by Tyora Moody
She blew out a sigh of relief. “That’s great, but who was it? One of the employees?” Angel didn’t hear anything on the phone. “Wes, are you still there?”
“The body was identified as Larry Stowe.”
“What? Wait, you said Stowe.”
“Melanie’s dad.”
Angel reached up and grabbed the back of her head, which had started throbbing. “What does this mean? Why was he in the restaurant?”
“I’m not sure of the details, but you remember we have been talking about the past and the present, how some dots seem to be connected?”
“Yes.”
Wes sighed deeply. “I don’t know how well you knew Eddie, but something is not right here. Did you know he was your mother’s manager?”
Angel shook her head, forgetting she was talking to Wes on the phone. She responded, “No. I didn’t know he was her manager.”
“Look, I don’t want to upset you again. We will get together and talk later. I’m still trying to put bits and pieces together, and there are some people I plan to talk to tomorrow. Why don’t we plan to meet later tomorrow?”
“Okay, fine. We can meet tomorrow.” After saying good night, Angel clicked the phone off. Eddie was my mother’s manager, she thought. She sat back against her pillow. That meant he would have helped her get the record deal. Angel looked at the clock on her phone. She started to call Denise but then thought that wasn’t a good idea. What would she ask her? She’d set out to find out more about her mother’s life, but now Angel was feeling more confused and no closer to the truth of why Elisa disappeared.
A noise jolted her. Grams. Angel got up from the bed and walked down the hallway toward Grams’s room. She entered the room and walked over to Grams. Her grandmother was sleeping soundly.
Maybe she was just hearing bumps in the night. Angel left her grams’s room and headed down the hallway toward the living room. There weren’t any lights on in the front. It was so quiet, though. A lot quieter than usual, at least that was what Angel thought. Her overactive imagination was inching toward paranoia.
She stepped into the living room and stopped. Her entire body tensed. Due to the light coming through the window from the street and the porch lights, Angel could see a figure sitting on the couch. Out of the darkness, a voice called out her name. “Angel.”
Chapter Forty-six
Angel took a second to remember to breathe instead of scream. Moving forward into the darkness, she reached out for the lamp that was on a nearby table. The light calmed her, but her uncle did not. He seemed to have aged overnight.
“You scared me, Jacob. When did you get here? Grams has been asking about you.”
She walked farther into the living room and sat across from her uncle on the love seat.
“I’m sorry. I was hoping not to wake you.”
“What’s going on with you? And stop pretending like everything is okay. It’s not. Look at you.”
Jacob snarled, “Will you lower your voice?”
“Grams has noticed something is wrong with you too. She can’t even rest herself because she’s worried about you.”
Jacob leaned his head against the back of the couch. “This has been the worst time in my life next to your mother disappearing. Losing Dad was one thing, but I didn’t see them letting me go at the job. Fifteen years. I gave my best years to that company for fifteen years.”
Angel said, “I’m so sorry. Have you been looking for another job?”
“Angel, I’m almost fifty years old. Employers prefer the youngster, who they can pay less. But I have been working, just not doing what I thought I would be doing. More or less just temporary contract work. I still hope to obtain something more permanent with benefits again, but it’s been hard. So much has happened at once. I mean, I wasn’t expecting Mom to . . .” Jacob sighed and held his head down, but not before Angel took notice of the tears in his eyes.
She remained silent, understanding that her uncle had lost a lot and was probably just as scared.
Jacob interrupted her thoughts. “I ran her off. She’s gone because of me. That’s what has been haunting me lately.” Her uncle stared in her direction, but it was like he was looking through her.
“Liz? Why don’t you try talking to her? I’m sure you two can work it out.”
“No, no, no.” Jacob leaned over and held his head in his hands.
Angel continued, “You’ve been married so long, there has to be something . . .”
Jacob stared at her. “Angel, I’m talking about your mother.”
She sat back on the love seat and eyed her uncle. “My mother? What did you do?”
“Elisa was different when she was younger. She looked up to me as the older brother. I protected her. We grew farther apart the more people encouraged her to sing. It became her obsession. But then she started to change. Elisa’s behavior became so manic that she would get angry and lash out at people, and then, all of a sudden, she would just be the happy little sister I knew.”
Angel remembered talking to Wanda earlier in the week. She’d mentioned her mother’s mood swings. She didn’t want to interrupt Jacob, so she remained quiet.
He laughed quietly, his shoulders shaking. “You were the best thing that ever happened to Elisa. She doted on you. Dressed you up. Being your mother gave her a sense of being normal, being a mom. If only she’d stayed on her medicine.”
“Medicine?”
Jacob focused on Angel. “Dad didn’t want to think anything was wrong with her. If it wasn’t for Mom keeping up with her and staying on her, Elisa would have gotten into a lot more trouble.”
“What was she taking medicine for?” Angel asked.
“She was bipolar. Elisa would be up one day and then down for days.”
“How come no one told me this?”
Jacob shook his head. “I don’t know. I do know that she ran away before. She would go off when she was in high school. We would all look for her, and then we would finally find her at some friend’s house. Most of us had never met these friends.”
“So when she left that night, had she been taking her medicine?”
“I don’t know. I suspect not. She was really flying high, just a ton of energy. She was like a kid, going on and on about the record deal and how she was going to be like Mary J. Blige and Mariah Carey.”
Angel asked, “Did Eddie know? I mean, about her being bipolar.”
Jacob lunged from the couch and paced. “He knew. I tried to tell Dad that Eddie was no good. Yeah, he could play the drums, but he was surrounded by people who were questionable. Even the guys in the band were starting to be weary of him. I still don’t know how Eddie talked Dad into letting him be Elisa’s manager. He knew she had talent, and he just wanted to make money off her, but Dad was so blind.”
Angel stared at her uncle, trying to let his rants sink in. “Well, what did you mean when you said you ‘ran her off’?”
Jacob sat back down. “After she argued with your father, I tried to talk to her. I told her Angelino was right. She needed to wait a while longer for a better opportunity. She was so angry at me. I didn’t realize she had left, but . . .” Jacob swallowed. “Mom went to check on you, and you asked her where Mommy was going.”
“I did?”
“Yes, you were the one who clued us in on the fact that she had left. I knew she was angry with me.”
Angel leaned over. “Do you know if she was there the night the rapper K-Dawg was killed?”
Jacob studied her for a second. “What do you know about that night?”
“Wes has been looking into some things for me. There’s a theory that she saw who killed K-Dawg, and wherever she went after that, the person responsible did something to her. Do you think that’s what happened?”
Her uncle sat quietly for a moment, deep in thought. He looked back at Angel, his eyes glistening. “She was there. Dad sent me to get her. She had been off for a few days. Mom suspected she was not taking her medicine. Someone call
ed Dad and said Elisa was acting a little crazy. I just happened to be home visiting and was sent to fetch my sister.”
Angel asked, “Did you arrive when the shooting happened? Do you think she saw something?”
Jacob responded, “I arrived after the shooting. I remember it was just chaos. It took me at least ten or fifteen minutes, but I finally located Elisa. She was standing on the sidewalk, just staring at the car. The police had asked her if she saw something.”
“She didn’t say?”
“No. Nobody said anything.” Jacob sighed. “It’s possible she could have seen something, but she never said anything. I just tried to get her back home. She was sitting so still in the passenger seat. I thought maybe she was in shock.”
Angel felt close to tears. This was the closest she had ever come to finding out the truth about her mother. She just didn’t understand why it had taken so long to pull it out of her own flesh and blood.
Questions still lingered, though. “Jacob?”
“Yeah?”
“Where would my mother have gone the night she left?”
“Angel, cops have been over this time and time again.”
“But they missed something, and I need to know.” Angel stood. “Did they know she was at the club the night of the shooting? When she was really frustrated, was there someone she turned to? She had to say something to someone.”
“Before Elisa disappeared, the only person she would really listen to or confide in was Eddie.”
Angel stood still. Wes was right. She was starting to question if she really knew at all the people in her life she thought she knew. When she met with Wes, they would have a lot of pieces to put together.
Chapter Forty-seven
Wes decided to talk to the last person he knew had talked to Larry Stowe. He walked into the Kingdom Building Church offices. There was a different person, an older woman, sitting at the secretary’s desk today. She reminded Wes a little of Minister J.D. in terms of her facial features.
He smiled at her and said, “Hello. I’m Wes Cade, and I’m wondering if I can talk to Minister J.D. I called him earlier this morning.”
“Sure.” The older woman smiled. “It may be a few moments. He is in with someone now.”
“Thanks. I will wait.”
Wes walked over to a group of framed pictures on the wall. The first time he came to see Minister J.D., he hadn’t noticed the collection. He studied the photos and knew from the clothes people wore that they were taken in the late eighties, early nineties. Wes recognized a younger Minister J.D., along with K-Dawg and Larry Stowe, in one of the photographs. Larry really looked angry in the photo, and it was not just that rap artist swagger, where one was mad at the world for the camera’s sake. No, Wes sensed tension in Larry’s eyes.
Minister J.D.’s door opened. When Wes turned around, he was surprised to see his friend Detective Darnell Jackson stepping out of the office. Wes walked over.
Both the minister and the detective watched Wes as he approached. Both looked solemn.
Darnell asked, “Now, why did I know you would not be far behind me?”
“A reporter has to get their story,” Wes replied.
Darnell turned to shake Minister J.D.’s hand. “It was a pleasure to meet you. Sorry about the loss of your friend.” Darnell gave Wes a warning look. “Like I told Serena, be careful with the details on this case.”
Wes nodded. “You got it.” After Darnell walked away, Wes addressed Minister J.D. “I hope you will still see me.”
“Sure. It’s good to see you back. Come on in.”
Wes followed the minister into his office and sat down across from him. “I won’t hold you long, but given the turn of events since I saw you last, I would like to know what relationship Eddie Gowins had with Larry Stowe.”
“The last time you were here, we talked about the old Royal Records. It was actually partly owned by Eddie. He brought in demo tapes from all types of artists. He was all about looking for the next star. Well, we were young, and Eddie talked good game. So we decided to let him manage us.”
Wes tilted his head. “Big mistake?”
“Big mistake. Don’t get me wrong. I liked Eddie. Smooth talker. Loved that restaurant. It’s a shame that we lost it. To be honest, I don’t know why Larry was there.”
“He certainly wasn’t trying to resurrect his career,” Wes said.
Minister J.D. let out a short laugh. “No. You know, I stayed in touch with Larry while he was in prison. I told him when he got out, I would get him hooked up with a job at the church, but you know, he was more interested in his little girl. He wanted to be able to see her make it in the music industry. When he got out, he talked to me about helping Melanie. It’s funny, but that girl wouldn’t give him the time of day. You couldn’t blame her, but he was trying to make up for his absence. Unfortunately, the bottle took up most of his attention.”
“Do you think Larry might have talked to Eddie about managing Melanie’s career?”
“I don’t know. After K-Dawg died, we all tried to stay in the game for a while, but it all fizzled. Everyone, including Eddie, just gave it up. He went into the restaurant business, and everyone went and did their own thing.”
Wes thought about how Larry still dressed like he had when he was in his twenties. “It still seems like Larry hadn’t let go. Was there a beef between Eddie and Larry back then?”
“Not that I could tell. But . . .”
Wes encouraged the minister. “Yes. Is there something else?”
“To be honest, Larry was good. He had better skills than K-Dawg on the mic. He could freestyle like nobody else could. I think he always had resentment about not getting his due.” Minister J.D. looked down at his desk for a long moment, as if he was in prayer. He finally turned his attention to Wes. “When Larry came to sit in my office, right there in that chair, I almost felt like he was apologizing to me for something. He kept saying, ‘I should have stayed loyal to y’all.’”
Wes frowned. “Sounds like he betrayed you in some way.”
“I just wasn’t sure how or what he was trying to tell me. Now I won’t know until we meet on the other side.”
Wes’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and looked at the caller ID. “Minister J.D., I appreciate your time. I need to get this call.” He shook the minister’s hand and quickly walked out.
By the time he was outside the office, the voice mail had picked up the call. He listened to Angel’s voice. “Wes, I’m not sure what time you wanted to meet today, but there’s something I need to do. If you don’t hear from me in a few hours, then send the cavalry to come find me.” Wes heard a door slam, like Angel was either getting in or out of the car. This reminded him of when she showed up at her father’s house a few weeks ago. Wes dialed Angel’s number.
She didn’t answer.
Wes peered down at his phone. He played the voice mail again. Angel sounded stressed and determined. He felt an urge to find her. Angel, where are you, and what are you up to?
Chapter Forty-eight
After a fitful night of sleeping, Angel sat propped up against her pillow, watching the sun come up. While memories of her mother were usually faded, last night she could picture her mother’s face vividly in her dreams and when she awoke. She’d always sensed her mother’s moods, especially the extreme ones. Now there was a name for it, and all this time Angel hadn’t known. People would tell her Elisa was spoiled and got her way, but her grandparents probably did all they could to keep up with a talented, but troubled woman.
She had read a bit about bipolar disorder before going to bed. If her mother hadn’t been taking her medicine, in a manic state could she have confided in the wrong person? Angel had grown weary in her search for answers, but she couldn’t rest until she knew the truth. She was the closest she had ever been to learning more about her mother.
A half an hour later, Angel entered the kitchen to grab some coffee, which someone had already started. She peeked into
the dining room and found Jacob and Grams talking. Her uncle looked like he hadn’t slept much, either, but thankfully, he had shaved his beard. To see her uncle’s clean-shaven face gave Angel hope that he was doing better.
“Morning, Angel,” Grams said with a familiar smile.
Angel was sure having Jacob around had improved her grandmother’s mood. Angel hugged her and then did something she hadn’t done since she was a little girl. She hugged Jacob. He accepted her hug, barely touching her as she squeezed him.
He stared at her with questions in his eyes. Maybe he was having second thoughts about being so candid with her last night. “You are up early this morning,” he said.
“Yeah, I have some things to do. You two enjoy the day. I will see you later.” She exited the house and walked briskly to her car. Today the forecast was for rain all day. It was cool compared to the hot, muggy weather of the past few weeks.
Before Angel started the car, she dialed Wes’s number. They had talked last night about meeting but hadn’t set a time. He didn’t answer, so she left him a message. Angel checked to see if the phone was on vibrate and slipped it into her jacket pocket. As she drove, she felt the phone vibrate in her pocket. Angel concentrated on the road instead of taking the call. She sensed it was Wes, but she didn’t want him to try to talk her out of what she was about to do.
Like a few weeks ago, when she went to meet her father, she had felt compelled to let someone know what she was doing. Well, sort of. She was sure her cryptic message would leave Wes scratching his head, but knowing his inquisitive mind, Angel knew she could count on him.
It occurred to her after she started driving that she should think this through. Soon she found herself on the familiar street. Angel hadn’t been to the Gowins’ home in years. As she drove up to the house, she saw Eddie’s Mercedes in the driveway. She did think the man was flashier than the other members of the group, who were more or less good old country boys. Maybe because Eddie was a bit younger.
Angel parked her car behind the Mercedes. She walked to the door, rang the bell, and waited. She stood there for about two minutes before ringing the doorbell again. Angel cupped her hands around her face and leaned against the windowpane. It could have been a reflection, but Angel thought she saw someone moving around inside the house. She had called Denise before coming over to see if she’d heard from her dad, but there had been no response to her calls.