by Laina Turner
“Rita, you have to go to the police. Not only to be honest about knowing Roxanne was drinking coffee in your place that night, and that could be an alibi, but also to tell them about the guys who threatened you. They can help.”
“What if they don’t believe me?”
“Why wouldn’t they? You have no reason to lie. Do you?”
She looked down as if embarrassed. I put my hand on her arm. “What is it?”
“I have a record.”
“A police record?” I asked.
“Yeah. Shoplifting when I was young.”
I couldn’t help myself and give a little laugh. “Rita, don’t worry about that. It’s not like you robbed a bank or anything. We all make mistakes when we’re young. The police aren’t going to care about that. Especially in light of this situation.”
“Are you sure?”
I nodded. “If it would help, I have a friend who is a detective, now a lieutenant. I can call him and maybe he can personally talk to you, or at least he can get you to the right people to talk to. I promise you, you can trust him. He’s a good guy.”
I could tell she was thinking it over.
“I would feel much better if you could do that,” she said.
“Sure,” I said, pulling my cell from my purse and dialing Willie. I got lucky, and he answered. I explained what was going on, and he said that he wasn’t too far away and would head in our direction and to not let Rita leave.
I got off the phone with him and then relayed the information that he was coming to Rita, trying once again to reassure her that she was in safe hands with him.
We sat in an uncomfortable silence, waiting for him to arrive. I tried making small talk but could tell she was too nervous to be in the mood, so I gave up and just nursed my coffee. I was hoping she didn’t change her mind and try to leave before he got here. It’s not like I could force her to stay.
A long fifteen minutes later and Willie showed up making his way over to our table.
“Hi, Willie. Thanks for coming,” I said. “This is Rita. Rita, this is my friend Willie Landon. He works for the Chicago Police, and you can trust him. I need to go, but please call me if you need anything.” I didn’t want to be gone from Silk that long, plus I knew Willie would probably want to talk to her alone.
“Ok. Thank you,” she said.
“You too, Willie, call me later.”
“Rita, excuse me one second. I need to talk to Presley,” Willie said, and we stepped a few feet away from the table out of earshot of Rita.
“Thanks for calling, Pres. I need you to not mention this or anything Rita might have told you until I can talk to her and you again.”
“OK. What’s going on?"
“I mean it. No one. Especially Roxanne. I will update you when I can, but this is a sensitive situation right now.”
“Not even Katy?”
“Fine, because I know you’ll tell her no matter what I say, but no one else. Get it?”
“Yes, yes. My lips are sealed.”
I left the coffee shop wondering what Willie wasn’t telling me about Roxanne. I hoped he called soon. The not knowing was going to drive me crazy. I was starting to be a little nervous to be working with her.
Chapter 13
A few days had passed since I had left Rita in Willie’s hands. While I had got a ton done on Silk, of course with a lot of help from everyone else, I was annoyed that Willie hadn’t called yet. I had left him two messages and didn’t want to continue to bug him, but I couldn’t stop my mind from wondering what was happening with the investigation. The longer it went without him calling, the more nervous I got about all the possibilities.
I knew he would call when he had a chance. I just hoped it was soon. It had been hard to pretend everything was fine when Roxanne was around. Though I had to give her credit, she had continued to work like a dog. We had finally got through all the clutter and her, and Joyce had made countless calls to customers to invite them to our clearance blowout sale and to my surprise had several confirmations. It was more than I had hoped for. I had been so afraid no one would come.
“Hey, Pres,” Katy called out from the front desk. “Gary is on the phone for you.”
“Thanks,” I said and walked up to grab the phone, my heart beating fast.
“Hey Gary. I assume you’re calling because you have news for me?”
“I do. I talked to someone at the revenue department, and they are willing to make a payment arrangement,” he said. While that was good news, there was something in his voice that made me pause. He didn’t sound as excited, as I wanted him to sound.
“I sense a but coming.”
Gary laughed, “You’re very perceptive. It’s just that the initial amount they want down to get the arrangement started is a little steep.”
Oh God, I thought, there’s the but. I was almost afraid to ask even. “How steep?”
“They want a third down.”
“A third?” Math wasn’t my strong suit but even I could calculate enough in my head to know a third was in the neighborhood of fifty thousand. “Are they nuts?”
“Well, they have been called worse.”
“How am I supposed to come up with that kind of money now? Much less the rest of it?”
“Have you thought about taking a second mortgage out on your condo?”
“Is that wise?”
“Anytime you borrow money it’s a risk, but that’s one source of equity that can help give you the short term cash you need while the store can gain the momentum it needs to pay you back. Unless you have money stashed, somewhere that might be your only option.”
“What about a bank loan.”
“Unfortunately a bank probably wouldn’t give you the time of day because of how in debt Silk is. They would need collateral.”
“I don’t know. I mean that’s my home. “I loved that place and took a risk that if it didn’t pay off could cause me to lose my home? I wasn’t so sure about that.
“Listen, I understand it’s a huge deal and I’m not trying to sway you either way. Just trying to let you know your options.”
“Let me think about it and call you back in a day or two.”
“Sure. In the meantime, if you have any other questions please call.”
“I will. Thanks.”
“Bad news?” Katy asked sympathetically, and I relayed to her what Gary had told me.
“I just hate thinking all of our hard work down the drain if I don’t pay the taxes and have to close, but if I take out a second mortgage and it doesn’t work, I could lose my home. I’m not sure Silk is worth that risk.”
“I don’t blame you at all for feeling that way. It’s a lot to put at stake, and only you can decide if it’s worth it. Why don’t you go make a coffee run? Take a few minutes to clear your head and regroup. It’s a big decision and not one to be made on the spot.”
“I think I will. The fresh air will do me good,” I said and went to grab my coat from the back and head out the door. I knew I should have been thinking about the tax issue and what to do, but I wanted to get that off my mind and instead let my mind wander back to wondering why Willie hadn’t called me yet, What Roxanne was trying to hide by lying about being alone at the coffee shop and the guys who had stopped in Silk. Rod too, for that matter. Why was he lying? What did they not want us to know?
Maybe I should just ask Rod. I got my phone out of my purse and dialed his office.
“The Whole Pi, what department please,” a male voice came over the phone and I couldn’t help but wonder if they did get random calls from people thinking they were contacting a bakery. The thought made me want to laugh.
”Rod Simmons please; this is Presley Thurman.”
“Rod’s not in at the moment. He’s out attending a funeral. May I take a message?”
Damn, I didn’t know that. Strange that Roxanne didn’t mention that Drew’s funeral was today when she was here yesterday. I doubt his parents would tell her, but I know she had
been talking to Rod quite a bit, and he would have told her. I couldn’t help but wonder if she purposely hadn’t told me. Thought I couldn’t see any reason she wouldn’t have. It just didn’t make sense. “Can you just tell him I called?”
“Sure, you said Presley Thurman? Were you the person who came in the other day to talk to him about Drew’s murder?” he said with the eager whisper of someone who loved to gossip.
“Yes, I was,” I said wondering where this was going.
“Do you think Rod was involved?”
That was a pretty brazen question. “What’s your name?
“Oh sorry,” he giggled. “David Pierce.”
“Do you think Rod was involved?” I said thinking sometimes answering a question with a question was best and was curious to get his take on the situation.
“Oh, I don’t know. He wasn’t very happy with Drew these last few months. The tension was very noticeable.”
“What was going on?”
“I suppose I shouldn’t be gossiping out of turn,” David hesitated though why his conscience got him now was anyone’s guess. I could tell he was dying to tell me his opinion of what was going on. So I thought I would encourage him a little. Wasn’t any harm in that.
“I won’t say anything. I promise. I’m just trying to find out what happened. For Roxanne.”
“Poor girl. I didn’t know her well, but she seemed to love Drew a ton.”
“Did she come to the office a lot?” I asked, assuming that’s how he knew her.
“Every once in a while she would come and bring him lunch or cupcakes and she always brought us all something too. She was sweet like that. In fact, I think Rod thought she was sweet. If you know what I mean.”
That didn’t surprise me. I had thought from day one Rod had a crush on Roxanne. Though I didn’t get the sense, it was mutual. I was glad I wasn’t the only one who noticed. Helped to validate my thoughts.
“Did Drew know? That Rod liked Roxanne?”
“I’m not positive but I think so. I heard them arguing once, which they rarely did but lately it seemed to happen more and more, and I heard her name come up a few times.”
“Do you know what they were arguing about?”
“Not exactly. Roxanne and the word money came up a lot. I wasn’t listening on purpose; they were just so loud it came through the walls. I just got bits and pieces.”
Riiight. “Why do you think they were arguing more than normal?”
“I’m not sure but something was going on. I’ve worked here for three years and until the last six months or so things seemed great between them. But lately they’ve both been tense around each other and though they tried to act like things were fine in front of the staff they weren’t fooling anyone. We all knew something was going on. I thought maybe we were having money issues; the economy hasn’t completely bounced back, but Greg in accounting says we are better than ever. A ton of liquid assets and our debt is right where it should be. We used to date and were still friends,” he added, answering the question in my head about how he got all that information. “I know they were arguing about money, so it doesn’t exactly make sense. Money and girls. Isn’t that usually what guys fight over? Or money and guys depending on your proclivities.”
This was not the picture Rod, or Roxanne, had painted. They had given me the impression things were all roses between the partners. Though maybe that should have been my first clue? If things seem too good, they probably are, something my mom always used to say, and she was right most of the time. What had Willie told me before? Follow the money? Money and love were worth killing over to some people. Maybe Drew wanted to sell the business when it was doing well and therefore would fetch the best price. It made good business sense, but for some reason Rod disagreed.
“So they weren’t talking about selling the business?”
David laughed. “Goodness no. I couldn’t even imagine such a thing. They built this place with blood, sweat, and tears. It’s part of them. I don’t know what Rod would do if he didn’t have this office to come to every day. He was even more devoted to this place than Drew. Listen, I’ve got to run. The other line is ringing.”
“Sure, and thanks for the information.” As I hung up I thought about how once again since getting involved in this mess, I was getting conflicting information. I wondered what it was Drew, and Rod had been fighting about in recent months. Did Drew want to sell and Rod was angry, or did Drew realize Rod was in love with Roxanne and was angry. This made me want to talk to Willie even more, and surely it was a good excuse to give him another call. I dialed his number, getting voice mail yet again. I sighed. Oh well, he’ll call eventually, I thought. Though I might be crazy by that point from trying to figure this out. I started to wonder if maybe Rod and Roxanne did have something going on. Or maybe Drew thought so, and that’s why the fighting? I almost wished I had stuck to worrying about the tax issue. Why couldn’t I have any simple problems?
Chapter 14
By the afternoon, I was exhausted. Whether from too much on my mind or the physical labor I was putting in that I definitely wasn’t used to, I didn’t know. It was a lot of mental energies to worry about Silk and why Willie hadn’t called and to feel like everything was on hold, waiting for the next step. I didn’t like not knowing what was going on. It made me feel very unsettled. Thank goodness for Katy or I would be a complete basket case. She had kept everyone on task and had even started to set up some interviews for us to replace Brenda and Diane, as she had been right about them too. They weren’t all that interested in the work part of working. It wasn’t fair the amount of responsibility I was putting on her, even though she kept assuring me that’s what she was here for. I couldn’t help but feel a little like I was taking advantage that wasn’t my intent.
I was manning the front of the store, wishing some customers would come in while Katy had made a coffee run, for the second time today. I had told her we needed to buy a Keurig or something, instead of spending so much money each day on coffee. We were probably spending more than we were bringing in right now. Though it was nice to have an excuse to get out of the store once in a while. Since I could use it as a business expense, maybe I should buy a cappuccino machine and maybe have some eye candy to make it for us. Dreaming about coffee and hot baristas, the buzzing of my phone on the counter startled me.
“Hello?”
“Presley, it’s Rod. I need a big favor?”
“Sure Rod what’s wrong,” he sounded out of breath and a little panicked but I couldn’t imagine what he would need from me.
“I’m at Drew’s funeral and Roxanne just showed up. She’s causing a scene, and I need to get her out of here before Drew’s parents call the cops. His mom already wants to, but his dad said he would give me the chance to make her leave first. I’m not having much luck because she’s pretty upset and not thinking clearly. Can you come get her?”
What was Roxanne thinking? Obviously she wasn’t, I thought, answering my question. This behavior could get her in so much trouble. This was the last thing she needed. To bring attention to herself, or even worse get the cops called on her, could cause the courts to revoke her bail, and that’s the last thing she would want. She needed to fly below the radar, not make a spectacle. “Sure. Where are you?”
He gave me the address, which I quickly wrote down on the back of a sales receipt. I grabbed my things and told Brenda I would be back soon. She barely looked up and acknowledged me as she was busy texting on her phone, in the middle of the sales floor I might add. There weren’t any customers right now, but I somehow doubted she put the phone away when there were customers. Another sign that Katy was right. We had to find new people who wanted to work here. We couldn’t afford to miss one single sale or waste money on people who didn’t care. I felt bad leaving again, especially when Katy wasn’t back yet with our coffees, but hopefully, I wouldn’t be gone long. My plan was to get Roxanne and bring her back here. Maybe put her to work and get her mind off things.
Since it was mid morning, the traffic wasn’t too heavy, and I made good time. I was nervous the entire drive, afraid I would get there, and the police would have already hauled her off. I pulled up to the funeral home to see Rod and Roxanne sitting out on the front steps and Roxanne looking a mess but at least I didn’t see any police around.
“Thanks for coming,” Rod said to me as I walked up. “Listen I need to get back in there. The funeral has already started. I will call later to check on you, Roxanne,” he directed toward her.
She nodded tearfully, and he thanked me again before heading inside.
“What were you thinking Roxanne. This doesn’t look good for you,” I said trying hard to not come across as mean. I knew she was upset and not thinking clearly, but what she had done was stupid. “You’re out on bail and if Drew’s parents had called the cops you would probably be right back in jail. I don’t understand how you thought this was a good idea.”
“I know,” she said sniffling. “But I just needed closure. I thought I could slip in and slip back out, and they wouldn’t notice. It’s not fair I can’t come to his funeral. He was my boyfriend. I loved him.”
“I know it’s not fair,” I said, feeling bad that she couldn’t have this and understood her need for closure. “But there’s nothing you can do to change things and to be here could make things so much worse. You don’t want to do something that will land you back in jail. Come on. Let’s get in the car and warm up. It’s freezing out here.”
We walked back to my car. Luckily she didn’t argue with me about leaving. I started the car and cranked up the heat. All she had on over her dress was a thin coat. She had to be freezing. I was freezing, and I had on a wool jacket. It was windy this morning, and the chill was biting.
“I know his parents don’t like me. Well, more his mom than his dad. But how could they think I killed him?” She said, crying again.
“It’s their son; he was murdered, and they’re upset. Understandably so. They want to blame someone, so it’s easy to blame you. It makes them feel better to be angry at someone.”