TEN YEARS AGO

Carol dropped the envelope in complete horror. Now that Stella had her attention with the stick, it was time to give her the carrot.

“Don’t worry, I’ve known for a while now. I’ve to give you this, you’re extremely adept at covering your tracks. Under normal circumstances, no one would ever know. You’re a bold bitch, by the way. You screwed him under the cross in his father’s church? You are truly immoral, just like I like em.”

Carol struggled to find her voice, speaking barely above a whisper when she asked, “How did you know?”

“Read the document, Carol. Just read it.”

Carol nervously took the document out of the envelope and this time, she read it in full. She went from being nervous to being blown away by the contents. She knew Kane was stupid rich, but she didn’t realize just how much he owned. This man basically ran the country with the number of businesses and holdings he had. This man wasn’t just rich, he was a whole country.

She flipped to the last page, and froze at the last line. Stella saw it, and knew her work was done. She took the paper and read the line. “All the above assets go to Carol Swanson upon my death. Signed, Marcus Malcolm Glazer.”

She then put the document back in the envelope, placed it back in the vault, and slid the mirror back to its original place.

“Why? You just told me he has a sister. Why would he do that. This doesn’t make any sense.”

Stella was gearing towards playtime, but she first had to settle this small matter. “He has a sister, but they are estranged. He hasn’t seen or heard from her in decades. There is every chance she’s dead, and he doesn’t want to risk willing this much away to someone who is dead; the government could easily just take it all if that happens. I don’t want any parts of it because I wouldn’t know what the heck to do with any of it. Tembo’s, well, a greedy bastard who would piss it all away. That leaves you.”

Carol was still coming to terms with the information she was receiving, and her brain had slowed down because there was too much to process. “What makes him think I wouldn’t piss it all away?”

“You’re not just a girl, Carol. You’re the key to the whole thing. Your name is on every account, every book, every company and corporation. It’s how he’s been able to avoid any exposure all these years. You’re very good at hiding, so no one actually knows who you are, even your clients. That makes it even easier for him to acquire more things without being caught. Do you know how many conflict of interest suits could be brought against him if this ever came out?”

“Why would you risk telling me all this when you know I could easily just kill him and take it all?”

Stella leaned in. It was time. “Between you and I, I know that down the road, you’re going to need an escape hatch. Based on what I know, that boy will be forced to choose between his father and you. If he chooses you, he’s going to need an escape hatch too. Cos neither one of you is equipped enough to escape the network of Malcolm. This is my way of making sure you understand that you have one. Whatever you choose to do with this information, well, that’s up to you. If anyone else finds out, I’ll know you betrayed my trust, and you will be dead. If you somehow survive, your name is on a whole host of shady companies, so sooner or later, you’ll be prosecuted. You are the spider at the heart of the web, sweetheart. If the web goes down, Malcolm will survive, I will survive, Tembo might even make it out, but you absolutely won’t.”

Carol stood up, a headache making its way to the fore of her noggin. She began to massage her temples as she processed what she’d just learned. She owned everything, yet none of it was really hers. But all of it would be hers soon if she played her cards right. She was at the center of everything, but she was also just a girl, part of a bigger organization. The only difference between her and the others was that she had some degree of autonomy on her clientele and the amount and kinds of work she did, and the others had none. Yet she’d just learned that she had much more value than that.

Stella saw the wheels turning in her head and knew there was nothing more that needed doing. All the motivation Carol needed to make the choice she’d need to make soon was at her disposal. Now, it was time for fun.

Stella got up, went to her and held her. “Don’t freak out, Carol. Just take your time with it. I told you this in the hopes that you’d make the right choice when the time comes, but that’s not the only reason I brought you up here.”

Carol looked at her, eyes wide open. She had already received enough shock to last two lifetimes; she wasn’t about to receive another one. “Whatever it is, Stella, it’s going to have to-“

Stella put a finger to Carol’s lips. “Shh. The other reason I brought you here is that I missed you, babe.”

“Girl, are you kidding? You just blew my whole mind and now you want to be nasty? I thought we said no more cos you got a girlfriend.”

“Girlfriend’s been gone a long time, sweetie. She did not have your tongue.”

“But this is Kane’s bedroom! He could come in here any-“

The smooch that found her lips as Stella ran her hands all over her completely silenced her. She tried to gain a little space so she could speak, but she was defenseless against Stella. She loved Caris and neither her nor Stella wanted to be together, but neither one could resist the other and they both knew it. Stella would never be Caris, but she came pretty damn close.

Stella pulled away to give Carol a chance to breathe after overwhelming her lips, and what she found pleased her. Carol was fired up and ready to go.

Stella laid on the bed and pulled the dress she was wearing up. Carol gasped at the sight. “So this is what you wanted all along. You whore!”

Stella smiled at her, and while fixing her gaze squarely on Carol, she motioned her over with her middle finger and said, “Bring me my tongue!”

*****

“I’ve got business for you, and I think you’re going to like it.”

Kane went straight to business once they’d began eating the Jamaican food they’d ordered. “A threesome with a special client, and you get to pick the girl.”

“Since when do you allow your treats to pick their partners?”

“You’re the only one who gets to.”

“Can I ask why?”

“Carol, you’re my favorite girl. Everyone knows that. But I’ve kept you in a box too long. It’s time for you to come out. I’ll go one step further and let you in on the details this time. The client technically didn’t make the request, but he’s threatening to bring our whole sweet operation down and I need to take him out.”

Carol stopped eating. “Kane, you know I don’t do personal bullshit.”

“Yeah, but I also know that you love the perks that this life affords you. The money, the contacts, the parties you get to go to. Didn’t you get to go to Dubai like three times in a month at some point? You’re under thirty, making in a week what many make in six months. Do you want it all to go away?”

“Boss, you mean to tell me that with all your contacts, you can’t get this guy off your back?”

“I’ve tried, Carol. But it’s a little tricky. His father is Bishop Charles Monslant.”

“The right hand to Archbishop Benton?”

“Same guy.”

“And let me guess, you don’t want to go against the Oracle of God?”

“Exactly, Carol. Exactly.” 

Carol stood up and paced the room. Kane could easily have ordered her and she’d have no choice, but here he was, asking her instead. This wasn’t the first time they’d smeared someone, but she hadn’t known the previous times and she’d hated that.

“What’s in this for me?”

Kane smiled. He had her right where he wanted her. “Finish this deal, and you get the keys to this side of the business. You run the treats, you pick the clients, you take the profits. I’ve been wanting to focus more on the other stuff for a while, and your ability to manage your clientele tells me that you’re the right person to take over this side of things.”

“I get the Agency all to myself?”

“You get the Agency all to yourself.”

Now that was tempting. Add to that the information she’d just learned from Stella and she knew exactly what her answer had to be. She thought when Stella told her to make the right choice when the time came that she was talking about this meeting with Kane, but she now knew that she was mistaken. That had nothing to do with this meeting.

You don’t tell someone where to find your money if you don’t want them to have it. She wanted her to take Kane out. But why?

Out of all the girls in Kane’s orbit, she was the only one who had no part in any of the work. All she did was be his secretary. She was well taken care of, and she knew more than anyone. So why did she want Kane removed? Whatever the answer was, she’d get it out of her one of these days, but for now, she knew exactly what needed to be done.

“You know what, Kane, I’m in. Tell me when and where.”

“Good girl. I knew you’d see things my way. I’m leaving the entire operation to you. You have two weeks to get it done.”

“I’ll take the two weeks, but I might need only one.”

“Cocky. I like that.”

Carol stood up to leave.

“Carol, one more thing.” Kane pulled out a small box from his desk drawer, “The box has two small cams in it, so you two can record the affair.”

“I won’t let you down, Kane.”

“I know, cos you have skin in the game now. Call me when it’s done.”

*****

PRESENT DAY

Goosman woke up to what sounded like someone walking in heels and other people talking. He’d been drugged shortly after he was captured, so he could very well be in hell for all he knew. Once he had a bit more consciousness about him, he made the smart choice to try as hard as he can not to move. Maybe they’d think he was still asleep and start talking loosely enough to reveal some info. He’d been on the other side of this operation many a time; someone always talked loose. He’d barely gotten a chance to have that hope when it got sent straight to purgatory.

All he heard was a brief scraping sound and then the next thing he knew, his eyes were being blinded by light. One of the guys had removed the bag from his head and checked his eyes with a torch.

The next face he saw had him pooping his pants. It couldn’t be. There was just no way. It just could not be!

Seth shook his head. He was a hard guy, no doubt, but goddamn can a woman make you a bitch if she really wants to. At this point, he knew he was definitely dead. There was no use in protecting Tembo anymore; it was time to sing. “Herh! Fear woman and live long.”

The woman came within an inch of his face and looked him squarely in the eyes, as though she was about to kiss him. Then she smiled and said, “Hello, Seth. Are you ready to talk now, or would you like a taser first?”

I wonder who this woman is… and it’s looking like Stella was the mastermind behind this plot against Kane. But why?