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“How was Charleston?”
Avery’s image froze on Kiefer’s phone like they had a bad connection, but then materialized clearly. Avery was on the move, weaving in and out of a crowd. Being on FaceTime on speaker in a crowded setting had to annoy the people around her. How Avery walked, held a phone up, and managed not to bump into anyone was admirable.
“It was good. I’m so busy, it feels like it was ten years ago.” He propped the phone in a stand near his laptop and leaned back against the comfortable cushion behind him. Though he’d only been back for a week, Charleston was a distant memory. However, the information Kiefer learned about Leela and her ex had not left his mind for a moment. He’d thought of it so much that Kiefer decided to do something about it.
“I hope you properly leveled up with Leela,” Avery said.
Kiefer scratched the side of his face. “Mind your business.”
Avery’s lips held a tease. “I don’t have any business to mind, except my actual business that is, and it’s failing.”
“Are you sure you can’t save it?” Kiefer sat back. They’d talked about her winery before, specifically how it was a poor investment.
“I’m losing money at this point, but I’ll hold on to the land.”
Avery stopped moving, the background of a coffee shop coming into view. Within seconds she slipped AirPods in, drowning out the noise from the street.
“Where are you?” Kiefer asked, remembering she was headed to Kenya during the last update.
“Still in Nairobi.”
Kiefer cocked an eyebrow. “And the tall, very handsome Kenyan youth pastor?”
“Too much of a caveman for me.”
“You do know that at some point you’re going to have to compromise to be with someone.”
Avery groaned. “Say less about it...that is unless you’re planning to do the same for Leela.”
The app for the outside camera appeared on the screen just as Bailey started to bark. “I need to go. Someone is at the door.”
“Call me back,” she said, and she disappeared from the screen.
The doorbell sounded, and Kiefer opened the security app. A man was standing there with his back turned, jittery, rocking and moving about. Kiefer determined he’d turn around at any moment, which he did. He pushed the bell again. Bailey barked louder. Kiefer squinted to get a better look. He was a stranger to him.
Kiefer opened the file on his phone that held the pictures the detective sent of Leela’s ex-husband, Brad. It was him—big afro, dark skin, lanky but athletic, and holding a vape pen in his hand the same way he was holding it in the picture.
Kiefer noted the time. Four p.m. He’d sent for him, first thing this morning and now he was here. Kiefer popped out of his chair. Bailey moved into the foyer where his barking got louder. Kiefer called him back to the office and shut him in so he couldn’t get out. Then he went to his front door and pulled it open.
Brad’s face showed his disappointment. He glanced over Kiefer’s shoulder. “My bad. I’m looking for Leela. She’s expecting me. I’m her cousin.”
“Cousin?” Kiefer folded his arms and leaned against the doorjamb. “Is that like a kissin’ cousin?”
Brad looked at him through hooded eyes.
There was no point in playing with him, Kiefer cleared up Brad’s obvious confusion. “You’re looking for me. I sent for you.”
“What are you talking about? I got a text from Leela at like six this morning telling me to come to this address.”
“That was me.” Kiefer insisted. “I used a VPN to make it look like it came from Leela’s phone.”
“Man, I drove seven hours and you’re playing games. Who are you?”
“I’m a friend of Leela’s.”
Worry lines filled Brad’s forehead. “I’m not looking for any friend of Leela’s. Is she here?”
“No.”
“Do you know when she’ll be back?”
Kiefer half-smiled. “Brad, come on. You’re not this dumb. You know why you’re here, at least in part.”
He reared his head back. “I didn’t catch your name.”
“I didn’t give it.”
Brad took a puff off his vape pen. “I’m calling her to see what’s up.”
“She’s away for a spa weekend with her cousins. They’re disconnecting from the world. That’s why I decided today was the best day to get you up here.”
“Disconnecting or not, I need to talk to her.” He pulled a phone out of his pocket and looked at the screen.
“Leela doesn’t have her phone. And you don’t need to talk to her. What you want...it’s going to have to be between you and me.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means what I said.” Kiefer folded his arms over his chest. “I checked into you. I know about your debt.”
Brad laughed sardonically. “Oh, so you like one of those rich types from Dynasty or something who checks out exes.”
“Yeah. I’m that, and I’m also somebody who knows blackmail is illegal.”
His eyes got wide. “Blackmail? She owes me money.”
“The only thing Leela owes you after the way you treated her is poison.”
“You don’t know what went down between me and my wife.” He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “Who do you think you are?”
“I’m the man whose property you’re standing on.”
“Is that supposed to be a flex?”
Kiefer held a chuckle. He looked over Brad’s shoulder at the car parked at the edge of his driveway. “Where’s Ebony?”
“She’s probably lying down.” Brad put his fingers in his mouth, whistled, and called, “Ebony!”
A dark little head popped up from the back seat. Kiefer’s heart melted. He didn’t even know this dog and he was already in love with her because she was Leela’s.
“I’m going to pay you, but this is the deal. I give you money and you leave Leela alone. No calls. No text messages. No contact.”
“It’s going to cost a lot to get me to leave my own wife alone.”
“Ex-wife,” Kiefer was quick to clarify. “You asked her for five.”
“Well, I need ten from you. Your pockets are deeper than hers.”
“It’s eight or you can go home with nothing,” Kiefer said coolly. “The five you asked her for, two for Ebony and one for your travel expenses.”
Brad shook his head in disbelief. “Ebony is worth more than that to Leela.”
“But it's apparent she’s not worth more to you since you’re here taking money for her.” Kiefer deadpanned him. “I’m not going to go higher.”
Brad tipped up his chin, considering the offer for a moment. Kiefer watched a long trail of sweat travel down his nose. It was hot out here, but the cool air from his house cut into the heat. Brad was sweating the situation. The weather had nothing to do with his perspiration. Finally, he said, “I need cash.”
Kiefer nodded. “Give me a few minutes.” He closed the door and went back to his office. He opened the wall safe and took a stack of cash from his reserves. He always had money in the house, but he’d been anticipating Brad showing up. He counted eight piles of ten one-hundred-dollar bills and pushed the door closed, hesitated, and reopened it again, staring at his Glock for a few seconds before reaching in for it. He stuck it in the back of his waistband. He didn’t know this man. He might start acting up. In the kitchen he grabbed a supermarket bag, put the money inside and went back to the door. He dropped the cash on the foyer table.
Brad had moved a few feet from the door. An electronic melody of sounds came from his phone. He’d already got himself invested in a game.
“I have your money.”
Brad wiped sweat off his forehead and stuck his phone in his pocket.
“But first, you’re going to make a video admitting you blackmailed her.”
Brad frowned. “What for?”
“For evidence in a criminal case.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Insurance. There is only going to be this payment. If you come back for more, I’m going to hunt you down and have you dragged to jail and then prison. Extortion carries a minimum sentence of five years.”
“Man, you’re not taping me.”
“Okay. You have a good life, cuzzin.” Kiefer stepped backward.
“Wait,” Brad yelled. More sweat dotted his forehead. He needed the money. He looked like a junkie feigning for a hit. He cocked his head. “You’re not planning to use that video anyway are you?”
“No. It’s insurance. I want you to go away and stay away.”
“Leela and I have history.” Brad rubbed his hand over his head. “This is some foul mess.”
Kiefer laughed, bitterly. “You’re an expert on what foul looks like, aren’t you? You cheated on your wife with a neighbor, then you stole her dog because you could, and if that wasn’t enough, you’ve been threatening to post a personal video on that fan site. The only thing foul out here right now is you.”
Brad shrugged. “I’m not rich, man.”
Kiefer shook his head. He could think of a bunch of things he could say to this parasite, but it wasn’t worth his time. “I already had an internet scrub done for the video. A thorough one. It’s not published, so if it suddenly does get published, I’ll know you had something to do with it.”
Brad’s face contorted with contempt. “So now you’re blackmailing me?”
Kiefer chuckled sarcastically, “Nooo, man. I’m making a documentary.” He opened his phone and pointed it in Brad’s direction. “Let’s get this done before you get heat stroke.”
Kiefer told Brad what to say and filmed it right there on his porch. He had Brad hold up his driver’s license, front and back. Then he stepped into the foyer and reached for the bag of money. Just as he was about to toss it to him, he remembered the dog. “Bring Ebony.”
Brad walked to the car, opened the door, and let her out. He got down on his knees and talked to the dog before coming back to the door. A little guilt circled Kiefer’s heart. It was obvious that he cared for Ebony too. They exchanged the leash for the bag of money and Kiefer pulled Ebony through the door. He didn’t even have to try to keep her inside. Obviously picking up Leela’s scent, Ebony went crazy sniffing her way through the house.
“You’re one of those Bennetts aren’t you?” Brad’s voice hinted at bitterness. He opened the bag and looked inside, doing what looked like a quick count. When satisfied, he said, “Leela came home from the wedding last year bragging about how all her cousins were married to Bennetts.”
Kiefer didn’t respond. Brad didn’t need to know who he was. All he needed to do was go back to Florida.
Brad continued, “I figured that’s why she moved. She wanted to get her a baller too.”
“You drove her up here.”
“You’ve got her side of the story.” Brad guffawed. “I guess that’s the only one you need.”
“Now that I’ve met you, seems accurate.”
Brad pursed his lips. “Just because I gave you Ebony and made your little tape doesn’t mean I’m less than you.”
Kiefer shook his head. “I never said you were. But you don’t want to get into it with me. Don’t leave here mad and post the video. You’ll pay for it. I’ll make sure.”
Brad took a draw off his vape pen. “There is no video.”
Kiefer waited for him to go on.
“I mean we made one.” His eyes swept Kiefer’s body and Kiefer knew the next thing out of the man’s mouth was going to be nasty. “The video was as hot as my firecracker of a wife, but her memory is whack. It was on her phone not mine. I never had a copy. I lied when I told her I had one.” He shrugged. “Besides, I wouldn’t do that to Lee. I messed up, but she’s a good girl.”
“So why would you treat her like this?”
“Because these people I owe, they’re the kind who break kneecaps. I figured she could get some money from one of her rich cousins or something.”
“Maybe you should get some help with the gambling.”
“I thought about it. I went to one of those gambler’s anonymous meetings and they were talking about the steps. Making amends and all that. There was no way I could go to those meetings until I paid off my debt.” He smirked. “You don’t know nothing about that kind of desperation.”
Kiefer shrugged. He wasn’t sympathetic to the man’s excuses. “There are different ways to be desperate.”
“Well, I’d rather have your problems.”
Kiefer decided to forgo the philosophical conversation with him. “We’re done here. Remember, leave her alone.”
Brad smiled like that warning hadn’t landed in his brain.
“I mean it. Stay away. The people you owe aren’t the only ones who know how to break kneecaps.”
Brad laughed. “Shoot, man. You got it bad. I understand. She was my wife for four years.” Brad raised the bag. “Thanks for the money. I would say take care of my girls,” his eyes roamed the exterior of the house, “but it looks like you have that under control. Financially anyway.”
He turned and walked to his car, got inside, and drove away.
Kiefer let out a long breath and went inside the house. Ebony was there sitting on her hind legs. Kiefer squatted. “You’re looking for your mama? She’ll be home tonight.” Kiefer petted Ebony and she raised a paw and placed it in Kiefer’s hand. “We’re friends already, eh. Good.” Kiefer stood and removed the leash from her collar. “Come on. Let’s go meet Bailey.”