by Dynah Zale
Jonah stared at her strangely. “Let’s do it. We’ll get married, and then you can legally adopt Hope and we can be a family.” Jonah was hesitant to go along with Caitlyn’s suggestion, but he spoke without thinking.
“Okay, let’s do it.”
“Great. When I get back to the hotel, I’ll call my lawyer and have him call the judge. The sooner Hope is in our custody, the sooner we can go back to Seattle.”
Chapter 30
Frustrated, Colin sat with his head in his hands. He spent the past few hours combing through every religious book in his home library. There had to be one book that would tell him how to dispel the strong feelings of hate he experienced every time he ran into Baxter at the college. He rubbed his tired, red eyes and looked down at the concordance flipped open on his desk. His computer screen listed several scriptures that talked about hate.
“Matthew 5:44—Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
He stared at the scripture and repeated it in his mind. “God, I’ve never had to pray for anyone who hated me because of the color of my skin.”
The question, Why? burned inside Colin’s soul. Why did hate seep into his body and spread like the plague? It ran through his veins like a fresh, rolling stream. It was so strong that it frightened him.
Then Satan kept putting thoughts of revenge in his head. Images of Baxter being tied to a tree while Colin flogged him repeatedly with a bamboo whip flashed in his mind. He smiled when he envisioned Baxter crying out to the Most High God as he ripped open his flesh.
This evil was consuming him.
Colin picked up the phone to see how his friend was doing.
“The cancer came out of remission.” Olivia looked over her shoulder to check on her husband resting comfortably on the sofa. “We just came from the hospital, and of course they wanted to keep Dean overnight, but he refused.”
“Did the doctors say what happened?” Colin couldn’t take any more bad news. “I thought they had it under control with the radiation and chemotherapy.”
“His body is not responding to the treatments. He waited too long. The joints of his arms and legs are swollen and in pain. He can barely walk. What scares me the most is his difficulty in breathing. Colin, he’s getting sicker.” Olivia tried to hold back the tears. She didn’t want to cry in front of Dean.
“Who’s that you’re talking to on the phone?” Dean heard his wife whispering. He hoped she wasn’t talking about him to one of her friends.
“It’s Colin.” She brought the phone closer to him. “Do you want to speak with him?”
He took the phone from her. “Hey, man, what’s up?” Dean sounded tired.
“Man, I didn’t mean to call and interrupt your rest,” Colin apologized.
“No. It’s fine. This is just a minor setback. What’s on your mind?”
Colin called to find out when was the last time Dean spoke with Judge West, but under the current circumstances, Colin decided not to worry his friend with something he could handle on his own.
“Man, I called to wish you a speedy recovery. I’m going to try and make it over there one day this week so you can cheat me in a game of chess.”
Dean laughed. “I look forward to it.”
Judge West knelt down beside his bunk with his hands cupped before him. He had repeated the same ritual for the past twenty years. Being locked away in a jail cell hadn’t changed anything. He would still give thanks to the Lord, because whatever this trial and whatever the reason, he knew there was a purpose.
Two FBI agents walked toward his cell, both wearing dark blue suits with plain matching ties. Their wing-tipped shoes tapped hard against the concrete floor as they moved closer to West’s cell.
One gentleman cleared his throat to acknowledge their arrival.
West didn’t budge as he continued to pray.
The man cleared his throat again, except a little louder. Still no response from West.
He opened his mouth to bark at West, but the other agent stopped him and shook his head no. He was respectful of God and understood that every man deserves time to commune with God.
They waited until West lifted up from off his knees.
He turned to face his guests. “What can I do for you gentlemen?”
“We heard what you told your grandson and that preacher during that last time they came to visit. You were never given permission to release that much information. What you told them was confidential.”
“I’m tired of being a puppet for the federal government. I’ve done everything you’ve asked, and you couldn’t even keep my family safe. I’m tired of it all. I’m going to reactivate my membership with the brotherhood.” Judge West picked up his Bible and shook it at the two agents. “If Christ willingly gave His life for me, I can’t see how I wouldn’t give up mine for my flesh and blood.” He pointed his finger at them. “I hope you’re not here to change my mind because, if so, you’re wasting your time.” The judge gave them a stern stare as if to dare them to say anything.
The tallest agent walked up to the cell and stuck his hand out to give West a handshake.
“Welcome back to the brotherhood.”
The judge gazed at his outstretched hand a moment. He looked into the agent’s eyes. He should have known the brotherhood would send someone to make certain he was telling the truth.
“What’s the matter, aren’t you going to shake my hand?” A sly grin formed on the agent’s face. “That’s all right. I was told to expect your unfriendly demeanor.” He pulled his hand back. “Now that we know you’re on board, when I get back to the office I’ll make a few calls, and you’ll be out of here in no time.”
The agents looked at one another and in soldier-like synchronization marched away.
“Wait a minute,” West screamed. “I have some questions for you.”
The agents ignored his cries and kept on stepping until they were outside the jail and back in their car.
Chapter 31
Val cultivated the soil then dug a five-inch hole. This was her first attempt at trying to make her front yard look professionally landscaped like her neighbors’ yards. Her house was the only one on the block that looked like a barren desert. Every garden tool she bought from Home Depot lay scattered around her.
She grabbed another flower bulb from the three dozen she had bought earlier that day and set it down in the small hole. She covered it with soil. She wiped the sweat from the bridge of her nose. It was high noon, and the summer heat was quickly approaching.
“I’ve only planted one and I’m already tired, hungry and thirsty.” She laughed at her efforts at manual labor. She knew she should have gone with her original plans to call a gardener.
The reason she’d decided to do it herself was to get Jonah off her mind. She missed him. He had only been gone for a few days, and the house seemed so quiet without him. She often daydreamed that he would come back, but her mind kept telling her he was gone for good.
Mr. Lawson called the house early that morning to let her know the court clerk called his office. They were scheduled to meet in the Judge Cohen’s courtroom Friday afternoon. She told Mr. Lawson he could contact Jonah at work. As for herself, she didn’t think she would be attending the hearing. She no longer had anything to do with the case.
“Excuse me.”
Startled, Val looked up at the owner of green eyes and sandy blonde hair.
“I was told Jonah Reynolds lives here.” Even in his casual blue Dockers, off-white polo shirt and loafers, he was still good-looking.
Val stood to her feet and brushed her hands off before offering her hand to him. “He’s not here right now. Is there something I can help you with?” Val wasn’t sure if this guy was from the courts or social services, but she guessed it had something to do with Hope.
“My name is Cole Haas, and I have a very important matter that I would like to discuss with him.”
Val’s attitude quickly changed from friendly to untrusting. For
some reason, she didn’t trust this guy.
“It’s concerning his daughter . . . Hope.”
Her leery looks made him continue talking.
“Are you his wife?”
“No, I’m just a close friend. I’m Valencia Benson.”
“I knew you looked familiar. I remember seeing you at a few of the Sonics parties held by my uncle. You were dating Julian Pennington.”
She slowly nodded her head and finally realized who he was.
“You’re part of the Haas family.” Her voice turned threatening. Then she felt frightened. She thought Caitlyn had sent him to harm her. “If you’re here to harass me, I’m calling the cops.”
She turned to run into the house, but before she got far, Cole grabbed her arm.
Val swiftly put to use her self-defense moves she learned in college. She gripped his wrist and twisted it so far that she flipped his entire body over her. He hit the ground hard.
“Please, don’t hurt me,” he yelled. “I’m not here to cause you any trouble.”
“Then what do you want?” Val had her sneaker lodged in the crease of Cole’s neck.
“I want to help Jonah get his daughter back.”
“Why would you do something like that?” Val was convinced he was lying.
“Please.” Cole could barely talk. “If you let me up, I’ll explain everything.”
It took a few seconds before Val decided to give the man a chance to plead his case. She released her foot from his throat and allowed him to get up from the ground.
He tried to brush off the abuse he had just incurred. Then he sat on her front steps and chuckled to himself.
Val switched to her professional legal persona. “Mr. Haas, I’m sorry, but I fail to see any amusement in anything that’s happening right now.”
“I’m sorry for laughing”—He rubbed his neck—“but I forgot that my sister and you share a turbulent past. You’ve experienced firsthand how manipulative and conniving Caitlyn can be.” Then he turned serious. “Val, I’m here to save you from any further trouble from my sister.”
“You’re a few days late. Hurricane Caitlyn has already blown through here and left behind massive destruction.”
Cole dropped his head in front of him, disappointed. “It’s not too late. We can still stop her,” he said.
“I’m telling you it’s too late.” Val looked out. “She’s beaten me this time.”
“You may not feel that way after I tell you what I know.”
Val turned toward him with a glimmer of hope in her eyes.
“The reason I’m here is because our grandfather passed away a few months ago. He was the founder of our family empire. Every Haas I know is an entrepreneur. We own a newspaper, a basketball team, hotels. Anything you can think of, someone in my family owns at least a piece of it.”
Val sighed loudly. “I already know how rich your family is. Can you get to the point?”
“Okay, I’m getting to that,” he fussed. “Anyway, like I said, every Haas I know is an entrepreneur, except for my lazy sister. Caitlyn has never worked a day in her life. My parents had her so spoiled that I believe she really thinks there’s a money tree in my family’s backyard.
“About a year ago my parents cut her off from all financial support. They told her it was time for her to grow up and get a job. Vowing to never speak to my parents or anyone in my family again, my lowly sister departed the Emerald City in search of her own fortune. Then we heard she started dating some baseball player out in California. That didn’t last long. So I suppose she was broke again. Then my grandfather passed away. She missed the funeral, but managed to make it back to Seattle for the reading of the will. My entire family was aware that Grandfather was going to leave his fortune to the oldest grandchild, which is me.”
Val signaled her hand to tell him to wrap his long story up.
“Okay, listen to this. There was a clause in the will that none of us knew about until after his death. It stated that if a great-grandchild was born before his death then the oldest great-grandchild would receive the inheritance.”
“Cole!” she screamed. “What does that have to do with Jonah and Hope?”
“Think about it. Hope is Caitlyn’s daughter. The first and oldest great-grandchild.” Cole had to practically spell it out for Val to understand. “That little girl is set to inherit billions of dollars. That’s why it’s so important for Caitlyn to get custody of Hope. If she does, then she will be in control of all that money.”
“It never crossed my mind that Caitlyn was doing all this for money, but it doesn’t surprise me. We have to tell Jonah,” Val said.
“Great. When will he arrive?”
When Cole asked that question, Val remembered that Jonah wouldn’t be coming home. That was when she explained how Caitlyn had gotten Jonah to move in with her.
“It’s time for us to ring the alarm.” Cole was eager to expose his sister. “If we go and tell him everything, everyone will win. Jonah can have Hope, and my sister will get nothing.”
“I don’t think your sister is just going to hand Hope over that easily. She has the courts on her side. It makes no difference if she has an ulterior motive for wanting Hope back. The courts only look at if she’s the child’s biological mother. It’s only a matter of time before she’s granted full custody,” Val replied.
Cole slammed his hand into his fist. “She can’t get away with this. There has got to be something we can do to stop her.”
“Why are you doing this?” Just because Cole was helping her didn’t mean she had to trust him. “Are you doing this for Hope’s sake? Because she deserves to be in a good home with a family who loves her. Or is it because, if Caitlyn returns to Seattle with Hope, then you lose your inheritance?”
He turned his eyes away in guilt.
“You’re going to have a hell of a time getting into heaven. Your love of money is greater than your love of God.”
“God has nothing to do with my money,” he brazenly replied. “Listen, I will gladly set aside a trust that will take care of the baby for the rest of her life, but I need that money. I’ve been planning for this my entire life.”
Val was disgusted with him.
He pulled a business card out from his pocket along with a pen. He scribbled his hotel number on the back.
“Listen, I have a plan that I think would get us each what we want. Me, the money. You, Jonah and the kid.” He placed the card in her hand and walked away.
“Good morning,” Cole mumbled into the phone. One eye opened wide enough to peek at the alarm clock on his nightstand.
“Good afternoon,” Val replied. “By the sound of your voice it sounds like you had a very good night.”
“Better than you think.” He turned over and jumped when he saw a bush of red hair lying on his pillow. Thinking it was a wig, he grabbed the hair to throw it across the room.
“Ouch!” A woman screamed and shoved him away from her. Then she pulled the covers back over her head.
“Sorry about that.” Cole flung his legs over the side of the bed and rubbed his head.
“I hope that’s a woman lying next to you and not a man.” Val giggled.
Cole looked behind him and lifted the covers to make sure it was a woman. “Yes. It’s definitely a woman.” He strained his eyes to get a good look at his houseguest’s naked body. She had to be the stripper he gave most of his money to last night at the gentlemen’s club. He couldn’t remember much, but he was sure he had one drink too many. “Val, I’m surprised you put my number to use.”
All night long Val weighed the pros and cons of getting involved with Caitlyn’s brother. A bad omen hovered over her back, telling her it wasn’t good to get into bed with any member of the Haas family. She wanted to trust her conscience, but Cole’s offer to remove Caitlyn from their lives forever kept drawing her back in.
By the time sunlight cut through the darkness, Val was still undecided.
She convinced herself that it wo
uldn’t hurt to call Cole and hear what he had to say. She twisted the telephone cord around her finger, something she only did when she was nervous.
“Meet me in the lobby of your hotel in twenty minutes.”
“For what? What’s wrong with us talking on the phone?” he protested, but she had already hung up the phone. He was talking to a dial tone.
Twenty minutes later Val impatiently waited in the lounge area. She lifted a bottle of mineral water to quench her thirst and impatiently drummed her perfectly manicured fingernails against her chair. “What’s taking him so long?”
She watched another busload of tourists crowd around the check-in counter, before Cole finally joined her. He showed up wearing gray sweatpants, slippers and a hotel robe.
“Sorry it took me so long. I had some unfinished business to take care of.”
The elevator doors opened, and out stepped Cole’s overnight guest. She frantically waved her hands good-bye and flashed the money he paid for her services.
“I don’t understand why we couldn’t talk over the phone,” he dryly replied.
“I didn’t want you to say anything incriminating over the phone.”
“Oh! So you think I’m planning on breaking the law?” He pulled out a pack of Marlboro cigarettes from his pocket. “Do you mind if I smoke?” He tapped the pack a few times to pull a cigarette out.
“As a matter of fact, I do.” Val immediately snatched it out of his hands. “I don’t know how they do it in Seattle, but you can’t smoke in public places here.”
“Darling, I didn’t come all the way to go to jail. If I did that, I’d never get my money. I’m smarter than that.”
Cole raised his hand to get the attention of one of the waitresses from the hotel’s bar. He ordered a gin and tonic.
It didn’t take her long to return with his drink. She gently set it on the table, and he tossed her a twenty-dollar bill, which accidentally fell to the floor. Instead of him picking it up for her, he arrogantly turned his back to her and faced Val.
