Justice Black: The Game Never Ends Page 21

  Ed stormed out of the house and sat in his car; he pulled out the letters. He hadn’t heard from his old friend Cutter in years until the letter from Minnie Johns Business Service arrived.

  Minnie Johns was one of the many ways Tansy sent messages from Cutter. After all, no one questioned a letter from an advertising agency. As a matter of fact, most people considered it junk mail.

  He looked around to make sure Eunice or the neighbors weren’t spying on him. He saw no one then said, “Cutter said he may have news about my Cat. But he sent no picture. That’s OK. She waits for no one but me. Cat, I knew you’d reach out to me.

  “It was nice of the chairman to ask Tansy to send the necklace on my behalf. How sweet our reunion will be. First Justice Black, and then we’re home free. To make sure Eunice won’t be a problem, I’ll add more herbs to her medication. She won’t need it much longer.”

  Eunice carefully looked through the sheer kitchen curtains and and saw Ed sitting inside his car laughing to himself. He looked insane. Avery was right. Something had to give. She thought she’d never feel this way in her life but maybe she’d ask Helene about her friend.

  chapter

  FORTY-FIVE

  “Corn Pops,” Kaitlyn finally whispered.

  “What?”

  “You have my Corn Pops. I need sugar. I’m weak.”

  “Sure you are,” Justice laughed.

  “Do you want some?”

  “No thanks. I’ve had plenty sugar.”

  She giggled when he later carried her to the shower.

  “We need cooling,” he said.

  The water simmered their passion for only a brief moment until the pulsating warm stream quickly ignited them; he gradually lifted her, seeking another satisfaction for their hunger. Neither could tell who was possessed the most.

  Justice later dressed Kaitlyn in his robe, carried her back to bed, and waited. Worried, he turned her around. She refused to look at him. Instead she turned away and reached for his little finger again. She needed him as her anchor.

  “Tell me something, Duchess. Talk to me.” He kissed her softly on her cheek. “I want the truth this time.”

  He deserved the truth. She was ready to tell how her life had taken an ugly turn to get her to where she was now with him.

  “I have a brother somewhere.” Her voice trembled. Still holding Justice’s hand, she wiped the tears that leaked from the corner of her eyes but kept her grip on his finger.

  He rose on one elbow and tried to have her face him, but she couldn’t and buried her face into the pillow with a deep cry.

  “I refuse to believe my brother is dead. In my heart he’s alive. I know it.”

  This was hard for him; sure, his sisters cried, but not like this. This was a cry of a broken heart.

  He used his firm body as a shield to protect her from what or who he didn’t know, not yet.

  She sniffled one last time before she continued.

  “His name is Clermont Stroud. Actually, his name is Clermont Lucca Stroud. I teased him about the name Clermont; some called him Clerry. We have different mothers. My father didn’t know about Clermont until a friend told him his old girlfriend was living in bad conditions with his two-year-old son. He and Momma talked about it and made a decision to get his son.” She remembered Justice’s words, so like her father’s own words, and managed a smile. “It was that simple.”

  Justice’s heart beat faster. He thought of Jeremiah.

  “The mother didn’t argue when Dad showed up and agreed to take a DNA test. Dad said he knew Clermont was his because a man knows his kid. Although Clermont was darker, his eyes were hazel like Dad’s. She asked Dad for two hundred dollars to buy clothes for Clermont. After Dad gave her the money, she asked him to take Clermont to the zoo while she shopped. While they were at the zoo, she left town. She never took the test. Dad was devastated, but he had Clermont.

  “I was almost twelve years old, and Clermont was nearly fourteen when one night Clermont was so sick Dad went to the pharmacy to get his prescription. He didn’t come back. He walked in on a robbery. He didn’t have a chance.

  “Momma was young and devastated, dealing with the media attention of a young soldier returning home, only to be killed on his own soil. It was a lot for her. Nearly a month later, the mother and uncle showed up; she thought Dad’s military status was a good meal ticket and said Dad had kidnapped Clermont. The social worker refused to let Clermont stay with Momma. There was no proof of relationship. Momma had promised Dad she’d always take care of Clermont. We couldn’t lose him. He nearly made himself sick crying, so his mom convinced Momma to come for a week’s visit. If it didn’t work out, she’d let us take Clermont back, so we went with her and the uncle, Anderson Edwin Drayton. But everyone called him Ed.”

  Hearing that name from her was a punch in his chest. His team had recently started checking the backgrounds of all the Draytons that were on file. This would help eliminate the rest. He quietly listened for what he’d have to ready himself for.

  Kaitlyn rose from the bed; the view of the city from his window drew her to it. “It’s funny. The joke was on Ed and Clermont’s mother. Momma and Dad had an insurance policy naming me as the beneficiary. I want to share it with my brother.” She wrapped her arms tightly around her body and gently swayed. That part of her life had been so horrible that she’d buried the memories. Unfortunately, occasionally they rose from that grave.

  “I remember some of the children, BenBen and Julie. She had a beautiful boy by Ed. Julie called him Baby. I called him Swimmer. He and the other kids called me AnnaG. Ed was horrible to Swimmer. I didn’t know why. Then he found out BenBen was sweet on Julie; he sent BenBen away to punish Julie. That’s how he handled his problems: he made them disappear.”

  Justice came and stood behind her and pulled her into him again and gently swayed with her. “I’m here.”

  “I know. It doesn’t bother me much as it did. I’ve slain my dragon, I think.”

  He rested his head on top of hers, breathing in the fresh shampooed scent of her hair. “Come back to bed.”

  “Carry me.”

  Without any thought he lifted her, as gently as a newborn, and placed her back in bed, satisfied she was snugly wrapped before he joined her. Kaitlyn wrapped her arms around his hard waist and rested her head comfortably on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. They allowed the quietness to seep into the room, both in their own thoughts. He’d be leaving soon.

  The clock’s ticking and the slam of a car door outside magnified the quietness in the room. The fish aquarium motor was calming; it reminded her of the rain and waves of the beach and his breathing.

  The room was comforting. She watched the exotic blue fish jolt inside the tank, swim back and forth, then dart through the display. Its movements were enough distraction for her to gather her thoughts. Justice’s fish had died. It had taken her several trips to the Fish Emporium to find another one.

  Justice stroked her back, easing her into a peaceful relaxation. She placed the palms of her hands over his heart.

  “Your heart beats fast.”

  “I noticed that lately.” He laughed. “Must be the company I keep.”

  She loved his laugh. “Your laugh doesn’t come easy, but when it does, it’s full of life.” She waited a moment before she spoke again. “Music and dancing were not allowed in the house, and the nights were hell.”

  “Duchess.” Now he didn’t know if he really wanted to hear what she might say. He already had an idea why she slept as she did.

  “No, I’ve gotten over the worst of it,” she assured him and wiggled closer. “Things became bad for me when I turned thirteen. I wore layers of clothing because Ed would sneak behind me when I washed dishes and tried to grope me; sometimes he succeeded before I could get away. He once threatened Clermont for jumping between us. I made Clermont
promise not to do that again; I could take care of myself. He would cry, ‘I won’t, Deena. I won’t.’ Still he always tried.” Goose bumps stood on her arms at the thought of her brother. “Deena was what he called me. He never could say anyone’s name correctly and called Ed ‘Naid.’ Most of the kids did too.”

  A chill flittered down his back. This was his nightmare. Was the boy in his dreams her brother?

  “Do you remember any other names?”

  His attitude had changed. Now she heard Dr. Justice Black speaking.

  “There was a Vicky Dansworth, but I never saw her. I heard Ed call her by name. She called him Andy. Ed forced her to go with a man called Cutter.”

  Justice squeezed her tighter.

  She smiled at his wanting to protect her. “Clermont was scrawny, small for his age, but had a lot of fight, and I didn’t want Ed to kill that spirit.”

  “Did Ed ever…”—he hesitated with the thought—“touch you or your brother?”

  “No. He preferred girls and tried with me but couldn’t perform. That’s why he was so brutal. Momma knew what Ed was like and told me to keep Ms. Lizzy with me and never take food from Ed. One night when I was asleep, Ed tried again, but Ms. Lizzy clawed him very badly. Ed got a bad infection from the scratches and was sick for days.”

  Justice remembered how their cat had once brutally attacked their neighbors’ dog. “Never piss off a cat.”

  “No.” She chuckled. “Momma was a small woman, but she fought Ed like a giant with a huge stick when she heard me scream. The other girls in the house begged me not to tell, that if I did what Ed wanted, he would buy me a new dress. But I refused. ”

  “That explains the baseball bats scattered around your apartment.” He’d found one in her bath and kitchen.

  “Yes. After that, Ed was frightened of my mother. He called her crazy. Momma learned Ed was superstitious, and Halloween was the only holiday he celebrated. She told him she would kill him with a curse if he ever tried to touch me again.”

  “That’s what mothers do, protect their children.” His voice was above a whisper as his mind briefly wandered.

  Kaitlyn kissed him for his tenderness.

  “How’d Ed make a living?”

  “He sold real estate, and everyone sold odds and ends at flea markets. He took Clermont on long trips for days. Clermont never talked about it, not even to me. Ed swore if he did, he’d kill and bury us because no one cared about our kind.”

  “Christ.” Justice clenched his teeth. He believed Ed had used the kids to transport drugs and guns.

  “When I was thirteen, Ed and one of his drinking buddies were in the basement and called me to come get the gifts for the kids. Momma had said men’s brains worked differently than women’s, and if Ed ever called me to the basement, not to go. I was stupid and went down there. That day I was cooking. I took a pot of hot water that I had simmering on the stove and placed it halfway on the top steps. The basement was dark. I couldn’t see their faces, but I could see they were naked. I tried to go back up the steps; Ed caught me and tried to pull me down. I barely reached the pot to throw as much of the hot water as I could. I learned fast to fight to survive in that house. Ed nearly made me crazy. I wanted to kill him.”

  Justice shook his head. How could a thirteen-year-old think she was that powerful? It was unimaginable to picture a kid having to face men with rape on their minds.

  “For a while Ed left me alone. I told my friend Charlesetta, who was three years older and living on and off the streets. Her home was unbearable too. We told the school counselor. The social worker came out, and Ed charmed her. In front of Ed, she accused me of trying to ruin him and warned that the next time I made a false report, she would notify the police.”

  “That’s the reason you sleep as you do?”

  “Yes. I couldn’t get it out of my head how Ed leaned over me, trying to lift my gown. Charlesetta gave me a sleeping bag and a pair of broken scissors and told me to sleep in layers of clothing and never sleep in the bed. I’ve carried this gnawing sensation that Ed is always behind me. I’m a psychologist, yet I have this thing hanging over me. ‘Physician, heal thyself first.’ You know, that sort of stuff.” She nervously laughed. “My crutch. I keep broken scissors nearby.”

  “You’re only human, honey, although some may not act it.” He thought of his own life and pushed it far to the back of his mind.

  “Yes, we are only humans.”

  Justice straddled her on his lap. She squeezed her eyes tight to shut out the memories.

  “Duchess, open your eyes. Look at me, honey.” He wanted to see the image she’d burned in her mind; he wanted to make it go away. “Look at me.”

  Kaitlyn did as he said and gripped his small finger as she continued.

  “Momma had written to Grandmom Laila and managed to get the letter to her friend, Queenester Henderson, to mail. Ed never allowed Momma out of his sight, and she never had money to do anything. She sometimes drank coffee instead of eating to make sure Clermont and I ate.”

  “Honey, your mother was a good woman.”

  “Yes, she was. I was fourteen when Ed caught me in the shower. There was so much soap in my eyes I couldn’t see, and I slipped trying to get away when he pulled my hair. With the broken scissors, I blindly stabbed Ed wherever I could. There was blood everywhere. He beat me for that. I cut my hair short afterward and prayed for death.” She swallowed the lump in her throat, but even as tears fell, she didn’t take her eyes off Justice. “Tobiah, that night for punishment, Ed drowned Ms. Lizzy and locked Momma in a room for two days after she fought him. Momma was devastated at not being able to protect us.”

  “God Almighty, Duchess.” Justice gently rocked her and let her cry to exhaustion. Then he wiped her tears away and gently kissed her eyes, hoping to rid the memory of that time.

  There was pain in her laugh when she spoke again. “I’d saved Ms. Lizzy from a litter Ed threw in the river, and yet, in the end, he still drowned her.”

  She became quiet; Justice allowed her the peace and collected his own thoughts. He knew it was a miracle she and her mother had made it out alive. Although Ed had been young at that time, he was brutal at twenty-four years old.

  “Are you good, honey?”

  She nodded and breathed a heavy sigh after a few shudders passed. “Yes. I can finish.”

  “Honey, I’m sorry that ever happened to you.”

  “I know. Doctors and nurses that lived with us took care of me. I was homeschooled after that. Some of the women begged me not to fight back; the beatings would only get worse. I didn’t care. I was stubborn and wouldn’t stop fighting him. I was not letting Ed rape me. He would’ve had to kill me first.”

  “Ed’s behavior was not your fault. You know that, baby.”

  “I know that now, but as a child, you don’t, and you don’t understand that behavior. No child should ever have to. I once thought maybe if I did what Ed wanted, he would not hurt the others, but I just couldn’t.” She took a deep breath. “Looks meant a lot to Ed. Charlesetta told me to make myself unattractive to him. He liked slim girls. I put on weight, and because of the stress, I broke out in a vicious, itchy body rash. I was repulsive even to myself. Ed became belligerent and demeaning, made me do the cooking, take care of the younger kids, and do all the heavy work. But he never tried touching me again. Later Charlesetta fixed Ed.”

  “How did Charlesetta fix him?” Justice wondered whether it was anything close to her idea of fixing him.

  “Ed was a heavy drinker, so Charlesetta’s boyfriend and his brothers took him drinking; Ed got drunk and was badly beaten and covered with motor oil. They told him he’d been cursed and punished for the things that went on in his house, and anytime he thought of hurting me or Momma again, evil would fall on him. Ironically, the following week, while changing a tire, the car fell on Ed and broke his leg, and two o
f the women ran away with their children.

  “Shortly after that, Momma and I were in the pea patch when we saw several police cars at the houses. We ran. All the way to Ms. Queenester. She wasn’t afraid of Ed. We learned Ed’s houses were raided, and everyone was taken away. Grandmom was in Central Africa at the time; it took her a month to come here. A week after Grandmom arrived, we all went to my grandparents’ in Georgia until we could all go back to France a month later. We told my grandparents and uncles everything, except I couldn’t talk about the beatings. They were shocked. They, especially my uncles, had believed Momma drifted away from them because of what happened to Dad.”

  Justice’s heart beat faster. Dear God, that was why she wasn’t there.

  “Grandmom suspected the beatings. My behavior told her the rest. I ran away once, got into fights, took stupid risks, and then withdrew from everyone. Grandmom contacted my uncles, and Grandpa Moses. They refused to let me destroy myself and basically helped take charge of my life. They tried to find Ed, but for their sake, I’m glad they didn’t. Momma was so devastated the way everything turned out, especially for Clermont. We went into therapy, and it helped, but Momma refused to ever live in America again. She died peacefully in her sleep two years ago.”

  “That would scar your mother. I’m sorry.” With all that Kaitlyn had endured, he knew she could have come out the worse. “Do you ever hear from Charlesetta?”

  “No. She ran away to an aunt in New York. We lost contact.”

  Justice again wiped her tears. He couldn’t imagine such losses for one person.

  “Honey, you trusted me this far. Is that it?” He’d been scraped raw inside, but he needed to know everything to help her.

  She shook her head as if erasing more bad memories.

  “My first name is Kaitlyn. I stopped using it after I ran away. You wouldn’t believe the number of restraining orders I have against Ed. I hated him calling me his Cat. I want you to know this and understand the real reason I placed intimacy on hold. Being in a relationship wasn’t important to me. That’s my problem to work through. I needed to tell you all of this because Gwen plans to do a story about me, and she’ll find ugly things. I don’t want to involve anyone with my problem. Wil is the only other person I’ve told everything.”