No More Tears in the End (23 page)

“Right. Marshall was partners with Diego, so he had to know what we were doing in South America.”

“And that you, Nick and Jett survived,” I whispered in her ear.

“He would know what skills we had, and he knows Nick works for you now.”

“Which means he knows who you are—”

“And probably has somebody shadowing my on-line movements. It won’t happen again.”

“For the time bein’, you stay on Vinnelli.”

“Does that mean I can’t, say, ask an old friend, say, in Israel, to stick his nose in?”

“No, it doesn’t it mean that at all. I like the way you think. We’ll talk soon,” I said and left.

When I got in the car Kevon handed me the phone; it was already ringing. “Where you at?” Bobby asked as soon as he answered.

“Just leaving Monika’s apartment.”

“Did you fuck sexy one eye?”

“No, I got her workin’ on that thing for me.”

“That don’t mean you ain’t fuckin’ her.”

“What you want, Bobby?”

“Did I miss a meeting today?”

“No.”

“I just wanted to be sure.”

“That’s what was so important?”

“Yeah, that was it. You coming by the club tonight?”

“I don’t know, maybe.”

“CeCe was up here askin’ for you the other night after you left.”

“I’m not surprised.” What has surprised me was that she hadn’t called since I gave her the number. “I’ll get with you later,” I said and ended the call.

I handed the phone back to Kevon. “Where to now, boss?”

“Let’s go eat. I’m hungry.”

Chapter 33

“Where you wanna go?” Kevon asked, sounding less than enthusiastic. The last couple of weeks I’ve been on this no-meat thing. Maria showed me a DVD about how eating a vegetable-based diet is much healthier than meat-based diets, because eating a meat-based diet puts you at higher risk for heart disease, some types of cancer, high-blood pressure, and shit like that. I don’t know if I agree with the science behind it, but I do feel better since I stopped eating meat.

Since then, me and Maria have been dragging Kevon all over the city to these vegetarian restaurants. He hates it because Kevon is a hardcore carnivore. But tonight I felt like eating some meat.

“Let’s go to the Blue Water Grill.”

Kevon smiled because we’d eaten there before and he knew they served meat. “Refresh me memory.”

“It’s on Union and 16
^th
Street. Call and make reservations.”

On the way downtown I thought about what I had on Vinnelli and what I would do with it. Naturally, I wanted to take his money, but I wanted to hurt him, hurt him like he hurt me. I really wanted him dead. I just didn’t want the problems that might come with that. So what was I gonna do?

Reservations and a couple of hundred dollars got us a table right away. The Blue Water Grill is a converted bank on Union Square. It used to be a restaurant called Metropolis and is one of the most popular restaurants in New York, according to the Zagat survey.

It was decorated with marble and dimly lit red chandeliers that illuminate the dining room. There’s an outdoor café and a subterranean lounge that features live jazz music.

As soon as our waitress got to the table Kevon said, “Filet Mignon.” And put down the menu.

“And for you, sir, or are you going to need some time?” she turned to me and asked.

“You can bring me a Remy Martin VSOP and bring him one too. When you get back with those, I should be ready to order.”

When the waitress returned with our drinks, I ordered the Blue Water Grill chopped salad and a couple of Maki Rolls. Spicy yellowtail and shrimp roll and spicy lobster, and tuna roll with avocado and jalapeños. I love jalapeños.

For my entrée I chose the grilled wild-striped bass, marinated with extra virgin olive oil, lemon, garlic and capers. Broccoli rabe and marinated farmers market vegetables. I was gonna get the lobster mashed potatoes, but I settled for the cream spinach.

We were just about done with our meal when Kevon pointed something out to me. “That woman there in the orange suit; she has been watching you for some time now.”

“How do you know she’s not watching you?”

“That was me first thought as well. So I watch her looking at you, until she see me watching her, then she look away.”

I turned to see who he was talking about. She was very pretty, kind of classy. The longer I looked the more she looked like I knew her from somewhere. She was sitting with an older white man, having drinks, and talking. When we made eye contact she smiled and raised her glass. I picked up mine and did the same.

“I told you. The woman has been watching you all evening,” Kevon said.

“Like I know her from somewhere.”

“Want me to ask her where you know her from, boss?”

“No. Enjoy your food, she’ll be all right.”

It wasn’t too much longer after that when the two of them got up. They shook hands like they had just completed a business deal. They walked off together, but she stopped at the bar while he left the restaurant.

“I’ll be back.”

“Want me to go with you, boss?” Kevon smiled and asked.

“No, I think I can mack a woman by myself.”

I got up from the table and walked over to the bar. The woman smiled when she saw me coming. “Hello, Mr. Black. How are you?”

“I’m fine,” I said and signed for the bartender. It was obvious that we had met before, but I still had no idea who this woman was or where I knew her from.

“Remy VSOP,” I said to the bartender and turned to her.

“I thought it was you, but I wasn’t sure. And I kept looking and looking. Your friend must have thought I was trying to flirt with him.”

“He did.”

“When you turned around I was sure it was you.”

“You have me at a disadvantage.”

“You don’t remember me, do you?”

“I remember you, or I should say I recognize you. I just don’t know from where.”

She laughed. She had a pretty smile. “I’m not surprised. Even though the last time you saw me I was naked.”

“You were?”

“Yes—I was.”

I was really confused then. “If the last time I saw you, you were naked, I should at least remember your name.”

“But you don’t, do you?” she asked and continued to smile at me. She didn’t seem the least bit angry that I didn’t remember her name.

“No. I really don’t remember your name, naked or not.”

“That’s because I probably never told you my name; at least not my real name.”

“That makes me feel a little better.”

She extended her name. “I’m Jada West.”

“You’re Jada West. I heard a lot about you.”

“You have?” Jada smiled and laughed a little. “Well, I think I should be honored.”

Jada West was slowly making a reputation for herself in some circles. She ran an agency for high-priced call girls. Simply put, Jada West was one of the top madams in the city. But by never being a client of hers or anybody that worked for her, that still didn’t answer the question of where I knew her from.

“Like I said, I’ve heard a lot about you, so it’s me who’s honored to meet you. Or meet again.”

“Let me stop messing with you. We met a couple of years ago at this little club called Ecstasy. They were having a private party for The One and his entourage and you were there. I was one of the dancers that night.”

I looked at her a little closer. “I remember you, now,” I said even though I didn’t.

Jada gave me a look that told me that she knew I still didn’t remember her. “We didn’t talk for very long. You told me that you enjoyed watching me dance. I asked you if you were a friend of Bruce, Bruce. And you said that you owned the company that manages The One.”

“Now I remember you,” and this time I actually did. “I remember watching you dance. You were incredible.”

Jada laughed. “I could do a little something back then.”

“In fact, Bruce, Bruce invited me down there that night to see you; said you were the show.”

“That was a long time ago.”

“And I know why. I take it that this is much more profitable for you?”

“It is; and much easier on the feet.”

I looked down. “And you have such pretty feet.”

Jada giggled and I enjoyed the sound of it, and the smile that came with. We talked at the bar over drinks for awhile, mostly about the differences in our businesses. “Your clientele is primarily working class guys. Where my clientele is a bit more upscale,” Jada said confidently. “My clients are doctors and lawyers, actors, directors and producers, executives, CEOs and politicians.”

“Martin Marshall wouldn’t be one of them?” I asked, always looking for any edge I could find.

“Martin, no, but I do know him. Martin Marshall is an arrogant, pompous jerk, but no, he’s not a client,” Jada said and looked at her watch. “Look at the time. I’ve gotta run.” She reached in her purse and took out one of her cards. It only had a number on it. “It was good seeing you.”

I accepted the card and kissed her hand. “Hopefully, it won’t be the last time I see you.”

“You have the card. It’s my private number. Anything I could do for you, just ask,” Jada said and finished her drink.

“Before you go, let me ask you a question.”

“Sure.”

“Are any of your clients reporters?”

“Yes. Why do you ask?”

“Can you arrange a meeting?”

“With you?”

“No. I’m not sure who they’d be meeting with.”

“As long as there’s a story in it, I’m sure I can. His name is James Fremeno; he’s a reporter for the
Post
. What’s the story?”

I finished my drink and looked at Kevon. He stood up. “I’ll call you in a couple of days.”

“I’m sure that you will.”

“Why is that?”

Jada smiled. “Because it seems that now I suddenly have something you want. And you impress me as a man who always gets what he wants.”

“Not all the time.”

What I really want is Cassandra.

But that’s not gonna happen.

Chapter 34

Nick Simmons

I opened my eyes and looked around the room, halfway expecting Wanda to be sitting there watching me sleep.

It was after midnight by the time I got to Wanda’s house. She was still up waiting for me when I got there. After I left Rain at the motel I thought it would be a good idea for me to be seen at a few of our spots. Since Wanda had eyes everywhere, I figured I’d put them to work for me.

“How’d it go?” Wanda asked as soon as I got in the house.

“Somebody got there before we did. They were dead when we got there.”

“We? Who is we?”

“Me and Rain.”

“Why you take her?”

“Wanda—we’ve been through this. Rain is helping me. We followed-up on her lead, then I dropped her off at JR’s.”

“What you do after that?”

I laughed. “I really don’t like being interrogated, counselor, but if you want me to account for my whereabouts, fine. After I dropped her off, I got a picture of her brother and then I went to Monika’s. Then I hit a few stops.” Wanda doesn’t like Monika. She swears something is going on between us, so I know she won’t call her for any reason.
 

“What you go to Monika for?”

“She’s helping me with Zakiya’s murder, too. She was having an affair with a married man whose on-line name is Nice N. Slow. The e-mails were sent from a computer at JR’s. I think that Rain’s brother Miles sent them. That’s why I got his picture, so I could show it to the staff at Paradise tomorrow.”

That was my plan for the day.

I got out of bed, took a shower, and was at Paradise by one. The place was packed. I made eye contact with Tasheka and took a seat. When things quieted down a little, Tasheka came to the table with some lemonade for me. “How are you doin’, Nick?”

“I’m doin’ fine, Tasheka. How about you?”

“Tired; need a better job. But other than that, I’m fine.”

And she was; fine as hell.

“Have seat, Tasheka, I got something I want you to take a look at.”

Tasheka sat down and I handed her the picture that I had taken of Miles. She looked at the picture and shook her head. “That’s him. That’s the guy she used to meet here.”

“Are you sure?”

“Sure am,” she said. “Shameka, come here.”

“Don’t you see I’m busy?” Shameka shouted back.

“I can’t stand her ass sometimes,” Tasheka frowned. “That’s why I need a new job.”

Tasheka got up. She took the pictures behind the counter to show Shameka. She looked at the pictures and came from behind the counter.