by Lynn Emery
“Say what?” Anthony frowned at her.
“That’s right, sport. Detective Miller is checking you out for motive and opportunity,” Willa said crisply. She crossed her arms and gazed at him steadily.
“He’s crazy. I didn’t have nothing to do with Dad’s murder. He can question me. I’m straight.” Anthony lost none of his defiant teenage cool.
“Boy, I haven’t spanked you in a long, long time. Don’t push me to put my hands on you tonight. Now tell me if you saw Jack again that night.” Willa rose until she was standing over him, both hands on her hips.
“Mama, I’m telling you. Don’t worry.”
Willa was about to say more when the doorbell rang. She jabbed a forefinger at him. “Don’t move.”
She muttered to herself about the curse of parenting teenagers, her choice of a husband and Jazz as she marched to the front door. And who the hell was ringing her doorbell around dinnertime? She glanced out the window and cursed when MiMi waved with a grin. Willa clicked the locks with force. MiMi started talking the minute the door was open.
“Sorry, I know I should have called but honestly I didn’t want you to refuse to see me. I think we really need to talk. Our lawyers are in a stand off. Let’s cut to the real deal, the bottom line, the — ”
“Not now. And how did you get this address?” Willa blurted out.
“Jack’s address book in his PDA. He left it at the house, well our house. The police didn’t search me. I’m surprised his mother didn’t tell that detective Miller about me.”
“Trust me, having Jack’s mother ignore you is a blessing. Wait, Jack had a PDA?” Willa stared at the steel blue object MiMi was holding in her right hand. Her leather Dooney & Burke purse swung in her left hand.
“I’ll tell you more once you invite me in.” MiMi raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow at her.
“For a minute. I’m cooking dinner for the kids and—, ” Willa stepped aside as MiMi swept past her into the foyer.
“Girl, I need to be taking notes for when I become a mother. Time for me to grow up. Can’t be a glamorous rich man’s plaything forever, you know. Ooh, love these colors.” MiMi kept right on walking to the formal living room. “Where are those darling kids of yours?”
“Mama, you want me to check on the food? We’re studying cooking at school.” Mikayla stood in the door. She talked to Willa, but gazed at MiMi.
“Aren’t you adorable. Your hair is so pretty. Did your mama style it for you?” MiMi beamed down at her.
“Yes, ma’am.” Mikayla took a few steps into the room.
“I need to start studying up in case I have a girl.” MiMi laughed.
“Mikayla, go back to your room. I’ll check on dinner. You know the oven and stove are off limits.” Willa moved to lead her away.
“I’m MiMi Landry. You can call me MiMi.” Ignoring Willa’s hint, MiMi stuck out a hand.
“I’m not allowed to call adults by their first name. Nice to meet you Miss MiMi.” Mikayla shook her hand and gave her a polite smile.
“Hey, Mama. I have homework I can be starting on since you got company,” Anthony said, peering around the door. “Hello.”
“Hi, Anthony. So nice to see you again. Your kids have such lovely manners. I tell you it’s a refreshing experience. You should see how some of my nieces and nephews act.”
“Kids, Miss Landry was a friend of your father’s,” Willa replied, pushed into setting a good example in the etiquette department.
“Yeah, we met at Dad’s office a few times.” Anthony blinked when Willa glanced at him sharply. “Once or twice maybe I mean.”
Mikayla’s antennae seemed to pop up at the subtext. She looked at her mother then at Anthony. “You were daddy’s latest girlfriend?”
“Real smooth, little sis,” Anthony said low. He used his eyebrows and subtle hand movements to send her a non-verbal message.
Mikayla put a hand over her mouth then dropped it. “Sorry, Mama. But you knew about Daddy’s other girlfriends.”
“Oh Lord.” Willa put a hand to her forehead. She’d done a poor job of keeping Mikayla out of her marital soap opera.
“Sweetie, your daddy didn’t have any other girlfriends after me.” MiMi smiled at her.
“But what about the nice lady who lives on an island?” Mikayla looked up at her.
“Oh no you didn’t,” Anthony blurted out. His eyes widened as he stared at his sister.
“What?” Willa and MiMi yelped in unison. The doorbell rang seconds later.
“I swear I don’t remember mailing out party invitations,” Willa muttered. “Nobody move or talk until I get rid of this person and come back.”
She whispered a string of curse words to get it out of her system. Marching to the front door, Willa decided she would get control of her home. She swung open the door without checking. Detective Miller and his partner Detective Addison nodded to her. Willa’s stomach lurched as fear slammed into her like a fist. Her throat tightened as though a noose had been drawn around it. No words could come out.
After waiting a few beats Miller spoke first. “Good evening, Mrs. Crown. We need to talk to you and your son.”
Willa recovered quickly “What? I mean, no. He’s a minor and you don’t have my permission,”
“This will be easier if we can clear up a little matter soon. We’re just trying to solve your husband’s murder. I’m sure you want to help us.” Miller’s partner spoke in a calm, sympathetic voice. Apparently he’d drawn the straw to play good cop.
“I’m certainly willing to cooperate, but— ”
“You see Anthony saw his step-father the night Mr. Crown was murdered,” Miller broke in.
“Seems like an important detail to leave out. Your son was angry with his step-father and he saw him the night he was killed,” Addison said.
Willa folded her arms and did not move from the doorway. “We’ll come in and talk to you once I speak to my lawyer.”
“Ma’am, this is a murder investigation and your son is a person of interest. Minor or not, we’re going to talk to him.” Miller’s expression seemed to say it could be easy or hard, Willa’s choice.
Chapter 8
The next day at the office Willa struggled hard to focus on work and not replay the previous night’s events in her head. Miller’s dire warning implying he was fully prepared to send shock waves through her world had worked. Willa allowed him to question Anthony. But she had interrupted her former boss, Brad, over dinner. Using her cell phone she let him listen in and advise her. Brad gave her terse instructions. Anthony gave the detectives a string of sullen “I’m not sure” and “I dunno” answers. Between that and Willa following Brad’s excellent instructions, Miller and Addison left dissatisfied. Interspersed with that bad memory was her scream fest with Jazz on the phone later. Within a matter of about twenty seconds Jazz had used her total fund of cuss words to tell Willa where she could go and then hung up. Just the thought of that conversation made her heart pump double-time.
The phone on her desk rang and made her jump. Thankfully it was Kay, not the police. Her mama had stopped. Willa happily gave up the fight to concentrate on work. Kay showed Mama Ruby into the office.
“Yes, ma’am. I would love a slice of your sweet potato pie,” Kay said as she opened the door for Mama Ruby.
“I’ll be sure Willa brings you some.” Mama Ruby patted her shoulder. Once the door was closed Mama Ruby grinned. “I can tell that girl’s got your back around here. Whoa, this is a nice set up. Jack did right by you for once. Well, twice if you count giving you Mikayla. How you doin’?”
Willa accepted the light peck on her right cheek. She checked a small mirror in her desk. Sure enough Mama Ruby had left a smudge of crimson lipstick. “Oh I’m doing great. I just have to get over being lied to by my son, my sister and having Jack’s hoochie announce she’s pregnant.”
Mama Ruby continued to examine the office. “A whole suite, too. Umph, umph, umph. Jack was a sorry husband, a so-so dad
dy, but he sure as heck took care of business.”
“Is that a joke?” Willa sat on the edge of her desk and swung her legs like a little girl.
“What?” Mama Ruby blinked at her then chuckled. “I didn’t mean takin’ care of business as in the ladies. I meant this business. Anyway, back to your troubles.”
“My troubles are giving birth to more troubles it seems. Literally,” Willa said.
“The police should leave Anthony alone. Didn’t his friend tell him they were together?”
“Yeah. But the girls invited over insisted they got home before nine. The boys have fuzzy accounts after that.” Willa gazed at her mother. “I don’t believe Anthony any more than Miller does, Mama. I just can’t figure out why he keeps changing his story.”
“He’s a teenager. They do exactly what they’re not supposed to then lie about it. It’s what they do, Lord love ‘em. I’ve lived through it more times than you can count. Girls are the worst.”
“Gee thanks for giving me something to look forward to with Mikayla.” Willa put off that stomach twisting thought though. “Anthony knows more than he’s telling.”
“Kid stuff. Nothing to do with Jack getting killed. But we better figure this out because the police aren’t going to be so understanding.” Mama Ruby frowned.
“We talked with the lawyer Dion recommended. She said far as she can tell the police don’t really have anything on Anthony. Just want him, and me for that matter, to think they do. We should hang tight and not panic. The police won’t talk to Anthony again without the lawyer now that they know he’s represented. That would get them in hot water with the courts.”
“Sounds like the right advice. If Dion says she’s good then you can count on it.” Mama Ruby nodded and smiled.
Willa tried to smile but didn’t quite succeed. Not even having a sharp lawyer in the wings had helped her sleep last night. She chewed the inside of her bottom lip, a nervous habit she’d had since her first stay in foster care at age six. The prospect of separation from family still made her jittery. Even when Mikayla went on sleepovers a tiny sliver of anxiety could take hold in her gut. And somehow she felt as though Anthony was slipping away from her.
“Willa, I’m sure it’s gonna be all right.” Mama Ruby left her chair and sat next to her on the desk. She hooked a plump arm around Willa’s shoulder. “You’re doin’ everything you can.”
Willa shook her head slowly. “No, I’m not. Sitting here isn’t enough. I need to be out doing… something.”
“Tracking down your sister to whip her tail until she talks ain’t the something. Besides, that tough little hellcat might just whip you instead,” Mama Ruby said with a grin. “Come on now. We both know Jazz don’t scare easy.”
“Neither do I,” Willa shot back. “No joke, Mama. I’m sick of playing with Jazz on this.”
“Something is scaring her, baby. I got a bad feeling.” Mama Ruby shook her head. “Let me talk to her.”
“I don’t know.” Willa recognized how much Jazz resented the close relationship she had with her adoptive mother.
“She doesn’t hate me like you think. Sure, to Jazz I always favored you. But every once in a while she’d let me in. I’m gonna try.” Mama Ruby nodded as though she’d made up her mind. “I’m gonna talk to Anthony, too. That boy better come clean with me or else.”
“Maybe you should let me handle Anthony for now. You’ll have enough on your hands with Jazz.”
Her mother would know how to approach Jazz. Anthony was another matter. Mama Ruby would be like warm putty in his hands. Anthony had been able to play her since he learned to bat his thick eyelashes on those big brown eyes of his. He was one year old when he mastered that trick.
“If you don’t get that boy to talking soon I’m gonna deal with him.” Mama Ruby slung her favorite tote bag over one shoulder and stood. “Now try not to worry. You got a business to run.”
“Thanks, Mama.” Willa gave her a tight hug, more to feel the comfort of her mother’s support.
Mama Ruby had barely been gone for twenty minutes when Kay came back to Willa’s office.
“Mr. Crown is here to see you, boss.” Kay’s eyes were big.
“Jack’s dad?” Willa glanced up from the reports she was working on. “Wow.”
“No, ma’am. His brother Ryan Crown.” Kay breathed out his name as though close to being in a trance.
Willa laughed and shook her head. Ryan Crown, six feet three inches of gorgeous man, had been inspiring that look since he’d hit puberty. With jet black curly hair and skin the color of milk chocolate he looked mighty tasty. The Crown brothers had done serious damage to half the female population across two college campuses. Six years older than Jack, the two brothers had been competitive to a fault. Their father encouraged it as healthy. It wasn’t.
“He’s something else, huh? An older, taller version of Jack.” Willa grinned as Kay fanned her face with one hand. Willa could have added he was even more handsome, but it was a close tie to be honest.
“My, my, my.” Kay breathed in and out a couple to times as if to calm down.
“Show him in and just a word of warning,” Willa said, careful to keep a straight face.
“Ma’am?” Kay continued to fan.
“He wears a subtle but seductive cologne. Try to not to pant and drool when he walks by you.” Willa knew well the snares of the Crown brothers.
Kay let out one last long breath then pulled her shoulders back. “He’s just another man.”
“We’ll see,” Willa murmured.
“Mr. Crown, you can come in now.” Kay gave him a cool, professional smile.
“Thank you, young lady. Appreciate it,” came the basso voice smooth as warm caramel dripping down a heap of ice cream.
Kay stood holding open the office door. “No problem.”
Out of habit Ryan dipped his head as he walked in. He favored Kay with a boyish half-smile. When his back was to her Kay slumped as though her legs had gone weak. She breathed in his scent then gave a shiver before closing the door.
Willa suppressed a laugh as she held out a hand to her former brother-in-law. “Hello, Ryan. Nice to see you.”
Ryan grasped her hand and held it. “Hello, Willa. I hope you and the kids are doing well.”
“Thank you. We’re holding up. And the family?” Willa allowed him to hold her hand a few seconds longer before letting go.
“Mama and Dad are still shaken. You know how they felt about Jack.” Ryan took a seat at Willa’s gesture toward one of the larger leather chairs.
“Yes.” Willa replied. She was too polite to mention Jack had been the favorite, that the other three kids had always resented it. At least the sisters didn’t have the male sibling rivalry to negotiate.
“How is Chanelle?” Willa asked after his wife.
Ryan’s expression remained neutral. “The same. My daughter will be graduating from high school this year.”
“She’s only sixteen, right?” Willa sat across from him.
Ryan sighed and nodded. “But very advanced. I told Chanelle she should stay in high school another year. One more argument I lost.”
Willa thought about how much Chanelle reminded her of Jack’s mother. Poor guy. Instead she smiled. “I’m sure she’ll be fine in college. Like you said, she’s ahead of most kids her age. Probably socially as well.”
“Right.” Ryan didn’t appear to be confident of that at all.
“So,” Willa said and waited to hear why Ryan had come.
Ryan seemed to shake off thoughts of his wife and daughter. “I just thought, well after everything that’s happened we should keep in touch. I mean, it all seems so small in light of Jack’s death.”
“Meaning?” Willa gazed at him expectantly.
Ryan smiled. “Okay, so you don’t have reason to make it easy on me. I know we weren’t as open to you as we should have been.”
“Hmm.” Willa restrained herself from saying they’d considered her ghetto trash.
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“Jack really did care for you, it’s just-- well we all have our weaknesses.” Ryan looked at a picture of Jack on the wall.
“So true.” Willa struggled not to say more.
“And he dearly loved those kids. I know he’d want me to be an attentive uncle. Especially to Anthony. A boy at his age needs male guidance.”
“Well, I, uh.” Willa was truly speechless. She gaped at him as her mouth tried to work even though her brain was stumped.
“So I just wanted your okay to, you know, spend time with him. Guy time I mean. It’s not all selfless on my part. I miss having a son to kick around with me. Lily isn’t exactly a sports enthusiast, and definitely not into fishing.”
“Uh, right.” Willa thought of his girly-girl daughter so like her mother.
“Lily’s favorite sport is competitive shopping to keep up with her friends. She’s just like her mother.” Ryan’s tight smile implied he didn’t find his joke all that funny.
“Yeah, ha-ha.” Willa blinked at him and cleared her throat.
“Anyway, I saw how broken up he was at the funeral. I really think this will be good for our family.” Ryan brushed a hand through his dark thick hair. “I’m not good at the whole warm, fuzzy thing. I just think this is the right thing to do.”
Willa found her feelings toward him softening. “I have to say this is a big, I mean a really big, surprise.”
Ryan gave a deep laugh. “I can imagine. I’m not saying my parents or sisters have changed. But you seem able to handle them.”
“You mean I’ve learned to ignore their snobbish ways and swipes at my background. Yeah, I’ve had a little experience with being looked down on. But I won’t ignore them being unkind to Anthony.” Willa pointed a forefinger at him to drive home her point.
“Neither will I. Even my sister Tina backed me up on that one.” Ryan nodded when Willa raised an eyebrow at his words. “And we had a little talk with our parents and my other sisters.”
“Well, you took my breath away with that one, Ryan.” Willa wondered at the eldest Crown child seeing the light. The Crown kids had always followed their mother’s lead. Always.