The Truth About Gretchen

by Alretha Thomas

  “The call and the tires happened after you went to the police station.”

  “That’s true.” A chill skates over me when Officer Barnes’s face fills my head. “Dad, there’s a police officer there that … I think he’s a Klansman. I think he may have been involved in a cover-up. Maybe he’s doing this, or he’s having someone do this.”

  “Do you have proof?”

  There’s that damn five-letter word again. “I don’t. It’s just a hunch.”

  “I don’t know what to tell you, Gretchen. You’re as stubborn as your grandmother. The doctors told her when she was diagnosed with cancer that she had six months to live. She lived for sixteen more years. Your mother and I used to joke that she was too stubborn to die.”

  “I didn’t know that.” Guilt gnaws my insides when I take in my father’s downcast face.

  “I don’t want anything to happen to you. Maybe you should back off for now. Just focus on the film.”

  “Dad, this means Regina and I are on to something. We’re getting close.”

  “True, but what you’re doing is dangerous. And if the police are involved, that’s frightening, because they have a license to kill.”

  My father hugs me, and I lay my head on his chest, thinking about Robert and wondering what he would do. Am I supposed to risk my life to find his killer? What if I’m killed in the process? What if Regina is hurt, and we never find out who killed Robert? It’ll all be for naught. I think about people throughout history who dedicated their lives to fighting for justice for others. Those who made enormous sacrifices to do the right thing. Not all of them, but some of them even died fighting for the truth, fighting for the rights of others—Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa, Rosa Parks, Nelson Mandela. These people are completely out of my league. I could never even come close to any of them. But when I think about them, it motivates me to keep moving forward. Maybe that’s why I was born. Maybe it’s my purpose.

  My father lifts my chin and peers into my eyes. “You’re not going to back off, are you?”

  “I can’t, Dad. I just can’t.”

  “Come with me.”

  I do so, and he goes to my mother’s car and reaches under the passenger seat. He hands me a pouch, and I scrunch up my face, wondering what I’ve been given. “What is this, Dad?”

  “Protection.”

  “A gun?”

  “Yeah. The one I let you use at Joshua Tree. Keep it with you. It’s not loaded, but there are bullets in the pouch. I hope you don’t have to use it.”

  “I do too.”

  “I have to get back to the shop. Be careful, Gretchen.”

  “I will, Dad. And thank you for understanding.”

  He shakes his head and says, “I don’t, Gretchen. I don’t understand you. But god knows I love you. I love you more than life. And if something happens to you, I won’t … I don’t know what … I have to go.”

  I swallow hard while I watch my father get in my mother’s car, his shoulders slumped. He drives away, again shaking his head.

  Chapter 26

  Regina

  At the register, Kate mediates between Sarah and a customer. A man with shoe-black hair pulled into a ponytail folds his arms over his protruding belly. He rolls his bloodshot eyes at Sarah, who charged his debit card three times for the same order. Sitting at a booth across from them, I hope it all works out. I should have named this day Maddening Monday. The meeting with the detectives seems to have been a bust, somebody is after Gretchen, and now a customer is about to set it off in the diner.

  “If she doesn’t know what she’s doing, she shouldn’t be working the damn register!” The man leans on the counter and groans like a wounded cow.

  “Sir, I’m reversing the charges right now,” Kate says through a forced smile. “I’m not going to charge you. Your meal is on the house.”

  Sarah, beet red, bites her nails. Trembling, she steps aside. Poor thing. The sound of a car alarm being enabled diverts my attention. I turn toward the window, and my eyes land on Gretchen’s Subaru, decked out with new tires. She’s about to come inside through the front door. She enters, her eyes immediately drawn to the irate customer, still bitching about his bill. Her gaze drifts from him to my waving hand.

  “Gretchen.”

  She walks to me, I stand, and we hug. “What’s that about?” she says about the angry customer.

  “The waitress overcharged him.”

  We both sit, and she sets down her purse and tote. “Where is everybody?”

  “It’s slow today, but the few people who were in here left when the guy started going off.”

  We turn toward the man when he screams, “Thank you!”

  “And again, I’m sorry for the inconvenience,” Kate says.

  “Not as sorry as I am,” he says, storming out.

  Kate walks toward the door and watches him leave. Shaking her head, she turns to Sarah. “Don’t worry about it. Shit happens.”

  Sarah nods and disappears into the back. Kate approaches us and rolls her eyes. “Asshole.”

  Gretchen and I burst into loud, throaty laughter. Every time our eyes meet we laugh even harder. I stop laughing when I notice tears streaming down Gretchen’s cheeks. Kate, standing over us, sends a curious look my way. Gretchen, now sobbing, grips the table edge. Kate slides into the booth and sits next to her. She curls her arm around Gretchen’s shoulders and whispers in her ear.

  “Let it out, girl. By the way, I’m Kate Baxter. I own the place.”

  “It’s nice to meet you,” Gretchen says through her sobs. I grab napkins out of the dispenser and hand her a wad. She composes herself and wipes her face. “I’m sorry.”

  “No need to apologize. Regina told me about the tires. Seems like the nuts have escaped from the loony bin today. Your tire slasher and my customer. Damn order came out to five dollars. Sarah charged him three times. If my math is correct, that’s a whopping fifteen dollars. The way he was carrying on, you’d think he was out of fifteen hundred big ones. You hang in there, Gretchen.”

  “I see why Regina likes you so much.”

  “And I like her too. Let’s go over this damn case while the place is empty. The dinner crowd will be here before you know it. Gretchen, are you hungry? Regina and I just finished a slice of pie.”

  “Not right now,” she says.

  “So what do you ladies have? And by the way, my Aunt Agatha was a clairvoyant. She died fifteen years ago. Predicted her own death. Planned the funeral and everything. She died the exact day and time she predicted. I say all that to let you know I believe in what you’re experiencing.”

  “I told her about the necklace and the transporting,” I say.

  Gretchen smiles and says, “That’s the best news I’ve heard all day. Not about your aunt dying, but that you believe me.”

  I watch the two of them bonding, and I get full. Déjà vu creeps over me.

  “You okay, Regina?”

  I turn toward Kate. “Yeah. It just feels like we’ve been here before, like I’ve always known you guys.”

  The door opens, and a customer wearing headphones, moving his head from side to side to the beat of whatever he’s listening to, approaches the counter. I give him the once-over. I experience a fleeting, unsettling feeling about him, but I dismiss it.

  “Sarah, customer!” The waitress appears and waits on the bulky man, who sports a crew cut and is dressed in camouflage. He removes the headphones and has a brief conversation with Sarah, then puts them back on and follows her to a booth in the rear.

  “Do you have an office we can meet in?” Gretchen says.

  “It’s an office/storage room.” Kate glances at the back of the man’s bouncing head and says, “We should be okay.”

  We resume our conversation.

  “Who do you think slashed your tires?” Kate says.

  “I spoke with my father before I came here, and he thinks it’s someone affiliated with the Shady Grove Police Department.”

&nb
sp; As soon as Gretchen’s words fall on my ears, Buford Barnes, aka big nose, manifests in my mind. “Buford Barnes.”

  “Who’s he?” Kate says.

  “He’s a cop in the KKK. I think he’s involved in a cover-up,” I say.

  “Only thing is, we don’t have proof,” she says.

  “Let me get some paper, so we can take notes,” Kate says, rising.

  “No need. I have a tablet.” Gretchen reaches into her tote and sets her tablet on the table.

  Kate laughs. “I was expecting yellow paper with a cardboard backing, not some computer thing. You millennials are so advanced. The only thing fancy I know how to do is text. I’m the fastest in the West. Okay, we need a suspect list.”

  “We’re one step ahead of you,” I say. “We have one.”

  “We need to revise it,” Gretchen interjects as she pulls up the original list. “I’m going to leave what we had and just make adjustments. I want to keep a running list. Kate, at one point we thought that two guys who crashed Robert’s party were suspects, but today the detectives told us that the men were arrested before Robert was killed. They’re also the same men who killed the jewelry store owner.”

  “I know. Regina filled me in.” So you need to add Buford Barnes.”

  “And we should put Manny on the list,” I say. “We didn’t have his name at first.”

  Suspect: Motive:

  Thugs at the party Jealousy

  Lorraine Curry/her people Woman scorned

  Someone Robert owed money toRevenge

  The men involved in the heist Shut Robert up

  The stepfather Shut Robert up

  “I’d better start fresh,” Gretchen says.

  Suspect List: Motive:

  Manny Revenge

  Buford BarnesCover-up

  Lorraine Curry/her peopleWoman scorned

  Kate leans back in her seat and says, “We need a to-do list. I’m task-oriented.”

  “That’s no problem,” Gretchen says. “I want to research the Barnes family—the captain and the cop.”

  “We need to find Miss Winter,” I say. “She may have seen who was driving that Mercedes. And I need to talk to Lorraine. She may know something.”

  “We also need to talk to Manny or somebody in his organization. I have city contacts. I’ll see what I can find out,” Kate says.

  Gretchen, her fingers flying over her tablet, says, “Here’s the list.”

  To-do List:

  Gretchen will research the Barnes family.

  Regina will try to find Miss Winter and will meet

  with Lorraine.

  Kate will try to talk to someone in Manny’s circle.

  She stops reading and then looks up into the distance, as through she’s remembering something. “I recently found out that Matt Simmons—”

  “Who’s Matt Simmons?” Kate and I ask.

  “He’s the quarterback that Robert replaced.”

  “I thought that name sounded familiar. Robert used to talk about him. Nothing bad. Just that he felt sorry for him. I think he died or something after Robert was killed,” I say.

  “What about him?” Kate says.

  “I found out he committed suicide two days before Robert was killed. He overdosed on alcohol and barbiturates in Las Vegas. The team’s coach and owner kept it out of the news. They were afraid it would rattle the players, and they’d lose the Super Bowl.”

  Gretchen’s revelation makes my stomach knot. “What the freak? I thought he had a heart attack or something, after Robert was killed. But he died before Robert?”

  “Yeah, before. And like I said, they ruled it a suicide.”

  Kate pinches her nose and bats her eyes. “Something stinks to high heaven.”

  Gretchen sniffs her armpits and says, “Sorry about that.”

  “No darling, not you. The fact that this Matt fella and Robert died within days of each other. Somethin’ is fishy about that.”

  “I agree. I have this gut feeling that Matt didn’t commit suicide. What if the same person who killed Matt killed Robert?” Gretchen says.

  The hair on the back of my neck stands on end. “I could see that. But why?”

  “Robert’s team was playing the New York Crushers in the Super Bowl. What if the Crushers owner had them both killed so that the Enforcers would lose?”

  The sound of the lone customer wolfing down his burger interrupts the silence. “Hmm,” Kate says, pressing her temples. “You might be reachin’ there, Gretchen. But I think there’s a connection. We just have to figure out what.”

  The ringing phones on the table draw our attention.

  “It’s Taylor.”

  “It’s Lance.”

  Kate chuckles and motions for us to take our calls. “I’ll be right back,” I say, leaving the booth and going outside.

  “Hey, Tay. What’s up?”

  “I’m just checking on you. How’d your audition go?”

  “What au—I mean, it went well. What about you? How’s the new guy working out?”

  “He’s great. So what time will you be home? I was thinking we could go out to eat tonight. I thought you’d be home by now. It’s almost 4:00 p.m. Your audition was at 10:00 a.m.”

  “Tay, you’re doing it again.”

  “Sorry. So where are you anyway?”

  “Just know that I’m safe. I should be home around 6:00 p.m., and dinner sounds good.”

  “I’ll see you later. Love you.”

  “Love you too.”

  “Did you get the text your mother sent us, asking if we’d seen a photo album and videotape she had in her closet? They’re missing. Do you know where they are?”

  “Hold on a minute.” I view my text messages, then return to Taylor. “I got the text. I’m just now seeing it. What did you tell her?”

  “I told her I hadn’t seen them.”

  “Good. I have them. I’m creating a DVD for her birthday party next month.”

  “That sounds nice. Okay. See you later.”

  “Bye now,” I say, hanging up. I bend over, grip my knees, and gag. I’m not cut out for living a double life. I stand upright and suck it up. Once Robert’s killer is behind bars, it’ll all be worth it. I head back into the diner, and Kate points to Gretchen in the rear of the diner, shouting at Lance. The lone customer rises and walks toward the register. Sarah, with razor focus, handles his bill while Kate observes her.

  Gretchen ends her call and slumps into a booth in the back of the diner. I join her. “What happened?”

  “I can’t deal with Lance anymore. I can’t. Once we’ve solved the case, I’ll be able to deal with him, but right now, he’s making me crazy.”

  “Why were you fighting with him?”

  “Campus police called my house instead of my cell. They have my landline on file. Lance answered the phone, and of course he asked what the call was about. They told him about my tires being slashed.”

  “Wow.”

  “He’s pissed because he thought I was cooling on the investigation. Now he’s demanding I put a stop to it, or he’s leaving me.”

  “Gretchen, maybe you’d better cool it. It’s not worth your relationship.”

  She drops her head onto the table and growls in fury. Then she lifts her head and says, “It’s so freaking unfair. If I were a man, it wouldn’t be a problem. If it were Lance in my position, he wouldn’t have to sneak around.”

  “I have the same problem. I have to lie and sneak around Taylor. What are you going to do?”

  “I’m going to stay with my girlfriend, Patty, for a few days. Maybe he’ll come to his senses. I need to introduce you to her. She’s producing the film.”

  “I’d like that. I need to head home. Tonight, after Taylor goes to bed, I’ll try to find Miss Winter. Her full name is Bertha Winter. I’m also going to arrange a meeting with Lorraine. I reached out to her after we met with the detectives, but she didn’t respond.”

  “That sounds good. Staying with Patty, I’ll be able to do a
lot more. I’m going to research the Barnes family.”

  “Let’s touch base in the morning,” I say.

  “Okay.”

  “And, Gretchen, be careful.”

  “I will. I have protection now.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “My father gave me something today. Let’s just say that I have twenty-two good reasons to feel safe.”

  “I get it,” I say, thinking what a badass she is.

  Kate sashays toward us with a foil-covered paper plate. “Are you girls okay?”

  “We’re fine.”

  “I have to prepare for the dinner crowd. But first thing in the morning, I’m going to reach out to my city contacts, find out what’s going on with this Manny guy.”

  “Remember that his full name is Emanuel Rodriguez,” I say.

  “I wrote it down. And this is for you, Gretchen.” She hands her the plate.

  “Thanks, Kate. What is it?”

  “Pie. You’ll love it. And put my number in your phone.”

  Gretchen adds Kate’s number to her contacts.

  “The pie is really good. Come on, Gretchen. I’ll walk you out,” I say.

  We gather our belongings, hug Kate, and walk to our cars. Gretchen nudges me, and I look up at a beautiful double rainbow in the sky. My gaze dips to Gretchen, and we both say, “Robert.” Our eyes meet, and we share a look that lets me know that despite the lies and duplicity and everything we’ve done wrong so far, we’re doing the right thing.

  Chapter 27

  Gretchen

  As I near our condo, my stomach churns, and I press on it, trying to keep down the pie I ate in the car before I drove home. When I reach the driveway, I gasp. Lance, standing at the back of his car, looks up as he drops a box in the trunk. Other boxes and luggage surround his BMW. He reaches for a garment bag lying on the hood. I park, get out of the car, and approach him while he continues loading his car.

  “Lance, where are you going?”

  “Don’t worry about it. We need to take a break.”