More Money for Good (19 page)

Who would have thought that Saadia and the major had been lovers going on three years ever since they met at the Quiver Club? It turns out that Saadia was doing an undercover story about the underground sex alternate lifestyle in Atlanta. The major was investigating gambling allegations among other illegal ties within the organization when they met, which damn sure got Rossi's attention. Once Saadia starting talking we couldn't get her to stop, which was good, but we had a deadline to help Tavious from surrendering to police.

“So, tell us about these murders and how they're connected?” I asked her.

“Which one?” She was so blunt. Cold.

“All of them,” Rossi pressed.

“Well, we knew Amara,” she admitted. She could tell she had our full attention. “Let's put it like this. She starting talking.”

“Talking?” Rossi repeated.

“Yes, talking about Tavious and how much fun they were going to have once he got out of prison.”

“She knew you guys that well?”

“Yes, Amara was quite well known. She didn't hang out with a lot of people. We all met at the same time. From there we became play partners,” she explained.

“So, what happened? How'd she die?” I asked.

“She started talking about what they had planned. The major told me one night that there was no way someone who has been in jail for twenty years would come out and live a life like that without having something stashed.”

Rossi and I looked at each other.

“Something like what?” Rossi wanted to know.

“Money,” she said point blank.

“So, the major asked to see her,” she said. “You know, like a play night. When Amara agrees the major killed her—she never told me how, but she didn't find the money so she had her unit go into the house with one of Ely's dogs to find it.”

“That's how Ely was connected?” Rossi wanted to know.

“Right,” Saadia confirmed.

“But why kill 'im?”

“He knew too much and Tavious told me that Ely was holding him at bay for the missing money, that Ely knew the major's unit had just pulled out the house with his dogs.”

“So, Ely was never owed the money by Tavious,” I made sure.

“No, he was killed because he knew too much. He heard too much chatter during the raid and let what little information he did find out get him killed.”

“But Tavious told me he talked to one dealer who sold the note.”

Saadia kind of chuckled. “Ely promised him a cut. He admitted to it before he was killed.”

“By who, though?” I asked her.

“The major never told me. She did say it was someone who fought her tooth and nail on it though.”

“You mean they didn't want to do it?”

“So much that they threatened to blow the whistle on everything she was doing,” she said.

I automatically thought about Rossi's snitch, Ganes, who could be the one. But he was in the wind now and that wasn't our main concern. As far as I was concerned Ely's murder was on the major since she was the ring leader, and we had to let that be known.

Finally Saadia gave in and let us know that when we pulled up behind her she was on her way to meet with the major. They had planned to get away and regroup in Miami to think about what they were going to do concerning starting their lives together. She didn't give too much information but she babbled about how Atlanta had become somewhat acceptable to gay couples, but their announcement and walk in the lifestyle as being out would put way too much recognition on them to enjoy themselves as a couple. Their flight was for seven in the evening and the major was expecting her at five.

“So, you know there's no way we can let you run off into the sunset with your girlfriend with Tavious taking the fall,” I let her know.

Saadia thought for a second with a blank stare on her face. “I don't care anymore. How did I fall for her
all us
bullshit anyway? I feel like such a fool. She can take her girlfriend and cash, and burn in hell for all I care.”

Rossi acknowledged, “But it's not like she knows that you know about this tape. She'll be waiting for you,” he said.

“So what?” she snapped.

“So, you have to help us,” I told her. “Make her admit to the murders.”

“Hell, show us the money, too,” Rossi suggested.

Saadia gave the major up without a second thought. She called her to say that she was on the way over so they could leave as planned to Miami. I rode with Saadia as Rossi followed closely behind. The trip to the major's was about fifteen minutes. I got on the phone and called Tavious. I relayed that we had not given up and were close to finding out for sure who killed Amara and Ely. I made sure he understood not to turn himself in. Mrs. Bullock passed the message along through Tavious that whatever I had going on had to get done as soon as possible, because she had made a promise that she was going to keep.

When we pulled up to the gated community I quickly understood why the major didn't stay at her home of record. Her salary and whatever else she had going on was most definitely taking care of her expenses, as her community was full of exclusive town homes, with all-brick sides, manicured lawns, and the same German-built bullshit that Rossi enjoyed to drive sparkling for all to see in the driveways.

We get to the major's home and Saadia parked the car and exhaled. I crossed my fingers, hoping that she wasn't having second thoughts about doing her girl. Rossi parked right beside us and looked into our car with wondering eyes. Finally, without a word Saadia took her keys from the ignition, grabbed her purse, and told us to follow her.

There was a black sedan in the driveway with a man inside talking on the phone who barely paid us any attention as we walked past. But when he saw the cars parked behind him he yelled that he was getting ready to leave and we had to move our cars. Saadia told us that he was the driver who had been dispatched to take them to the airport because the major hated parking there. As we approached the door Rossi let Saadia know that we were going inside with her.

Saadia didn't hesitate to knock on the door, and just as if she was waiting with excitement we hear a female with a screeching voice who shouts out, “Baby,” and then the door swings open.

Saadia walked in. When the door almost shut Rossi reached in to stop it from closing and we walked in behind her. The major was surprised and gasps when she sees us.

“What . . . Who the hell is this?”

“We're her friends,” Rossi told her.

I finally have the chance to get a face-to-face look at the woman who had inflicted so much havoc on so many lives. Major was easy on the eyes, not just on camera. Light skin, five six, no more than 125 with curves and dimples. But there was no denying her nastiness and control she felt she had in every situation, which actually made her ugly at first sight.

She looked directly at Saadia, hard and scolding. “Who are these men?”

“Doesn't matter who we are,” Rossi told her, and shut the door behind us. There were only a few seconds that passed before Saadia gave Rossi a nod, directing him in the direction to the room down the hall on the right where she told us the money was in a briefcase in the attic.

He walked to the room and we all could hear the wooden ladder collapse from above the ceiling and his body walking up the ladder to the attic to retrieve the briefcase.

The major didn't need an e-mail to know what Rossi was going for and she moved toward the room, but I grabbed her by the arm and told her he didn't need any help.

“What—are you robbing me? Saadia, you brought these hoodlums into my home to rob me?” she asked.

“They're not hoodlums, you cheating bitch,” Saadia mentions.

Major let out a gasp, as I am sure this was not the kind of love she was expecting coming from Saadia's mouth.“What are you talking about?”

“I'm talking about you and how much you like to record your trysts,” Saadia told her.

“Trysts? Saadia, what is your problem?”

“My problem? The question is what the hell is your problem?”

“I have no idea what you're talking about.”

Saadia held out her hand and I gave her the recording. She turned it on and within a few seconds the major understood exactly what Saadia meant.

Saadia didn't have to say any more. Kiesha Champaign Majors got it and kind of smiled; then, just like I knew she would, she went for the desk drawer in the hallway that Saadia told us she liked to keep her piece in for times like these. I was already two steps in front of her and had my eye on the desk the entire time. I went to the drawer, grabbed the piece, and told Saadia thanks.

“You bitch!” the major shouted. “What else have you told them?”

“She's told us everything. Amara, Ely, it just doesn't stop with you,” I let her know.

We heard Rossi come down from the ladder. He was holding two silver briefcases. “Got it,” he said.

The major's eyes were fiery red and there wasn't a thing she could do about it. “After all I've done for you,” she said to Saadia.

“You did nothing for me, other than convince me to sleep with an ex-con who turned out to be a pretty decent man.”

“Well you seemed to enjoy it, you confused heffa.”

“I enjoyed the honesty, bitch. He has compassion; you don't. And at least I'm not confused on the fact that you have done nothing since we met but run my feelings into the ground without a care in the world,” Saadia confessed. “You got involved behind my back with someone else without any type of conversation or discussion just because you think you're untouchable. My God, you kill people!”

Rossi nodded his head at the ladies while they go at it and walked right past us and out the door.

“So, you guys think you are going to just, what, arrest me and walk out of here with that money?”

I looked at Saadia and she stood looking at me. I said to her, “What money? I don't see any money. Do you?”

Saadia folded her arms. “She spent it all. Probably put it into one of her dirty accounts overseas or something. I will testify to those accounts along with the murders she told me all about, and not just Amara and Ely.”

The major lunged at Saadia and I stepped in between and held her away. We heard Rossi blowing the horn outside.

“Well, Major, I'm sure I will be seeing you soon on the news,” I let her know.

“Go to hell,” she said.

Saadia gives her one last look and all the major can do is watch us walk away without another word.

 

I call Mrs. Bullock as I ride with Saadia. I promised her I would take her to see Tavious. Mrs. Bullock picks up without delay. I hated to hear the stress in her voice.

“West, is everything okay?”

“Yes, ma'am, it is. It surely is.”

Down south a perfect day usually has something to do with barbeque ribs and all the fixings while being surrounded by those you know and love. And that's exactly what kind of day it was. Mrs. Bullock put her foot into the planning of her annual estate barbeque. There were at least 700 guests all enjoying the food, music, and games that were laid out all over the grounds. It had been months since Tavious was free and clear of going back to prison and of course the money that we lined our pockets with was more than sufficient. But more importantly Kiesha Champaign Majors and her ruthless crime unit had been stopped from continuing with business as usual and turning anyone else who might cross their path into a corpse. The major was on her way to spending more than a few nights next to the very people she put behind bars and it served her right. Turned out the FBI was also investigating all of her alleged criminal activity and the information Saadia was able to supply the bureau implication-free only guaranteed a conviction.

When we all sat down and split the money as promised, I felt it was time for us all to have a heartfelt conversation about being good stewards of our money and trying to touch it only for emergencies. No gambling, no drugs, or long vacations that would quickly become forgotten. Cash was king and who knew if we would ever get another big payday again?

Rossi let us all know that Rita had been pushing him in the same direction with regard to his money; and he let me know that as soon as he walked in the door she was standing with her hand out to put his share in a safe place, because there was no way she was letting him go out and gamble it away.

It didn't surprise me but Tavious and Saadia were trying to patch things up. They were going to try to work out their brief past for a future together. Tavious promised me he would take it slow with Saadia, and I'll be damned if he didn't register for an online Six Sigma class that would teach him everything he needed to know about the lean process to make the shop run more smoothly. But, even more impressive, he and Joyce and Saadia were spending time with Mrs. Bullock, learning about their family past and getting good advice for the future while they made up for lost time.

It took a few days to get back into total good graces with Lauren after I sort of cut her out of our intimacy time, going hard for the money. But the $20,000 I placed in her bank account was good for starters in letting her know that I appreciated her and everything she did for me. When Lauren got the money in her hand she wanted me to know that she had been thinking about mentoring young girls for the longest and the money would be a good source to help her get started.

Mrs. Bullock was all smiles as her shindig was winding down. It was amazing that everyone was there to help her celebrate. Joyce, Tavious, and Saadia were all standing next to her as Lauren sat with me in my car right before we left to go home.

“Thank y'all for coming,” Mrs. Bullock said.

Everyone thanked Mrs. Bullock for the invitation.

“I had a really good time,” Rita told her as she stood next to their car. “Promise you'll invite me back next year.”

“Same here,” Rossi suggested.

“I will, if God is able, sweeties,” she tells them. “You know every day I wake up I'm surprised to see it, so we'll see and keep praying that I will even be here tomorrow.” She smiled.

“Ohh, Momma, you're gonna have many more of these, don't worry,” Joyce let her know then kissed her on the cheek.

“That's right, plenty of them,” I let her know, and Lauren cosigned my thoughts.

Then I turn the focus on Tavious. “So, Tavious, you know you owe me a car wash right?”

Tavious waved me off then put his arm around Saadia. “Man, that car doesn't need washing. You keep it spotless.”

“Don't matter, you promised,” I told him; then Saadia mentioned to him that she remembered Tavious telling her so.

“Yeah, yeah, I did. Okay, so what time you want me to pick it up?”

“Whenever you think you're ready to have it.” I noticed Mrs. Bullock put her hand over her mouth.

“Man, say what?”

“You heard me. Whenever you're ready to come get your grandfather's car, come get it. This car was meant to be in your family, so when you're ready to take the best care of it possible, it's all yours. Plus, I'm tired of seeing your eyes tearing up every time you see it,” I teased.

Giving is a beautiful thing.