The Summer of Me: A Novel

by Angela Benson

  “And this woman, the one you’re interested in, she didn’t know what she was doing wasn’t on the up-and-up?”

  “You know how it works. I think her initial reaction was that it was too good to be true. But she needed the money, so she let herself be convinced that it was all legal. Phil is a good salesman. He does a masterful job of addressing those initial fears.”

  “Are you sure you’re not making excuses for her because you care about her?”

  Daniel shrugged. “Maybe a little, but she’s a good person, George. I know her heart. I’ve only known her for a short time, but there’s something about her. Finding out she’d gotten herself involved with Phil didn’t make those feelings fade. If anything, I became protective of her. Sure, I was disappointed that she’d let herself be exploited, but seeing a victim of this scam helped me to decide to do a little something to reduce the helplessness that leads some people to become victims.”

  “That doesn’t surprise me,” George said. “What did you do?”

  Daniel told him about the financial programs he was starting at church. When he was finished, he added, “Destiny, that’s her name, is working with me on getting them started. We’ve been spending a lot of time together. I hate that I haven’t been totally honest with her.”

  “You’re worried she’s not going to react favorably when she learns what you’ve been up to?”

  Daniel gave a dry laugh. “You know what’s funny? Phil told me that the reason he came clean was because of Bertice, the other one of Natalie’s friends. He’d fallen for her since getting her involved and knew he had to do something to make it right. We’ve both been lying to women we care about. Lying for a good reason, but lying just the same.”

  “And you never know how women are going to react to that, do you?”

  “They’re funny creatures when it comes to their hearts. Trust is hard to gain but very easy to lose. I don’t want Destiny to regret trusting her heart to me. She’s been through enough disappointment when it comes to men. I don’t want to be that guy.”

  “You won’t be,” George said. “You’ll sit her down next week and tell her everything. She’ll probably be more embarrassed than anything. If she’s half the woman you think she is, she’ll understand why you kept her in the dark.”

  “And if she doesn’t?”

  It was George’s turn to shrug. “Maybe she’s not the woman for you.”

  Daniel didn’t want to let his thoughts go down that road. It wasn’t lost on him that his relationships with both Gloria and Destiny had ties to his work at GDW Investigations. What did that say about him? What did it say about them? Before he could begin to ponder answers to those questions, the cell phone in his pocket began to vibrate. “Let me check to see who this is,” he said, pulling out the cell phone. “Destiny went to California where her children are vacationing and I don’t want to miss a call from her.” When he looked at the caller ID, he said, “It’s her. I need to take this.”

  “No problem,” George said. “I’ll be in my office.”

  Daniel shook his head. “No, don’t leave. I’d like to finish this conversation. Let me tell her that I’ll call her back.”

  Daniel turned his chair so that he faced away from George and out the windows behind his desk. “Hello, Ms. California,” he said. “I’m glad you haven’t forgotten me.”

  Instead of giving him back the playful banter he expected, she murmured, “I’m in trouble, Daniel.”

  Daniel jumped up from his chair. “Trouble? What kind of trouble? Are your children all right?”

  “The children are fine,” she said, her voice shaking. “It’s me. I’m in trouble.”

  “What happened?”

  “I’m at the L.A. police station,” she said. “It started with a rejected credit card at a local restaurant and now I’m being held for questioning.”

  “For what?” he asked, his voice rising. “Surely not for a declined credit card.”

  “I don’t know why,” she said. “They’ve been asking odd questions, not about the rejected credit cards, but about Phil and HR Solutions.”

  “Don’t answer anything,” he said. “Sit tight and I’ll round up an attorney for you. This whole thing doesn’t sound right.”

  “Don’t hang up,” she said. “I’m scared, Daniel. Why are they asking about Phil and HR Solutions? What have I gotten myself involved in?”

  Daniel’s heart beat faster with each of her questions. He wished he were there to help her. “Everything will be fine,” he said. “Don’t worry. You’re not going to jail. Do you know which precinct you’re at?”

  “Yes,” she said, and gave him the precinct number.

  “Sit tight,” he said again. “I’ll have an attorney down there within the hour.”

  “Thank you,” she said. “I need to get out of here. They arrested me when I was at a restaurant with Mom and the kids. I need to see my kids.”

  “Don’t worry,” he said again. “I’ve got this. I need you to trust me. I’ve got this.”

  She took a deep breath. “It was awful, Daniel. They put me in handcuffs at the restaurant.” Her voice began to break. “What if my kids had seen me like that? It would have scarred them for life.”

  Daniel wanted to throttle the cops who’d mistreated her but he was three thousand miles away and there was nothing he could do. “Look,” he said. “Don’t hang up. I’ll get on another line and contact an attorney. Don’t hang up.”

  “I won’t,” she said.

  Daniel turned to George, who had rushed to his side. “What’s going on?” George asked.

  Daniel put the phone on mute. “The L.A. police have taken Destiny to the station and they’re asking her about HR Solutions.”

  “Damn, damn, damn,” George said.

  “I feel the same way,” Daniel said. “Can you round up one of your L.A. contacts and get a lawyer down to the jail and get her out?”

  “Consider it done,” George said.

  “And have Anika book me on the next flight out to L.A.”

  “You’re going out there?”

  “I have to,” Daniel said. “She’s scared. Besides, I want to be there when she learns the truth.” He sighed deeply. “I definitely didn’t want her to find out this way.”

  George clasped him on the shoulder. “It’ll work out,” he said. “You have to believe that.”

  “I’m trying,” Daniel said, “but she’s so scared. I can hear the fear in her voice.”

  “Okay,” George said, “you get back on the phone with her and try to keep her calm. I’ll get an attorney down there ASAP, the same on the flight arrangements. We’re going to make this right for her, Daniel. I promise.”

  “Thanks, man,” Daniel said, though he wondered if that were possible. When George headed toward the door, he unmuted the phone and went back to Destiny. “I’m back,” he said. “We’re getting in touch with the attorney now. I’ll stay on the phone with you until he gets there. If we get disconnected or they force you to hang up, know that I’m still here for you. I’ll always be here for you.”

  Chapter 34

  DESTINY LET THE CALMING WARMTH OF THE SHOWER soothe her tired spirit. She still couldn’t believe that she’d been handcuffed and taken to the police station. Thank God, Daniel had contacts in California who’d been able to get her released. That she hadn’t been booked or officially charged didn’t make the incident any less harrowing.

  When the water began to grow chilly, Destiny knew her shower time was coming to an end. She wrapped herself in a towel and stepped out of the shower. Catching herself in the mirror above the bathroom counter, she was surprised that the horror she’d endured today wasn’t reflected in her appearance.

  Destiny pushed away the negatives of the day and tried to focus on the positives. Fortunately, she had some things for which she could be grateful. She was grateful her kids hadn’t seen her handcuffed. The police hadn’t been particularly nice to her but they had honored her request to take her
out the back so her kids wouldn’t see. She was also grateful they’d let her call her mother and let her know what was going on. That’s where her gratitude toward the police ended. According to the attorney Daniel had found for her, they should never have handcuffed her and taken her to the station in the first place. He’d made noises about a civil suit against the department, but she figured that was only posturing to get her released faster. Whatever it was, she was glad it had worked and she was now back at the hotel.

  She exhaled deeply. She’d put it off long enough. She had to face her mother. The woman deserved some answers. Unfortunately, Destiny didn’t have many. Her attorney told her only that the police were interested in HR Solutions and Daniel would give her the details when he arrived. Why did he have to come all the way to California to tell her? Why couldn’t he tell her over the phone? Had he spoken to Phil? What was going on?

  “Destiny,” she heard her mother call. “You can’t hide in there all night. You’re not the only one who has to use that bathroom.”

  Destiny sighed. Then she pulled open the bathroom door. “The bathroom is yours, Mom.”

  “It’s about time,” Patricia muttered. “You’re not the only one who had a rough day. How do you think I felt sitting in that restaurant waiting for you, only to learn that you’d been taken to the police station? I was terrified. I didn’t know what was going on. I still don’t know what was going on.”

  “You know as much as I do, Mother.”

  Patricia huffed. “I know that’s not true. Are you’re going to tell me everything before we leave to see those kids?”

  “We can talk later tonight,” Destiny said. “All I want to do now is drive out and say good night to the kids.”

  Patricia began shaking her head. “You may want to wait until tomorrow to see the kids though. I told you that Kenneth was pretty angry when he picked them up at the restaurant.”

  It didn’t matter how upset Kenneth was. She needed to see her kids. They were the most important parts of her life and she felt like she’d come close to losing them today. She needed to see them to reassure herself that hadn’t happened. If she had to bear Kenneth’s wrath, so be it. “I’m going, Mom. It’s up to you whether you go with me or not.”

  “I’m going if you’re going,” her mother said, though her tone told Destiny she’d be going grudgingly.

  “Don’t do me any favors, Mom.”

  Patricia sat down on the side of the bed. “I was so afraid, Destiny. I didn’t know what was happening with you. I’ve never felt so helpless in all my life.”

  Destiny sat down next to her mother, full of compassion for her. “I’m sorry you were worried, Mom, but as you can see, I’m fine. Nothing happened to me.”

  “How can you say that, Destiny? Something did happen. You were taken to the police department and I want to know why. Was it about the credit cards?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  “What do you mean you’re not sure? What did your attorney say? Where did you find the attorney in the first place? You don’t know any lawyers out here, do you?”

  The fear and concern in her mother’s eyes caused Destiny to relent. Even though her mother was a tough taskmaster, she was her mother and she loved her. She didn’t want her to worry and she didn’t want her afraid. She started with the easy question. “Daniel found the attorney for me. He has friends with contacts out here.”

  “When did you talk to Daniel?”

  “I called him from the police station.”

  “Why him? Are you two that serious? I would think this kind of incident would squelch a new relationship. What man wants this kind of drama?”

  Her mother’s words stung even though Destiny knew she didn’t mean them to. She was only stating what she thought was obvious. “He’s my friend, Mom. I trust him. He was the first person I thought of, so I called him.”

  “Why did they arrest you? What are you not telling me, Destiny?”

  “Honestly, Mom, I’m not sure yet. According to the attorney, Daniel will give me the details when he gets here.”

  “Daniel’s coming to Los Angeles?”

  “He may already be here. His attorney friend is picking him up. They have the information that the police wanted from me.”

  “You’re talking in circles, Destiny. Just tell me.”

  Destiny looked away from her mother. “Honestly, Mom, I don’t know the details. All I know is that it has something to do with HR Solutions.”

  “What is HR Solutions?”

  “It’s a temporary agency in Atlanta that I’ve been doing some part-time work with.”

  “Since when? I didn’t know you were working a temp job. When do you work? What do you do?”

  Destiny thought her mother’s questions sounded much like the ones the detectives had asked. “I did market and consumer research from home on the computer.”

  “Well, if the police were asking about it, there must have been something fishy about it. If you had focused on school the way I asked, you wouldn’t be in this mess. I told you that all these little jobs wouldn’t amount to much. Now this one has landed you in jail. What were you thinking?”

  Destiny bit her tongue to keep from screaming. When she was calm, she said, “Kenneth thinks hauling the kids between my house, his house, and school every day is too much for them. He wants them to live with him and Mary Margaret during the school week since his house is closer to their school.”

  “When did he tell you this? Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I’m telling you now, Mom.”

  “Why did you wait so long to tell me?”

  She met her mother’s gaze. “I wanted to wait until I had an answer for you. I wanted to solve the problem myself. I didn’t want you to solve it for me.”

  “I would have helped, Destiny. The kids don’t have to live with Kenneth.”

  “I know,” she said. “Since I didn’t like the option that Kenneth presented, I had to come up with another one.”

  “So what did you come up with?”

  “I decided that the kids and I needed to move into the school district so the school would be closer. I started looking for places a few months ago, but the apartments are priced higher and they’re much smaller than what we have now. I couldn’t find anything that worked for us until I started looking at houses.”

  “You’ve been looking at houses?”

  Destiny nodded. “I found one that’s perfect for us. The owners, a retired couple moving to Florida, offered me a great lease-purchase option. So I found a part-time job that would yield me the money I needed. Unfortunately, the offer was rescinded a couple of weeks before I was supposed to start. Then things got even more complicated when Kenneth decided to cut his child-support payments in half for the summer months because the kids were with him. So I took on the extra jobs because I needed them. It’s just that simple.”

  “Why didn’t you come to me, Destiny? I could have helped you out. You didn’t have to resort to criminal activity.”

  “I didn’t do anything illegal, Mom.”

  “Well, I’m not a genius,” her mother said, “but if the police picked you up, I’d guess whatever it was must have been illegal.”

  She knew her mother was right. “It certainly seems that way, but I don’t really know. According to my attorney, Daniel will give me the details when he gets here.”

  “Why would Daniel know anything?”

  “All I know is that he’s friends with the guy who runs HR Solutions.”

  “This is an awful situation, Destiny.”

  Destiny could only nod her agreement. “Go take a hot shower, Mom. You’ll feel better.”

  “I think I’ll lie down first,” her mother said. “I’m too tired to think about a shower now.”

  Destiny’s heart ached with the knowledge that she had caused her mother’s fatigue. “I’m sorry, Mom,” she said.

  Her mother patted her shoulder. “I know you are, sweetheart. Just let me rest for a little whi
le. I’m so tired.”

  “You’re still going with me to see the kids, aren’t you?”

  Her mother shook her head. “Not tonight,” she said. “Tell them I’ll see them tomorrow. Tonight I need to rest.”

  Destiny got up from the bed and watched as her mother slid under the covers. Though Destiny still looked the same after her ordeal, it seemed her mother had aged several years. Destiny despaired that she was the cause.

  Chapter 35

  DANIEL PACED THE CONFERENCE ROOM OF HIS BUSINESS suite while he waited for Destiny to arrive. Malcolm Winters, the attorney who had gotten Destiny released from jail, sat at the conference table going over the notes from their earlier meeting with the police. Daniel silently thanked God again that GDW’s investigation had been complete by the time this happened. Otherwise, Destiny would be in a world of trouble. As it was, the local police were willing to fall in line with the Feds when it came to HR Solutions and the related fraud. Turned out that HR Solutions wasn’t the only firm involved.

  “You’re wearing out the carpet with all your pacing,” Malcolm finally said. “There’s no need for you to be nervous. Your girl got the best possible outcome. You should be celebrating, not pacing.”

  “I hear you,” Daniel said, hoping the man was right. Sure, Destiny was going to be all right in this mess, but would their budding relationship survive? He’d learned one thing during the long flight from Memphis to Los Angeles: he wanted their relationship to work. They both deserved a chance to see where it would go.

  Malcolm chuckled. “You may hear me, but you don’t agree. And I can’t figure out why.”

  Daniel stopped pacing. “I’m sorry, man,” he said. “I have a lot on my mind. I do appreciate what you’ve done for Destiny. I’ll never be able to repay you for the way you quickly stepped in and got her released. I owe you.”

  “It wasn’t a problem at all,” Malcolm said. “George has helped me out numerous times. It was only right that I return the favor. Besides, it’s turned into some solid work for me.”

  “How’s that?”