Sinful Intentions

by Crystal Rhodes

  Sharon frowned in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

  “When Winston came to the jail to represent Sinclair,” Nedra replied matter-of-factly. “You know, the night that he was taken to the station after Jamison pressed charges against him.”

  Sharon had no clue what she was referring to, but kept quiet, listening attentively as Nedra continued.

  “You lucked up, girlfriend, and if you stay on the path that you’re on, your luck is going to run out. I don’t know what you expect from the man, but he appears to be willing to give you what you want and need, not that you appreciate it. If this little squabble with him is about helping Sin and me keep our family together, I think it’s pretty ironic that you’re working so hard to tear your own apart.”

  Sharon made no reply. There was no argument that she could think of to counter Nedra’s words. The revelation about Winston’s effort to assist her friends was startling, but even more so was that he had never mentioned it to her, knowing that it might have made a difference in her decision to go back to him. Once again, Nedra broke her concentration.

  “Call Carla’s number, will you, and see if she’s answering? If not, then dial Jacob again and see if he found the boys.”

  Her mind still preoccupied with what had been said about her and Winston, Sharon did as requested. Carla didn’t answer, but Jacob had arrived at the shopping mall and paged her with no results. He reported that he was busy searching the cinemas for the boys. As Nedra’s luxury automobile raced through the night toward their destination, both women whispered silent prayers, for very different reasons.

  Chapter 28

  Colin glanced at his brother as they made their way out of the mall doors. He looked less than pleased.

  “I don’t understand what we’re doing?” Trevor pouted. “I want to see the movie. Why do we have to go back to the car?”

  “I told you. We have to get our backpacks out of the trunk.” Colin increased his pace as they moved through the brightly lit parking lot.

  “But what do we need our backpacks for?” Trevor had to trot to keep up with his brother’s quickening pace.

  Colin didn’t answer as they reached their Aunt Carla’s car. Getting inside to open the trunk latch was easy. On the pretext of having forgotten something, he had taken his aunt’s keys, gone back to the car and left it unlocked. Now, pushing the trunk latch from the inside, it popped up instantly. Quickly, he retrieved the two backpacks, handing one to his brother. The boys put them on.

  “Now, come on,” Colin ordered, headed toward the front of the mall where the city bus stop was located.

  “Where are we going?” Trevor protested. “Aren’t we going back to the movie?”

  “No.”

  Trevor stopped walking. “What do you mean, no? Where are we going?”

  Colin stopped and looked back at his defiant brother. “Just come on.”

  “Come on where? I’m not going anyplace until you tell me where we’re going!”

  Colin gave an irritated sigh. Why do little kids have to ask so many questions?

  “We’re going to catch the city bus to Oakland, then we’re going to take another bus and leave California. Okay? Are you satisfied? Now come on.”

  Colin turned and continued walking. He was a few feet away before he noticed that there were no footsteps behind him. He turned to see Trevor standing in place. He walked back to him.

  “Did you hear me? We’ve got to go?”

  “Are you crazy? I’m not leaving California!” Trevor crossed his arms tightly to make his point. “Where are we going? What about Mama and Daddy…Gillian? Aunt Carla will kill us if we get on a bus without letting her know? What’s wrong with you?”

  Colin studied his little brother. He was no longer the scared, scrawny little kid he used to be. Over the years, he had not only developed physically, but he had acquired a confidence that Colin hadn’t recognized until now. He realized that Trevor wasn’t going to follow him anywhere without question as easily as he might have done in the past. He couldn’t sugar coat his next words.

  “The other day I heard Mama and Dad talking on the phone to their lawyer. If you don’t come with me now, that man is coming to get you soon. So make up your mind right now. Do you want to stay with me, or go with him?”

  As he processed his big brother’s words, Trevor was visibly shaken. It wasn’t possible. “Mama and Daddy won’t let that happen.” His voice was barely a whisper.

  “They might not want it to happen, but if the law says so, they won’t have a choice. Besides, some things are happening that…” Colin stopped short, realizing that he may have said too much. “You know that they love us, Trevor, but they can’t work miracles.”

  Trevor couldn’t comprehend the possibility of his parents not being able to stop the man who called himself his father from taking him away. What was happening around him made him angry, but he wasn’t afraid of that possibility. His fears had been calmed by his parents’ reassurance that he would always be their child. Yet, Colin had never lied to him. Tears welled in the child’s eyes as he stared in wide-eyed shock at his big brother.

  “I have plenty of money, and I’ve put all of the things we might need in our backpacks.” Colin tried to sound optimistic.

  “Is that why we’ve got new clothes?”

  “Yes, we can’t wear the things Mama and Dad brought us, not if we want to fit in.”

  “Fit in with who?” A single tear slid down Trevor’s cheek. “Where will we go, Colin?”

  His brother had no immediate answer for him. He didn’t want to take him on the streets. It was too dangerous. They had been homeless often when they were with their biological mother and sometimes the shelters could be more dangerous than the streets. Besides, while he was familiar with Oakland, he knew nothing about the streets of New York.

  “Like I said, I’ve got money. I also have an I.D. that says I’m sixteen—”

  “Sixteen!”

  “Yes, so don’t you say any different. I should be able to get a job with that. I’ll get somebody to rent us a hotel room until I can find a boarding house or something like that for us to settle in permanently. But we’re going to have to make a lot of changes, Trevor. We won’t be who we’ve been for the last couple of years.”

  A stream of tears began to flow down the little boy’s cheeks as he cried silently. “I’m scared. Anything can happen to us.”

  Colin bent down to look into his brother’s eyes. “I know you’re scared, Trevor, but this is something we have to do. There’s no other choice. I never thought that we’d have to go back to being on our own, but it’s happened. We’ve made it before with a whole lot less going for us. We can make it again.”

  Trevor’s eyes bored into Colin’s. He knew without a doubt that his brother would die for him, and he never wanted to leave him. Yet, he didn’t want to leave his parents or his sister either. He’d miss them too much.

  “Mama and Daddy are going to be worried to death, and Gillian is going to cry up a storm.”

  “I know.” Colin couldn’t keep the sadness out of his voice. “But if that guy takes you away, it won’t be any better for them or me either.”

  Wiping a sleeve across his runny nose, Trevor sniffed and gave a shaky sigh. “Things were good, Colin, and we were so happy.”

  “I know.” The words were like an arrow through his heart. He dropped his eyes so that his brother wouldn’t see the moisture threatening to gather in them. He couldn’t show fear or weakness. His brother was depending on him. “We’ve got to go, Trevor. We can’t miss that bus.”

  Colin stood and adjusted his backpack, then held out his hand. Trevor’s sad eyes traveled up the length of his brother’s arm and into the eyes of the boy looking down at him. It wasn’t the same face that had taken care of him years ago. It was older now, almost like a man’s, but the eyes were still the same, and they held the same message—trust me. He always had done so, and Colin never failed him. With a sigh of resign
ation, Trevor took his brother’s hand.

  Chapter 29

  As they raced through the night toward the Bay Area, Sin related to Evelyn some of his own background. She was shocked as he spoke to her of having lived in foster homes and on the streets. He was so suave and sophisticated that she had assumed that he came from money. After hearing his story, the fear that he might judge her harshly for her past subsided. She knew that he had shared his past with her to put her at ease. His having made the effort endeared him even more to her. Despite the reason that they were headed to the East Bay, she had to admit that she was enjoying the trip and was sorry that they were almost at their destination.

  The soothing sound of jazz from the CD player filled the car. Occasionally, Sin’s deep, sexy voice interrupted the music with a comment as it did now.

  “Will you do me a favor, Evelyn?”

  “Of course,” she turned to him with an eager smile.

  “I forgot to call my wife to let her know where I’m going. Will you call my home for me? I’ve got to keep my eyes on the road.”

  Evelyn’s smile faded as she took his cell phone and pushed the programmed number. She didn’t want to think about his wife. It was much more pleasant to pretend that she didn’t exist. On the other end the voice mail answered.

  Sin glanced at the clock. “Where could she be at this time of night?”

  “Maybe she’s asleep,” Evelyn suggested, not really interested at all.

  Sin pondered that possibility, but Evelyn interrupted his thoughts.

  “This is it. This is where she lived the last time I saw her.”

  They both studied the small, stucco house. Orange trees grew on both sides of the brick walkway that led to the small front stoop. The windows were decorated with fancy wrought iron bars that matched the heavy security door. A mid-sized sedan was parked in the driveway, and lights were on in the house.

  “It looks as if someone is there,” Evelyn observed.

  “I only hope it’s who we need.” Sin got out of the car and came around to help Evelyn out. They approached the door cautiously. Sin knocked on the security door.

  It was only a few seconds before the porch light came on. A muffled voice asked who was at the door. It was a woman’s voice. Sin and Evelyn exchanged hopeful looks.

  Evelyn answered. “My name is Evelyn Linwood. I’m sorry to bother you so late, but I’m looking for a woman named Linda Hudson. I’m a friend of hers.”

  For a moment, there was no answer from the other side, then the front door opened, and through the glassed security door a petite, older woman appeared. Both Evelyn and Sin’s hopes were dashed. The woman looked to be in her seventies. She was dressed in a robe. Her gray and white hair was in curlers. She peered with curiosity at the two people standing on her doorstep.

  “Who did you say that you were looking for?”

  “Linda Hudson,” Evelyn said with less confidence this time. She felt Sin’s disappointment. “I’m an old friend of hers, and this was where she was living the last time I spoke to her. Like I said, I’m sorry to bother you. We were hoping that she still lived here. By any chance did she leave a forwarding address with you?”

  The woman studied Evelyn thoroughly, then turned her attention to Sinclair.

  “This is a friend of mine, Sinclair Reasoner,” Evelyn explained. She didn’t want the woman to be frightened by a male presence.

  As the woman was studying Sin, a little girl appeared in the doorway behind her. She was a pretty child, about seven or eight, with two thick pigtails tied at the end with yellow satin ribbons. She looked as though she had just awakened as she gave a wide, drawn out yawn. The girl stood beside the older woman studying the strangers.

  “Who are they, Grandma?” She looked from them to the woman who ignored her inquiry.

  Having assessed Sin, the older woman returned her attention to Evelyn. “Where do you know her from?”

  Evelyn’s heart lurched. The woman’s words hinted that she might know Linda.

  “We met years ago, before I became a school teacher.” Evelyn was deliberately vague. However, she did hope that mentioning her profession might foster some trust.

  “Oh, you’re a teacher?” The woman brightened. “My oldest daughter, Valerie, is a school teacher.”

  “And Linda?” Sin spoke for the first time. The woman’s eyes shifted suspiciously, but the little girl reacted.

  “Do you know my mommy?” It was her turn to examine the man standing in the doorway.

  Although he didn’t react visibly, Sin wanted to shout for joy. He realized that the woman’s caution might be due to the fact that he and Evelyn were strangers, but the little girl didn’t harbor such reservations. That was, if they were talking about the same person. He didn’t have time to be coy.

  “Is your mother, Linda Hudson?”

  The child shook her head in the negative, sending her pigtails flying. “No, it’s Linda Hoover. I’m Cindy…”

  “What do you two want with Linda?” The woman’s voice had turned wary again.

  “We need to see her,” Evelyn answered. “It’s important.”

  “Well, she don’t live here anymore,” the woman said tersely, unaware that she had just answered their question about Linda Hudson.

  It looked as though she was going to close the door in their faces.

  “If she doesn’t live here,” Sin spoke up, “is there any way that we can get in touch with her tonight? This is very important, and there’s a timeline involved.”

  The woman looked skeptical as she got ready to dismiss them. Reading her demeanor, Sin pulled no punches.

  “Mrs. Hoover…”

  “It’s not Hoover.”

  “I apologize, but I’ve got a little boy about the same age as your granddaughter, and I might lose him without you daughter’s assistance.”

  “Lose him?” Her skepticism increased. “How can you lose your own child?”

  “But it’s true,” Evelyn confirmed.

  “It’s a long story,” Sin explained. “But, if Linda can help me in any way, I’d appreciate it.”

  “Please, Mrs…” Evelyn hesitated, not knowing what to call the woman. “This is very important.”

  “My mommy is coming to get me tomorrow. She’s at home now,” Cindy offered.

  “Like I said, my daughter doesn’t live here. Come back tomorrow. You can see her then.”

  “We need to see her this evening,” Sin explained. “The sooner the better. I’ll tell you what. Why don’t you call your daughter and tell her that Evelyn Lin…

  “She knows me as Evelyn Lee,” Evelyn quickly corrected.

  “Yes, tell her that she needs to talk with her. Let her make the decision if she wants to speak to her tonight.”

  Sin’s quick thinking impressed Evelyn. She addressed Linda’s mother. “If she’ll talk with me, she can call me on my cell phone.” She gave the woman the telephone number.

  Agreeing to follow Sin’s suggested plan, the woman sent the little girl to find a piece of paper. When the girl returned with it, she wrote Evelyn’s telephone number down. Thanking the woman, Sin and Evelyn returned to his car to wait.

  “You think that she’ll contact you?” Sin asked, his stomach fluttered nervously.

  Evelyn shrugged. “It’s been years and we haven’t been in touch. I don’t know. I hope so.”

  The wait seemed to take forever. Sin checked his cell phone to see if Nedra had called again. She hadn’t. He concluded that she had gone to bed early, but realizing that another phone call might be prudent, he was about to dial home when Evelyn’s cell phone rang. They exchanged hopeful glances.

  Evelyn checked the telephone number. She didn’t recognize it. She answered, “ Hello?” The voice on the other end spoke, and she smiled up at the man beside her. “Hello, Linda, long time no see.”

  Sin let out the breath that he hadn’t realized he had been holding. Their luck was holding up. He was just about to advise Evelyn against small talk when
his cell phone rang. He glared at the caller I.D., annoyed by the interference. The number belonged to Jacob Belle. Sin answered the call right away.

  Evelyn was trying to explain to Linda the reason for having made contact when Sin let out an expletive and started the car. They pulled away from the curb with a jerk and headed down the street at breakneck speed. He exited onto the nearby highway with tires squealing. Evelyn shot him a questioning glance, but he was oblivious as he concentrated on the road ahead.

  “Who is that with you?” Linda’s voice was angry and cautious. She was not pleased about having been contacted by a friend from her past.

  “I’m with a man who needs your help. He’s looking for information about Royce Jamison.”

  “Are you crazy?” Linda’s tone was fearful this time. “I’m straight now. I’ve got a husband and family. I can’t talk about any of that! Why are you doing this, Evelyn? When we ran into each other years ago, you said that you were going straight, too. You had gotten your degree. You were moving out of the city. What’s wrong with you? I don’t want to talk about all that!”

  “I know, Linda. Believe me I wouldn’t come to you if this weren’t serious. Royce Jamison is about to destroy lives here—”

  “I’m quite familiar with how that man can destroy lives,” Linda hissed bitterly, “And his father can buy and sell them at will.” Her tone lowered to a hurried whisper. “My husband is coming. I can’t talk to you about this…”

  “Linda…”

  “Goodbye, Evelyn, and don’t contact me again.” The call was disconnected.

  Evelyn’s spirit sank. How could she tell Sin that Linda refused to help? She turned her attention to him. However, her concern about that was quickly overshadowed by her growing awareness of where they were.

  “What are we doing at the bus station?” She looked warily at her seedy surroundings.

  “An emergency.” Sin pulled haphazardly into a vacant parking space. Snatching the key out of the ignition, he hurried from the car. “Keep the doors locked,” he barked as he trotted across the lot.