by Lynn Emery
“I don’t believe it. Daddy wouldn’t do that to me.” Desiree’s mouth turned down. Tears filled her eyes. “I’m going to ask him right now!” She rushed from the house.
Neva followed her. “It didn’t have to be this way, Desi.”
Desiree spun around to face her. “You pretended to be so innocent. You plotted against me all along.”
“That’s not true, Desi.”
“For the last damn time, don’t call me that stupid nickname!” Desiree shouted. She left and slammed the door shut in Neva’s face.
Neva locked the front door. She hoped that was the end of Desiree’s machinations. Yet she doubted it.
***
Desiree and Ted sat in a trendy bar called Rick’s in Baton Rouge. No one knew them which is why Desiree decided to meet him here. They did not speak until the waiter had deposited the drinks, taken money from Ted and left.
”I thought you were in control.” Ted looked contemptuous.
“Listen, I only agreed to meet you out of curiosity.” Desiree tossed her hair back. “I usually deal with Hollis.”
“You’ll kill that old man someday.” Ted shot a glance at her. “What do you see in him?”
“Frankly, Ted, I’m not interested in trinkets.” Desiree gazed at him. “Hollis has real power to give me what I want, you don’t. You’re still on an allowance for goodness sakes.”
“No I don’t!” he blurted. “My trust fund issues me a check each month.”
“Because your father knew you’d screw up and spend every dime,” Desiree replied. “Like I said, an allowance.”
“What would you know about real wealth?” Ted lapsed back on his favorite defense, snobbery.
“Can’t argue with you there. But I want to learn.” Desiree’s mouth turned down. “And I want Neva out of my way.”
“You really underestimated her. Talk about me being a screw-up.” Ted smirked at her.
“She’s got proof that almost half of your prime timber land really belongs to the Sterlings.”
“That’s ridiculous.” Ted’s grin vanished. He stared at her. “We’ve owned that land for over a hundred years.
“Your ancestor left it to his mother. His real mother. A slave named Lilly.” Desiree enjoyed seeing him squirm.
Ted reached across the table and gripped her wrist. “That’s a lie. Lilly died with nothing,” he said in a low voice. “If you repeat any of this, you’ll be sorry.”
“So you’re not surprised? Mommy finally spilled the family secret.” Desiree wore a mean smile.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” Ted tightened his hold.
“Back then your family owned so much land, it was nothing to him. He didn’t count on his children borrowing so heavily and losing most of it right before the Civil War.” Desiree twisted her wrist until she was free. “You come from a long line of spendthrifts.”
“No judge would take such a claim seriously.” Ted seemed to relax. “The Bellows and Claiborne families have deep pockets. Our lawyers would blow it out of the water.
“Maybe so. How long can you afford to let Tri-Star wait until you sort out legal complications?” Desiree watched with satisfaction as the effect of her words hit home.
Ted was now pale with perspiration on his brow. “You know more than is good for you.”
“Or you, Teddy boy.” .
They glared at each other for a time. The waiter came back and Ted ordered another drink.
“Listen, we’re in the same boat. I was going to make a bundle by selling,” Desiree said.
“Or blackmailing us,” Ted grumbled.
“I had more to gain keeping my mouth shut, believe me. Otherwise you would have seen it on a billboard.” Desiree stated the simple fact of who she was without a sign of shame.
Ted looked at her with a growing recognition. His eyes narrowed. “Yes. You don’t have the money or clout to make a deal with the Tri-Star or any other corporation.”
“Exactly. But I could get a great price from Hollis because of it.” Desiree glowered. “Now Neva has messed up my business.”
“She’s going to regret crossing us.” Ted drained the gin from his glass.
“I hope you do better than the last time,” Desiree retorted. “Talk about sending fools on a fool’s errand. We’ve got too much at stake.”
He signaled to the waiter. “So now we’re partners.”
“Of course. You take care of Neva and I’ll give you what you really want.” Desiree put her hand in his lap. “We can start now.”
“I’ll get us a suite at the Hilton.” Ted’s eyes were glassy. “I know a guy who can set us up with good stuff.”
“Sure, baby. But you’ve had enough for now. We wouldn’t want anything to... spoil our fun.”
Chapter 21
“Tariq, we need to talk.” Chandler put a hand on his shoulder to guide him to the sofa.
“What about?” Tariq wore the same morose expression he’d worn for days.
Despite Chandler’s attempts, his son was determined not to have a good time. Tariq did not rebel again, but gave his father the silent treatment.
Chandler took a deep breath. “I know you’re mature enough to understand.”
The only reply was a look of wariness. Tariq folded his arms as though bracing himself for battle.
Here we go. Chandler kept his hand on Tariq’s shoulder. “Neva and I love each other very much. We might even get married some day.”
“Might?”
“Actually, I plan to ask her real soon. And I want you to be happy for us. We both love you.”
Tariq jumped up. “Well I don’t love her!”
“Tariq, I’m warning you!” Chandler felt his temperature rising. He began to wonder if his stand against spanking was wise.
“Do what you want. But I’m not going to act phony. You can stay down here with your honey!” Tariq put all the effort he could into making his words imply the worst insult.
“Now I know you’ve lost your mind.” Chandler grabbed for him but Tariq darted away.
“You can’t force me to be around her. I’m going home.”
Chandler shouted at him. “Alise may put with this behavior but not me. You’re an ill-mannered brat like your mother!”
“You shut up about her.” Tariq flew at him swinging his fists. “Shut up!”
“I’ll teach you to listen.” Chandler wrestled with him until he had a firm grip on both shoulders. He shook him. “Now settle down or–”
“Get off me.” Tariq slipped from his grasp. In a few steps he yanked open the door and dashed off.
“Come back here. Did you hear me?”
Chandler chased after him but Tariq had made it to the parking lot. He ran straight across the road dodging a red pickup just in time. Chandler’s heart pounded at the sight. He had to wait until two cars whizzed by before he could follow. By that time, Tariq had put enough distance between them to have disappeared into the woods. Long shadows of late afternoon slanted across the ground. I’ve got to find him before dark.
***
Neva had been home no more than an hour when the phone rang. She and Lainie sat in the living room drinking diet soft drinks. She put down the receiver with a shiver of fear. The stress of the last few days was bearing down on her and now this. It must have shown in her face.
“What’s wrong? Is it Mama Jo?” Lainie sat on the edge of the sofa.
“No.” Neva pulled at her hair. “Chandler’s son ran away. He’s been out looking for him for hours.” They both gazed out the window. It would soon be completely dark.
“The kid’s probably hiding out at the Pack N Save.” Lainie tried to sound encouraging. “You know, they like to make parents worry.”
“He ran into the woods.” Neva put both hands on her hips. “Tariq’s a city kid. And he doesn’t know his way around out there.”
“I’m sure they’ll find him. Did he call the sheriff’s office?”
“Yeah, the deputie
s on duty are looking out for him while they make rounds in the parish.” Neva sighed. “They don’t have manpower for much else.”
“I’ll call Charles. He’ll help.” Lainie reached for the phone. “Jeroyd might be with him. Darn, the machine is on. I just remembered, Charles took the kids to the mall in Baton Rouge.”
“Chandler and his friend Vernon from work looked all afternoon.” Neva closed her eyes. “Something else I’m responsible for. Tariq is upset because of me.”
Lainie put down hung up on her own voice asking for a message. “Honey, don’t talk like that. It’s going to be okay. Like I said, that child is probably right near Chandler’s townhouse watching them”
“No, Lainie. I don’t think so.” Neva pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes.
Lainie squinted at her. “You skipped lunch which doesn’t help your frame of mind. I’ll fix us a light supper.”
“We’ve both had a hectic day. You go on home.”
“And leave you in this state? Uh-uh, I’m going to take care of you, cuz.” .
Later Neva picked at the salad with her fork. She barely touched the rest of her food. Lainie had whipped up a delicious meal of broiled chicken and dirty rice Patsy had cooked for Neva. Any other time, Neva would have appreciated it, but not tonight. She glanced at the clock.
“It’s almost eight. Two hours since Chandler called,” Neva said.
Both women jumped when the phone rang. Lainie grabbed the wall phone. Neva tensed as she watched her face.
“It’s Charles,” Lainie said. She told Charles about Tariq. She spoke low into the phone for several minutes then hung up.
“Lainie, go on home. I’ll be fine.” Neva took her full plate to the kitchen counter. “Really.”
“Right. You’ll sit here torturing yourself with guilt.” Lainie frowned at the uneaten food. “I’ll save this for later.” She got plastic wrap from a cabinet.
“Throw it out.” Neva turned away from the sight of food. “It’ll just sit on my stomach like a rock if I eat it.”
“Now I know you’re upset. Mama Jo didn’t teach you to waste perfectly good food,” Lainie teased.
“She taught me a lot of wise lessons. None of which I’ve used,” Neva said angrily.
“Here we go again.” Lainie shook her head.
“First I jumped into being with Chandler, then selfishly pushed him away. Like with Nathan.” Neva turned on the tap and watched sudsy water fill the sink.
“Excuse me, but Chandler did get a little demanding from what I heard.” Lainie took the dish cloth from her hands. “There’s usually enough blame to go around when two people in love fight.”
Neva put food in the refrigerator. “I just wish I could make everything right.”
“Well you can’t. Not alone, because you’re not the only one responsible.” Lainie stacked the last plate in the drain rack. “Come on. Let’s look at some of those classic movies Mama Jo had Tranice buy.”
After a short discussion, they settled on The Mighty Quinn with Denzel Washington. Lainie kept up a stream of chatter. Neva joined in sporadically at best. She was too distracted with thoughts of Tariq. When the final credits rolled on the television screen, Neva did not see them any more than she’d seen the rest of the movie. It was after ten o’clock now. Lainie stretched and yawned.
“Lainie, go on home. I’ll be okay.”
“Maybe I’ll stay another hour.” Lainie did not seem ready to leave her alone.
“Elaine Marie, I love you like a sister.” Neva grabbed her hand and pulled her up from the sofa. “But you need rest.”
“Yeah, but–”
“I’ll call you when I find out anything.” Neva retrieved Lainie’s purse and handed it to her.
“Are you sure?” Lainie stared at her as though searching for a clue to her true state of mind.
“Positive.” Neva hugged her. “Thanks.”
“We stick together, us Sterlings.” Lainie held for a moment then let go. She opened her mouth.
“Goodbye, Lainie,” Neva said in a firm voice.
It took a few more moments of assurances before Lainie was finally on her way. Neva went back to the living room. Unable to stand the silence, she turned on the television. She flipped through the channels and tried not to imagine Tariq lying hurt in the woods. There were bluffs overlooking creeks all around. He could easily fall in the dark.
“Stop it!”
Neva turned up the sound. She tried to focus on an attractive black woman pointing to a map of the country on the Weather Channel. An hour passed when she heard a thump. Neva dismissed it since she was used to night noises in the country. Then she heard scratching noises through the wall.
“Don’t let your imagination get the best of you.” Neva muttered. “It’s just that raccoon coming back.”
The weather announcer had moved on to reporting conditions in Europe when the sounds came back. Neva was sure something bigger than a raccoon was outside. Since the only light she had on was the two living room lamps, she went into the darkened dining room. She eased over to one of the windows and moved the curtain aside. There was a movement of shadow more solid than the darkness. Or were her nerves making her see things? No, it moved again. The shadow moved sideways trying to stay out of the pool of light from the large security lamp on a pole behind the house. Neva trembled with fear. They let those men out!
There was a loud crash. Neva flattened against the wall. She peeked through a small crack of the curtain. More noise and a flash of red fabric was visible. Fear changed to excitement.
Neva raced through the kitchen and out the back door in seconds. Moving fast but not making much noise, she found him in a clump of bushes.
“Stop right there, young man!” Neva grabbed a handful of shirt.
“Let go,” Tariq said. He jerked from side to side.
“Not a chance.” Neva’s fear had dissolved into a overwhelming relief. “You're the best sight I’ve seen in a long time.”
“Just my luck this is your house,” Tariq grumbled.
“Both our luck. Do you know how dangerous those woods are at night?” Neva shut the back door.
“I can take care of myself.” Tariq would not look at her.
“I’m going to call your father.” Neva moved to the kitchen phone.
“No.” Tariq started for the door.
Neva blocked him. “He’s going crazy with worry. Chandler’s been looking everywhere for you,” her tone was gentle. What he needed was caring, not reproach.
“All he wants is to get rid of me.” Tariq backed up from her. “So he can be with you.”
“That’s not true and I think you know it,” she said. Neva made no move to get closer. She did not want him to flee. “He loves you very much.”
“He sure doesn’t act like it.” Tariq turned his back to her.
“Let’s see, he spent almost three weeks in Detroit because you needed him. He’s constantly on the phone or sending you e-mail.” Neva folded her arms. “And that’s not the half of it.”
Tariq was unyielding. He stared down at the floor. “Why can’t things go back to the way they were?” He seemed on the verge of tears.
“Because life is constant change. Sometimes it’s little change, sometimes big.” Neva took one cautious step to him. “And sometimes it hurts.”
“I yelled at him.” Tariq wiped his eyes with the back of one hand. “He’s never gonna speak to me after the stuff I said.”
“Baby, there is nothing you could say or do to make that happen.”
Neva reached out and brushed his hair with her fingertips. Tired and overwrought, Tariq spun around and wrapped his arms around her waist. His thin shoulders shivered as he cried quietly.
“Well, I almost hate to intrude on this touching scene.”
Neva froze at the strange male voice behind her. Tariq held her tighter when she tensed. Slowly she turned. Ted Bellows, his eyes wild, stood in the open back door. He held a large gun.
“What is this? Why are you here?” Neva stared at the gun in his hand.
Ted wore a crooked smile. “Ha! Not so cocky now. No, not like when you met with my mother. Oh yeah, I know all about it.” He came inside. In his other hand he held a lantern.
Neva smelled liquor on his him even four feet away. “You need to sleep it off. Leave now and I’ll forget this happened.” She thought of ways to get Tariq to safety.
“You’re not giving me orders!” Ted snarled. He glanced at Tariq. “Too bad you’re not alone. But....” he shrugged with a cold expression.
“Someone will be here any minute.” Neva pulled Tariq behind her.
“They won’t find us at home then.” Ted wore a nasty smile. He gestured to the door with the gun. “Move.”
“Let the boy leave. He’s a neighbor’s child I agreed babysit.” Neva tried to reach some spark of humanity in the man.
“He picked a bad time to visit.” Ted stared into her eyes. “If you don’t want him hurt right here, you’ll move.”
Neva felt a finger of terror. His blue eyes were empty of any warmth. She kept her body between him and Tariq as they walked past Ted out the door. Once outside, he made Neva get behind the wheel of a Grand Jeep Cherokee. Tariq sat in front with her while Ted kept the gun aimed at them from the back seat.
“Drive down to Deer Path Road. Then right toward Lake Rosemond,” Ted ordered.
“We can still stop this.” Neva did not turn the key in the ignition.
“I’m having too much fun. Hey, kid, turn on the radio.” Tariq did and classical music played. Ted tapped Neva’s shoulder with the gun barrel. “Drive so we can get to the party.”
“You’re a rich man. Risking prison is crazy.” Neva glanced at Tariq sideways. He was scared but trying not to panic.
“Quit stalling, woman. Start the damn car!”
Neva had no choice. They drove deep into the woods. The dark spread out like black ink as only night can be in the country. There were no artificial lights out here. She knew exactly where he was taking them. It was land wild and isolated. Soon the vehicle bounced as they went down dirt roads with trees and bushes crowding in close around them. In some places the way was so narrow branches slapped against the windows.