Best Enemies (A Triple Trouble Mystery)

by Lynn Emery

  “MiMi Landry. Actually my name is Mionne Loren Landry. My granddaddy owned Landry Laundromats for years.” MiMi lifted her nose with pride.

  “No! I remember back in the day when all they had was that one little laundry place on East Boulevard. Didn’t your daddy work there?” Mama Ruby seemed not to notice Willa fuming next to her.

  “Every summer from the time he was twelve until he got out of college. That’s where he met my mama.” MiMi gazed around the room as she talked.

  “Right, your mother Pauline.” Mama Ruby’s glow faded a bit as she stared at MiMi.

  Willa stopped fuming long enough to read her mother’s expression. She could almost see wheels turning. She started to ask a question, but Mama Ruby gave a slight shake of her head. The gesture meant she would tell her later.

  “So how do you know each other?” Mama Ruby said in a careful, neutral tone.

  “MiMi was Jack’s friend.” Willa twitched an eyebrow up at her mother, a signal that MiMi caught.

  “We were also business partners. As a matter of fact since Willa has inherited Crown Protection we’re partners now,” MiMi replied with a nod when Mama Ruby’s mouth formed a wide circle.

  “No, we’re not,” Willa said in a voice like a finely honed filet knife. “Mama, would you mind giving us moment?”

  “Sure. Nice meeting you, Ms. Landry.” Mama Ruby blinked at Willa then MiMi.

  “MiMi to you, Mrs. Wilson. Bye-bye.” MiMi gave her a fond pat on the arm as Mama Ruby wandered off glancing over her shoulder every few steps.

  Willa worked to steady her temper and her nerves. She hardly knew where to begin. “First, how dare you just sashay in here like you are— ”

  “Like what? Like someone who cared deeply for Jack, yes, even loved him? I needed to say goodbye. I didn’t read anywhere that this was a by invitation only funeral.” MiMi dabbed at a corner of one eye with a tissue.

  “Girl, please. We both know you were digging for gold when you latched onto Jack,” Willa shot back. “And he was, well it’s obvious what he wanted.”

  “True, I have never been one to date broke men,” MiMi replied with no trace in her tone or expression that she was offended. “The Lord was good to me in the looks department, and men like what they see.”

  “Yeah, and you give them a good look, too.”

  Willa nodded to the form fitting deep blue knit dress MiMi wore. The faux wrap front dipped just low enough to show a hint of generous cleavage. The fabric and style draped her figure in an elegant sexy way. The hem stopped at the knee revealing Vegas show girl legs. In truth Willa stifled a pang of envy that MiMi could carry off that look so well.

  “You may not believe this, but Jack came to mean a lot more to me than a pay day,” MiMi said with a sniffle. She searched her designer clutch handbag then pulled out a tissue.

  “I don’t believe it,” Willa answered.

  She was about to go on to express more of what she thought but stopped. They were being watched. Detective Miller said something to the beefy man next to him. His partner glanced in Willa’s direction then nodded. Miller headed straight for them. Mama Ruby and Aunt Ametrine waylaid him. The man gave them a brief polite smile, a few words then started off again.

  “Have you spoken to Detective Miller?” Willa plastered a fake smile on as she asked the question.

  MiMi paused in her sniffles. Her expression sobered for an instant as she looked sideways in his direction. “He’s left me a couple of messages. I’ve been busy,” she said through her own fake smile.

  “You really should have called him back,” Willa added quickly before Miller came too close.

  “I had to do more research before I could, er, have a little talk with him,” MiMi whispered then faced Miller as he arrived. She flashed a dazzling smile at him. “Hello and thank you so much for coming.”

  “Hello, sorry for your loss,” Miller said to her then blinked hard. He transferred his gaze to Willa. “I mean, Mrs. Crown so sorry for your loss.”

  “That’s quite alright, Detective Miller. We know each other,” MiMi said.

  “We know of each other,” Willa corrected without looked at MiMi. “We only recently met actually.”

  “But we have no reason to be anything but friendly. In fact we’re business partners,” MiMi added. “By odd coincidence.”

  “Really? How interesting. Well, you’ll both be happy to know we’re making some progress on the case. The store security video camera footage shows several people entering the store around the time Mr. Crown was there. We have to locate them, not an easy task. Still we did get lucky.” Detective Miller watched their expressions as he spoke.

  “Lucky how?” MiMi spoke up first to Willa’s annoyance.

  “The store also has an outside camera so we have a few full and partial license plates. That should help us find those folks. At least some of them.” Miller nodded.

  “Oh good,” MiMi replied. She cleared her throat.

  Willa couldn’t help but notice her happy tone seemed superficial. “That is wonderful news. I hope you track down the crooks and lock them up for a long time.”

  “We’re going to do our best, ma’am. Again, my condolences.” Miller left them. He headed for the door. As if on cue his beefy partner crossed the room to meet him. The men left nodding to other mourners as they moved through knots of people.

  “Damn,” MiMi mumbled. A church member strolled by with a tray full of plastic cups filled with red punch. She grabbed one and drank from it.

  “Trouble?” Willa smiled, for the first time happy to be standing next to MiMi.

  “Listen, we need to talk about Jack’s activities. Things neither one of us want Miller to find out about until we can.” MiMi looked at her. All traces of the giddy mistress gone from her serious expression.

  “Oh? Since I wasn’t in bed with Jack when it came to business, then I don’t see why I should care.” Willa patted her hair into place and grinned at MiMi.

  “Because it could destroy the company he took so long to build. And because of your son,” MiMi said, her voice barely above a whisper.

  Chapter 4

  Willa rubbed her eyes. They burned as though grains of salt had been sprinkled in them. MiMi’s ominous words kept bouncing around in her head. She glanced at the clock for the fifth time in ten minutes. Cedric had promised to meet her at seven. Since she’d been unable to sleep, Willa got to the office at six thirty. She had finished off two cups of coffee already. Her Aunt Beryl had spent the night to give Willa support and help with the kids. An early riser, Aunt Beryl would clean up, cook the kids breakfast and get them off to their respective schools without breaking a sweat.

  “Hey, boss lady,” Cedric strolled in with a white paper bag in one hand. “You’re a real go-getter to be here earlier than me.”

  “Beats staying at home not sleeping and pretending nothing’s bothering me.” Willa brushed her hair back. She’d spent less than a minute making sure it looked decent. Cedric’s smile faded a he gazed at her. “What?”

  “Look, you just buried Jack two days ago. Why don’t you let me handle the business.” Cedric put the bag down on her desk.

  “In other words I look like hell and should stay home so I won’t scare away clients.” Willa grabbed the bag and opened it. She took out a cinnamon roll wrapped in wax paper. “Thanks. I need sugar and carbs. Loads of creamy icing on top. Heaven.”

  “A big mug of coffee will round out our nutritious breakfast.” Cedric poured two mugs full from the pot Willa had prepared. He handed her one and sat in one of the chairs facing her desk. “You okay?”

  “Ah yes. The universal male question that means, ‘Please don’t go all girly on me and start bawling’,” Willa quipped. She licked creamy icing from the end of her finger then plucked a napkin from the stack he’d provided. “Don’t panic. I’m not going to.”

  “Right, tough girl.” Cedric sat down with only a cup of coffee.

  “Lady, tough lady, thank you very muc
h. Ah, now you’re worried that I’m going to be abrasive and pushy.” Willa savored a small piece of the cinnamon roll and sipped coffee. The combination of flavors was a pure delight. She swallowed and sighed. “Like I said, heaven.”

  “Mickey’s has the best donuts, cinnamon rolls and biscuits in Baton Rouge.” Cedric gazed at her with a small smile on his broad face. “So you’ve got us males all figured out, huh?”

  Willa laughed out loud. “Please. Would I have married Jack if I had the answers to the mysteries of men?”

  “Just because he was crazy enough to lose you doesn’t mean you were at fault,” Cedric said quietly.

  His comment, but even more than that the look in his eyes, caught Willa off guard. She gulped more coffee to gain a moment and to craft a response. His gaze unsettled her thoughts too much. She mumbled, “Uh, thanks.”

  “I liked Jack as a friend. Respected him as businessman and my boss, but his personal choices were less than admirable.” Cedric went on in a more business-like tone. “Which brings us to MiMi Landry.”

  “Right, right,” Willa said quickly, grateful for the change of subject. Maybe she had imagined that look in his black coffee eyes. “Mionne Loren Landry of the Landry Laundromat empire from back in the day.”

  “You’ve been doing your own research I see.” Cedric looked at her in surprise.

  “She graciously shared that at the funeral. Which reminds me. My mama knows the family I think,” Willa replied and glanced at the clock. “Eight o’clock in the morning is way too early to call mama.”

  Mama Ruby had given up being a foster mother four years ago deciding she was too old. Children arrived on her doorstep with challenges that she’d felt were just too rough on a woman her age. After twenty-three years of working hard to heal broken kids Willa figured she deserved a rest. So her mother concentrated on running her restaurant and lounge these days.

  Cedric put down his coffee mug then pulled a note pad from his shirt pocket. “I’ve got pretty good info. The family has been in Baton Rouge since the early twenties at least. She was born here. Like you said, the grandfather opened a coin operated laundry business back in the late fifties. The family ran it until the early eighties. Neighborhood changed, crime became a serious problem. The original storefront was robbed three times in one year.”

  “Ah yes, the rise of crack in the black community. Lovely history.” Willa shook her head.

  “Few jobs, lots of street drugs,” Cedric said with a frown. “Not a good combination. Anyway, business was a struggle and that didn’t help. The kids convinced the old man to retire. Sold off the equipment and closed the three small stores.”

  “Well, grandpapa did something right. He had three locations. Must have known how to handle his business. So they’ve got money?” Willa nibbled more cinnamon roll.

  “There was some kind of family scandal back in the day. Seems to have been around the time her grandfather retired. I can’t find anyone old enough who knows the details.” Cedric frowned at his notes as though irritated with the information hole.

  “That’s where my mama comes in. Between her and the Amen Chorus I’ll bet I can find out,” Willa grinned at him.

  “The who?”

  “Her older and younger sisters. My aunts will give up the goods all the time professing not to be gossips.” Willa waved a hand in the air. “My daddy is a gold mine of off the record facts, but I always start with the ladies.”

  Cedric laughed. “You will turn into an ace private eye yet.” He went back to his notes. “They sold one location to a chain of dry cleaners. The kids went on to become even more educated than the parents. Two daughters are doctors. Three sons own businesses and one works for a Fortune 500 company.”

  “Which is MiMi’s dad?” Willa asked.

  “That would be Hillary Landry. He’s the fourth son. He worked for the state of Louisiana for twenty-eight years. Got pretty high on the food chain until, then there was a shake-up back in eighty-nine. He got dumped into a dead end job. Some political stuff. Retired four years ago. He and his third wife live in Houston.” Cedric flipped a page. “MiMi is the middle child.”

  “Oh-oh, middle kid syndrome.” Willa smiled.

  “Daddy’s girl sounds like. Anyway, she went to Spelman University. She’s AKA. Came back to Baton Rouge after a month or so of grad school. Too much partying, too little studying,” Cedric flipped the notebook closed.

  “Mama and Daddy found out and cut off the funds.”

  “Exactly. She’s worked in retail since ninety-two. Apparently met Jack at some social function. They it off and…” Cedric shrugged as though reluctant to go on.

  “You don’t have to be delicate about it. I know the drill. So how ‘close’ were they?” Willa had to admit she liked his old southern gentleman manners. His mama raised him right.

  “According to Jack’s best pal Roderick pretty close.”

  “You got Roderick Carrington, IV to talk? Damn, you’re good. Those old frat boys generally keep a tight lip, especially the old family types.” Willa blinked at him. She’d been on the receiving end of their snobbish tolerance of her more than she cared to remember.

  “I’m Omega Psi Phi.” Cedric shrugged again when Willa’s mouth dropped open. “Poor kid from the Oklahoma Street projects makes good.”

  “Apparently,” Willa murmured. His stock went up a few more ticks in her mind.

  “Thanks. Anyway, they were pretty into each other according to Rod. Not that Jack didn’t sample other products. I mean.—” Cedric coughed.

  “So that’s what you men are calling it now. I’m not a bit surprised. There were only a few good-looking women Jack met he didn’t ‘sample’. Inherited that from his daddy I hear.” Willa grunted. His two older brothers weren’t exactly examples of morality either. One had made a pass at Willa once.

  Cedric exhaled nosily. “Moving on. That’s about it for the personal business. Jack and MiMi did the usual stuff. Attended Greek social functions, ate out at nice restaurants, went on trips to the Caribbean.”

  “Humph.” Willa knew the drill indeed.

  “Trips to Hong Kong and Paris—”

  “What? That chump never took me to Paris!” Willa scowled at Cedric as though it was his fault. “I’ve always wanted to see Paris. Don’t even tell me he took her on an expensive VIP tour of Africa.”

  “Not that I know of,” Cedric said and pursed his lips.

  “Right, right. I’m not going to trip. Go on.” Willa decided not to press him even though his answer didn’t ring true.

  “I can’t find anything in our company files about this Strafford, Inc. MiMi talks about. It’s weird. I’m not saying Jack told me everything, but why would he do something like that?” Cedric shook his head slowly. “Just doesn’t make sense.”

  “Maybe she was holding something over his head. Let’s find out if she’s got some connection to a Strafford, Inc. Maybe her family or friends. Could be she owns stock in the company or something.” Willa rocked the chair back and forward hard. She fished around until she found an old battered pack of gum in Jack’s desk. She absentmindedly polished off the sticky sweet cinnamon roll.

  “I don’t know. Ms. Landry doesn’t strike me as the business mogul type,” Cedric replied and sipped more coffee.

  “Willa patted crumbs from her lower lip and swallowed. “Hell yes. That heifer is more into doing the business mogul types.”

  “Uh, yeah. I was going to say something like that. Anyway I did dig up information on that company. They have three main divisions. One makes shipping boxes, mainly for companies overseas. They seem to deal with retail products manufactured in China, Pakistan and Indonesia.”

  “Huh? What’s that got to do with security guards?” Willa reached into the bag and got a donut.

  “Not sure yet. Maybe he was negotiating with them to do their security systems in plants here. We talked about branching into that or maybe even e-security. Internet and intranet security is big these days.” Cedric
nodded as though sure Willa would understand.

  “I’ll bet.” Willa had no clue except that she knew the value of a good firewall.

  Cedric’s handsome face had the shadow of a smile. “I’ll explain it to you more one day.”

  “Didn’t fool you one bit, eh? Go on, Mr. Know-It-All.” She flipped her fingertips at him.

  “Nope. Anyway, Strafford, Inc. also has a division that ships recycled materials for construction and electronics. According to the company website they’re just starting that one.” Cedric picked up another folder and flipped it open. “Mostly what I’ve found are press releases and not a lot else. I’ll try digging deeper.”

  “You think maybe some of his old frat brothers hooked him up with Strafford?” Willa took a sip of coffee and wrinkled her nose.

  “I hadn’t thought that far ahead yet. Good idea. Several of his classmates from college are in the corporate world now. You have an instinct for investigating.” Cedric took the mug from her. He went into the private restroom and dumped the cold coffee out. Then he came out, poured her a fresh serving and handed the mug back to Willa.

  She took a minute to appreciate a good-looking man serving her without a second thought. It’s good to be the boss lady. “Thank you.”

  Still following his own train of thought, Cedric only nodded then sat down again. “Now MiMi comes from one of the prominent black families in town. All those folks run in the same circles.”

  “And she’s Alpha Kappa Alpha.” Willa thought back to the parties and lunches she’d attended. “Kinda made me claustrophobic seeing the same faces all the time. Those people dropped names so much I wanted to scream.”

  “And discuss their vacations, business perks, etcetera. I know.” Cedric grinned. “They’re not so bad when you get to know them.”

  “Yes, they are,” Willa shot back. “You socialize with that crew, a poor kid from the projects?”

  “Frat brother, remember? They’re very loyal and clubby that way, even with my background. Married into the circle, too.” Cedric shrugged.