“So he’s your pimp?”
Romana gulped in a huge breath of air and sat ramrod straight in her chair. “I told you, Officer, I don’t know who you’re talking about.”
Eli jumped to his feet. “I don’t believe this. You claim the drugs don’t belong to you, yet you’re willing to take the fall for them? You’re looking at serious jail time here, Ms. Peebles.”
She looked away from him and mumbled, “At least I’ll be safe behind bars.”
Eli sat on the sofa in a trance, staring at the unopened bottle of tequila on the coffee table in front of him. He didn’t hear Sam come in, didn’t know she’d arrived home, until she was right in front of him.
“Eli, honey, is everything okay?” She snatched up the bottle, and then let out a sigh of relief when she saw the unbroken seal. “Shall I pour this down the drain?”
“That’s not necessary. I’ll return it to the store tomorrow and get my money back. The temptation was short-lived. Buying it and bringing it into our house made me feel rotten, like I’d somehow betrayed you.”
Sam walked the bottle to the table beside the front door and returned to the sofa. “I take it things didn’t go well today.” She sat down close beside him.
“We found everything we expected to find and more. Aside from the Bell brothers themselves.” He told her about the drugs and the prostitution. “I don’t get it, Sammie. Their car was parked in front of the house. We had the place surrounded. I have no idea how they could have gotten away without us seeing them.”
“If the house was packed with people,” Sam said, “maybe they took someone else’s car.”
“We thought of that. But, so far, all the other cars are accounted for.” He rubbed his eyes with his balled fists. “The chief is irate. After we finished interrogating everyone, he called me into his office and chewed me out. He’s giving me the weekend to come up with something concrete against the Bell brothers. If I don’t, he’s taking me off the case. There goes my promotion. Hell, there goes my future at PPD. I might as well buy a charter fishing boat and cast out my line, because I’m never going to make detective.”
“Are you absolutely certain the Bell brothers are involved?”
“I can taste it like I can taste that tequila over there.” He dipped his head at the bottle of Jose Cuervo across the room. “Tyrone and Willie Bell are dealing drugs and pimping their prostitutes. Their customers seemed legitimately unaware of their existence, but I’m convinced their whores are hiding something. They’re afraid to talk. And they have good reason. Tyrone and Willie will beat them senseless if these women rat them out. The good news, if there is any good news to speak of, is that Romana Peebles will be spending the weekend in jail. Which will give me another chance to talk to her.”
Sam massaged his neck. “I know you have a lot going on and I hate to bring this up. But is there any chance Annie might be in danger?”
“Yes. And she is not the only one in danger.” Eli placed his arm around Sam and pulled her back against the sofa cushions with him. “I’m worried about you as well. By now, Tyrone and Willie have figured out that I’ve confiscated their stash. They’ll be furious at me for taking away their provisions. They’re liable to come after me and the easiest way to get to me is through my family. Because of her relationship with Thea, Annie is an easy target for them.”
“I can take care of myself. I have you to protect me.” She snuggled closer to him. “It’s Annie I’m worried about. She’s already dealing with so much. Jackie has called a family meeting for tomorrow at three out at the farm. Can you guess what’s on the agenda?”
Eli raised an eyebrow. “Annie’s pregnancy?”
“That’s right. I guess Jackie has a right, considering the baby is as much her son’s as Annie’s, but—”
“It hardly seems fair to put Annie in the hot seat.”
Sam hung her head. “I feel bad for the poor kid. Cooper broke up with her, and as far as I know, Thea is her only friend. She certainly needs a friend, now more than ever. The last thing I want to do is scare her. At the same time, she needs to be aware of the situation with Thea’s brothers.”
“I’ll call Mike. He’ll know how to handle it.” Eli gave her a squeeze. “I’m so sorry, honey. The last thing I wanted to do was put my family in danger.”
TWENTY-FIVE
Cooper
Cooper’s mother was pacing the driveway, clicking and clacking in her high-heeled boots behind her SUV, when he returned from his run. Hands on knees, he took big gulps of air until he caught his breath and his heart rate lowered. He straightened to face his mother. “What’re you doing out here in the cold? Are you having another hot flash?”
She snorted and crossed her arms. “What do you know about my hot flashes?”
His smiled sparked a mischievous twinkle in his eye. “Dad said that’s why your face and neck turn red all the time now.”
“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t discuss my bodily functions behind my back,” she said, drumming her fingers on her arm. “For your information, I was out here waiting for you. We need to talk.”
He lifted his shirttail to wipe the sweat from his face. “Can’t it wait until after I shower? I’m going to Mark’s house to work on a project for my graphic design class.”
She cocked an eyebrow. “On a Friday night?”
“I know, right?” He walked toward the house with Jackie hot on his heels. “We’re creating some seriously cool vector art.”
“I don’t understand your sudden fixation on graphics,” she said, closing the door behind them.
“It’s really no different than your obsession with interior design. I guess I inherited the creative gene from you.”
“I would think you’d show a little more concern about Annie’s pregnancy and a little less interest in your vector art.”
“What do you expect me to do, Mom, sit around and sulk all day?” He started up the stairs, but she grabbed a handful of his shirt and held him back.
“Not so fast, mister. I’ve scheduled a meeting with Annie for tomorrow at three to talk about your situation. I expect you to be here.”
“You did what?!” He yanked his shirttail out of her hand.
“You heard me,” she said, her jaw set. “We need to come up with a solution that works for everyone.”
He stepped back down to floor level. “There’s not a solution that will work for everyone, Mom,” he said, towering over her. “It’s not fair to put Annie on the spot like that. Who all did you invite to this little tea party?”
“Annie, obviously, and my sisters. Their husbands are welcome to come as well. Your father will be here of course.”
“Great,” he said with an exaggerated eye roll. “Why don’t we invite the Prospect High basketball team while we’re at it?”
“Watch your tongue, young man.” She wagged her finger at him. “I’m not responsible for putting you in this position. But I have every intention of helping you find a solution that won’t cost you your future.”
Cooper willed himself to calm down. Making his mother angry wouldn’t solve the problem. It would only make matters worse. “I understand, Mom. But you said the other night that we would sit down with Annie, Mike, and Faith. What’s the point in dragging Sam into it? Annie is going to feel cornered with all of us telling her what to do.”
“She happened to be at the market when I stopped by to talk to Faith. Besides, Annie feels comfortable with Sam.” Jackie pointed up the stairs. “Go take your shower. And call Mark. Tell him you’ll be late. Your father will be home any minute. We’re going to sit down together and decide our position, so we can present a united front tomorrow.”
The sudden surge of anger scared him. He’d never experienced those feelings toward his mother. Which was saying something, because she’d pissed him off plenty of times before. He stomped up the stairs before he said or did something he’d regret.
His mother and father were waiting for him on the sofa in the family
room, heads close together murmuring to one another, when he came back downstairs. Cooper plopped down in the leather club chair across from his parents. “Can we get this over with? I’m supposed to be somewhere.”
Jackie glared at him. “You’ll stay here as long as it takes for us to reach a decision we can all live with.”
“Honey.” Bill rested a hand on Jackie’s leg. “Let’s not be so hard on the boy. This is a difficult situation for everyone.” He turned his attention to Cooper. “Although I agree with your mother that we’ll be better off if we’re all on the same page. Let’s start with you, son. What are your thoughts about a possible solution?”
Cooper shrugged. “It’s Annie’s body. I’ll stand by her no matter what she decides.”
“Like hell you—”
Bill shut Jackie up with a warning glare. He leaned forward, clasping his hands in his lap. “You have a lot at stake, Cooper. You can’t just let this girl decide your future.”
Cooper threw up his hands. “What the f. Since when is Annie just some random girl. Everyone in this family worshipped her until this happened.”
“You’re right,” Bill agreed. “We do all love Annie. And when the time comes, if the two of you are still together, we will welcome her into our family with open arms. But now is not the right time. You’re only seventeen years old.”
“I’ll be eighteen next week. But I’m pretty sure you already know that.”
“The sarcasm isn’t helping, son,” Bill said.
Cooper hung his head. “Sorry.”
“Eighteen is still too young to be a father.” Jackie moved to the edge of the sofa. “I’m just going to come right out and say it. Your father and I think Annie should have an abortion.” She held her hand up to Cooper before he could protest. “Hear me out. We’ll get the best medical care for her. Obviously. We’ll even pay for everything. I’ll even take her to have the procedure. This way, you and Annie can put all this behind you and move on with your lives.”
Bill nodded his agreement. “With no strings attached.”
Cooper stared at his parents with his mouth agape. “I can’t believe y’all. We’re talking about a baby. My baby. A living, breathing, human being.”
Jackie lifted her index finger. “Technically, it’s not yet a baby. But that’s subject to argument. Have you considered how you’re going to support this baby and its mother? We’ll pay for your college. Grad school too, if that’s what you decide you want. But we will not pay for you to get married and have a baby.”
Cooper jumped up out of his chair, his fists balled at his sides. “Fine! I’ll become a fisherman like my grandfather if that’s what it takes. You know what? You are both hypocrites.” He glared at them in turn. “You taught me to be honorable. You can’t pick and choose when to do the right thing. I helped make this mistake. And I have every intention of owning up to it. I never said I wanted to get married. There are options we haven’t discussed yet–like adoption. But the right thing for me to do, the honorable thing, is to support Annie in whatever she decides. This time you don’t get to tell me what to do.” He spun on his heels and crossed the room in four strides.
“If you leave now, don’t bother coming home,” Jackie called after him.
He paused in the doorway with his back turned toward her. “This isn’t a home,” he said. “This is a totalitarian state.”
TWENTY-SIX
Annie
Annie snatched the phone up from the nightstand when she saw her brother’s face light up the screen. She’d been scared out of her mind and worried sick for Eli after her encounter with Thea’s brother. She’d changed out of her clothes and crawled into bed as soon as she got home. But she hadn’t been able to fall asleep. She couldn’t decide what to do about Tyrone’s threat. If she confided in Eli, he would insist on telling Faith and Mike. And she would never be allowed out of the house again. At least not with Thea.
She accepted the call. “I trust you’ve heard my exciting news. Are you ready to be an uncle?”
Jamie had sent her flowers and called her after the accident, but she hadn’t wanted to trouble him with her problem of the week. He was already overloaded with schoolwork and baseball practice.
“How can you make jokes at a time like this?” Jamie asked.
“Because if I didn’t laugh, I’d go stark raving mad. Like everyone else around here. They’re jerking me around, trying to tell me what to do. I’m like their puppet on a string, but now all those strings have gotten tangled into one great big knot. Why won’t they listen to what I want, Jamie? I have feelings too, you know.”
Jamie sighed. “Of course you do. I’m coming home. I’ll help you sort through this mess.”
“No!” She sat up in bed. “You can’t do that! You have too much work, and the coach will bench you if you miss practice.”
“You’re more important to me than baseball,” Jamie said.
“But you shouldn’t have to choose.”
Jamie reluctantly agreed to wait as long as she promised to call him if she got in over her head. No sooner had she hung up when the phone rang again.
“I need to see you.” Cooper’s voice sounded hoarse as though he’d been crying.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Cooper. Besides, I’m already in my pajamas.”
“Pajamas? But it’s not even seven o’clock. Have you eaten dinner yet?”
“I’m not really hungry,” she said, even though she was starving. She and Thea had never made it to Sandy’s that afternoon.
“Come on, Annie. You need to eat. Can I tempt you with some ice cream?”
Her stomach rumbled as she weighed his offer against the alternative. Go for salted caramel ice cream or face Mike and Faith in the kitchen. She sighed. “All right. But give me fifteen minutes to change.”
When she saw Cooper’s headlights in the driveway, she slipped out the front door. She didn’t have the energy to face Faith, to answer her countless questions. Where are you going? When will you be back? Who are you going with? Does this mean you and Cooper are back together?
She climbed into the Land Cruiser. “What’s up?” Noticing his swollen eyes and red nose, she added, “Did something happen?”
“My mother’s turned into a pit viper.” He put the SUV in gear and sped off down the driveway. “I can’t believe she summoned us for a meeting tomorrow.”
Annie gripped the handle on the roof of the SUV when Cooper made a sharp turn onto Creekside. “She wants us to decide what to do about the baby. What’s so wrong with that?”
“She doesn’t want us to decide what to do. She wants to tell us what to do.”
“Oh.” Annie looked away, unable to bear the hurt in his eyes. I did not inflict this pain on him, she reminded herself. This baby, this mistake, is his too. “I’m almost afraid to ask. What does she want us to do?”
“She wants the problem to go away. She’s acting irrational, like a two-year-old who isn’t getting her way. She refuses to consider any other possibility. I stormed out of the house, and she told me not to come home. So if I’m not at the family powwow tomorrow, you know why.”
Annie bit down on her bottom lip. “I’m sorry, Coop. I never meant to come between you and your parents.”
“Hey.” He reached over and chucked her chin. “We’re in this together. And I’ve made it clear to them that I’m standing by you.”
Having someone share the burden might not be such a bad thing. He was the father after all. “That’s just it, though. If we’re in this together, I want you to help me decide.”
He whipped into the parking lot at Sandy’s. He killed the engine and turned to face her. “Okay, then. Two salted caramel cones and one decision coming up.”
Annie smiled. “Make mine two scoops, please.”
Sandy’s was crowded with middle-school kids, but Annie found a table for two near the back while Cooper went to the counter to order. She watched the young girls, their budding breasts and long skinny legs, flir
t with the boys their age who had pimples dotting their faces and teeth gleaming with braces. So young with everything ahead of them. Annie thought back to seventh grade when she’d started her period. Because her father had been inept at handling female issues, she’d gone to see the nurse at school who had given her supplies with instructions on how to use them. She still remembered the nurse saying, “You’re a woman now. One day you’ll be blessed with children. Be careful to protect yourself, so it doesn’t happen before you’re ready. You can come see me anytime with questions.”
What advice would that nurse give me now?
Cooper arrived at the table with a cone in each hand. “So, my friend, are we ready to get to work?”
They addressed their dilemma like they would a group project, contemplating at length the implications of every solution.
When Annie mentioned terminating the pregnancy, Cooper said, “You probably don’t want to hear this, but I’m flat out against abortion. It’s not my body, though, and if that’s what you really want, I’ll deal with it.”
“I have to admit I’ve been considering it. Because I was scared and it seemed the only way out.”
Cooper stuffed the rest of his cone into his mouth and wiped his lips with a napkin. “We can get married if you want, Annie. We’ll find a way to make it work. My parents are angry now, but they’ll come around. I know they’ll help us.”
Annie’s stomach did a somersault. She loved Cooper. It was easy to imagine their life together. Pushing their baby stroller along the waterfront at sunset. Their toddler running to greet him when he came home from work. In bed together as husband and wife, making love until the wee hours. But even brighter than the vision of them getting married now and raising this baby together loomed the fantasy of her working alongside a great master chef in a five-star restaurant—however selfish that sounded, even to her own ears.
Annie studied Cooper’s face for a sign. He was holding his breath. Getting married was not his preferred option. Realizing it wasn’t what she wanted either offered her a huge sense of relief. “You can breathe, Cooper. I don’t want to get married either.” She play-punched him in the arm like she used to do when they were still just friends.
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