Matthew shook his head in doubt, “There has to be someone out there who’s heard something closer to the truth. Why would this guy confess to a crime he didn’t commit?”
“I know Robert Cabara is responsible for Elizabeth’s death, I just don’t have the details or proof, but the truth will be revealed. It always comes out somehow,” Roger said thoughtfully as he looked at his watch. “I’ve got to go. I have two more meetings to get to today.”
“We’ll walk you out. We have court this afternoon,” Jim grabbed his suit jacket.
Matthew nodded, “Oh, yes, two hearings I’ve been trying to avoid.” After standing and retrieving his own jacket and briefcase, Matthew caught up with them and cut the light off as he exited the office.
***
Justina had just finished her meeting when Nick walked into her office, “Nick, darling.” She stood and gave him a hug and kiss as the others gathered up their paperwork. As they exited, Joyce frowned, Maggie rolled her eyes, and Christopher smirked. Justina stared at them all with disapproval.
“I’m cooking dinner at my place tonight.” She turned and sat down on her sofa while holding his hand. “Is 7:00 pm good for you?”
“Oh yeah, that’s a perfect time and so is this,” Nick pulled her close to him and began kissing her.
Justina pulled away from him, “I have too much work to catch up on, Nick.”
Nick ignored her as he brought her into his arms again and kissed her. “Stop, Nick.”
Nick stood, “What’s wrong with you? You act as if you don’t have time for me.”
“I’m just tired and I have so much work to do.” Justina kissed him on his cheek and whispered, “I’ll see you tonight.”
Nick stormed out of the office without saying goodbye.
Joyce returned soon after and noticed Justina appeared distracted. “What’s wrong?”
Justina gazed at her friend with a smile. “Did we pass Christopher’s budget limit?”
“No. We went over, but he said he’d take it out of your paycheck.”
The two women laughed together.
“You were supposed to fill me in on what happened between you and Matthew.”
Justina said nothing.
“I know something hot happened and you might as well tell me.”
“You are so mistaken. I wasn’t attracted to him in the least.” Sarcasm seeped out of Justina’s mouth.
Joyce laughed, “The sparks were flying between you two! Everyone noticed them.”
Justina grunted as Joyce laughed at her and sat down with her on the sofa. “Joyce, I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I just felt an instant attraction to him that I have never felt before. Does that make me a bad person for being attracted to one man while being attached to another man?”
“No, it just strengthens the fact even more that you aren’t supposed to be with Nick.”
“I think you might be right about that.” Justina let out a deep breath and continued, “Matthew kissed me Saturday night. I have never been kissed like that before. I have never felt such passion. I feel guilty over his kisses.”
“You want to see him again.”
“I have to stay away from him and for sure not be alone with him. I am intimately involved with Nick.”
“You’re afraid of falling in love with him.”
“I know this man’s reputation and it’s of an untamed playboy, the same as Nick. He’s not capable of a serious relationship. He’s arrogant and self absorbed.”
“You're harsh on a man you just met. I don’t see that in him at all. Nick divorced his wife. Matthew’s wife died; big difference.” Joyce stood and walked to the fridge. She got them some drinks. “If the right woman came along, then she could change his wild ways.”
“I’m not the right woman and I don’t want to change anyone’s wild ways. I just want to be left in peace. I’m confused enough over Nick; the last thing I need is to involve myself in another doomed relationship.” Justina decided she did not want to work anymore, so she grabbed her bags and stood. “I have to buy accessories for Saturday evening; want to tag along?”
Joyce stood and grabbed her handbag, “I never turn down a good shopping trip.”
Chapter Twelve
Matthew made connections with some of his street contacts and now was waiting in Deep Ellum for some feedback. He was a patient man when it came to investigation work, unlike Jim who would avoid stakeouts if possible. He thought back to the discussion with Roger and Jim.
“We have to get Cabara on a murder charge,” Matthew bellowed out.
“A Misdemeanor wouldn’t be pleasing to anyone,” Roger piped in
“All we need to do is to get one link connecting the Cabaras and Officer Walker’s death,” Jim reminded them. “It is possible to do that.”
Matthew cursed as he thought about how dire the situation was. His cell phone buzzed bringing him back from his thoughts. He answered his cell phone after he saw Jim’s name flashing at him.
“Talk to me, Jimmy.”
“I have our meeting with Reynolds Johnson set up for in the morning. Don’t be late,” Jim snorted.
“I’ll be there with bells on brother.”
Jim laughed, “We’ll see.”
Matthew ended the call just as Gerald opened the car door and got in. “Hi, Gerald, tell me you have something for me.”
“I don’t have any information on the cops or the old lady’s death, but I can tell you there was no assault on anybody on Market Street last weekend.” The information contradicted what his brother had said about his attack. Matthew wondered what kind of trouble Michael was involved, and how he could help him out of it. Matthew refocused on Gerald’s words.
“Two federal agents’ bodies were found in a nearby alley on Sunday morning, though. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were witnesses to the agents’ murders, but none willing to talk about it,” Gerald concluded.
“How were they killed?” Matthew began to feel sick as he thought of the agents.
“Bullets; lots and lots of bullets. They had to be identified by dental records. I’ll find out what I can and get back to you. I’m not going to promise you any results, though, the neighborhood seems tighter lipped lately.”
“Thanks, Gerald,” Matthew looked for an alley to allow his informant to exit the car without notice.
Gerald looked over Matthew’s Corvette and joked, “This car will do nicely as a payment.”
Matthew chuckled, “You’d owe me for life on that kind of deal.”
“Later, man,” Gerald pulled his jacket and hood over his head, walked briskly away from Matthew’s car, and disappeared into a dark alley.
Matthew sat there for a moment and thought about his brother, Michael. He hoped he was not gambling again. It would break his parent’s’ hearts, not to mention Michael’s bank account. Matthew cursed as he dialed Jim’s number, knowing he had to talk this through with Jim or he would never get any sleep that night.
***
The following morning, Jim and Matthew entered the prison for their meeting.
“Can you remove the chains?” Jim asked the guards.
“Yeah, Warden gave us special permission to do so.” The officer removed the chains and looked sternly at Reynolds Johnson. “I’ll be keeping my eyes on you.”
Matthew thanked the officers as they left the room. “Mr. Johnson, we appreciate you agreeing to speak with us on such short notice. We want to hear about the night Elizabeth Carr was murdered and the events leading up to that evening.”
“It’s just like I said. I flirted with that snobby little bitch at the club, she turned me down, and it pissed me off so I went to her apartment after her, but the old lady was there, so I decided to take my frustrations out on her. I didn’t mean to kill the old broad, but things just got out of hand.” Reynolds Johnson looked down at the floor.
Jim and Matthew took the action as an indication he was lyi
ng.
“Look, Johnson, we know you’re lying about the killing. The way I see it is you have nothing to lose by telling us the truth, and you could possibly escape the death sentence,” Jim spoke to Reynolds in a strong tone.
“I’m the one who killed the old broad and that’s all you need to know,” Reynolds answered with hostility in his voice.
Jim suddenly had a thought, “Mr. Johnson, if you have a family member being threatened by the Cabaras then I’m in a position to assure protection for you all.”
Reynolds shifted nervously in his chair, “I’m not saying anything else to you two.”
Matthew was about to say something else when he noticed Jim motioning for the officers to enter.
Jim turned to Reynolds, “Thank you for meeting with us, Mr. Johnson. If you can think of anything else to assist us, please, get into contact with me.”
On their way out of the prison, Jim and Matthew remained silent. When they entered Jim’s car, Matthew frowned as he looked at Jim. “Why didn’t you push the guy? I trust you to have good reason and I’d like to hear it.”
“He’s protecting someone. I want to know whom. Let’s do a good background check on him. That way, we’ll know how to approach him next time to find out who he’s protecting.”
“That’s a brilliant plan, partner,” Matthew chuckled.
Jim smiled as they began driving away. “I know; I can’t believe you ever doubted me.
Chapter Thirteen
Nick entered his office to find his brother and father with three men dressed in black suits. He politely shook the tall, dark- haired man’s hand standing next to Robert as his father made introductions.
“Nick, this is Steven Catalina, he’s son to Jacob Catalina. Jacob is preparing for a hiatus and Steven is prepping to take over the business while his father is away. The gentlemen standing near him are his, ah, associates.”
Nick shook Steven’s hands, but only nodded to the other men with Steven. They might have been called Steven’s associates, but everyone in the room knew what they really were, Steven’s bodyguards. The men did not acknowledge Nick’s nod, which certainly was a telltale sign of guards.
“What your father so kindly avoided saying is my father’s in prison at this time and until he’s free, I’ll be running the Atlanta operations,” Steven’s expression appeared to be sullen.
“Please, give him our regards when you see him again,” Nick said, as they all took seats.
“Thank you,” Steven turned to Robert. “I’m here to discuss the problem you encountered this past weekend. It disturbed me to think such a thing could occur.”
Robert nodded and frowned, “The situation was resolved, and no one suffered any income loss or was compromised in any way.”
“Not this time, but my business associates are concerned this may occur again and we might not be so fortunate next time,” Steven countered with a serious tone.
“Joey was dealt with severely,” Robert attempted to assure Steven.
Steven stared into Robert’s face for a long while, silently studying Robert’s expression. He stood after the long silence and looked to the men behind him. He nodded his head and they immediately filed in line behind him.
Steven shot Robert another serious glance, “I certainly hope so.” Followed by his guards, he exited the office without speaking further.
After the man had left, Robert turned to his sons. “Go visit Joey again. Make him aware that this incident was his last mistake with me.”
***
Nick and Marcus sat in a back corner booth at Isabella’s, with a bottle of wine and three glasses sitting in front of them while waiting for their meeting with Joey.
As they waited for Joey to show, each man sipped on their drinks.
Marcus, being one with no patience, and his usual arrogant self cursed and tapped his fingers against the table.
Nick leaned against the booth seat, puffed on his cigar, and enjoyed his drink. He was just the opposite of Marcus. Nick was patient, thoughtful, and quiet, unless he had something important to say or was angry. When he was the latter, most everyone knew to stay out of his way. Nick heard the bell clang as the front door opened and he looked up to see Joey walking toward the table. “Our boy’s here.”
“It’s about damn time. I’m going to smack him around just for making me wait.”
Nick laughed as Joey stopped just in front of the table. He pointed to a chair and spoke to him as he poured a glass of wine for him. “Take a seat, Joey. We have some things to discuss. We met with an associate today who wasn’t too happy about the last drop.”
All three men had taken a drink before any anything else was said. Marcus and Nick sat there with cold, threatening stares, while Joey trembled with fear, barely able to hold the wine glass. After taking in a long drink, he placed the glass back on the table.
“The next time you bring cops into our midst, we will make sure you suffer greatly before taking your last breath,” Marcus snapped.
Joey’s eyes grew round, and he stuttered nervously, “I know it could have been a bad…”
“Shut up, Joey, we aren’t interested in hearing you talk,” Nick growled.
“Our father thinks you are still useful. We disagree, but must obey him,” Marcus cursed.
“All right, you can go now, boy. Contact us when you have another potential buyer,” Nick chided.
“Now get out of here before I decide to go against my father’s wishes and shoot your ass right now where you stand,” Marcus reached over and slapped Joey’s face harshly.
Joey immediately stood and gave Marcus and Nick a serious look. “Please, tell Robert I’m sorry for the trouble. It won’t happen again. I won’t let him down next time.” He walked swiftly to the front door and exited.
“You just don’t like that man do you?” Nick asked.
“No. And I hope I’m the one that gives him what’s due to him and his brood.”
Nick gulped his wine down, “Pop says he’s got special plans for him.”
“Yeah, yeah I know, but that doesn’t mean pop is always right with his decisions.”
Nick finished off his drink as two nearly naked women approached their table. One of the women walked over to Marcus and stood directly in front of him. Marcus reached out his hands and pulled her into his arms and down onto his lap. “Come on baby, and take a ride on me,” As he groped her body.
Her friend walked over to Nick and smiled softly. Nick playfully slapped the girl on her buttocks. “You do look inviting, but I’ve got to run, but next time, baby, I promise.”
Marcus groaned as Nick stood, “Where you going little brother, don’t you want to have a little fun?”
Nick laughed, “Not tonight, “I’m off to take care of some personal things.”
Marcus waved his brother away, “Go on then, your loss, my gain,” Marcus motioned for the other girl to come over to him. When she reached him, Marcus pulled her tightly against him and fondled her with one hand as he continued fondling the girl sitting in his lap.
Nick laughed as memories played out in his mind of the times he and Marcus had shared women between them, including their wives. He also remembered the times they had shared women with their father.
When Robert called to have his daughter in laws sent to his private penthouse, Marcus and Nick learned early on not to argue and eventually came to enjoy those times as well.
Nick did not know how much fun sex education could be, but he quickly realized that it would be the best times he would ever share with his father and brother.
Nick looked over his shoulder at his brother and laughed. He then shook his head to clear his mind as he exited the cafe. Nick needed to swing by his office to grab some paperwork from his assistant before he made his way to see Justina later in the evening. He imagined it would be fun to introduce Justina into his kinky, sexy world, but he did not think she was quite ready. Soon, but not yet.
&nb
sp; Chapter Fourteen
Jim looked at his watch as he heard his office door open. He stood from his desk, shook hands with Roger, and then proceeded to pour them some coffee.
Roger took the cup of coffee offered to him, “Where’s your sidekick?”
Roger and Jim laughed as they sat down in some chairs near Jim’s desk.
Roger joked, “Mattie boy couldn’t be on time if his life depended on it.”
“I have to say he was actually on time yesterday morning when we met Reynolds Johnson,” Jim said through his laughs.
Roger displayed a shocked look on his face, “Really, that’s hard to believe.”
“It is, isn’t it?” Jim filled Roger in on their meeting with Reynolds after they ceased their laughter at Matthew’s expense.
Roger nodded his head, “I agree with your suspicions that Johnson is protecting someone.”
Suddenly, the office door opened and in strolled Matthew. He poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down in a recliner near the fireplace.
Jim and Roger gave each other amusing glances as they moved from their chairs and stood by the fireplace mantle.
Roger raised an eyebrow and shot Matthew a humorous look, “So, how late were you out last night?”
“And who were you with, exactly?” Jim chimed in.
“I bet it was Linda Jones,” Roger guessed. “Man, she sure is a looker and her legs go on forever, don’t they?”
Matthew closed his eyes as he shook his head, “Who do you two think you are my guardians?” Matthew then chuckled. “You couldn’t guess who the lucky lady was if you had hours to guess, and you don’t.”
Jim smiled, “I know who it was.”
Matthew shook his head and stated flatly, “No, it wasn’t her, so let’s move on to the meeting, shall we gentlemen?” A smirk spread across his face because he knew Jim thought it was Justina. “I don’t kiss and tell.” Matthew kept his eyes closed as he laid himself back in the recliner. He had thought about Justina all week, even while he was with Stephanie Bolero the previous evening.