The Season of Sin (Peace In The Storm Publishing Presents)

by Stacy-Deanne

  “We weren’t even talking about that.”

  “So what were you talking about then?”

  “Nothing.” She got a napkin.

  “Didn’t seem like nothing to me. I could tell you were talking about me.”

  “Jasmine said she could tell we’d been together that’s all. She thought we were still a couple but I told her we weren’t.”

  “And whose fault is that?”

  She scooped onion dip on a chip. “Don’t start.”

  “I’m not starting anything.” He moved closer. “Jasmine’s a smart lady.”

  “She said she could tell by how you were looking at me during the funeral.”

  “Oh?” He caressed her shoulder. “Did she notice how you were looking at me?”

  “What?” She swallowed the rest of the chip. “I was not.”

  “You were.”

  “I wasn’t.”

  He laughed. “Since you can’t admit you’re still in love with me then I’m not surprised you’d deny you were looking at me.”

  “Stop it.” She washed her hands. “What have you been doing?”

  “Checking out some of the guests and looking for clues. Where’s Dylan?”

  Brianna opened a jar of sweet pickles. “I think she’s resting.”

  “We need to talk to her in private. Shit can’t get a word in with Jasmine around.”

  “Let’s give her space today out of respect.”

  Steven got a piece of pecan pie. “I’ll look like Michael Moore by the time we leave here.”

  “A lot of tension at the funeral wasn’t it?” Brianna lowered her voice when some of the church members passed the kitchen door.

  Steven nodded and chewed. “I was talking to that skinny neck lady in the pink hat. She said when Nadia’s parents died the siblings went at each other’s throats.”

  “Really?”

  “Mmm hmm.” He sucked on a pecan.

  “You think they could’ve been involved in her death?”

  “I don’t know but you said you read she had some secret in her journal right? Well the hat lady said that Nadia had been hiding something.”

  “No shit?”

  “Nope. That secret might have something to do with her family.”

  “Well it definitely has to do with Dylan. Nadia kept writing she had something to tell Dylan but knew it would ruin both their lives. What kind of secret could be that powerful?”

  Steven shrugged.

  “Get out of my house now!” Jasmine yelled from the living room. “You’re not welcomed here!”

  “What the hell?” Brianna put the pickles down.

  “Come on.” Steven held the kitchen door for her.

  When they got into the living room the guests were staring at the scene with their mouths opened and eyes wide. Donna and Sandra stood in the doorway like soldiers. Jasmine waved a spatula at the man in front of her.

  “Get out, Bruce!”

  “Go to hell, Jasmine. I’m not going anywhere.” He looked at Brianna and Steven. “What are you guys doing here?”

  Jasmine swung her hand. “They were invited unlike you.”

  “You are an ingrate, Bruce McNamara.” Sandra flung her arm. “How dare you come here? You have no shame. You can’t even respect our wishes on this day?”

  “I came to pay my respects.”

  “Ha!” Donna jumped in his face. “Who the hell do you think you’re kidding? We all know you hated Nadia. What do you want? For us to tell you where she’s buried so you can break dance on her grave?”

  “I don’t give a damn what any of you think.” He glanced at the guests. “I came to see Dylan and I’m not leaving until I do.”

  “The hell you’re not.” Jasmine snapped her fingers. “Detective Kemp please get him out of here.”

  “Gonna sic the cops on me now, Jasmine? Get off your damn high horse. You’re a bigger fake than Nadia.”

  “You watch your mouth.” She swung the spatula.

  Bruce bucked up to her. “And you better get outta my face.”

  “Hey.” Steven got between them. “Cool it, Bruce.”

  “So what now that Nadia’s dead you’re gonna step in as the designated pain in my ass, Jasmine?”

  “Get out and don’t ever come back here or I’ll have you arrested.”

  “I’m not scared of the cops and I’m sure as hell not afraid of you.”

  “Get…out…now.”

  “Well.” He sized up Jasmine. “I guess being a bitch runs in the family?”

  “And being a bastard probably runs in yours.”

  “You bitch.”

  “Get out!”

  “Okay you’ve had your fun, Bruce. Don’t let your anger make you do something you’ll regret.”

  “Oh believe me I won’t regret it, Detective Kemp.”

  “You’re an animal. My sister had every reason and right to keep you away from Dylan and you can bet I’ll pick up where she left off.”

  “Oh yeah?” Bruce pushed up against Steven to get to Jasmine. “Well Dylan and I belong together. No one can keep me away from her. She loves me.”

  “Get him out of here.” Jasmine turned her back. “I can’t stand to see his face.”

  “Come on go.” Steven ushered him to the front door.

  “You can’t keep me away from her, Jasmine. She loves me no matter what you try to do.”

  “You stay away from my niece.”

  Bruce reached over Steven. “You can’t understand the love Dylan and I have for each other because you don’t know how good a love like that could feel.”

  “You’re right I don’t understand it because I can’t figure out what she’d see in a lowlife like you.”

  Bruce balled fists. “Lowlife?”

  “You’re nothing.” Jasmine looked him in the eyes. “You’re less than something I’d scrape off the bottom of my shoes.”

  “I’ll scrape your ass off this floor.” He lunged at her. “Who you think you’re talking to?”

  “See?” Jasmine pointed and looked at the guests. “He’s an animal just like I said he was! No self control.”

  “No one calls me a lowlife, lady.”

  “Well I did!” Jasmine headed for him. Donna pulled her back. “And you won’t do a damn thing about it.”

  Steven pulled Bruce by his suit jacket. “Leave now or I’ll arrest you!”

  “This isn’t over, Jasmine.” Bruce fought Steven’s hold. “You can’t keep me from Dylan. None of you can!”

  CHAPTER SIX

  The guests milled off into separate directions. Pastor Hill turned his focus back to the television.

  Brianna patted Jasmine’s back. “You okay?”

  Jasmine touched the bridge of her nose. “He just makes me so mad. I’m just glad Dylan didn’t see him.”

  “Well I think he got the point.”

  “You don’t know Bruce, Detective Kemp. Determination and being a pain in people’s asses are two of his famous qualities.”

  Zoë came downstairs. “What happened?”

  Steven lost breath for a second. One look at her sent him into convulsions. Her curves stretched the fabric of her dress to where he barely needed his imagination.

  “It was just Bruce.” Jasmine patted her chest. “He’s gone thank goodness. Where’s Dylan?”

  “She’s on the patio. I was coming down to check on her. She wanted to be alone.”

  “Oh please go check on her, Zoë.” Jasmine took her hand. “I don’t want her to be alone.”

  Zoë went down the hall. Steven watched the magnetic swing of her plump ass.

  Brianna snapped her fingers. “Steve?”

  “Huh? What?”

  “You’re staring.”

  “No I’m not.” He tugged on his blazer. “At what?”

  “Maybe that should be, at “whom”.”

  They followed the Hudson sisters into the kitchen. Jasmine stacked plates and bowls into the sink.

  “You all right?” Donna ask
ed her.

  “No I’m not all right. The last face I needed to see today was Bruce’s.”

  “Well he’s gone now thank goodness.” Sandra cleaned off the table. “Hopefully we’ll have no more surprises.”

  Jasmine threw a dishtowel on the table. “All we need is for Shannon to show up and we’d really have a day to remember.”

  “Who’s Shannon?”

  “Oh.” Jasmine jerked at Steven’s voice. “Oh uh, we didn’t notice you two were in here.”

  Donna laid a plate in the sink. “Come on, Sandra. Let’s see if the guests need anything else.” They smiled at the officers on their way out.

  “Some kind of scene that was, Jasmine. Damn you’d swear Bruce was the antichrist right, Bree?”

  “You’re telling me.”

  Steven chewed a chip. “So Jas what’s so bad about Bruce?”

  “Look I don’t wanna waste my spit talking about Bruce.” Jasmine rinsed out the casserole dish. “He’s never been good enough for Dylan and never will be.”

  “Dylan’s grown. Shouldn’t that be her decision?”

  “I know what’s best for my niece, Detective Morris.” She washed off the table.

  “You gonna keep avoiding the question?” Steven bent down beside her. “What’s up with Bruce? Why do you guys really hate him?”

  “He’s of no importance. Not even important enough to speak about.”

  Brianna wandered to the sink. “For someone so unimportant he sure does get under your skin. So who is Shannon?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You mentioned someone named Shannon. Who is she?”

  “Oh, she’s nobody.”

  Steven sat at the table. “Nadia sure knew a lot of nobodies.”

  “Shannon is a friend of Nadia’s.” Jasmine scooped crumbs off the table and dumped them in the sink. “That’s all.” She squeezed out the rag. “It has nothing to do with the case.”

  Steven got a peanut butter cookie before Jasmine could move the tray. “Shannon was Nadia’s lover wasn’t she?”

  “Shh.” Jasmine closed the kitchen door. “We have the church members here. What would they think?”

  “Don’t they know she’s gay? Anyway we don’t care about Nadia’s sexual orientation. All we want to know is who killed her and bopped me over the head and almost killed me.”

  “Look all that’s important to me is Dylan and making sure she gets through this.”

  “We need more info about Shannon. We’re gonna find out who she is whether you tell us or not.”

  “Okay you wanna know, Detective Kemp?” She tapped her fingers on the countertop. “She was Nadia’s lover. The thing is Nadia wasn’t as serious about Shannon as Shannon wanted her to be.”

  “What’s Shannon like?” Brianna asked.

  “Nadia liked the same qualities in women most men did. She liked ‘em young and easy. Shannon’s beautiful, blond and young enough to be Nadia’s daughter. She treated Nadia like a queen.”

  “Why?” Steven broke his cookie in half.

  “Shannon was bewitched with Nadia because of who she was. Shannon felt blessed to have someone like Nadia even be her friend let alone her lover.”

  “What makes you think Nadia wasn’t serious?” Steven brushed crumbs off his chin.

  “Because for Nadia it was purely sexual. She had her chance at this young, hot thing that’s gone over her and Nadia took advantage of that.” Jasmine fixed her apron. “Nadia liked to play the field and she found plenty of partners.”

  “I see.” Steven gestured to Brianna with his eyes.

  “Nadia was sick of Shannon period but she broke it off because of the drinking. Shannon’s a hopeless drunk. She’s pathetic.”

  “So how did Shannon feel about that?” Brianna asked. “The break up I mean?”

  “Horrible. She’d depended on Nadia for so long. She flipped when Nadia broke it off. She was always short a few brain cells but when Nadia dumped her she went completely loco.”

  Brianna got a cupcake. “Why didn’t anyone mention Shannon before?”

  “Detective Morris I’m trying to protect my sister’s reputation. She’s well-respected for her practice and the good she did for people. She didn’t want people to know she was gay and it would have killed her if it got out.”

  “You should’ve told Jayce or us about this Shannon. She might be involved.”

  “Detective Morris I’m drowning here.” Jasmine leaned over the table. Strands of hair popped from her ball. “I don’t know how to act or what to do. My sister’s been murdered! Can’t you both be sympathetic? The last thing on my mind was Shannon!”

  “I’m sorry okay?” Brianna touched Jasmine’s shoulder. “We know you loved your sister.”

  “We just can’t afford to have any secrets. You need to tell us anything that would help. You owe it to Nadia and Dylan.”

  “I’m sorry, Detective Kemp. I didn’t mean to hide anything.”

  Steven nodded.

  “Here.” Brianna handed her a napkin. “Your mascara’s running.”

  Jasmine dabbed her face. “I hope I look better than I feel.”

  ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

  Dylan lifted her head from Zoë’s shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

  “You go on and cry all you need to.” Zoë kissed her forehead.

  “I’m just so confused.” Dylan reclined in the patio chair. “I’m sad, hurt, angry, and scared.”

  “Why are you scared?”

  “How do I know that whoever killed my mother won’t come after me? I might know something that I don’t know I know.”

  “What?”

  “I told you Mom had a secret. She kept hinting she needed to tell me something but never did. That secret could be what got her killed. I gotta find out what it is.” She sat up. “If I hadn’t been arguing with her about Bruce then she’d have told me.”

  “And what if she had told you?”

  “I could’ve saved her.”

  “Saved her? It wasn’t your job to save her.”

  “I’ll never forgive myself if I don’t find out who did this and why. Don’t you understand that?”

  “Of course I do.” Zoë moved the small saucer of pecan pie from her lap. “I just don’t want you doing something you’ll regret. You got a habit of sticking your nose in things then ending up in trouble.”

  “I don’t care how dangerous or silly it might be, I’m gonna find out what she knew. She had to tell someone.” Dylan chewed her thumbnail. “Someone she was close to. Someone she could trust as much as she trusted me.”

  “Your aunts?”

  “No she wouldn’t tell them anything. They found out from one of the church ladies that Mom was a lesbian remember?”

  “Well do you think she told someone else in your family?”

  “You know she didn’t trust the family. Ever since grandma and grandpa died and that mess happened over the will.” Dylan put her hands on the armrests. “Oh no.”

  “What?”

  “I’ll have to deal with Mom’s will. I’m not looking forward to that.”

  “Would she tell Detective Morris this secret you think?”

  “She doesn’t know anymore than we do.”

  “I say just leave it alone. Maybe that’s best.”

  “I can’t live without trying to find out.” Dylan walked to Jasmine’s rosebushes. “She told someone.” She snapped a rose. “Hold on.”

  “What? You think you know who she might have told?”

  “Why didn’t I think of her before?”

  “Who?”

  “Shannon.”

  Zoë brushed the back of her dress down. “Shannon’s a drunk. Why would Nadia tell her something that she couldn’t even tell you?”

  “People tell lovers things they wouldn’t tell others. I’ve told Bruce things I haven’t told you and you’re my best friend. Once you’ve been intimate with someone, there’s a bond there you can’t explain. You feel you can trust that person more than anyone e
lse.”

  “Why wouldn’t Shannon come forward then? Do the police even know about her?”

  “She could be speaking to the police for all I know. If someone’s told them information, you think the cops are gonna tell me? That’s why I’m gonna do some investigating of my own.”

  “I’m gonna go put this plate up. You wanna come inside?”

  “Nah I wanna be alone.” She played with a rose.

  Zoë hugged her. “Want me to bring you anything? You hardly ate.”

  “Could you bring me a piece of that coconut cake?”

  “Sure.” Zoë waved on her way around the house. “If they have some left.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Dylan lifted the rose to her cheek. She and Nadia had been happy together once. Close during her childhood. Nadia did her best to make Dylan’s dreams come true. No matter what happened between them, there hadn’t been a day that Dylan doubted her mother’s love.

  But something had been obsessive about Nadia’s attention. She’d based her existence on Dylan. Claimed Dylan had been her only reason for living. A lot of parents didn’t want their children to grow up but Nadia wanted to prevent it.

  It scared Dylan to be someone’s entire universe.

  Nadia didn’t like sharing Dylan with anyone but especially not Bruce McNamara. Dylan finally realized why Nadia held on so tightly. She’d been afraid she’d lose her.

  Dylan picked the petals off the rose. The naked bud reminded her of her life.

  Why did Nadia think she could lose her? Did it have something to do with that secret?

  Someone walked up behind her.

  “That was fast.” Dylan plucked another rose. “You get my cake?”

  “No but I’d get you anything in the world you want.”

  She turned around.

  “Or I’d sure try to if you asked.” Bruce smiled with a rose in his hand. He wasn’t the type to dress up so she thought her eyes played tricks on her at first. His thick hair lay in smooth waves. The gray blazer ignited the glow in his blue eyes. His looks outranked any movie star in her book. That wasn’t anything new. If Bruce’s looks were all it took he’d be perfect. She’d missed his charming eyes. She got lost in them every time he looked at her.

  She couldn’t do this again. No. She’d finally gotten Bruce out of her system. She wouldn’t let him draw her in this time.