Little Black Girl Lost (19 page)

“D
ammit, Marla!” Napoleon shouted after seeing her and Lucas frolicking in the pool. “Didn't I tell you I'd be back in a couple of hours?”

Marla and Lucas stopped suddenly and stared at Napoleon with childlike fright in their eyes, fearing they had been caught red-handed. But Napoleon wasn't upset about seeing them together; he was upset because she didn't have Lucas dressed and ready to go shopping.

“Didn't I tell you to have him ready by the time I returned? What didn't you understand, Marla? Was it the part about having him ready? Or did you forget what time I said I'd be back? I said I'd be back in two hours. Have him ready. Was that too complicated? You've got a fucking college degree and can't even follow simple instructions.”

Marla felt about two inches tall. It wasn't so much what he was saying. It wasn't even his shouting; he belittled her all the time. What bothered Marla most was that he verbally abused her in front of others, depreciating her worth as a woman and as a human being. She begged him thousands of times not to degrade her in front of their guests. Marla felt even worse when she looked at Lucas and saw how out of place he felt while Napoleon ripped her to shreds.

“Lucas!” Napoleon shouted suddenly. “Don't you think my instructions were clear?”

“Napoleon, it was my fault,” Lucas said, attempting to take the heat off Marla. “I shoulda paid more attention to the time.”

“It's not your fault, Lucas,” Napoleon said, finally calming down. “But I admire your gallantry. Marla, get him some clothes. I'll be waiting in the car. The Yankees are on the radio.”

Marla and Lucas got out of the pool and went into the house. She led him to their bedroom, where she had already laid out an outfit for him.

“These should fit you nicely,” Marla said, admiring the way the water still glistened on him. Lucas dried off and held the button-down shirt up to his neck, saying, as he looked in the mirror, “This should fit me pretty good.”

Marla decided to get revenge for the way Napoleon treated her on the patio. She walked up behind Lucas and placed her small hands on his sizable pectorals.

“What are you doing?” Lucas asked, scared to death they might get caught. “Napoleon could come back any second.”

“I know,” she said, turning him around. “Isn't the very notion of being caught delicious?”

Marla pulled his head down and kissed his thick lips. Lucas tried to pull away, but she had a firm grip. As he backed away, Marla came forward, still kissing him. Suddenly, she pushed him onto the bed. Climbing on top of him, she could feel his massive erection pressing against her stomach. Lucas continued struggling. His heart raced.

“Let it happen,” Marla whispered.

Lucas was torn. He wanted Marla, but he loved Johnnie. He knew he should get out of that room, and with his powerful physique there was no way she could keep him against his will. Nevertheless, he let it happen. Marla had his thick rod in her hand, stroking it gently at first. She gave him a blowjob. Lucas moaned and gave in to the sensual pleasure, but was still uneasy. He lifted his head. The bedroom door was open.

“Marla, the door is open.”

“I know,” Marla said, unusually calm. “The idea of being caught excites the hell outta me.”

“H
ave you heard a word I've said?” Napoleon asked.

“Huh?” Lucas said, feeling nervous and guilty at the same time. He had betrayed Johnnie and Napoleon. He felt bad about what he did, but he wanted to see Marla again. He enjoyed the sexual excursion a little too much.

“Still thinking about that gal of yours?” Napoleon asked.

“Huh? Uh, yeah, yeah,” Lucas said, wondering why Napoleon hadn't questioned him about what he'd seen at the pool. He wanted to ask him about it, but thought, why bring it up?
If he doesn't say anything, why should I?

“Don't worry, Lucas, my man. When we get you all dressed up, she won't be able to resist you; especially after you get a few bucks in your pocket.”

“You really think so?”

“I know so. Here,” Napoleon said, handing him a brand new, crisp one hundred dollar bill. “Show her this and she'll be putty in you hands. Money is the one thing a woman can't get enough of.”

“She's got her own money, Napoleon. She doesn't need mine. I need my own so that when we go out, I can pay like a real man should. I just want her to respect me as a man that doesn't have to depend on her to pay for everything.”

“I understand. I wish Marla had her own money. That way she could get the hell outta my life.” He paused for a second. “She's got her own money, huh?”

“Yeah. She's even got a stockbroker.”

“A stockbroker?” Napoleon repeated.

“Uh-huh.”

“This must be some widow who inherited a small fortune from the insurance, huh?”

“Naw, she's only sixteen,” Lucas said, proud to be her boyfriend at that moment. “She's real smart, and she's the prettiest, the sweetest, and the most giving girl in the world.”

“Really,” Napoleon said skeptically. “Bring her by the club tonight. I'd like to meet her.”

Remembering her rendezvous with Earl, Lucas said, “Well, her mother was killed a few days ago. And she's got family in town. Maybe another time.”

“Her mother isn't Marguerite Wise, is she?”

“Yeah. How did you know?”

“Read it in the
Sentinel.
The papers say whoever did it must have been pissed as hell. If they catch him, he'll be black. If they don't, you know a white man did it. If a white man did it, and if he's rich, he'll be untouchable by the authorities. If he's Joe Blow, the police can do something, but you won't find a jury to convict him.”

“So, nothing can be done?” Lucas asked.

“I didn't say that. Something can be done. We just have to be careful. We have to plan our strategies. But first we gotta find out who did it, then we determine what the fallout will be if we kill him.”

“Fallout?”

“Yeah, you know . . . the consequences. There are consequences to everything, Lucas.”

Lucas nodded his head in agreement. Then he remembered what Marla said.
‘Napoleon doesn't have any friends.' It doesn't make sense. He's being a friend to me. He's given me a job, put money in my pocket. He's taking me shopping. And how do I repay him? By having unnatural sex with his wife. What the hell did I do? Damn, that's fucked up. But what can I do about it? I can't apologize for it. And she wants to see me again too. Fuck it! I'm never seeing Marla again.

“Let me check with Johnnie, Napoleon. Maybe you can meet her tonight.”

T
he invitation from Lucas was a godsend. Johnnie had spent the day trying to figure out how she was going to get out of the house. It hadn't occurred to her to use Lucas as an excuse, but when he called and asked Johnnie to meet him at Napoleon's Bayou, she felt a sense of relief. She told Benny and Brenda about a date with Lucas, and that they were meeting at the Sepia to see a movie. The couple didn't believe her. They knew she was going to see Earl. If Johnnie saw Lucas at all, it would be after she saw Earl.

Benny saw the opportunity to get away from Brenda for awhile to see Sadie, but told Brenda he was going to follow Johnnie to see where she was really going. He also told Brenda that if Johnnie saw Earl, he would have a talk with him after Johnnie left. Brenda knew Benny was mainly interested in spending some time with Sadie. She wanted him to know that she knew. She was getting tired of his philandering. Just as he opened the front door to leave, Brenda decided to speak her mind.

“Benny?”

“Yeah, Brenda, baby. What is it?”

“Just so you know, you and Sadie ain't foolin' nobody. I guess what I don't understand is why you're disrespecting me by making it so obvious.”

“What are you talkin' about?”

“You know what I'm talkin' about, Benny! Are you going to stand there and tell me you're not going to see Sadie tonight? Your foolishness gon' end up being a curse on our children.”

“What do you mean?”

“Your runnin' around, Benny. You think you just out there havin' the time of your life, but have you considered the fact that your waywardness could be manifested in one or all of our children? What if the next one is a girl, Benny? You know what they say; the apple don't fall far from the tree. How you gon' live with yourself if our daughter end up being a whore like you and the women in your family? What if she ends up dead, killed by her white lover? How you gon' live with yourself?”

“That won't happen, Brenda.”

“Oh? And why not?”

“ 'Cause you a good Christian woman. God won't let that happen for your sake. Me? You knew how I was when you married me. I cain't help the way I am. And you right. It's in my family. I come from a family of whores. In fact, a whore, who's dead now because of it, raised me. But that ain't gon' stop me from talkin' to Earl tonight. Now, I gotta go before Johnnie gets too far away.”

“Benny, if you just accept Christ as your Lord and Savior, he can change you, if that's what you want.”

“Well, pray for me, Brenda,” Benny said then gently closed the door behind him.

J
ohnnie pulled into the lot behind the Savoy Hotel and parked Marguerite's Oldsmobile. It was 9:30. She knew she'd see Earl open the back door like clockwork. Seconds later, Earl opened the door and looked out. He saw Johnnie and waved at her. She got out of the car, walking hurriedly to the door.

Benny pulled into the parking lot in time to see her enter the building. He drove around until he spotted Marguerite's Oldsmobile then he parked a couple of rows away. He didn't realize it, but he was parked right next to Earl's Cadillac. He knew it wouldn't be a long wait. If she really liked Lucas, she would be in and out as quickly as she could, he thought. He decided that now would be a good time to call Sadie to decide where they would meet, and walked to the front entrance of the Savoy to use the pay phone in the lobby.

Before Johnnie could get in the room, Earl started fondling her breasts. A couple of seconds later, his hand was up her skirt and inside her panties. She was about to protest when he planted a sloppy, wet kiss on her lips.

Pulling away and leaning back a bit, with her hands firmly on his chest, Johnnie said, “I thought you had urgent news, Earl.”

“I do, honey,” he said, almost desperate. “I just need a little first, that's all. Just a little to help me relax. It's been awhile since we did it.”

“It's only been a week.” Johnnie frowned. “Have you forgotten that my mother was murdered?”

“No, honey. I haven't forgotten, but . . .”

“But you still expect me to put out regardless of what I'm going through, right?”

“I wouldn't put it that way.”

“What way would you put it, Earl?” Johnnie asked, putting her hands on her hips. “Tell me, Earl. I'm curious as hell.”

Earl bowed his head. He felt ashamed of himself, but he still had a stiff erection in his pants.

“The truth is,” Johnnie continued, “you don't even care, do you? As long as you get yours, you couldn't give a damn about me and how I'm feeling.”

“Johnnie, I do care. It's just that it's been a long time and—”

“Since when is a week a long time? I can wait a week or much longer. How come you cain't?”

Earl just looked at her, hoping that she would feel sorry for him and please him like she'd done so many times before.

“Fine, Earl. I'll do it, but I wonder what it'll take for you to care about someone other than yourself.”

Moments later, Earl was inside her, making his animalistic groans of ecstasy. He was so into the moment that he was unaware of her complete detachment. Johnnie was just lying there, hoping he would hurry up and finish so she could find out whatever it was he had to say. Then she'd be on her way to meet Lucas. Unfortunately, Earl was uncharacteristically slow, savoring every stroke. Johnnie decided to hurry him along. She arched her back and pumped a few times. Just as she knew he would, Earl lost control. He was now moving with the urgency of a rabbit in heat. Finally, it was over.

Earl was still inside her. His breathing was slowing down, but she could still hear him panting in her ear.

“Earl, could you roll over, please? You're heavy.”

“I'm sorry, honey,” Earl said and rolled off her.

Johnnie went into the adjacent bathroom and washed herself. She looked into the mirror, saying, “You can do it. Just a little while longer. Then you'll be free of him forever.”

“What did you say, honey?” Earl shouted. “I can't hear you through the door.”

“Why do you think I have it closed?”

“What?”

“Oh, nothing,” she said, opening the door. “Now, what was so urgent?”

T
aking Johnnie by the hand, Earl led her over to the table and they both sat down. She could tell by the dejected look on his face that whatever he had to say disturbed him deeply. His eyes welled with tears which fell when he began to speak.

“West is planning to move me out of the company.”

“What? Why?” Johnnie asked.

“After all I've done for him,” Earl said, almost shouting. “I've done everything he asked me to. I even gave him the grandson he's always wanted. Now I have no further use.”

“What are you talking about? What happened in Chicago? Did he catch you with another woman or something?”

“No. Nothing like that.”

“Then what happened?”

“We were staying at the Drake Hotel. We were supposed to meet in the lounge for dinner and drinks. I was late because I was in a meeting that ran over by about forty-five minutes, so by the time I got there, they were already drinking.”

“Who?”

“West and Phil Seymour, the head of the Chicago office.”

“Oh.”

“West was telling Phil how I trapped Meredith into marriage and how he had to step in because we were only two notches above the poverty line.”

“How did you trap her?” Johnnie asked, curious about how a white woman could be trapped into marriage.

“I didn't trap her,” Earl said angrily.

“You didn't, huh?”

“No, I could never do that!”

“Earl, please,” Johnnie said, looking at him disdainfully. “Isn't that what you did to me?”

“That was different.”

“Different, huh? Different how?”

“Uh, uh, let's just stick to the subject.” Earl frowned. “West was telling Phil that he was just allowing me to be in a position of power and authority for little Buck's sake. When Buck was of age, he would get rid of me.”

“Well, why does he have to get rid of you? I thought he had you start at the bottom so you could work your way up.”

“He did. That was his fatal mistake. I know everything about Buchanan Mutual. I will be compensated for my years of dedicated service.”

With an uneasy tone in her voice, Johnnie said, “What are you going to do, Earl?”

“West won't give me what I've earned. Fine! I'll take it! I've got about fifteen years to steal as much money as I want. I'll take ten thousand here and ten thousand there. They'll never miss it.”

“Don't the banks keep a record of the checks they cash?”

“Yes. But I won't be using checks. I'll be taking the money from the cash he uses to pay off the politicians in Washington. They call it campaign contributions.”

“What?”

“Yeah, that's right! All the insurance companies do it. They all have their political lobbyist. But you know what hurts the most?”

“What?”

“He had the nerve to tell Phil that little Buck was blood and I wasn't. Whose blood does he think is in his veins? His? That's my son! Mine!”

Johnnie truly felt sorry for him. She wished she had made love to him the way he wanted. Looking at his anguished face, she stood and walked over to where Earl was sitting. She took his head into her arms and listened to him cry for the first time. She rocked him gently in her arms, shushing him like a mother with an infant. Johnnie lifted his head and wiped the tears from his eyes, then she led him back to the bed and made love to him just the way he liked it. When she finished, Earl gave her ten thousand dollars in large bills.

“What's this for, Earl?”

“It's for you, and there's more where that came from. See, I haven't forgotten about your mother being killed. If I can do anything to help find out who did it, let me know.”

What are you going to do? It was a white man that killed her.
“Okay. I gotta be going. Thanks for the money. See you sometime after the funeral when my brother leaves town.”

“Okay,” Earl said, sounding like the weight of the world was lifted from his shoulders.

“Bye,” Johnnie said sweetly. She blew him a kiss as she backed out of the room.