Chapter 24
The next morning, Kevin and Deviane met the men who would be their escorts for the duration of their stay in the United States. The three Secret Service agents briefed them on their security procedures and promised that they would stay out of their way as much as possible. A driver took them to Georgetown University, where they were given a tour by an assistant dean. When they had seen everything of interest, they were taken to a nearby military base, where their jet to Dallas was waiting. It was a warm, clear day, perfect for flying. Once airborne, Kevin and Deviane talked about their unique experience.
"I wouldn't mind living in the White House," Kevin said.
"It was rather nice, actually. I could get used to it."
"I don't know if I'd like having Secret Service agents crawling all over me though."
"I know; we're not going to have any privacy."
"Did you sleep well last night?" Kevin asked.
"Pretty good. It took me a while to fall asleep, though,” Deviane replied.
"I didn't sleep well at all. Everything that's happened to us recently kept running through my mind. I don't know why. I should have been exhausted, but something was bothering me."
"Well, I'll shut up and you can take a nap."
"No, I want to talk while we've got a little privacy."
Deviane smiled, took Kevin's hand and squeezed it. "So what was bothering you?"
"Everything. It was like our life was an open book."
"What do you mean?"
"Like–How did the Ambassador know we were going to get married?"
"My father probably told him."
"Why would your father tell him that when it hasn't been officially announced yet? Your mother was going to have an engagement party and announce it then."
"He's not too good at keeping secrets, I guess."
"Do you think he called the President and told him?"
"No, obviously the Ambassador told him, or Mr. Crandall."
"That's what I mean. Everybody knows every move we're making."
"Hmm," Deviane sighed.
"And the briefcase full of money. It wasn't locked. You're going to tell me that the Ambassador didn't open it up to see what was in it?"
"What are you saying, Kevin?"
"The Ambassador knew exactly what was in the briefcase, so he must have known about the deal we struck with your father."
“Well, he had to know since my father had to arrange political asylum for Cetawayo and the children.”
"True, but he could have made up an excuse. I can't imagine your father divulging his plans to commit bribery, extortion and obstruction of justice to the Ambassador, unless–"
"Unless what?"
"The Ambassador was in on it."
"No, I don't think that's likely. My father doesn't like foreigners trying to influence his decisions. I've heard him complain about that a lot."
"I don't know. Last night I kept thinking of what Malcolm Mann said, about how everyone was a slave of the Wall Street business cartel and they didn't even realize it."
"Yeah."
"Well, I'm beginning to understand what he meant."
"I don't understand."
"No one in Trinidad would ever dream that the United States was in control of its affairs, right?"
"No, that's ridiculous."
"Well, last night I got the impression that Mr. Crandall was calling the shots in the NDC prosecution. I'm beginning to wonder if he doesn't make a lot of decisions for the Trinidad government."
"I didn't like him much. He made me feel uncomfortable."
"I bet that two hundred thousand came from the Ambassador's safe."
"My father has always been pretty close to the Ambassador."
"Is your father really the richest man in Trinidad?"
"I guess; I don't know for sure."
"Has he always been rich?"
"No. Up until about six or seven years ago, we didn't have all that much money. We were comfortable, but I remember there were a lot of things we couldn't afford. Then my father's oil company went into partnership with another company. They were able to get some good leases. They've done very well ever since."
"Do you remember the name of the company?"
"Sure, Navet Exploration, Limited."
"Hmm. I wonder who owns Navet."
"I wouldn't know."
"We can check it out at the library or on the internet when we get to Dallas."
"So who do you think owns it?"
"Well, if it were a United States company, that would certainly be interesting."
"So, you think my father is working for the United States government?"
"The thought crossed my mind. That would explain why he would use you and Kiran as bargaining chips. A father wouldn't do something like that on his own. The Ambassador probably suggested it rather strongly."
"I can't believe my father would do that."
"I know, I'm sorry, honey. I hope I'm wrong."
"You must be, he loves Trinidad. He would never betray his own people."
"Just like he didn't betray you and Kiran."
Deviane didn't respond.
"Did you notice how everyone suggested I start thinking about politics as a career? Even the President mentioned it indirectly."
"Yeah, what was that all about?"
"I think they're hoping to suck me into their game, now that I've got some notoriety."
"I don't know, Kevin. Do you think, maybe we're getting a little paranoid?"
"Maybe, but after what has happened to us, I don't think we can be too careful."
"I guess you're right. I'm just so sick of all this intrigue. Why can't everything be the way it appears?" Deviane asked.
"Because nobody in politics gives a rat's ass about truth and honesty anymore. Everything for them is about power and money."
"I hope we don't get caught up in that game."
"We're already caught up in it, but maybe after our wedding, we can change things and live an honest, decent life."
"I hope so."
Two hours later, the State Department jet landed at Love Field in Dallas. A car was waiting to take Kevin and Deviane to Plano. It was a hot, muggy day, so the air conditioner was going full blast. Although the sky was clear, visibility was bad. There was an ozone alert in effect.
The car left the airport and headed west on Mockingbird to I35. It traveled north to LBJ Freeway, then east to the Dallas North Tollway. Ten minutes later, it pulled up in front of Kevin's house in Plano. Kevin's parents were waiting anxiously and came out to meet them. As soon as Kevin got out of the car, his mother embraced him. The Secret Service agents stepped out and scanned the neighborhood.
"Hi, Mom."
"Kevin! Hi. . . Oh, I'm so glad to see you. I've been so worried about you."
Kevin put his arm around Deviane and smiled.
"Mom and Dad, this is Deviane."
"Hi, Deviane. It's so nice to meet you at last. How are you feeling? I read about how the terrorists beat you up."
"Oh, I'm okay now."
"Good, I can't believe what you two have been through."
"Who are these men with you, Kevin?" Mr. Wells asked.
"It's our Secret Service escort. Can you believe that?"
"Really? How come?"
"It's because Deviane is a diplomatic visitor and the President wants to be sure I get back safely to testify in Trinidad."
As Kevin was talking, a big television van pulled up. It was followed by several other press vehicles. A reporter leaped out and rushed up to Kevin. The Secret Service agents quickly went into action and started moving everyone inside.
"Mr. Wells, how was your visit with the President?" the reporter asked.
"Oh, it was great."
"Is it true you and Ms. Shah are engaged to be married?"
"Well, I haven't had a chance to buy her an engagement ring yet, but we plan to visit some jewelry stores in the next few days."
"So it's true you're going to get married?"
"Yes, in January."
"What is your reaction to Malcolm Mann's statement that you'll never live to testify against Obatala Mohammed?"
Kevin’s jaw dropped. A cold chill darted down his spine. "I don't know. This is the first I've heard of it."
"Okay, that will be all," one of the Secret Service agents said as he took Kevin by the arm and escorted him into the house. Once inside the agents began a security check of the house.
While Kevin’s parents were distracted by the agents, Deviane took Kevin aside to talk.
"What did the reporter say about Malcolm Mann, Kevin?" Deviane asked.
"It sounded like he made some sort of threat to kill me."
"Oh my God! Where is he?"
"I don't know anything other than what the reporter said."
"Damn it!" Deviane said. "I wish you would have killed him, too. "
"It's just talk, honey. There's no way he could hurt us here."
"What's wrong, Kevin?" Mrs. Wells asked as she approached them.
Kevin turned and looked at his mother’s worried face.
“Oh. Ah. . . nothing. I guess I may have let the cat out of the bag about our wedding.”
Deviane forced a smile.
Kevin looked at Deviane. “I hope I didn’t spoil it for your mother. I know she wanted to make the announcement.”
“It’s okay. I don’t think it’s much of a secret anymore.”
"The wedding?" Mrs. Wells said.
"You haven't heard about it?" Kevin asked.
"No."
"Oh, good. We wanted to tell you before you heard it on the news. Deviane and I are getting married."
Mrs. Wells eyes widened. "Kevin, this is so sudden. You two haven't known each other very long."
"I know, but we fell in love. What can I say?"
"You haven't finished high school yet, and what about college?" Mr. Wells asked.
"I'll finish high school this summer and then we're going to go to college together. We looked at Georgetown while we were in Washington."
"Georgetown, you never mentioned being interested in Georgetown," Mr. Wells said.
"The President wanted us to see it," Deviane said. "I kind of liked it. It had a certain charm."
"Have you set a date, honey?" Mrs. Wells asked.
"Not exactly, it will be sometime in January. I hope everyone won't mind flying to Trinidad."
"Oh my word! You're getting married in Trinidad?"
"Of course, Mom. The bride's family always puts on the wedding. You'll love Trinidad. It's a beautiful country. We're getting married at the Royal Botanical Gardens. You won't believe it. It's absolutely incredible. It's probably the most beautiful place on earth. I can't wait for you and Dad to see it."
"My mother will see to it that it's a memorable wedding, believe me," Deviane said. "It will be the biggest social event Trinidad has had in years."
"Is that right? Well, this is all so exciting. I don't know what to say."
"Don't worry, Mom. I know all this is all pretty overwhelming but you'll get used to it. I'm starting to."
"I guess I could take my vacation time in January," Mr. Wells said.
"Yeah, Dad. It'll be forty or fifty degrees warmer in Trinidad than in Dallas. It'll be a good break from the cold winter weather."
"Where are you going to go on your honeymoon?" Mrs. Wells asked.
Kevin and Deviane looked at each other and started to laugh.
"We haven't even thought about that, Mom. Maybe we'll stop by a travel agency tomorrow, when we go shopping."
"I like Barbados. It's a beautiful island," Deviane said.
"That's too close to Trinidad, Deviane. We should go somewhere far away, like Hawaii."
"Oh, I've always wanted to go to Hawaii. I like that idea."
"Good, that was easy."
"Where are you going shopping tomorrow?"
"We thought we'd go to the Galleria and check out the jewelry stores. I need to buy Deviane an engagement ring. We might stop at Victoria's Secret while we're there too."
"Kevin!" Mrs. Wells said.
"For our wedding night, Mom. We've got to think ahead."
"Uh huh."
"I hate to bring up minor details, but how do you plan to finance all of this?" Mr. Wells asked.
"Oh, I was going to ask you if I could borrow your Visa card, Dad," Kevin replied.
Mr. Wells frowned.
"No, luckily I listened to you and I've been saving my pennies. I've got a few bucks in the bank. Fortunately, the government has been flying us everywhere, so we haven't spent a nickel since we left Trinidad."
"I haven't told Kevin this before, but I've got quite a lot of money in a trust fund," Deviane added. "Money shouldn't be a problem."
Kevin looked at Deviane. "You've got a trust fund?"
"Yes."
He smiled. "Aren't you full of surprises. How much?"
Deviane shook her head and replied, "We'll talk about it later."
"Hmm, well, I guess you don't have to worry about us having enough money, Dad."
"That's good. I just wanted to be sure everything would work out for you."
"I know. Hey, we're going to go watch television in the guest room, okay?"
"Oh, I forgot to tell you. Your friends are coming over to see you in a little bit. They've all been worried about you."
"Oh, great. I wanted Deviane to meet them. Who all's coming?"
"Paula, Alice and Brent."
Kevin smiled at Deviane. She gave him a distressed look and he laughed. "Don't worry. It will be all right."
Deviane took a deep breath and returned a half smile.
It wasn't long before the doorbell rang. Kevin got up quickly and went to the door. Deviane followed him, but only went far enough to see the front door. Kevin opened it and embraced Paula. Alice walked past them, went straight over to Deviane and extended her hand.
"You must be the princess," she said.
Deviane frowned as they shook hands.
"Come on, Alice," Kevin said, "Deviane's not a princess. They don't have royalty in Trinidad."
Brent came forward shaking his head. "I don't know, she may not be a princess, but there's no doubt she's a goddess."
Deviane blushed a little and then shook Brent's hand. Kevin laughed. "You noticed, huh...? Forgive my friends, Deviane, they're not–well actually they are usually this rude."
They all laughed. "Yes," Paula said. "Please forgive us. You've been through so much. I don't know how you two did it. I can't imagine being kidnaped by terrorists."
"Let's not talk about that," Kevin said. "That's one nightmare we're trying to forget."
"I can imagine," Paula said. "We've just been so worried about you two."
"Thank you," Deviane said. "Kevin has told me what wonderful friends he had back in America. I'm so glad I finally got to meet all of you. I hope you all can come to Trinidad for the wedding."
Paula's face stiffened. She looked over at Kevin.
"Wedding?"
"Yes, it's going to be in the papers tomorrow so we best tell you now. Deviane and I are getting married in Trinidad in January."
Paula turned away as she struggled to keep her composure. Kevin watched her intently. Deviane watched them both.
"Wow! I can't believe you're getting married," Alice said. "Congratulations!"
"Thank you," Deviane replied. "My father will provide all your transportation needs and you'll be our guests while you’re in Trinidad."
"Are you serious?" Brent said.
"Yes, Kevin's friends are my friends . . . at least I hope so."
Paula turned and looked at Deviane.
Alice said, "Well, you must be some kind of woman to land this Texas lunker. I'd be proud to be your friend."
Kevin laughed. Alice and Deviane embraced.
Paula took a deep breath, wiped a tear from her eye and said, "Yes, of co
urse, I'd be honored to be your friend. You're a very lucky woman."
Deviane smiled tenderly. "Yes, I know."
It was several hours later when the reunion broke up. As Kevin was walking them out to the car, Paula pulled him aside.
"Congratulations, you finally found your soul mate," she said.
Kevin took a deep breath. "Listen, Paula, I'm sorry things didn't work out for us. I do love you, but as a friend."
Kevin took Paula's hand and squeezed it. She turned and walked to the car. She got in and they drove off. Kevin turned and saw Deviane standing at the door. He smiled and went to her.
"That was awkward," he said, "but I'm glad we got it over with."
"She really loves you," Deviane said.
"I know, but she'll get over it."
"But will you?"
Kevin put his arms around Deviane and replied, "I only have room in my heart for one woman. I've always known that and now that I have you, there's no room for anyone else."
They embraced before rejoining Kevin's parents in the den. "We're going to go watch TV in the guest room," he said.
"Why don't you watch it in the den?" Mrs. Wells asked.
"It's cozier in the guest room."
"You two be good," Mrs. Wells said.
"I think you know you don't have to worry about that."
"I know. It's been nice talking to you, Deviane," Mrs. Wells said. "Maybe if Kevin will let loose of you one afternoon, we could go to lunch."
"That would be fine," Kevin said. "As long as you promise not to tell her anything bad about me."
"I never make promises I can't keep."
"Don't believe everything Mom tells you, Deviane."
"Oh, I doubt your mother would lie to me."
"Hmm. Why is it you put two women together and a conspiracy always begins?"
"That's how we keep men under control," Mrs. Wells replied.
"I believe that. . . . Okay, so after we go shopping in the morning, why don't you two go to lunch? I've got an errand I've got to run anyway."
"Oh, wonderful. Is that okay, Deviane?" Mrs. Wells said.
"Yes, I'd like that very much."
"Good, it's settled then,” Kevin said. “Come on, Deviane. Let's go watch TV."
The next day, Kevin took Deviane to the Galleria. She was amazed by its size and loved the department stores, hundreds of shops and the ice rink inside. She made Kevin sit and watch the skaters for thirty minutes since she had never seen an ice rink before, except on TV. After doing their shopping, which included the purchase of an impressive one carat engagement ring, they drove around North Dallas. Deviane was impressed with the miles and miles of beautiful homes and busy shopping centers that adorned this part of town.
When they got back home, Mrs. Wells was patiently waiting to go to lunch.
"Hi, Mom," Kevin said as he walked into the kitchen.
"Oh, hi. How did your shopping go?"
"Well, look on Deviane's finger and you can judge for yourself."
Deviane extended her hand proudly exhibiting a beautiful diamond engagement ring. Mrs. Wells took her hand and lifted it up so she could get a good look at it.
"Oh my Lord, that is beautiful!" Mrs. Wells exclaimed. "I love it!"
"Isn't it exquisite?" Deviane said, twisting her hand so the diamond would sparkle.
"Oh, yes. I'm so jealous."
Kevin watched his mother and Deviane with great satisfaction. He was glad they liked each other. He thought maybe having Deviane around would help fill the void left after Diana’s death. At least he hoped so.
"Okay, I've got to go on my errand, so I'm going to leave you two. Have a good lunch."
"We will. I thought we'd go to Bennigans and then do some more shopping at Stonebriar Mall."
"Have fun. Oh, I think two Secret Service agents are going with you. The other one is coming with me."
"All right, we'll see you later."
Kevin went outside and got in the State Department car. His thoughts immediately turned to Cetawayo, who was scheduled to arrive with her children at Love Field. He wondered how she had made out and whether the State Department had treated her well. He remembered how strange he felt when he landed in Trinidad, so he could appreciate what a traumatic experience this would be for her and the children.
The driver took them out to the private runway where the jet was just pulling into its parking slot. Several men pushed a portable stairway in front of the door. Then they climbed up the stairs and opened the main hatch. Cetawayo looked scared as she made her way off the plane with her children in hand. Kevin rushed over to her and gave her a hug. Then he picked up one of the kids and shook hands with the other two.
After collecting their luggage, they were driven to a motel, where Kevin checked them in and helped them unpack. Then he showed Cetawayo her money.
"My word, look at all that cash! I've never seen so much money before," Cetawayo said.
Kevin laughed.
"I haven't either. Isn't it beautiful?"
"It will be nice to know it's there, if we need it."
"Let’s go put it in the bank where it will be safe. You can't afford to take any chances with it. I saw a Guaranty Bank and a Comerica Bank a few blocks away. You don't want to put more than one hundred thousand in one bank. That's the most that is insured. We'll put half in each bank."
"Okay, whatever you say."
They went back out to the car and were driven to Guaranty Bank. The Secret Service agent waited outside to give them a little privacy. They walked inside and took a seat at the new accounts desk. The kids sat quietly next to their mother. A middle-aged lady, dressed in a business suit, approached them and sat down at her desk.
"Hello, can I help you?" she said.
"Yes," Kevin replied. "Mrs. Mohammed needs to open a bank account."
"Okay, what kind of an account?"
"Just a regular, interest bearing checking account."
"How much will you be depositing?"
"Oh, just a hundred thousand."
The lady looked up and gave Kevin a stunned look. "Oh, is it cash or check?"
"Cash."
"Then I'll have to fill out a Cash Transaction Report."
"What's that?"
"Any cash deposits over ten thousand dollars must be reported to the government."
"Oh really. Well I don't have time to fill that out right now, so we'll just put nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine dollars in the account. Will that work?"
"Certainly."
"Who will be the signatories?"
"Just Mrs. Mohammed."
"What about in the event of an emergency?"
"I don't know. What do you think, Cetawayo?"
"Why don't you sign in case something happens to me? You're the only one I know in America, and you'd have to look after the kids if something happened to me."
"Hmm. Okay, if that's what you want."
The clerk filled out the necessary paperwork to open the account and Kevin gave her the money to deposit. When they were done, they went to the lobby and sat down on a sofa. Kevin thought for a moment.
"We don't want to report this money to anyone, particularly the government. They may know about it already, but just in case they don't, we can put it in a safety deposit box," Kevin said.
"Okay."
"Go back to the car with the kids. Tell the Secret Service agent you’re not feeling so well. Ask him to take you and the kids home and then come back for me. I'll go to the Comerica Bank down the street. I don't want the Secret Service knowing where you have the bulk of your money. I'll sneak down to that bank after you are gone and get a safety deposit box. I’ll leave the money in the box and then I'll come back here when I'm done and wait to be picked up. That way, nobody will know where the other money is located, except you and I.
"Do you think that’s really necessary?"
"It never hurts to be careful."
Kevin went out the back door and ret
urned twenty minutes later. The Secret Service agent was just pulling up as he arrived. Later, when he returned to the motel, he gave Cetawayo the safety deposit key. He had her sign the signature card and told her it needed to be mailed back to the bank. After taking her and the kids to the store to buy some groceries, stopping by the post office and showing them around Dallas a little, they dropped them off at their motel.
"Okay, Cetawayo, I know it’s got to be hard for you to be suddenly dumped in Dallas like this. I'm sorry I can't spend more time with you."
"It's okay, you've been very helpful."
"If you need anything, you've got my phone number. After Deviane and I leave, you can call my dad. He'll be happy to give you a hand. Before we leave, Deviane and I will help you find an apartment, okay?"
"Thank you, Kevin. You've been so nice to us. We'll be all right now. Don't you be worrying about us, okay?"
"Are you going to try to get a job?"
"After I get the kids in school and learn my way around a little bit, I'll see about getting a teaching certificate here in Dallas. Once I do that, then I can look for a job."
"Great, we'll see you next week then."
Kevin left the motel and asked his driver to drop by the Dallas Library on the way home. He had done a search on the internet on his home computer for ownership information on Navet Exploration, Ltd. but hadn’t found what he wanted. There was a lot about the company, but no details on ownership. Once inside, he went directly to the reference section and asked the librarian on duty for assistance. She directed him to several international business directories. Kevin searched through the two volumes until he found what he wanted. He scanned the short paragraph on Navet Exploration. The last sentence provided the answer; Navet Exploration was owned and controlled by Sureguard Ventures, Inc. of Santa Barbara, California but had several other undisclosed partners.
Kevin closed the book and left the library. He felt like he had confirmed his suspicions about the Prime Minister; that he was on the United States payroll. Sure, it wasn’t conclusive evidence and he didn't understand exactly how it worked, but to him it stunk, any way you smelled it.
Deviane and his mother were in the kitchen cooking supper when he came in. Deviane rushed over to him and they embraced and kissed excitedly. Mrs. Wells watched them a moment and then went back to her cooking.
"Okay, Kevin. If you want to eat, you'd better release Deviane. She's in the middle of making the salad."
Kevin and Deviane finally let each other go.
"Come on, Mom. We've been separated nearly four hours. Have a heart."
"You'll have plenty of time for kissing later."
"Okay," Kevin replied.
"Enjoy all this affection now, Deviane," Mrs. Wells said. "When you get my age, you'll be lucky to get a little peck in the morning and swat on the ass at night."
Deviane laughed. "I don't know, Kevin's pretty passionate. I hope he doesn't change."
"He will, it comes with age."
"So, Kevin, how did your errand go?" Deviane asked.
"Very well, actually. I got Cetawayo and her kids settled, and the money put safely away."
"Good, how is Cetawayo?"
"She looked a little tired, but I think she'll be okay. Her kids are angels. They didn't give us any trouble at all. Oh, I went to the library on the way home."
"Oh. So were you right?" Deviane asked.
"I'm afraid so."
Deviane frowned and shook her head. Kevin shrugged and gave her a sympathetic look.
"So what are you kids going to do tomorrow?"
"I'm going to take Deviane to Six Flags."
"Oh. That will be fun," Mrs. Wells said. "Do they have amusement parks in Trinidad, Deviane?"
"No, but I went to Disneyworld once with my family when I was about twelve or thirteen."
"This Saturday, we're going to go check out SMU and TCU. On Sunday, I've got tickets for a Cowboy game."
"You two are going to be busy."
"Well, we've got a lot to do. Next week we have to go back to Trinidad."
"Oh, there was a message for you from someone at NBC."
"What did they want?"
"I don't know, you'll have to call them and find out."
"They probably want an interview. What should I tell them, Deviane?"
"It's up to you, honey. If you want to give them an interview, it's okay with me."
"I guess I'll give them a call."
Kevin went to the telephone and dialed the number on the message. It was a long distance call to Burbank.
"Hello, Kevin. Thanks for returning my call."
"No, problem."
"Listen, Jay heard you were back in the states and wondered if you and Miss Shah wanted to come on the show?"
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah, we thought it would be a great follow up after your last appearance. You know, since you were kidnaped and now you've found a bride."
"Let me discuss it with Deviane and I'll get back with you, okay?"
"Sure, we were thinking about Tuesday night. We had a cancellation, so that would work out well."
"Okay, I'll get back with you. Thanks for calling."
Kevin hung up the phone and went back into the kitchen.
"Guess what?"
"What?" Deviane said."
"Jay Leno wants us on the Tonight Show."
"No way," Deviane said.
"Why?" Kevin asked showing a little disappointment.
"Kiran said he made fun of you on his show the night we were kidnaped. Plus, with all this publicity there are a lot of people digging for more information. How long will it be before someone is bound to find out about your sister. Do you want to discuss her overdose on national TV?”
"No."
"Our marriage should be private. I don't want our relationship debated on national television. We'll never have any privacy if we don't put a stop to all this publicity, right now."
"Good point. I'll call them back and decline the invitation. We don't have time for it anyway."
The Prime Minister's Daughter Page 24
