Dark Waters, page 1
Dark Waters
Nick Haskins
Dark Waters Copyright © 2023 by Nick Haskins
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ISBN-13:. 979-8-218-17163-6
ISBN-13:.. 979-8-218-17806-2
Printed in the United States of America
This is a work of fiction. Any references or similarities to actual events, real people, living, or dead, or to real locales are intended to give the novel a sense of reality. Any similarity in other names, characters, places, and incidents is entirely coincidental.
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Table of Contents
Copyright Page
Also By Nick Haskins
Dark Waters
PROLOGUE
Judge Waters
Lillian
Keenan Jr.
Naomi
Saint Kenny
Lillian
Saint Kenny
8 | Keenan Jr.
Naomi
Lillian
Judge Waters
Lillian
Naomi
Keenan Jr.
Naomi
Saint Kenny
Keenan Jr.
Naomi
Saint Kenny
Lillian
Judge Waters
Keenan Jr.
Saint Kenny
Keenan Jr.
Judge Waters
Keenan Jr.
27 | Lillian
Naomi
Saint Kenny
Keenan Jr.
Judge Waters
Naomi
Lillian
Saint Kenny
Keenan Jr.
36 | Lillian
Judge Waters
EPILOGUE
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Also By Nick Haskins
20He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
-Matthew 17:20
I dedicate this book to my mother, Ms. Ollie M. Haskins. I love you with all of my heart, and thank you for always loving me.
PROLOGUE
It will be a sweltering summer in Philadelphia for the Waters Family. The temperature in the city will remain around the same as last year, but the pressure, hatred, and drama will bring record highs and excruciating lows for each of them. Judge Keenan Waters Sr. starts the lies and disloyalty after he decides one family is not enough, so he creates another one. His relationship with his mistress Mia of ten years is unfair to his wife and children, but he’s too lost in love and lust to care about them or their feelings, so he keeps it going. He and Mia don’t necessarily have a public relationship, but Judge Waters doesn’t hide the fact that he loves her or spends most nights with her in a house he purchased on the other side of town. She completes him in ways thirty-five years of marriage simply cannot. He’s made it clear he’s not leaving Mia or their life together. Though Judge Waters doesn’t anticipate or expect it, everything will change suddenly for him, Mia, and their secrets. He knows Lillian still loves him wholeheartedly, but he doesn’t realize she’s finished rolling over and taking his shit. It all has to stop, and Lillian will make sure that it does one way or another.
Judge Waters reaches for his phone on his desk. He scrolls to his wife’s number but calls his eldest son, DA Keenan Waters Jr., instead. After a few rings, Keenan Jr. answers. “Hey, Dad. How are you doing today?”
Judge Waters could tell Keenan Jr. was busy. He shook his head as he thought I hope you’re not up there stuffing your damn pockets again. But, he wouldn’t dare tell his son that he knows about his illegal activity and abuse of power, so Keenan Sr. keeps his tone pleasant when he says, “Good afternoon, son. I hope I’m not catching you at a bad time.”
Keenan Jr. spoke to his assistant before answering Judge Waters. “Julie, this afternoon, we’ll look at the criminal history and Bob Stanton’s ties to the community for the bail hearing in the morning. And CC me on the sample grant proposal email for my brother. Thanks, Julie.”
Once the assistant left his office, Keenan Jr. answered his father. “Sorry about that, Dad. And, no, this is not a bad time; I was finishing meeting notes before I head out to court.”
“Okay, well, I won’t hold you. But I just wanted to ensure you, Taylor and my grandbaby will be by the house tomorrow night for the big anniversary party. Your mother moved dinner to six instead of seven thirty, but you three will still be there, right?” Judge Waters didn’t want to have another dry anniversary steak alone with Lillian, so he invited the entire family to the house at the last minute and wanted to make sure they all showed up.
Keenan Jr. speaks to his father, but his attention is now on the text he is engrossed in. He gives a rushed “We’ll be there, Dad” while tending to the words he was texting on his screen: Where in the fuck is my money?
“Okay, well, I’ll let you go, son. We’ll see you tomorrow night; have a good day.”
“You too, Dad.”
While his parents fight and hate each other, Keenan Jr. has a loving marriage with his wife, Taylor Christine. She’s his and their daughter’s lifeline, the backbone of their family, and he loves her to pieces for it. Taylor keeps it all together while Keenan Jr. lies, steals, and cheats his way to the top.
Sitting behind his desk in the District Attorney’s office, he works incredibly hard to become the next mayor of Philadelphia. When he’s not at work, he and Taylor attend charity galas where he repays the city by donating a small portion of his stolen money back to them. However, he volunteers a significant amount of his time to underprivileged kids in the inner city; he has a seventy-two percent conviction rate, and even his slogan Building a Safer Philadelphia, was chosen as the banner for the DA’s website. In his mind, he’s an ideal mayoral candidate with just the right credentials for the job. He thinks he has it all, but Keenan Jr. doesn’t realize his criminal actions will come at a heavy price that he’ll pay for with his perfect marriage.
A keystroke away from sending the recipient of his angry text messages a death threat, his phone rings. When he picks up, Keenan Jr. is extra nasty to the man he’s been bullying for the last ten minutes. “Muthafucka, let me tell you something . . . I sent that official letter to the FDA to persuade the judge not to revoke your guy’s liquor license when he went in for his hearing.” First, Keenan Jr. arrogantly points to his chest when he says, “On the other end of that bribe, my name and reputation are on the line.” Then, when he doesn’t get an immediate response, he fires off, “Did you forget that, or am I going to have to break your jaw to make you remember?”
The heavy-breathing Italian slimebag laughs Keenan Jr. off. “Chill out, dawg. I got it covered.”
“Don’t fuckin’ mock me, you fat-ass.”
“Look, Raynard Kordan knows the email you sent to save his ass will cost him 75k. Hopefully, when I bring your cut to your office tomorrow, it’ll make you feel better, jeesh. Oh, and stop with the name-calling, or else!”
Keenan Jr. jumps to his feet. “Or else what, you sloppy mutha—” Click! The man on the other end hung up before getting cursed out further.
All Keenan Jr. could think was tomorrow as he grabs his suit jacket and heads out of his office with his phone in his hand. When he enters the hallway, he sends his baby sister, Naomi, a quick text message before he gets on the elevator.
As Naomi sits at the red light on Chestnut Street, she reads Keenan Jr.’s text that just came in. She texts him back when he mentions the anniversary party at their parents’ house tomorrow night to tell him she’ll be there. She then calls the boy she can’t stop herself from thinking about. His name is Jayceon McCall. He and Naomi fell for each other after he left all his troubles behind bars in Chicago. Jace hightails it to Philly for a new life that doesn’t involve his ex-wife, Leah, or her prison sentence. He discovers that life in a new city brings him a new girl that he quickly falls in love with. Naomi says it’s just sex, but deep down, she loves Jayceon too. She just doesn’t know how to show him, so he finds another woman that does. Naomi can’t stand his second choice, Tia, and neither can Jace.
When Jayceon answers, he says, “Wassup, Naomi,” happy to hear from her.
Her tone is snotty when she asks, “What size shoe does your new bride wear?”
Jace’s forehead wrinkles. “What? Why do you want to know her shoe size?”
Naomi smirks as she drives. “Because I just passed a nice second-hand workboot shop on my way to the mall, and I thought of her. I would stop and grab her a pair for a wedding gift, but I think I’ll get her something else since I didn’t know her size.”
Warm air shifts through Jace’s nostrils wh
“I was thinking of asking you the same thing.”
Before Jace could try and stop her from attending his wedding, Naomi hangs up on him as she always does when shit isn’t going her way. She then texted him See you tomorrow before she blocks him.
She’s not telling Jace, but Naomi is so hurt by him marrying another woman tomorrow that she’s not thinking rationally. She wants to get his attention and is ready to do so in the most drastic way possible. Since she doesn’t know how to come out and tell him that he broke her heart, she’ll show him in her own way.
Naomi thinks fuck him as she feels like crying, but before a tear could leave her eye, she gets mad. She angrily pulls into the mall’s parking lot, parks, and gets out. “I have to find something cute to wear and just the right gift for the bride.”
As she’s walking up to the main entrance, she calls her brother, Saint Kenny. When he doesn’t answer, she hangs up and texts him.
Saint laughs as he reads the text from Naomi: Did you really just press ignore on me, punk? LOL!
Sitting at the plaintiff’s table in a dark-colored athletic fit stretch suit, he texts back, trying not to let the judge or the senior associate he is assisting see his phone. Lol im in court
Saint Kenny is the youngest of the Waters children. He’s not tainted by greed and power like his brother or sex and control like his sister. He’s different from the other two. Different from his sneaky controlling parents. To everyone, he’s the good one. The baby boy that can do no wrong—the saint of the family. He’s an attorney, too, with a girlfriend named Porsha and a boyfriend named Jonathan. Saint Kenny keeps Jonathan and his sexuality hidden from his family and flaunts Porsha around on his arm instead. He thinks she’s perfect like him, so he picks her for everyone to see while Jonathan holds the keys to his heart and bedroom. Saint is too afraid that his family won’t accept him for who he really is, so he lies and lies and lies until somebody gets hurt.
“Mr. Waters, is your client working now?”
Saint quickly stuffs his phone in his pocket and stands up to address the judge. He clears his throat. “Yes, Your Honor. Mr. Benton has been employed with the oil refinery in south Philadelphia for the past twelve months.” Saint thumbs through a manila folder in front of him. “However, my client is a contractor and hasn’t been called back to work after the Easter holiday.”
The judge looks down at Saint. “So, he’s not working?”
“Well, Your Honor, as I started, Mr. Benton is a contractor—”
“Mr. Waters, without steady employment, my judgment would normally be jail time, but I’m in a good mood today, so I will recall this case thirty days from now. If your client is not working by then, he will be locked up until he can start to make payments toward his twenty-six thousand dollars back child support payments.”
After the judge banged his gavel, Saint, the pencil nose senior attorney, and their client left the courtroom. In the hallway, the other attorney said, “See you back at the office, Saint,” before he walked off.
When Saint Kenny and the client get outside, the young white dude’s voice shakes when he says, “He was ready to lock my ass up in there, Saint. What am I going to do? I can’t go back to jail.”
As Saint Kenny’s phone vibrates in his pocket, he tells his client, “I won’t let that happen. Listen, Austin, sit tight, and I’ll call you around three to tell you our next strategy.”
The guy says, “Alright,” before he and Saint Kenny head in opposite directions.
Saint smiles when he answers his phone. “Hey, Mama.”
“Hi, baby. Are you working?”
Saint Kenny gets in his Ferrari and exits the courthouse parking lot. “No, I’m just leaving court. What’s going on, Mom?”
“Me and your father are just making our rounds to remind you and your brother and sister about the time change tomorrow night.”
“Yes, Naomi messaged me while I was in court. She said dinner is now at six instead of seven thirty?”
Lillian offered Saint a flat, “Yep.”
With his turn signal clicking in the background, he says, “Mom, what is it? I know you and how mad Dad can make you.”
“Baby, what does that have to do with dinner?”
“Because I can hear that you’re angry.” Saint takes a beat. “Ma, why don’t we go to dinner instead? Just me and you. I-I’ll pick you up on time, bring the purple orchids you love so much, and I’ll even listen to your favorite oldies station in the car—no rap this time. I promise.”
“You and Porsha, just make sure y’all are not late tomorrow.”
“But, Mama—”
“Bye, baby; we’ll see you tomorrow night.” Before Saint could say another word, his mother was gone.
After hanging up on Saint Kenny, Lillian sits in the living room in deep thought. The children are all in place for dinner tomorrow night. But our actual anniversary is tonight. Once a heavy sigh leaves her throat, she says, “Keenan, if you mess this up in any way, this will be one anniversary dinner that you, or the kids, will never forget. I can promise you that . . .”
1
Judge Waters
After presiding over cases for hours, Judge Waters sits behind his rich, dark wood desk. He was exhausted after dealing with bail hearings all morning, signing arrest and search warrants, and sentencing guilty defendants who all shouted out at one point or another today, I’m innocent! He sighs in relief after unzipping his black robe with the silk ties on the sleeves, thankful it was over—at least for today. After a few moments sitting there, he unlooses his golden plaid necktie before he starts a memo to his clerk. Subject: For Tomorrow’s Hearings. He gives her info on the busy docket and the hearing schedule. He also reminds her to have all necessary files, documents, and exhibits in order and ready. When he finishes, he rares back in his swivel-tilt chair with a smile covering his full lips. He was tired as hell when he first walked into his chambers, but his energy levels quickly rose as he became excited about tonight.
Keenan Waters Sr. is a fifty-six-year-old strong, stern, black judge in Philadelphia. He’s a handsome, distinguished man with chocolate skin, pronounced features, and a head full of thick black hair with a little gray filling in on the sides. Soon after graduating from Temple University Besliginton School of Law at the top of his class in nineteen eighty-eight, Keenan Sr. became a take-no-shit defense attorney. A decade and a half later, he covered his expensive Armani suits with a long black robe when he was appointed a United States Magistrate Judge back in two thousand. Since then, his law career has soared from one height to the next, making him one of Philly’s top and highest-paid black judges.
He and his wife, Lillian, have three grown children, Keenan Jr., Naomi, and Saint Kenny, whom he loves with all his heart. Sure, he loves his kids, but he knows who they are, which sometimes makes him sick to his stomach. He sent Keenan Jr. and Saint Kenny to an all-boys high school in Radnor Township, where he hoped they’d learned more than just arithmetic. The school promised they’d graduate high-ranking scholars ready to take on the world with pride and dignity. But that fancy brochure talk didn’t work as well as Judge Waters had hoped because neither of his boys had pride or dignity. They’re shifty. Liars. Cheaters. Just like him, and Keenan Sr. hates their guts for it. Then there is the middle child, Naomi. She attended a private boarding school about fifty miles away, where Judge Waters forked over almost seven thousand dollars for her tuition.
Once again, the dean and the long-ass brochure with all the leafy greenery on the front promised Naomi an excellent education and success. But instead, she turned out to be an egotistical control freak who wanted everything her way or else there would be hell to pay. Judge Waters expected growth and development from that damn boarding school, but what he got was a nasty and hostile daughter that sometimes acted like she just didn’t give a fuck.
His children have had the best that money can provide, but they’re still all messed up. They run around Philadelphia trying to hide their shit from him and Lillian, but they don’t hide it well enough because Keenan Sr. knows everything. He wishes with all his heart and soul they would keep their secrets buried because, to him, it’s all about having a perfect image, though he’s the most imperfect of them all. See, Judge Waters has secrets too that his family knows nothing about—a secret he’ll do anything to keep hidden.
