Black Obsession

by C. J. Thomas

“I have a date with Madam.” My brows raised. “In case you’re curious to know where to find me .”

  She didn’t say anything, only nodded. Then, as I turned my back and started to walk away, Alex said, “Kendra ?”

  Turing around, I found her staring. The throbbing pain in my nipples was back and I couldn’t help but think that was what Alex had noticed somehow through my shirt .

  “Congratulations.”

  A blank look filled my face. “For what ?”

  “Getting your face printed on the cover of Hollywood Reporter .”

  27

  Kelly

  “T hanks for agreeing to see me, Judge .”

  “My pleasure, Kelly.” He smiled, giving my hand a firm shake. “It’s your outstanding reputation that got you through the door. Not me .”

  Nodding, we both took a seat. The chair was a firm leather, beautifully wrapped in gleaming polished wood. It matched his large desk and paneled walls. The whooshing sound of air conditioning came from the back corner and I could appreciate the respect that came from being inside his chambers .

  “Giselle, my assistant,” I started, breaking the ice as I lowered myself into the seat, “told me you two crossed paths .”

  His eyes crinkled with the patience and compassion Judge Smith was known for. He was a man who was honorable and known to be a good listener, but was also firm in making his decisions, never taking any action he decided on lightly .

  “We did.” He threaded his fingers together and rested his hands on his large potbelly. “Intelligent woman she is.” His grin widened under his thick beard. “Attractive, too .”

  “You’re right about all of those things,” I said as my eyes drifted to the cross of Jesus hanging on the wall behind him .

  “I assume you’re here to discuss the plea deal for Mario Jimenez ?”

  Bringing my eyes back to him, I nodded .

  His gaze fell to his desk and I followed it, soon realizing that he had Mario’s case file already on his desk, waiting to be signed. There was little doubt in my mind that it was coincidence. He wanted me to see it, wanted to make me feel on edge, reminding me that he held the power when determining the fate of my client—not me .

  I lifted my gaze back to him. “Thank you for holding off on signing it .”

  His face hardened. “Tell me why I shouldn’t sign it right now .”

  Rubbing my face, I gathered my thoughts. “Besides that I know he’s innocent ?”

  “Facts, Counselor .”

  Flicking my wrist to check the time, I asked, “How much time do you have ?”

  “Not long, but I’m willing to listen to what you have to say.” He paused to pull his brows together. “As long as it’s good .”

  Over the next several minutes I explained how Mario had come to be my client. What I discovered about his case, the holes I uncovered, and how just before he was going to speak out and reveal incriminating evidence about Blake Stone’s cocaine smuggling operation, he pleaded down. “Judge, the evidence against my client is circumstantial at best .”

  Judge Smith stared down at his twiddling thumbs, mulling over everything I shared .

  “The DA needs to put a face to the Maria Greer murder—” the Judge lifted his gaze and looked at me from under his deep brow, “—before conspiracies about what happened spread through the city making it impossible to put together an unbiased jury .”

  He held up his hand, getting me to snap my mouth shut. “Counselor, I should warn you to be careful when accusing the district attorney of pressuring Mario into taking a plea .”

  My grip tightened on the armrest, needing to direct my frustration somewhere other than the man I was speaking with. “Judge, that’s exactly what’s happening here .”

  Shaking his head, he said, “If you continue down this path, it could lead to obstruction of justice .”

  “That’s not my intention .”

  “Nor did I say it was.” He leaned forward, bringing his elbows up onto his desk. “Look, Kelly, off the record — ”

  My blood pumped through my veins as I fought to remain calm. Nodding, I urged him to continue, needing him to see what I saw .

  “—I know you and Oscar have your differences. But I get the feeling that this is more than your usual school yard fight .”

  My toes danced and my head was up. “I wouldn’t be here discussing it with you if I didn’t think something was off about this case .”

  “Tell me, Counselor, who do you believe pressured Mario into pleading down if it wasn’t the DA ?”

  Leaning forward, I rubbed my hands together. “I believe this is coming from Blake Stone himself .”

  Judge Smith eyed me carefully before leaning back in his chair and exhaling a heavy sigh. “I know about your request to represent Stone .”

  My head slowly tipped back. I shouldn’t have been surprised to learn that the judge knew about who my clients were, or about the ones I was seeking to represent. But, still, his admission rendered me speechless .

  “Are you seeking him as a client?” His brow arched .

  “That’s true. I am,” I said definitively. “But, as of now, he is not my client. It’s Mario Jimenez I came here to discuss .”

  “Fair enough.” He turned his palms to the ceiling, nodding once. “And what is it you believe Mario has to say about Stone ?”

  “Mario pleaded down before ever revealing anything. But I know he has something that would be beneficial in taking—” I stopped short of revealing my desire to help take down Stone. I was getting ahead of myself and I couldn’t escape the irony it presented .

  The Judge angled his head to the side and gave me a questioning look. It was like he knew my secret plan, and I couldn’t decide if he liked it or not. “So, what you’re saying is that you believe Mario has information that can bring down Stone ?”

  Wetting my lips, I nodded. “I do .”

  “You know how this looks, Kelly?” He stroked his beard. “It looks like you were the one to convince Mario to plea .”

  The air was knocked out of me as I glared at him out of the corner of my eye .

  “And I’m not saying that’s what you did. But look at it from my point of view.” His eyes narrowed. “If your end goal is to represent Stone, then getting Mario to plea down before he reveals anything that could be used to damage Stone’s case for innocence is just what any defense team would need to declare an early victory .”

  My heart hammered in my chest. “That’s not what this is, Judge .”

  “Then prove it to me, Counselor.” He stood and I pushed myself up, following his lead. “You’re a great lawyer. You have a good heart. And that’s why I believe that your intention to represent Stone is to ensure that our city receives the justice we all deserve .”

  My lips flattened and my jaw set. And as we held each other’s gaze, I couldn’t help but begin to decipher what it was he’d just said. It was like he was in on the plan to do anything to take down Stone. And though he would never say it—could never say it—I was certain that was what I’d heard and what he was asking me to do .

  “Which is also why I’m pushing Mario’s plea to the side—at least temporarily .”

  “Thank you, Judge .”

  “But, Counselor, between you and me, don’t wait long. Your time is running out and you’re going to have to give the DA another name we can attach to Maria’s murder .”

  With the sense of urgency falling over me, I nodded. “You know that I will .”

  “A name that will stick.” His voice grew louder as he spoke with more authority. “A face the public can believe is the monster who could commit such an act of terror.” He leaned forward and rooted his fingers into the top of his wooden desk. “And if you give the city that, I can assure you Mario will be set free .”

  When I blinked, the only face I could see behind my lids was Nash. “Judge, I think I know just the man .”

  28

  Kelly

  “W hat did you want
to show me ?”

  Sylvia turned her head and looked at me. Her eyes shifted across the room and she couldn’t sit still. “Kelly, I don’t like how you insisted we meet here .”

  The smell of ground java beans filled the air as spoons clicked against the sides of mugs. I could see her point, the reason her nerves were standing on end. We were surrounded by strangers, ears that could possibly overhear what it was we were here to discuss .

  “Well,” I scooted forward, bringing my tailbone to the edge of the chair, “it was near my last visit and time is against me today .”

  “You’re busy, I get it .”

  Nodding, I stared into my coffee froth and inhaled the sweet aroma I loved, thinking about my meeting with the judge .

  “Then you should also know the media is after you, Kelly .”

  I gave her a look that didn’t inspire confidence .

  “Trust me, I know.” Her brows lifted and fell .

  My heart paused as I assessed who may be lurking nearby. I didn’t need what I was doing now to become some tabloid fodder. I had enough on my plate already, and Parker was only half of the reason I had trouble sleeping at night .

  “There were very few of us even allowed inside Ty’s party last night,” Sylvia continued. “And those of us who were had signed a strict confidentiality agreement,” she rolled her eyes, “agreeing to only tell the stories Ty signed off on .”

  My brows pinched. “Why are you telling me this ?”

  “I’m your friend, Kelly.” She smirked. “You need to know what’s happening behind the scenes.” She paused, adding to the suspense I knew we both could feel in our bones. “Hungry rookie reporters have your name pegged as top priority .”

  “What do they want ?”

  “What everyone in this city wants.” She laughed. “To see this drama between you and Timothy escalate to a level we only see on prime-time television .”

  I sighed. Then I turned my head and assessed the area again. Looking to the counter, nothing was out of the ordinary. Extra lids, napkins, cinnamon shakers and everything else you would expect to see at a coffee shop. And when I rolled my eyes to the windows, there was no sign of any reporters. The coast was clear. At least for now .

  “And this doesn’t help.” Sylvia pulled the Hollywood Reporter out from under the table .

  My eyes grew as I found myself staring at a photograph of Kendra ducking under my arm against the onslaught of cameras pointed in our faces when leaving Ty Lemon’s gala. “And I should be surprised by this ?”

  “You’re only feeding the fire.” Her long dark lashes blinked over her eyes .

  “Parker will come to his senses.” My fingers drummed on top of the table as I looked around, a sour taste filling my mouth .

  Sylvia wrapped her fingers around her mug and stared into the frothy dark abyss. She hadn’t taken a sip of her drink since sitting down and I knew there was something on her mind—something she just couldn’t wait to share .

  “What is it?” I asked, counting the pearls around her neck .

  She twirled a curl of hair around her finger before saying, “Did you bring the photos I requested ?”

  A barista behind the counter tapped out used grounds from a filter. “I did .”

  Sylvia turned her head and looked over the shoulder of her grey blazer toward the man tapping away on his laptop computer .

  Taking a sip of my chocolatey espresso, I raised my brows, my patience beginning to wane .

  “Well, are you going to show me?” she asked as she brought her head back around .

  Anything to get this conversation moving quicker, I thought as I set my hot mug back on the table. What she wanted to see was the pictures of Maria. The images that haunted all of our dreams. The sights that inspired us to do everything it took to find the person who did those things to her .

  But Sylvia had said she had something to show me, and that was why I was here. So, before going any further, I needed to understand how what I had related to what she had. “First, tell me what this has to do with anything .”

  Her gaze dropped to her steaming cup of coffee before flickering up to me. “There is something I need you to know about me .”

  Bringing my elbows to the table, the crown of my head pulled to the ceiling as my curiosity grew. “Okay .”

  She looked around the room, nervously licking her lips. “Nash and I, well,” she tucked her hair behind her ear, “we have a history .”

  Leaning back, my face remained deadpan as I made sure to not let her know that I already knew that about her. “How long were you together?” I asked, seeing what else she would be willing to dish up .

  She pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes. “Just one time .”

  “So? People have one-night stands all the time.” I shrugged, taking another sip of my drink .

  She covered her face inside her hands, shaking her head. “This was different .”

  I didn’t know if she wanted me to feel sorry for her, offer my condolences, or what. The only thing on my mind was determining whether or not Nash would soon be taking Mario’s place in jail. “What made being with Nash different ?”

  She dropped her hands away from her face, eyeing me through narrowed slits. Then she started to cough through a nervous laugh. “It would have been more .”

  I gave her an arched look, unsure what had her cracking up .

  “Hell, Kelly, I wanted it to be more.” She pulled her hair back on her head before letting it go. It cascaded down her spine in waves and I wondered what kind of men she normally dated. “Let me tell you, with the reputation Nash Brooks has when it comes to women—” her cheeks flamed hot as she waved her hand through the air, laughing. “—well, I’m sure you’ve heard .”

  “Why do you think Nash wasn’t interested in continuing to see you?” I asked coolly .

  Her forehead wrinkled as she frowned .

  I watched her shoulders rise and fall before asking, “What happened after that night ?”

  She turned her head away, whispering under her breath, “This is so embarrassing .”

  There was a lightness in my chest as I followed her gaze across the room. Silence fell between us and I remained patient, knowing that I was close to uncovering the truth of what happened between them. It was important that Sylvia felt comfortable telling me her secret. Curling my lips around my mug, Sylvia rolled her eyes back to me .

  “Kelly,” her shoulders hunched, “please promise me that you won’t tell anyone what I’m about to show you .”

  Swallowing down the hot liquid, I promised not to tell a soul .

  I felt the pulse in my neck tick out of control as I watched Sylvia bend over and begin digging through her oversized purse. I couldn’t wait to see what she had—what she insisted I see—and how this related to Nash. How this related to anything. But I also knew Sylvia well enough to know that she wouldn’t show me just anything if it wasn’t important enough to know about .

  Gently setting a yellow envelope on the table she looked around nervously, acting as if she wanted to make certain no one was able to see the secret that hid inside .

  “Your secret is safe with me,” I whispered, sliding my arm across the table and dropping my fingers on the corner of the envelope .

  Both our gazes were fixed on the envelope as the room began to spin with the anticipation of what was hidden inside. When I tugged, she refused to let go. But the moment of truth was now, and my time to help was close to running out .

  “Sylvia, you know you can trust me.” I tugged again .

  She closed her eyes above a trembling chin. Nodding, she finally released her grip and let go of her dark secret .

  Keeping one eye on her, I pulled it across the table to me. Opening the top, I peeked inside. I didn’t have to pull them out to see the reason why she wanted to keep this hidden. It was ugly, painful, and something that no one should have to see, let alone experience. Rifling through the pictures, a stone formed in the pit of
my stomach. “Did Nash do this to you ?”

  When she closed her eyes she nodded, squeezing out her first tear .

  Reaching inside my suit jacket, I pulled out the photos of Maria. They were bundled and wrapped inside their own envelope and it wasn’t worth pulling them out. We both knew what they were, and without having to mention the obvious, we also both knew that Sylvia’s injuries were identical to Maria’s .

  “Now you can see why I quickly ended it with him.” Her voice cracked with subdued pain .

  Retreating inside my head, I could see what Nash had done to her. The bruises. The marks. The pain glistening in her eyes. It was all there and it damn near broke my heart. Anger coursed through my veins and I could feel it pulsing in my temple. I openly stared, thinking how unbelievable this all was. “Sylvia, I have to ask …”

  She fixed her moist eyes on me .

  “Did you ask him to do this ?”

  She did a double take, looking at me like she couldn’t believe I was even asking her if she wanted this to happen to her. And I couldn’t blame her. But with what I knew about people like Nash—men like me—it was what we did when asked. It was how we coped with our own struggles; how we came to terms with the world in which we lived .

  And it was a world few would ever understand .

  “Nash isn’t who people think he is.” She sniffed, wiping her nose. “He’s a monster behind closed doors.” She dabbed a napkin at her eyes and then fixed them on me. “Tell me that Nash didn’t kill her .”

  I held her unwavering gaze, wishing I had it in me to tell her that. Because with every minute that ticked away, Nash looked guiltier than before. But it was too early to say for sure and with the pressure the judge had put on me, I had to be certain I got it right .

  “It could have been me he killed.” Sylvia leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest .

  Staring at the envelopes with a wrinkled brow, I murmured, “I’m worried about his new girlfriend .”

  “Me, too.” Anger and animosity flashed in her eyes. “It’s starting to make sense, isn’t it ?”