Velvet Mafia

by Lydia L Watts

  “Indicted?” Taylor said, with a hint of amusement. “For what?” she continued as she channel-surfed.

  “Bribery! Apparently, Hilario Cruz has been talking and implicated Jeffries in the scandal.”

  As the local channels reported on the indictment, Taylor smiled from ear to ear. She was totally elated and couldn’t have hidden her feelings even if she had wanted to. In fact, she was thankful she’d heard the news while in the privacy of her office. Because elsewhere she would have had to keep her joy under wraps. The last thing she needed to do was let on that she was emotionally empowered by Jeffries’s impending political demise.

  “Okay, Adrienne, thanks for the heads up. I’m sure Councilman Yeager will want to circulate a press release, so why don’t you write one up for my review? Also, in light of these new developments, check with Councilman Jeffries’s office to see if the noon meeting is still on. Chances are it won’t be, but let’s make sure.”

  “Okay. I’ll call his office first,” Adrienne said, “and I’ll let you know once I hear something.”

  Taylor could not believe her luck. For the time being, Jeffries was out of her hair and would be too busy with the indictment charges to be concerned with their agreement. As she continued to surf the different channels, she noticed that the talking heads seemed to take as much delight in the indictment charges as she did. This was one of those stories that changed lives and whoever told the story the best, won.

  As Taylor watched McKenzie Bauser, her favorite DC news anchor, report on the scandal, her phone began jumping off the hook. If it wasn’t her colleagues from within council chambers, it was the com-munity trying to get information. As much as she wanted to spin and release a story, she knew she couldn’t. Like everybody else, she needed to act shocked as the news reverberated throughout the District. And to prevent from being swept up in the gossip and possibly saying something she would regret, she let all her calls go directly to voice mail:

  Hi, this is Taylor DuBois, chief of staff for Councilman Guy Yeager. I cannot come to the phone right now, so please leave your name, your number and a brief message and I will return your call within twenty-four hours. If this is an emergency and requires immediate attention, please contact my assistant, Adrienne Tenney, at Extension 1109.

  “Taylor, this is Adrienne. I’ve been trying to reach someone in Jeffries’s office regarding your scheduled meeting, but either the phones are busy or they’re not picking up. Should I keep trying or should I just send his assistant an email asking whether the meeting is still on?”

  As she listened to her assistant’s message, Taylor picked up the phone. The last thing she wanted was written correspondence from her to Jeffries regarding a private meeting especially considering that, if Yeager found out about the meeting, she would be hard-pressed to explain and/or justify it to him. She knew it would only arouse Yeager’s suspicions and lead to unwelcome speculation.

  But she also knew that the damage was really already done. Jeffries had deliberately set up the meeting, knowing that Adrienne, like most assistants, would put it on the shared calendar, establishing a record visible to anyone — including Yeager. Taylor knew her best defense was to let it play out the way Jeffries had set it up. Since he chose to use Adrienne, she would use her too. That way, if Yeager decided to ask Adrienne any questions about the meeting, she could only tell him what she knew. Nothing more, nothing less.

  “Hi, Adrienne,” Taylor said.

  “I knew you were screening your calls,” Adrienne said. “If you want, I can forward all your calls to my phone.”

  “No, that won’t be necessary,” said Taylor. “Now, as to your question: rather than send an email, why don’t you just walk down to his office and find out if the meeting is still on? Let his assistant know that if the meeting needs to be postponed, we can reschedule it for another day. Maybe later in the week if that works for the councilman?”

  “Okay, will do,” she said with excitement. “It will also give me a chance to find out what’s really going on. I’ll let you know as soon as I know something.”

  “All right,” Taylor replied. “But don’t get caught up in that mess.”

  “I won’t,” she said. “But — come on, boss — aren’t you just a little bit interested?”

  “No, I’m not,” Taylor replied, maintaining her cool. “We live in the nation’s capital and work at city hall. This is just politics and by now, you should know this. Call me when you find out about the meeting.”

  Taylor continued to follow the news. She was completely engrossed in what was being said, especially as it appeared her little problem with Jefferies was about to be put on ice. But before she could get comfortable, she still had some unfinished business to attend to.

  “Lewis here.”

  “Hello, Stan. This is Taylor DuBois.”

  “Hey, Taylor,” Stan said. “Sorry I missed your call.”

  “Two calls, Stan; two calls,” she said, allowing her frustration to show.

  “Yeah, I know you called twice, but I was in a meeting with the editorial board and then the Jeffries indictment broke. So, listen, I really can’t talk right now because things are pretty hectic around here. I’ll call you later today once we put this story out.”

  “Okay, Stan. Just know that what I need to discuss with you is critical, especially in light of what’s going on. So I’ll be waiting for your call.”

  “Um, sounds interesting,” Stan said. “Do I need to add to my story based on what you have to share?”

  “Well, I wouldn’t go that far. But I guarantee you what I have to share, is something you personally will want to hear.”

  “Okay, girl, you really have my attention now,” he replied. “I’ll call you after my article goes to press.”

  Eli followed Blake’s instruction to the T.

  “Councilman Yeager.”

  “Yes? Who is this?”

  “Oh, come now,” Eli said, feeling empowered. “Surely you know my voice. This is your new partner.”

  “My new partner?” Yeager said, as if the voice on the other end were that of a total stranger. “If this were my new partner, I would have heard from him at eight this morning. So, again, who is this?”

  “If I recall,” Eli said, “I never agreed to call you at eight. Anyway, I had more pressing business to take care of and I couldn’t stop just to stroke your ego.”

  Hearing Yeager’s gasp was an indication to Eli that he may have come on too strong too soon. Yeager was a very sensitive man and he liked to feel in control.

  “Come on, Councilman, let’s be reasonable. You’re a businessman and so is Blake Jones. If I had stepped away from my planned meeting with Blake and his business associates, he would have not only found it strange and unusual, he would have asked me about it. Surely, a man of your stature can understand. And if my instincts serve me correctly, I believe you too would have questioned my actions, if, as your confidante, I suddenly got up to make a call during one of your planned meetings.”

  Yeager didn’t speak for about thirty seconds, then said, “Yes, yes, of course I understand. It was somewhat arrogant of me to give you an order, wasn’t it?” Yeager said hesitantly, as if weighing whether what Eli had said made sense.

  “I didn’t look at it as an order per se,” Eli said. “I looked at it as you simply being you. I’ve been in enough settings with you to know that when you want something, you let it be known.”

  “Yes, I do, don’t I?” Yeager said, still feeling out the situation. “But you of all people should know that that’s the nature of our business. We create opportunities and then seize them.”

  “Absolutely,” Eli said, feeling as if he had redeemed himself. “Now, let’s get back to the business at hand. You said that if I help you, you could give me the world. I want to know how you’re going to do it. It’s one thing to be an elected official, but it’s another thing to be able to deliver. So, tell me, Councilman, what is it you think you can give me?”

&nb
sp; Yeager chuckled, seemingly amused at Eli’s attempt to move him off his block. “Who do you think you are?” Yeager said, feeling back in control. “Do you think this is some game we’re playing?”

  “No, Councilman,” Eli said calmly, “I don’t think this is a game at all. But if I help you, I need to know that you can deliver. Absent that, we don’t have a deal and this conversation is over.”

  Sensing the bait and switch, Yeager again changed his tone. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, he needed Eli. Plus, he had gone too far to turn back now.

  “Calm down, my friend, calm down,” Yeager said. “I can see that you’ve thought a great deal about my offer. But rather than tell you over the phone, why don’t we meet over the weekend? Then I can tell you everything you need to know. But I must warn you, Mr. Edelstein: once we go down this road, there is no backing out.”

  “Trust me, Councilman. If I get caught betraying Blake Jones, there is nothing that you could do to me that would be worse than what he could do. Everything I have worked for would be over.”

  Yeager didn’t respond to Edelstein’s comment because he knew that if Eli betrayed him, the least of his worries would be whether he ever worked again.

  “I’ll be in touch soon,” Yeager said, “and let you know when and where we’ll meet.”

  After his conversation with Eli, Yeager began to question whether he had made the right decision. Getting in bed with Eli was a risk, but Eli was his best chance at finding out where Blake had gotten the picture of Dr. Isabella Cardosa. That picture exposed the Velvet Mafia and Yeager knew they would stop at nothing to keep their identity hidden — including killing him if they had to.

  Yeager’s only sense of relief came from knowing he had assigned Taylor to find out everything she could about Edelstein. He knew that if anyone could turn up dirt, it would be her. He also knew however, that time was not his friend. With the weekend approaching, he would have to prove to Eli he could deliver. But before he could do so, he had to find out who Eli Edelstein really was and then, how best to use him.

  Eli believed he had convinced Yeager he could be trusted and he couldn’t wait to fill Blake in on their conversation, but despite several attempts, he discovered Blake was nowhere to be found. He was sure Blake had told him to call, so where was he and why wasn’t he answering his cell phone?

  “Hey, Blake, this is Eli. Listen, I have been trying to reach you, man. Where are you? The meeting with Yeager went great. Anyway, call me when you get this message.”

  Several hours had passed and Eli still had not talked to Blake. But he also had something else on his mind: the Others, and the assignment they had given him.

  A few days earlier, the Others had made contact and he had been instructed to investigate Guy Yeager’s dealings. Apparently, Blake Jones wasn’t the only one concerned about Yeager; he had also aroused the suspicions of the Others and it was now up to Eli to determine the threat level.

  By the time Teddy woke up, it dawned on her that she had less than six hours before she had to meet Basil at Chicago’s Harold Washington Library. As she stumbled out of bed, she spotted the note she had received from Lauren, now on her nightstand, and she reread it. Again she recalled how the note had made her feel. But before she could bask in that feeling, she was reminded of the strange man who had seemed to be following her in the club. She knew she had lost him when she’d left during the band’s encore performance, but she also knew she had to confirm her suspicions. There was something about the man that had caught her interest. He seemed familiar.

  While Teddy prepared her coffee, the phone rang. She picked up the receiver, assuming it was her mother, ready to discuss the Arts Festival manifesto, but was surprised to hear Lauren’s voice.

  “Hey, girl! Why did you leave without saying good-bye? I was looking forward to hanging out with you after the show.”

  “Is this really you, Lauren?”

  “Yeah, girl, it’s me — all five ten of me,” Lauren said boastfully.

  “You were fantastic last night! I am so happy for you. The music, the club, your fans … I was amazed. The only other artist I have ever known personally who could make the crowd do what you do was DC’s Black president, Chuck Brown, baby, and you have his swagger down.”

  “Why, thank you,” Lauren said, giggling like a little girl. “Chuck Brown is good company, but no one can do what the Godfather of Go-Go could do. I’m just happy God intervened in our lives before it was too late. But enough about me and the Go-Go King. Why did you leave last night without saying anything? Did you get my message that I wanted you to stick around?”

  “Yeah, I did, sweetie, but something came up and I had to leave.”

  “I understand, but, man, when I saw you walk through the door of the club, all I could say was, ‘Thank you, Lord.’ My prayers have been answered. When we lost touch, I didn’t think we would ever talk again. It wasn’t until my last stint in recovery that I started to believe we would. I’ve been clean now going on eight years and I owe it all to God and you.”

  “What do you mean you owe it to me?” Teddy said. “God I understand, but me? I don’t understand. I treated you terribly. Remember when you came to DC looking for me?”

  “Yeah, I do,” Lauren said.

  “Well, I have a confession. I was at home when you called. I just couldn’t bring myself to answer the phone because I could tell that you weren’t … well, you know.”

  “Yes, I remember,” Lauren said, sounding somewhat melancholy. “I was high as a kite. When I think about it, it’s amazing I’m still alive after that trip.”

  “At that point, Lauren, I couldn’t take it anymore and I didn’t want to see you that way.”

  “It’s okay, Teddy, I understand. Really I do. You couldn’t have helped me even if you had wanted to. I was out there. Way out there and the only thing I wanted at that time was what I could smoke. Then, shortly after leaving DC, I was arrested in Chicago for possession of crack. It was my third time and I should have been sent to prison to serve ten to fifteen years, but instead, the judge sentenced me to a year in the Cook County Jail.

  “It was when I was in jail, I saw you on TV. You were being interviewed by several of the networks because of the work you had done in solving a major case. I was so proud of you. I was telling my cellies that I knew you and that we used to be very close. Of course, they didn’t believe me. After all, you were this beautiful celebrity and I was a crackhead in the Cook County Jail. Then, about one week later, I saw you again. This time they were reporting that your roommate — I knew she was your lover — had been brutally murdered. When I saw your face, I could feel your pain and I felt so helpless. I wanted to be there for you, but I couldn’t.”

  After a deep sigh, Lauren continued. “For many nights, I cried for you, and then, one night, I cried for myself. I prayed to God that He would comfort you and protect you. At that time, it was easier for me to pray for you than to pray for myself. One night, when I was on my knees, I asked God to protect you and I heard Him say that He loved me. For the first time, I heard His voice and he was talking to me, Teddy. I felt so happy but also ashamed. How could He love me? After all, I was out there. I was doing drugs, had abandoned the church and was basically living the life of a street person. I had been in and out of jail, beaten up for drugs and raped, just because my abusers — and there were many — knew I loved women.

  “After God told me He loved me,” Lauren continued, “He then told me He knew me and knew what I would do and become before I was conceived in my mother’s womb. It was like I was on this long journey with Him. He showed me my life, the choices I had made and how I got to where I was at that time. He showed me the pain I had caused others, as well as the pain I had endured from others which led to my choices. After showing me my past, He began to show me my future. With each activity, event and circumstance, He taught me how important forgiveness would be in my personal deliverance. He showed me that if I could not forgive those who had hurt me, I
simply would not be able to move on. I would be totally lost and distant from Him and all my God-given blessings. He also shared with me the secret of forgiveness. He told me that my lifelong pain was based on my lifelong need to be free from guilt and that all I had to do was forgive myself. It sounded simple, Teddy, but trust me it wasn’t.

  “My year in jail ended up being eighteen months. Apparently, I had another case on the books and it finally caught up with me while I was in custody, but the last twelve months were spent building my relationship with God. Eventually, I learned to forgive myself and those that had hurt me. Then, two months before I was to go home, I took an HIV test and found out I was positive.”

  Without realizing it, Teddy let out a gasp. The last thing she had been expecting to hear was that Lauren was HIV-positive. In that brief moment, her mind reeled with images of Lauren suffering and the discrimination she had endured.

  “It’s okay, Teddy, really,” Lauren said. “Believe it or not, I was okay with the news. At that time, God had given me the peace and understanding I needed to accept my diagnosis. Once I started listening to His voice, I no longer worried about my future. That’s why I said I owe my sobriety to God and you. Even in my disease, I only wanted the best for you. Other than my mother, you were the first and only person who loved me despite myself and you loved me unconditionally. So you see, had I not witnessed and felt your pain while watching TV, I wouldn’t have started praying to God and as a result, established my own relationship with Him.”

  Teddy was dumbfounded. She couldn’t believe that after all these years, she and Lauren had finally reconnected. But, in the midst of her joy, there was also profound sadness. Lauren knew about Isabella’s death and she was HIV-positive. This was more than Teddy could handle. She simply broke down and cried.

  “Are you all right, Teddy?” Lauren said, hearing Teddy weeping. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I was just telling you this stuff because I wanted you to know that what happened to you changed my life. Teddy, are you all right?”