by Emery, Lynn
“Spill it all,” she said.
“You would have been proud of me, Jazz. I cold cocked that heffa with this, and this.” MiMi swung a fist and then kicked out with her black Ferragamo leather flat. She let out a genuine laugh for the first time in weeks.
“Oo-wee, I didn’t teach you that.” Jazz took a drink of beer.
“Nah, my friend Luz and some other girls showed me how to take care of myself. Of course, I had more practice than they thought. Those girls in the sororities could get rowdy, too.” MiMi pointed at Jazz and giggled.
“I thought y’all was all sister love and stuff.” Jazz sat forward eager to hear more.
“MiMi is exaggerating. We don’t brawl like street women,” Willa broke in with a scowl. She took a dainty sip of her wine.
“Sorority girls have issues with each other. We just don’t air our dirty laundry,” MiMi said.
“My old crew was sorta like that. We settled out disputes in private. That’s why we got all this killin’. These street gangstas need to evolve like those old school mafia guys did back in the day.” Jazz nodded and tossed peanuts in her mouth.
“Really? Comparing sororities to gang members?” Willa glared at both of them.
“The gangs do charity work, educate their members, and have their own colors. Just like the cute little Greek girls.” Jazz winked at MiMi, who giggled even harder.
Willa smacked her lips. “I’m not going to let y’all push my buttons.”
“Aw c’mon, give us some of that bourgie outrage,” Jazz said to needle her.
“Yeah, Willa. We like it when you…” MiMi spotted a figure walking into the lounge. She stood slowly, eyes narrowed as her gaze fixed on Roderick like lasers from an automatic weapon. He took off his sunglasses as he looked back at her.
“Uh-oh,” Jazz whispered. She put down her frosted mug and stood.
Willa sprang from her seat. “Look, we’re trying to get out of this country.”
“I’m not going to cause a scene,” MiMi said softly. She continued to stare at Roderick for a few moments. Seconds later she sat on the sofa again, picked up her drink, and sipped.
Willa and Jazz heaved matching sighs of relief as they joined her. Roderick’s lawyer strolled in. Both men went to the bar to order drinks. MiMi stared through a large window that gave them a view of one runway.
“I think you’re showing a lot of maturity, MiMi. I have to congratulate… No, no. Please don’t come over here,” Willa whispered.
Roderick walked over to them holding his drink. His lawyer, Don Estrada, watched from the bar. MiMi gazed at him with a blank expression. She didn’t have to wonder what she’d ever seen in him. Six feet one inches in his socks, Roderick had smooth clear skin the color of almonds. His full lips looked always moist and utterly kissable. He wore a designer white camp shirt with sky blue stripes, two hundred dollar blue jeans and tan leather slip on shoes. Everything about him said he had money. As he got closer, Roderick smiled. Female heads turned. A few glanced at MiMi then back at Roderick. MiMi read their thoughts. They were coming up with ways to pull his attention to them. Roderick had that effect on women. He’d certainly had that effect on MiMi.
“Afternoon ladies,” Roderick said with a nod to Willa and Jazz.
“Hello,” Willa murmured. She shot a worried sideways glance at MiMi.
“Whatever.” Jazz sat back and crossed her legs.
Roderick merely smiled at her dismissal even as he gave Jazz’s shapely legs an appreciative scan. Then he focused on MiMi again. “MiMi, can we talk?”
“Now’s not a good time,” Willa broke in quickly.
“I don’t want us to go back to the states enemies.” Roderick sat in a chair close to MiMi, which caused the other two women to gasp in unison.
“Man, you livin’ dangerously,” Jazz quipped.
“I’m fine. Give us a moment.” MiMi continued to gaze at him.
“You sure?” Jazz squinted at Roderick.
“Our conversation will be short,” MiMi replied and drained her glass.
A waitress came over with another glass on a tray. She smiled at Roderick briefly before looking at MiMi. “Another glass of Pinot Noir, ma’am.”
“I knew what you’d be drinking,” Roderick said.
“He’s got style, gotta give him that.” Jazz seemed to give him a second look of appraisal.
“Come on,” Willa retorted as she pulled her sister by the arm.
Roderick gave a short laugh. “Your friends are very protective. I’m glad you had support through this awful situation.”
“A situation totally your fault. I bet you didn’t admit responsibility to your parents or mine. You definitely didn’t volunteer that little detail to the police or the judge.” MiMi kept her voice low and calm.
“I explained to the judge that you weren’t with me when I arrange to meet… my friend,” Roderick replied. He paused when the waitress brought his bottle of expensive dark beer. “Thank you.”
“You’re very welcome.” The waitress beamed with pleasure at his attention and left.
MiMi let out a snort at the little tableau of seduction. “You mean when you met your local drug man. Did you already know him or did you get the hook up once we arrived?”
Roderick looked around to make sure no one was close by. Even though they were alone, he still got up and sat next to MiMi on the sofa. “A couple of buddies introduced us. Unfortunately, he was being watched by the police.”
“Because of you I may not have a job when I get home. I have a baby to take care of…” MiMi breathed in and out to keep from crying.
“I have a lot of connections. You’ll get a job, maybe even work for me.” Roderick put a hand on MiMi’s knee.
She shoved it away with a sharp motion. “I’ll work at the dollar store first. One thing I don’t need is more of your company.”
“I made a stupid decision. Guess my parents have been telling me it’s time to settle down with a good woman, raise a family.” Roderick stretched an arm across the back of the sofa behind MiMi.
“Yeah, well good luck and God bless on your search for Ms. Right,” MiMi muttered. She gulped some of the rich red wine.
Roderick turned slightly toward MiMi, but didn’t move closer. “I don’t have to search.”
MiMi gagged. “You’ve got to be freaking kidding me. That greasy charm won’t work, not after this hellish ‘romantic trip’.”
“Honey, come on. One mistake.”
“Don’t you even think about us as a couple. Ever.” MiMi stood over him, hands on both hips.
Willa and Jazz made it across the room in record time. Estrada’s long legged stride helped him reach Roderick and MiMi first. MiMi went into a profanity laced explanation of what she thought of Roderick. His eyes went wide with shock. Though MiMi spoke in a low tone, it didn’t lessen the intensity of her verbal assault.
Willa stepped in front of MiMi. “Okay, chat time over. Let’s just go our separate ways.”
“I think it’s best to let the lady finish her drink and calm down, Roderick,” his lawyer added.
“I didn’t know you had such fire,” Roderick said in a husky voice. His gaze swept over MiMi as he licked his bottom lip.
“Damn, he’s a freak,” Jazz whispered over Willa’s shoulder.
Willa got up in Roderick’s face. “Go away.”
“MiMi, no matter how it looks, I have deep feelings for you,” Roderick spoke over Willa’s head.
Willa pointed her forefinger at his nose until her French manicured nail almost touched it. “If you don’t get your—”
“Cop at three o’clock,” Jazz cut in sharply.
All of them froze and looked toward the entrance to the lounge. A tall man the color of brown sugar entered dressed smartly in a suit. Roderick’s lawyer wore a frown as though trying to figure out the man’s identity. Willa glanced at MiMi, who shrugged back at her. The man went to the bar.
“We don’t know he’s a cop. He could be a
business traveler,” MiMi offered.
Jazz turned her back to the man, who now spoke quietly to the lounge employee. “I have cop radar, and he’s one. He’s plains clothes, a detective so something serious has gone down.”
The man nodded to the employee. He walked over to them, a hand in the inside of his jacket. He led with his police identification. They were cornered, at least that’s how MiMi felt.
“Hello, I’m Detective Juan Aguilar. I would like to talk to Mr. Jefferson and Miss Landry.”
“I’m Mr. Jefferson’s attorney.”
“Senor Estrada, your legal work representing defendants is well known to us,” Det. Aguilar cut him off.
“Then you know I won’t allow him to answers questions until we have more information,” Estrada said smoothly.
“If he has nothing to hide then Mr. Jefferson should be eager to cooperate,” Det. Aguilar replied mildly. “Miss Landry, I’ll speak with you first.”
“No, you’ll tell us why you’re here first,” Willa said.
Det. Aguilar gazed at Willa for a few seconds. Then he turned to Roderick. “You are friends with Benito Herrera, yes?”
“Never heard of him,” Roderick said promptly before Estrada could speak.
“You knew him as Benny, one of the three aliases he used. He’s the drug dealer who sold you marijuana.” The detective lifted a dark eyebrow at him and glanced at MiMi.
“Ah.” Roderick shrugged. “Calling him a friend is a stretch. But yes, we met only once.”
“My client has gone to court and the case is over, Detective Aguilar. I fail to see why you’re here,” Estrada put in before Roderick could keep talking. He shot Roderick a look of warning.
Aguilar noticed with a short grunt. He turned his attention to MiMi. “How many times did you meet Mr. Herrera, or Benny, Ms. Landry?”
“I’m not answering anymore questions because my lawyer isn’t here.” MiMi showed him a look of confidence she definitely didn’t feel. Her heart thudded so hard she heard blood rushing through her arteries.
“If this man has gotten into more trouble, Mr. Jefferson doesn’t know anything about it. My client is a respected businessman in his country,” Estrada said firmly.
“Yes, a respected business man who likes to smoke marijuana when he travels to foreign countries,” Det. Aguilar said dryly.
Estrada drew up to his full five feet eight inches, looking every bit the outraged attorney. “Unless you have a reason to delay his departure, Mr. Jefferson will be leaving in about two hours.”
“Not unless he answers more questions. Same for you Miss Landry.” Det. Aguilar seemed unimpressed by Estrada’s performance.
“Then stop playing games. We established in court that my client doesn’t have information about the drug trade in Santo Domingo, much less the country,” Estrada snapped, keeping his voice low.
“This isn’t about petty drug dealing by a tourist. Herrera is dead, murdered. His body was found on a country road near Cotui.”
Det. Aguilar scanned their faces for reactions. He got plenty. They all started talking at once. MiMi stammered out incoherent sentences. Jazz cursed a few times. Willa grabbed MiMi and Jazz by the arms as though she needed support. Roderick stepped back as if he was about to run. Estrada glanced around at the attention from other travelers in the lounge.
“Please, everyone, calm yourselves. Let’s go to that table in the corner for more privacy,” Estrada said, raising his voice to be heard.
“An excellent idea,” the detective said calmly.
Aguilar strode over to the large round table without looking to see if they followed, which of course they did. Once they were all seated, he took out a note pad. He studied it for a few seconds while they all squirmed.
“Benito Herrera, or Benny, disappeared five days ago according to his girlfriend.” Det. Aguilar looked at Roderick. “About the time you were released from jail, Mr. Jefferson.”
For the first time Roderick lost his cocky posture. “Now hold up a minute.”
Estrada frowned at Det. Aguilar. “You say this girlfriend reported him missing. Did she give an exact date?”
“She hadn’t heard from him in a while, so she asked some of his friends,” Det. Aguilar replied.
“In other words you don’t know when he disappeared. He’s a petty street criminal, known for being transient. And by the way, his chosen profession means he led a dangerous life. You should be tracking down his drug supplier and other associates.” Estrada gave him a pointed stare.
“Mr. Jefferson and Ms. Landry are associates, and we check all leads,” Det. Aguilar replied promptly and pressed his lips together.
MiMi could tell the detective felt his advantage had evaporated. Maybe he didn’t count on Roderick’s lawyer being with him at the airport. Thank heavens for Roderick’s fiercely protective mother. No doubt his parents had paid Estrada handsomely to babysit their troublesome son until he was safely out of the country.
“I appreciate you have to do a difficult job, Detective Aguilar. But my connection to Mr. Herrera is non-existent. Believe me, once I was arrested, the last person I wanted to see was him.”
“I thought you never met him, Miss Landry.” Det. Aguilar leaned both elbows on the table. He gazed at her with a “Gotcha!” expression.
“I saw him at a court hearing or maybe a police photo spread,” MiMi replied, not missing a beat. She didn’t look away from the detective’s scrutiny.
Estrada looked at Aguilar. “Is that all, detective?”
Aguilar continued to eye Roderick for a few seconds before he slid the note pad back into his jacket pocket. “I believe so. We have your contact information in America should we have more questions.”
“Of course. I hope you catch the killer, detective. I really do. His family needs closure.” Roderick stood and glanced at his cell phone as he talked.
The detective wore a frown of contempt for a brief moment. Then his impassive mask dropped into place. He stood. “Thanks for your cooperation. Have a safe flight.” He gave Estrada a curt nod and then strode out.
“We handled him alright,” Roderick said and grinned at the others.
MiMi sprung from her chair toward him. “One more word and I swear, Aguilar will be investigating another homicide.”
Roderick raised both hands, palms out. He took a step back from MiMi. “You’re under a huge strain, baby. I understand. I’ll give you some space for a minute.”
“Give me space? Give me space?” MiMi sputtered more sounds in speechless rage.
“We leave now,” Estrada said quietly.
The lawyer pulled Roderick by the arm and they left. Fortunately, only three other people were in the lounge watching, and all of them were strangers. MiMi took in gulps of air to calm down as Willa continued to counsel her about self-control. Jazz left and came back with more drinks on a tray.
“We need these.” Jazz drank half the beer in her mug and sighed.
“Damn, MiMi. Couldn’t you just get the usual vacation trouble like everybody else? You know, lost luggage, insect bites, diarrhea.” Willa drank a mouthful of white wine.
“I’m going to make Roddy pay,” MiMi said through tight lips.
“Stay away from Mister Bad News That Gets Worse.” Willa put down the wine glass and shook MiMi by the arm. “Hey, you better listen to me.”
“I hafta agree with Willa, girl. Take a cooling off period before you hook up with him again.” Jazz nodded. She hissed when Willa scowled at her.
“Cooling off period? Dump that chump,” Willa shot back.
“I guess you missed the part about him being rich.” Jazz waved a hand at her sister and looked at MiMi. “I say, don’t write him off completely.”
“Unbelievable,” Willa muttered into her wine glass.
An hour later, they went through boarding and got on the plane. MiMi sat in the window seat. Jazz squirmed to get comfortable in the aisle seat. She made eye contact with a handsome man on the next row. Soon they w
ere flirting in Spanish. Willa sighed deeply, but didn’t say anything to her sister. Then she looked at MiMi.
“It’s finally over, okay? I know you’re disappointed Roderick turned out to be an asshole and all, but at least you found out. You can move on to somebody better.” Willa gave her hand a pat.
MiMi smiled at her with a sigh. “You’re absolutely right.”
MiMi gazed at the clouds through the glass. She looked forward to the hours she’d spend with Sage. The happy mental images faded when she thought about work and her boss. Providing for Sage was her top priority. If only she found that missing cash, Sage’s future would be secured. So MiMi decided on her to-do list. She would keep her job and find the money Jack had so carefully hidden away. Then she added another item; figuring out a way to deliver some much deserved payback to Roderick Conwell Jefferson.
Chapter 4
Willa and Jazz napped on the flight from the Dominican Republic to their stop at the Atlanta airport and again on the flight to Louisiana. During their stopover, MiMi called her sister to check on Sage and arrange to pick her up. Adrienne cheerily described how much Sage loved being with her cousins. Despite Adrienne’s assurances, MiMi only felt more anxious to see Sage for herself. MiMi tried to release the tension by keeping her eyes open but couldn’t. She gave in after the first fifteen minutes in the air. Instead she looked over her research on money laundering. Willa would probably flip out, and Jazz would call her crazy. MiMi didn’t care. The more she dug, the more she became convinced her deceased lover had hidden almost one million dollars. She couldn’t write off that kind of change. Sage deserved it, and MiMi felt she’d earned it.
MiMi sighed when they touched down at Armstrong International Airport in Kenner, outside of New Orleans. Irrational as it seemed, she expected an air marshal to pop up out of nowhere and take her away. Yet the end of their journey was blessedly uneventful. They caught a shuttle to the airport lot where Willa had left her SUV. An hour and half later they were in Baton Rouge. They pulled up to MiMi’s house first. The afternoon April sun still beamed down just as hot as though it was midday. She gazed at the lovely landscaped front yard and tan brick three bedroom ranch with love.
