The notion of spending any time with Pollock outside of work both perplexed and intimidated Antonio. Therefore watching Nicole exchange interior décor tips with Janice, and Pollock having a water fight with the kids made him feel as though he was in a parallel universe. What startled him the most was Nicole's ease when it came to handling kids.
"Come outside," she said, interrupting his thoughts, "we're taking pictures."
Antonio's bemusement masked itself in the car as he explained Jess and Jack's encounter with Darnell.
"The good news is; he confirmed the deal for 100 Magnum Colt Anaconda Revolvers. The bad news is; his warehouse in Caroline was raided this morning and it made the 9a.m. news. 18 arrests, 2 dead. According to Jess, he became paranoid that they were cops so he made her shoot."
"Did she miss?" Nicole asked, trying to stop her hands from shaking.
"Three out of ten; she didn't want to look like a pro or a novice. The deal goes ahead tonight at the Plaza Hotel, 3rd floor Penthouse suite. He's throwing a party to celebrate getting off." Nicole shook her head in response.
"He's a drugs kingpin, he'll never spend more than one night in jail. The cops, the runners, the accountants; state-wide protection. Cally will never testify against him because she's been sectioned as mentally ill, and if she could; he'd kill her. Anyway, I need you to get Jasmine's laptop and retrieve the data; I think it's a tracking device or it self-destructs. Maybe both."
"He wants to kill Jasmine." Antonio said, finally realising how high the stakes were. He let Nicole out of the car and anxiously anticipated the forthcoming events.
Nicole watched the penthouse suite from a covert FBI office in the adjacent block. It was her idea to bug the walls and to place cameras in the air vents. When it came to order, Darnell was OCD. She was watching four screens at a time and switching between the sound channels. The generic contents of a commercial rap video were displayed on the screen; scantily-clad women were at disposal and champagne flowed like a river. Darnell was toasting a room of mostly women with champagne and his authoritative voice penetrated through the headphones. She remembered how his menacing voice used to put her on edge, he sounded like a psychopath, a second from snapping. That and the mind games he used to manipulate her with kept her faithful. He was grooming, he just wasn't a paedophile. Or so she thought.
Nicole was so taken aback that she started hyperventilating and speed dialled Antonio.
"Cortez," Antonio said, followed by an unusually long silence. Nicole was trying to breathe in the background.
"Ant…Ant…" She stuttered.
"Nicole! What's…? You were right about the laptop. You won't believe what I've retrieved and…Nicole?"
"He's got her!" She gasped. "The suite; she's there, I saw her walk in. All this time it wasn't Caroline in the chats, it was Darnell. He's been grooming my kid sister. Antonio, do something!" She pleaded.
"Nic, I know it's hard but keep watching. Jess is heading there now, I'll get her to…"
"She can't. That'll blow it."
"I'll get her."
"No, he'll recognise you. I shot you, remember? Think, Nicole, think. In Jess' vision, she couldn't solve it."
"He will kill you; you're not going." Antonio stated.
"I made this. He's using her as bait for me. I'm the one he wants."
"He wants you dead. Jesus Christ Nicole, don't ruin what we have!" Antonio shouted, as the feeling that he was losing her returned.
"Meet me. I'm at the old, vacant Portuguese Café, Daniela's."
Nicole was treading the sidewalk by the time she had said her last sentence. She was a woman on a personal mission; full of purpose and unstoppable.
Unaware of Nicole's discovery, Jess and Jack were revelling with Darnell's entourage of co-conspirators as well as the various hangers-on. Jess was looked for Darnell when she bumped into an overdressed teenage girl.
"Watch the outfit!" The girl said in annoyance. Jess recognised her soulful and concealing brown eyes from the pictures Nina has shown her while Nicole was in the hospital. She knew it was Jasmine but her common sense told her not to keep a long glance or acknowledge her.
"Listen kid, shouldn't you be in the bathroom puking up the booze you can't keep down?" This one-liner rolled out of Jess' mouth without thought. She quickly walked away. On her return she caught Jack getting a lap dance from an anonymous woman with cosmetically enlarged boobs. Jack wore an expression that said he wasn't enjoying it but was doing it to blend in.
Jess led him angrily by the tie into the master bedroom where Darnell was waiting on a plush, red satin loveseat. Jasmine was uncomfortably sitting on the other end of it. Jess tried to read whether her discomfort came from Darnell's presence or the stilettos she wasn't skilled at wearing.
"Let's talk." Darnell ordered, inviting them to sit on the wooden chairs across from him.
Nicole was in the locked hotel staff changing room, dressed as a maid and reading the maps when Pollock called her.
"Daniela's!" Nicole said in an inviting tone.
"Is not where you are, right now." Pollock replied. "You know, the kids were asking where you went and how come you didn't stay for cake."
"I'm coming to get that cake."
"You better. Nina called; her daughter's missing. I have 25 hyperactive kids to deal with, go,"
"…find the 26th. I will."
Darnell was walking around the master's suite with the arrogance of a king. While pouring himself a drink from the decanter she announced,
"I've been doing my research. Either you're two opportunistic nobodies who don't know what you're getting into or, you're cops trying to get to me from the inside. Either way, I don't fault you. We've all got to get ahead."
The double of port disappeared on his lips. Jack watched Jasmine trying to fall asleep.
"Put the kid in a cab." Jack said, noticed that she was half drunk.
"She stays. What did you come here for, little one?" Darnell asked, pointing the bottle at her.
"Food." Jasmine replied through a controlled, quiet yawn.
Antonio found the screens still on but the room cold and empty. There was no element of surprise because he expected Nicole to go into Wonderwoman mode. He found a note on the stool.
"I'll be back.
For life.
I promise.
P.S. If it gets hot – open fire."
He watched Darnell command their attention like a thespian as he told a tale of betrayal. Nicole's past was laid out as bare as cards on a table to three prefect strangers. The only concealment was that he didn't mention her name. The tension grew on the inside as Jess struggled to show no signs and, on the outside Antonio as came to the realisation that it never stops.
"That was a great story," Jess yawned. "But everyone knows that there's no betrayal without loyalty." She stood up and poured from the decanter.
Darnell smiled. "There is no loyalty."
"Betrayal is broken loyalty. Loyalty is the will to not betray. I'd love to philosophise with you - after the fact."
"Ooh, enthusiastic?" Darnell asked, standing behind her. Jack pulled Jess away and the glass fell on the floor.
"We're about business." Jack stated, squaring up to Darnell.
Jess went into the bathroom. She unscrewed the nails to the air vent and felt around for the gun. The music was blaring and drowned out the sound of the metal grate on the bathroom tiles. She returned to Darnell and Jack smoking cigars and playing cards with an open briefcase on the table.
"Is everybody happy?" Jess asked as she sat on Jack's lap.
"Very." Both men remarked.
"Good." Jess replied.
"Pleasure doing business with you." Jack stood up and said, holding out his hand. As Darnell shook it, Jess held a gun to his head.
"What the fuck?" he exclaimed.
Jasmine sat dumbfounded and paralysed. "Get out. Get out now." Jess yelled. When Jack picked Jasmine up and pushed her out the door, she was already running.
Random shots fired by Jack left the suite bear, as people scattered in fear. Darnell screamed as he grabbed Jess' neck. She knows she can't shoot him. Her vision told her that she's not the one. "Shit!" He exclaimed after Jess drove the gun into his stomach and kicked him into the wall.
"I knew you were a cop." He was slumped against the wall. "Lucky for you. I would've had you tonight. My way of sealing the deal." Jess' fist struck his jaw with such force that she could feel the swelling long before it appeared.
"Selling cocaine to a teenage girl; is that loyalty?" Jess asked. "Selling defective guns that explode in peoples' hands. Drugs, fraud, corruption, extortion, prostitution. Supplying minors with illegal substances. The courts will have a field day."
"Ask yourself this question. You're a cop with all this information on me; still I'm free. Why is that? Billions of dollars and you can't even keep me in jail. So keep adding to the list because I'm not going anywhere."
Jess wanted to cry in frustration, believing in part that he was right.
"I can't arrest you."
"You don't have a warrant. Amateur."
"I do. But it's not my place."
The bathroom door swung open. Nicole was standing in her maid uniform.
"Room service." Her voice sang. Jess joined Jack in collecting evidence.
"All this. For me?" Nicole asked.
"I knew you would come. Your superhero complex never fails you."
"Very eloquently said Darnell." Nicole remarked. "How did you find her?"
"Funny you should ask. I have associates in Scottsdale; that young, suburban crowd makes for interesting clientele. Desperate to rebel. Solid financial background. I like to do background research. At first she was just a customer. But her DNA made her interesting."
Nicole's insides were turning. "The ultimate blow. You had to strike me."
"Betrayal, Nikki, breeds resentment. You killed my child."
"You killed us both. And you're still killing others. You've outdone yourself. And you'll get off. I accept that. But know this. You won't kill me."
She picked the gun off the floor and placed it in his hands. Darnell smiled then laughed. He stared her in the eyes and lifted the gun, stroking the trigger. Nicole sat on the bed, taking the situation in. The gun was pointed in her direction but she sat up straight; making herself a clear target. Jess ran to the bedroom as she heard the loudest gunshot of her life.
"Nicole!" Jess exclaimed.
Jess and Jack hurried out of the hotel together. Nicole took her time and strolled onto the sidewalk in her stolen maid uniform. The night had never been so cold. The bright streetlights gave her a nauseous feeling. Antonio was waiting by the car holding a gadget which she couldn't pronounce the name of. She held him tight and kissed him in front of everyone.
"Get a room!" Jess shouted threw the car window as Jack and she reversed.
Nicole lifted the maid's dress over her head as she took it off. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Her eyes said a thousand things that her mind hadn't come to terms with and her lips were unable to speak of. She couldn't deal with her reflection tonight. Maybe tomorrow. Antonio massaged her back as she lay on their bed.
"I don't want to talk tonight." Nicole whispered.
"Don't." He replied, playing the messages on the answer machine.
"There's a slice of Birthday cake with your name all over it, Scott." Pollock's voice made Nicole smile.
"Is this on? Am I recording? I guess I am. Thank you." The short and abrupt message was from her mother, she knew it.
"Join me for breakfast tomorrow morning? Brunch if it's better. We could have a coffee and drink a conversation. And, thank you Antonio for bringing my girls home. Both of them." A comfortable silence filled the room, a pensive silence. Nicole sat up and held his hands, giving him a grateful kiss. Their picture hung on the wall in a new frame. Imperfect but parallel; they were together again.
