by Honey
“I’m sorry, Jill.” Zach sat down next to his wife and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “I was wrong to yell at you. It’s just that I’m so worried about you, the baby, and Nahima. Nobody knows where Jay is, and it is driving me crazy. Ortega and Franklin call me every day with the same old bullshit. Talking about the FBI is on the case, and she’s still hiding out in Florida somewhere. I won’t feel that you and the children are safe until they catch that psychotic bitch.”
“You mustn’t curse in front of the children, Zachary. I’m concerned as well, but we cannot stop living because Jay is at large. Do not take your frustrations with her out on me. When we return home this evening, I think you should call the detectives and listen to whatever they have to say. What if they have an update on Jay’s whereabouts, eh?” Jill gave Zach his sleeping son, and she rose to her feet. “I’m ready to go now.” She reached out her hand. “Come, Nahima. Let’s go to church, sweetie.”
Chapter Fifty-six
Detectives Franklin and Ortega exited Nina’s house with more than just a suspicion that she was with Jay wherever she was. She had been on a two-week vacation from her job and was due back tomorrow morning. Her roommate, Rick, didn’t know where she was, and he hadn’t heard anything from her. He was sure she wasn’t in California with her family, because her mother and stepsister had called several times, asking for her, in recent days. Mrs. Lopez seemed worried that she hadn’t spoken with Nina in a while.
Ortega slid behind the wheel of the dark sedan and started the engine, but he didn’t pull out of the driveway. Franklin scribbled more notes on his pad and flipped through several pages before he looked at his partner.
“They’re together,” Ortega said. “Those two are somewhere in Florida, hiding out in that trailer park or close by. Someone is helping them.”
“Why are you so sure Ms. Lopez and Ms. King are together?”
“I have a hunch right here.” Ortega patted his stomach. “Ms. Lopez is head over heels in love with Ms. King. She’s sprung, and that’s a damn shame. Nina Lopez is a very sexy woman. I’d gladly spend some time with her if I wasn’t a happily married man.”
Franklin laughed. “I’m just as happily married as you are, but I’d fuck her just to show her what she’s been missing. She’s too damn fine to be sleeping with a woman instead of a man. Anyway, do you honestly think they’re together in South Florida?”
“That’s exactly what I think, and if the FBI doesn’t find them soon, it’ll become more difficult for them to be found. Ms. King is no ordinary woman. She’d make her way across the country, settle down, and establish a new identity with Senorita Lopez.” Ortega put the sedan in reverse and backed it out of the driveway.
Franklin took out his cell phone. “I’m gonna call the Florida authorities to put some heat under their asses. They must be stupid down there. It blows my mind that they can’t sweep through a trailer park full of hillbillies and thugs and find a couple of dykes. And what the hell is going on with the FBI? Ms. King is probably sitting back, laughing at them.”
“She sure is . . . with Ms. Lopez sitting on her lap, smiling pretty.”
* * *
Keeping Nina and Charlotte apart was becoming more stressful and expensive. Jay was burning the candle at both ends, and it was running her ass ragged. But because she needed both of her women, the queen of players had to hustle to keep them satisfied. So twice, sometimes three times a week, Jay left the seclusion of the tiny hideaway up in the hills above Kingston to spend the night with Charlotte at her apartment. She lived east of Runaway Bay. Her place was modest but clean, and a hell of a lot more comfortable than that shitty shanty. The problem was, whenever Jay left Nina alone, it was under the pretense that she was going to work as a bartender at one of the local watering holes. And each morning, when she returned home from working all night, Ms. Lopez expected her lover to have some money, or anything money could buy, to make her happy.
On most mornings, after leaving Charlotte’s warm bed, Jay would have a small wad of cash in her pocket, if she’d had a hot hand at the casino the night before. She would sit for hours at the roulette table, taking her chances with lady luck, puffing Cuban cigars, at Coconut Grove Club & Casino. It was an upscale nightclub in Ocho Rios, where Charlotte had worked as a hostess for years. When Jay’s hand was hot, it was hot, but when it wasn’t, the cab ride back to the fruit stand at the bottom of the hill from the shanty was a long and dreaded journey. This particular rainy morning was one of those days. The slow windshield wipers swished and swiped, making the most irritating noise, as the cab rocked over potholes and debris on the dirt roads outside Kingston.
Jay loosened the elastic band on the big bundle of braids at her nape. She hoped it would help relieve her dull headache. She would never get used to having so much hair on her head. The braids were a part of her new look. Lots of people that she knew from when she’d lived on the island before would pass by her without recognizing her face. Jay was happy about that, because she didn’t want anyone from her past, besides Charlotte, to know she had returned to Jamaica. Charlotte was the only person she trusted. Anyone else would more than likely turn her in to the authorities, and she’d be extradited back to the States.
“Can I stop at the supermarket and grab a few things?” Jay asked the cabbie. “It won’t take me long. I’ll pay you for waiting.”
“No problem, ma’am,” the driver said, winking at Jay in his rearview mirror. “No problem at all.”
Jay did some quick calculating in her head. They had vegetables in the cooler and lots of fruit too. Nina had been riding her ass about meat, which did not include the fried fish Jay often bought from the dread-headed brothers farther up in the hills. They fished and sold their catches by day, and fried the excess in big barrels and smoked gunja by night. Jay had just enough money to buy a whole chicken, some rice, cigars, and a bottle of Disaronno. She would have to hide the liquor from Nina, though, so she wouldn’t start bitching about wasting money. And on top of that, she would go into a long lecture about Jay’s liver and stomach. Both were in bad shape because of all the booze she’d guzzled down over the years.
“I’ll be right back,” Jay told the driver when he pulled in front of the supermarket.
“And I’ll be waiting right her, ma’am. No worries.”
Jay scurried around the supermarket, gathering the few items she needed. She was on her way to the checkout line when she saw a pretty little girl with big bright eyes sitting in a shopping buggy. The child was sucking her thumb and twirling one of her pigtails around her finger. Angelina! Jay recognized the cute little face. She ducked behind a stack of cereal boxes and watched Faye toil over the decision to buy oatmeal or Cream of Wheat for her family. She looked well, and her cart was nearly filled to capacity.
Zach must’ve been working hard to take care of the Bessette brood. That was the only way Faye could have that much damn meat in her shopping cart. Faye, Orville, and their little crumb snatchers were feasting high on the hog, while she and Nina were eating like miserable paupers. Jay’s hate rose to another level when Faye dropped two canisters of oatmeal and a big-ass box of Cream of Wheat into the buggy. She stomped off toward the cashier, shaking her head and cursing like a sailor under her breath.
* * *
“What did Franklin say?”
Aunt Jackie returned her cordless phone to its cradle and looked at Zach and Jill as they sat on the sofa in her den. “He thanked me for calling and promised to file a report.” She stood up and started pacing nervously between the couch and the coffee table. “There’s nothing they can do, Zach.”
“Say what? This ain’t nineteen fifty-five. We’re living in the twenty-first century. With all this modern technology, digital this, solar that, GPS devices, and microchips, you mean to tell me they can’t trace Jay’s call?”
Aunt Jackie shook her head and reached down to lift Zachary Junior from Jill’s arms. “That’s exactly what the detective said, baby. Nothing showed up
on my caller ID screen. We didn’t talk for very long. Jay could be anywhere.”
“I know, and that’s what scares the hell outta me. She could be right around the corner or clean across the country.” Zach rubbed his hands down his face. “This is a nightmare.”
“Everything is going to be fine, sweetheart,” Jill said, rubbing her husband’s back. She watched Aunt Jackie pacing and bouncing the baby in her arms. “Please have a seat, Auntie. You must relax.”
Aunt Jackie sighed and took a seat next to Jill. Zach, Jill, and Aunt Jackie sat quietly on the sofa, each buried deep in their thoughts. The only sounds in the den were from the television and Zachary Junior laughing and clapping his hands to a cartoon song.
“It was probably Jay who called us twice in the middle of the night and hung up. Something told me it was her,” Zach mused.
“Someone called and breathed in my ear shortly after you left for work this morning, Zachary. I thought nothing of it,” Jill revealed.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Jack asked, exasperated.
Jill laced her fingers through his and squeezed. “I told you. I didn’t think very much of it. Now I believe it was Jay.”
Zach turned to Aunt Jackie. “Please tell me one more time exactly what Jay said. How did she sound? Was there any familiar noise in the background?”
“Like I told you three times already, it was a very short conversation. I answered the phone, thinking it was a telemarketer, because nothing registered on the caller ID screen. As soon as I said hello, Jay started talking. I was too shocked to notice any background noises. She told me she was fine and she misses me. I asked her where she was, but she refused to say. Then she told me that she loved me and to take care of myself.”
“And then that bitch had the nerve to tell you to say hello to Jill and me before she ended the call,” Zach muttered.
“Watch your mouth, nephew. You’re not too old for me to take my belt to your behind.”
“Don’t I get a pass? I’m stressed out! I’ll shoot Jay if she comes near my family, Auntie. She’s crazy as hell, and the police think she’s dangerous. Plus, she’s desperate right now. Ain’t no telling what she’ll do to stay outta jail.”
“You would actually kill your own sister, right, Zach?” Aunt Jackie shook her head.
“No, I would try to wound her to keep her from killing my family or me. It was Jay who wanted me dead, remember? Her plan fell through, and I don’t wanna give her another opportunity to make it happen. She told me she wished she had taken me out. I’ll never forget that or what she told the undercover officer she wanted to do to my wife. If Jay messes with my family, Auntie, I’ll shoot her. I’m sorry, but I swear I will.”
Chapter Fifty-seven
Wallace hung up the phone and stared at Patricia, who was standing at the sink, washing dishes. She turned to face him and dried her hands with a hanging dish towel. She was anxious to know what Zach’s plans were. Patricia was too young to be his son’s stepmother or a granny to Zachary Junior, but she loved them just the same. There was a strong bond between Zach and his father’s wife. They were close, and Jill was very much a part of their relationship.
“What did Zach say?”
“He’s going to take Jill to Jamaica to celebrate their first wedding anniversary. Then, after a few days, he’s going to leave her and the baby there with her family. He’ll send for them after Jayla is apprehended and put back behind bars.”
“How does Jill feel about that?”
“He hasn’t told her yet. She’s busy preparing for a major dance performance scheduled for this weekend. He plans to tell her about the trip to Jamaica and her extended stay after that.”
“That sucks. Jill won’t be happy about that at all. I know Zach is only doing what he thinks is best for her and the baby. But he can’t make important decisions about their marriage without first discussing them with his wife.”
“That’s exactly what I told him, but he believes his way is the only way to deal with the situation. He doesn’t want to ruin Jill’s show. She’s been working hard. That’s why he decided to wait to tell her about his plans. They’ve been getting those aggravating phone calls around the clock, especially at night. Zach is convinced it’s Jayla torturing them. And because he’s uncertain of her whereabouts, he feels Jill and the baby will be better off in Jamaica for the time being.”
“Maybe Zach is right, but I still think Jill should have some say in the matter. Being separated from her husband indefinitely, for whatever reason, won’t be easy. I wouldn’t want you to take me somewhere and dump me off on a few days’ notice. I’d be mad as hell.”
“I would never send you away. I’d be too miserable without you.”
Patricia smiled and turned to the sink again to resume washing the dishes. Wallace admired her figure from behind. After fifteen years of marriage, the mere sight of her still turned him on. Healthy eating and Pilates three times a week kept Patricia’s perfect size eight body in great shape. Even at sixty-two, somehow Wallace was still able to hang with his gorgeous wife, who was twenty years his junior. They took long walks together regularly and shot eighteen holes of golf from time to time. Their sex life was amazing, and Wallace was proud he still had the stamina to satisfy Patricia at least three nights every week. He didn’t need Viagra or any other drug either.
He tiptoed across the kitchen to stand behind Patricia. He slid his hands around her slender waist and kissed her neck. He felt her shudder in response to his affection. Patricia moaned when Wallace’s hands found their way under her purple tank top to tease her hardened nipples. His erection came instantly and pressed against her firm backside. Patricia turned around, sloshing warm, soapy water all over the floor, her aroused husband, and herself. When she raised her wet hands to caress Wallace’s shoulders, his mouth sought out hers, and the mating of tongues began, intensifying the passion stirring between them.
Patricia gasped when Wallace suddenly broke the kiss to lift her. He placed her on the countertop next to the sink.
“Where is Wallace Junior?” he asked and planted a few quick kisses on Patricia’s neck.
“Um . . . he . . . he’s with my sister and her boys. He’ll be home by eight.”
Wallace wedged his body between Patricia’s smooth thighs and pulled her forward on the counter. He moved his lips from her neck down to her breast and then lifted her shirt. He yanked it up over her head and flung it on the countertop. “We have thirty minutes,” he announced, tugging at the drawstring on Patricia’s cotton shorts. He relieved her of them easily, along with her red lace thong.
Wallace let out a low growl when Patricia massaged his erection through his gray sweatpants seconds before she snatched them down. They dropped to his ankles. He took off his T-shirt and let it fall to the floor.
“I don’t think you need these boxers, Reverend King.” Patricia smiled. “Let me help you get rid of them, so I can make you shout hallelujah.” In one motion, she pulled down Wallace’s plaid boxers, exposing the part of his anatomy that made him all man.
“Mmm, welcome home, Reverend King,” she whispered hoarsely when she felt her husband ease inside her, filling her sweet spot completely. She began a slow and methodical grind right on the cool granite countertop, much to Wallace’s approval.
He closed his eyes as his body answered with fluid, purposeful strokes. “Hallelujah!”
* * *
“Who are you calling, Jay? I see you dialing the phone all the time, but I’ve never heard you talk to anyone. What’s up with that?”
Jay slid the cell phone back inside her jeans pocket. “I’m trying to remember the number at my old job, Nina. I’m thinking about getting us a room there for the weekend. I really want you to see the place. It makes the Seven Seas look like a Motel 6. It’s fabulous. All the restaurants are classy. I wanna take you to a romantic dinner at Café Rhapsody.”
Nina was miserable. She was wrapped in a floral sarong, secured snuggly around her big boobs. She
’d lost a sizable amount of weight while living in hiding on the island, but she had remained top heavy. Her hair was brittle and dry due to a lack of proper conditioning. The mosquitoes up in the hills had a fondness for her deeply tanned skin. Every day, in Nina’s eyes, Jamaica looked more like a scene from Survivor: The Caribbean Hellhole rather than the tropical island paradise Jay had boasted about before they arrived. There were no rich and beautiful sights, sounds, and activities of Jamaica up in those damn hills. Life had been so rough that Nina had been thinking about reaching out to her cousin Juan in Mexico. He could help her abandon Jay and their horrible living conditions. At least there in Mexico she would have a decent place to live with him and his partners in crime, and she damn sure wouldn’t be starving.
“Yeah, if my tips stack up tonight, I’ll book us a basic room at the resort for two nights. We’ll eat well and make love in a real bed. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
Nina snapped out of her wishful thinking. She fanned her face with her hand and pulled long and hard on her cigarette. She blew out a stream of smoke. “Anything would be better than this fucking matchbox. If you’d let me get a job, maybe we could find us an apartment or a small house and move out of this dump. Shit, I’ll clean houses or wait tables. I just wanna get away from these damn mosquitoes and crickets. I’m tired of being poor. I didn’t sign on for this, Jay.”
“I know, baby. Be patient with me. Things are gonna get better. Wish me good luck tonight so I can make enough money to treat you to a nice weekend at the resort. Now, give me some sugar.” Jay leaned over and smacked Nina’s lips with hers. “Let me get down to the fruit stand to catch a cab. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Nina waved her hand and sucked her teeth to dismiss Jay. Without a television, the little radio was her only entertainment. Every now and then she would hang out with the friendly pot-smoking fishermen up the hill at one of their nightly fish fries. She’d flirt with them and drink lots of their liquor. On occasion, after taking a few hits of the strong gunja from their bong, Nina would dance until her high faded away. Then back down the hill she’d go to the lonely shanty and the raggedy radio hissing and crunching out reggae classics.
