60 Minutes (5 page)

“Camille, you’re so smart but dumb at the same damn time. You thought you were off the hook didn’t you?” Jani’rah stood up from out of her seat and walked over to Camille. Camille tried to speak but her mouth wouldn’t move. The poison that Jani’rah had slipped in her drink instantly paralyzed Camille. She tried to move her arm but she couldn’t, her stomach started growing hot.

Jani’rah blew a sigh, “Well, let me make this quick before you die on me!” She picked up the folders and pulled out a statement and shook her head. “I hate rats Camille; you knew this! Why would you go against the grain?” Jani’rah was disgusted with Camille; she felt more than just betrayal. She would have taken her out in the same grimy way she had taken out Melanie, but she actually had love for Camille so she spared her the same torture. Camille’s dishonor hurt Jani’rah to the core; it was poison to her soul. That’s why poison was the choice for the death of her once loyal escort.

Camille dropped to the floor as the poison began to burn her insides, killing her slowly. Saliva escaped the corners of her mouth as she tried to speak. She wanted to tell Jani’rah that she was sorry, but she couldn’t.

A knock at the door made Jani’rah jump. “Who is it?” she yelled.

“Housekeeping.” A Spanish voice replied from the other side of the door. Jani’rah smiled knowing Hanz sent for them. She opened the door and walked passed two short Hispanic women.

“Madame, can I recommend some home time, maybe a warm bubble bath, some wine and good rest?” Hanz asked approaching Jani’rah.

“Good idea my good man.” She had a long day ahead of her tomorrow. Her fate would be sealed. Two witnesses were down so far. She had one more to go, but she couldn’t figure out who the hell the last rat was. The countdown for her fate would begin and Jani’rah had big plans to ensure her freedom.

1:00:00

“I can’t believe you are even allowing this monster to take a recess! I mean, it’s obvious she knocked off the first witness, and then we had to delay justice for a second time because more than likely this bitch knocked off the second witness as well! Don’t let her leave! She’ll go after the star witness next!” A distraught looking man shouted and pointed his finger at Jani’rah. He was an older, handsome looking man dressed in a crisp double-breasted
Boss
suit. His presence screamed “money” but the way he acted let everyone know that the way he felt about Madame J was personal. He continued, “You are all in on it, she has all of you on her payroll! Either that, or you’re all a bunch of fucking idiots!”

“Order, ORDER! I will not have my judgment questioned in MY courtroom! Marshalls remove that lunatic! He’s been causing a fiasco since the beginning of the trial!” Judge Florentino yelled. Truth be told, not only was Judge Florentino in Jani’rah’s pocket, but he had been a paying client of hers for fifteen years and he loved the services her women offered. He would be devastated if she went to jail and her operation was shut down. For years he had been able to keep her a free woman; but now that the FBI was involved, her freedom was out of his hands. Jani’rah understood this and she was very thankful to Judge Florentino; at least he thought so.

Jani’rah turned toward the crazed man, made a gun gesture with her hand, and blew the smoke as if she had just let off a shot.

“Did you see that?! Did you?” The man hollered as he was dragged out of the courthouse.

“Will the court please rise?” the court officer commanded while staring at everyone in the room. Jani’rah stood and rolled her cat-like grey eyes at the judge as he exited the courtroom. Her lawyer faced her holding his hand out.  She scowled at his gesture, “We didn’t win yet muthafucka!” She shoved him out of her way as she exited the courtroom.

*****

District Attorney Daniel Morrow was sitting outside on the court steps stressed out and smoking a
Newport
. A nasty habit he had quit before the trial began, but picked back up due to the pressure of the trial.
Jani’rah
, her name kept going through his head. When his boss introduced the case to him, he was ecstatic about trying it. He had spent ten years as a lawyer helping to keep street punks and gangsters locked away. His hard work didn’t go unrecognized, as he had been promoted to District Attorney at the tender age of thirty-one; just a year ago. He loved his work and the fact that he had a hand in building a better community by keeping the big time “bad guys” off the streets and out of communities.

When he was younger, he used to pretend to be a super hero and play around saying he was going to save the world when he was older. He felt like his job as District Attorney allowed him to do that. Those were dreams that he used to share with Jani’rah when they were younger. She had dreams to; she wanted to be a model, own an agency, and be an entrepreneur. She was an entrepreneur now; just not a legal one! He couldn’t understand what made her choose the lifestyle she had chosen; she had so much potential. They grew up together on Chopsy Hill, the north end of Bridgeport, Connecticut. Both of their moms were nurses at Bridgeport Hospital and his dad was an electrician. He never knew what Jani’rah’s father did, but he always saw him in nice clothes and flashy cars and he spoiled Jani’rah.

Jani’rah and Daniel were best friends; they started dating in high school. During their junior year, Daniel’s father’s company closed down, relocated to Virginia, and paid for the family to move out there. Daniel and Jani’rah were devastated, but they maintained a long-distance relationship. A couple of months after the move, Daniel received the worst news in his life; Jani’rah’s parents had been murdered. He was scared that she had been killed too, and he hadn’t heard from her since that time. 

After graduating from law school, Daniel moved back to Bridgeport to help his city fight crime. The day his boss brought over the file with the trial information in it, he almost fainted when he reviewed the profile and saw photos of Jani’rah. His colleagues were depending on him to take the high-profile case, and he knew it would be good for his career. He couldn’t believe his childhood best friend and high school sweetheart had turned into a Madame who solicited call girls, operated the city’s biggest sex ring, was a major player in human trafficking, and she was even tied up in a few murders. She was the type of person he had sworn to lock away when he took the position of D.A.

00:45:59

Jani’rah was seated in the back of a black on black Maybach discussing what went down in court.

“Looks like we need to find the rat before recess is over; huh?” Larisse asked. She was originally brought into Jani’rah’s operation as a call girl a year ago; she was very smart and witty. Jani’rah liked the fact that she was a quick thinker and always had a solution to any problem. Larisse didn’t just want to be anyone’s prostitute or hooker, she wanted a top seat in Jani’rah’s escorting business so she convinced Jani’rah to sit and listen to a presentation she put together on how Jani’rah could double her yearly income. Larisse was also a pro in the stock market and she taught Jani’rah which companies she should invest in. Jani’rah was impressed with Larisse and later upgraded her to the business’s accountant

“Best thing I’ve heard today!” Jani’rah said as a thoughtful look crossed her face. “I’m stunned how much information was leaked out about me…makes me question my operation; am I slipping Risia?”

“It’s always like that when there’s a rat, especially an inside one, someone who knows the operation like the back of their hand, or your hand at that!”

“Sounds like you.” Jani’rah responded raising an eyebrow.

“Get the fuck outta here! You know I’m lactose intolerant and can’t eat cheese.” The two women laughed.

Jani’rah got serious again and shouted to the driver, “Hanz, take me to the South End, I think I know who the rat may be.”

*****

Sharnice Brookes toted her food from Roots Man in one hand, and a bag of cleaning supplies from the
Dollar Store
in the other. She couldn’t wait to get to her small, but comfortable, apartment on Columbia Street which she had moved into a week ago. She used to share a condo with her sister before she passed away—before she was murdered. Sharnice always got a bad taste in her mouth when she thought about her sister and the people she was affiliated with. She never knew the name, nor had she seen the face of the woman who her sister used to work for until the news stations and newspapers became flooded with her images and stories. Sharnice knew that Jani’rah bitch had something to do with her sister’s death. Even though she didn’t have any proof, she could feel it in her gut. She pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind as she remembered that the mysterious Madame was now on trial facing a life sentence; she prayed that she got the book thrown at her and would rot in prison.

Sharnice opened the door to her home and quickly ran in, running from the cold December air. She entered her house through her back door as she always did, and placed her things on the kitchen counter. As she made her way into her living room, her eyes nearly bulged out of her head at the sight before her.

“You kind of favor your sister; a little uglier, but the resemblance is there.” Jani’rah said with a smirk. She was seated on a red love seat sipping on a glass of
Pink Moscato
she helped herself to from Sharnice’s mini bar.

“You got a lot of nerve breaking into my home!” Sharnice shouted, standing with her fists clutched. “I advise you to see your funky ass out!”

“Watch your tongue before I make you swallow it. It’s a cold day out, where you coming from? Anywhere important? Such as…” Jani’rah let her words linger as she stared hard at Sharnice.

“None of your fucking business! You need to see yourself out of my home before I whoop your ass, or call the cops, and I’m thinking about whooping your ass first anyways!”

Jani’rah laughed, “You’ve been talking to them boys a lot lately; haven’t you?”

Sharnice looked confused, and then something clicked. She had been watching the live taping of Jani’rah’s trial on
Court TV
and she remembered the judge announcing a star witness taking the stand after the break. Jani’rah was there to off her because she must think she is the witness.

“You crazy if you think I’m a rat, I got more pounds then Fort Knox in this bitch, I could give a fuck about you and hope your stankin’ ass rots!” Jani’rah’s nose flared. She stood up and punched Sharnice in her mouth, making her lose two of her teeth. Then she picked Sharnice up by her face and brought her face to face with her. “You’re lucky I believe you.” She dropped her and walked out of the house.

 Sharnice slowly got up and held her bleeding mouth. She was upset with herself for not getting up and knocking that bitch out, but she heard how Jani’rah rolled and she knew she would probably be dead had she busted a move. She made her way into the bathroom to rinse her mouth. She grabbed a rag and rubbed her face.

“Ooooow SHIT!” she screamed.

As she removed the rag from her face, her vision began to blur do to the toxins that were on the rag. The skin began to bubble and pull away from her face. Sharnice was in so much pain and she couldn’t see. She could smell burning flesh, and realized it was her flesh that was burning. She used her hands to guide her into the hallway and she felt around for the light switch, hoping to get out of the darkness. She pulled the string she thought was connected to the bulb and a bucket fell on her head, releasing a deadly toxin that burned Sharnice from head to toe. The acid quickly ate away at her as her body dissolved. Hers was a quick, yet painful death.

*****

Judge Florentino settled in his office and picked up his phone pushing number three on his speed dial. It rang three times before a female voice picked up.

“Can you see me? I only have fifteen minutes. Meet me at the
McDonald’s
bathroom ASAP!” He hung the phone up and quickly jumped up, excited and anticipating getting some head work from his favorite call girl, Euphoria. He quickly grabbed his jacket and jumped back as something pricked his finger.

“Aaah! What the hell is that?” He examined his coat and noticed a little pin sticking through one of the buttons. He ignored it and quickly threw on his jacket and rushed out of the office.

He made his way towards the elevator, pressing the down button. His body began to grow very hot, he waved his hand in front of his face trying to draw air in. He began sweating profusely and loud coughs escaped his throat. A lawyer getting on the elevator noticed how flush his face was.

“Geesh Judge Florentino, are you ok? You’re sweating like a pig!”

The judge grunted and walked out of the elevator ignoring the lawyer’s concern. He got half way through the main level before he collapsed on the hard cold floor and his heart stopped beating.

00:15:59

“What happened?” Larisse asked as Jani’rah got in the car.

“It’s not her, FUCK!” Jani’rah rubbed her tmples and stared at the clock on the dashboard. “Well, I don’t have time left, the only option is to get to the court house and face what’s coming to me. Any way we can get a team in there? If I’m going down, I’m going down shooting!”

“You got it J.” Larisse said with a grin.

“Question, you built this whole empire up, what are you…”