Chapter 7

 

They were all on pins and needles today. Well, she was anyway. And Mariam was going to make sure that the big boss was going to take notice of her. She needed to have someone take care of her. Straightening up her clothing for the tenth time in as many moments, Mariam decided that she’d never looked better.

Working in the lab for the last week had weighed heavily on her body. She wasn’t getting enough sleep for one thing, and the thought of what she was going to buy with all her money was keeping her up at nights too. So far, in a short week she had earned nearly ten grand. Giddy with the prospect of having someone as rich as the boss taking her under his wing, she was convinced that she was going to set her up for life. Her two daughters, Me-Me and Bethany, would benefit from this as well.

“My baby girls are going to be so surprised when they find out what I’ve done.” Laughing out loud, she danced a little jig and had to keep herself from laughing too much. “You don’t want to be locked away at this point, now do you, Mariam?”

No, she didn’t. For a brief moment she thought of Micky, wondering, she supposed—as any mother would—what her baby was up to. Not that she’d help her out if she was down on her luck. Micky had burned that bridge a long time ago. But she would like to see her once more, after she was settled in her new home, to rub it in her face that she’d done so well for herself.

Going next door to hang out with her boss, she wondered what he thought of her dress. Before she could ask, they heard someone pulling into the stone driveway that also was used for a parking lot. Mariam hadn’t been this nervous in a very long time.

“You have my product?” The man didn’t even look in her direction, but at her boss. As always, no names were given, nor did anyone seem to care. She did—she wanted this man to take her in. “I’ve been behind the last few days. I’m glad that you were able to step up your game and get me more.”

“It was my pleasure. We have it all ready for you. As well as an extra ten percent for goodwill. We want to do business with you now, and into the future if possible.” Gone was the hick accent that he used. There was a deepness to his voice that hadn’t been there before. Now it was more authoritative, more refined.

“Good. Good. Now, let me try it out. I have me a man here—he’ll do the testing. I surely hope this is the real deal. I’d hate to have to bring in a second crew to take care of you all.” He glanced at her then back at her boss. “You getting some on the side here? She looks a little old for you, don’t you think?”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean? I’ve been working with him for several days now. And I am not old.” She wanted to punch the man in the head, but all he did was laugh. At her. “You might want to think about the fact that I’m a valuable part of your business right now instead of pissing me off.”

“Little lady, I’m the type of man that doesn’t care how much I piss people off. In fact, you keep working your way into my being in a bad mood and you might find yourself deep in a hole with a bullet between your eyes.” He looked at her boss. “Get rid of her as soon as possible.”

“I’m not leaving here.” He turned to her, his gun out and pointed at her. “Listen, I think we got off on the wrong foot here. I was hoping that you’d, you know, find me pretty enough to have me hanging on your arm. You know, be my sugar daddy.”

She smiled at him, a smile that she had practiced for days when she was younger. It said, I’m smart and I can make you so happy. Sultry, she thought it was called. But sexy was what she was going for this time.

The man laughed then. It started out as a little burst of it. Then he was nearly falling over with it before she began to see red. This wasn’t the way to treat a woman, and she slapped him across the face. She knew her mistake the moment that she did it.

“Get rid of her any way that you want but I want her gone today.” Her boss nodded and said that he’d gladly take care of it. “Good. Now, let’s see what we have here.”

Mariam was held by one of the men that had been sitting beside her the entire time she’d been working here. He restrained her in a way that hurt her shoulders, and with his beefy hands holding her like he was, she was sure to have a bruise when he let her go. After struggling for several minutes, she gave up to watch what was going on now. The fuckers could not put her out when she’d been working so hard.

A metal case was brought in. It reminded her of the kind that Cain, her ex-husband’s grandfather, had carried around when he was out and about. She’d never known what was in it, and neither had her husband. The fucker probably carried around all his money like that, so he’d not have to stoop to having too little cash when he needed it.

The case was opened and turned toward her boss. There were neat stacks of hundred-dollar bills—she could count eight just on the top. And she’d bet anything that those had three or four stacks under them. Christ almighty, there had to be over a million dollars there. And it was untraceable cash. Mariam was sorry now that she’d spouted off to the man. He was obviously wealthier than anyone she’d ever met.

The money was put in the large safe that had been brought in just yesterday. It was massive, and she wondered now if it was going to hold all the money that was brought in this way. She could have so much fun finding ways to spend it. And her girls, the ones that she cared about, they’d be so happy that she’d done this for them. Because Mariam was going to take it and run as soon as possible.

She was just working out the plan when her boss came back to her. The big boss, he’d gone out to his car and appeared to be leaving. Mariam was told to kneel down on the floor, right now. She had no idea what was going on, but if this guy wanted a blow job from her, that she’d almost be willing to do it. But the floor?

“I most certainly will not get on this floor. Have you seen the filth that’s there?” She struggled again when she was shoved to a kneeling position by the man behind her. “You have to realize that I’m not going to be as comfortable giving you what you want. Not with me being afraid of the germs here.”

“What is it you think I want? You to suck me off? No thanks. I wouldn’t touch you with a ten-foot pole. Never. You are just too—I was going to say gross, but it would be like having my mom do it. And honey, you are so not my type, even if I wasn’t gay.”

He put a gun to her forehead and it felt like he was trying to ram it in her head he was pushing it so hard. It hit her then—they were talking about taking care of her by killing her off. Mariam looked up at the man about to shoot her as all hell broke loose in the rooms.

There were men in vests, people with helmets on their heads. And all of them were shouting at them to put their hands over their heads and kneel down, their guns pointed at everyone in the room. She was let go then and had started to rise when she was told to get back down.

“Look. I have nothing to do with these people. I’ve had enough insults from them to last me a long time. If you don’t mind I’m going to—”

“Lady, get the fuck down on the floor or I’ll blow your fucking head off.” She thought the man was very rude. “Lady, if you run, I’m going to hurt you. I will be justified by you trying to escape being arrested.”

“Well of course I’m going to run.”

Mariam only made it to the sidewalk when suddenly she was hit in the back of the head. Whatever it had been, Mariam saw stars before she completely blacked out.

Waking up, she realized that she was in the hospital. There was a white curtain around her, and she started to sit up when she discovered she couldn’t move her hands. Looking down at her right hand, she saw that it was cuffed to the bed. So was her right ankle. Glancing around the small space, she saw a man with his rifle, or whatever it was called, across his chest like he was just waiting for her to try something. Also, he was staring at her.

“What happened?” He didn’t speak, not even to say he hoped she was all right or anything. “I asked you what happened. And why am I cuffed like a criminal, like an animal?”

Her head was pounding—she was nearly sick from it. Lying back down, the curtain around her was tossed back. The man in the suit had a badge hanging around his neck like a set of pearls that she once had. Mariam saw that it said DEA, Drug Enforcement Administration. She asked him the same questions that she had the dick beside her.

“As for what happened, you resisted arrest and had to be made aware of who was in charge at that moment. When you were unconscious, we were able to subdue you quite easily. You should have stayed where you were instead of standing when you had just been told, at gunpoint I might add, to kneel down.” He pulled out some paperwork from inside his jacket. “I can tell you, for now, we have you on a list of charges including drug trafficking, drug paraphernalia, sale of drugs, and—”

“Hold on there, buster. I did nothing of the sort. I don’t have any idea what you’re talking about.” He sat down, and she felt her skin itch, like he could see right inside of her head. “I was working for that man, but I didn’t sell any of it, nor did I give any of it away. That would have gotten me— That guy that was there, he was going to shoot me in the head. He was told to get rid of me, and I thought that they meant they were going to fire me. Whoever he is, he was going to kill me.”

“Yes, we knew that. But we weren’t there to save you. We had bigger targets to take care of.” She asked him when she was getting cut loose. “You’re not, Ms. Mantle. You are here for the long haul this time. You might have been able to get a bond if there were not such harsh circumstances. And if you hadn’t tried to run. But we both know that you don’t have the money for that anyway. Also, and this one just tickles me to no end, you’re going to be tried separately for the murder of Cain Mantle, the grandfather of your husband. He was a good man, and you killed him.”

“I did no such thing.” But she had, and it hadn’t done her any good either. “He was an old man, a cantankerous one, and died in his sleep.”

“That’s what everyone was led to believe. But just recently his body was exhumed, and tests were done. He had been poisoned with a mixture of water hemlock and arsenic. We have a video of you buying the poisons; plus, we found them in the garage of your former home. Hiding it behind the wallboard was good, but when you have someone telling exactly where it was, it makes things perfect. What do you have to say for yourself?” Mariam didn’t have any idea what to say to him. “Your daughter was kind enough to tell us where to look, as well as how you rushed into having him buried. Beth has been working hand in hand with us for a few days now.”

“You lie. My daughter would never do that to me. And her name is Bethany, not that horrid name Beth. Me-Me, my other daughter, picked out her nickname. God only knows why she went with that.” She needed time to think. To plan. Mariam thought that she could plan and execute herself out of this mess. “My head is hurting from that brute who hit me. There was no cause for acting so violent towards me. As I told him, I have no idea what you are talking about.”

He stood up and she jerked on her cuff, hoping that he’d get the idea that she wanted him to undo her restraints. There wasn’t any way that she was going to get out of here and run if he didn’t. And he didn’t, leaving her in the curtained off area with her guard.

Mother fuck, she was so screwed right now. And she’d bet anything that the fuckers had taken all her hard-earned cash while they were at it. She’d have to remember to ask for it when they came back. Maybe it would be enough to get her out on bond.

~*~

Lucas was just finishing up his day when Tristan came into his office. Not only was it unusual for him to come downtown, but he never entered a room that wasn’t his own without knocking.

“Are you all right?” Tristan looked at him; his eyes were sort of glazed over, and Lucas didn’t think he was hearing him. “Tristan, are you all right? Did something happen?”

“I’m afraid.” He asked him what he was afraid of. “Life. We aren’t going to die. None of us are, and I’m bored with it.”

“Bored with life, you mean.” Tristan nodded and leaned back in his chair. “What is it you have in mind to do? See the world? I believe, overall, it’s changed a great deal since we were anywhere. Do you wish to take up a hobby? You have to tell me what it is you want to do about this. Short of having you put to a permanent sleep, I’ll help you anyway that I can.”

“No. I don’t want that. I’d miss you. I mean—you know what, I have no idea. But it occurred to me when I went to see Cooper this morning that I don’t have any involvement in the things around me. Even the wives, including yours, have a job to do. I don’t contribute to anything to keep me occupied.” Lucas knew what he meant about that too. A few decades ago, he was right where his brother was. “You have anything, and I mean anything, that I can do?”

“I do, as a matter of fact. And I think you’re going to enjoy it too. The high school is short staffed this year. They need not only a history teacher—and you have to admit, we’d be perfect for teaching that—but also an assistant coach for the boys’ athletics department. Such as seasonal sports.”

He could see that Tristan’s interest was there. Lucas handed him the application that he himself had planned on filling out. As soon as he had it in his hands, Tristan began filling it out. This was just what he needed. And he’d be helping the community as well.

“It says here that I’ll be paid for the games out of the booster funds for each sport. Do you know if there is a way to have it go right back to them? They need it a great deal more than I do.” Lucas told him what his plan would have been, not mentioning that he himself had thought of that as well. “Yes, I can see that working out better. I know that we support the school anyway, so I can just donate it back in the form of a gift to the teachers. I’m sure that they could use it in the last few months of school when all their supplies start to run low.”

When he was finished, having had Lucas type up a resume that he could use, Tristan left. He said he was going to go to the school now and find out if he could do the job. Lucas made two calls, making sure that they understood that Tristan was just as educated as he was and would do them a world of good. He also mentioned not to tell him that Lucas had planned to take the job.

As the evening wore on, Lucas thought of a few more things that he could take care of now. That way he’d be able to sleep in and wake up Micky in the most wonderful way. The thought of her and how responsive she was to just a simple touch made his cock hard and full. Smiling, waiting for a response to one of his emails, he thought of everything he was going to do to his pretty wife.

When his phone rang he was startled by the sound, deep into his plans for Micky.

“Lord Manning? This is FBI agent Lance Caldwell. I have some good news for you, and some not so good. We’ve arrested Mariam Mantle. Word is you married her daughter recently.” He told him that he had. “I don’t believe that your wife is involved, but we’d like to question her. Just to clear up her name. A formality, if you please.”

“I’ll talk to her. I don’t know if you’re aware of this or not, but Micky broke ties with her family years ago. She had, however, made peace with one of them. Beth is currently living out her last days at our home. She doesn’t have long to live, I’m sorry to say.” Agent Caldwell said that he’d heard that as well. And Beth had helped them a great deal before leaving the hospital. “I’m happy that she could do that for you. I think that she’s burning her bridges, so to speak, on the other two, her mom and Mariam the Second, as my wife calls her.”

“She’s a piece of work, the mother is. If you don’t mind me saying so, it’s about time she got herself caught. This will close a great deal of trouble that she’s caused over the years.” Micky came into his office, talking to Alan about something, and he interrupted Agent Caldwell to tell him that Micky was here now, and asked if he could have a moment to bring her up to speed. “Yes, yes, you go right ahead. I’ll hold.”

Lucas told her everything that the agent had said. When she told him that she didn’t know anything about her mother, Lucas explained that he didn’t think she would. But he still wanted to cross all his t’s and dot all the i’s in this.

“All right. If this will seal the lid on her going to prison, I’m all for it.” She sat down on his lap and took the call. He could hear the questions that Caldwell asked, as well as Micky’s answers. They made plans for her to come to the jail to get everything recorded. “I’ll be there. But I want my husband there as well. He’s a good attorney, and I don’t want anything to come back and bite me in the ass. As I’m sure you can understand.”

“Oh yes, I do understand. And I was going to suggest that you bring your attorney. I don’t anticipate anything coming of your interview. But as I told Lord Manning, we don’t want her getting out again on something we didn’t do.” Micky told him that was fine. “If you could spare a couple of hours, I’d really appreciate it.”

“You’ll have to come here, I’m afraid. My sister, Beth, she doesn’t have long to live, and I’m trying to spend every moment with her that she has left. Which, the doctors say isn’t long.” He told her he was sorry. Lucas could hear the compassion in his voice even over the phone.

When she disconnected the call after making arrangements for him to come to their house, Micky got up and moved around the room. His heart broke for her. Beth really had very little time left.

“The doctor just left. He said that the move from the jail to here took its toll on her. But he told me that she was resting better here, and she seems to have come to terms with her impending death. She has, but I haven’t.” He knew that as well. “She...we both waited too long to make this work for us. I know that this is only because she’s at the end of her time, but I’m so sorry that it took this for her to come to me.”

“I agree with you on that. All that came between the two of you, for the most part, was Mariam and your mother. They bullied Beth into just about anything, I’m to understand. And you were hurt by it most of all.” Micky came to sit on his lap again. “You are going to be all right, love. You’re stronger than both of them together. And your mother, being in jail, cannot hurt you anymore.”

“I think I want to go and see her. Not today, but soon. Agent Caldwell is coming by to talk to me. I was thinking that I’d go there and see what she has to say for herself. I’m betting that they’ll have Mariam the Second soon too.”

Lucas had some more news for Micky, but he thought it could wait until later. He knew where Mariam the Second was, and that she was going to be arrested soon. The two of them, both Mariams, would be in jail before nightfall. And Lucas was so happy about it that he wondered what sort of celebration Micky would like to have. There was so much that he could do for her, he just couldn’t decide on one.

Lucas was finished for the evening, having gotten all the work done for tomorrow as well. Having someone helping him, a staff that Alan had hired, he was less stressed as well as sleeping much better. Smiling, he thought that part could be attributed to all the sex he was having. But whatever it was, he was thrilled to no end about it.

Going into the living room, he was disappointed to find the room empty. But as he was going to the stairs to find Micky, he heard her. Something had happened, and taking the stairs two at a time, he held her while the nurse stood over the bed, feeling for the pulse of Beth. Lucas knew she was at peace now. And she’d not died alone, her biggest fear.

“Can you call Agent Caldwell for me please? Explain to him why I can’t do this today.” He told her he’d do that. And while he was holding her in his arm as she sobbed, he let the rest of his family know that Beth Mantle Sharp had passed away in her rest.

Do you think Micky could stand some company? We’d all like to be there for her right now. Lucas thanked Lincoln and told him that he thought she could use it. Good. We’ll stay until she kicks us to the curb. Give her our love, will you? This hurts me so badly that she’s going through this.

Whenever anyone died around them—and over the years, there had been a great many of them—he’d think of his own father and hurt for the loss of him. Holding onto Micky while the nurse made the necessary calls, he wondered if Beth had hung on to be with Micky and believed that to be true. No one, he thought, wanted to die alone. Or in this case, unloved.