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fifty-four f

The Truth Comes Out

I fell asleep as the sun came up. Not long after, I heard Mike tiptoe into the kitchen for his morning coffee. I felt him in the living room staring at me but refused to acknowledge his presence. He kissed my forehead. Was he looking for forgiveness or was he oblivious to what had happened the night before?

Once I heard him leave for work, I got up. I decided to spend the day sober and map out my future. I sat with my morning coffee, pen and paper in hand, when the phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Ava, it’s Ben. Did Mike leave yet?”

“Mike left a while ago.”

“Good,” Ben replied. “It’s you I want to talk to.”

“Me?” I hadn’t heard Ben’s voice in months. I’d made no effort to call and thank him for sending the money to release us from prison. How could I thank someone who left me to rot for almost a month?

“I’ve wanted to call since you got back, but Mike said you weren’t strong enough to leave the house.”

“I’m fine. I’ve been fine for months.”

Ben paused. “Can you come to my house this afternoon?”

It was my turn to pause.

“Ava? We need to talk.”

“Okay,” I agreed.

My thoughts were rolling faster than the incoming tide. Did Ben blame me for the mess in Kenya? Did he want reimbursement for the bribe money he paid to free us from prison? Mike had lied about my health. What else had been happening behind my back?

The only way to learn the truth was to meet Ben. I took a deep breath and called for a taxi. Before leaving, I snorted a few lines of coke—so much for a day of sobriety.

Ben greeted me at his front door. “Ava, it’s great to see you.”

“You, too.”

Ben’s forehead was deeply creased. Frown lines outlined his mouth, even though he was still in his twenties.

“C’mon in. I’ve got lunch waiting.”

“Thanks for everything,” I said, despite what I really felt. “I don’t think I can ever repay you.”

“We’ll think of something.” Ben laughed. “And by the way, you look great. From what Mike said, I thought you’d contracted some tropical disease.”

“Just malnutrition and bug bites.”

Ben mumbled something, then escorted me to the lanai where his chef had arranged a buffet of chilled seafood, salads, cheese, and bread.

“You didn’t need to go to all this trouble,” I said.

“It’s the least I can do. Let’s have a bite to eat, then we’ll get down to business.”

A bottle of sauvignon blanc chilled in a silver bucket. He poured a glass for himself, then offered one to me.

“Maybe later.”

“Bon appétit.” Ben’s wine glass and my water glass clinked. I had no idea what we were toasting.

Once we’d eaten, he led me outdoors.

Tell me your version of what happened in Kenya,” Ben began. “Then I’ll tell you mine.”

The last thing I wanted to do was relive the worst month of my life. I told him about the bust, the trumped-up charges, the courtroom scene, the time in prison, our meeting with Rajiv, and our ultimate release. I finished by saying, “We would have died if you hadn’t gotten us out.”

“I wish we’d gotten to talk sooner. You’re not gonna like what I have to say, but you deserve the truth.”

I gave him my full attention. “Shoot.”

“Mike called me the day after your arrest. He said you guys would be issued a small fine and you’d be home for Thanksgiving. I didn’t give it a second thought.”

“You didn’t know about the sentencing?”

“Nope. Right before Thanksgiving, Mike wired that he’d be flying home on the Concorde. That’s when he showed up with Liz.”

The woman from my bed? The woman from the courtroom?

Keeping cool and focused was becoming more difficult. “Didn’t you wonder why he was flying home with another woman?”

Ben shook his head. “Not at first. I thought she was a friend you had flown over.”

My shoulders tensed.

“Mike asked if they could stay in the guesthouse over Thanksgiving. Me and Donna were spending the holiday with my folks in Detroit, so I was glad to have somebody watching the place.

“When we got home, Mike and Liz were all over each other. I asked about you. Mike said you two decided on a trial separation. Something about you meeting somebody else.”

“That never happened.” I took a deep breath, then lifted my empty wine glass. “I think I’ll have that glass of wine now.”

The first chilled sip coursed through my veins.

“Tell you the truth, I was glad to hear you split,” Ben said. “Mike’s bad news.”

“If he’s such bad news, why keep him around?” And why do I keep him around?

“He’s the best mechanic I know.”

“But you asked him to supervise the farming,” I said.

“It takes a certain kind of person to travel halfway around the world to grow pot.”

A fool. “But why didn’t you send the money to free us?”

“I don’t know if you’re ready to hear this—”

“I’m ready.” At least I think I’m ready.

“It had to be about three weeks after Mike came back,” Ben said. “He and Liz were partying with me and Donna. Mike was outta control—too much blow or something. I asked about you, Carl, and the girls, wondering if you were coming home for Christmas. Mike broke down. Started crying and confessed you were in prison.”

“ Excuse me? ”

“I’m sorry, Ava. You know I’m a peace-loving guy. If somebody screws us in business, I walk away. This was different. I needed to act.”

“You’re the one who beat him up?”

“No. I needed to keep on Mike’s good side to get you out. Liz had no idea, either. She smacked him across the face and walked out. He ran after her like a little puppy. I heard lotsa screaming, then a taxi pulled up, and she was gone.”

“Smart girl.” I should be so smart.

“Once they left, I called Rajiv,” Ben said. “He said Mike had been making noise about the crop and the unlimited money behind him. Your arrest was nothing more than a plan to extort more money from me.

So Rajiv and Mike did cook this up.

“Mike sacrificed his friends for money?” My hand shook with anger as I poured myself a second glass of wine.

“Afraid so. After Rajiv, I got on the phone with my contact in the Kenyan government. I’d been paying him to turn his head on our operation. Why do you think things went so smoothly?”

“I—I had no idea.”

“Nobody did. Least of all, Mike.”

“Can I use your bathroom? I need a breather.”

I locked myself in the guest bathroom and stared into the mirror. I thought of Judas, the disciple who had betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. I’d hurt a lot of people in my life, but I’d never betrayed anyone like Mike, my Judas, had betrayed me.

I needed to get back to Ben and the rest of the story.

“You okay, Ava?” Ben asked, when I returned.

“As good as can be expected.”

“I called Rajiv and told him what I’d told the government official—that if you weren’t released from prison, I’d have my people blow up the country.”

“And he believed you?”

“Damn straight. He knew we had the power and money to follow through. I had mercenaries in place.”

“The guys following us?”

Ben nodded. “Them and more.”

I poured myself another glass of wine. I longed for the numbing effect of alcohol to envelop me so I could handle the truth.

“It took a few days to work out the details. None of us wanted to raise suspicion by pardoning you without another hearing. By the time you went in front of the second judge, everything was in place. No fines were issued and neither Rajiv nor the judge got a dime.”

“What about your government contact?”

Ben smiled. “Scared shitless. He’d already gotten plenty from me. End of story.”

I shook my head. “Not the end of the story for me. What about Mike?”

“You have no idea how pissed I was at Mike, even before you went to prison,” Ben said. “His big mouth cost me millions. I went ballistic when I heard the fields were destroyed. All he had to do was keep his trap shut and keep everybody happy. But no, Mike had to be the big man.”

“He’s not so big now, is he?”

“Hardly. It wasn’t so much the money. It was Mike’s cockiness. If it’d been him in jail, I’d have left him there.”

“I never heard you talk like this.”

“Can’t remember the last time I was this pissed.”

“I want to hear about Mike, but first . . . I think I need some grass.”

“I don’t blame you.” Ben reached for a box of pre-rolled joints. He lit one and passed it to me.

“Once I knew you were out and safe, I took care of Mike,” Ben said. “My mercenaries beat the crap outta him. I think they would’ve killed him if I gave the order.”

“What about his hair and that stupid priest getup?”

“Here’s the bad news. Mike wasn’t lying about everything—we’re hot. Not Mike so much, but he doesn’t know that. I’m letting him think the Feds are after him. It’ll keep him in line till I decide what to do.”

“And what about me?

“I’ve got a proposal for you, Ava. Please don’t say a word to Mike.”

I felt my heart flutter. “Um—okay.”

“Vinnie Lasseter and I think we can salvage Kenya.”

“Are you kidding?”

“I know it sounds crazy, but things were going great until Mike opened his big mouth. You’ve got Waititu, and I can guarantee Rajiv won’t pull any more stunts.”

“Just thinking about Kenya gives me chills,” I said.

“This time’ll be different. You’re the only person who has the contacts, and the only one I can trust. Gary’s agreed to go with you. Two weeks there and back. Whadda you say?”

“Do I have to give you an answer right now?”

“Think about it—but not for too long.”

“What’ll I tell Mike?” I asked.

“Don’t tell him anything. I’ll send him to the Bahamas while you’re away.”

“And what if he finds out?”

“I’m gonna get rid of him as soon as I can find a replacement,” Ben said. “This could be your chance to get away from him.”

I promised Ben I’d give him an answer in a day or two.

On the ride home, my thoughts bounced between the truth of my imprisonment and my future. I knew Mike was a two-timer, a liar, and a sociopath, but I never thought he was evil enough to desert his friends in a Kenyan prison.

As crazy as Ben’s scheme sounded, it would be my opportunity to get away from Mike.

Back at the condo, Mike lay on the couch watching TV, his bottle of Johnny Walker at his side.

“Where ya been, doll?”

“Ben wanted to see me.”

A look of fear passed across his face.

He sat up. “How many lies did Ben tell you about me?”

“Why would he lie?”

“He’s still pissed about burnin’ the fields. He’ll do anything he can to make me look bad. Tell me what he said.”

“That’s between me and Ben.”

Mike shifted and reached for his scotch. “I been tryin’ to protect you from him.”

“Is that why you told him I was sick?”

“Yeah. You been through enough.”

“It had nothing to do with ‘forgetting’ to tell Ben we were in prison?”

“He’s a fuckin’ liar.” Mike downed his scotch and poured another shot. “I told ya Ben promised to send the money. I trusted him, and he let me down.”

“What about Liz?”

“Who?”

“You know, the bitch you flew back with instead of me.”

“I can explain—”

“Shoot.”

“I told ya, she’s tight with guys in the Kenyan government. I thought if she came with me, we’d have a better chance of gettin’ you guys outta jail.”

“Where is she now?”

“Beats me.”

Mike’s body language told me he’d popped a quaalude. Besides Kenya, I wanted to confront him about his slap the night before. But I knew I’d never get anywhere.

Once Mike passed out on the couch, I called Ben.

“I’ll go,” I said.

“That was quick. Thought you needed time to think.”

“It didn’t take long. I chose the lesser of two evils.”

After a moment of silence, Ben said, “Me and Gary need about two weeks to get our act together. In the meantime, don’t say a word to Mike.”