by Robin Allen
“For now they are. The moment something goes wrong, they’ll go after me like sharks on a trail of blood.”
“You have nothing to worry about.”
“Just getting elected,” Ramion said, with a light laugh.
“Boy, I’ve already told my golfing buddies about you. They promised to vote for you.”
“Thanks, Pops.”
Chapter Nineteen
“Ooh, it’s gorgeous!” Ava shrieked excitedly when Sage emerged from the dressing room, wearing her wedding gown.
Sage slowly turned around, careful to hold up the elaborately designed train.
“I mean, Sage, it’s on. It’s elegant and sophisticated.” Giggling, she added, “It’s CrazySexyCool.”
“A TLC fan,” Xavier said.
“Those are my girls!” Ava said.
Sage stood in front of the mirror, nervous with anticipation. When she put on the gown, the reality of her impending wedding hit her. She was going to marry Ramion Sandidge in the Governor’s Mansion. Her stomach was suddenly jittery.
Now, standing before the mirror, she closed her eyes. She was suddenly afraid of being disappointed again. The last time she met with Xavier, she had regretted her decision to have a custom-designed gown. When Xavier saw Sage’s face drop with disappointment, like a wilted flower, he promised to redesign the gown.
Slowly she opened her eyes. This time, her face was as vibrant as a flower blooming in spring. A happy smile spread across her face when she saw the gown.
“It’s beautiful,” Sage uttered breathlessly. “This is it, Xavier.”
With his hand draped across his forehead, Xavier said dramatically, “Sage, I’m so glad you like it. I was getting very worried. I didn’t want you to be unhappy.”
“You don’t have to be worried about that now,” Ava said, straddling a chair. “Look at her face. I’ve never seen her look so happy. I mean, she looks like she won the lottery or something.”
“Oh, I won more than the lottery,” Sage said, spinning around to get a side view in the three-way mirror. “I hit the jackpot when I met Ramion,” Sage said, mostly to herself, thinking how she’d almost lost Ramion to Edwinna’s devious play.
“Right,” Ava said sarcastically, twisting her wrist. “Like you ever had a problem finding a man.”
“It hasn’t been easy, girl. It’s hard finding a man you can love and who loves you back with the same depth.”
“I just hope your luck rubs off on me. All the men in my life dogged me,” Ava complained.
“I can’t imagine that, Ava,” Xavier said. “They just don’t know a treasure when they see one.”
“That’s sweet,” Ava said with a pleased grin. “You’re right, some men don’t know a diamond from a cubic zirconia, and if they can’t tell the difference, who needs them.”
“That’s the spirit.” Xavier winked and turned back to Sage. “If this is really what you want, all I have to do is put on the finishing touches—hem the sleeves, sew on the pearls, stitch the bodice.”
Her arms extended at her sides, Sage declared joyfully, “This is it!”
“Yeah, it’s perfect,” Ava agreed.
“I’m going to get out of it,” Sage said, moving toward the dressing room. “I’ll be right back.”
“The wedding is going to be live, Xavier, so live,” Ava said with the excitement of an expectant sister of the bride. “I can’t wait.”
* * * * *
Sage opened the door to her kitchen and was instantly overwhelmed by the smell of food cooking. “Ava?” she called out curiously. It was the first time she’d ever smelled anything cooking. Ava was the queen of fast food, never showing the faintest interest in cooking.
After placing her purse and briefcase on the kitchen table, Sage opened the pots and casserole dishes that were sitting on the stove: fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, cabbage and candied yams. She peeked inside the oven and saw cornbread baking in a cast-iron skillet. The sight and smell of a home-cooked meal made Sage’s stomach growl.
“Ava!” she yelled up the stairs. “I know you didn’t make this food.”
Sage walked over to the kitchen desk and sorted through her mail. “Finally,” she said, when she saw the letter from the Veteran’s Administration. She tore open the envelope and read a customized form letter that told her no more than what she already knew. Her father was killed in action and, even though his body was never found, he wasn’t considered missing.
Thanks for nothing, Sage thought, as she put the letter back into the envelope. “There’s nothing more I can do,” she said out loud to herself.
Sage looked up when she heard footsteps on the stairs. “I know you didn’t cook this feast, Ava. You wouldn’t know where to begin.”
“You got that right! I didn’t,” Ava said as she reached the bottom of the steps. “But Mama did. Surprise!”
Audra came from behind Ava, her face a mixture of uncertainty and anticipation. She greeted Sage with a healthy hug. “Didn’t expect to see me so soon?”
“No, Mama, I didn’t.” Sage was silent for a moment, staring dazedly at her mother looking so different from when she’d seen her at the funeral. Grief had settled into permanent sadness in her eyes.
“I made your favorite dinner,” Audra said. “At least what you liked when you were a little girl.”
“I still love fried chicken. I can’t remember the last time I had some that wasn’t from the store.”
“It was my idea, Sage,” Ava said.
“Dinner?”
“No. Mama,” Ava said. “It was my idea to have Mama come down. She’s been itching to visit you for years, so I said ‘why not now’. I had to talk her into it. She was very reluctant.”
“I didn’t want to intrude, Sage,” Audra said hesitantly. She was casually dressed in a navy knit pants outfit. “I know you’re busy planning your wedding and working for the governor.”
“And they’re looking for a house,” Ava said. “You should see some of the places they’ve looked at. They’re awesome! Jacuzzi, spiral staircase, the works.”
“Speaking of Ramion,” Audra said, moving past Sage to the stove. “Would you like to invite him over for dinner? I made plenty.”
“Ramion’s working late. He’s starting a new trial tomorrow.”
“I see. Well, I hope my being here isn’t a problem,” Audra said, sifting red pepper into the pot of cabbage. “I can help with your wedding plans.”
Finding her mother in her house was as unexpected as a visit by the Publishers Clearing House prize patrol. Not only was Sage surprised to see her mother, but she was surprised at her own reaction. Instead of anger, she felt the melodic peace of the ocean after a raging storm. “It’s okay, Mama,” Sage said, her smile warm. “You’re welcome to stay.”
Ava clapped her hands. “Goody. I’m glad that’s all worked out. I’m going to set the table,” she said as she removed silverware from a drawer.
“I’m going to change clothes,” Sage said and headed toward her bedroom, then she suddenly turned to face Audra.
“Mama, why didn’t you ever tell me that Daddy’s body was never found?”
Audra closed the lid on the pot. “You were too young at the time, and then it never seemed like the right time to bring it up. You grieved so hard for him. We both did. And when you seemed finally to be getting over it, I didn’t want to open a wound.”
“I never got over losing him, Mama,” Sage said, her voice laced with hurt. “I thought about Daddy a lot, especially as a teenager. I wished he was around to protect me.”
Audra knew what Sage meant by that comment, that if Satchel had lived, she wouldn’t have been raped. Audra busied herself at the kitchen stove, turning on the gas, opening the pots, stirring the food, adding seasoning and tasting.
Sage pursued the topic. “I have a letter here from the VA.”
The mention of the VA caught Audra’s attention. She stopped stirring the cabbage and looked over at Sage. “Why would the
VA write you?”
“I tried to find out if Daddy’s body was ever found.”
“Oh, they told me he was in a village that was bombed. The entire village was wiped out. There were few survivors. I always wondered why they would bomb a village with innocent women and children, but I never really questioned them. There were all kinds of tragic stories in that war.”
“Who bombed whom? And why would the soldiers be in the village?” Sage probed.
“I don’t know,” Audra said, shrugging. “I really don’t know.”
“You don’t remember them telling you anything about the circumstances surrounding his death. What if he really didn’t die?”
“Come on, Sage,” Ava interrupted. “If your father is alive, where has he been all these years? Why didn’t he ever get in touch with his family?”
“They found his dog tags,” Audra said.
“But not his body,” Sage said.
“Sage, you tripping girl,” Ava said. “He was killed in the war.”
Sage was quiet for a few minutes. “You’re right.”
“Ava told me about some nut burning a flag in your yard,” Audra said in a concerned voice. “Have they caught the person?”
“No,” Sage said. She had quickly grown tired of having a bodyguard. “Not yet, anyway. They’re seriously investigating it. They’ve got a lead from some of the neighbors.”
“Do you still have protection?” Audra asked.
“Yes, the police officer is outside, but I can’t wait until this is all over.” Changing subjects, Sage asked Audra, “Did you see the painting Aunt Maddie sent me?”
“I remember that painting. Satchel was very good. I always thought he could have been a great painter,” Audra said. “Your butterfly collection is beautiful. I’ve never seen so many different kinds of butterflies. I’m amazed that you remembered.”
“That’s all I really have of Daddy. Memories.”
* * * * *
“Hello,” Savannah said when she walked into Edwinna’s office. “I was in…” Savannah stopped talking when she realized that Edwinna was on the phone, and took a seat across from her friend’s desk.
Edwinna nodded and held up a finger to indicate she would be off the phone shortly. Edwinna’s office was ultramodern, with large contemporary paintings, rosewood furniture and a round glass conference table.
Savannah picked up the Wall Street Journal sitting on the corner of Edwinna’s desk and started reading the newspaper.
“What brings you downtown?” Edwinna said when she hung up the telephone five minutes later.
“Danielle had a dentist appointment.”
“My godchild is here, and she hasn’t come in to say hello?” Edwinna teased.
“I guess the fish are more important. She’s in the waiting room, looking at the aquarium. She claims there are more fish in the tank. She says there were forty-eight fish the last time we were here.”
Edwinna chuckled. “I wouldn’t know. I take it you got my message.”
“Yes, girl, you sounded like a madwoman,” Savannah chided. “I should have made a copy and sent it to your clients.”
Edwinna narrowed her eyes at Savannah, ignoring her smart remark. “I just couldn’t believe that Ramion would announce his candidacy so soon. The election is still months away. He took everybody by surprise.”
“Maybe that will be to his advantage.”
“I have to admit it was a smart move.” Edwinna picked up her onyx-and-pearl earring and clipped it onto her left earlobe.
Savannah arched an eyebrow. “Giving Ramion a compliment?”
“No! I’m just acknowledging that it was a good offensive move. Unusual because most lawyers think defensively.”
“So are you going to run against him?” Savannah asked, crossing her legs.
“I’m going to do it,” Edwinna said, pounding the desk with her fist. “I’m going to run for the state senate.”
Savannah shook her head. “Don’t do it. You’ll hate it, Edwinna. You don’t want to be in the spotlight. You have to watch everything you do.”
“So?” Edwinna said nonchalantly.
“You know how the media is. They can destroy you. What if it comes out?”
“What?”
Savannah lowered her voice to a whisper. “About me and you.”
“Nobody knows. I’ve never told anyone. Have you?”
“No, but…”
“We’ve always been careful. We’ve always had men in our lives.”
Savannah shrugged her shoulders. “If you’re not worried, then I’m not worried.”
“No, I’m not worried about that. I’m just worried about beating Ramion.”
“So how are you going to beat him?” Savannah asked. “He’s already made a name for himself. Not to be insensitive, Edwinna, but nobody knows who the hell you are.”
“By the time November rolls around they will,” she said, leafing through a stack of legal-sized file folders.
“Tell me this, do you really want to win, or are you only aiming to screw up Ramion’s chances of winning?”
“It won’t hurt my career to hold public office. At first, I’ll admit, I just wanted to run for the pleasure of defeating Ramion, to totally ruin his plans. But now that I’ve got my father involved and other supporters behind me, I’m taking it more seriously.”
Savannah rolled her eyes in disbelief. “You suddenly care about the people who live there?”
“You’ve forgotten that I grew up there.”
“But you moved away when you were a teenager.” Savannah put the newspaper back on Edwinna’s desk and said, “All I’m saying is don’t do it just to get back at a man.”
“It doesn’t matter why I’m doing it. What matters is that I’m going to win. And I’ve got something on Ramion that will cost him votes.”
“What is that?” Savannah asked with curious interest.
Edwinna opened her black Dooney & Bourke pocketbook and retrieved her key ring. She unlocked the file cabinet, opened the top drawer and removed a red folder.
Her curiosity aroused, Savannah asked, “What is it?”
“Remember when Art Hinkle was accused of taking a bribe to get the stadium contract?”
“Yes. He ended up losing his seat on the city council.”
“Ramion handled the case, and I think he was in on it.”
“Get out of town,” Savannah said.
“He represented Hinkle during contract negotiations.”
“Are you sure about this?”
“Eighty percent. I’m going to talk to Selena Tucker. She’s the law clerk who worked with Ramion on the case. I’m going to find out what she knows.”
“Do you know her?”
“Not well. I heard she’s working at another law firm. She’s probably passed the bar by now. But I’m going to check into it.”
“You might have something.”
Edwinna released a long, sad sigh. “Too bad I can’t stop the wedding.”
“Get over it, girl. He’s a goner.”
“Yeah, well, I heard the wedding is going to be in the garden of the Governor’s Mansion. I hope it rains like hell.”
“We can get together that day. So you won’t have to think about it.”
“What are you going to do?” Edwinna asked, feeling a tingling sensation between her thighs.
Savannah licked her lips. “Make you come in my mouth.”
* * * * *
Selena Tucker exited off the interstate and drove to the Peachtree Corners area, relieved to accelerate to more than forty miles an hour, instead of the stop-and-go pace of the congested interstate. She stopped at Kenny Rogers’s drive-through window for a chicken salad lunch and then headed to her apartment complex. She stopped at the leasing office and dropped her late rent check into the mail slot. She pretended not to notice a woman from the leasing office, waving at her to come into the office, and got back into her car and quickly drove away.
Selena rounded the
corner from the leasing office, slowing down for speed bumps. She drove past the stream of furniture stacked near the dumpsters before she realized that the whitewashed bedroom and living room furniture was hers. Without checking her rearview mirror, she put her car in Reverse and backed up. Tears welled in her eyes when she saw everything she owned piled in a disheveled mess.
Her next-door neighbor ran over to her car. “They wrong, girl, to throw us out of here like that. Without no kind of warning,” Kiki said. “I had an agreement for my back payments, but some new company has taken over and they ain’t studying our agreements.”
“Another company bought out the complex?” Selena asked, stunned by the news.
“I don’t know if a new company bought the complex or it’s a new company that’s managing the property. I just know they done thrown us out like we were dogs or something.”
“Assholes!” Selena said, drying her eyes, anger replacing shock.
“I’ve been watching your stuff. You know people are like vultures. They walk off with your shit if you ain’t watching.”
“Thanks a lot, Kiki. I guess I’m going to have to move this stuff into my mother’s house.”
“You’re a lawyer, Selena. Can’t you do something about this?”
“I can try. But you know the legal system moves slowly. Real slow,” Selena said, loath to admit that she had been behind on her rent.
Chapter Twenty
The tall police officer entered the room filled with twenty women laughing and talking, sharing stories about boyfriends, husbands and lovers. With the snatches of laughter and a movie soundtrack playing loudly, Sage didn’t notice the police officer approach her.
“Are you Sage Kennedy?” the officer asked in a gruff, unfriendly voice.
Sage gazed up at him, thinking he looked young enough to be in high school. He was so good-looking Sage wondered why he’d chosen law enforcement instead of a career as a model or actor. With his muscular physique and Denzel Washington face, she thought, he could have gone straight to Hollywood and landed the lead role in an action flick.
“Yes, Officer,” Sage said, her eyebrows drawn together in a questioning gaze.
