When Memories Fade (16 page)

He knew his gut was right. Melanie's father knew something about why his daughter had gone missing. Now, where Elisa Roberts fit into the scenario, Wes didn't know. But there was a connection from the past to the present. That Wes was sure of.

Angel liked Ella Mae Jenkins. The nurse from Trinity Home Health Care was sweet and joyful, despite Grams's fussing. She heard Ella Mae say to Grams, “Now, sugar, it's going to be all right. You sit back and let me get you dressed.” Angel was glad her uncle had hired the nurse to help look after Grams. While she had improved some, her mobility had not come back fully on her right side. She needed to be bathed, dressed, and helped with meals. This wasn't too foreign to Angel due to the fact that her granddad had had to be cared for in a similar way.

She knew her fiercely independent Grams must be feeling even more depressed since she was not the one in the caregiver role. Angel could mostly understand what she said, but oftentimes she felt the heat of Grams's frustration when it took a bit too long for Angel to catch on.

She showed Ella Mae to the kitchen, where they kept the medicine.

Ella Mae said, “Oh, you have quite a few medicine bottles up there.”

“I know. I've been meaning to get rid of most of those, which were for my granddad.” Angel looked at the bottles, remembering the night Grams had had the stroke. The doorbell rang, interrupting her thoughts. “That's my grams's hairstylist. Do you mind if I get her situated and then come back?”

“Not a problem, honey. I will get rid of the bottles that are not needed so we can start fresh with the new regimen for your grandmother.”

“Thank you.” Angel sprinted to answer the door. It was beautiful of Candace to take the time to bring Crown of Beauty Salon services to Grams. She had called ten minutes ago to let Angel know she would arrive shortly.

Angel opened the door. Grateful to see her friend, she hugged her. “You need any help?”

Candace answered, “Nope, I have everything I need in this bag. How are you feeling?”

Angel replied, “Overwhelmed. I'm praying a lot.”

“That's a good thing. When we are weak, God is strong. You've been through a lot in a few months and in the past few weeks alone. After I finish Fredricka's hair, I want you to tell me more about your visit with your father. That had to be incredible.”

“Yes. Wes said the same thing. I'm still soaking it all in, but it is an opportunity to get to know one of my parents.”

Candace stopped in her tracks. “Wes? Is this a young man? I haven't heard you mention him before, and you said his name so endearingly.” Her friend eyed her.

Angel blushed. “What? I have mentioned him. Wes Cade, the news reporter. His grandfather was the detective who looked for my mom. He's been trying to help me.”

“Is that all?” Candace winked. “You know he's friends with Darnell. They play and coach the basketball team together at Victory Gospel Church. If I'm not mistaken, he is one of the most eligible bachelors in Charlotte.”

“Where did you get that?” Angel led Candace down the hall to Grams's bedroom.

“Darnell showed me this Charlotte area magazine that comes out monthly. Your guy had a half page.”

“I didn't know,” Angel said quietly. “And wait a minute. We are just friends. He's not my guy.”

“Mmm, by the look on your face, I would say you have more than just friendly feelings.”

Angel couldn't disagree with Candace. She was pretty surprised with how quickly she and Wes had grown to be friends. She wasn't really looking for more. And if he was known as an eligible bachelor, Angel doubted Wes would even be interested. He probably had all types of offers.

Candace went into Gram's bedroom. “Hey, foxy lady. You ready to get that hair done?”

Angel watched as Grams's face lit up at seeing Candace. Grams held her good arm in the air and pulled on her hair.

Candace leaned over and hugged her. “I know you do. All the girls miss seeing you at the salon. I'm going to get this hair looking fabulous.” Candace ran her fingers through Fredricka's hair. “Angel, you don't know how I love this woman. She has been like a mother to me. Can you help roll Fredricka into the bathroom?”

Candace pulled items out of her bag, while Angel pushed her grandmother's wheelchair into the bathroom. Candace followed behind and set up bottles around the sink.

“You are a pro at this. Do you do this often?” Angle asked.

Candace smiled. “Well, you know my aunt Maggie stays with us. She has good days and bad days from the cancer. Something about having nice clean hair always lifts her spirits, so I looked online and researched the best way to help someone who has a hard time standing at a sink or in a shower.”

Angel watched as Candace set up the hair-washing tray on the back of Grams's chair and leaned the tray into the sink. Then she connected the hose to the faucet.

Candace winked at Angel. “Almost like the beauty salon experience.”

“This is great. I'm going to go check with the nurse. I left her in the kitchen.” Angel patted her grandmother on the knee. “I will see you in a bit, Grams. After Candace has hooked you up.”

Angel entered the kitchen and gasped. Then she shook her head in amazement. Ella Mae had removed most of the old bottles and had placed new bottles on the shelf. “Wow, you've already taken care of everything.” Angel pointed to the shelf. “This has to be above and beyond your duties.”

Ella Mae waved her hand. “No, not a problem. I threw away a lot of the bottles in there and have added your grandmother's on the shelf here. On this door, I taped a chart of what medicines are here and the times they should be administered.”

“Thank you. That is a big help.” Angel took a look at the chart Ella Mae had created.

The nurse said, “One more thing. I found this stack of mail in the cabinet.”

Angel noticed a large white envelope in the stack. Before she saw the return address, Angel knew who had mailed it. She tore open the envelope and pulled out the card. She read the message inside.
You turn twenty-five today. May all your dreams come true. Love, Dad.
He
had
sent her the card. Her dad was telling the truth.

“Honey, are you okay?” the nurse asked.

Angel didn't realize her hands were visibly shaking. “Yes, yes. I'm fine.”

Angel knew her Grams would lay down her life to protect her daughter's only child. But Angel couldn't really understand why Grams would continue to shield her granddaughter from the only living parent she had. She left the kitchen and sat down in the living room. Angel read the card over and over again. She wasn't sure how long she had been sitting there when she heard her name.

Angel looked up and saw Candace at the living room threshold. “Hey, young lady, your grandmother has a fresh do and a smile on her face.” Candace entered the room and walked up to her. “Are you okay?”

Angel held up the card. “I found a birthday card from my father.”

Candace placed her bag on the floor and sat down next to Angel on the couch. She took the card from Angel. “You said you found it?”

“The nurse did. It was hidden in the kitchen cabinet. When I went to see my father, he told me he'd sent me cards and letters every year. I've never seem them. He sent this birthday card recently.”

Candace handed the card back to Angel and grabbed her hand. “I can't begin to know how you are feeling, but remember the circumstances in which your grandparents lost their daughter, your mother.”

Angel tried to pull her hand away, but Candace held it tighter.

“Your grandmother loves you. She has always been there for you.”

“I know, I know.” Angel shook her head. “I love her. I just wish she and Granddad had given me a chance to find out things for myself. I mean, I met my dad, and I don't know if he did or didn't do something to my mom. I'm confused.”

“Trust God. Pray and let him lead you to where this all goes. In the meantime, treasure the card and the opportunity to know your father. Even more importantly, treasure your grandmother right now. Why don't we pray together?”

Angel nodded and bowed her head.

Candace prayed, “Father God, thank you for blessing this young woman. Thank you for opening the doors for her to begin to deal with her past. This is a confusing time for her, but, God, we know you are not the author of confusion. Help Angel to trust in you and lean not on her own understanding about things that have been revealed to her. Bless her relationship with her grandmother and her uncle, the family that is her connection to the mother she has missed in her life. Bless her reunion with her father that they may be able to get to know one another. Finally, Lord, bless Angel as she forges ahead with new friendships. We ask this in Jesus's name. Amen.”

Candace reached out to her. Angel hugged her friend and wept. After a few moments she lifted her head and wiped her tears.

“You okay?” Candace asked.

“Yes. Thanks for being here.”

“Hey, that's what friends are for, to be there when we need support. When I needed support, Fredricka was there for me.”

Angel looked at her phone on the coffee table and noticed there was a text. She picked up the phone. “Wes sent me a text.”

“He did. Wow. Look at the smile on that face,” Candace commented.

“You need to stop.” Angel knew she was grinning.

Wes wanted to meet to tell her what information he'd found out. She was looking forward to seeing him again.

Wes rubbed his hands together before ringing the doorbell. There was an unusual chill in the air after a thunderstorm last night. The low temperatures would have been comfortable except for the dampness that lingered. Some of Wes's goose bumps were from excitement.

Angel opened the door. “Hello, Wes. Thank you for accepting my invitation.”

He grinned. “How can I say no to having lunch with you and your grandmother?”

Angel grinned back. “She will be thrilled to see you. When I told her about you, she kept saying, ‘I remember that little boy.'”

He laughed and followed Angel into the house. After the week he'd had, Wes was delighted by Angel's invitation to lunch. He wanted to catch up with her to tell her what he had learned from Minister J.D. Angel led him through the living room, which looked vaguely familiar to him.

“You grew up in this house, right?” he asked.

“Yes. So did my mom. My grandparents have been here a long time,” she responded over her shoulder.

Angel's grandmother sat in a wheelchair at the dining room table. Angel introduced him to her grandmother and then excused herself. Despite her condition, Fredricka Roberts looked regal, her eyes sparkling. Wes saw that beauty indeed ran in the Roberts family. He walked over and shook Fredricka's extended hand. Her handshake was quite firm, despite her recent frailties.

She said very slowly, “It's good to see you all grown up.”

“Yes, ma'am. Now that I'm here, I do remember coming over here with my grandfather when I was younger.”

Fredricka smiled and held her hands together. “Yes, yes. Nick and Lenny. Best friends.”

Angel returned with glasses of iced tea on a tray. She added a straw to one and placed it in front of her grandmother. Wes liked seeing Angel in this role with her grandmother. He could tell she really loved her and doted on her. Angel turned to him. “Have a seat. I will bring out the sandwiches.”

Wes pulled out a chair on the other side of Fredricka.

Fredricka asked, “How's Lenny?”

“Not too good. He has Alzheimer's. He has some good days, but some days he's confused.”

Fredricka shook her head. “We are all getting old. Lots of problems. But . . .” She held up her finger. “God is good.”

Wes leaned forward. “Yes, ma'am. God is good. All the time.”

Angel brought out two plates with sandwiches. He noticed that she had brought her grandmother a plate that had cut-up grilled chicken alongside a helping of leafy greens and carrots.

She turned to him and asked, “Would you mind saying grace?”

He agreed. After he said grace, they dug into their food quietly. Wes was impressed with the club sandwich, which included grilled chicken, bacon, lettuce, tomato and Monterey Jack cheese.

“Are you a chef as well as a videographer?” he asked Angel.

Angel waved her hand. “Stop. It's just a sandwich. I did work at Southern Soul Café for a summer. Eddie let Denise and me work in all the areas, but we both liked to be hostess best. Anyway, I learned a thing or two in the kitchen and, of course, from Grams.” Angel grinned at her grandmother, who winked back. “Anyway, this is pretty healthy compared to the Southern fried food from Southern Soul Café.”

Wes appreciated the lunch and the healthy food. He felt pretty comfortable with Angel and her grandmother. The lunch reminded him that he missed seeing his mother and Pops. He hoped his mother had cooled down a bit so he could stop by and visit without feeling terribly guilty. They had finished their meal when the doorbell rang.

“Oh excuse me.” Angel wiped her mouth with her napkin. “That's Ella Mae, the nurse.”

Angel returned with a round-figured woman with her hair pulled back in a bun.

Ella Mae said, “Good afternoon, Ms. Fredricka. You almost finished with lunch so I can work with you this afternoon?” Ella Mae looked over at Wes. “Hey, I know you. You are on television.”

Wes nodded. “Yes.” He wiped his hands and stood to shake Ella Mae's hand. “Good to meet you.”

“You too! Angel, you didn't tell me you snagged one of Charlotte's most eligible bachelors. You go, girl.” Ella Mae grabbed Fredricka's wheelchair. “You two, behave and don't forget we are in here.”

Fredricka winked as the nurse pushed her wheelchair out of the dining room.

Wes looked over at Angel, who had turned red around the ears, as she picked up the plates in front of her. He asked, “Can I help you with the plates?”

She peered at him. “No, I will add these to the dishwasher. You can wait for me in the living room. I'm anxious to hear what you have to share.”

As Wes entered the living room, he was drawn to the photos of Angel as a little girl, which were displayed chronologically from grade to grade on the wall above the couch.

Angel came up behind him. “I can't believe you are looking at those photos.”

“You were cute.” Wes looked at her and added, “You are still cute.”

Angel grinned. “Thanks. Oh, and I'm sorry about Ms. Ella Mae. Do you get recognized like that all the time from that article?”

Wes arched his eyebrow. “You know about the article too?”

“Yes, my friend Candace told me.”

“Candace Johnson? She dates Detective Darnell Jackson. So you know each other? Small world.”

“I know, right? She has become like the big sister I never had. Speaking of a small world, do you remember being at this house when you were younger? Your mom said we played together.”

He laughed. “I kind of remember now. Funny how memories work.”

Angel sat on the couch. “Tell me, what have you found out?”

Wes joined her on the couch. “Well, let me ask you a question first. Were you aware that your mother sang background vocals for a very popular song?”

“Yeah, I was. My granddad couldn't stand the song. Of course, he wasn't a fan of rap. I remember that song playing at my birthday party.”

Wes made a note of that and asked, “Are you familiar with the rap artist who sang that song? He was killed not too long after the song came out.”

“I forget his name.”

“K-Dawg. His real name was Kelvin Dentin, and he grew up here in Charlotte. That night . . .” Wes tried to carefully word what he was going to say. “There are theories he had a beef with another guy and he was killed over a woman.”

Angel looked at him, her eyes full of questions. “How does this relate to my mother?”

“K-Dawg was on the same record label, Royal Records. I had sources confirm that K-Dawg liked your mother. Now, hear me out. This is just a theory, but it's possible your mother could have witnessed K-Dawg's shooting and may have known who was responsible.”

Angel jumped up from the couch, her eyes wide and alarmed. “Are you serious?”

Wes held his hands up to calm her down. “It's just a theory. She went missing a few weeks after the shooting.”

Angel slowly sat down on the couch and began to rub her forehead. Wes could see she was trying to process what he'd told her. Finally, she said, “This is pointing back to my father if you are saying some jealous guy killed K-Dawg.”

Wes remained silent.

“I'm not buying it.” Angel shook her head. “Now that you bring this up, I should tell you that I looked more into my dad. He was a boxer. If he had had any beef with a guy, he would have fought him, not pulled a gun on him.”

Wes nodded. “You are right. That's a good point. Plus, your dad wasn't anywhere near the club.”

Angel said, “I know my mother was focused on her singing career, but if she was there and she saw something, I don't think she would have let the person get away with murder.”

“She could have been scared, Angel. There were lots of people outside that club. No one came forward.”

Angel looked at him. “Okay. Let me get this straight. You're saying if my mom did see what happened and she was scared, she must have told someone. That someone probably did something to shut her up.”

“It's just a theory, but there's a bit more.”

“Yeah?”

“I talked to Minister J.D., the pastor of Kingdom Building Church. K-Dawg was his cousin. They all were a part of the same group, grew up together. K-Dawg was, like, the first one of the group to come out with an album. Get this. Melanie Stowe's dad, Larry Stowe, better known as El, he was the group's hype man.”

Angel dropped her mouth open and sat up straight. “What are you saying?”

Wes threw his hands up. “I don't know. Maybe there's a coincidence here, but I have had this gut feeling about Melanie's dad. When I found out all these guys were connected, I just . . .” Wes expressed his frustration by groaning.

Angel said, “Maybe you are trying to make too many connections. These are two different women that went missing twenty years apart.”

“But . . .” Wes didn't get to finish his answer. A man came through the front door.

Angel called out, “Uncle Jacob?”

Jacob stood at the living room threshold and stared at both of them. He seemed to be disoriented. “Hey. Sorry. I didn't know you had company.” Her uncle blinked and focused his eyes on Wes. “Do I know you?”

Angel answered, “You should. This is Wanda's son.”

Jacob stared and broke out into a grin. “Wesley. Wow, I haven't seen you since you were a kid.”

The phone rang. Angel reached over to pick up the receiver. “Hello.” Wes watched Angel's face. She said to the person on the other end, “Can you hold for one moment?” She held her hand over the receiver and said, “I will be right back.”

Wes watched her take the cordless telephone to the other room. He turned his attention back to her uncle, who had sunk down into one of the chairs. The man looked like he could use some sleep. “I heard you and my mom were good friends.”

Jacob responded, “Yes, we had become buddies from when our dads played in Southern Soul. Still stayed friends even after your grandfather left the band.”

Wes was reminded of the topic of conversation Pops had brought up the other night. “Yeah, I've always wondered why Pops left the band.”

Jacob shook his head. “You know, people change. I think some of the band members were having issues. They were like a family, and they could get on each other's nerves. But mostly your grandfather wanted a more normal life. He wanted to be home with his family. I admire your grandfather for doing that. My dad wouldn't sit down from the band until the diabetes got to him. If he was alive today and was in good health, Nick Roberts would still be playing.”

Jacob looked in the direction Angel had gone and then turned back to Wes. “We saw Wanda at Trinity Home Health Care the other day. I guess she is in the same boat as us. Taking care of a loved one is hard. How is she doing?”

Wes nodded. “It has been hard on her, taking care of Pops.” He didn't know his mom had gone through with seeking outside care for Pops. Given all that had happened, he'd hoped she would follow through. As much as he loved Pops, he wanted his mother to enjoy her life again.

Angel returned to the living room. She smiled, but her eyes betrayed that she was troubled. “Hey, you two catching up?”

Jacob said, “Yes, we were catching up.” He stood. “It's good to see you and your mother again. I will leave the two of you. Glad to see you have touched base again.”

“Thanks, Jacob,” Angel said softly, but she didn't look at her uncle.

Wes also stood and said, “Well, I hate to run, but I need to head back to the newsroom. I have to finish a story and submit it to my producer. I appreciate the lunch.”

Angel smiled. “You're welcome.”

He leaned over closer to her and lowered his voice. “Is everything okay?”

Angel looked over her shoulder and then back at him. “Why don't I walk you to your car?”

Outside, Angel closed the door behind them.

“What's up? You seem upset by that phone call,” Wes prompted.

“The call was from Jennifer, from the Bring Them Home Foundation. My granddad kept in touch with them over the years. Every so often they will send updates if something comes up.”

“You mean if they found some information about your mother.”

“Yes. Well, mainly if a Jane Doe or an unidentified body has been found in the area. Jennifer said at some construction site—she didn't say where—they found parts of a skeleton. DNA has to be processed, entered into this big database, but they believe it's a woman.” Angel swallowed. “Suppose it's her?”

Without thinking Wes reached over and placed his arm around Angel. “Let's just wait and see. I will be right here. I know how important it is to you to get to the truth.”

Angel leaned into him. For a brief moment, Wes forgot his surroundings and enjoyed being so close to her. It felt right to him. Until he noticed that Angel's uncle was watching them through the living room window.