It had been a rough two days for Valencia. She’d been questioned in the murder of her blackmailer, Coleman Patterson. She was able to get through that and be released only to find that she had a new blackmailer. The day before she was in the hospital with a severe case of food poisoning. But what a difference a day makes.
That afternoon, she had an appointment to see Andrade Ferreira to find out exactly what he needed to expand his hand rolled cigar business. Once she found out exactly the type of items that he was looking to import, Valencia would call Shy and get the two of them together.
She was introduced to Andrade when she first moved to Rio. There was a party to celebrate Gustavo’s return and he took that opportunity to introduce his family to his new fiancé. It was Andrade who first told her that she shouldn’t marry Gustavo.
“Gustavo is a pig. A pig with a pretty face and a nice suit, but a pig all the same,” Andrade told her once they had become better acquainted.
But, since that was not the Gustavo that she knew, Valencia ignored his many warnings and the subsequent warnings that followed from family members and even some friends of his. To her, Gustavo DeVerão was one of the kindest, sweetest, most considerate men she had ever met. If there was a man who possessed more of those qualities in abundance, it was Geno.
That following afternoon, Valencia went to The Langham hotel to see Andrade. It had been a few years since she had seen him, so she was excited about seeing him again. Valencia only wished that it could have just been a social visit to catch up instead of what was; another step in whatever it was that Ezequiel Simmonds had planned for Mike Black.
“Hello, Andrade.”
“Valência,” he gave the woman that he looked at as a niece or even a daughter a big hug. “Please come in.”
“Thank you,” she said, and he escorted her into the suite. “How have you been?”
“I’ve been very well, thank you. And what about you, my dear. You must tell me how things have been for you,” Andrade said, and the two spent the next hour or so talking about what was going with Valencia in her business, chitchatting about family gossip, before she worked the conversation to the reason for her visit.
“So, tell me about the expansion of your tobacco business. I understand that you’re in New York looking for a parts distributor.”
Andrade looked at her curiously. “Who told you that?” He let out a little laugh. “Ezequiel?”
“Yes,” she said, and Andrade shook his head.
“How many times have I told you that Ezequiel is a man that you should stay away from.”
“You should tell him to stay away from me.”
“The man brings death and devastation with him wherever he goes.” Andrade paused and took Valencia’s hand in his. “Hasn’t he caused you enough pain and sorrow? How much more will he do to you before you see that he will be the instrument of your destruction?”
“I know. But in this particular case, it will be to your benefit because—”
“You can help me.” He shook his head. “Business. With you it’s always business,” Andrade said, knowing that it was that mindset that would truly be the instrument of her destruction.
Andrade also knew that if Ezequiel had anything to do with it, the only one that would truly benefit from it was Ezequiel and maybe, his nephew, Pérez Ferreira.
Valencia pressed forward. “Be that as it may, and the fact that it’s true notwithstanding, tell me about the expansion.”
“I’ve been working with a representative from a company called Innerbond. They have a High Speed Cigar Rolling Machine that can produce four hundred to twelve hundred cigars per hour.”
“I see. Have you committed to anything yet?”
“Not as of yet. There were a few modifications that I want to make, and they were going to get back to me with a new proposal.”
“I know somebody who may be able to help you with that,” she said, not knowing whether Shy could do anything to help him or not. “Can you at the very least meet with their representative and give them an opportunity to give you a better price.”
Andrade smiled at Valencia. “As always, I am putty in your hands, my dear. Of course, I will meet with your associate and I will make this commitment to you. If they are competitive with the price that I receive from Innerbond, the contract is theirs.”
“Thank you, Andrade. An opportunity is all they will need,” Valencia smiled because it was happening. Shy would make this deal and she would be that much closer to being free of Ezequiel.
Or at least she hoped to be.
Since he never answered a direct question and when he did, his answers were always vague or he would speak in riddles that lacked any type of commitment, she could never be sure. Valencia knew that there was a chance and a strong one that she would do exactly what he asked, and he would just want something else.
I wish it was him that was dead.
Now that she had all of the information that she needed from Andrade; Valencia put in a call to Shy. Once she told her about him, what he was actually looking for, and she had given Shy all the relevant information she’d needed, she got to work. As soon as she ended the call with Valencia, Shy began researching Innerbond. It didn’t take much for her to find out that they were a subsidiary of a Chinese company and then she called Black. He was in Port Saint Lucie, Florida with Deana Butler and Jaila Bell working on the real estate projects.
“I’ve been working with Valencia DeVerão and she put me in touch with a potential client who is looking to do business with a Chinese company called China Tobacco Machines.”
“I’ll take care of it for you,” Black promised his wife, although he was apprehensive about anything having to do with Valencia. Changpu Zhao, a representative of China Tobacco Machines called her the next morning.
It was a simple matter for Black to call his good friend and business partner, Wei Jiang, who made the necessary calls to make it happen for Shy. When the conversation with Changpu Zhao was over, he had sent her a proposal that both were confident would be pleasing to Andrade Ferreira. An appointment was set for Shy to meet him at the Manhattan office he’d rented the following morning.
“As I look at the cigar market today, there is cause to be optimistic about the factory expansion. But to gain market share, changes to the original production process is imperative.”
“Yes. Many tobacco factories are scrambling to change, thereby improving the operating environment, improving production efficiency and quality of tobacco is critical.”
“Indeed. However, availability of cigar rolling equipment at home is practically nonexistent. So I am interested in hearing what you have for me.”
“Valencia tells me that you’ve been working with a representative of a company called Innerbond about their XJ14 Cigar Rolling Machine and they’ve been keeping you waiting on the proposed cost of the modifications that you need. Is that correct?”
“Yes, Mrs. Black; yes, it is,” Andrade said, even though he had heard from them that morning and wasn’t at all happy with the price they proposed for the modifications. Shy reached in her satchel and took out her proposal. She handed it to him.
“Innerbond is the overseas agent for China Tobacco Machines. I took the liberty of reaching out to them directly and they were kind enough to share with me the modifications that you requested and were able to quote me what I believe is a much better price per unit than Innerbond will be able to offer you.”
Andrade looked over Shy’s proposal and the longer he read, the more the corners of his lips curled into a smile. When he began nodding his head, she knew that this was a deal that she could make.
“I am very impressed, Mrs. Black, and I think that based on this,” he said, holding up the proposal. “this is the beginning of a beautiful, long, and of course, mutually profitable relationship,” Andrade said, then stood up with his hand extended.
Shy stood up and they shook hands to seal their deal. “I agree. And once your product is ready for the market, I am confident you will find a number of opportunities in the international cigar market. I could help you with that as well.”
“Of that I am confident,” he said, sitting down to sign his acceptance of her proposal.
“Excellent. I will have the contracts drawn up and sent over for your review in a few days.”
“Very good.”
She put the signed proposal in her satchel. “Thank you very much, Mr. Ferreira. One of our representatives, Reeva Duckworth, will be in touch with you tomorrow so we can get things in motion,” Shy said, and after more hand shaking and a bit more conversation as he escorted her to the door, she left the office.
In the lobby, two men sat waiting. When they saw Shy leave the building with Chuck, they stood up and proceeded toward the elevators. The men went up to the floor where Andrade Ferreira had rented an office. They went in, one drew his weapon and shot Andrade Ferreira once in the head and then two shots to the chest.