His First Lady (21 page)

It was channel 12, the most well-known local channel in the city and the most liked local celebrity broadcasting. It was exactly why Leon had chosen them to interview him first. And as the news broadcaster had promised; the coverage was flattering to Leon, highlighting just a bit of the mayor’s speech but giving Leon plenty of what he wanted; camera time. She watched as the camera scanned through the crowd of church members, visitors, council members then herself smiling and clapping as she stood beside Leon and Greg who wasn’t noticeably smiling.

When the coverage ended, Evan glanced over across from her at Leon who sat on the sofa reveling in the constant ringing of his phone as he juggled one call to the next. He was all smiles with each call, receiving his congratulatory pats on the back from his admirers yet he hadn’t said a good five words to her since they’d been home. Unable to take it any longer, she walked to the kitchen to check on the water that she was boiling for their chamomile tea. She doubted that he had even noticed how annoyed she seemed to be getting.

Standing in the kitchen pouring the hot water from the tea kettle into their cups listening to Leon laugh, Evan thought about Sam. She recalled how Sam seemed so concerned about the effects of the expansion and how there was no longer a voice to keep Leon accountable. That person certainly wasn’t her as he could have cared less what she thought about anything.

She winced hearing Leon laugh again. His constant and annoying laughter was just another indication of how narcissistic he was. Evan walked back into the den and handed him a cup. He took it then removed the ear piece from his ear.

“I’m going to have to turn off the phones or I won’t be able to get any sleep tonight,” Leon laughed adjusting the ringer volume before scanning through his text messages.

Evan sat beside Leon on the sofa and kept dipping the tea bag in her cup struggling to hold her tongue. She did though by taking a sip.

“So many people congratulating me; it’s amazing. Did you see how Mayor Wilson acted around me, like he’s known me forever? He’s convinced me to run for city council.”

Hearing Leon’s last sentence caused the tea Evan was drinking to go down the wrong way. Coughing, that sip flew out of her mouth and onto her camisole. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She grabbed a napkin and wiped her mouth and shirt. Leon looked over at her.

Evan sat her cup down on the table. “He convinced you to run for city council?” She repeated.

“Yes, I’ve decided to do it. He’s seen what I’ve done at JMC. He’s impressed with the additions and the growth. I’ve got to take these opportunities when they’re presented.”

Evan sat mesmerized by the news. “What are you talking about?” Evan asked feeling completely blindsided.

“I’m running for city council. I’ve toyed with the notion for a while and now I’ve got the support that I need so I’m going to prepare for my campaign in the next few weeks.”

Evan sat stunned. “And you’re just now telling me?” Evan looked over at him with a bewildered look on her face.

Leon seemed unaffected by her tone. “Yes, I’m just now telling you. There’s not a time limit to tell you something,” Leon said snidely. “Is there?”

Evan closed her eyes trying to remain calm. “Leon, I think I should have been told that you were even considering it.”

“I’m telling you now,” Leon said nonchalantly.

Evan grabbed the remote and turned the television off because the noise was distracting. “Does anyone in the congregation know?”

“A few of them.” Leon began typing a text on his phone.

“Leon, why wouldn’t you think this was important enough to include me and present this matter to the church?”

He looked over at her and frowned. “Ev, because I don’t answer to them or to you.”

Evan rubbed her temples. “Obviously.”

Leon looked over at her then looked away and continued texting.

“Leon, I’m offended that you made a decision that we both should have made. As your wife, I want to be clear of the direction our lives are going in.”

Leon placed his phone down on the table; then held his palm up in front of her face to count on his fingers. “We had the ground breaking, we’re in the middle of an adoption, and I’m running for city council,” He said counting the items down one by one. “Are you clear now?”

“Do you ever consider me?”

Leon stood up. “I have work to do and either you’re by my side or behind me. It’s your choice.”

Evan fought hard not to break down. “I’m fighting to be beside you but you keep putting me behind you,” she said in a low voice hoping to calm things between them.

“When God leads me to do something, he doesn’t require that I get your permission.”

Evan’s heart sank. “Ariel asked me about us adopting a child. How does she know that? I haven’t even told my mother. I was humiliated.”

Leon glared at Evan. “Not that this has anything to do with that busybody Ariel but why would you be humiliated by the church members knowing that we’re adopting a child?”

Evan crossed her arms. “I’m embarrassed because I’m so in the dark that I don’t even know how to respond to someone asking me about adopting a baby. I’m in the dark about everything.”

“Stop this!” Leon yelled.

His jovial demeanor turned to anger and all she caught was a glimpse of his arm rising up. With wretched familiarity, she cowered quickly beneath her arms covering her face. But the blow that she thought she was preparing for didn’t come instead she heard the impact of his fist hitting the wall. He screamed and grabbed his fist. Breathing hard and shaken, she slowly lowered her arm and looked at him then over at the wall which now had a hole in it.

He swore. With her body still trembling, she watched him walk out of the study toward the kitchen carefully holding his fist.

Greg was sitting on the floor with nothing but quiet surrounding him as he studied scripture preparing for Sunday’s sermon. Occasionally, his mind wandered thinking about the ground breaking and he had to get back on track. Leon declared that it was all for the kingdom but it was hard for Greg to tell seeing that Leon barely mentioned God during his speech.

Barefoot, in gray sweats, with his reading glasses on and full zoned, he didn’t even really know what the Holy Spirit was leading him to preach about but he knew that by studying that he would know eventually. He read the scripture over again, highlighted it, and then proceeded to jot down some notes when the doorbell rang. He removed his glasses and laid his head back on the sofa with a deep sigh wondering who it could have been.

Walking up to the front door of his condo, he was in usual policeman mode, standing to the side of the door and peeking through the peephole before even asking who it was. Looking back at him through the peephole was a green eye; Ben’s. Greg grinned eagerly removing the locks and opening the door.

“Man, open this door acting like you SWAT in here, peeking, and ducking and what not,” Ben said as the two longtime friends gave each other a quick brotherly hug.

“Get in here,” Greg said closing the door behind him. He was always glad to see his former partner. They had been through so much together and after all these years and even after Greg’s retirement, they were still close. Although Ben wasn’t a believer, Greg believed that God had placed Ben in his life for a reason; he’d certainly been a great friend.

“What are you doing here unannounced?” Greg asked.

“I know you aren’t entertaining any ladies so what’s the big deal?” Ben asked walking into Greg’s condo toward the living room. “You still got that bad hip?” Ben asked throwing his leather jacket on the arm of Greg’s sofa and plopping down. Greg’s bullet wound was now humorous to the two partners who could laugh about it since so much time had passed.

Greg laughed. “You know that the ladies love heroes. Don’t fret; Batman could always use a Robin.”

“In your dreams, Batman,” Ben said as he placed his hand on his belly. “I’m starved.”

Greg eyed Ben’s stomach. “From the looks of it, you don’t let yourself stay starved for long.”

“It’s Maria’s cooking. By the way, she said to tell you hi and she misses you,” Ben said.

Greg walked over to the refrigerator and opened it. “Tell her that I miss her too but I’m feeling neglected over here because I haven’t been invited to dinner in a while. I miss those Italian meatballs.”

“Actually, she sent you some last week but I had to work over so I shared them with some of the fellas.”

“Ahh man, you wrong for that.” Greg laughed taking some deli chicken cuts out of the fridge.

Ben looked at Greg then down at his own stomach. “I need you to help me get back into shape, man.”

Greg looked over at Ben. “I can’t help you when you don’t show up at the gym. What’s up with that?”

“Man, I’m working crazy hours. Maybe if I was retired and all I did was read the bible and work out, I’d look like you.”

“You still wouldn’t look like me, Bernardo.” Greg laughed knowing Ben hated being called by his full name. “But I’ll take you running with me sometime,” Greg said placing the deli chicken cuts on hoagie bread. “What’s on your sandwich, man?”

“Add lots of bacon and mayo, lite on the veggies; I’m allergic,” Ben answered with a chuckle.

“Got it; no bacon or mayo, lots of veggies and mustard,” Greg replied.

Ben leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees. Greg was familiar with that look on Ben’s face and knew it meant that Ben had something on his mind.

“I’ve been working hard on Sam’s case because I can tell you really loved your church friend.”

Greg put the spreading knife down looking at Ben curiously. “What do you know?”

“I have some information for you that I didn’t want to tell you over the phone.”

Greg took a deep breath. It was the way Ben said it that caused him unease. They hadn’t spoken about the case since he’d told Ben that he had planted the device, hoping that maybe nothing from the device would ever be cause for alarm. “Okay,”

Ben reached inside his shirt pocket and pulled out a little recorder. “I think this is going to rock your religious world, my brother.”

Chills and anger ran through Greg’s veins as he listened to one of several recordings of Leon’s office conversations. He held back his tears as he realized that he lost a friend to the powerful lusts of a man who held himself higher than God.

“I’m sorry, my brother,” Ben said somberly as he sat across from Greg.

Greg turned off the recorder and sat silent. He placed his hands over his face as a tear ran down his cheek.

“Why haven’t you arrested him yet?” Greg asked with his face still in his hands.

“You know why, detective; you planted an illegal device in his office,” Ben said reminding Greg of how the recording was derived.

“I’ve known this man for years and I trusted him,” Greg said.

“If you trusted him, then why did you plant the bug?”

Greg looked at Ben. “I don’t know.” Furious, Greg quickly stood up from the chair he was sitting in, pushed it forcibly causing it to topple over with a loud bang onto his shiny hardwood floors. Ben jumped at the sound. Greg’s face was red and his eyes watery as he balled his fists tightly and paced the floor. He wanted somebody to hurt; he wanted to put his fist through the wall because at least something or someone would hurt even if it would be him.

“I do know. I planted it because I didn’t trust him,” Greg said with eyes blazing with pain. “I want to get him. I want him to pay for what he did to Sam.”

Ben nodded. “Didn’t we always get our guy?”

Greg knew that they did. Ben was a partner that he could depend to give his all on a case. But something was different about this time; Greg hadn’t felt this helpless and vulnerable since Cara went to be with the Lord.

“What’ll I do, Ben? I want to destroy him,” Greg said with his head held down fighting to hold back tears.

“I know but that’s not an option,” Ben said. “You know that’s why I hate religion. I’ll never trust it, ever. I’ll be an atheist till I die. The preachers who claim to love Jesus preach one thing but do another. This preacher dude is worse than a gang banger on the street any day because he smiles in y’alls faces then shoots y’all in the back.”

Greg lifted his head at Ben’s words. He was so involved in his own pain that he hadn’t realized what this was doing to someone that never knew Jesus.

Greg stood up. “Ben man, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for getting you involved but this man’s actions has nothing to do with Jesus. No matter what he did, you can’t use him as an excuse for rejecting God.”

Ben shook his head. “I know you believe in your God hard. And I respect you for devoting yourself to something and wanting to help people. But I hate that these people sit high on the pulpit, getting rich off of poor people and destroy so many people’s lives in the process.”

Greg wiped his eyes. “Ben, you are my friend and I love you but I have to tell you the truth and no one is more sickened and hurt than I am but my pastor is a flawed man like we all are but nothing he did is God’s fault.”

Ben stood up and began gathering the recording equipment. “I hear you man and I didn’t mean to…”

Greg put his hand up stopping Ben. “It’s okay Ben. I know what you mean.”

Greg walked into his kitchen and took two bottles of water out of the refrigerator. He handed one bottle to Ben.

Greg looked over at Ben, “Without that recording, nobody will believe it.”

“I need you to get out of victim mode and back in detective mode,” Ben said sternly.

“I’m trying.” Greg sighed. “Have you shared this with anybody?”

“Naw man.”

Ben took a deep breath. “Do you think anyone else other than these two were involved?”

Greg shook his head. “No,”

“How much contact do you have with this Aaron fellow?”

“Not much. I’ve seen him around church.”

“I’ll find out if there’s anything on him.” Ben stood up. “Your God is really going to have to show up for us.”