Velvet Mafia

by Lydia L Watts

  Before leaving Chicago, Teddy had informed the management company that their services would no longer be needed and that they would receive their final payment via FedEx within the next couple of days. So she wasn’t surprised when she reached in the mailbox and found her keys, a thank-you letter and the final receipt.

  Dear Ms. Cardosa:

  On behalf of the De Larosa Management Firm, we would like to thank you for your many years as a client. We have enjoyed managing your property and should you require our services in the future, please do not hesitate to ask. You will find that the house is in impeccable condition and ready for you to move in. Also, your keys and your final receipt are enclosed. Sincerely,

  Marisa De Larosa, President and CEO

  Even though Teddy had expected to receive the keys and the final paper work from the management firm, it was the letter’s salutation that captured her heart. The note had been written to Isabella. How apropos.

  Once in the house, she and Lance had work to do. They first had to get some supplies, including new locks, two-way radios and other communication devices, a couple of laptops and printers, security cam-eras and food. Each room in the bungalow would be earmarked specifically for a function. One would be for research and development, one would act as the home’s security station and the basement would be used for the development of the antidote and its testing. In a couple of days, they would be in the position to run all their East Coast operations from 1111 Beaver Park Drive without any interruptions.

  Tucked away in the garage was a black, two-door, 1978 Pontiac GTO, a classic muscle car Isabella had purchased for Teddy on their fifth anniversary. With a little work and a wash, it would serve their purposes well. In three days, Teddy was scheduled to meet Basil in the center of town where the Sunday Classics would be going on and she had to be ready. Sundays in Beaver Park were considered the day of the classics. Anybody and everybody who had one would be out showing off their wheels. Red, green, black, white, yellow and pink: solid metal and pound-for-pound muscle. For the first time in a long time, Teddy wanted to show off her classic, too. Plus, if she and her team ever had to make a fast getaway, her GTO had the power and the muscle to shake just about anyone.

  As she wiped down her car, Teddy finally let out a sigh of relief. All the pieces and the players were coming together and once Basil arrived, they could put their plan in motion. Soon they would know what the Velvet Mafia was looking for and/or what they were trying to protect.

  Once settled in for the evening, Teddy and Lance picked up where they had left off at her penthouse. Lance still had questions regarding her relationship with Kennedy and Teddy felt obligated to answer them as best as she could.

  As Lance reeled off question after question, Teddy couldn’t help but think that they were destined to be on this journey together. It had been ordained.

  With all the excitement surrounding the death of Stan Lewis, Jeffries was hoping his resignation would be covered with little fanfare. But unfortunately, from where he stood on the steps of the John A. Wilson Building, the press was in full force. Like so many elected officials before him, Jeffries found himself in the middle of a scandal and the possibility of facing federal charges.

  “Good afternoon, everyone,” he said in a serious tone. “This won’t take long, so, please, bear with me.” He coughed to get the anticipation out of his voice.

  “I’ve decided that in light of the recent allegations lodged against me, it would be in the best interest of my constituents, as well as all District residents, that I resign my position to deal with the impending bribery charges I’m faced with. I want you all to know I have no doubt I will be vindicated. The charges brought against me will be dropped and all evidence will show I am innocent.

  “I deeply regret that after six terms in office, I have to stand here on the steps of the John A. Wilson Building, relinquishing my civic duties as a result of a federal indictment. But I want you to know that I welcome the opportunity to prove my innocence. I will officially resign from my seat as of the end of the month. Thank you!”

  Jeffries barely got his last words out before the first question from the press corps. “Councilman Jeffries!” Bart Connelly yelled. “Don’t you think it is somewhat premature to resign from your post before you have been officially charged and have gone to trial? Especially if there is no evidence linking you to the bribery accusations?”

  “That’s a very good question, Mr. Connelly,” Jeffries replied. “I have always believed that if an elected official finds himself or herself involved in some sort of legal wrangling, it is best for all involved that they step down. Now that I find myself in this position, I am taking my own advice. Plus, Bart, I wouldn’t want you ambushing me.” He smiled. “We all know that if I had decided to stay in my position while all this played out, you’d have been the first person asking me why I hadn’t taken my own advice and stepped down.”

  There was resounding laughter from the press corps. Everyone knew Jeffries was correct. If anybody would ambush him, it would be Connelly. He was good at taking shots and breaking stories and no one was off-limits, especially members of the city council.

  “Touché!” Connelly replied, accepting the fact that he was the butt of the joke. “But, if you would, one more question, Councilman. Are you innocent of the charges brought against you?”

  “See what I mean? Of course I’m innocent,” Jeffries replied, only to realize that he had just walked into a loaded question.

  “Well, if you are so innocent, why did you hire your own personal attorney, Jentzen Hubberman, to represent your chief of staff, Mr. Cruz? Isn’t it true, sir, you hired Mr. Hubberman just so you would be aware of the information Cruz was alleging? Also, why would the Feds offer Cruz immunity if he didn’t have damaging information against you?”

  Realizing he had opened the door for the assault, Jeffries could no longer hide his contempt. “You never cease to amaze me, Mr. Connelly,” Jeffries said, clearly perturbed. “Again, my best answer to your barrage of questions is the answer I have already given. I am innocent of all charges and at the conclusion of this witch-hunt, all charges will be dropped and I will be vindicated.”

  Just as Jeffries was leaving the microphone to avoid any other follow-up questions, the federal authorities moved in and arrested him on the spot. Within seconds, the area had turned into a sea of journalistic pandemonium. Every reporter on site was dialed in, hooked up or on the phone breaking the news that the Feds had arrested Jeffries on the steps of the John A. Wilson Building.

  In less than two hours, Jeffries was released on his own recognizance. And he was livid. Now the press was relentless. As he and his attorney headed to their awaiting car, questions were being hurled at him as microphones were being shoved in his direction.

  “Councilman Jeffries, how much time are you looking at?”

  “No comment,” his lawyer replied as they tried to make their way through the sea of reporters.

  “What do you have to say to your constituents?”

  “I’m innocent and I will be vindicated of all charges.”

  The two men had just reached the car when a reporter asked, “Councilman, please, one last question? How does it feel knowing that your chances of becoming the first gay mayor of the most powerful city in the country no longer exist?”

  With one foot almost in the car, Jeffries stopped and stepped out again to face the reporter. “This is not over. These charges are based on someone’s personal vendetta and I know who that person is. Before it’s all said and done, he will surely pay.”

  For Jeffries, the arrest was the last straw. He didn’t care about anything other than exacting revenge and he knew to whom to turn to help him with his plan.

  Hello, Taylor. I hope you haven’t forgotten about our deal because I haven’t. I want everything — and I mean everything — you find out about Yeager and his obsession with Edelstein and Jones. I hope I am making myself clear. Remember, young lady, I still have influence and if
you betray me, I’ll destroy you.

  Chapter 13

  ELI HAD SPENT the morning trying to figure out what the rift between Yeager and Blake was all about. Both men were doing things that under any other circumstance, would not have happened. Like the fact that Blake was willing to surrender the K Street property just to lure Yeager into his trap. Whether Eli wanted to admit it or not, Blake had him at a disadvantage, and if he was going to get to the bottom of whatever had caused the bad blood between the two men, it would be Yeager who would tell it all.

  However, before he could make his move on Yeager, he had something more important to tend to. He still had to find out what the Others wanted to do about his captive. Since both Yeager and Kennedy had now become liabilities, it didn’t matter to him who went first. For Eli, it wasn’t the hunt that thrilled him; it was the kill.

  As Eli sat watching the evening news, someone knocked on his door. Not expecting anyone, he reached for his revolver as he headed to the door.

  “Who is it?”

  “I’m sorry to bother you, but Brother, I need to speak to you. Permission to come in?”

  Cautiously, Eli opened the door. Since he didn’t know why the Brother was at his home, he held his gun steady as he surveyed his surroundings.

  “Why are you here, Brother?” Eli said. “You know we are forbidden to meet openly.”

  “I know, Brother. I wouldn’t be here if it were not important. There’s something I must tell you about Brother Yeager. Last night he called me for disposal services.”

  Eli motioned him in and closed the door. “Disposal services?” Eli said furiously. “I didn’t sanction a kill. So, who was it?”

  “It was his senior advisor, Taylor DuBois. He asked me to hide the body so it is never found.”

  “Well, did you do as he asked?”

  “I hid the body, but I didn’t want to put it somewhere where it couldn’t be found later without your permission. Once I saw who it was, I knew it was an unsanctioned hit. This is the second unsanctioned hit I’ve been involved in and I fear that since I am assigned to Brother Yeager, I am bound by the brotherhood to serve him. But he’s becoming unpredictable and I’m afraid he will continue to put the brotherhood at risk due to his obsession. That’s why I came to you. Since he’s assigned to you, I knew I had to tell you.”

  “I see,” Eli said. “You were right in coming here. Now tell me about his obsession.”

  “You don’t know?” the visitor said.

  “What are you talking about?” Eli replied, laying down his revolver.

  “Brother Yeager is hiding something from the rest of the brotherhood and whatever it is, your associate, Mr. Jones, is integrally involved. If my assumption is correct, whatever Brother Yeager is hiding also has to do with the disposal of Dr. Isabella Cardosa.”

  “Isabella Cardosa?” Eli said, surprised at the suggestion. “What does Blake Jones have to do with Isabella Cardosa? He doesn’t even know her.”

  “I don’t know, Brother Edelstein, but whatever it is, Brother Yeager is willing to do anything to silence Jones, even if it means exposing our organization.”

  “Thank you, Brother,” Eli said. “You did the right thing by telling me and your breach in protocol has been vindicated. But one more thing: where did you dispose of her body?”

  “I took her back to her house,” he said. “She is wrapped in a rug in her attic and I turned the air conditioning up to prevent early decomposition. Plus, with her mother dead, I knew there wouldn’t be any inquiries about her whereabouts from her family, allowing me time to talk to you.”

  “Very well, Brother,” said Eli. “I will take it from here.”

  Eli was left to put the pieces together. If the Brother’s assertions were correct, now Eli had a better understanding of what was at stake. If Blake knew about Isabella Cardosa, then he must have evidence that Yeager was connected to her murder and more importantly, the Velvet Mafia. Blake was looking for confirmation and the only secret Yeager could tell was his affiliation with the Velvet Mafia, the organization Eli controlled. And now he knew why the Others were concerned. There had been a breach and Yeager, his assignee, was the cause.

  Yeager awoke feeling refreshed. Killing Taylor had felt good. In his mind, she had got what she deserved. Now the only thing left for him to do was get a copy of Yancy Laurie’s last will and testament.

  By noon, the court documents had arrived. Yeager wasted no time studying them. He was amazed at the legal maneuvering that had gone into preparing the documents. The provisions were so tightly construed that they seemed to Yeager to be the first set of legal documents that actually resembled the mechanics of a well-constructed model. These documents were exemplary. In fact, after reading them, Yeager knew he was lucky to be named in the documents. If he had followed his original plan — to petition the court based on an old wills and trust law arguing that his relationship with Yancy Laurie was paternal in nature and as a result, he had a legal right to the fortune as a legitimate heir — he would have lost because of the way the documents were written. They specifically identified heirs with their names and their DNA, thereby barring any challenges.

  While Yeager pondered what Yancy had been thinking as he had worked with his attorneys to develop the language in the document, it suddenly became clear to him. Yancy had written the document the way he did to prevent Yeager from trying to claim any legal rights to the fortune as long as Blake were alive. It was as if Yeager was Yancy’s last resort. How could this be? Why would Yancy deny him in death? At that moment, Yeager again felt betrayed. He knew he had been a good son to Yancy and he just couldn’t fathom why Yancy would be so cruel. To Yeager, the last thing a father could do was show his love in death. But Yancy hadn’t done that. In fact, the documents explicitly told him that he had thought more of Yancy than Yancy had thought of him.

  And the worst part of this newfound revelation was that it was Yeager’s own fault. Yeager himself had warned Yancy of the old law. He had argued a case in law school and had won the argument, citing the old law. He had argued that if a person could show paternal affection and action over an extended period of time and that that affection and action included the use of outward introductory phrases and salutations suggesting to a reasonable person that a paternal relationship existed, then the person had the rights to and the benefits of that relationship. If his memory served him correctly, he hadn’t been able to wait to tell Yancy. He had wanted Yancy to be proud of him and in retrospect, Yeager thought it had been part of his need to impress the only father figure he had known.

  For hours, Yeager tried to suppress the hurt and disappointment he felt, but the more he tried, the angrier he got. His need to eliminate Blake was smoldering. Yeager wanted Blake dead and he needed Eli to do it, but Eli was again, evading him.

  Eli, this is Guy Yeager. I’ve been trying to reach you since yesterday. We need to talk. Call me when you get this message.

  After leaving the message for Eli, Yeager really had to switch gears and get control over Taylor’s disappearance. To do so meant he had to make it look as if he hadn’t seen her. He knew that if he didn’t raise suspicion, the only person who could connect him to Taylor would.

  “Hello, Adrienne,” Yeager said calmly.

  “Oh, hello, Councilman Yeager,” she said. “What can I do for you today?”

  “Well, you can start by telling me if you’ve found Taylor yet. Yesterday, I explicitly told you to contact her and let her know I wanted to talk to her. Did you do it?”

  Yeager had taken Adrienne out of her comfort zone. She wasn’t used to someone talking to her as he just had. She knew she had texted Taylor, given her the message, and received a response.

  “Yes, sir,” Adrienne said defensively. “I contacted her and gave her your message yesterday. I texted her and informed her that you wanted her to call you. She texted me back, asking whether you were in the office or at home. I assumed that since she had texted me back, she would call you directly and that
’s why I didn’t follow up with you. She is not in the office and I haven’t heard from her since we exchanged text messages yesterday.”

  “Well, call her again,” Yeager said. “And this time, let her know that if she doesn’t call me, she’s fired. I have no time for this insubordination shit. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, sir,” Adrienne said, still shocked. “I will call you the moment I reach her.”

  “You’d better, Adrienne,” he said, “or else it’s your job on the line, too.”

  Yeager knew he had used the right touch to get the ball rolling. Now he had Adrienne thinking he hadn’t seen Taylor. Once they had to go public with a missing person report, he would look like a concerned boss.

  At the same time, Yeager also knew he had to tread lightly on this one, especially since killing Taylor hadn’t been part of his plan. There was enough heat surrounding Taylor as it was with her being linked to the death of Stan Lewis, Yeager had to figure out a way to divert any attention surrounding Taylor’s disappearance away from him and at the same time, be prepared to link her disappearance to Stan if ne-cessary.

  After hanging up with Councilman Yeager, Adrienne frantically began to call Taylor. This was not like her.

  Hello, Taylor, this is Adrienne. Please call me as soon as you get this message. The councilman is furious that you didn’t call him yesterday. So please call me.

  Several hours passed and Adrienne still hadn’t heard from Taylor. Normally, Taylor would have responded within a ten-minute time span. This was her protocol and she required the same response time from her subordinates. Her motto was, “Even if you don’t have an answer, let the sender know you have received the message.” So, for Taylor not to have responded, something was seriously wrong. Adrienne knew a more drastic measure was needed, even if it meant losing her job.