Sunday afternoon, Celia and Rick packed her things in their cars and drove down to Runaway Bay. Mrs. Donaldson hugged them both and Rick could understand by just looking at her that Celia was telling the truth. She had a meal waiting for them. After they finished eating, she asked a neighbor to pick some coconuts and cut some sugar cane for Rick. Rick didn’t leave until after seven o’clock. He reached Kingston at eleven o’clock that night and couldn’t help feeling a sign of loneliness at not seeing Celia in the house.
***
Linton and Melanie were lying naked on the bed in his bedroom. They had just finished making love and were basking in the afterglow.
Melanie told him that she wanted to take a nap before having her bath and going home. Linton soon joined her. When they woke up, Melaine said.
“You’re so virile, Linton. I don’t think you can ever tire. I think you’re capable of going all night. I never knew it was possible to climax so many times any day or night.”
Linton laughed.
“I have to work hard to keep up with you.”
“I wouldn’t be lying here beside you if I believed in casual sex. I’m only sleeping with you because I hope something can come out of this relationship.”
“We’ll have to work at it. Flavia and Kedija both believed that I would return to the States, but I have no intention of doing so.”
“That girl’s wedding that we went to, if you were as big as her husband I’d be afraid to make love to you. Can you imagine him lying on top of her? She’d be a pancake when they’re finished.”
Linton smiled and then burst out laughing.
“I think Bobbette will have to ride him.”
“That’s what I would do,” Melanie said.
“I’m learning a lot of things from you.”
“I’m the one who’s learning. I want you to buy up some morethings so that if I’m coming to stay with you I’ll have all the things I need to look after our meals.”
“You can tell me how much they’ll cost and I’ll give you the money.”
“I eat all my foods fresh, that’s why I prefer to go to the markets and get them.”
“Why don’t you like food that has been preserved?
“Too many preservatives in them and I don’t think they’re good for you. Anyway, I’d better go have a bath and then you can drop me home.”
“Want us to have our bath together?”
“Not when I remember what happened in Ocho Rios. It’s a wonder we eventually came out of that bathroom.”
Linton laughed as Melanie went to have her bath.
***
Tuesday evening Bev and Glen were sitting in her garden talking. Glen had come to take her to Corners but she told him that she preferred if they sit out in the garden and talk.
“I never knew Rory was like that,” Bev remarked.
“He ran away after lying about you and him. That’s what’s so disgusting.”
“Here I was pining over him and not realizing that he wasn’t worth it.”
They shared a short hug before pulling apart.
“So are you shying away from the club scene?” Glen asked and Bev laughed.
“You know how I like clubbing, it’s just that I thought we should sit and talk some more.”
“That’s good. I think we have a lot to talk about especially seeing how we’ve been brought together.”
“I’m still scared, I could be here tomorrow and hear that you’re in the States. Then there’s all those girls pursuing you.”
“You’re scared of me because you think I’m rich but what about you? I could call you rich too. You live in the Canrieves where only the rich live.”
“Even if I was rich, which I’m not, it’s different from you guys.”
“If you say you’re not wealthy, you can’t say you’re not beautiful,” he said. “Those women tend to attract wealthy men, not me because I’m not in that league. There were lots of rich guys on campus who wanted to date you but you seem so dedicated to Rory that they didn’t figure they would have a chance.”
“I never knew that, but seriously, I don’t want to commit myself to anybody and end up getting hurt. I don’t think I’m good looking and I wouldn’t have gone out with any of those guys. They just use women as trophies.”
“It’s like my sister, Morgana; she was seeing this guy, Linton. He had a crew and the guys used to party with the hottest girls and drive the most expensive cars. After a while she said she got tired of it because she felt that he was using her to show off on his friends. She told him to choose between her and the crew and he chose the crew. He threatened her, but she told him that if he called her back she would call the police.”
“You’ve got to trust someone. You know about me and Leona. We broke up because I found out that she just wanted money out of me.”
Bev nodded in acknowledgement of what he had just said.
“You know about me and Rory. We used to go around since I was in grade ten at high school. We were still friends after he went up. Then my friend, Roxanne, told me about him and a girl called Brittany. He came out here and I asked him about her and he kept denying it. Then he went up this last time here and didn’t contact me for more than three months and then he suddenly came out and came up with some stupid story expecting me to believe him. But you know all about that.”
“I could say that I’ve known you all my life. I know you aren’t hiding anything from me.”
“I want to be honest with you. Rick and I were never lovers, but then I decided that it was wrong of me because I knew Celia for so long.”
“You forget that Rory and I used to attend the same school. Remember when we used to go to athletic meetings and football matches, you were always wearing his tie. I always wished it was mine.”
“Oh, Glen, you were so shy, the shy rich kid treating his friends. There were so many girls who wanted to be friends with you that I never thought you’d notice me,” Bev said and Glen laughed.
“Most of us guys thought you were the prettiest girl around. I only used to see you once or twice a week those days. But I always said that I would one day like you to be my girlfriend.”
“Let’s say we’re good friends, who like each other’s company. Remember we’ve just started going around together. I mean I’ve known you a long time, but we used to go around with other people.”
“There was a time when everybody including me said they never saw you out with the same girl twice. Why did you change or have you?”
“My father warned me that my behavior was irresponsible. He said he would bar me from having any position in any of his businesses unless I changed my ways.”
“When I looked back I realized that I had done some bad things. I stopped but there was a lot of temptation but I somehow managed to resist them.”
“I’m glad to hear what you have to say about those things, Glen. I think you’re a strong person not to have gone back to your old ways.”
Glen nodded in acknowledgement of what she just said.
“I’m not pressuring you. It’s just that I don’t want you to feel that because of this rich guy’s image I don’t care about you.”
“I want an open, honest relationship with you. I’ve told my mother and my sister that I’m seeing you. I didn’t want to hear that I was intruding in another woman’s relationship with her man. That’s why I waited until you told me that you and Leona had broken up. It’s not that I wished anything like that.”
“Listen, it’s like I told you. I’ve always been willing to wait in the background. You know that I knew about you and Rory and Rick. I think this is our time now.”
“I hope you’re not thinking of proposing,” Bev said and laughed and Glen joined her in laughing. They had hardly finished laughing when a white pick-up van drove up to the gate and stopped.
“I’d better go and see who that is, seeing that I’m the only family member at home,” she told Glen and both of them moved to the gate. It was Eric Bishop.
“Is your sister at home?” he asked, coming out of the pick-up.
“Why are you asking for my sister, sir? Does she know you?”
“No, but it might be for her own good if she calls me when she gets in as the matter is very urgent.”
“What is your name? Is she in some kind of trouble? Has she met in an accident or something?”
“No, I don’t know about her and any accident. I’ll be on my way but
I’ll leave my phone number with you. Give it to her, it might suit her to call me,” Bishop said and opened his pick-up door and got in. He closed back the van door, started the vehicle and drove off, leaving Glen and Bev staring at his departing vehicle, wide eyed.
Bev, Monique and Glen were all gathered around Morgana when she came off the phone after talking to Eric Bishop.
“I can bet it was some hoax,” Bev said.
“Remember that guy, who tried to rob me and was killed in that prison riot. He said that his marijuana smoking brother is on the loose. He blames me for his brother’s death and is promising to kill me. He said that he robbed a client of his and is responsible for killing that bank manager, Winston Nielson and that Chinese businessman, Oraine Chen. He says that he’s a private investigator in those killings. I don’t know if I believe him,” Morgana told them.
All of them had heard about the murder of the two men last March.
“Did he give you his name or the name of the man, who is threatening to kill you, Morgana?” Monique asked.
“He refused to give me his name or that of my would be assassin.”
“I don’t think we should take it lightly. I want you to report it to the police. They must know who this man is.
Let’s report it from tonight,” Monique suggested, picking up the phone.
***
Bishop was in his office Thursday morning. He was
thinking about meeting that young woman and then speaking to her sister. She was one of the best looking girls he had ever seen and what a sweet voice her sister had. He had no doubt that she was just as beautiful and based on the pictures he had seen in the newspapers she was. He counted it a bit of ingenuity on his part to have remembered the sketch of her that Stan had shown him and then to have placed her as Sally Strudwick’s niece and her bridesmaid at her wedding. An agent was already following her around while another was staked out and watching her house. Both had pictures of Stan and were under orders to kill him on sight. The telephone rang Bishop hoped that it was the girl or even better, an agent reporting Stan’s death and the recovery of Oraine Chen’s gun.
“Bishop, time is running out. How come you’ve made such an easy job appear to be so difficult? You’re losing your sharpness and you know what the organization does to those who get rusty on the job,” the Duke warned.
“I am almost on to him, I’ve closed all loopholes. There’s no way he can come to Kingston and my men don’t pick him up,” Bishop replied.
“He slipped through your fingers already. We’re wondering how come you let a stupid marijuana smoker do that to you. Remember it was you who told us about him, but I have my doubts as to the accuracy of anything that you told us about that guy. Anyway, just ten more days, I’m gone.”
The Duke hung up the phone on Bishop. Bishop was awash with perspiration. He knew that the syndicate was angry with him for having so far failed to kill Stan. He knew that he was hiding down in St. Catherine but all their searches had been in vain. He had just about used up all his money out of the deal so there would be no further monetary rewards coming his way with Stan’s death. But Stan had to be killed to silence him forever. The gun was the key because anybody found with it would be getting a bullet and the blame for those two men’s death. Bishop had thought it a piece of cake when he had planned the killings with Stan as the sacrificial lamb. The only thing that had saved Stan was the amount of time it took them to put up the reward money and that fool of an operative, who had let him slip through their trap.
Bishop knew he couldn’t spare another operative. Several business persons and celebrities were already complaining that they weren’t being assigned their quota of bodyguards and he didn’t want to lose any of those lucrative contracts. The Chinese man’s family was giving one million dollars while the banker’s employers were putting up another million dollars. Already they had thought of killing another man but the Chinese man’s gun was the problem. Stan had used Oraine’s gun to kill the banker so even if he had disposed of his gun, the Chinese man’s gun could be linked to both murders. Bishop wondered if Stan still had the gun. He looked at his watch. It was ten minutes to one and he was feeling hungry. He decided that he would go to the nearby restaurant and eat some food.
***
Linton had driven to Melanie's home where they had dinner and were now relaxing on her patio. They were sipping champagne. She had made a list of the things he needed for his apartment so that when she came to stay with him she had everything she needed to prepare their meals. They had agreed to spend every other evening at each other’s house but Melanie would spend weekends with him.
“What’s the crew doing this weekend, Linton?”
“We’re staying in town. I understand there are some big parties taking place up in the Stony Hill area. Would you like us to go and have a look?”
“I wouldn’t mind. Whatever happened to that guy, who smashed up his girlfriend’s living room?”
Linton couldn’t remember if he had told her about that incident. He knew it had happened while he and Kedija were still going around.
“You mean Waldo Masters. He’s out on bail. But he could get jail time or pay a big fine because he’s facing charges of assault and malicious destruction of property. Both Sheena and Ayisha are suing him for close to a million dollars.”
“I can see that he’s in big trouble then.”
“He brought it on himself. Lucky for him that he still has a job.”
“I don’t like jealous men.”
“I’m not the jealous type. Sheena couldn’t go anywhere without telling Waldo where she was going or getting him to take her although she had her own car. He didn’t want her to even get a car.”
“She must have been glad to get rid of him. It’s a pity the circumstances couldn’t have been different.”
“Back to those parties, one will be at the Temple Hall Estates and the other will be over at Boone Hall.”
“I’ve been up there a couple of times and their parties are always wonderful.”
Melanie and Linton spent the rest of the evening talking. She filled him in on the gaps in her life that he didn’t know about and he filled her in on details about his own life that she had been foggy about. Linton didn’t leave Melanie’s house until eleven thirty that night.
***
Bev was in her car in the parking lot of Chet’s Place. She had eaten some food and was heading back to campus when a car came and stopped beside her and a woman came out. It was Leona Marcus. She came and stood beside Bev’s car.
“So you’re along with Glen now, Bev,” she shouted. “He’s still my man and I’m not going to let you take him away from me.”
Bev was astounded. It wouldn’t do for two college students to behave in this boisterous manner. There could be sanctions against them both if it was reported to the university authorities. Nevertheless, she wasn’t afraid of Leona. She opened the car door and came out.
“I didn’t take him away from you, Leona. He came to me willingly. I’m not after his money like you,” she shouted.
“Because you live in the Canrieves and have this mansion you feel that you can do anything. You’ve been throwing yourself at him in an effort to get him away from me, but it’s not going to work. Glen doesn’t want you. He’s just using you and he’ll soon chase you away from him when he gets tired of you.”
“I’m not sleeping with Glen for your information. I’m not that cheap. I’ve never slept with a man yet who wasn’t officially my boyfriend. We’re just good friends, that’s all. Glen would never tell you that he slept with me. What about you? I could tell him that I saw you out with Duncan.”
“So you saw me out with Duncan and you’re accusing me of going to bed with him. You’ve been out more than once with my man and yet you’re denying that you’re sleeping with him.”
“I want you out of my man’s life, girl. Leave him alone,” she shouted, pointing her hands in Bev’s face and Bev boxed it away and rushed at her and the two women started to wrestle but some men who were nearby quickly pulled them apart. But Bev pulled off her slippers and rushed down on Leona and started slapping her up. Some of the spectators managed to hold her and Leona started crying. The small crowd that had gathered recognized the two women by their dress and demeanor to be university students. Some of the spectators were crying shame on them.
“Both of you should be expelled from the university. You’re both bad examples of students,” a woman admonished them.
“I’m paying my taxes to help with both of your education. I can bet it’s some man you’re fighting over,” a middle aged man said.
“I’m sorry the police aren’t around to arrest both of you,” another man said.
Bev was examining herself for any signs of injury. Leona was doing the same thing and she had stopped crying. The two women looked at each other.
“I’ll catch you again. Don’t think you’ve gotten away. You must thank those people for saving you,”
“It’s you who are lucky that those people stopped me from giving you a proper beating, Leona. But if you want us to meet again, you just name the place and date.”
Leona hissed her teeth and went to her car and got in.
“You’re just boasting because you never got enough girl, but as I said I’ll catch you again,” she shouted before driving off.
Bev watched her go. It was the first time she had ever gotten into a fight with another woman over a man. She was glad that there were no scratches on her body nor her clothes being torn. Nevertheless, she had to tell Glen about what had taken place. She had to admit that she wanted Glen. As she got into her car and prepared to drive off, she knew that if Leona wasn’t yet out of his life she was prepared to fight her for him.
***
Stewart and April went over to Black River, staying at Suzette’s Guest House. They went on the Black River Safari along with some German and Dutch tourists. Both of them found it comical that they couldn’t understand a word of what their fellow tourists were saying.
***
Glen was sitting on his balcony when his cell phone rang. He picked up the phone and pressed the call button. Bev was on the line.
“Glen, you nearly had to come and bail me.”
Glen didn’t know what she was talking about. It couldn’t be anything to do with Rory because he had returned to the States from last week.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Bev.”
“Your ex-girlfriend, Leona, came to fight me. We got into wrestling with each other, but some people pulled us apart.”
“What! I don’t believe you. But is everything okay with you?”
“Sure I’m all right, but I thought you would be asking about your ex-girlfriend and wanting to make sure that I hadn’t injured her.”
Glen didn’t know what to say. It wasn’t the first time two women had been involved in a fight over him. He didn’t want to ascribe blame to either woman. In his late and wild teen years Astrid Lecky and Dawnette Summers had gotten into a shouting match after Dawnette came to a party and found him already there with Astrid. He had intervened, sending Dawnette away and although she didn’t speak to him for a couple of weeks he felt he had done the right thing. As far as he was concerned everything between him and Leona was over and she was probably desperate to get him back hence her coming to fight Bev.
“You want me to come down there?”
“You want to come and beat me up for fighting your ex-girlfriend?”
“Bev, be serious. You know that Leona and I are no longer friends.”
“I feel bad, honestly, I do. We were there arguing and she was accusing me of taking you away from her. Then she pushed her hand in my face and I boxed it away. Then we started to wrestle with each other until those people pulled us apart.”
“I feel like you. Leona and I have broken up officially and she knows that everything is over between us. We had a meeting and we decided to end our relationship. I don’t know what she was trying to accomplish by coming to fight you. I’m going to apologize to you for causing this.”
Bev was silent for a few seconds.
“Does that mean that you don’t want to talk to me again?”
Glen was taken aback by the question.
“Of course not, I don’t know why you should feel that way after what I’ve told you. I’ll come by your house tomorrow after classes and we can talk some more.”
“Okay and I’m sorry about what happened.”
“You have nothing to be sorry about because I know it wasn’t you who started anything.”
“Tomorrow then,” she said before they both ended the call.
***
Brad and Jenna were sitting on the front patio of her apartment. Brad had come to look for her. Kailen and Jaimie had already gone to bed.
“I’ve been trying to get you to go out all week, but you were so busy.”
“I wasn’t feeling well, Brad. I hope you don’t think that I’m avoiding you or anything like that.”
“Those thoughts never came into my mind. Although I must confess that I thought maybe you felt that I was a bit too boring.”
“How can you be saying that after all the exciting times we’ve had.”
“So can we go out this weekend?”
She came into his arms.
“Don’t pay me no mind, sometimes I can get very miserable. Of course I’ll go out with you, darling.”
She got up and went inside for some orange juice for both of them. While they were having their drinks Brad said.
“You know my associate, Morgana, was telling us about this man who stopped by their gate and gave her a number to call. When she called him he told her about a guy who was threatening to kill her. Apparently she identified a murderer, who subsequently died in some prison riot that I heard took place late last year. This man who’s threatening to kill her is his brother.”
Jenna could only remember faintly about it.
“Oh my God, so what is she doing about it?”
“They’ve beefed up security at the office and I think they have armed patrols in their neighborhood.”
“I wish her the best. So has she and her fiance finally separated?”
“All I know is that they’re no longer going around together.”
“So how’s life? Did you miss me?”
“Sure I did and I don’t want you to believe that it was just your body I was after. You know how I feel about you,” he said as she snuggled closer into his arms.
“I’d love for us to make love tonight, honey, but I’m feeling so tired.”
“I’m in no rush, baby,” Brad told her. “So how are Jaimie and Kailen doing?”
“They are doing fine,” Jenna replied. “You know that Kailen’s immigration papers will soon come through. I’m sure I told you that her mother was filing for her.”
Brad nodded.
“I’ll be glad for her.”
“I haven’t heard if Robert and his wife have returned from their honeymoon.”
“Far as I know they haven’t returned yet,” Brad replied not wanting to expand on the subject knowing that she was worried as to whether Robert would continue to maintain Jaimie.
“I don’t think even Sally has returned from her honeymoon.”
“Wow, look at that. I can bet that Bobbette will return pregnant.”
“That’s what honeymoons are for. I don’t think that couple has anything to worry about,” Brad remarked looking at his watch.
“Hey, it’s nearly eleven, I’d better go. I have this early morning meeting, plus you have to go to work too, honey,” he said, drawing her into his arms and kissing her.
“I’ll see you tomorrow night,” Brad said as he left Jenna.
After Brad left Jenna turned off the television and lay on the couch thinking. Selwyn was due on the island a week from now. He would almost certainly want to stay with her. Could she honestly fall back into his arms after what he had done to her and what she had done to him? Was she in love with Brad? While his parents had greeted her with handshakes and hugs at his housewarming party, she wasn’t sure how they would react if he told them that they were getting married. She couldn’t hide from Brad the fact that she had deceived Robert. She had to have a serious talk with Selwyn when he arrived, but she knew that very soon she had to face Brad with the truth.
***
Stan had bought a cheap cell phone. He called Natalie’s number twice without getting an answer. He dialed the number again and a voice came on the line. Stan couldn’t tell whether it was Natalie or not.
Then he realized his mistake and ended the call. Bishop would have agents posted at Natalie’s house. Natalie, having used off his money would be only too willing to betray him. He had to plan fast. He took out the newspaper clippings. It showed a picture of the bridal party of the former Mrs. Sally Strudwick’s marriage to Vernon Hanlan. The picture of the girl was there, he was sure that it was her. Her name was Morgana Simmons. It also said that the function was kept at her home on Hobbs Avenue in the Canrieves. He had told Bishop about her, so could it be possible that he had her house staked out? He would kill Bishop first, then find the girl and kill her and then go after Linton.
Then he looked back at the paper, Strudwick; that was the name of the man he had killed in Papine. So his wife had re-married. Bishop had told him that a well known individual owed him gambling debts in the millions. Strudwick was putting the screws on him and he wanted him out of the way. Bishop had been lying. Maybe the rumor on the streets that the man had been killed because a rival hardware merchant wanted to get rid of him because he was undercutting his prices was true. Stan stood up, he had so many things on Bishop. He knew it would be stupid of him to go to the police and he in fact would be committing suicide. He had heard that the man he had shot last week was dead.