Page 20 of Judgments of Fire and Desire

When I got to my chambers, I came out of my robe and practically threw it to the coat rack. I was so damn frustrated. Darlene was funding a criminal organization right here in Beaumont. Regardless of what anyone said, someone else knew what was going on and was benefitting from it as well. The evidence presented was damning, to say the least. There was video footage, questionable documents, and changes to documents with her signature on them.

The banking information proved all the money she circulated. It was crazy. Everything she owned would be seized: houses, cars, and any other valuables. Her husband looked like he was going to fall apart at any moment, but I did notice he was wearing a damn Rolex. He may as well get ready to part with it. People couldn’t just do what was right. Darlene’s punishment was also stiff because of who she was. She was the leader of the city.

If the damn mayor was corrupt and didn’t suffer the consequences of her crimes, what would that say to the citizens of Beaumont? She deserved the maximum sentence, and had that max sentence been longer, she would have gotten more. There was no reason good enough to justify what she had been doing for years to the city of Beaumont. This type of corruption was unacceptable, and I planned to eventually expose all of it.

I’d been spending a tremendous amount of time with Genesis, and because of that, I hadn’t had time to investigate a thing. It seemed that whoever was sending the threats knew that, because I hadn’t been receiving them. It had been two months since the 9/11 memorial, and she was preparing for the turkey giveaway and Thanksgiving meal to feed the homeless. I told her I would gladly be a contributing part of their efforts.

I always tried to volunteer my time when I could. Even with being swamped at work, it was important to establish a presence in the community. I wanted people to know that I actually cared. I had a reputation for being a hard judge, but I wanted that to be preceded by how much I helped my community. I donated money to different initiatives, but I wanted to do more. Throwing money at a situation was helpful, but it didn’t show concern. It could just be a tax write-off. My goal was to make the place we lived better, and that didn’t always happen by just throwing money around.

As I sat in my chair, Tyson walked through the door and said, “That was rough. I just knew you were going to adjourn earlier and pick up tomorrow.”

“Man, we’ve been dealing with this all week. I was ready to be done with it. It seemed with each piece of evidence they presented, my anger escalated. What angered me the most was her protecting the bastards that were helping and covering for her.”

“I know. I could see it all over you through your demeanor. When you leaned back in your chair and leaned to the side, I knew you were close to snapping. I thought you were going to recess at that point, even though we’d only been back for thirty minutes.”

“I was just outdone when one transaction was for over a hundred grand to pour eight feet of cement. Where in the hell did anyone pay that much money for cement? Surely not Beaumont!” I slid my hand down my face, trying to calm down. Changing the subject, I asked, “The baby ought to be making his or her way into the world by now, right?”

“Yeah. Three more weeks, actually, if she makes it. Man, her feet look like pillows. I kid you not. I don’t know how she’s walking on them.”

I chuckled. “Women are the strongest creatures on Earth, especially black women. I don’t know how they deal with the constant ridicule from society, take care of kids, have a career, and take care of men like us. They balance it all with grace. Sometimes they barely have time for themselves. I watched my mother do it for years, and now I see Genesis handling it all. Whenever I need her, she’s there before I can even call.”

“You’re falling for her. It looks good on you. I never thought I would be able to say that. I mean… you’re still the same jackass in the courtroom. Just behind the scenes, I can see a change in you. You’re more relaxed.”

“Yeah, she’s had that effect on me,” I said in a somewhat reflective manner, thinking about how I’d evolved. I glanced at Tyson and said, “You’re right. I’m falling for her. I haven’t told her yet though. Maybe I’ll tell her after the feed the homeless event they’re having tomorrow.”

“Damn. That’s cool, man. Well, I’m gonna need you to be at our nuptials soon. We are going to be in Judge Raymond’s courtroom in a couple of weeks.”

“Congratulations! You didn’t tell me you were going to pop the question.”

“Honestly, I always wanted to. She was still legally married when we met though. I wanted to give her time.”

“I get it.”

I stood and shook his hand then sat back at my desk. My phone began vibrating all over the table, and I knew it was Genesis. When I picked it up, a smile played on my lips. Tyson said, “Well, that’s my cue to go.” He chuckled. “See you Monday, man.”

I chuckled as well and chunked him the deuce. I went back to my message to see what she had to say.Hey, baby. I have a wonderful evening planned for you. Show up at my place with an overnight bag.

I smiled at my phone, and when I looked up, the DA was standing in my doorway. He smiled big. “We got her. Thanks, man.”

I frowned slightly. “What are you thanking me for?”

“Not being easy on her, since she was the mayor. This is the second time Beaumont has had problems with their mayor. A statement needed to be made. The first got off easy, only getting a couple of years. This was why I personally requested you to try this case. You don’t play about the law, nor do you care what other people have to say. The law is the law.”

“Well, everyone should be that way. I go with what’s right. Being that she was the mayor, a hard lesson needed to be taught. Position nor status matter to me. Wrong is wrong, and it should be punished.”

I grabbed my phone and keys from the desk, indicating I was about to leave so he could get out of my chambers. He glanced at my desk, then said, “I’m sorry. It’s already late. I’ll let you go. Have a great weekend.”

I nodded. “You too.”

As I made my way to my car, my phone started ringing again. I refused to answer though. I needed to be aware of my surroundings. I couldn’t allow a phone call to get me killed. It was probably my mama or Genesis. I realized I’d never responded to her text. Once I was in the car, had locked the doors, and cranked the engine, I pulled it from my pocket to see it was a call from my mother. I called her back while leaving the parking lot.

“Kyrie! Oh my God. You gave that woman thirty years?”

I frowned, which seemed to be a normal occurrence these days. “Twenty-five years, and yes, I did. If I could have given her more, I would have. She’s the mayor. She’s the person the people trusted to lead this city. She needs to pay for letting them down as well.”

“My God, baby. I’m just worried about you.”

“I’m fine, Mama. I’m on my way home to pack an overnight bag to go be with Genesis.”

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