by Stacy-Deanne
“Jasmine I’ve been nothing but nice to you. I come over for dinners. I even helped you with your garden the other day.” Nick pointed to the bushes. “I thought you liked me unless you’ve been faking it all this time.”
“I do like you. But I can’t understand how you popped up and now you and Dylan are inseparable.”
“So?” Dylan peered.
“It’s strange.”
“To be friends with someone, Aunt Jas? A person who saved me from harm?”
“Let’s be real here.” Jasmine hit Zoë’s shoulder. “Zoë you know what I’m talking about.”
Zoë shrugged.
“Okay, Jasmine.” Nick stood directly in front of her. “Be real with what?”
“Come on. Now isn’t it a little strange for you two to be friends?”
“I don’t see it that way and Dylan doesn’t either.”
“You know what I mean.” Jasmine propped her hand on the chair. “You’re way too old to be Dylan’s friend.”
“Aunt Jas you…”
“It is not normal for a twenty-seven year-old woman to be friends with a sixty-year old man.”
“I’m in my fifties if you must know.”
“Whatever! You’re too damn old to be hanging around my niece and it ends today.”
“Oh really? Well the last time I checked Dylan was a grown woman.”
“Not grown enough obviously. She’s still making childish decisions.”
“Shut up, Aunt Jas! Just shut up and stop butting in!”
“Butting in? I’m trying to protect you because you still don’t know how to be smart. I understand Nick saved you. I understand he’s nice and charming and gives you attention but you’re not looking beyond that, Dylan. You always do this with people.”
“She has a point.”
“Zoë you’re supposed to be on my side.”
“So just because I’m older than Dylan there has to be something going on?” Nick pushed up his glasses. “For your information Dylan invites me over when I come.”
“You can refuse,” Jasmine said.
“You’re right but she needs someone right now and I do like being around her. But you know what? I don’t need this. If our friendship is so much trouble maybe it shouldn’t be.”
“Don’t listen to her. Aunt Jas always does this. She’s as bad as Mom sometimes.”
“No maybe she has a point.”
“No. I need you, Nick.” She laid her head on his chest.
“I meant what I said.” He patted her back. “I will be there when you need me but I don’t know if I’ll be coming around here again anytime soon.” He looked at Jasmine. “I don’t like being somewhere I’m not welcomed.”
“I never said you weren’t welcomed.”
“You never said I was either did you, Jasmine?” He left.
“Aunt Jas!”
“I don’t wanna hear it, Dylan.”
“Well you’re gonna hear it. I am not letting you push Nick out of my life like you did Bruce.”
“I didn’t push Bruce out of your life. He’s in jail.”
“Maybe if I’d listened to my heart instead of being afraid to then none of this would’ve happened.”
“This is about Nick. Now you can’t see what others on the outside see but you guys being friends is ridiculous.”
“I don’t care what folks on the outside think and I don’t care what you think.”
“That doesn’t surprise me because I always think with sense and you wanna do things without having consequences. See this is why people can’t treat you like an adult, Dylan. You don’t make adult decisions. Getting so attached to Nick is not sensible and you have to be careful. He could be involved in the murders.”
“Oh? I thought Bruce was the killer.”
“I don’t feel like fighting with you today.”
“I’m not fighting. I’m telling you off.”
“Oh really?”
“Look Nick is gonna be in my life if I want him to be. If you got a problem with that then maybe we shouldn’t be around each other as much.”
“Hold on, Dylan.” Zoë stood. “No one is trying to jump down your throat. We just don’t understand how you two could be this close so fast. Do you have anything in common?”
“Zoë you and I have nothing in common except being adopted and we’re friends.”
“But I’m not a fifty-something year-old man either. It is a difference.”
“So it is the age? We’re all that narrow-minded around here?”
“Do you have a crush on Nick?”
“Oh!” She walked around with her arms up. “I knew your twisted mind was thinking that, Aunt Jas. It just has to be sexual doesn’t it? Nick and I are closer in the mind than I have been with anyone except Bruce.”
“Closer in the mind? You sound brainwashed.”
“Wanna know why we’re so close? I can talk to him and he listens. He respects my decisions. He lets me make my own decisions and doesn’t try to live my life for me. I love you and I appreciate you being there for me but I can’t keep going on like this. I feel like I’m suffocating.”
“What do you want? Am I supposed to sit back and let you do something that might hurt you?”
“I just want you to trust me. If you really did you’d know I can make decent decisions and that I don’t need you stepping in. How long is this gonna go on? I’m twenty-seven. What about when I’m thirty-seven, forty-seven? Will you still try to step in? When is my life gonna be mine? When will I be able to make decisions and not have to run them by your approval?”
“Just tell me this. Name one thing, one thing that you and Nick have in common.”
Dylan breathed into her hands. “We understand each other. It’s something I can’t explain. And it’s not romantic on either end. When I’m with him I get a feeling I’ve never gotten with another guy. He just makes me feel safe. I guess like a father.”
“Is that why?” Zoë’s voice cracked. “You see him as a father figure?”
“Lord knows I never had one. Clay Hollister was a joke. And let’s not forget how he reminded me every minute that he didn’t want me around. Aunt Jas remember how you felt when Uncle Charlie died? How lost you were afterwards? Well that’s how I felt until Nick. He made all that pain better to deal with. It’s as if I’ve known him all my life. Even the first night we met it wasn’t like strangers. I know it sounds funny and maybe if I were looking in I’d feel the same as you two but I know Nick would never hurt me.”
“You’ve said the same thing about Bruce and he did tons of times.”
“Look it’s my decision if I want Nick in my life. Either you accept it or you don’t.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Sunday
Steven turned around in the mirror for the hundredth time, impressed with the GQ centerfold in front of him. He’d thrown shirts and slacks around the room in search for the perfect outfit. He’d sampled ten different colognes. The room smelled like the JC Penney fragrance counter. He settled on Stetson, Brianna’s favorite.
Smooth move. She’d be impressed that he remembered what cologne she liked.
He flattened the collar of his silk black shirt. He left the top buttons open. He pulled on his brand new black blazer. He examined the sharp creases in his slacks.
He slipped on his gold chain. The necklace lay on his chest where his shirt remained open. Damn. Funny how one little sparkle could turn an outfit into a creation.
Brianna wasn’t ready for this.
His ring tone went off. He found his cell phone on the floor under two pairs of pants.
Brianna’s name flashed.
“Hello?”
“Hey.” She spoke over static. “Can you hear me? My signal’s fading.”
Why was her signal fading?
“Yeah I can hear you. Is everything all right? You sound like you’re in a car.”
“I am.”
“Uh.” He sat on the end of the bed. “I’m supposed to be picking you up remember?
Did you have to run an errand or something?”
“No uh, I’m sorry but I can’t make it tonight.”
His heart fell on the floor and broke into a million pieces. “What?”
“I’m sorry. Something came up.”
He squeezed the phone. “What came up?”
“Jayce asked me to ride up to Newark. He spoke to the investigator that worked for Elle Givens. She told Jayce he could come see her.”
“What?”
“The investigator might know something that can help us with Nadia’s murder. Jayce still thinks there is some connection between Elle and Nadia. It seems like a long shot but he found more clippings and I found some things in her journal that suggest that Nadia was doing more than keeping up with the story.”
“I don’t believe this.”
“Look.” Her signal broke. “I know you’re disappointed. I’m very sorry.”
“What about you?” He kicked shirts around. “Aren’t you disappointed?”
“Yes. I was looking forward to it too but this is important.”
“This date is important too, Bree.” He stood against the dresser. “You have no idea how much this meant to me. I’ve been thinking about it since the other day.”
“Believe me I wanted to go too but I can’t now. Can’t you understand that?”
“Why the hell can’t Jayce wait huh? You don’t have to go with him.”
“He asked me.”
“So? Tell him you have plans and that’s the end of it.”
“We’re already on the road.”
“You are something else, Bree.”
“Steve.”
“So you’re calling me to break our date and you’re already heading out of town?”
“This is important. I won’t say it again but I'm sorry. We can do it another time.”
“No forget it.”
“Don’t be like this, Steve. Come on.”
“Damn it!” He punched the dresser. “I was looking forward to this. I’d been counting the days all week long and couldn’t wait. This could’ve been the beginning for us, Bree. This could’ve been the night everything changed.”
“I’m sorry.”
He squeezed the phone until his wrist hurt. “Not sorry enough to stay and let Jayce go by himself right? Of course you wouldn’t want to disappoint him.”
“Steve.”
“Your signal’s breaking up.”
“What? Wait.”
He clicked off. His phone rang before he set it down. He answered without checking the ID.
“What?”
“Steve? It’s me, Zoë.”
“Oh hey.” A tinge of anger disappeared.
“You all right?”
“I guess I could use some cheering up to be honest. As you women say, I’m all dressed up with no place to go.”
“Oh. Had a hot date that cancelled or something?”
“Do you have any plans tonight?”
“Well not really but I’m in NYC. I came home to get a break from Jasmine and Dylan. They’re driving me crazy.”
“We all need breaks from time to time.” Steven’s crotch tingled.
“So if you wanna come to NYC you’re welcome to.”
“What’s your address?” She recited and he jotted it down. “Ah so you live in one of those townhouses. Upscale.” He got his keys off the dresser. “I’m on my way.”
“You missed me?”
“I’ll show you how much when I get there.” He turned his bedroom light off.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Newark, New Jersey
“You can’t blame Elle for wanting a friend. She said the lady seemed so kind. Trusting her had been Elle’s biggest mistake.” KC Styles pushed aside heaps of books. She sat down on an old plastic cart.
Brianna and Jayce sat arm-to-arm on KC’s trashy couch. Piles of books, clothes and dirty dishes took up the living room and none of it seemed to faze KC. Junk had been stacked from the floors up to the ceiling. They’d climbed over boxes and years of trash to get into the living room.
“Elle’s husband worked long hours and it was scary to be a new mom with all that responsibility. She met Kate when she took the baby to the park. From there they became quick friends. She said Kate had been so easy to talk to and Elle felt like she already knew her.”
Jayce took another raisin oatmeal cookie off the tray and motioned to Brianna. She shook her head. She wasn’t about to eat anything in this dump.
“So one rainy night Kate came to Elle’s to have some fun. They were gonna watch movies until Elle’s husband came home from work.” KC wiggled her wrinkled fingers.
Brianna almost threw up from the stench of mildew and rotten food.
“Then what happened?” Jayce dropped crumbs on the floor. “Oops. I dropped crumbs on your floor.”
Did it matter?
“Don’t worry uh I’ll get to it later.”
“Please continue.” Brianna propped her arm on the sofa. Boxes tumbled behind her. “Oh goodness. I’m so sorry.”
“I’ll get it later.” KC moved the boxes she could reach. “Don’t worry about it.”
“Sorry.” Brianna dusted off her hands. “Go on please.”
“Well that night Kate claimed she got a bad headache. Elle offered her some aspirin but she said she was allergic. Elle offered to go to the store and get some painkillers for her. And to no surprise Kate was more than happy to watch the baby.”
Jayce got another cookie.
“So Elle went to the grocery store. She’d been gone only a few minutes. When she came back the baby was gone.” KC stared into space. “And Kate was nowhere in sight.”
Jayce stopped eating for the first time since they’d sat down. “That’s…that’s…”
“Horrible,” Brianna said. “I actually got chills listening. It felt just like I was there when it happened.”
“That’s how I felt when Elle first told me what happened. She said she searched that house over and over and over until she nearly passed out. She knew the baby was gone but couldn’t bring herself to accept it. Of course she never saw Victoria again.”
Though hearing the story had been fascinating, Brianna’s mine stayed on KC’s hoarding. She’d been in one of the most disciplined careers, law enforcement. Yet she’d fallen to a compulsive disorder that Brianna couldn’t see anyone accepting let alone someone of KC’s capability.
KC had been an amazing cop in her day. Awards and plaques covered her shelves, well the shelves you could actually see. She finished that fascinating career with an impressive stint as a private investigator.
The scattered photos told her life story. How long had she been living like this? What did she do to feed her life now? What happened to that man in KC’s pictures? Why had that vibrant woman from the photos turned to a house of clutter for comfort?
Why was she content with this dirty house and these dried up memories?
Brianna clenched her hands.
What happened to the man in KC’s pictures?
“You okay, Bree?” Jayce bumped her with his cup.
“Huh? Oh yeah I’m fine. KC this entire thing is amazing.”
Jayce dipped a cookie into his coffee. “What happened to Kate? Did anyone ever find her?”
“No.” The wrinkles on KC’s forehead deepened. “My guess is that Kate was just the middleman used to steal the baby. I suspect they killed her years ago, probably right after it happened. I don’t think anyone will ever know what happened to her.”
“Do you know why Elle and her husband decided to adopt a child instead of having another one?” Brianna balanced her cup in her palm.
“No I lost touch with Elle before they adopted the other baby.”
Brianna exhaled. “I can’t imagine how hard this was for her.”
“One day she just stopped dealing with me. I think I reminded her of the pain as well. Not to mention that I couldn’t help her.”
Brianna straightened up. “You ever met the
husband?”
“I met him at Elle’s funeral.” She scratched her forehead. “I forgot his name but he was very handsome. I remember he had coal black hair and I remember his eyes. They held such sadness. It was like I could feel what he and Elle had gone through just by looking in his eyes.”
“You ever met the other daughter?” Jayce asked.
“Yes at the funeral.” KC pulled at her plaid shirt. “She was a very beautiful girl. She was a teenager at that time. You could tell it was very hard for her to deal with Elle’s death. After the funeral I heard they’d taken off. I guess they didn’t even wanna stay in town anymore.”
“And not one person knows what happened to Klein?” Brianna asked. “He just goes on with his life after what he caused?”
“A friend of mine with the FBI suspects that Klein has been living in Chicago for years as Kenneth Brockman. That’s been the running rumor in the FBI but there’s not enough to work with. Now it’s my turn to ask questions. Why do you think Elle is connected to Dr. Hollister’s death? Because of those clippings you told me about?”
“Apparently she collected stuff like this all the time but she had tons of news clippings on Elle’s suicide, the kidnapping, everything. She put them away in this album as if they were keepsakes to her. It was too strange to ignore. I know I might be grasping at straws but right now any avenue to look into will do.”
“Well that does sound weird, Detective Matthews. Why would Dr. Hollister have an album of clippings about Elle? Do you think she knew her?”
“We don’t know,” Brianna said. “But I’ve been reading Nadia’s journals. Anyway, she kept mentioning that she had a big secret and so we assumed she might have been killed because of it.”
KC nodded.
“But after Jayce told me about the clippings Nadia had of Elle, I did some more digging and Nadia mentioned a situation in her journals that sounded just like what Elle went through. We put two and two together and figured she might’ve been speaking about Elle.”
Jayce scribbled something on his pad. “Do you ever wonder what happened to Victoria, Ms. Styles?”
“It’s funny but I think about this all the time, even now. Out of all the cases I’ve worked on, Elle’s haunted me. I guess I felt I let her down because she killed herself.”