Caress (20 page)

Michael’s eyes widened. “Are you serious?”

“Yes. When I looked closer, I realized that the smaller images were shots of horrible scenes where Mandolesi was present for violence and arms deals and drug deals.”

“Nya, are you
serious?
” he repeated.

“I’m telling you, yes.”

“How many pictures?”

“Hundreds. I didn’t see any images repeated.”

“How is that even possible? Mandolesi does not allow himself to be photographed. No one has ever heard of him being photographed, especially in a situation where he could be undeniably implicated.”

“I don’t know how this kid got them, Michael, but it makes me think that the different nature of his death had something to do with this.”

“Of course it did! Nya, that is
proof
that the man is aware of the activities. Proof that he’s involved. He would be locked away for the rest of his life. Where is the photograph now?”

“Gone.” She took a sip of water, then tested the raw part of her scalp beneath her hair with her fingers. “As soon as I realized what it was, I went down. When I came to, I was in bed and El was telling me that he chased off the thief.”

“The guy stole the photograph?”

“He must have.”

“Did Deklerk see him take it?”

“El said he didn’t see the picture at all.”

“But he chased off the thief.”

Her hackles rose. “Yes.”

“The thief that you never got a good look at.”

“Yes.”

“Did you file a police report?”

“What?”

“Nya, dammit, did you file a police report when you came to? Did you go to a hospital to be checked out—”

“I’m fine—”

“Did you have the warehouse swept as a crime scene for clues to who your attacker was?”

Her lip trembled. “I’m not stupid, Michael. I didn’t go to the hospital because I was fine. I didn’t go to the police because it wasn’t necessary. While I was out, Elphonse reported what happened to the FBI agents working the case.”

“Elphonse did?”

“Yes?”

“While you were unconscious?”

“You know what you can do?”

“Just answer the question,” he retorted.

She crossed her arms across her chest in response.

Michael whipped out his cell phone and started dialing. Nya waited. “Yeah, Derrick? It’s Mike… Then you already know… Do you know if the FBI has any information regarding an assault against Nya Seymour in Norfolk two nights ago?”

Nya held her breath and scooted away from him.

“I’m not saying it happened,” Michael continued. “I’m asking you if you or your friends received a report that she had been injured and that a thief had stolen potentially critical evidence from the scene… Right… No, no. Absolutely not. I can’t come in until I figure a few things out… No. Goodbye, Derrick.”

A shudder rippled through her body. Michael only stared at her… waiting.

Even to her own ears, her next words sounded incredible. “I’m sure he had a good reason for this.”

“Are you now? I’m not so sure.” He stroked his chin.

“Michael, he told me to trust him, and I do. I refuse to let you paint him as a sociopath.”

“Great. Fine. Wonderful. I mean, maybe this assault was just one of many strange occurrences around Hatsheput over the past few weeks that happen to be linked to Elphonse Deklerk. I get a faulty tip-off about your company… from Elphonse Deklerk. Marshall Ellis, who, it turns out, works closely with Deklerk, gets caught for embezzling, then gets killed while out on bail
while
Elphonse happens to be on the island. Then some guy decides to rob the Norfolk warehouse of the only proof in existence that Rinaldo Mandolesi is a bad guy and take you out at the same time, and Elphonse is there amazingly enough in time for the rescue. When you
left
him in St. Thomas that morning, he mentioned no plans of going to Virginia.”

Nya’s eyes shifted down to the floor. “El wouldn’t hurt me, and he’s not a killer.”

“Listen, Nya. You are not naïve. You are a smart businesswoman, a strong woman. Why would you buy into this?”

“I know some things aren’t adding up. I know El is hiding something from me. I know it. But I also know that he loves my family, loves me, and he would never, ever do anything to side with Rinaldo Mandolesi.”

“You can’t know that.”

“I do!” she yelled.

“Open your eyes,” Michael pleaded. “Your friend is dirty. And if he’s in bed with Mandolesi, you’re lucky you just got a bump on the head. These people don’t play.”

“I know all about these people,” Nya snapped. “More than you could imagine.”

“Then tell me what I’m missing.”

Nya turned to him, “Are you ever going to give this up? I will
never
believe that El would betray us for Mandolesi.”

“No, I’m never going to give up,” he replied firmly through clenched teeth.

“Well, are you at least going to leave so I can eat in peace?”

“Yes, I’m going to go. You’re not going to be rational about this, which is fine. You may not believe me, but I know I’m right. He’s trying to put you under, and I’ll prove it.”

“Just go, Michael,” she said tiredly.

“I’m not finished,” he grated out between clenched teeth and moved ominously close to her. “You may think I’m wrong. You may not think I care about you as much as that man does, but believe that I was going crazy thinking that you had been hurt. No matter what, I’m glad you’re okay, and I care about you,” he said and leaned so close to her that she could smell the faint scent of cologne on his neck.

“You’ve said that already,” she replied, trying to maintain some sanity in the face of his nearly intoxicating proximity.

All hope was lost when his lips descended on hers and slowly enticed them to open. She tried, she honestly tried not to give over to him, but she recalled the dream she’d had the night before as she lay in her bed in Norfolk and lost all resolve. She opened her lips and felt his hot tongue slide into her mouth and caress her own. A dream could not compare to this. She felt his arms slide beneath her quilt and lift her body to meet his as his kiss deepened, driving out all her doubts, all her thoughts of anything but that moment. And then, just as suddenly, he wasn’t kissing her anymore. She looked up to see him towering above her. “Goodbye, Nya,” he rasped and turned towards the door. “And believe this.” he said, without even turning around. “I’m not finished with you.”

Michael swung onto I-20 and careened down the interstate. Elphonse Deklerk had led him to make the hugest mistake of his career and was getting away with it. What’s more, Nya refused to believe that this illustrious Elphonse Deklerk had done anything wrong. That infuriated Michael more than anything. For some reason, she was refusing to see the truth about the man. That caused him to wonder if there was something more to their relationship than a platonic friendship spawned from that of their mothers. Nya had denied that she felt anything like that, but she had also denied her attraction to him for some time. Michael pounded his hand on the steering wheel, frustrated with the possibility that Nya was romantically involved with Deklerk.

Stunned by his own jealous reaction, Michael shook his head with a slow smile. There were only two things that would put his mind at ease. The first was to solve this Hatsheput Industries mystery. The second was to have Nya Seymour. The woman absolutely made him crazy with desire even when she was fighting him tooth and nail. He attributed this to his ego’s need to be stroked. She was a challenge to him, and he refused to see it as anything more.

Michael pulled into Claudia’s driveway and slowed down to marvel as he always did at the sight of it. Every time he saw this place, he was sure Claude couldn’t have bought anything more ostentatious and showy. It was a massive Greek-influenced structure in smooth canary and white. Its tall, white Ionic pillars, large bay windows, and the sculpted cupola crowning it expressed all the elegance and simplicity that one associated with the South. The manicured lawn sprawled out in luscious green, sprinkled with white lilies, calla lilies, and tulips.

Though Michael was convinced that it was way too much house for his sister and niece, he knew why Claudia had wanted it. That house had meaning for them all. As children, he and his brother and sisters had grown up very poor. Their mother had had to work constantly to keep food on the table. Claudia, being the oldest, had become responsible from the start for taking care of Michael and his younger brother and sister. He remembered that her only breaks were the times when their mother would take them into work with her, through the back of this new house, always on Sundays when the family was out for their drive. They would wander with wide eyes through the house, careful not to touch anything, careful not to even breathe on anything.

Michael remembered how Claudia had studied long after they were in bed, vowing that one day she would have all the things those rich people had. When she received a full scholarship to Columbia, she didn’t tell anyone at all. Michael had been the only one to notice that she was despondent. He watched her sit in the living room for days, not saying anything, just staring at the walls. He found the letter by accident and knew what her problem was. She wanted to go so bad she could taste it, but she felt responsible for him, Kimberly, and Darryn. It was then that he realized how integral she was to making the house run. He remembered telling their mother and how her face had beamed with pride. Right then they both came to a decision. Claudia would go to school and Michael would start to take responsibility for himself and his younger siblings.

That day saw Claudia amid tears and excited chatter started on her way to becoming one of the premiere editors in the newspaper business, and one of the few African-Americans to do so. He followed in her footsteps somewhat by going to college himself after Kim made it to high school. He worked his way through four years at Stanford and earned a degree in journalism. For two years, he and Claudia put away money to create their own publication. After one late, whirlwind night of planning, they quit their jobs and poured all of their hearts and hard work into founding the
Harrison Tribune
.

Their paper had been named the fastest growing black-owned publication ever printed. Within two years it was circulating throughout the country. In five, its print runs were eclipsed by its huge web following; the online newspaper was published in four languages and sold all over the world. Their staff had grown from two to over two hundred.

To celebrate their unparalleled success, Claudia bought this house, the very house in which their mother had worked so hard for years to make sure that they were fed and clothed; the very house in which their mother had worked herself into an early grave. After that, it had seemed that a cloud had lifted from around his sister. Her steadfast determination had brought her to a place of personal satisfaction. She had accomplished an important personal goal.

Michael walked into the house and called out to his sister. He heard her call back and followed her voice into the den. She was sitting with reading glasses perched low on her nose and papers spread out all around her. His niece Tonia was lying on the floor highlighting portions of a textbook. Michael leaned down and pulled the young woman’s wild ponytail. “Stop it, Unc Mike,” she said and snapped her head away. He grabbed the thick wooly hair in his hand again and she pushed at his leg. “Go away. Ain’t you got something better to do than bother me?” she whined.

Michael laughed again and went over to sit next to his sister, shifting various pieces of paper out of the way. After he glanced over some of them without interest and looked at her, Claudia asked, “What’s up, bro?”

Michael looked over at his niece and said to his sister, “Can we talk?”

“Yeah, sure,” she said with a little frown.

Claudia was starting to get up when her daughter grumbled, “I’m not twelve. You two
can
talk in front of me.”

The siblings exchanged a look. Claudia shrugged.

“Have you talked to Derrick tonight? I spoke to him earlier about the Art Sentries case and I haven’t been able to get in touch with him since.”

“What makes you think I would have spoken to him?” Claudia asked… but her eyes were shifty.

Michael eyed his niece pretending not to listen on the floor. Finally, the younger woman capitulated. “Okay, okay. You two want to talk without me here? That’s fine.” She took up her textbook, a notebook, and her cell phone, then exited the room.

“What’s the big deal about talking about Derrick in front of her?” Michael asked.

“I just don’t think she needs to hear me say things about her dad when he’s not present.”

“She’s not twelve,” Michael said, then snickered.

“
Anyway
, I did talk to Derrick this evening. It must have been before he talked to you because he didn’t say anything worth mentioning.”

“He just called to shoot the breeze? You two don’t shoot the breeze.”

“Mikey, you didn’t come over here to talk about my conversations with Derrick. What’s going on?”