I Will Remember You

by L. Jaye Morgan

  “Why does my dad keep saying stuff about Emmy”

  “Stuff like what?”

  “That she’s a black widow, and that men in Atlanta are breathing a sigh of relief.” She waited for Beverly to be outraged but the longer she stayed quiet, the sicker Gianna felt. “Well?”

  “Sit down,” Beverly said as she patted the seat of the couch. “Come on.”

  Gianna sat and faced her mother.

  “My mother was a complicated woman. I loved her dearly but she was a bit of a mess.”

  Gianna crossed her arms. “She didn’t seem like a mess to me.”

  “You know, it used to blow my mind how you could idolize my mother the way you did. You know her as your grandmother but that woman raised me. I know her better than you do.”

  “What exactly is it that you know?”

  “Her first husband was horrible to her. Her second husband, my daddy, was the love of her life. He was everything to her, but then he died, and that broke her heart. And the rest of them were...let’s just say she married them for reasons other than love, and they all ended up being disappointments.” Beverly cleared her throat. “You have to understand what she was dealing with. She came up at a time where black women didn’t have a lot of options. She did what she had to do. That’s how it started, at least.”

  “How what started?” Gianna fidgeted in her seat and frowned at her mother. “You’re talking and talking but you aren’t saying anything. What did she do?”

  Beverly sat up straight, almost as if she was steeling herself for what was to come. “What did she tell you about her third husband?” Beverly asked.

  “Randall?”

  “No, Randall was her fourth. Alfred was third.”

  “Oh, right. She said he passed away and left her that house.”

  “How did she say he died?”

  “Um...I think he had stomach cancer.”

  Beverly nodded. “What she neglected to mention is that she...helped it along.”

  “What?”

  “She poisoned Alfred to get that house free and clear. That’s the rumor, anyway. I have no proof.”

  “Wouldn’t she have gotten it anyway?”

  “That’s the thing. His kids from his first marriage had started sniffing around and there was talk of him changing his will. She wanted to circumvent that, I suppose.”

  It was so ridiculous Gianna laughed. “That’s insane. She would have never—”

  “And then there was Randall. What do you know about him?”

  “I don’t know anything about him other than that he died and left her some money.”

  “Well that’s all true but it’s not the whole truth. Randall was also poisoned, and the police actually questioned her about that one. I don’t know how she did it but she talked her way out of a murder charge.”

  “Poison? What kind of poison?” Gianna was bewildered and not entirely sure she was buying this.

  Beverly shrugged. “Whatever it was, it was subtle enough that she got away with it.”

  “So this is just another rumor. You have no proof, right?”

  “I don’t.”

  Gianna sat back and sighed and leaned against the arm of the couch, her hand under her chin. “Okay, tell me about the last one. Cass, right?”

  “Right. You know they never got married. They were engaged for almost a year and then he just disappeared. He’s either in hiding or he’s dead.”

  Gianna guffawed. “This is crazy. Don’t get me wrong, I’m thoroughly entertained by these stories and all but Emmy? A black widow?” She laughed again and Beverly watched her without cracking a smile. “I think that just cured my hangover,” Gianna said, unable to stop giggling.

  Beverly took a long swig of water and pulled her knees to her chest. “Do you remember Robert?”

  Gianna stopped laughing. “Of course I remember him.”

  Beverly raised her eyebrows and Gianna tried to read the expression on her face. It was completely blank.

  “Wait. Where is he now?” Gianna asked.

  “The only person who knows for sure took that secret with her to the grave yesterday.”

  Gianna’s heart raced and her mouth suddenly became bone dry. She walked back to her bedroom to get her water and felt nauseated. She took a few sips and waited for her stomach to calm down.

  When she returned to the living room, Beverly was crying. “Actually there are two people who know what happened. My brother knows, too.”

  Odell. That night. Of all the stories her mother had just told her, this was the only one she believed. Because she was there during the aftermath. She saw her mother’s agony, Emmy’s smug satisfaction, and Odell’s anger. It had to be true.

  She reclaimed her seat on the couch and stared at her mother in shock, unable to speak. A lone box of tissue sat on the coffee table, and Gianna pulled two from the box and handed them to her mother. “I’m sorry,” she said, not meaning it, not even a little bit. In truth, she was elated, and the feeling unnerved her. She should have felt shock and disgust. A normal person would. But maybe Gianna wasn’t normal. Maybe deep down she was excited by the prospect that someone in her family killed for her.

  Beverly blew her nose and continued to sob. “I don’t know why I’m crying. They did me a favor. They did you a favor. It’s just...I knew who she was. I accepted her and I loved her anyway. I just didn’t think she’d ever hurt me.”

  Gianna nodded and knitted her eyebrows together in mock concern. But she kept replaying the words over and over in her head. My grandmother and my uncle killed a man for me. To protect me. They LOVED me.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  “MRS. HARRIS, HOW ARE you?” Detective Williams asked. She rolled her eyes and gestured to Tremaine to be quiet. The two were hanging out on the couch like a real couple, her feet in his lap, his hand on the remote. He raised his eyebrows. She shook her head and pointed to the phone.

  “I’m doing okay. I just lost my grandmother this past week.”

  “I heard, I’m so sorry,” he said.

  He heard? From who? “Yeah, it’s been a rough few months for me.”

  “I can imagine. I’m so sorry. But listen, I may have some news for you, some good news, as it relates to the investigation.”

  “Really? Well, that’s good. What is it?”

  “I’d rather give you the news in person. When can you come in?”

  Gianna frowned. The last thing she felt like doing was driving to the police station. Again. “Is tomorrow okay? Afternoon?”

  Williams was quiet for several seconds. “That should be fine. I look forward to speaking with you. And again, I’m really sorry about your grandmother.”

  “Thank you, I appreciate that. I’ll see you soon.” She hung up and Tremaine raised his hands expectantly. “That was the detective. He said there’s some good news about the investigation.”

  Tremaine nodded slowly. “Oh. Good. He didn’t say what it was?”

  “He said he’d rather tell me in person. Maybe he wants me to look at a lineup.”

  “But he probably would have told you that, though. Right?”

  She shrugged. “Hell if I know. I hope they have a suspect. I really wanna put this all behind me. And it would set Kaya’s mind at ease.”

  “Yeah,” he said, staring blankly.

  She reached over and grabbed his chin. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. I was just thinking...I had something planned for us for tomorrow and now I’ll have to reschedule.”

  “Oh. Sorry.”

  “Nah, it’s not a problem.” He continued rubbing her feet and staring into space.

  “Are you gonna tell me what it was?”

  He smiled. “It’s a surprise.”

  She reached over again, this time to playfully pinch his cheeks. “I love these dimples. I wanna take them and put them in my purse and carry them around with me.”

  He chuckled and rested his head on the back of the couch.

  She stared at
his neck. “This might sound weird but I love your Adam’s apple.”

  “Yeah, that’s weird.”

  “No, I’m serious. There’s something about a strong neck and a prominent Adam’s apple. It just does something to me.” She shivered.

  He got that look on his face. “I wanna do something to you.”

  “Like what?” she asked, her body already responding.

  He bit his lip. “Why are you so fine?”

  She shrugged.

  “Sometimes I look at you and get mad at how fine you are. I low-key wanna cuss yo’ ass out sometimes, like why the fuck do you look so damn good?”

  She laughed and shook her head. “Same.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Mm-hm. Sometimes I stare at you and think this nigga is so damn fine he could ruin my life. And I’d let him. Twice.”

  He stopped rubbing her foot and glanced at the clock. “What time is Kaya coming back?”

  She stared at him, unable to look away, caught up in those eyes again. “Not till later tonight.”

  He pushed her feet off of him and stood before hoisting her over his shoulder and carrying her back to her bedroom. He closed the door and tossed her onto the bed. “Take all that off,” he instructed, and she did as she was told. For close to two hours.

  It felt different, but in a good way. Tremaine was usually very passionate and sensual but this time he was forceful. Either way was fine with her but dominant Tre was sexier, no question. She wondered where it came from but she didn’t want to spoil the mood.

  He drifted off to sleep afterward and she stared at him, trying to memorize every inch of him. It was the happiest she’d ever been in her life. It was the thing she told Dr. Ferris she had never experienced and wasn’t sure if she ever would. And now, she had it.

  She would forgo the big, white wedding this time. She didn’t need it. She just needed him. He would go along with whatever she wanted because that was just his way. Kaya would be an easy sell; he was her godfather and she already knew and loved him. Beverly...who cares? Not Gianna. Emmy had already given her approval—for the sex, at least—so she was good to go. The only problem would be her in-laws. Maybe the police, too.

  She would test the waters tomorrow just to see how they would react to such a thing. Maybe she would mention Tremaine a few times and play him up as the reliable family friend who’s been there for her through it all. And it wouldn’t be a lie.

  In reality, he had gone above and beyond what anyone would expect from a friend. Just thinking about it put a smile on her face.

  She looked over at him again and ached at the thought of having to send him home. Yeah, the marriage was going to have to happen soon.

  AS SHE HAD SO MANY times before, Gianna walked through the doors of the Woodridge County police department and hit the number six button on the elevator. And then she sashayed down the hallway—she wore a black suit that day—and turned left just after the restrooms. Detectives Williams and Debreaux were just inside the glass doors and they smiled warmly when they saw her.

  Gianna entered and Debreaux pulled her in for an awkward hug. “I’m so sorry to hear about your grandmother.”

  “Oh. I appreciate that,” Gianna said, patting Debreaux on the back. The detective’s hair was down today and the edges were straight. She must have gone to the hairdresser recently.

  Williams cleared his throat. “We’re not gonna keep you long, Mrs. Harris. We just want to show some of the progress we’ve made.”

  She smiled. “I’m so relieved. I’ve been worried about it.”

  Williams smiled and started walking. “Follow me,” he said, leading her into a small room down the hall. “Have a seat there.”

  The chair was hard and cold and the table was rickety. Gianna was used to the conference room. “It’s cold in here.”

  Debreaux simply smiled and watched Gianna. Williams opened his laptop computer and typed furiously. “Alright, let me just power up my trusty laptop. I’ve got a little video I want you to watch,” he said.

  “Okay,” Gianna said.

  Something was off. She didn’t know what but she felt it. “How come we’re not in the conference room?” she asked.

  “It’s in use,” Williams replied curtly. “Alright, we’re all set. I want you to watch this video for me. I’ll play it through once and then I’ll play it again. Then I’ll ask you a couple of questions. Got that?”

  “Yes,” she said, her stomach twisting in knots.

  Williams turned the laptop around and pressed enter.

  It was a store of some kind. “Where is this?” Gianna asked.

  “Just keep watching. It’ll be good, I promise,” Williams said with a smirk.

  Gianna leaned in closer and watched. A white woman in workout clothes entered the store with a small child in tow. A black man entered a few seconds later. He was alone. Gianna was starting to get impatient and then another black man entered the store. She narrowed her eyes into slits because the picture was slightly blurry. It didn’t help, but she was still able to work out that the man seemed familiar. Detective Williams hit enter again and the video stopped. Gianna looked at him expectantly. “That was it? What was I supposed to be looking for?”

  Williams said nothing. He rewound the video and played it again just as he had explained a few moments before. Gianna sighed and turned her attention back to the screen.

  This time was different. The man entered and Williams paused the video right at the point where he was visible. “Mrs. Harris, this is important. Do you recognize this man?”

  She froze but her mind raced and tried to figure out if there was a scenario from which she could escape this room unscathed. It was impossible, she decided, so she went ahead and answered truthfully.

  “Yes. I recognize him.”

  “What’s his name?” Debreaux asked, and the two studied Gianna closely.

  “Tremaine Odum.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  GIANNA HADN’T YET WORKED out what it all meant but she knew it was going to be bad. There was really only one place they could be going with this but that was impossible. It simply could not be. Period.

  She stared at the detectives and waited for them to respond. They stared back and the clock ticked off the seconds like a metronome. Nobody moved, nobody spoke, and Gianna barely breathed. Finally, Williams opened his mouth. “What is your relationship to the man in the video?”

  “He’s a family friend. You met him before. He brought me here to report the threatening letter I got in the mail.”

  “Ah, yes. I remember. Seems like a stand-up guy.”

  Gianna shrugged. “He was my husband’s best friend.”

  “I see.” Williams sat back in his chair. “We have reason to believe he may be involved in your husband’s murder. And before you ask, cuz I know you will, I’m not telling you all the reasons.”

  Be cool. “I’ve known Tremaine for years. I find that very hard to believe. I never saw any tension between them.”

  Williams spread his hands. “I believe you. But we don’t conduct investigations based on emotions. We conduct them based on evidence.”

  “What do you want me to say? If you have evidence, then you have evidence.”

  “You’re here because we’re giving you a chance to tell us the truth. If you tell us the truth, we can help you.”

  Gianna looked at Williams, then Debreaux, then back to Williams. They both wore the same facial expression: tight lips and dead eyes. “There is no truth. I don’t know anything about it. Hook me back up to that lie detector if you need to. I don’t have any reason to think he would do this and I don’t think he’s the type of person who would. That’s all I know.” She fought back tears. “What do you want from me?”

  Debreaux leaned toward Gianna and spoke softly. “Mrs. Harris, you’ve had a rough few months. We understand that. Believe me, I hate that we had to call you in here, what with your grandmother’s passing and the fact that you’re still healing from
the attack. Anything you know, anything you can give us would help all of us.”

  Gianna rolled her eyes and pounded her fist on her knee. “I don’t know anything. That’s the problem. I don’t remember anything about that night. I wish I could but I can’t.”

  Debreaux sat back and looked at Williams. “Okay,” he said. “We believe you. Here’s what I want you to do. Go home and try to take it easy. And stay away from Tremaine for the time being. Is he still helping around the house?”

  “No.”

  “Good. Good. Because he may be dangerous.”

  “If you have evidence and he’s dangerous, why don’t you just arrest him?”

  “We’re working on that. But can you do me that favor? Can you stay away from him? Your safety and the safety of your family are the priority”

  She nodded. “Absolutely.”

  DEBREAUX WATCHED THE parking lot from the window. “She just got in the car. She’s not leaving yet. She might be calling him now.”

  Williams waved his hand. “Let them worry about that,” he said, gesturing toward the conference room. “They’ll let us know as soon as she does. In the meantime, let’s get some food. I’m hungry, and it’s gonna be a long day.”

  GIANNA MADE IT HOME on autopilot. All she could think about was Tremaine. She didn’t for one second believe he would ever murder anyone, let alone his best friend. But Williams said he had evidence. Was he bluffing?

  She let herself into the house and collapsed onto the couch, willing herself to calm down and think rationally. She tried some deep breathing exercises, and when those didn’t work, she popped an anti-anxiety pill. She washed it down with a sip of red wine. It was that dire.

  She closed her eyes and tried to think. The first thing she wanted to do was call Tremaine, but watching Emmy all those years had taught her not to make the move your opponent assumes you will make. She opened her eyes and smiled. Of course.

  Williams wanted her to call Tremaine and incriminate herself, or him, or both of them. She ran to the office and found that Woodridge PD notepad Williams had given her. She chuckled at the irony.