No Sin in Paradise (15 page)

I start to pack. Even in a rush, I'm still very systematic in how I fold my clothes and put them in their numerous compartments. At least with me leaving, Adele and Sammy will not be in danger any longer. It's not easy being my friend, and I see the type of strain that I put on my relationships. Maybe before it's all said and done, I'll find a way to better appreciate those close to me.

“You're leaving?” Adele asks.

I stop packing and notice that Adele seems sad to see me leaving. I could've sworn that she would want me gone as soon as possible. I was just someone looking for a place to stay on the beach, and I gained so much more from my time with her than she with me.

“I have to go, Adele. I have to finish this.”

“You won't be satisfied until they put a bullet in your head.”

“They tried to put a bullet in my head. I'm not going to give them another opportunity.”

Adele's eyes get sadder. I guess she's seen that look before in a man and heard these same words. Her husband continued to fight a war that had long ended. I'm fighting a war that seems pointless to her. I wish I could make her understand, but I don't have the time.

“I can't thank you enough for your hospitality, and I promise I'll be back to visit you,” I say.

“I'm going to hold you to that promise now,” Adele says. She then lets out a little smile.

There's a knock on the door, and it's Sammy, who has made his way upstairs. Adele gives him a smile, and he walks in.

“Are you leaving, Doc?” Sammy asks.

“Yeah, I have a few loose ends to tie up.”

I start to pack again before I realize that Sammy has his hands on Adele's shoulders, and she is not elbowing him; nor is she threatening to hurt him. The threat on my life must've made me delusional.

“Is there something you want to tell me?” I ask Adele.

“No, just mind your own business now. That's what your problem is—you stay in other folks' business,” she says.

“Yeah, you need to stop hating,” Sammy says.

We all have a good laugh, and that is something I need. I am a firm believer in the scriptures, and laughter is medicine to the soul. The fact that I can laugh means that there is hope, and hope does not disappoint.

“You take care of yourself now,” Adele says.

I give her a hug, and I shake Sammy's hand. “Thanks again.”

This isn't a good-bye, but for now I have to bring Knott to justice. No matter what Knott has done, it has not escaped God, and he hasn't escaped me. I'm about to book a flight to Miami, and I plan to take Knott down.

When I told Donny Moses that I was leaving the island, he did not hesitate to fly me from Crystal Cove to Fort Lauderdale. My destination is about an hour outside Miami. Donny assures me that the airport in Fort Lauderdale is less congested than Miami International. I take his word for it. From the airport I rent a car and drive out to Miami. My first stop is Southwest Christian Center. I need to see about a friend.

Here's a fun fact. I've been to Miami at least a dozen times, and I have yet to visit South Beach and other famous parts of the city. Unfortunately, I'm certain that the streak will not be broken today, for this is an all-business trip.

 

 

I arrive at Southwest Christian Center. The church is a warehouse that has been converted and extended upon its original design. Thanks to a savvy design of the front of the building with a huge cross, no one ever gives the building a second look. It's a weekday, and there are just a few cars in the parking lot, but there is one person I can count on to be at the church, rain or shine.

“Vinnie!” I say as Vinnie opens the door for me.

Vinnie is half Italian and half Puerto Rican. It's a long story; the main thing is Vinnie is well connected.

“Nic, it's been too long. How have you been?” Vinnie gives me a hug and lets me inside the church lobby.

“It's been too long, Vinnie. How's the family?”

“Tony's in high school. Kid's got quite an arm. He's going to be the next Mariano Rivera, a true closer.”

“And what about that pretty young woman of yours, Cynthia?” I ask.

“Nineteen years in September,” Vinnie says, bragging.

I whistle at the thought that a man can be married for nineteen years and still have a smile on his face when his wife is mentioned, like how Vinnie is smiling at me now.

“What can I say? Momma takes care of me.”

“Nothing wrong with that,” I reply.

“Are you here for Pastor Gutierrez?” Vinnie asks.

“Actually, I'm here for you.”

“So what do you need, Nic? You wouldn't be here to see me if you didn't.”

I have very few contacts in Miami. Of course, when you have a contact like Vinnie, you don't really need a lot of contacts. Vinnie is the church janitor, and he runs his own janitorial business. To meet Vinnie is to automatically like him and to want to do things for him. Vinnie has used his God-given charm to influence some high-powered people, and as a result, he's able to cash in and can get access to everything from opera seats to political fundraisers, even Miami Heat tickets.

“Douglas Madison. I need to get close to him.”

“How close?”

“Close enough to wipe the lint off his suit jacket.”

Vinnie lets out a whistle. “I don't know, Nic. You overestimate the influence I really have.”

I know I put in for a large order, but my plan hinges on being able to apply pressure to dear old Douglas Madison.

“Come on, Vinnie. Impossible is not in your dictionary.”

“No, but improbable is, and from where I'm standing, that's where we are,” he says.

“There has to be someone you know that can get me close to Douglas Madison.”

“And if I know that someone, what will you do for me?”

“Name it.”

A sinister smile comes to Vinnie's face. He knows that a blank check from me is golden. I also see firsthand why Vinnie has managed to thrive for all of these years.

“This summer, we're taking the kids out to California. I want passes to Disneyland, both parks,” Vinnie says.

A blank check from me and all Vinnie wants to do is hang out with Mickey Mouse? God bless him.

“I'll tell you what, I'll put you and the family up at the Disneyland Hotel as well.”

“Deal.” Vinnie extends his hand out to mine, and I shake it.

Vinnie puts his hands over his mouth and tosses around an idea. There has to be someone that can connect with Madison.

“Now that I think about it, I know a guy who used to work for me until he branched out on his own. He has a contract for a building that's owned by Knott's VP. I'll call him up.”

“Vinnie, I need this to go down ASAP. I'm working with a small timetable.”

“The way you sound, you make it seem like this man is a terrorist.”

No, but his post is a financial terrorist. “No, nothing like that, but I'm only in town for a few days, two at the most. I need to meet up with him soon.”

Vinnie gives me a head nod to confirm that he understands the urgency of the matter. “I'll give him a call and see what I can set up.”

I can't help but to shake Vinnie's hand again. The next man is better than nothing. Now I just need to contact my friend Paul and see what I can dig up on the VP.

It's a familiar scene for me, sitting in a hotel room, the Bible open, and a glass of Jack Daniels in my hand. It's a familiar scene except for one twist; I have yet to take a drink. The desire to drink is strong, and I can't blame it on the devil. I welcomed the craving, and I didn't need the devil's temptation. I do need the Lord's grace to restore me, however.

“Lord, you know I want to take a drink, but I don't want the guilt that comes with it. Lord, help me to pour out this drink. Jesus, I need you.”

I get up and though the desire is strong, I walk over to the bathroom with the drink in my hand. I avoid looking down to keep from taking a sip before I pour the drink out. The lights are already on when I enter the bathroom. It's a bad habit I have, but since I have paid for the room, I don't feel the need to conserve electricity. I turn on the faucet, and I then pour out the glass of Jack down the sink. It's hypnotic watching the brown liquor and water mixing together as they go down the drain. I set the glass next to the sink and grab the bottle and proceed to conduct that same experiment again. Now that I have eliminated the temptation in my room, I can refocus my attention on reading my Bible.

The book of Proverbs is known as a book of wisdom. For a foolish man such as myself, I find Proverbs to be a guide to a better path. I am seeking a better path. The last week is evident that if I continue down my current path, then I'm heading to cold, lonely, bitter grave. I turn to Proverbs 3:24:

I lie down, but when I close my eyes, the image is not sweet. It's an image of Cameron's gun pointed at my face. I may have dodged the bullet in the physical realm, but mentally, I see the gun and this time, Adele is not standing behind Cameron with a shotgun. This time, it's lights out and a cold chill before I fade to black.

What's even more alarming than the image of being shot is that there is a part of me that wishes it all would've ended.

So many people fear death, but death doesn't scare me as much as most people. When I think of death, I think of an end to suffering. Victory represented more than a potential romance, but a chance for life and happiness and to not allow my demons of the past to devour me. Maybe I had too high of expectations of Victory. She's not my Savior; there's only one.

My phone alerts me that I have a new message. It takes me a moment, but I get up and walk over to the table to check my message. I see that it's actually an e-mail from Paul. The subject line of the e-mail reads, I got something good. I click on the link, and it takes me to the information that Paul uncovered. Something weird starts to happen as I scan over the little bit of information I can read from my smart phone. Something strange is happening to my face. Then it dawns on me: I'm smiling. I'm smiling at the fact that I just found my way to squeeze Douglas Madison and thus, cripple Randall Knott.

 

 

I stand across the street from Knott's Corporation Miami office, waiting for Miguel to give me the sign that the coast is clear. After I got the e-mail from Paul, I went and printed out the material. A few hours later, I get a call from Vinnie, letting me know that he has made good on his promise. So here I am outside, waiting for a way in.

There is one security guard working the front desk. I hope that he's not a problem. Moments later, Miguel shows up with and talks with the guard. Of course, I can't hear what they are saying, but they exchange a few laughs. Then the security guard gets up and leaves his post.

Once Miguel confirms that the coast is clear, he then signals for me to come on. I start to jog across the street dodging traffic. When I get across the street, he opens the door.

“Hurry, we only have a few minutes.”

“What did you say to him?”

“That my wife made her famous chicken enchiladas and all he has to do is warm them up in the microwave.”

Miguel walks me over to the elevator and uses his keycard.

“Text me when you're ready to come down.”

I don't know what Vinnie did to put Miguel in debt to him where he would take such a huge risk, but I'm glad he did it.

I hop on the elevator and go up to the twelfth floor. I don't know if this plan will work, but it's worth a try. I get off the elevator and turn right. At the end of the hallway is an office with classical music playing. I walk up to the door and knock. I hear a little rumbling around until the door opens, and sure enough, Douglas Madison is on the other side.

“Can I help you?”

“Douglas Madison, my name is Nicodemus Dungy, and I have an important matter to discuss with you.”

“I'm sorry, but I'm very busy.” Douglas tries to close the door, but I put my foot in the way. “Listen, Mr. Madison, I know you're very busy, but a few minutes of your time would be worth it because if I have to come back, then I'm returning with federal agents.”

If he's a straitlaced guy like I think he is, then the mere threat of involving the police will be enough. If not, then I've just blown a golden opportunity to blindside Knott.

“Come in.” Douglas opens the door, and I close it behind me.

“What's this all about Mr. . . .?”

“Dungy, Nic Dungy.”

I reach into my inside pocket and produce photos of the people murdered on the island. I drop them right in front of his desk.

“What's this?”

“These are the people your boss murdered.”

“That's preposterous.”

Denial can be deadly. I choose to show Douglas the photos first so that I can get his attention and throw him off balance.

“I don't know who you think you are, but you can't come in here and toss these photos on my desk and make allegations about my employer.”

“I can, and I did. Now, I've told you my name, but that's not what's important. What's important is why I'm here to see you and the police are not here yet,” I say.

“Speaking of police, how did you get in here?” Douglas tries to pick up the phone to call security.

I stop Douglas from dialing by taking the phone from him. This situation can get out of hand real fast, so for the sake of not ruining any more lives, it's time for me to explain why I'm here.

“Before you call the security and I call the police, I think you may want to give me two minutes to explain why I'm here,” I say.

Douglas stops trying to take the phone from me and instead takes a seat in his chair. “Two minutes.”

I start to pace the office. I see all of these awards and accolades Madison has collected over the years. What's even more impressive is he has an equal number of family photos and keepsakes. This is a man who gets what life's about. He understands that life is not a huge Monopoly board where one tries to obtain as much property and materials as possible. I can see that Madison's efforts and gains are for those who he holds dear, his true treasures, and his family.

“A minute and a half,” Douglas says.

I lose my train of thought. So much has transpired that I don't where to start. I guess the best place would be with the information that is relevant to him and his current position.

“You are aware that Randall Knott likes to spend a lot of time in the Bahamas,” I say.

“Yes, I know; what of it?”

“He also has a lot of business dealings on the island.”

“I know this. Again, what of it? You have sixty seconds.”

“You know of all of Knott's business dealings in both Miami and the Bahamas, there is not one piece of paper he has signed,” I say.

The way Douglas starts to rub his forehead, I can tell that the clock has stopped, and I now have both his attention and the time to lay out my case.

“I don't see what this has to do with me,” Douglas says.

“That's the just the thing.
Your
name is on every piece of document from the property Knott has acquired in Crystal Cove.” I point to the pictures that are still on Douglas's desk. “The police will look into their deaths, and there is a paper trail that leads back to you, which means that if Randall Knott is brought up on charges, he can point the figure at you, and
you
would be the one going to jail.”

Madison starts to rub his forehead even harder. I just dropped off a heavy load, and right now, I'm sure Madison is replaying all of those documents that he just blindly signed and never gave them a second thought. This whole time, Douglas never knew he was sealing his own fate.

“The purchases of the properties in Crystal Cove are legitimate acquisitions. There was nothing illegally done on our part.”

“You sure about that?” I ask, but I can tell that Douglas is unsure.

I reach into my jacket pocket and pull out the file I got from Paul. I toss it on top of the pictures. Douglas picks up the file and starts to read through it. The information Paul sent was raw material, but I highlighted some to show the connection between the purchases and the alleged crimes that are associated with the purchases. Douglas reads over the material a few times before he sits back in his chair and lets out a deep sigh.

“I know how the media paints Mr. Knott out to be a bully, but he is really a good guy; he's not a killer.” Douglas pans over the file and pictures on his desk. “There's no way he could've done this.”

“You're willing to risk your family on that?”

Douglas doesn't say anything; he just sits there and weighs his options. The businessman is at odds with the family man. Which one will win?

“What do you want me to do?” he asks.

“I need you to testify in court about all of the shady dealings Knott has been involved in,” I reply.

Douglas starts shaking his head. Even with a mountain of evidence on his desk, he is still loyal to the man who has made him wealthy.

“I can get you protection,” I say.

“I can't.”

“You have to.” I point to the picture of the dead bodies. The pictures are my closing argument.

“No, I can't. I can't put my family at risk. I won't. There has to be another way.”

I put my hands in my pocket and shrug my shoulders. My best option is protection, but then I remember that this is the businessman in Douglas talking. The family man would take the deal and start over. The vice president in him wants to take over the throne after Knott has been dethroned.

“I can't do it, but there is someone else,” Douglas says.

“Who?”

“Trevor Morgan.”

“Who's that?”

“Trevor Morgan was one of Mr. Knott's accountants. He was a little off, and he found things that he shouldn't have found.” Madison takes a deep breath. “Knott fired him and branded him crazy. Trevor went off the grid.”

“Mr. Madison, with all due respect, I don't have time for any wild goose chases. I came to you with a deal of a lifetime. A chance to get ahead of this thing before it blows. If you're not interested, then I wish you the best of luck.”

“No, I swear. He was an accountant for Mr. Knott. He was an ex-war vet, and he was going on and on about what Knott was up to. He was labeled crazy, and then fired. He went off the grid. He has
evidence
on Knott.”

“If I can't find him, then I need for you to testify,” I say.

“Knott will suspect me.”

“There's no way Knott won't suspect you. You're putting your family in danger. Let me help you.”

“I won't promise anything,” Douglas says.

“Let me be the one to make promises.”

I scan the room and see the sincerity prayer next to his daughter's picture. Douglas is not only a family man, but a man of faith. It's funny how all of our relationships come down to faith.

“Do me a favor, Mr. Madison.”

“What's that?”

“Pray about it. Let God lead you to the truth.”

Madison just gives me a head nod, and that's all I need. I text Miguel to let him know I'm ready to come down. Now, it's all about finding Randall Knott's former accountant and get protection for him.