“Good morning, Dedric,” Philippe said, closing the folder and feeling slightly embarrassed for still wearing a sheet around his waist.
“You’re usually still asleep when I come in.” Dedric’s bright blue eyes were an exact copy of Philippe’s, as was the rest of him. He was just a younger version of his father. When Pierre was younger, many would mistake Dedric for him or the other way around and sometimes still did, but there were three years apart.
Philippe was sure his wife would have continued to have children if she could, but a hysterectomy after the twins quieted that wish.
“Did you have company?” Dedric actually looked glad.
Philippe smirked. “You could say that, but it was something different all together.” He had a lot on his mind, so he decided to get ready for work and get out of there before Dedric noticed that his mind was not really there.
“Dad,” Dedric said after Philippe walked past him to go up the stairs. “Deanna, Pierre and I have been talking a lot about you and we know you aren’t happy with your life. You haven’t been for a long time and if there’s anything we can do, will you let us know?”
“What makes you think I’m not happy?” he asked. “Have I forgotten something? Or hurt you, Pierre or Deanna in some kind of way? Is that why Deanna doesn’t come home much anymore?”
“Oh no, we’re not mad at you and Deanna’s been in the field a lot for mom since she’s taken over the southeast operations. They both felt I should talk to you about it because it would be more comfortable coming from me. Don’t get me wrong, Dad, you’ve been the best father we could have, but we’ve always sensed that you weren’t… well, Deanna explained it as being complete. She said that you never loved anyone and it was probably because you thought we wouldn’t approve of who you wanted to be with, but we want you to know as long as you’re happy, we’re happy.”
Philippe nodded. “Thanks Dedric. Tell your siblings thanks too.” He needed that. He really needed to hear that.
As he walked up to his room, he knew what he would have to do. Tomorrow was a big day for the company and then by Monday after he freed himself of all obligations, he would resign and approach Ewan with the truth.
CHAPTER 27
Thursday morning turned out to be a very busy day for Maxine and she was glad that she had awakened early to get it all together. Aside from spending the entire morning putting together her presentation for Friday, she had to watch the clock to three p.m. so she could meet Sheriff at Lisa’s house.
Her supervisor was leery about everything, but he didn’t speak a word. His confidence had always rested in Lisa when a project was to be done and although he knew Maxine had skills, he felt this time she had not thought everything through, nor did she have a backup plan. When Lisa had been around though, Maxine was usually giving Lisa the busy work, while she planned everything out, so the supervisor always thought Lisa was doing all the work, while Maxine did nothing.
Feeling very confident in her abilities, Maxine felt this idea was just too good to even have a backup plan and knew it would be an instant hit with the entire room.
Leaving at two-forty-five, she was proud of herself for only thinking about Philippe twice today and taking only one moment’s pause to get herself together mentally.
Sheriff was parked in front leaning against the hood of his car waiting for her. There was also a forensic team there that had already started going through the house. “We’ll walk behind them once they clear the front room and move upstairs and in the basement.”
“What about her car?” she inquired.
“I just had it towed, but it was clean except we found some hair in the trunk that looked as if it had been pulled from the roots,” he said.
She flinched in uneasiness. As much as she tried not to think about it, she had a deep feeling maybe the society had something to do with it. Yet, if murders had been happening the gossip fodder within the slave community should have been aware.
And if the society was a part of it, would that mean Philippe was a part of it? “Clean as if no fingerprints?”
“Clean as if detailed brand new,” he corrected her. “We couldn’t find a print, smudge of dirt or even a piece of paper in that car. Even the registration and insurance papers were missing from the glove compartment and someone even stripped the carpet out of the trunk.”
While they waited, Sheriff had her put on gloves and special shoes so she wouldn’t leave a print anywhere.
Maxine was dying to ask him questions about Onyx but she didn’t. Sheriff didn’t look like he was in the mood for any light conversation. He was all business.
She remembered Onyx said something about a Penny doing something to his heart. Was that why he acted perturbed all the time? He was getting over heartbreak? It would answer a lot of questions about the hard edge, tough, sexy cop.
As soon as Maxine stepped into the home, something wasn’t right. Although being in Lisa’s home was few and far between, just by looking at Lisa’s sloppy desk every day at work belied the every day of the home. It was too organized. Not just clean.
Maxine remembered past conversations immediately and the things Lisa would fuss about.
“I hate anal people. Everything in this world does not have a place. If it did life wouldn’t be so easy.”
Going into the kitchen, she saw there was a scent of food that had been recently cooked.
“What’s wrong?” Sheriff questioned seeing the confused look in her eyes.
“Did someone clean up before we got here or did anyone have any access to her home before now?”
“We couldn’t step foot in here until we were absolutely sure the body was hers, so I did have a man watch the place on the outside and he said no one had been in,” Sheriff responded. “You said she lived by herself so since her body was found, I had a man here. Today is the first anyone has stepped foot inside.”
Maxine frowned. “That’s impossible then, because Lisa couldn’t have been home all weekend.” Going to the refrigerator she saw there was food cooked and covered. If it had been cooked last week it would have been spoiled by now, but this was fresh and it included a salad, which still looked crisp. If Lisa was still at the compound and was killed that day when Maxine had snuck in there, then this wouldn’t have been done.
Unless it wasn’t Lisa at the compound…
“I need to see her bedroom,” she said.
“Why?”
“Because if Lisa had been killed this weekend, why is there fresh food in the refrigerator as if someone was here? And Lisa never cooked. She hated cooking. Look at her stove. It’s hardly been used.” She went over to the cabinets and opened them. “There’s hardly any pots or pans. And whenever I was here, she used mostly disposable dishes. Someone else was here.”
“What are we looking for in the bedroom?” Sheriff questioned.
Pointing to her neck, she said, “A necklace. Lisa wasn’t wearing one when her body was found. Could someone have stolen it off?”
“No, the locks are hard to break. I examined the other one and I saw that it was specially designed for rough wear and tear as if the person who designed it knew it might be involved in something physical or the wearer needed it to last a long time.” Sheriff moved around her and looked at the back of her necklace. “Yours as well. Same designed. Reinforced gold and platinum locks to make sure it doesn’t break easily.”
“And if Lisa had one before she died, it would still be there?”
He came around the front of her and answered, “Yes, it would be, if she was wearing one. The body was never moved from its original dumping position. The only way it can be removed is with a special key.”
She had never known that since Derrick had put it on. Turning the necklace around to see what he saw, she noted how the clasp overlapped and locked with a hole in the middle as if a key fit in there. “Unless the killer took the necklace off before he dumped the body, right?”
“Yes.”
“But that stil
l doesn’t answer the question as to how someone could be home this weekend when she couldn’t have been all weekend. Matter of fact, she had to have been away since I reported her missing.”
“That’s not true,” A man spoke at the doorway.
Sheriff introduced him, “Maxine, this is Sergeant Donald Pembroke, head of the forensics team today.”
Sergeant Pembroke spoke, “I collected at the sight of the body and Lisa couldn’t have been dead more than five hours before we found her. Between that time, she had fibers in her hair that match the same fibers we just found in her bedroom.”
“Is it all clear, yet? Can we get a look at that?” Sheriff asked
“Yes,” he said. “That’s my reason for coming down here. I thought you would enjoy something, but I don’t know if the laddie would have the stomach for it.”
Maxine knew they were secretly speaking of her. “I think I can handle whatever you have to show me, Sergeant Pembroke.”
The sergeant wiggled the thick moustache over his lip in doubt, but he still motioned them to follow him upstairs to a bedroom. Lisa’s bedroom was in darkness. The curtains had been drawn and some black fabric had been put over them to make the room even darker.
Sheriff handed her some red safety glasses to put on. After they all walked in the bedroom, the sergeant instructed Sheriff to close to door.
Ensconced in darkness for a brief moment a blue light came on from the detective and she gasped at what look like neon blue splattering all over the ceiling and then a large pool in the middle of the floor.
“She was killed here?!” Maxine gasped.
“No,” Both men said.
“Something else was killed here,” Sheriff said and knelt down to the floor. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” he asked Pembroke who had knelt down beside him.
“What are you two thinking?” she asked.
They looked at each other and then at her. “Was she pregnant?”
“They make sure you have protection,” she blurted out. “They don’t want a scandal.”
“They who?” Pembroke questioned.
She took off her glasses and left out the room in a hurry. Going to the hallway, she gripped the banister. Rewinding her memory, she remembered the woman on the bed had a necklace on, but their saying Lisa’s body didn’t. They would have known if Lisa was pregnant. They would have known!
“Is this part of what you can’t talk about,” Sheriff asked quietly behind her.
She hadn’t heard him come out of the room. Nodding as she wiped away the tears of frustration, she faced him.
“What can you tell me?” he asked.
“They didn’t do this,” she said. “They would have known she was pregnant.” She also wanted to add she would have seen Lisa was pregnant on the bed when she had snuck in there. “Did you find a necklace?”
Sheriff shook his head. “I looked around the room and Pembroke said they found absolutely nothing. Even if someone had ripped it off the body after she was dead, that would have left a distinct mark around her neck. There was no mark.”
Pembroke came out the room with nylons in a plastic bag and held it up. “She was tied up here. That’s for certain.”
Maxine didn’t know if she wanted to scream in relief or shout in distress. All this time she thought Lisa had been a part of the organization, but in truth, she had been held hostage in this house, but by whom?
Her mind reeled in every conversation she and Lisa had. Suddenly, she asked, “Her ex-husband? Did you find her ex-husband and child? Did you question them?”
“Husband?” Sheriff asked. “She was married?”
“Yes, she came from Chicago. She mentioned it a long time ago. I thought I told you.”
“You never mentioned a husband and you most certainly didn’t mention Chicago.”
She flushed. “It didn’t occur to me because I thought they had… but they didn’t, except the other case… I don’t know, Lieutenant Heart. I don’t know how to help you anymore.”
“You’ve helped enough.” He nodded. “Get back to work and I’ll call you if I need anything.”
She thanked him and left. Getting into her car, she didn’t know if she felt relief or elation. The society wasn’t apart of Lisa’s death, which meant Philippe wasn’t apart of hurting Lisa.
Turning the key to get her car headed back to work, Maxine took a deep breath in reprieve. Was she crazy to feel relief Philippe wasn’t involved in murder? Was she happy he wasn’t?
Yes you are crazy!
Deep in her ancestor soul she knew what they did at The Masquerade was very wrong to women, yet Philippe was there and he made her feel… crazy and sane at the same time.
Don’t think about it, she told herself. Concentrate on what you have to do at work.
Resolving to do just that, she felt things would soon go back to her normal boring existence.
That’s what she wanted, right?
CHAPTER 28
Getting back to work, she found she was better open minded and better able to work. Now that she knew that the organization wasn’t responsible for Lisa’s death, she knew that she could break away early.
She would have to find a way to get out the organization and be done with it, but how? Did women leave? Did they just stop going? And if they did, what happened to them?
This worried her, but only a bit even with knowing that there was a woman whose body was found on the railroad tracks with the same necklace as she was wearing. It could be coincidence? Right? Murders happened all the time in the city of Detroit. Sheriff could be just trying to tie something to Maxine to keep her in the loop and give up information about the society.
When Maxine finally got home Thursday night, she remembered the phone number they had given her to call in case she had any questions.
“Your key number,” the man answering the phone asked immediately without even a greeting.
Remembering the number on her key, she said it and then the man asked how he could help her. His tone suddenly became very friendly.
Maxine asked to speak with Derrick.
The operator said, “He’s not here and handlers usually don’t get phone calls directly, is there a problem?”
Not really wanting to cause alarm and thinking fast, she asked, “Can I speak with Nicole?”
“Hold on,” the man said.
She heard the line click and then nothing.
After a moment, Nicole’s voice came on the line. “Maxine?” Nicole asked. “Is everything okay?”
She was a little caught off guard at knowing Nicole could recall her real name so fast. “Umm… no, well, yes, but I don’t know how to ask and if it is alright to ask.”
“Please, mon cherie, ask me anything,” Nicole implored.
“How do I get out?”
There was a long moment of silence on the line and Maxine strained to hear what was happening.
“That question is hardly asked, Maxine. Why would you want out?”
A million reasons came to mind, but all of them out definitely alert Nicole that Maxine didn’t belong there. “Because I don’t want to be a part of this anymore.” She tried to be as evasive as possible. “I never wanted to. My purpose for being there is wrong now.”
“And Philippe? What about him?”
How could Nicole care more about what the master would think and not the women when she herself used to be one and knew what the women suffered?
“What about him?” Maxine questioned. “I won’t be missed. He can find a new slave. Now tell me how to get out.”
Nicole sighed in disappointment. “The only way out is to barter your way out or a master has to buy your value.”
“Can’t I buy my own self out?”
“Yes, but the price is high depending on your value. When you signed those papers during orientation to be here, it also stipulated your exit price must be paid before you can just leave the organization. Philippe paid almost fifty thousand dollars to have you, plus the ex
pense of maintaining you and arranging for you to be here. The investment must be paid in full before you can just say you are free.”
Maxine gasped. That was a lot of money!
“And that doesn’t count the expense he put in already in terms of gifts. Masters must be returned the value if a slave wants to depart or be loosed.”
Knowing she didn’t have that kind of money, she knew what she would have to do in order to get free.
“What if I just don’t come back or even run away?” Maxine questioned.
“Mon Cherie, you don’t want me to answer that and you don’t want to think like that. Speak with your master about your intentions first before you make such a rash decision,” Nicole suggested.
Maxine knew she would have to acquiesce to Philippe and get him to buy her out of the organization. He was the only one that would do it, but how was she supposed to get him to do this?
“Thank you Nicole. That’s it,” she said quietly.
“I know about your punishment,” Nicole said sympathetically. “Mon cherie, it could have been worse.”
“That’s not the only reason why I’m leaving, but I’m not staying to see how worse it could get either. I can’t fathom how those women can take it every week, terrified of what’s to come. How can it all be worth it, Nicole? How can you take it?”
“But Philippe is a good master, isn’t he? He has treated you with the greatest care.”
“And when he doesn’t want me anymore or he decides to sell me to the highest bidder, then what?” She didn’t give Nicole time to answer. “It doesn’t matter. I can’t be a part of this. I really don’t want to come back,” Maxine pleaded.
“They’ll bring you back if you don’t come willingly,” Nicole warned in a cool voice. “If you tell, they’ll punish you worse. Once you accepted the necklace, you accepted everything - all the rules must be followed and obedience is a must. You are here for life unless a master buys you out. You can run and try to hide, but there’s no escaping the order. They will find you, they will bring you back and punish you until you obey.”
Dark Facade (Book Three) (Dark Facade Series) Page 6