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    Dutch Chocolate 1, the Vice President is Missing
    Dutch Chocolate 1, the Vice President is Missing
    Dutch Chocolate 1, the Vice President is Missing
    Ebook350 pages5 hours

    Dutch Chocolate 1, the Vice President is Missing

    By B.L Wilson

    4.5/5

    ()

    Read preview

    • Friendship

    • Trust

    • Adventure

    • Survival

    • Friendship & Loyalty

    • Friends to Lovers

    • Enemies to Lovers

    • Secret Relationship

    • Strong Female Protagonist

    • Damsel in Distress

    • Forbidden Love

    • Opposites Attract

    • Found Family

    • Secret Baby

    • Road Trip

    • Loyalty

    • Mystery

    • Investigation

    • Kidnapping & Rescue

    • Crime

    About this ebook

    A chance meeting in a public school bathroom rekindles old feelings in PI Yolanda “Dutch” Riggins for her former college friend Judith Kerson. Forbidden to Dutch twenty years ago, as Vice President of the United States, Judith is now completely taboo. Regardless, the two make a tentative dinner date, but fate intervenes and Judith goes missing. With one Secret Service person killed and another in critical condition, witnesses are scarce and Dutch and her crew take up the reins of the investigation.
    Why would anyone abduct the Vice President? Is it for money, fame, or something more sinister? Whatever the reason, it is up to Dutch to find her old friend in the first of the action-packed, suspenseful Dutch Chocolate Series: The VP is Missing.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherB.L Wilson
    Release dateFeb 2, 2020
    ISBN9780463003688
    Dutch Chocolate 1, the Vice President is Missing
    Author

    B.L Wilson

    B.L. has always been in love with books and the words in them. She never thought she could create something with the words she knew. When she read ‘To Kill A Mocking Bird,’ she realized everyday experiences could be written about in a powerful, memorable way. She wasn’t quite sure what to do with that knowledge so she kept on reading.Walter Mosley’s short stories about Easy Rawlins and his friends encouraged BL to start writing in earnest. She felt she had a story to tell...maybe several of them. She’d always kept a diary of some sort, scraps of paper, pocketsize, notepads, blank backs of agency forms, or in the margins of books. It was her habit to make these little notes to herself. She thought someday she’d make them into a book.She wrote a workplace memoir based on the people she met during her 20 years as a property manager of city-owned buildings. Writing the memoir, led her to consider writing books that were not job-related. Once again, she did...producing romance novels with African American lesbians as main characters. She wrote the novels because she couldn’t find stories that matched who she wanted to read about ...over forty, African American and female.

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      Book preview

      Dutch Chocolate 1, the Vice President is Missing - B.L Wilson

      Prologue: Studying for final’s week

      "Well, Judy, I see your little colored friend is anxiously waiting for you by the library entrance … again. What is it with her anyway? You really shouldn’t encourage her. She’ll never fit in with us or this place." Taylor Brice fluffed her perfectly styled long, dark blond hair then tucked it behind her ears.

      Red-headed Susan Anthony Wellington sucked her perfect teeth as she turned around to watch the tall young Black woman pacing back and forth. Periodically, she stopped to glance at her watch. Little is the wrong term to use here. Humph! There’s nothing little about that bitch. Christ! Is she late for basketball practice or something? Why does she keep looking at that cheap watch she always wears? I won’t even mention all those K-Mart clothes she owns.

      Dimpled and brunette Kimberly Kirkland giggled. Probably. You know how those people are late for everything. They even have a name for it. It’s called CP time. You know, ‘colored people’s’ time.

      Judy, be kind to the little affirmative action colored girl. Tell her it’s not too late transfer or drop out entirely. If she acts now, she could still find a community college to accept her. We’ll even help her fill out the appropriate forms. I bet my father…

      Taylor glanced at each young woman sitting around one of the hand-carved stone tables on the college’s great lawn. Each table had a brass plaque attached to it that listed individual donors. She was very aware of the rumor that the names on brass table plaques represented twenty-thousand-dollar donations. Her father claimed it was one of the cheapest donations on the school’s pristine grounds. My father sits on the board of several of those schools. He could help with a transfer. Her eyes rested on Judith Kerson’s annoyed face.

      Come on, Judith, stop pouting. Tell us you haven’t thought about this too. You know if one more of them gets in this year, ten of them will be demanding entry at the front gates next year. In two years, we might be the only legacy heirs enrolled here because the apes will have come down from the trees and taken over this place as well as the rest of the world. Tall, tanned, and elegant Sidney Allen Warren looked in the same direction as the other children of wealth sitting at the stone table did. She grimaced in disgust. Drop her, Judith, or we will definitely consider dropping you.

      Judith didn’t appreciate being told what to do by the witches’ cabal, the secret nickname she gave her friends. Only she and the woman everybody at the table referred to as Affirmative Action Annie knew about the nickname. Between the five of them, she estimated they were worth at least a billion dollars. She looked around the table and sighed. She wished her friends were more understanding and accepting of people who were different and not as privileged. They’d had this discussion a thousand times before, but today, the girls made it plain they were ready to walk away from her if she didn’t make the right choice, soon … very soon.

      She’s a little shy, but she’s as smart as we are. Give her a chance. Get to know her; you might like her. She’s articulate. She’s well-read. She just hasn’t had the opportunities we have.

      Sidney raised both hands, making quotation marks with them. I don’t want to ‘quote unquote’ get to know her any more than I want to know my damned gardener’s rug rats or my maid’s little colored brats. She sighed then spoke slowly as if she was dealing with a partly deaf and dumb person. Everybody has a place in life, Judith. Whether you want to acknowledge it or not, Affirmative Action Annie just invaded ours with her low-class presence. We need her out of here before hordes of them invade this hallowed place of learning and rip the guts out of it with their jive-talking, jig-dancing, uncouth ways, she declared.

      Taylor nodded her approval. As always, well said, Sidney. She turned to study Judith. Well?

      Judith rose from the stone table hugging a backpack full of books to her chest like a shield. Each girl gave her a stony glare. She glared right back at all of them. You girls have stated your case, however narrow-minded and ridiculous it may be. I can see it will do no good to try and convince you otherwise. She sighed. As I said before, I’ll think about it. She neared the sidewalk that led to the library.

      Yeah, you do that, Judy.

      We’ll be watching.

      Make the right decision or my father calls your father after I tell him. You know what happens after this.

      Judith turned around and retraced her steps to confront Sidney. I’d watch what I said to me. Most of all, leave my father out of it. This is between us.

      Is it really, Judith? You’d better think hard and make the right decision.

      Yes, don’t test us, Taylor threatened. She needed to make sure she supported her friends in front of Judith. Privately, she quizzed Judith, asking for a detailed description of Yolanda’s body. She wondered if the Black girl ever experimented with girl crushes.

      Judith didn’t say another word. Instead, she marched down the sidewalk and headed to the nervous young woman waiting for her.

      Yolanda studied the annoyance clearly visible on her new friend’s face. What did the gaggle of witches want with you today?

      Judith studied dancing hazel eyes and then looked away. It was nothing. Just the same old class stuff. You know, trying to get reports and mid-term notes organized and study sessions set up before finals.

      Yolanda shrugged. She knew those bitches were talking about her. They were always talking about her. She wondered how long the nice white girl would be able to withstand the nearly constant grilling, bickering, and pressure by her bigoted friends to end their fragile friendship. She rubbed her chin. You were supposed to say witches don’t come in a gaggle. Geese do. Witches hang out in cabals and covens. History says there’s the den of them too, she remarked as they walked up the wide, gray sandstone steps to the library.

      Humph. That was a den of vipers. Old Hickory said in 1834 to some bankers who he obviously regarded as less than human. I quote. ‘You are a den of vipers and thieves. I intend to rout you out, and by the grace of the Eternal God, will rout you out.’ Blah and blah. Judith arrived at the entrance first and opened the glassed-in front door. Then she bowed to Yolanda with a wide grin. You first, she remarked before rushing ahead of her. She always loved this space. It was so quiet. She noted the rows and rows of bookshelves filled with book after book. She inhaled deeply. There was nothing like the smell of a place loaded with books. Then there was mystery each book held until opened, read, and digested then talked about.

      You’re so tricky today, huh? Yolanda issued a mischievous grin as she watched Judith rush inside the building first. Her eyes dropped down to Judith’s backside then quickly moved back up where they belonged. Jackson didn’t say that. It was attributed to him, but he didn’t say it. Look it up. Old Hickory didn’t say it. She rubbed her chin. In 1932, he did say to Martin Van Buren and I quote, ‘The bank, Mr. Van Buren, is trying to kill me, but I will kill it.’ He was referring to the first banking system here in America. It was private and owned by the Rothschild family.

      I guess Old Hickory didn’t think much of the wealthy, did he?

      They both walked up three flights after receiving permission from the senior librarian to review the archived stacks.

      Yolanda studied her new companion. Who does? From what I’ve seen since I arrived in this god-forsaken place, they’re mean-spirited and hateful folks. I mean, their kids are anyway.

      And apples don’t fall far from their trees, right? Judith looked up into clear hazel eyes. She found Yolanda Riggins fascinating. She’d never been around Black people who weren’t cooks, maids, housekeepers, or groundskeepers. Yolanda wasn’t any of that. She was a girl her own age who got a scholarship not because she was Black but because she was smart. It helped that she was athletic too.

      The school was trying to encourage more attendance at sporting events. More attendance meant participation and the school hoped more funding. If the teams won, that was even better. Taylor and Sidney were partly correct in their assessment of the school’s first Black resident. Yolanda was the first of the private college’s minority recruits, which opened the door for more money … federal funding.

      She knew all of that because Yolanda told her some of it. She’d overheard her father talking to her mother about some board meeting he attended. When the contentious meeting was over, he wanted to pull his daughter out of the same school the female side of his people attended and supported for generations. She simply put two and two together. It equaled four.

      She remembered catching Yolanda fresh from a shower after a track and field practice, her chocolate-brown skin glistening from the water. She stared at the naked brown body she was so curious to see. She noticed how dark nipples at the end of dark-brown breasts turned into hard raisins in front of her. Her gaze slid down Yolanda’s muscular upper torso to the black triangle of hair inches below her waist. She watched Yolanda flush then grab two towels to cover up.

      Oops, I’m sorry. I had to pee. I thought nobody was in here.

      The team always showers in their rooms. I thought everybody on campus knew I have the entire locker room to myself after practices.

      Judith lied. She knew you couldn’t make a horse drink if it didn’t like the taste. Well, I didn’t.

      I’ve never seen you at any sporting events until today.

      I’m not into sports very much.

      Why is that?

      I love to read.

      So do I. You can do both, you know. They call us scholar athletes.

      Oh, I see.

      Yolanda studied the white girl with the thick, long blond ponytail and the dark blue eyes. She frowned when girl kept staring at her. The bathroom’s that way.

      Thanks.

      After that meeting, Judith found excuses for them to bump into each other. They finally exchanged contact information when they discovered they shared some of the same courses but at different times of the week. Now they were study buddies.

      Yolanda shrugged, wondering about the dreamy look in Judith’s eyes for a moment. Time will tell, Judith, about folks. Anyway, let’s get started.

      Hours later, Yolanda patted her noisy belly then yawned. You’ll eat when I’m ready to feed you. She stood up from the stacks in the climate-controlled room she and Judith were in. She stretched her arms up then ran in place for a minute using her watch as a timer. She reset her watch, shook out her arms, and bent down to touch her toes. Minutes later, she did squats then pushups. She rose to find Judith watching her intently. What? I’m just keeping my blood flowing. I’ve been sitting down way too long.

      Why do you need keep in shape right now? We’re studying.

      Maybe I’m really hungry and trying to ignore the signs.

      Let’s order takeout from the corner pizza place. If we leave now and walk slow, it’ll be ready when we get there.

      Yolanda sighed. Look, your peeps eat there, Judith. I really don’t need a confrontation right now. You don’t either. She studied Judith, who looked disappointed. Why don’t we ask them to deliver it in front of the library. We can go down and wait for them. She watched Judith’s face brighten. Doesn’t take much to make you happy, huh?

      Judith smiled at Yolanda. My parents’ pocketbooks would beg to disagree with you. The witches covenant would too. I do like quality things.

      Yolanda frowned. I don’t see a sports car with your name on it parked in the student garage. You eat in the student cafeteria. You aren’t like your buddies who skip those meals to have chefs cook gourmet meals for them. I don’t see you wearing expensive clothes. She hesitated then tried to make a correction. I mean, not that your clothes look cheap. They look … they seem. She groaned when Judith started giggling. Shit, I’m the last person to judge designer clothes. I just know what suits me.

      What suits you?

      I’m hungry enough to eat you. Use that expensive Nokia in your backpack to call the pizza place.

      Judith chuckled. Do you know the number?

      Yep. Yolanda reached into a back pocket for her wallet. She sorted through restaurant cards until she found the right one. Here, use this one to call.

      They waited for twenty minutes before going downstairs to meet the pizza delivery guy. It was dark as soon as they stepped out of the backroom where the archived books and papers were and into the main room. The only lights still on in the library were the green bankers’ lamps over the reading tables. The building was shut down for the night and they were locked inside.

      Shit! I thought they gave five-minute warnings.

      Judith exhaled. They probably did, but we wouldn’t be able to hear it back here in the archive stacks. What do we do now?

      Call the pizza place and tell them to send security. Or we could break the glass doors and get out that way.

      I’m not breaking any glass doors. You shouldn’t either.

      Why not, if it’ll get us out?

      People will talk. Things might be said that could cause you trouble.

      You mean your rich bitch friends would stir up some shit to get me expelled, don’t you? Yolanda studied Judith as they walked to the front door. Why do you stay friends with them anyway? You’re so much better than they are.

      Judith played with the card in her hand and then the backpack’s straps. Am I?

      Yes, you are. If you won’t answer that question, answer this one. Why do you hang out with me?

      Don’t you like hanging with me?

      Yolanda studied Judith. She rubbed her chin. I keep wondering why you do it. Your friends hate my guts. They want me out of here like yesterday. They act like I’ll do something to the college or them.

      They walked over to the front door to look out for the delivery guy.

      When Yolanda pushed on the door, she noted the chain wrapped around the front entrance several times and secured with a heavy-duty padlock. Shit! We can’t get out.

      I never hear you talking about boys. Do you have a boyfriend?

      Do you? Yolanda asked, turning to study Judith’s profile as she looked out for the delivery man.

      No boyfriends here. I’m not sure I like boys.

      Yolanda snorted. Well, who do you like … girls?

      I don’t know, Dutch. Maybe just one particular person.

      Who might that be, Lily?

      You wouldn’t know them.

      Yolanda give Judith a calculating appraisal. I’m betting it’s Taylor Brice. She’s always giving you the side-eye when she thinks nobody is looking.

      Fat lot you know! She asks me about you all the time.

      Why would she do that?

      I might have told her I surprised you in the shower after practice a while ago.

      So what?

      She wondered what you looked like naked.

      Yolanda flushed then glanced at her watch. Do you think the delivery guy already came and left ‘cause we weren’t here?

      Judith noted the new topic but ignored it on purpose. I told her you were very well-built in all areas.

      Yolanda pulled on the glass doors then pushed them. All that did was rattle the chains but didn’t move the solid door lock. I’m not crazy about being locked up. She glanced out the door, looking into the empty darkness. Doesn’t anybody stay out late? How come nobody is walking around the campus?

      Judith moved closer to Yolanda until she nearly rubbed elbows with her. Forget the pizza guy, Dutch. Look in my pack. I think I might have tossed one or two of those peanut butter cracker packages in it. She could feel Yolanda’s hands moving around inside her pack. She imagined them stroking her entire body and shivered.

      Hey? What’s going on, Lily? Are you cold? You’re trembling. Yolanda stopped digging around in Judith’s pack to remove it and then her own backpack. She hurriedly removed her own jacket to drape it over Judith’s cold shoulders. She stood in front of Judith, rubbing her arms up and down to warm them. Before she could protest, Judith pulled on her chin then pressed a tongue against her lips until she opened. The soft kiss felt good enough to return and she did. She nearly kissed Judith a second time. Once she realized what she’d done, she raised her hands and backed away. Sorry. I didn’t mean to do that to you.

      I’m not sorry. And I meant to kiss you. I wanted to see what you’d taste like.

      Yolanda rubbed her chin. I’m not into women. She sighed. I’m not into men either.

      I wasn’t sure until we kissed just now, Judith remarked, looking at Yolanda, then dropped her eyes. She started playing with the zipper on Yolanda’s jacket. If I wanted more than a kiss from you, would you do it?

      Do what? I mean, we’re both women. How does that even work?

      I touch you and make you feel good. You touch me and make me feel good.

      They both watched a security guard’s vehicle pull up and slow down. He shined a flashlight on them as they stood by the front door, the light nearly blinding them. He stepped out of the car and walked up the stone steps to the front entrance. He waved a set of keys at the two women then signaled he was unlocking the doors. Second time this week somebody got locked in here. Must be finals week. He looked at Yolanda before issuing an order while his hand moved to his metal baton. Gimme your backpack, Girl. Gotta check it to make sure you’re not stealing nothing. He caught Judith’s attention and nodded. Miss, you can go.

      That’s okay, officer. I’ll wait. We live in the same housing complex.

      The security guard yanked the backpack from Yolanda’s shoulder. What are you doing sharing quarters with this one, Miss? That’s something I wouldn’t allow my kid to do. No, sir, I’d die before I allowed it. He dumped the contents of the pack on the wood floor then sorted through everything with the toe of his booted foot. I don’t see nothing dangerous here. Girl, pick up that shit. You better get outta here before I change my mind and bust your tall ass for loitering.

      Yes, Sir. I’m leaving now. Inside, Yolanda was burning with fury, but she wisely knew not to say a thing to the security guard. If she got busted, she’d lose her scholarship. She knelt and picked up the stuff on the floor.

      Hurry up, Girl. I ain’t got all night.

      Five minutes later, the security officer had re-secured the library’s front door and left the two girls walking to the pizza parlor.

      Yolanda marched to the corner in angry silence while Judith struggled to keep up with her long strides. Why the hell am I staying in this effing place? I can get insulted back home, Lily Flowers!

      Judith finally caught up and grabbed Yolanda’s arm to stop her. Hey, slow down! I’m not in as good of shape as you are. She managed to pull Yolanda into an alleyway before they reached the corner. She pulled Yolanda’s chin down to look at amazing hazel eyes. We aren’t all like him. I’m not.

      Yolanda’s eyes narrowed as she stared at Judith with disgust. No, you just wanna fuck me. Everybody else in this place wants to fuck me up. She pulled away from Judith to run her hands through her hair. She paced back and forth in the alleyway, rubbing her head. Once I got here and saw how shit played out, I called the scholarship people. They said I had to stay here a year. I don’t think I can do that. She glanced at her watch then groaned. It’s past curfew. How am I going back to my dorm now?

      You’re upset. Come with me. I know a place where we can go. I think you’ll like it. Judith eyed Yolanda’s angry face and wanted to soothe her. "It’ll be all right. I’ll make some calls to clear us about being out after curfew. She pulled out her Nokia then walked out of the alleyway to the street where two main streets intersected.

      Judith dialed three numbers. The first number brought a limo within ten minutes that took her and Yolanda to the second number. It was a modern ten-story building with a doorman who greeted Judith by name as he opened the limo’s door. His eyes widened when he saw Yolanda, but he wisely remained polite.

      The doorman touched the brim of his navy hat. Good evening, Miss Kerson. Should I call upstairs and tell them to get the place ready for you and your friend?

      Yes, Henry. That would be nice. Is my father here this week?

      No, Ma’am. He is not here tonight. He’s not scheduled until next Friday.

      Thanks. Could you send up my usual Tuesday dinner? Make it dinner for two. My friend hasn’t eaten either. Judith turned around to study her hesitant friend as she sat in the limo. Well? Are going you to just sit there all night, Dutch Chocolate, or get out and follow me?

      Yolanda stepped out and stared at the glass and marble structure. A look of awe spread over her face. D-a-m-n … Lily Flowers. If this what the outside looks like, I can’t wait to see the inside. Lead the way!

      The next morning, Milton Kerson tapped on the door to the second bedroom his daughter used when she wanted to get away from school activities to study. He smiled. His daughter was a good kid. She followed his house rules without question, unlike the horror stories he was hearing from his colleagues with kids his daughter’s age. She didn’t have male friends hanging around. A couple of times on holiday, he’d overheard her speaking to some guy named Dutch. It sounded like it could be serious. He hoped to meet the boy. But he was glad his daughter took her studies seriously. She’d made the dean’s list for the last three semesters. He expected she’d make the dean’s list again this semester too.

      He opened the door a crack and found his daughter fast asleep. He frowned at the crumbled sheets and the dented pillow on the far side of the Cali king-size bed. Somebody slept in his daughter’s bed last night. He stood there in mild shock, then he heard shower noises in the bathroom before the door opened.

      Hey! Lily Flowers, wake up. That shower is some crazy. It’s the bomb! I just got the massage of a lifetime in there. A tall Black woman walked over to the bed and sat down on it to shake his daughter’s shoulder. She wore a familiar-looking robe that looked like his. Like Hell. It was his robe and it seemed to fit the Black amazon perfectly. It was all he could do to keep quiet.

      He waited to see what would happen when his daughter opened her eyes. He didn’t have to wait long. Without opening her eyes, his daughter reached up to pull the Black bitch’s face down then planted a kiss on her lips. The bitch pushed his daughter’s hands away. She stood up quickly. Could you just stop that? I’m not into women or men.

      His daughter climbed out of bed and stripped off her T-shirt. Let me show you what I like. We could experiment and find out what you like.

      He couldn’t see more because both girls moved out of range, but he could hear something like kissing sounds. That was what made him fling the door, nearly bouncing it off its hinges. Wrap your ungrateful self in this. He grabbed a quilt and handed it to his unclothed daughter, averting his eyes. No! You will not find out what she likes, Judith! He turned around to glare at the tall Black woman. You will get out of my home right now. You will not mention any of this to anyone. Do you understand?

      Yes, sir. I’m leaving. The tall Black woman nodded then grabbed the clothes she’d left folded neatly on one of several fancy chairs in the large bedroom. She scurried to the bathroom.

      Father and daughter both heard the bathroom door lock in place.

      Judith whirled around to explain what happened. Daddy, she didn’t do anything. We were just …

      Milton Kerson’s face reddened until it resembled a boiled lobster. Shut up! Get dressed right now, Judith! I can’t believe you’d pick up street trash and bring it here. She forced you into this, didn’t she? She gave you drugs to make you do this, right? He grabbed his daughter’s arms to examine them for drug tracks. Her arms looked like they always did. They were lightly tanned. Her skin was smooth and flawless. What are you anyway?

      Judith pointed to her quilt-covered chest. I’m your daughter, Daddy. That’s what I am.

      No, that’s not what you are. You’re a kid who doesn’t know anything. You’re a kid who thinks she likes popping cherries as much as I do. Well, I got news for you. That’s sick. You’re sick. But I know how to make you well. I’m pulling you out of school and sending you to a place to fix you. He poked her in the forehead with a hard finger.

      I refuse to go wherever you think you can send me, Daddy!

      They both heard the bathroom door unlock. They both watched the tall Black girl stride over to them. She looked at Judith while ignoring her father. See you around sometime, Lily Flowers.

      Goddamn it, I knew it! I knew it! Like hell you’ll see her again, you fucking Black bitch! You leave my daughter alone! Milton screamed. Full of fury about everything, he shoved his daughter away so his clenched fist could land upside the Black girl’s head. It did land. The blow split his daughter’s lip and knocked her unconscious. When Dutch rushed to Judith’s aid, he threatened her. He swore to have her arrested for assaulting his daughter then he pushed her out the door and locked it.

      Chapter One: Welcome to my neighborhood

      Yolanda Riggins,

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