Beneath The Surface (17 page)

Marcus balanced the weight of his body on his arms and eased himself inside Wanda. He began slowly, and Wanda wrapped her legs around his waist. Their bodies melted into a rhythm, with Wanda working her hips and inner muscles, while licking his nipples. She began to moan and squirm as she took in every inch of him. Wanda lifted her legs and grabbed her ankles. “Ooooh, Marcus, I like it like that,” Wanda said, moving like they were made for one another.

Marcus got into rhythmic stroke, pulling almost completely out of her, and slowly easing himself back inside of her. Each time he entered her fully, Wanda would grind her hips and use her muscles, until she could feel Marcus begin to swell inside of her. And then she pushed him off of her and crawled away.

Marcus watched as Wanda crawled back toward him, rolled over on the bed, and elevated her ass in the air. Wanda’s plump ass was jiggling back at him. She was wearing a garter belt; and that turned him on. Marcus squeezed her firm thighs. Wanda spread her legs and he entered her with force. “You are so hard?” Wanda moaned and squeezed her eyes shut.

Marcus could barely control his passion. Wanda bucked as he took her from behind. “Fuck me harder!” she screamed. When she felt his body jerk, she used her muscles to tighten around him.

“Oh shit, Marcus!” Wanda moaned. “I’m about to—I’m about to—” she declared before she came.

“Oh shit,” was all she could manage as Marcus tugged on her hips and jammed his rock-hard dick deep inside her. She grabbed and squeezed the sheet. Her face was pressed into the bed, and Wanda could feel her nipples stiffen as they were smashed into the mattress. Marcus continued to thrust himself into her, and Wanda bucked her ass and tried her best to match his strokes.

The sound of him sliding effortlessly in and out of her, made her come with desire.

Marcus leaned forward. “You are so fucking wet!” he said excitedly in her ear, while he used his hips to emphasize his words. She wiggled her hips, bucking into him and clutching the sheet again.

He gave her one last thrust, and Wanda felt him explode. When he collapsed onto her back, drained and breathing hard, she could feel his wetness mix with hers—and she loved it!

Marcus and Wanda were good together.

After trying in vain to get back into Finch Studios, Black and Carmen caught a cab back to the station. Carmen got out of the cab, and looked back in at Black. “What are you doing later tonight?”

“Call me, and we’ll do anything you want,” Black said as Carmen shut the door, and the cab sped away.

Carmen went inside and got ready to record some promos and do the 6 o’clock news. When she finished her work for the evening and was on her way to her dressing room, one of the interns told her that she had a call holding.

“Carmen Taylor,” she answered in a sing-songy voice, thinking about spending the evening with Black.

“Miss Taylor?”

“Yes.”

“I was at the gallery with Tangela House,” the woman said quietly.

Carmen grabbed a pen, a piece of paper, and began taking notes. “Can you tell me your name?”

“I’d rather not.”

“Okay; what can you tell me about what happened? Do you know who killed her?”

“I don’t know who killed her. She was alive last time we saw her,” the woman said in almost a whisper, and Carmen wrote down and underlined we. Who
is
we?

“Can you tell me anything about her?”

“Tish was a call girl who worked for a madam named Jada West. Oh—I gotta go,” the woman whispered and hung up quickly.

“No, wait,” Carmen said. But it was too late; the woman was gone.

 
Carmen assumed that the woman had to be somebody that was on the guest list. She remembered the look on the gallery director’s, face when she got to a certain name on the list.
This may take some time, and I don’t want to keep you. Why don’t you leave me your card, and I’ll give you a call if I find something,
Aneisha told her that night, and then she rushed Carmen out of her office.

Carmen thought for a minute about what to do and then she picked up the phone. She called Black at Cuisine to see if he knew where she could find Jada West.

Black laughed. “What do you think, I know everybody?”

“You know— she’s a criminal, you’re a criminal, I was just thinking, you could at least help me find her.”

“Well you’re right this time. Her, I do know. I need to talk to Ms. West about some things anyway,” Black looked at his watch. “And I know where to find her. Come get me.”

When Carmen arrived at Cuisine, Black took her to the Pen-Top Bar & Terrace inside the Peninsula Hotel. “How do you know she’ll be here?”

“Ms. West likes to meet potential clients here.”

When they got there, as expected, they found Jada West seated at her usual table talking to an older gentleman. Black and Carmen took a seat at the bar and ordered. “Rémy XO, straight up, and Bacardi on the rocks for the lady,” Black said, and the bartender left to make their drinks.

“Shouldn’t we try to catch her before she gets ready to leave?” Carmen asked.

Black looked at Carmen. “Ms. West is not leaving with him.”

“How do you know?”

“Trust me, Carmen, when he leaves Ms. West is not going to move from that spot.”

 
Just then, Jada West did a double-take when she saw Black sitting at the bar. She gave him a big, pretty smile and waved, before returning her attention to her potential client.

Carmen rolled her eyes. “Looks like she’s very glad to see you. You one of her clients?”

“No, I’m not one of her clients, Carmen. Ms. West is a business associate of mine,” Black said and took a sip of his drink.

“What kind of business?”

Black put down his drink and looked at Carmen. “I see you still have that jealous streak.”

Carmen dropped her head a bit and looked up at Black innocently. “Maybe just a little,” she said, as the man Jada was meeting with got up and left the bar. Jada waved Black and Carmen over to her table.

“Jada West, Carmen Taylor,” Black said as he sat down. Neither woman said a word. “Carmen needs to ask you some questions.”

“Questions? What kind of questions?”

Carmen took out a picture and handed it to Jada.

“Do you know this woman, Ms. West?” Black asked.

Jada looked at the picture closely. “It looks like Tangela House. She used to work for me.”

“Used to?”

“Yes, used to. That means she worked for me in the past; but now she doesn’t,” Jada said with attitude.

Carmen’s eyes narrowed, but she kept her cool. “But she used to.”

“Yes. But that was a while ago. Would you mind telling me why you’re asking me these questions?”

“Did I forget to mention that Carmen is a reporter for channel four?” Black asked.

“Yes,” Jada said and gave him a look.

“You don’t have to worry; your name will never come up in any of this,” Black assured Jada.

“Tangela was found murdered a few nights ago. Somebody told me that she worked for you.”

“Like I said: Tish used to work for me until her habits made her unreliable, and we had to part ways.”

“Do you remember a woman who calls herself Wild Cherry?” Black asked.

“Wild Cherry? I used to work with a woman that called herself Cherry. She used to dance at Ecstasy. But again, that was years ago.”

“Same chick,” Black said. “Then you know Crème too?”

Jada shook her head. “Yes, Mr. Black. I know Crème too. In fact, that was how Tish came to work for me. Diane, one of my better girls at the time, had been pushing me to bring Crème on because we all used to dance at Ecstasy together. But Crème liked to powder her nose too much, so I couldn’t use her.”

“Use her?” Carmen added, and both Black and Jada looked at her like she was interrupting grown-folk talking.

“As I was saying: it wasn’t too long after that when Diane came to me with Tish. She said she and Crème were friends, and I put her on. But I should have known better.”

“Why is that?” Black asked.

“Because if she was a friend of Crème’s, she had the same habits; so I had to let her go.”

“Maybe that’s how the killer got with her,” Black said, and both Jada and Carmen looked confused.
  

“Carmen, you said that Tangela House was straggled either after, or while she was having sex,” Black turned to Jada. “You got any clients into that type of action?”

“Not that I can say,” Jada said. “But as I said, that was some time ago. I’ll talk to the ladies and see if anybody remembers a client who was into that type of thing.”

“If you find out anything, let me know,” Black said.

“Thank you,” Carmen said and got up, but Black didn’t.

“Would you excuse us for a minute, Carmen?”

“Excuse me?” Carmen said with a bit of an attitude.

“Would you mind waiting for me at the bar,” Black said and pointed at the bar.

Jada smiled at Carmen and she sucked her teeth. “Okay.”

Black and Jada watched as Carmen went and sat at the bar. She signed for the bartender and ordered another drink.

Once Carmen was seated, Jada turned to Black. “You know she’s in love with you.”

“Just an old friend that I haven’t seen in seventeen years, Ms. West,” Black said and glanced over at Carmen. But the truth was he knew Jada was right.

“Maybe just an old friend to you, but I know a woman in love when I see one,” Jada said and laughed a little. “Come on, Mr. Black, I know you see the daggers coming out of her eyes. She is ready to take off her earrings, kickoff those pumps, and try to fight me.”

“Carmen always was the jealous type. But you don’t have to worry.”

“I’m not worried, because I wouldn’t fight her. I’d just shoot her.”

Black smiled.

“You should do that more often,” Jada said.

“What’s that?”

“Smile.”

“So I’ve been told.”

“I meant smile at me.” Jada looked at Black. She wasn’t in love with him, at least she didn’t think so, but she was definitely willing to go with him any time or place, and do anything he said. “So, what did you want to talk to me about? Or did you just want to make her jealous?”

“No, Ms. West. There is something I want you to consider doing for me,” Black said, leaning forward. Since the first time he saw her dance that night at Ecstasy, he could feel the energy between them. She was beautiful, but it was more than that. Black liked her style. Jada West had class and he found that very appealing. But for the time being, he would keep their relationship on a business level.

“I’ve got an operation in Nassau.”

“What type of operation?”

“Gambling. It’s attracting an international tourist clientele.”

“Sounds lucrative.”