“Okay, you have officially converted me,” Sydney laughed as the closing credits started to roll across the huge flat-screen TV in front of the couple. “South Park is the funniest cartoon ever!”
“Hey, I told you, Syd,” Jason said with a sly smile as he grabbed the television control and lowered the volume slightly. “Gimme a chance and I’ll have you rocking bamboo earrings and fluorescent-colored Nike dunks, too!”
Sydney immediately made loud retching sounds and covered her mouth as if she was going to vomit. “Oh, God, I think I’m going to be sick,” she protested with a giggle.
“What?” Jason questioned in feigned surprised. “Like you don’t have a lifetime supply of Rocawear baby T-shirts to match in your closet? Stop playin’!”
“Humph, not even on a dare,” Sydney replied with a sarcastic roll of the eyes. “Why, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were confusing me with my BET-crazed sister, Mr. Danden!” Sydney playfully pouted and turned away from her boyfriend to look out the huge bay windows into her spacious back patio.
“Aww, come here,” Jason coaxed sweetly as he wrapped his arms around her from behind and leaned in to lightly kiss her on the back of her neck. As his warm lips gently pressed into the soft spot behind Sydney’s left ear, he slowly ran his fingers up and down her arms.
“No, just forget it.” Sydney continued her charade although she could feel her resolve weakening with each kiss. “Obviously, I’m not the one you want,” she said as she played with the frayed edging on her rose-colored Tracy Reese cinch-waist jacket.
“Not only are you the right one,” Jason whispered in her ear as he gently turned Sydney around to face him. “You’re the only one I want.” He stared deeply into Sydney’s eyes as he stroked her face.
Sydney smiled shyly as she looked at him. Any and all concerns about his bizzaro behavior were wiped from her mind. She relaxed under his touch. “I’m glad,” she finally responded.
“You are so beautiful. Do you know that?” Jason questioned huskily. “I love the curls of your hair, the way your eyes light up when you smile, the softness of your touch when we’re holding hands…I swear, just looking at you walk into a room turns me on.”
Sydney playfully punched Jason’s arm. “Uh, hello, T.M.I! You’re gonna make me self-conscious! I’ll never be able to walk in a room without thinking you’re getting a hard-on!” she teased.
Jason laughed at his own blunder. “Oops, def too much information, huh?” he admitted as he sat back bashfully on the plush, moss-colored couch.
“Definitely,” Sydney said as she leaned over and kissed Jason gently on the lips. “But it’s okay, because I think you’re pretty cute yourself, Mr. Danden,” she whispered softly, mere inches from his face. She could taste the trace of cinnamon on her lips from Jason’s stick of Big Red gum. She leaned in again, and this time they exchanged a more passionate kiss. Sydney could feel Jason slowly massaging circles on her scalp. Tingles ran up and down her body like electricity. Sydney was always amazed at how much better Jason kissed than Marcus. When they finally pulled away, she involuntarily smiled.
“Whatchu smiling about,” he asked in an exaggerated 70s accent.
“You make me really happy,” Sydney smiled contentedly. She rested her head on his shoulder and nuzzled the crook of his neck. The smell of his Creed Green Irish Tweed cologne filled her nose. Sydney hugged him tightly from the side.
“Is that so?” Jason asked with one eyebrow cocked.
“Unfortunately, yes,” Sydney teased. “I tried my best to fight it, but alas, it seems that I have a new boyfriend who makes me really happy.”
“Hmmm, I see. Although to be perfectly honest, that doesn’t seem like such a horrible thing, Ms. Duke. In fact, some might actually call it a beautiful struggle.”
“Uh, okay, Talib, is that what you’d call it?” Sydney laughed at the look of surprise on Jason’s face because she’d caught on to his backpack hip-hop reference to rapper Talib Kweli’s album title. “Bet you didn’t think I knew that one, huh?”
“You never cease to amaze me,” Jason said with a huge smile.
“A well-trained woman always retains some mystery,” Sydney chided with a raised eyebrow of her own.
“I see. Well, you’re not the only one with something up the sleeve tonight,” Jason said forebodingly.
Sydney immediately straightened up. “Oh, yeah, is that so? And just what are you hiding from me, Jason Danden?”
Jason smiled and stood up. He walked over to the black-and-purple Billionaire Boys Club hoodie he’d taken off earlier and started digging in the pockets. He turned and looked at Sydney over his shoulder with a mischievous smile.
“What? What is it?” Sydney asked, becoming increasingly excited. She sat on the edge of the couch in anticipation of Jason’s surprise.
When he finally stopped digging around, Jason turned and faced Sydney with his left hand behind his back. “Relax, Syd, you gotta learn how to enjoy the suspense,” he teased as he headed back over to the couch.
“If you don’t show me…” Sydney jumped up from her seat and grabbed at his hand. Jason easily eluded her reach. She stomped her right foot in a mock temper tantrum. “Jason Danden, if you don’t stop being mean to me, I’m going to call my daddy,” she threatened playfully.
“Well, dang, when you give a brother an ultimatum like that…” Jason feigned fright and finally pulled his hand around for her to see. “And this whole time I thought you liked me…”
“Omigod,” was the only word Sydney could utter as her mouth dropped open at the sight of a coveted red Cartier box. She froze in place.
“Wow, are you shell-shocked already? ’Cause you haven’t even seen what’s inside yet,” Jason responded. He slowly opened the box to reveal an 18-karat pink-gold LOVE bracelet.
“Jason,” Sydney started slowly as she stared at the beautiful and extremely significant piece of jewelry. “I don’t know what to say,” she continued at an obvious loss for words.
“Just keep saying that I make you happy,” Jason answered as he removed the bracelet and held it out to Sydney. “I know I’ve been a little harsh with you about the whole Marcus thing. And this is not to say sorry, but rather to show you that it really only happens because I care about you. I wouldn’t get upset about your clothes or the way he was looking if I didn’t care about you.”
Sydney twisted the diamond stud in her right ear. For some reason, hearing Jason’s explanation only kicked up Sydney’s uncomfortable memories of Mary’s speech. “But this bracelet,” Jason continued, completely unaware of the slight twitch in Sydney’s left eye, “is a symbol of our unity. Once it’s locked on, the only way you can take it off is with the tiny screwdriver that I’ll wear on my chain next to my cross.” He pulled out his chain with the tiny golden screwdriver attached from under his long-sleeve white T-shirt to show her. Sydney forced a smile. Jason locked the bracelet on her left wrist with a soft snap. “It’s my way of saying that nothing—or no one—is ever going to come between us,” he concluded seriously.
“Wow, thank you, Jason,” Sydney said softly as she fingered the perfectly fitting bracelet. “I absolutely love it.”
Jason leaned in to kiss Sydney. “I’m glad,” he said as he held her tightly. Sydney could hear his heart beating in her ear as she leaned against his chiseled chest.
Sydney pulled away slowly to look up at his face. “No, this is a really big deal. I’m totally surprised.”
“Yeah, I know at first it seems like a lot,” Jason replied. “But I expect a lot from you. And since nothing in life is really free…”
Sydney paused as she considered his words. For a second, it almost seemed like he was justifying his behavior with the expensive bracelet. Trying to shake the queasiness in her stomach, Sydney forced herself to focus on the awesome present and the amazing moment they were sharing. She stood up on her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around Jason’s neck, and planted a lingering kiss on his lips. “Say no more,” she said, looking into his dark brown eyes. Jason just smiled.
“Don’t forget to send me a text message when you get home,” Sydney reminded Jason as she walked him to the Dukes’ front door. As she swung her hand, she could feel the weight of the bracelet.
“I won’t,” Jason replied as they reached the foyer. He stopped and turned back to give her a tight hug. “I’m really glad you like your gift,” he said softly as he raised her hand so that he could look at it once more before leaving.
“I do, I really do,” Sydney responded truthfully.
“Good, because I meant every word of what I said earlier—nothing or no one is going to come between us,” Jason responded.
Still feeling conflicted by the intensity of his words, Sydney remained silent as she slowly pulled away.
“I’ll talk to you later, babe,” Jason said, opening the front door. Then he walked out and hurried toward his truck. He gave her one last wave before jumping in, starting the engine, and driving off into the night. Sydney sighed softly as she closed the door. She looked down at the bracelet and shook her head. “What am I going to do with him,” she mumbled under her breath. Caught up in a daze, she turned and headed up the stairs to her bedroom.
“May I have a word with you, please,” Altimus’s deep voice suddenly rumbled from behind. Sydney was so frightened she almost tripped up the stairs.
“Omigod, Altimus, I didn’t even know you were still down here,” Sydney said when she regained her balance. “You scared the heck out of me!”
“My apologies,” Altimus replied simply as he looked at Sydney expectantly. She immediately turned around and headed back downstairs. “I assure you, this won’t take long,” he said as he turned away. Completely clueless, Sydney followed silently behind her stepfather to his office. He held the door for her to walk in before him. Sydney could feel his eyes burning holes in her back as she took a seat in the chair facing his desk.
“So, what’s going on,” Sydney asked hesitantly when Altimus finally took his seat behind the desk facing her.
“Well, like I told you, your mother and I have been monitoring you and Lauren to see if you girls finally grasped what it means to be part of the Duke family,” Altimus began slowly. Sydney mentally reviewed the events of the past two weeks and, to the best of her knowledge, she hadn’t done anything too, too terrible. “And I’m pleased to say, you girls have not disappointed us,” Altimus continued. Even though Sydney felt the tension in her back decrease slightly, she knew better than to completely relax.
“Okay,” she replied as she pulled the lapels of her jacket closer across her chest. “So what does that mean?”
“It means that, as promised, I’m going to give you the money to bail your father out of jail,” Altimus said with a smug grin. He sat back in his chair, crossed his arms over his chest, and waited for her reaction.
For the second time that night, Sydney’s jaw dropped. “You’re going to what?” she asked, certain that her mind was playing a cruel and unusual trick on her.
“You heard me correctly. I’m going to give you whatever funds you need to bail your father out of jail,” Altimus repeated. He so obviously loved every minute of Sydney’s confusion.
“But—but, why? I don’t understand…Why would you help my father?”
“Because I’m a man of my word,” Altimus replied simply. “I told you and your sister that if you guys held up your end of the bargain, this is what would happen,” he said with finality.
Sydney could feel her heart racing. Never in a million years had she expected Altimus to really bail Dice out of prison and definitely not so soon. Almost immediately, she could feel her adrenaline start to rush. “How much is his bail? When will he be free?” Her questions all rushed together.
Altimus shrugged. “I have no idea. I guess that will depend on when you get all the information together,” he said.
“Excuse me?” Sydney asked.
“Well, you’re the new Nancy Drew, right? And needless to say, neither your mother nor or I are stepping a foot near anybody’s jail. So whenever you figure out how much money you need and get back to me, it’s yours.”
Is this some type of test? she wondered, searching Altimus’s eyes for the deception. “But I don’t—” she began to counter.
“Sure you do,” Altimus cut her off sharply. “The same way you found yourself all up in my business, I know you can figure this out.” Altimus stood up and looked at her. “Although I have to say, I’m looking forward to hearing how Dice feels about his lil’ Ladybug bailing him out with my money,” he snickered.
A chill ran through Sydney’s body. She knew the offer was a setup. Not only did she have absolutely no clue how to bail her father out, but if and when she figured it out, she would still have to explain where she got the money. Tormented, Sydney shook her head slowly. “I don’t know if I can do this,” she mumbled.
“Well, when you figure it out, let me know,” Altimus replied. “With that said, you and I are finished for now.” Sydney sat dumbfounded as her stepfather passed by and exited the room. As the door closed behind him, Sydney hung her head in frustration.
“Think, Sydney, think,” she muttered to herself as she incessantly twisted her diamond stud. “What would Dice want?” she mumbled, trying to envision the decision her father would make. Obviously, he would never want anything from Altimus. But if he was out, not only would they be reunited, but he could help find clues that would ultimately indict the real killer and clear his name for good. God only knew all the terrible things that were happening to him in jail. And he would have to remain there as long as it took for the slow-ass cops to solve the case…if they ever did. Sydney’s stomach turned at the very thought of losing her father all over again. Would it be so bad to use Altimus’s evil money for good? Especially if, together, they were able to turn it around and use it for good? No, it just couldn’t be.
Sydney gritted her teeth and stood up. She knew what she had to do—get her father out of jail. Now the only problem was, how? It wasn’t like she could just call Carmen and Rhea and ask them for the CliffsNotes on how to post bail. She didn’t know anybody who would have intimate knowledge of the Georgia jail system…except Lauren. It hit Sydney like a ton of bricks; her sister’s boyfriend had been arrested and released for the same crime. Without a second thought, Sydney rushed out of the room and headed upstairs.
“Lauren, are you here?” Sydney called out urgently as she burst into her sister’s empty room. “Hurry, it’s an emergency!”
“What happened? What’s going on?” Lauren asked as she came racing out of the bathroom with her hair pinned up and her favorite avocado-and-honey mask slathered on her face. “Is the house on fire?” She immediately grabbed her new Gucci trench coat and started to break for the door.
Frantic as she felt, Sydney couldn’t help but laugh at her sister’s bright green face and impulse grab. “No, there’s no fire,” she said, struggling to contain the giggles. “I just need to talk to you about something.”
Realizing that her sister was laughing at her, Lauren held up her middle finger. “Forget you, Sydney.” She tossed the coat on top of a pile of clothes on her bed and headed into her bathroom. “What the hell do you want, anyway?”
Trying not to step on any of the clothes or numerous pairs of shoes strewn all over the floor, Sydney cautiously ventured farther into the Lilac Spring-scented bedroom. “I need to know how to bail somebody out of jail,” she said simply.
Lauren turned away from the mirror in which she was examining a new pimple on her cheek. “Excuse you?” she asked sharply.
“I said, I need to know how to bail somebody out of jail,” Sydney repeated.
This time, Lauren looked around as if there were a hidden camera somewhere in the room. “Okay, what the hell is going on?”
“It’s not a prank, Lauren,” Sydney said. “Altimus just offered me the money to bail Dad out of jail, and I’m gonna do it,” she said, trying to make herself seem a hundred times more secure than she really felt.
Lauren suddenly grabbed Sydney, pulled her into the bathroom, and shut the door. “Have you lost your cotton-picking mind?” she hissed. “You cannot take money from that man to bail out Dice. This is a setup. He’s going to have Dice killed, frame you for the murder, and then send me off to a nunnery! Omigosh, I just saw this same thing on an episode of Law & Order! Don’t do it, Syd!!!”
“Lauren,” Sydney said as she looked at her overly dramatic sister. “This is bad, but this is not a made-for-NBC television show. Remember, Altimus said that he would help get Dice out if you and I fell in line. Well, apparently, we’ve been doing a pretty good job of acting like the world isn’t totally crazy. So according to him, he’s just keeping his word.”
Lauren gave Sydney a hard side-eye. “And you really trust him?”
“To be honest, I’m more worried about what Dice is going to think when he realizes that we accepted Altimus’s money to get him out,” Sydney said quietly. “But if this is the only way for him to be free, then…” Sydney took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. “Then I’ll just have to worry about that later.”
Lauren didn’t look quite as convinced. “Okay, if you say so…” she said hesitatingly. “And exactly how are we going to get him out? We’re not really going down to the jail, are we?” Lauren questioned with a look of disdain.
“I don’t know,” Sydney admitted. “I was thinking that you could call Jermaine and ask him how this all works—”
Lauren shook her head. “No way,” she cut Sydney off sharply.
Sydney looked confused. “Huh, but why? I’m sure he would be able to tell us,” she pressed.
“Um, let’s just say I’d rather not get him started on the whole ’who shot Rodney’ thing again,” Lauren answered as she turned back to the sink and started to wash off her mask. “Have you tried looking online?” she asked from under the water.
Sydney sensed there was more to it than Lauren was willing to share, but she didn’t bother to push. “No, Altimus just told me about the money two seconds ago,” Sydney explained. “I came running right up here.”
“I see,” Lauren said as she used a soft white towel to pat dry her face. “Well it is 2009. I’m sure we can find something about it online. You have the name of the jail, right?”
“You know I do,” Sydney said wryly.
“Okay, well, let’s make it happen,” Lauren said as she finished applying her Kiehl’s facial moisturizer. After putting the bottle away, she nodded toward the closed bathroom door. Sydney turned and opened it so that they could both walk back out. “Hop on,” Lauren said as she headed directly over to her bed and climbed up into the middle of the plush mattress. Sydney crawled up beside her. Lauren grabbed her open laptop off the nightstand. “So I guess we should just Google it, huh?”
“Probably,” Sydney replied as she leaned over her sister’s shoulder to see. “The name of the jail is the Fulton County Correctional Facility.” Lauren quickly typed in the information and pressed ENTER. There were fourteen hits for the search. Sydney pointed to the very first URL. “I think that’s it,” she said hopefully. Lauren clicked on it and the girls waited for the page to load.
“This is, like, so surreal,” Lauren said as the colorful home page of the Fulton County jail opened up. “Even the prisons have dope Web sites nowadays.” Sydney simply grunted as she scanned the site for information on posting bail. “Oh, wait. There’s something called a prison roll call, let’s see what this is,” Lauren said as she typed in Dice’s full name. Moments after pressing ENTER, his booking picture popped up. Lauren gasped. “Ewwa, he looks a mess! I am so not related to that man!”
“Will you shut up?” Sydney snapped. “How the hell did you think he was going to look after getting dragged out of his house and arrested in the middle of the night?”
“My bad,” Lauren replied meekly. “I was just saying…”
Sydney sighed in frustration and stood up. “You know what, Lauren, I don’t get you. The things that you worry about? It’s, like, so ridiculous. Our father is in jail, accused of a crime he didn’t commit. We have an opportunity to get him out, and you’re stuck on the way he looks. Don’t you understand that this is bigger than that?”
Feeling chastised, Lauren just looked at the screen. “I didn’t mean anything by it, the words just popped out, Syd. You don’t have to, like, kill me.”
Sydney shook her head. “Can you just type ’bail’ in the search box?” she finally asked her sister quietly.
As soon as Lauren typed the word in, a laundry list of instructions popped up. Sydney quickly scanned the list and stood up. “Okay, thanks,” she said simply as she headed to the door.
“I didn’t mean anything by what I said,” Lauren pouted.
“I heard you the first time,” Sydney replied without turning around. And then she walked out the door.