The Chase II (4 page)

He gathered his things, including the sheet with the names and said, “Have a good day?”

“C-can, I have that?” I asked, before he could leave. My finger was pointing to the folder.

“Well,” he said as he looked down at the folder. “This is really official police business, but.” He paused. “What the hell? Just remember you didn’t get that from me. Okay?”

“Okay. That’s fine.”

He handed the folder to me and said, “Use it wisely.”

The man was gone. Vanished, vacant, obliterated, just like my heart. My palms were sweaty, my pants lining was sticking to my legs as my entire body was covered in anxious sweat. Who was I in bed with literally?

I needed to find out if any of this was true and the only person that would know was coming in at lunch.

I pressed the intercom for Janice and said, “As soon as Matthew Andrews gets here, please send him to my office.”

“Sure thing.”

“Thanks.”

I let the button go. Ten minutes later, a knock came to the door and a jovial Matt strolled in.

“Hey, stranger.” He greeted me.

“Hey Matt? How you been?”

“I’ve been okay. Pondering life and all that shit.” He had a far-away look on his face and something else.

“What’s wrong with your face?” I stood from my desk and met him half way.

“Oh, it’s nothing. Just had a misunderstanding.”

I put my hand up to his face and said, “A misunderstanding with someone’s fist?”

He winced when I touched the swollen ______ mark near his eye.

“Xena, stop. I’m a big boy. I can handle my own affairs.” He pushed me away.

“Apparently not.” I just thought about Tay and what his goons did to people that couldn’t pay or were in major debt.

I lowered my voice and asked, “Matt, do you have a gambling problem?”

“What?!” He exclaimed. “Fuck no. Why the hell would you ask me that?”

His head reared back in shock, his eyes were squinting and his upper lip was turned up.

“Nothing, I mean. Well, everything. You come in here looking like somebody worked you over and that happens when the goons are sent after you for not paying up.”

“You watch too much TV,” he went to sit down. “The other way it could have happened is if a little hottie tried to snuggle up to me in the bar in an attempt to make her boyfriend jealous. He did not like that and caught me off guard.”

He was right. I was freaking out and paranoid.

“I thought you were leaving the club scene alone.” I _________.

“Yeah, I’ve slowed down.” He looked around the room. “Nice office.”

“Thanks.” I sat next to him and he pulled upward. “I have something really sensitive to ask you and I know you are loyal to your brother and all, but I need to know Matt.”

“Well, then you ask him Xena.” He shook his head.

“Matt, you’re the only one that will tell me the truth. You know he won’t and I’m not sure what to do. I can’t keep this up. All these lies and innuendos. I just need to know if these things I’m hearing are true.” I explained.

His eyebrows scrunched together and asked, “What do you mean the things you are hearing?”

“Things about his company and the company he keeps. Like it’s not legit and he’s in bed with people like Tay Connors, and possibly under investigation. Things like that. That my school might be in jeopardy and even his anonymous donors are shells for his companies. Please, Matt. I’m begging. Is any of this true?”

One side of his mouth was turned up in utter disgust and disbelief. 

“Where are you getting this shit from?” He grounded out. “This is bullshit.”

“I can’t tell you where, Matt. I just need to know if it’s true.”

“The fuck you can’t.” He leaned forward. “You talk to X about this?”

“No.” I felt chastised.

“Then you better or I will.”

“Matt!” I whined. “Is any of it true? I’ll tell him, I just need to know.”

“First of all, you of all people should know he might be many things, but a criminal he isn’t.”

It was time for me to rear my head back, “Uh, he kidnapped someone, Matt.”

“Touché. Let me rephrase, besides someone fucking with something of his, everything is legit. He don’t mess with anything illegal, unless it’s for retribution, reclamation or revenge. Besides that, Xavier is clean and XAND has nothing to do with his personal affairs. All that other shit, you better talk with him about Xena and I mean today, because I’ll be talking to him if I find out you didn’t.”

“Fine, just give me a couple of days. Okay?” I snapped as a knock came on the door.

He looked at me.

“Come on, Matt. I’m going to tell him. Just give me a couple of days?”

“Fine.” He glared at me.

“Come in.” I yelled.

“Hey Xena, I came to see if your…” She stopped talking, mid-sentence and stared at Matt.

I was still waiting on her to finish her sentence and didn’t see when Matt stood up and was staring back. She jerked her head to me.

“Hey Penelope, this is Matt, the guy you spoke with over the phone. And Matt, this is Penelope. She needs your help.”

“Yeah,” Matt said as he walked towards her. “Nice to finally meet you in person. Your voice doesn’t do you justice.”

Oh boy
.

Penelope nodded nervously and adverted her gaze to the floor. He was going to scare her out of here.

“I have an hour, I can join you if you want.” I looked to Penelope, who nodded ferociously while Matt was giving me the ‘don’t block’ eyes.

“Sounds great.” She finally mustered up.

“Great, where are we going,
Matt
.”

“Insane.” He muttered.

When she walked out, he muttered, “you really are a pain in the ass.’

“I do what I can.” I smiled.

He pushed my head forward, so when I turned around to swing, he ducked.

“This must be the future brother-in-law,” Janice commented in a bored tone.

“Shut-up.” I kept walking. “I’ll be back in an hour.”

“Okay.” She replied.

******

We went to the local bistro around the corner and was able to grab a table way in the back as a couple just left. Penelope would not make eye-contact with Matt at all, even though he peppered her with a laundry list of questions. She was already shy, but around a hot guy, she almost turned into a mute.  She could see how intimidating he could be. He was tall, built with almond-shaped eyes and a gray streak in his hair, giving him a more regal look than the play-boy he really was.

“So, Penelope, I’ve been asking a lot of questions and you’ve said barely nothing, so I’m not sure how to help you.” Matt exhaled.

Matt was sitting on her side of the bench and since it was a small bench, they were close, so he was looking down at her, while she was looking down at the menu like something else was going to appear.

“Could ….” She said.

“What?” He asked, “Can you speak up?”

“Could you sit over there?” She asked louder.

I almost choked on my water as laughter nearly spilled over, until I saw she was serious. Matt looked to me with an arched eyebrow and I shrugged my shoulders with my brows raised.

“Sure, love.” He smiled down at her. “I can do that?”

Once Matt moved me over with his bony hips, so I was squished against the wall, he focused on Penelope.

“I’m here.” He reached over, lifted her chin with his bent index finger and said, “Tell me what’s going on, so I can help you.”

Her eyes met his and I could have sworn, I saw his shoulders relax. I was definitely not a match maker, but I sure as felt like this was meant to be in some weird way. Tiffany explained what happened with her current apartment, how much she was paying and how much she could afford. Matt did not make faces, judge her or anything. He just listened and took some notes.

“Okay, can you give me a second?” He looked to Penelope.

She nodded her head and he said, “Xena, come here.”

I took another bit of my turkey club, then got up and followed him so she was out of ear shot.

“Is your place ready yet?” He asked me.

“I doubt it. I’m sure that’s another thing Xavier has lied about.”

He rolled his eyes. “Look, are you staying at Xavier’s or your place in Flatbush?”

“I’d prefer to stay at mines, why?”

“Well, if X has anything to do with it, you’ll be with him. So, how about you let Penelope stay at your place? She can pay you the rent she was paying, but until I find her a place which will be difficult on that budget. I can subsidize the difference.”

“What?!” I exclaimed, then lowered my voice, “You don’t even know her.”

“You want to lose a teacher?” He asked.

“Of course not, I’m talking about you subsidizing the rent. You don’t know her.”

“Doesn’t mean I shouldn’t. She needs help. This helps you.”

“And you.”

He gave me a knowing smile.

“Listen, Matt. Don’t screw her over. I’m telling you now. You’ll answer to me. If she’ll even give you the time of day, you mess this up, I’m coming for your ass.”

“Whoa, street-fighter.”

“Don’t start that shit again.” I rolled my eyes, at Xavier’s first nickname for me.

“Okay, deal.”

“Deal, but no subsidized. She can just pay what she pays at the other place.”

“Aww, you’re a great boss.”

“Whatever, do not fuck this up.” I said and made my way to the table.

Matt followed me, sat down and said, “Okay, it’s settled. We’ll move you out tomorrow and you’re going to stay in Xena’s old apartment in Flatbush. Then we’ll probably spend the next few weeks looking at apartments or houses to see what’s in your range. Okay?”

“What!?” She almost shouted.

“We’re going to move you…”

“No,” she interrupted him. “I heard you, but just wanted to make sure I heard right. I can’t afford to pay rent or for a house or anything like that.”

“Don’t worry,” I chimed in, “Matt, got me the deal of a century.”

“I promise.” Matt said, “I got you.”

I turned my head to him, making sure he saw my warning eyes, but it was too late. Penelope smiled from ear to ear and said, “Oh, Matt.”

Oh shit.

He mimicked her smile and if that didn’t make her panties wet, I wasn’t sure what could.

When we arrived back to school, they exchanged numbers and she went to class. Then Matt told me to gather what thing I had left from there, because he would have cleaners go there tonight around seven. I kindly informed him, that there was only one Andrew man that I took instructions from and that was when I felt like it. He laughed, but reiterated that I better have my shit out of there by seven.

I should have known Matt was Xavier’s brother first, so he would cover for him. This was my thinking when I returned to work. I felt like our relationship had grown, since he helped me get the house and everything. However, he was still Xavier’s brother, but he seemed genuinely surprised by my statements. I didn’t know what to think, but I need to know. I had to know. My future was at stake. My legacy, my job, my creation. I thought about all the various things that could go wrong and I was not happy with the outcomes. Coming to the conclusion that I needed to be proactive instead of reactive, I called Milan because her husband knew everybody.

“Hey Girl, what’s up?” I asked.

“Nothing much, you at work?”

“Yeah, just going over some things.”

“How is that sexy man of yours doing?”

“Not good, honestly. Well, we aren’t good. It’s a long story, which I will gladly fill you in on, but does your husband know of any private investigators?”

“What!?” she gasped. “PI’s. Why are you looking into PI’s? Xena, have you jumped over the deep edge again? Don’t jump! Don’t do it.” She said sarcastically.

“Ha-ha. You’re being funny, but this is serious shit.” I shook my head. “In short, some of the dealings that Xavier is into or might be into could have an impact on me. I just want to verify if one, these things are true, because it’s a little sketchy that this information if being provided to me. And two, I need to know what I’m dealing with.”

“Why don’t you just ask Xavier?” confusion all in her voice. “He would know better than anyone.”

“Girl, Xavier’s crazy ass. I don’t want to say over the phone, but I have no idea what I can believe from him.”

“Girl, that don’t sound good. If you should be able to believe anyone, it should be him.”

“That’s my point exactly. Shit, he may be telling the truth or not, but I just need facts for myself. That’s my armor when dealing with him, because if I’m not, then it’s my heart leading me and that won’t get me out of jail, if I have to hurt that man.”

She laughed, but I was not playing. If something happened to my school, it would take the entire host of heaven for me not to kill him.

“Well, this might be your lucky day. Papi just showed me an article about a guy named Tyrell also known as Tee. He’s from Georgia, but he’s now in Far Rockaway near the college. He just busted some big case there, so let me see if I can get the information right here.”

There was some clicking of the keyboards, then a gasp. “Ha, here it is. I got the number.”

Whew.

“Great, girl. Text it to me now and we’ll have to get together soon. Like this weekend of something.”

“Sounds good, because this all sounds like pretty juicy stuff. Well, crazy stuff anyway.”

“Who are you telling? I swear girl, this man.”

“Well, he is the owner of XAND and his hands are in everything. He’d have to be, but illegal, that doesn’t sound like him. However, you’ll find out soon enough. And seriously, if you need me. I’m there.”

“Thanks girl.” I exhaled, “will talk with you soon enough.”

The text came through and I immediately called Tee.

“This is Tee.”

“Hi, uh, Tee. My name is Xena Fuller and I wanted to inquire about your services.”

“What can I do you for?” He had a southern accent that drawled at certain words like ‘can’ and ‘for’.

“Well, I just received some disturbing news and it has to do with my, uh, boyfriend of sorts. He’s a business owner and I was informed from an anonymous source about some of his dealings and how they could impact me. I just wanted to verify some of these things, before I took action. I, uh, don’t seem to have the sense enough to do it without proof.”

“Makes sense, but I usually deal with cases that involve criminal activities. Things like the police are usually involved in and consult with me, not really domestic items such as yours. If you think your man is cheating on you, then he probably is. Hate to break it to ya, like that darling, but you have that feeling for a reason.”

“No, no.” I felt like my hope was gone. “I know he’s not cheating on me. He don’t have the time, as he’s always trying to be under me.” I laughed at the irony of the situation. “Look, I started a school and that is my passion. I want the kids that are growing up with the same resources I had to have a chance. If he is involved in something that will hinder that, I must know. It may not be true, but I have to know. I think I’m being stalked and I don’t know where to turn. I can’t trust what he’s saying to me and this may be nothing or much bigger than me.” My voice started to break, so I stopped talking.

There was silence on the phone.

“Where are you located?” He asked.

“I’m in Brooklyn, NY.”

“Okay, look, Ms. Fuller.” He breathed. “I’m in Far Rockaway, right now. If you can meet me within the next two hours, I’ll look over the evidence and will contact my person in the Brooklyn area. He’s well connected and can help me while I stay here. If that works with him, then we’ll have a deal.”

“Oh my. Thank you so much, Tyrell.”

“Call me, Tee.”

“Yes, yes. Tee.” I exhaled. “I’m leaving now.”

We hung up, then I hit the button to page Janice.

“Hey, can you come in here?”

“Sure, be right there.”

Once she sat down with pen and paper in hand, I said, “This is sensitive. Like, you can’t tell a soul sensitive.”

She put down the paper and pencil, then said, “You got it.”

“Can I borrow your car? I need to go to Far Rockaway and meet someone about a business opportunity. My car can be easily identifiable, so I’m just wondering if I can use yours and you use mine. You’ve moved it before, right?”

“What? And I get to drive the BMW. Most definitely.” He beamed.

“Scratch my car any more than it already is, that will be your ass.”

She waved at me, then said, “Don’t worry. I’ll be super careful.”

Janice put her fingers together and tap the tips with the other hand. I shook my head and gave her my keys. When she returned, I said, “No one can know about this.”

“My lips are sealed. Don’t you worry.”

“Thanks.” I’m leaving now and if anyone asked, I’m doing rounds for a couple of hours and they can call my cell phone if I’m needed.

If I would have mentioned the possibility of being stalked or followed, Janice, like anyone else would have lost their minds. So, I left that out and went out the back door.

******

As I was driving, Milan sent me a text with a lawyer’s name and phone number, so see what my legal rights were as well. I knew she got it from her husband, the man knew everybody. What concerned me was that if I started asking around about Xavier, because he knew everybody if he would find out. I wasn’t scared of him, but I did want the element of surprise on my side when we discussed the issue, because he would have time to counter my arguments.

This was absolutely crazy to have to deal with this. I loved this man, but I would most definitely cut him loose because my passion would not be hindered by this.

Far Rockaway was a little less than an hour drive, so in order to kill two birds with one stone, I called the lawyer.

“Reese Jeffries.” He answered.

“Hi, Mr. Jeffries, my name is Xena Fuller and I was referred to you by Milan Gio.”

“Ah, yes. Mrs. Gio. Her husband is a good friend of mine.” His voice carried a jovial tone, “What can I do for you?”

“Nice. Well, I wanted to get some information about my legal rights. Currently, I don’t have a lawyer and I know you pay by consultation, so I’m willing to go that route. Plus, you came highly recommended.”

“Okay, well tell me the situation and I can let you know how big this is, how small it is and how soon I can start working on your case.”

I shared with him what the donor said, the documentation he provided me and the context of Xavier’s and I relationship. He listened and I could hear him writing on a pad or something as I spoke.

“Well, this doesn’t sound like a huge case, which is good, because I can get started right away. If you send me the full names and spellings to my email address. I can start. I can hear that you’re driving, so whenever you get a free moment. It doesn’t sound like you are liable, unless you knew this beforehand and then you’re an accessory. It also sounds really fishy that a donor has looked this much into you and who you are affiliated with. However, I can take this case. Once you email me the information, I can forward you my pricing list. Then you tell me what you want me to do.”

“Okay, that sounds fair. Thank you so much Mr. Jeffries.”

“No problem, I will talk with you soon.”

Once we hung up, I realized that I was closer to my destination than I originally thought. My phone chimed and it was a text from Xavier.

              -
Miss you baby
.

God.

I drove faster to get to Tee, because I knew that the longer I prolonged this, the more shit I would be in messing around with this man.

******

Well, to my surprise, Tee had an office right near Far Rockaway Community College. It was just taken over by a new president, who really was shaking things up.  New classes, new professors, and he fired all of the adjunct instructors. There was several news articles about him, but they were all favorable. This was big news because Far Rockaway Community was not horrible. The state was even thinking of shutting it down, but this guy comes and turns everything around. It was definitely big news heard around New York.

I entered the office and saw a pregnant lady sitting in the front office. She looked ready to pop at any second.

“Hello, my name is Xena Fuller and I have an appointment with Tee.”

“Ah, yes. Come on in, he’s on the phone right now, but he’ll be out soon.”

“Thank you.”

Looking around the room, it was an old building and didn’t necessarily look like a private investigator’s office, but more like a doctor’s. It had wood paneling, so it definitely wasn’t updated, but the pregnant lady did have a touch screen monitor and there was a tablet type machine to pay for services. That was about as up to date that a business could get.

I hadn’t texted Xavier back, because I didn’t want to start a dialogue. He figured I was at school, so I wanted it to stay that way.