Forever a Hustler's Wife (12 page)

“There is none because my husband is an innocent man.”

“Oh, I don’t believe that,” Detective Columbo said, pulling out his handcuffs and smiling.

“Look, no one here is going to do anything stupid, so there’s really no need for any handcuffs.”

“Bull-mother-fucking-shit. I got known assassins and gangsters here. I’ve got to make sure my officers are safe at all times.” He gave her a fake smile. “Now let me do my goddamn job before I give you an obstruction of justice charge.”

“You do your job, but you better inform your boys not to go into my office, the third door on the right upstairs. It’s off-limits because of attorney-client privilege.”

He laughed.

“I’m an attorney. Do
not
go into my office. I have privileged information in there, so don’t mess with anything in that room. I mean it. Nothing—not my computer or my files. Not a damn thing.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“If you violate any privileged information, I’ll have a judge on the phone so fast to quash your search warrant, your head will spin.” She turned to walk away and swung back around, getting angrier by the second. “Don’t fuck with me.”

“Your idle threats don’t scare me,” he said with a chuckle.

“Laugh now, cry later. From what I hear, you spend a lot of time crying over spilled milk,” Yarni said, referring to his past failed attempt to incarcerate her. Then she turned and walked back into the dining room with the others.

Everyone tried to get back to the celebration while the police searched the house, but no one was in the mood. They sat at the table, picking at their food, making small talk, until finally Detective Columbo and his boys came back downstairs, empty-handed. Another waste of the city’s money.

CHAPTER 16

Fighting Back

Y
arni and Marvin were in her office, getting their game plan together for the Samuel Johnson case. When they finally took a break, Yarni was surprised at how late it was. It was well past eight o’clock. She called Des but was unable to get in touch with him. She called to check on the baby, and Joyce told her Desi was already asleep.

She plopped back into her office chair, exhausted. As though reading her mind, Marvin went to his briefcase and pulled out two glasses and a bottle of vintage Bordeaux. She definitely could use a drink, but she quickly decided against it. The case was turning out to be more challenging than she’d originally thought. Samuel didn’t have an alibi, and to top it off there was a witness who stated that he’d seen Samuel pull the trigger.

“Since we didn’t get to celebrate how well the preliminary hearing went, I thought I’d bring this,” Marvin said, flashing a smile.

“Oh, that’s nice,” she said tiredly.

“Yes, a 1949 Chateau Gruaud-Larose. This has been in my family for years, but you’re the only person with whom I’ve ever wanted to share it.”

“You didn’t have to do that for me,” Yarni said, blushing in spite of herself.

“It’s for a great cause, so I hope you won’t let me drink alone.”

Yarni had taken a Percocet earlier that day. Desi had been crying, and because Yarni had felt a slight migraine coming on and she knew it was going to be a long day at the office, she’d needed something to help her relax. She knew good and well that she should decline because the wine wouldn’t mix well with the pill; however, she also knew Marvin was still a little disappointed that she hadn’t gone to dinner with him. Against her better judgment, she appeased her colleague and accepted a glass.

“To our first battle together and many great things for us to come,” he toasted. They clinked glasses, and, as Yarni took a sip of her drink, he stared at her for a few moments and smiled.

“Cheers,” she said, to break the uncomfortable silence, then took another sip of the drink. She stood and walked back over to the mahogany coffee table where they’d been working, sat on the leather sofa, and started to focus again on the papers scattered all over the table.

He walked over and sat beside her and stared at her again. She wasn’t sure if the pills were making her paranoid, but it felt as though he was undressing her with his eyes.

“Let’s get a game plan going. I want to make sure that the trial goes our way. If there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s cross-examination. What do you know about this witness?” she said, fighting the urge to shudder and trying to get things back on track.

His eyes scanned her body like a bar code as he took a sip from his glass. “What else are you good at?” he asked, looking her dead in the eyes.

“I think we’re getting off the subject matter, Mr. Sledge,” she said, trying to keep their conversation professional.

“I agree.”

“Listen, if we are going to win this case, we’ve got to get this strategy down to a T.” Yarni picked up some papers and pretended to read through them.

He removed them from her hands and moved closer, stealing a peep down her shirt. “Oh, you like to go down, huh?” He looked at her with a smirk on his face.

Yarni couldn’t believe the stupid shit he was saying. She tried to ignore the comment but found herself getting annoyed. “Look, you know Miles is the prosecutor, and from what I gather, he turns cases like this into witch hunts.”

“Look, I got this here. Don’t worry.” He moved in even closer to her, and ran his finger across her knee. “I can eat Miles and that dumb assistant of his for lunch. You’re playing in my playground, so don’t worry your pretty head about that.” He moved his finger up her thigh, getting close to where it didn’t belong.

Yarni pushed his hand away, abruptly rose from the sofa and moved to look out the window, trying to ignore his vulgar behavior. “That’s all fine and well, but we still have to be prepared.”

“You know my reputation. I’m the best at this. That’s why you got me on this team.” He walked over to her and leaned in to whisper, “You want to win,” then he blew in her ear.

Yarni pulled away, took a step back, put her hand up, and firmly said, “Don’t do that.” She wanted to say more but being so relaxed under the influence of the pills and the wine, she just dropped it. They were interrupted by a knock at the door. It was a courier bringing a file for which Marvin had been waiting. He tipped the guy and quickly sent him on his way, then focused his attention back on Yarni.

“I apologize. I know I was a bit out of line, maybe just a little beside myself. I promise it won’t happen again.”

“A little?” Her first instinct was to kick his butt out right then and there, but instead she cleared her throat. “Look, are you ready to get down to business?”

“Yes, let’s,” he said as he held up the file. “This is going to be our ace in the hole. Here’s the info that I was waiting for. We’re going to win because of this alone.” He gave off a cocky chuckle.

“Great! What is it?”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll present it at trial. You know I like to win.” He sat beside Yarni and placed it in front of her. Before she could reach for it he said, “For the record, everything I set out to conquer, I do. You know Marvin always gets what he wants.” He placed his hand on her leg again.

“Marvin, listen,” she said, the expression on her face matching the coldness in her voice. “I’m a married woman, and I love my husband.”

“Yes, but the bigger question is, Does your husband love you? We’ve been here what”—he shrugged—“a good three hours. You’re working late, and he hasn’t called to check on his wife, even though you’ve called to check on him. Where is he? At home with your newborn baby? Oh no, he isn’t, because you just spoke with your mother-in-law to see how the baby’s doing.”

“That’s none of your business,” Yarni tried to say sternly, but she choked on the words. Lately Des hadn’t been around, and hearing Marvin question Des’s love for her forced her to face the truth.

“You know I can have
any
woman I want—shoot, women throw themselves at me all day long. But guess what?” he said. “I choose you.”

“As I said, I’m happily married.” She looked into his eyes so that there would be no misunderstanding about what she was saying. “I am here to work and discuss business, not talk about my personal life.”

“I’ve never understood women like you,” he said, shaking his head and chuckling.

Yarni stood. “I think the wine and the long hours are really getting to you.”

Marvin got up and cornered her between the sofa and the coffee table. “I’ve never understood women like you,” he repeated, his voice taking on a steely edge. “You don’t want a good black man, you want an ex-con hooligan masquerading as a businessman.”

“This work session is over. I’m leaving,” she said, attempting to walk around him.

Marvin wasn’t having it, though. “No, you’re not.” He pushed her down on the sofa, almost tipping the coffee table over. “You don’t leave until I say so,” he yelled.

He delivered a backhand to Yarni’s face that knocked off her earring and left a handprint on her cheek. She was stunned. She had never been hit by a man before, so she definitely wasn’t prepared for the next punch that landed on her left eye. Yarni held her eye and bent over in shock. Marvin took advantage of her position to try to push her onto her back and get on top of her, but she managed to kick him hard. The kick accomplished one thing: It pissed him off, and he revved back and released another violent blow to her already bruised face. Before she knew, he was on top of her.

“No, no, stop, Marvin!” she screamed, trying her best to fight him off.

“Stop really means go,” he whispered, ignoring her blows and kissing her on her neck.

At what point did shit go haywire and take such a drastic turn? She couldn’t believe that this supposedly well-respected lawyer was attacking her in her own office. She had defended murderers, extortionists, and drug dealers who had treated her with more respect. Briefly, Yarni considered lying there and surrendering. Marvin was so much stronger than she was. But then the hustler’s wife in her came out. She had picked up a thing or two from Des over the years, and one of them was not to take shit from anyone. She and Marvin were not two consenting adults, and he was not going to make her do anything she didn’t want to do. This was no time to play the blame game. The plan was simple: She was going to defend herself or die trying.

She took a deep breath and tried with all her might to push him off her. However, Marvin weighed over two hundred pounds and had her pinned down tight. She couldn’t stop him or move him, but she didn’t lose hope. Yarni kept hitting him on the back, but it didn’t seem to affect him as he tore at her clothing. She reached up and started pulling on his chain and scratching him on the neck, but he kept at it. She was about to be taken. He was getting closer to winning, but right before the victory, she latched her teeth onto his earlobe and bit down as hard as she could. With one swift twist, she tore off a small chuck of his ear.

Stunned, he sat up and screamed, “Bitch!” He responded with another vicious slap in the face. “Keep it up, bitch,” he said, punching her again. “Comply now and complain later. The more you fight, the harder you make it on yourself.”

Yarni stopped fighting, which he took as a sign of surrender. She was exhausted, and the Percocet was slowing her reaction time.

“That’s right, fucking relax. Relax,” he said in a whisper as he hovered over her, preparing to finish what he had started. “Relax.”

She lay there for a second, pretending she was going to give in, but all the while picturing Des’s and her baby girl’s faces. That image brought about strength she didn’t know she had. She spread her legs and bent her knees to give Marvin access.

“Yeah, that’s what I’m talking about,” Marvin said, standing up slightly and looking down to undo his pants.

In that brief second, Yarni took off one of her Manolo Blahnik pumps, pulled back, and swung, using the shoe like a four-inch spear and striking Marvin in his head. “Get da fuck off me, motherfucker!” she screamed, breathing hard from the exertion. She gathered her strength and continued attacking him.

The continuous streams of blows rattled him, and they kept coming. He fell sideways and threw up his hands, trying to protect his head. That was the break she needed; finally she was able to push him off her. She got up and tried to run, but he grabbed her by the ankle, trying to drag her back to him, but he lost his grip.

“Where you going, bitch?” he screamed, blood running down his face. He stood and chased her around the room. When he caught her, he hit her a few times, almost knocking her out cold.

Seeing Yarni’s blood made him hesitate slightly, and Yarni took advantage of it by hitting him with the CD player that she grabbed from a bookshelf near her desk. Yarni then pulled out the chrome-plated duce-duce revolver Des insisted she keep in her desk. “Get da fuck out before I kill you, motherfucker,” she said, cocking the small pistol as tears rolled down her face.

Marvin looked at her, and it finally dawned on him that she meant business.

He held his head to keep the blood from gushing out as he grabbed his files and briefcase. He dropped his head and walked out, defeated, like a predatory wolf caught in a snare.

Yarni was so frightened and upset, she didn’t think to call security or the police. Still crying, she reached for the phone to call Des. He picked up on the first ring.

Thank God,
she thought.

“Baby, let me call you right back. I’m in the middle of something,” he said, trying to rush her off the phone.

“But—”

“I’ma hit you back, Momma.”

“I need you, though.”

“After this I’ll be on my way home. I’ll meet you there. Love you.” He hung up before she could say another word.

Later that night, when Des arrived home, he made his way quietly up the stairs and entered the bedroom. He smiled as he looked at his wife under the covers sound sleep. He took off his clothes, threw them on the chair, and got in the bed with Yarni, snuggling up against her back. It had been a long day, and he was glad finally to be home where he belonged. He kissed Yarni’s back, sensing she was awake, but she didn’t budge. He tried to cuddle up against her a bit more, but there was no response. He could tell something was wrong, but he figured she was just angry that he’d come in so late. He knew that she had to be pissed off because he had been burning the midnight oil a little bit too frequently lately.