Velvet Mafia

by Lydia L Watts

  “Boy!” Charlie said, as if he were about to get into a cook-off. “I’ve been cooking all my life and there is no need for you to wonder if it will be good or not. In fact, let me let you in on a little secret. You are talking to a four-time winner of the Real Men Cook contest. But I don’t want to brag; I’m from the old school.”

  “Oh, yeah?” Blake said, feeling a little competitive. “What does that mean?”

  “It means I can show you better than I can tell you.”

  “All right then. Bring it!” Blake was still laughing.

  “Bet,” Charlie said. “Look for me within the next half hour. Hey, one more thing. Do you have any juice or do I need to stop and pick some up?”

  “I have everything you need, old man, so I’ll see you in a few.”

  “Okay, son,” Charlie said. “See you then.”

  After hanging up, Blake couldn’t help noticing how he felt when Charlie called him ‘son’. In an odd sort of way, it made him feel like a little kid. Here he was, a grown man, feeling like a little kid, all because someone he admired called him son.

  Charlie arrived right on time, bearing gifts. Blake could smell the catfish the moment Charlie walked into the house. Not only did the food smell good, but Charlie even had presentation. He laid the food out as if they were dining in a fine delicatessen.

  “I hope you’re hungry,” Charlie said. “I made enough to feed four or five people.”

  “Damn,” Blake said, “you sure did. I’m hungry, but I don’t know if I can eat all that.”

  “Well, eat as much as you can and what we don’t eat, I’ll take some back home with me and leave you the rest for later on. Catfish is good the second time around, too, if it’s cooked well.”

  After the two men finished enjoying Charlie’s fine breakfast, Blake showed him around the place. He had acquired a 5,000-square-foot industrial warehouse and turned it into a place of opulence and beauty. Charlie could not help but marvel at its exquisiteness, but what caught his attention the most was the floor-to-ceiling portrait of Blake’s mother in the living room. Done in beautifully bold, rich and intricate colors, it was stunning.

  “Wow, Blake!” Charlie said. “That portrait is absolutely beautiful! It makes you feel like she is looking directly at you. Sometimes she would look at me like that.”

  “Thanks, Charlie. I love it, too. You should see it at night when the light hits it. The different hues are magnificent. I love sitting in here looking at it. Her presence is definitely in this room.”

  “Son, based on what I can tell, her presence is everywhere in this house. So, who’s the artist?” Charlie asked.

  “Devon,” Blake said proudly.

  With breakfast and the tour over, the two men had to relax. The food Charlie had prepared was much more than either one could handle. Add good food together with great company and the only thing left to do was smoke a stogie and talk, something they did without pretense. Cigars were Charlie’s greatest pleasure and he had access to the best, including those confiscated by the Feds. As the two men enjoyed their Cuban delicacies, Blake was awed by the fact that someone other than his brother had now been in his home and he was loving his newfound opportunity to entertain.

  “What you thinking, son?” Charlie asked as he swirled the cigar around his mouth and then parked it in the corner of his lips.

  “I’m thinking about you, Charlie,” Blake said, without hesitation.

  “Me?” Charlie sat up in his chair, cigar now between the valley of two fingers.

  “Believe it or not, old man, other than my brother, you are the first person I have ever had in my home.”

  “Oh, really!” Charlie replied as he looked at Blake on whom the revelation had taken a toll. “You mean to tell me that you have not even invited your associate … um, what’s his name again? … or one of your girlfriends?”

  “Eli,” Blake said, turning to face Charlie. “No, Eli has never been to my home and as far as dating goes, I don’t have much time for it.”

  “I see.” Charlie relighted his cigar and sat back in the leather lounge chair. “When I was young, I didn’t date much either. To me, when the right one came along, you knew it and you didn’t have to keep testing the water to see. Anyway, we can talk about your dating habits later. Right now I want to focus on your associate. So, how long did you say you two have been working together?”

  “I’ve known Eli for about twenty years and we have been working together as business associates for the last ten.”

  “And he’s never been to your home, son?”

  “Nope! My home has always been off-limits to people. When I bought this building, I knew I wanted privacy and I also knew that in order to maintain my privacy, I had to keep my private life separate from everything and everybody else.”

  “Well,” Charlie said, smiling, “I’m honored that you trust me enough to allow me into your sanctuary.”

  Charlie’s response was just another indicator that Blake had made the right decision. He had waited for this opportunity all his life and now here it was.

  “I’m happy you’re here, too,” Blake said. “But now, let’s get down to business. Can I see the letter and the picture you received and did you also bring the envelope?”

  “Yep, I sure did,” Charlie replied. “I got everything we need right here.”

  Charlie studied the letter Blake had received from his brother and Blake the one Charlie had brought with him. When done, they both looked up and nodded. Now they knew Devon had sent Charlie the picture.

  Agent Henderson:

  My father once told me if I ever needed discreet help or assistance, I should contact you. Enclosed is a picture of a woman I witnessed being murdered. I don’t know who she is; I just know that the people who killed her are very dangerous and belong to a group known as the Velvet Mafia. Only one other person has a copy of this photo and I am afraid he will come into harm’s way if he tries to find out anything about this picture on his own. So it is my sincere hope you can get to these people before they find out he knows their identity.

  Sincerely,

  A loving brother

  What shocked Blake most was that Devon had sent Charlie the letter several weeks before he died. Had he had a premonition, or had he really known something? Or could it really be true? Could Devon have taken his own life? Was he so distraught that he would just have given up?

  After seeing both letters, Blake was more confused, but even more, he was in anguish. The pain he had experienced the night before was back with a vengeance. But this time, he had comfort from a friend.

  Charlie could see that Blake’s pain was consuming him and at that moment, he had to keep his promise to Lillian. What she had predicted was coming to pass. Blake needed either his father or another strong male figure to stand in.

  “It’s okay, son. Let it all out,” Charlie said, now with his hands on Blake’s shoulders. “Whatever happened to Devon will come to light and I will be by your side all the way. I know what it’s like to lose someone you love and I also know what it’s like to let go of the pain. When you finally do, you won’t dwell on his death or how he died; instead, you’ll start to remember the wonderful times you spent together. But remember, Blake: you cannot go forward without letting go and letting God do what He does. So let go, son!”

  Blake allowed himself to feel the warmth of Charlie’s love. And without pomp or pretense, he allowed himself truly to let go. Before long, tears rolled down his face and filled his waiting hands. He knew what Charlie had said was true and if he didn’t let it all out, he would never be able to get to the truth. So he wept.

  Charlie left him alone. He knew there was nothing more he could do to comfort him. Charlie had been there and he knew that eventually, Blake would do what most men did in the midst of their most challenging moments: he would surrender his pain over to God. And once that was done, all questions would be answered and all doubts would be gone.

  While Blake went through what he had
to go through, Charlie reanother. He could feel anturned to studying the two letters and the other evidence he had on the Cardosa murder. One thing was for sure: they had solved one mystery. The Velvet Mafia hadn’t killed Devon because if they had, they’d have left their calling card. As he sat pondering the evidence, Charlie couldn’t help but stare back at the wall-sized portrait of the woman staring at him. The picture of Lillian was comforting and he remembered again the times they had shared, holding one another. He could feel an overwhelming peace in the room, as if he was supposed to be right where he was. Then he remembered something Lillian used to say to him; before he knew it, he was saying out loud, “Charles, honey, things happen in God’s time and not ours.”

  Just as Charlie was finding his own comfort, Blake appeared, looking like a man who had wrestled a lion and won. Whatever had happened in that other room, had happened just as Charlie thought it would. God had provided Blake with the comfort only He could and Charlie was just grateful he could be there to witness it.

  “How you doing, son?” Charlie stood up to greet Blake.

  “I’m doing fine, Charlie, just fine,” Blake replied. “And I want to thank you for everything. I believe I am ready to move forward now and I just want you to know how grateful I am that you were here with me. Since Devon’s death … well, let’s just say that it’s been very hard for me to let go until now, and now that I have released the anger, I feel much better.”

  “Good. I’m glad you feel better. I knew that if you were willing to do the work, God would do the rest. And from the way you look, it looks as if He showed up. I used to have moments like that too, but like your momma used to say, God knows what He’s doing, so it’s best to just wait on Him and try not to get in His way.”

  “Funny,” Blake said. “She used to say that to me, too. But now I think I understand what she meant more clearly.”

  “Well, when my wife died, your momma was the source of my comfort. It was your momma who led me closer to God and taught me how to give Him my burdens. She used to say that when someone goes home, we may not like how they go or when they go or even why. But all we need to know and understand is that the day they went home was the day they were supposed to go. So, right now, son, you may not understand why Devon is no longer here, but it’s important you understand that he went home on the day our Father called him home. And if He called our loved ones home, who are we to be angry?”

  With everything now in the open, Blake and Charlie had their work cut out for them. They had to talk to Teddy Alexander to see whether she knew what her lover had been working on at the time of her death and Blake still had to finalize his plan with Eli. But first, he had to get Charlie to agree to use the K Street property as bait.

  It was a risky plan, but it was the right one to use. To capture both his targets, Blake would have to give up something so valuable it would keep both Eli and Yeager interested while he and Charlie focused on Teddy Alexander and the events surrounding the death of her lover, Isabella Cardosa. But he had to get Charlie on board. After all, it was his property.

  “Hey, Charlie, do you remember what you said to me yesterday about my associate, Eli Edelstein?”

  “You mean the part where I said he reminded me of a cold-blooded killer and he bore watching?”

  “Yeah. What was it about him that made you feel the way you did?”

  “With close to forty years in the bureau, you learn to read people and in my opinion, your friend Eli is a dangerous man. Everything about him, from his handshake to his eye contact, told me I couldn’t trust him as far as I could throw him. He reminded me of a sociopath.”

  “A sociopath?” Blake was astounded by the accusation. “That’s pretty deep. You picked all that up in less than five minutes? Other than your gut, was there anything else that made you feel that way?”

  “No. Sometimes your gut is all you need. It can be the difference between life and death, so you come to rely on and trust it. When you first meet someone and your gut rejects the person, it’s your spirit talking to you. My experience tells me that when your spirit speaks, learn to listen and do what it tells you to do because it’s never wrong. So, what’s this all about anyway? Why so many questions about your associate?”

  “He’s working on a special project for me. I set it up for him to get close to Guy Yeager.”

  “Guy Yeager!” Charlie sat up straighter in his chair. “In light of what we know, that’s a big risk, son. The question is whether or not you can trust him to do what you tell him to do. Can you?”

  “When I put the plan together, I thought I could, but then something changed. What, I don’t know. Then, when you said what you said after only spending five minutes with the dude, I really started to question whether I had done the right thing.”

  “Well, it’s too late now to go back. You just have to play this game your way. One thing for sure, he’s no dummy. You just have to be one step ahead at all times.”

  “I know, Charlie. I know.”

  “So what’s your plan?”

  “I’m glad you asked.”

  “Oh, and why is that?” Charlie replied, unmoved by Blake’s tone.

  “Because I need you to go along with it.”

  “I’m listening, son. Go on.”

  “Last night after you left, I went to the restaurant and had dinner with Eli. He asked me about my interest in your property and why he didn’t know anything about it. It was then I realized that if he used the information that I was interested in buying your land, Yeager would take the bait. I told him that if I had the property, I would probably turn it into a historical landmark.”

  “So, let me get this straight. You want me to sell you my bungalow?”

  “Yes, exactly! Now here’s the catch. If the city decrees it a landmark before it’s sold, then the person leading the charge will get the credit. In this case, it would be Yeager. He’s smart enough to know that the shrewd approach is to secure the historical landmark status before the property can be sold. This would be a significant accomplishment for him, we just have to act fast and get everything in order before I let Eli in on the plan. Knowing Eli the way I do, his first move will be to determine whether or not you and I have created any paper on the property. Our action will legitimize the plan, but only if he can verify it. Then when he meets with Yeager, he will spin the purchase anyway he sees fit.”

  “I see,” Charlie said, now rolling his lips around his cigar. “Damn! You thought all that up since last night? No wonder they call you the city’s most powerful mind.”

  “Well, I don’t know all about that, Charlie. But this idea feels like it was a gift from God because before we ran into Eli last night, I was struggling as to which direction to take.”

  “Well, son, if you think it was a gift from God, then it was. So, what do I need to do?”

  “I’ll call my bank and let them know I am interested in purchasing the property. They should immediately send an appraiser out to determine its market value and this will create the paper trail we need to get started. Eli is going to do what I pay him to do, so we have to make sure everything is legitimate. You should call a realtor and let them know you are interested in selling and you want to know what the value is. Since you own the land, mineral and air rights, they won’t have any comparable’s and that will require them to go to their lender for an estimate. This should produce enough noise that both Eli and Yeager will become believers.”

  “Okay, son, but you should know that my property is valued at close to $350 million.”

  “I know and that is why this is a good plan. Eli would want to broker a deal to get a piece of the land and Yeager will be fuming once he finds out I have the capital to make such a lucrative purchase with cash. When I call the bank, I will have them put together $335 million.”

  “Only 335 million?” Charlie said, as if he were being ripped off. “Why so cheap?”

  “Like you said, I am a master negotiator and the last thing I want to be seen to do is pay
full price.”

  Both men chuckled.

  “If this is going to work, Blake, I need to put my piece of it in order. This is going to take some time. Deals like this don’t happen overnight. Not even for big shots like you. Once I’m done, I’ll call you and let you know how it went. Then we can get back to the business at hand. On another note, Chicago should be our first destination. If I know Agent Alexander as well as I think I do, Chicago will have a lot of answers for us.”

  “Okay,” Blake said. “In the meantime, I’ll contact my bank and get them moving. I will also call Eli and have him meet me in my office to go over the plan. Let’s say we touch base with each other later this evening. If everything goes as well as we think it will, we should be in Chicago by tomorrow evening.”

  Heading home, Charlie couldn’t help but think about his conversation with Blake and what the two of them were about to get into. It was becoming evident that his involvement in Blake’s life was more than a promise he had made to the woman he loved. The whole thing felt orchestrated, especially after their last conversation regarding the bungalow. Charlie was the owner, all right, at least as far as the recorder of deeds thought. But little did Blake know that the house had been a gift to Charlie from his mother. There was so much Charlie wanted to tell Blake, but he had to wait for the right time and for Charlie, the right time would be when Blake was no longer in harm’s way. Then, and only then, would he tell Blake everything, including the fact that Blake had been conceived in the little bungalow and was the rightful heir to the house and all its treasures.

  As planned, Blake headed to his office. The first thing on his agenda was to contact his broker and then get his Cessna 400 TT Corvalis serviced and ready. After Devon’s death, Blake had had no reason to fly, but now he did.

  “Hi, Naira,” he said. “How’s my favorite broker doing?”

  “Fine — now that I was here to receive this call. What can I do for you, Mr. Jones?”

  “Well, I want to buy some property and I want to pay all cash.”

  “Okay,” she said, not surprised by the request. “So what property do you have in mind? Will it be in the District or somewhere else?”