by Day, Zuri
And then another.
Hell, no. Don’t disregard that. Get your soft, sexy, smell-good behind here so I can . . . you know . . . lick the tootsie roll.
When she didn’t respond immediately, Byron got up and walked into the kitchen. He opened the fridge, stood in front of it and studied its lean contents, and finally settled on fixings for a turkey sandwich and a beer. He’d slathered on mayo and was painting the other piece of bread yellow when his phone dinged. A smudge of mustard marked the spot where he’d tapped the screen to read her message.
Yes, I do. BTW, during a meeting this week with my director, I asked what constituted family re our agency’s interpretation. It’s a bit vague in the national guidelines. She advised that if in question, to air on the side of caution. If I weren’t in line for the director position, and if I didn’t have a pseudo-detective as a coworker who wants the position as much as I, perhaps I would be less cautious.And there’s something else.
What?
He successfully juggled his phone, a plate, bag of chips, and bottle of beer from the kitchen to the living room.
The night of the art show in Santa Monica, someone saw us.
Who?
Unfortunately, the woman I’m up against for the new job.
She told you?
If you knew Margo you’d know how unlikely something that straightforward would be. She quizzed Leah about you and then insinuated to me that she knew I was out socially with a client’s family member.
WTH? When did she talk to Leah?
When she arrived early and was waiting in the reception area. I came in to them chatting. That’s when I knew for sure we could no longer communicate.
Like we’re doing now.:)
Byron placed his head back and stared at the ceiling. This was an impossible situation. Here was a woman willing to put a client’s needs above her own desires, a client whom he happened to be quite fond of, and what was he doing? Everything possible to try and get her to change her mind. He heaved a sigh and tapped the microphone icon.
All right, then. I guess I’ll let you go.
What do you have planned for the evening?
I don’t know, but I’m going to get out of the house and find something to occupy my mind.
Something, or someone?
What, you can’t see me and I can’t see anybody else?
The pause was lengthy enough for him to eat half his sandwich and make a respectable dent in the bag of chips.
Enjoy your evening, Byron.
Wait, you’re mad now. Let’s not leave on a sour note.
I am not angry.
Yes, you are. But that’s cool, though. That’s how you’re supposed to feel about your man.
Didn’t we just discuss how we are so not seeing each other?
If I find out somebody else is making you sing like Mariah, I’ll be mad.
I probably shouldn’t say what I’ve been thinking but . . .
What??? Don’t leave me hanging like that.
Leah has one more month of court-mandated weekly sessions. After that, I’d planned to continue the meetings, pro bono, at least twice a month. Once I have been given a case, I like to stick with the client. The stability aids and often expedites their path to rehabilitation. But perhaps this one time I could assign her to another manager and eliminate even the appearance of a conflict of interest.
Byron’s heart soared for all of five seconds, until he remembered Ava’s comments about how much Leah had improved under Cynthia’s care, current Redman situation aside. His inner Jekyll said Leah would be fine, that they were all qualified to do the same job so what difference would it make? Inner Hyde got an attitude. Don’t be a jerk. Do not jeopardize your niece’s well-being so you can be satisfied.
That is so tempting, but I couldn’t ask you to do that. Leah has had enough interruptions in her life. But if you’re still single when the sessions are over, all bets are off! I’m going to come for you gun blazing.And you know when I fire, I hit my mark.
He waited for her to say something. She’s probably mad because I’ve got that kitty humming again.
Take care of yourself, sexy. Let me know when you get that promotion.
Ah, finally a place where that air of certainty is advantageous! Thank you for the vote of confidence.
You’re welcome.
Good-bye, Byron.
His thumb hovered over the mic. Thinking it might be easier to type than to say, he tapped the screen. The keyboard appeared. It wasn’t easier. Just tell her good-bye, dude.
No. Instead, he tossed his phone on the sofa cushion and picked up his beer. He wasn’t going to speak something that he knew straight out was a lie. Unless he woke up six feet under, this was definitely not his last conversation with Cynthia.
He had to say something. It would be rude not to respond. So he finished his beer and picked up the phone.
See you later, baby. Be good.
41
“Wow, girl. I thought my mama was a piece of work, but what your mom did was gangster! I’m not talking Crips and Bloods. I’m talking Bugsy Siegel and Al Capone!”
“If the situation involved her social status or reputation, even Al wouldn’t stand a chance against Anna Marie Hall.”
It was sistah-girl chat time on a Sunday afternoon. Cynthia had just revealed to her BFFs what until now only family and Byron knew, not only that Jayden’s father was married at the time he was conceived, but that her parents paid him off to stay that way.
“My mom would do something like that,” Gayle said. “No, on second thought, she’d have made me have an abortion, the less expensive solution. A quarter million dollars could buy her too many designer fashions.”
“I’m sorry you’ve spent all of these years with no one to talk to about this.” Dynah’s voice was soft, and sincere, perhaps hearing the residual pain that the other girls missed. “I can’t imagine having to navigate school, relocation, and being a new, single mom at what, twenty-two?”
“Yes, I was twenty-one when I dated Stewart, twenty-two when Jay was born.”
“But we’re your girls, Cyn. I remember asking you about Jayden’s dad and wondering why you were so evasive, almost like you didn’t know. Remember, Gayle, I even mentioned how strange that seemed. And you had no more information than I did. I thought we talked about everything. Why’d you feel the need to keep it from us?”
“I can answer that in one word, Lisa . . . Mother. In her opinion, sleeping with a married man was dreadful enough—”
“But you didn’t know. He lied!”
“A fact that was moot, given we found out after the horse had already left the proverbial stall. Her words were the A on my forehead, my prison the home of a great-aunt who lives in upstate New York. By the time I moved here, her words had taken root and I believed myself to be that scandalized woman guarding this . . . shame . . . even though Jayden is the brightest spot of my life.”
“We haven’t touched the big question.”
“I know where you’re going, Gayle, and I don’t have an answer for that.”
“For what?” Lisa asked.
“For whether or not she’s going to show up at the wedding it seems her mother has already planned.”
Cynthia’s chuckle held no humor. Dynah conveyed the incredulity Cynthia had felt for these plans.
“Do you want some advice?”
“Sure, Gayle. What should I do?”
“Marry him, of course. And before you begin firing your objections, I’ll explain why. One, he is your son’s father. Two, he’s wealthy, successful, established, and obviously loves you to want to do right after all these years.”
“But he took my mom’s money when the decent thing would have been to tell her where to take that money and demand a relationship with his son.”
“No, the decent thing would have been for him to keep his married dick inside his married pants.”
“Ha!” No one could speak truth like Lisa. That’s what Cynthia most
loved about her.
“Since that did not happen,” Gayle continued, “Stewart had to make decisions based on the big picture, and the entire picture, which involved more people than just you and your family. As despicable as it was for him to lie to you, the fact is he was married and had a young child. He was in the early stages of a career that is difficult at best, the success of which is driven by relationships and status, where decisions are made on the golf course and in country clubs. His road was probably not as hard as yours, Cynthia, but I doubt that it was easy.”
“What do you think, Dynah?”
“Marriage is not something to be entered into lightly and when it is, I think that decision should be based on love. Is that what you feel for your son’s father? Because not long ago you were into the other guy. What’s his name?”
“Don’t help her remember,” Gayle interjected. “A blue collar versus a bona-fide DHOP is something not worth wasting time in being compared.”
“What about you, Lisa? Should I marry for love, or because of the lifestyle Stewart can offer?”
“Look, life is not a romance novel. I’d go for the money; then I could buy me some love.”
When the girls ended their call thirty minutes later, Cynthia was more confused than ever.
Byron wasn’t confused. He was hot, angry, and tired of sitting in front of the house he and Douglas had watched for the last hour.
“What do you say, Byron? Should we maybe try a few of the hangouts again, see if anybody has heard or seen anything?”
“That’s what we did for the last four hours.” His attempt to stretch out his back turned into a bear of a yawn. “I say we wait here for another fifteen minutes or so. He has to come home sometime, and my bet is she’ll be with him.”
“He” was none other than Aaron Smith, otherwise known as Redman.
“I still can’t believe Leah didn’t come home. The last time she pulled that stunt, me, Mom, and Dad spoke to her about it. I even promised that if she hung with this program and got into college, I’d help her buy a car.” Byron reached for his phone. Still no response from the calls and texts he’d sent her. “She’s never gone this long without calling me back. It’s total disrespect.”
“She didn’t call her mother back,” Douglas said, his speech smooth and unhurried, just like his dad. “So I don’t know why you think she’d call you.”
“It’s worked before. Leah knows how much Ava worries ever since Lance got shot. That’s what makes me so angry about this, what she’s putting her mother through.”
“Yes, but for all intents and purposes she is grown, doing what grown women do.”
“Then I say don’t half step. Own that status. If she’s grown enough to lay up with some dude still living with his mama, then she’s grown enough to get out of Ava’s house, get a job, get a car, and everything else that a grown woman needs to handle her business.”
Douglas turned his head to view the side mirror. “I think I see Gavin’s car.”
Byron checked through the rearview mirror. “Yep, that’s him. He probably knows where we can find Aaron.” Byron snatched the keys out of the ignition. “Let’s go do this.”
“By.” Douglas stopped his brother with a hand on his arm. “Let’s keep this cool. You know Gavin carries heat.”
“Well, I tell you what. If he doesn’t get his brother to bring our sister’s daughter home? He’s going to be carrying the teeth he picks up after my fist leaves his mouth.”
Whatever Douglas said was cut off by Byron’s slamming door. A shred of common sense allowed him to slow his pace, lose the frown, and walk up to Gavin Smith’s car door more civilly.
The Smith brother who’d gone to school with Nelson stepped out of his car. “What’s up, Byron?”
He held out his hand. Byron tapped it and got straight to the point. “We’re trying to find Red. Do you know where he is?”
“Why are you looking for him?”
“Because he’s with my niece, man. She’s only seventeen.”
Gavin locked his car and began walking toward the house where all of the Smith children still lived along with their mother, her boyfriend, his siblings, and several children. Douglas joined them. “Haven’t seen you in a while, Gavin? How are you doing?”
“Fine until I got accosted by your hotheaded brother at six in the morning. He’s messing up my high.”
Douglas slipped between Byron and Gavin. Byron cut him a look, but remained quiet.
“Ava’s really worried, dog, and we’ve been out all night. You know how mean the streets can be. Having already lost a child, she’s just that much more protective of the one she has left.”
“I understand, man. It’s not like Aaron kidnapped her.”
Byron placed a firm hand on Gavin’s shoulder. “Do you know where they are?”
Gavin shook him off, his expression one of somebody clearly annoyed. “No, you need to watch your hands, partner.”
Byron took a step toward Gavin. “You need to watch your mouth.”
Douglas stepped between them. “Gavin, if you hear from your brother, can you let me know? Because the next step is to get the police involved and with Leah only seventeen and Aaron twenty-five . . .”
“How are y’all so sure she’s with him?”
“Because that’s who she was seen with last night.”
Gavin pulled out his phone. “What’s your number?” Douglas told him. Gavin called Douglas’s phone. “All right, I’ll save your number. If I find out anything, I’ll give you a call.”
Byron held out his hand. “I was a little rough earlier. Sorry about that.”
“No worries, man. I’ll let y’all know if I hear anything.”
As soon as the brothers were inside the SUV, Byron let out a string of expletives.
Douglas’s calm demeanor did not shift. “Man, everybody’s concerned. You have got to calm down.”
“Leah is only one of the reasons I wanted to coldcock his ass. The other is for the weapons and other illegal activities he’s into; that makes the neighborhoods unsafe for our kids. From what I hear, Aaron is trying to follow right in his footsteps. He can follow him to hell if he wants to, as long as he leaves Leah with us.”
Byron started his car and couldn’t get off the block fast enough. An hour later, when they returned to Ava’s house, no one had heard from Leah and she still had not come home.
After giving his teary sister a hug, Byron called the police.
42
The alarm sounded, but Cynthia didn’t need it to wake up. Her roiling thoughts and vacillating emotions had kept sleep at bay for most of the night. Before their standing Sunday chat, she hadn’t given serious consideration to her mother’s suggestion of accepting Stewart’s round-the-way proposal. For a moment, sure, simply because he was Jayden’s father and living under the same roof would give them time to bond. But for her, that’s where the benefits ended. Yes, he was handsome. But that was an attribute that had dropped increasingly lower as she matured. She didn’t want to marry someone whose face would scare away babies and puppies, but she didn’t have to marry someone with model-perfect features either. He was wealthy, and successful. For her, money wasn’t a motivator and success was relative. With smart, safe investments and a stable economy, Cynthia could live comfortably for the rest of her life and not have to work. That part of Stewart’s success could be connected to Jayden’s lack of a father tarnished what other women would find most impressive. And finally, there was Lisa’s comment when she told the girls how well that Stewart was endowed. Byron Carter had forever closed the book on the argument “size matters.” A trumpet could outdo a tuba if the right person was blowing.
Her cell phone rang, startling her out of her thoughts. She glanced at the clock. Only 7:15. There were only a couple people who’d call at this hour, neither of whom speaking to before coffee was a good idea. She reached for her phone and looked at the caller ID. The number was one she didn’t recognize.
“He
llo?” She cleared the frog from her throat as she placed the call on speakerphone. She leaned against her cushioned headboard and went to her e-mail screen.
“Good morning, Cynthia. This is Officer DeWitt calling. I’m sorry to bother you at this hour, but there’s been a development in the case of one of your clients, one that may revoke the diversion program put in place to keep her from lockup. I thought you’d want to know.”
Hearing revoked had gotten her attention. Lockup pulled her out of bed. “Which client?” She asked the question but felt she already knew.
“Leah Thompson. She apparently left home on Saturday morning and while her mother and others have contacted her with instructions to call, she hasn’t been heard from since that time.”
“How did you find out about this?”
“A missing persons report was filed. I was flagged as soon as her name entered the system.”
Cynthia was in her closet, reaching for apparel she could don quickly. The thought to go to Ava’s home and meet in person was instinctual, not required. Having heard of Lance’s murder following a night he’d not come home, Cynthia could only imagine how Ava felt right now. And Byron? He was probably worried out of his mind as well.