long after he finished his residency for them to open a clinic in his old neighborhood and for the two to settle into married life. As their business expanded, they opened a second clinic in Mount Vernon and moved their family to the suburbs. There were years of happiness to be sure, but there were problems in the marriage as well. There was his constant infidelity that had existed throughout their relationship. She had caught him in lies and compromising situations more times than she could count, and each time, there would be a declaration that she meant nothing to him, followed by the promise that it would never happen again, but it always did. And each time, Glenda would resolve herself that she was staying for the children. But her children were grown now, so the question was, why was she still in the relationship that had caused her so much pain over the years?

  Since she didn’t have a good answer, Glenda knew that it was time to get out, or at least she began thinking about it. What pushed Glenda over the edge was Karenna Patterson. She was a patient at their Mount Vernon clinic that made no secret of her interest in Perry and quickly made her presence known to Glenda and that she was going to be a problem. And she quickly did. She believed that putting some distance between her and Karenna was the reason that Perry opened a third clinic in New Rochelle … that just happened to be a ten-minute ride from her condo. When things came to a head and exploded as they always do, Perry was back with the same tired lines.