by Iris Bolling
“There’s a parking space right there.” Vivian pointed.
“The hell with a parking space.” Daisy put the car in park. Opened the door then ran out leaving the car door open. Vivian jumped out, ran around the car then took the driver’s seat. She parked the car then ran in the shop behind Daisy.
“Hey, did you see a really prissy black woman with salt and pepper hair, dressed in jeans a tank top and fancy sweater?”
The people in the shop looked at her like she was crazy and shook their heads no.
“No. Okay.” Daisy nodded just as Vivian was coming through the door. “She’s not here. We gotta to go to the other shop.”
“You talking about the Specialty Blend Tea Port?”
“Yes, that’s it,” Vivian said.
“You better hurry they close in about ten minutes. That’s why we came here. Can’t get no pick me ups but it will do in a pinch.”
Daisy glared at the woman. “What?”
“The pick me ups. Thats what they specialize in,” the old woman replied.
“Bless you.” Daisy hugged the woman then ran out the door.
Vivian waved bye then ran out behind her. “The pick me ups. That’s what Winnie said she was drinking when I was talking to her one day.”
“That’s where we need to go,” Daisy said as she looked around. “Where in the hell is the car?”
“Right over here. I parked it.” Vivian pointed.
“You can’t park a car when we are on a mission,” Daisy fussed as she rushed towards the car.”
“Give me the keys.” She held her hand out to Vivian.
“Oh no. I don’t have a full understanding of the urgency here, but I plan to get to Winnie with my life still intact. Get in the car I’m driving.”
Daisy stomped to the passenger seat. “Never knew you to be bossy.”
“Now you know. I pull out what I need when I need it.” Vivian pulled out of the strip mall.
Turn left onto Richmond Highway.
Vivian made the left turn, then floored the gas pedal.
The vehicle lurched forward as Daisy flew backwards.
“You better put your seat belt on, Daisy.”
In 200 feet turn right onto Main Street.
Daisy had just clicked the seatbelt in place when Vivian took the corner on two wheels.
Your destination is on the right.
The vehicle swung again to the right. It leaped a foot or two in the air as it roared over the curbside. Vivian stopped the car in front of the shop.
“Hey, that’s Winnie’s car.”
Daisy jumped out and ran inside. Vivian followed.
“Hey, did you see a really prissy Black woman with salt and pepper hair, dressed in jeans, a tank top and fancy sweater? She might have been with another woman but I don’t know what she looks like.”
“You’re taking about Winnie and Angelina. Sure they were here not long ago,” the woman said. “Is something wrong?”
“Yes.” Daisy walked up to the counter. “Can you tell me where they went or how long they have been gone?” She asked as she dialed Jerome’s number.
“I think they went to Angelina’s place,” the woman told them. “Come to think of it, Angelina was not herself today. Winnie drove her home to make sure she was okay.”
“What kind of car were they driving?”
The woman shook her head. “Now, that I don’t know.”
“Do you know where Angelina lives?”
“Yes, two streets straight across on Jasper.”
“Bless you,” Vivian said as they both ran out.
“She’s at Angelina’s house,” Daisy yelled into the phone.
“I’m still twenty minutes out,” Jerome said. “Get to the house and get Winnie out of there.”
CHAPTER 37
“Thank you for driving me home, Winnie,” Angelina sighed as she sat on her sofa. “It has been a dreadful day.”
Winnie bent next to the sofa her friend was sitting on then took her hand. “You are not alone, Angelina. I have those days too, when the hurt is so intense it feels like you are living that day when you lost the man you love all over again. As if it just happened.”
Tears streamed down Angelina’s cheek. “It is so fresh, Winnie. The realization that he will never hold me in his arms again. My lips will never touch his.” She shook her head. Angelina sat up as if suddenly she remembered her manners. She patted Winnie’s hand. “You get up. I am going to be fine, now. Please sit on the sofa.” She stood. “I will fix us a cup of tea. We have a lot to talk about.”
Winnie stood with her. “You don’t have to fix anything.” Winnie raised an eyebrow. “Unless you have the special soothing blend in the house.”
Angelina smiled. “I just happen to have a can or two. I’ll prepare us a cup. Make yourself at home,” she said as she walked into the kitchen.
Winnie put her purse on the coffee table. “You have a beautiful home.”
“It’s not much, but I love it.”
“It’s charming,” Winnie said as she glanced around. The house was a nice sized rancher. They’d entered into a foyer that had a table where Angelina had placed her keys. A plaque above the table read, Have Faith that All Will Be Well. Winnie thought it was a wonderful saying to greet you each day. The living room was on the right, with a sunroom attached. To the left was a dining room that led to the kitchen where Angelina had disappeared. Winnie noticed there were no pictures of family like she had throughout her home. There was art work that looked somewhat familiar to her. They were expensive pieces, she thought. Angelina and her husband must have done well for themselves. “You have some beautiful artwork,” Winnie said as she continued to move from piece to piece. “I’ve seen some of these before,” she said more to herself than out loud. She came to a piece and stopped in front of it. That was odd, she thought. The piece once hung in the family house. Examining it closer her first thought was it must be a print of the original. But the closer she looked, the more it seemed to be the original. “But that isn’t possible.”
“What isn’t?” Angelina asked as she walked into the room with a tray holding a porcelain tea pot with steam flowing from it, two tea cups and an assortment of cookies.
“I thought it would be nice to have some cookies as we talked.”
“May I help you with that?” Winnie’s mind left the picture on the wall.
“I have it, Winnie. Why don’t we have a seat in the sunroom?” Angelina smiled. “This way.”
Winnie glanced back at the picture then followed Angelina into the sunroom. There was a wicker sofa and two chairs with matching cushions and a table. The room had glass windows on three sides, a fireplace with a mantle on the far wall. Above the mantle were pictures of a young man at different stages of his life clear up to the ceiling.
“You have a son?”
Angelina looked up. “Yes, I do. He is the joy of my life.” She set the tray on the table. “Come, have a seat.”
Something about the fact that Angelina had never really talked about her son did not sit well with Winnie. She thought of the many times they had discussed her children, but never once did Angelina mention she had a son. Her eyes roamed from the football picture of the boy at around eight, the prom picture that every mother has, the high school graduation picture. Winnie stopped and stared. “Your son looks familiar. Do I know him? Is he famous?”
“Have a seat.” Angelina smiled as she handed Winnie a tea cup. “I will tell you all about him.”
Winnie felt a little better as she sat on the sofa next to Angelina. “Thank you.” Winnie took a sip of her tea. “Hmm, this is good.” Thinking it was a good idea to let her friend talk about her son, to get her mind off of her loss, she said, “So tell me about your son.”
Angelina’s face brightened. “I can honestly say he is the one thing that has kept me sane over the last two years.” Angelina moved from the sofa to the chair close to the entrance.
Winnie thought the move was odd,
but when she saw the books on the table next to the chair she shrugged it off. She had a favorite chair at home too, she thought then sat back to get comfortable.
“I call my son Prez because I believe he is destined to do great things.”
Winnie smiled in understanding.
“His father..” She paused for a second. “Well, he has good blood running through his veins.”
The pause caused Winnie’s heart to go out to the woman. She knew how difficult it was for her to talk about Hep, at times.
“A few years ago we started on a journey to move Prez into a position to one day lead his father’s company. A natural progression for a son to continue the legacy of his family. There were a few obstacles in the way. But with careful planning, we could see great things in the future.” She frowned. “Removing the main obstacle was a difficult decision for all of us, but hardest on his father. Asking me to handle it for him was…met with some resistance at first, but then he convinced me it was the best thing to do for our son. So I eliminated that obstacle and we moved forward with plans to one day have Prez take over. He is smart.” Angelina smiled. “We ensured he had the best education possible. He has been able to learn the business from the ground floor, working around people who are the best at what they do. He has proven his ability to run different departments. In fact, he received a promotion the other day. As you can tell he is flourishing in the business. He is already in a position of leadership and I suspect any day now he will move up again.”
Winnie didn’t understand all that Angelina was saying, but she moved past that. “Mothers would move heaven and earth for their children.” She smiled as she sipped her tea again.
Angelina smiled. “It warms my heart to hear you say that, Winnie.” She set her tea cup down, stood then walked over to the mantle above the fireplace. She picked up a framed picture then stared at it. “My Prez deserves the best. Regardless of what his parents have done.”
That statement caused Winnie to glance up. “What do you mean, Angelina?”
Angelina handed the picture to Winnie. “He is a handsome young man, don’t you think.”
Winnie looked at the picture and smiled. “Yes, he is. How old is he now?” She asked hoping to get the conversation on some level of comprehension. It felt like it had taken a wrong turn somewhere.
“Prez is thirty-two.”
“The same age as my Michael.”
“Yes, they were born around the same time.” Angelina nodded.
“What kind of work does he do?”
“He works with his family.”
Hmm, that wasn’t the question, Winnie thought. As she listened and watched Angelina, she realized something was off. Did she miss the signs before?
“That’s important you know,” Angelina continued. “Family should always come first. The very fiber of your moral character comes from family. Family Integrity First and Foremost. Isn’t that right, Winnieford?”
Her gut clinched in that moment. It was the way she said her name. Something was definitely off. “Yes,” Winnie said as she slowly stood. “Where does Prez work, Angelina?”
The woman smiled. “I think you know, Winnieford.”
Winnie stepped over to the mantle where Angelina stood. “No, I don’t.” Winnie tilted her head as she stared at the woman she was beginning to see wasn’t really a friend.
“He works with family.” She smiled.
The warmth that Winnie once felt in that smile was gone. There was a sadness there now. “What family?”
“Yours of course.” Angelina smiled. “And his,” she added.
Winnie took a step back to look at the pictures above the mantle. She quickly scanned past the younger ones to see what she had missed the first time. She stopped at one picture then stared at it. Shock raced through her. Then it was replaced by deception. She glared at Angelina. “What is your last name?”
“I thought you would never ask.” Angelina smiled. “My last name is Long. My son is Preston Long.”
Winnie smirked. “I see.” She took a step away from the woman as reality began to settle in. “You did not just happen to be in that tea shop?”
“No, that was part of the plan.”
Winnie nodded her head. “A plan to befriend me.” She tilted her had. “Why? What is it that you want?”
“I don’t want anything, Winnie, that any other woman doesn’t want. I wanted my happily ever after.” She looked away. “But I will never have that.”
Winnie snapped her fingers. “I don’t know where your mind went, but I need you to come back.” There was a bite to her tone. “Preston is on the Board at Dunning. You said he works with family. Exactly how does Preston fit into my family?” Winnie kept her mind and heart from jumping to any conclusions. But she knew for a fact that if this woman came out of her mouth wrong she was going to lose the little sanity she had left.
“His father is a Dunning,” Angelina replied.
Winnie took a daring step towards the woman. “I want you to be very careful with your answer, Angelina. Who is Preston’s father?”
Angelina walked over to the table next to the chair she had been sitting in. She pulled out what looked to be a photo album and held it out to Winnie. “See for yourself.”
Winnie hesitated. Did she want to see? No. Her heart replied quickly, but her mind needed to know. She reached out, taking the small photo album in her hand.
“Most people keep pictures on computers now,” Angelina said as Winnie hesitated. “I need to feel them, hold them to my heart. Remember the love we shared back then.”
Winnie almost took her little book of memories and smacked the woman with them. But instead she opened the book. Her mind reeled, while her heart jumped for joy. The man in the picture with a young Angelina looked like Hepburn, but it wasn’t. It was Walker Jr. She glanced up at Angelina. “Walker Jr. is Preston’s father?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t Preston tell us?” Her mind was filling with questions so fast, Winnie wasn’t sure in what direction to go. “Is Walker involved in his life? Why didn’t you say something?”
“He wanted it to stay between us. I think the situation with Preston was Walker Sr.’s last straw with Jr.” Angelina took the book from Winnie’s hands. “With the gambling, the embezzlement, then a child with a married woman, his father had just had enough.” Angelina looked up at her. “He stripped Walker of everything. I felt so guilty that I did anything Walker asked over the years to make up for it.”
Winnie shook her head trying to piece all of what she was hearing together. She put her hand up. “Hold up.” She inhaled. “I have to absorb all of this.” She put her hands on her hips. “Your husband is dead?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, but your husband wasn’t Preston’s father, Walker is.”
“Yes.”
“Okay, okay. You said earlier that you and….whoever had begun a journey,” she used Angelina’s words “to move Preston into a position to lead his father’s company. What company would that be? I’m confused.”
“Dunning of course.”
“Bank and Trust?” Winnie asked with a chuckle. “Honey, I don’t know what Walker has told you, but he has no part of Dunning. Like you said a few minutes ago, his father stripped him of all of that.”
“Yes, but we have taken steps to right that wrong.”
Oh, she had heard that one before. Winnie’s eyebrows rose and the protective forces began to build inside of her. “What steps has Preston taken at the bank?”
“No, not Preston, he doesn’t know anything about this.” She paused. “Well, he didn’t until today.” She trailed off again. “He is very upset with me. He feels like I’ve lied to him all his life.”
“Angelina, come back.” Winnie was beginning to lose her patience. “Who is the we that is taking steps to get Preston to lead Dunning?”
“Walker and I. Winnie, this is difficult and I really need you to pay attention.”
“Ha,” Winnie
let out a laugh before she could stop it. “While you need me to pay attention I need you to get a grip. What steps have you and Walker taken?”
“I’m not sure I like your tone, Winnieford.”
“I don’t give a flying shit if you like my tone or not, Angelina.” Winnie’s hand went to her hips, her head began twisting back and forth. “First you fake a friendship with me. Then you tell me you have a child with Walker and now you are telling me of a journey that you and Walker are taking to make Preston the head of Dunning. Which is not going to happen. Myles is the CEO of Dunning, how do you anticipate getting past…..” Winnie stopped. Stared at the woman, then took a step towards her. “You said you began this plan a few years ago.” She took another step, each step more menacing than the last. “You began eliminating obstacles?” She was in the woman’s face, less than a breath way. “What obstacle did you eliminate?”
Angelina took a step back. “The biggest obstacle of all, was Hepburn. Once he was eliminated Walker should have been given his share of the bank back. But you gave it to Myles. So Walker said we had to adjust our plan. We had to weaken the family and have him put on the Board along with Preston and Elaine. And we were almost there but we had to get Grace out of the picture. Phase International helped with that, but it wasn’t enough. Walker said we had to weaken the very foundation of the family.” She looked up at Winnie. “That was you. My next task was to kill you the same way I killed Hepburn.”
All sense of rhyme and reason left Winnie’s mind. Her heart shattered in a million little pieces as the words filled the air.
“You…….killed……Hepburn.” It was a statement not a question.
“Of course.” Angelina shrugged. “Walker asked me to.”
CHAPTER 38
Her fist knocked Angelina up and back into the living room. Winnieford was gone. The underlying anger behind Hepburn’s death had been unleashed with Angelina’s words.
“Winnie, I didn’t kill you. I didn’t even try,” Angelina cried out.