Family of Lies (34 page)

B
O ENTERED MY BEDROOM WITHOUT KNOCKING, BUT
I
DIDN’T MIND.
He only did that when he had something important to tell me or ask me.

“Well, it’s official,” he started. He paused and began to pound his fist repeatedly into the palm of his other hand. “Sarah just told me with a straight face that she’s leaving me for Curtis.” He then turned with his fist poised to pound the wall facing my bed, but he didn’t. He had told me that when Gladys told him she was leaving him for another man, he punched a hole in their bedroom wall. I made Bo promise me that day that he’d never do something that childish in my house. “I’m sorry,” he said in a small voice. “I almost forgot where I was.” Then he
smiled
!

“How did you react when Sarah told you she was leaving you?”

“I called her a few choice names and I raised my hand to slap her, but I didn’t. I took a few deep breaths and told her we’d talk about it tonight when I come home. I also told her I wouldn’t be home until around ten or so.”

“Curtis will be dead by then. Or he should be.”

“Uh-huh. He will.”

Before I left my bedroom, I called the hospital to see how Kenneth was doing.

“Vera, I’m doing just fine,” he told me. He sounded tired and impatient and I didn’t really want to prolong the call anyway.

“I’m praying for you every hour on the hour, baby,” I said in my sweetest voice.

“You keep doing that.” Kenneth hung up before I could say another word. I knew that he belonged in the hospital and that he was on all kinds of medication, but it had affected his behavior in the strangest way. His whole personality had changed. He had never talked to me the way he’d been talking to me lately. I told myself that it was nothing to worry about. After all, he was a confused and elderly man, so he didn’t know any better. However, something in the back of my mind kept nagging at me: Tim Larkin, the private investigator. Had Kenneth hired him to check up on me? I wondered. I didn’t want to believe that he had. I had been careful, so Kenneth had no reason to think I was doing anything inappropriate with another man. And with Kenneth being so close to death’s door, what good would it do for him to find out about Ricky and me now? At the end of the day as long as I ended up with a few million dollars—and stayed out of jail—it was all good.

I took a quick shower, got dressed, and pranced downstairs to the kitchen for breakfast where everybody except Sarah was already at the table enjoying Delia’s homemade pancakes. As soon as I approached the breakfast table, everybody stopped talking.

I knew that Bo and Cash had not told Collette anything about what we were planning to do, but I was still paranoid. Especially when she gave me one of her sly looks like she was doing now.

“What do you have planned for today, Vera?” she asked. I noticed how she nudged Cash with her elbow as she stared at me, blinking like a damn night creature.

I cleared my throat and gave her one of my most annoyed looks. “Other than a hair appointment this afternoon, I don’t have anything else planned. Why do you ask?”

“You’ve been real jumpy these last few days,” Collette noticed. I wanted to slap that smirk off her face.

“The woman’s husband is in critical condition. If it was me in that hospital bed, you’d be jumpy too,” Cash said. For him to be such a nitwit, he occasionally said something smart. Then he turned to me and said one of the stupidest things he ever said! “Cuz, did you rent that car?”

I stopped breathing for a few seconds. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Bo give Cash a look that was so full of contempt I was surprised Cash didn’t turn to stone. “What car?” Bo asked.

“Yeah, what car? With all of the vehicles here, why would Vera need to rent one?” Collette wanted to know.

“I thought I heard you telling Kenneth over the phone this morning that your car was acting up and you was going to rent one for the weekend,” Cash replied, his tongue snapping clumsily over each word.

“You heard wrong,” I said casually. I sat down in the chair directly across from Bo. “There’s not a thing wrong with my car.” I looked up at Bo and he must have read my mind.

“I think my fan belt needs to be tightened up. Can you give me a ride to the store after you eat, Vera?” Bo said, winking.

“Why can’t you ride with Cash and me?” Collette asked, wiping bits of poached egg off her lips and chin at the same time. “We’re all going to the same place. But we won’t be leaving for at least an hour, though.”

Bo looked at his watch and frowned. “I can’t wait that long.” Then he looked at me, still frowning. “Some buyers from a couple of high schools are coming by this morning. That’s a whole lot of computer sales. I need to be there in case they show up early.” He rose, not taking his eyes off me. I was glad the frown was no longer on his face. But now he looked nervous.

“Oh! Uh, yeah. Let me get my keys. I guess I’m not as hungry as I thought, so I’ll nibble on something later.”

As soon as I drove out of our garage with Bo in the passenger seat, I turned my head just enough to look at the side of his face. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to rent that car now.”

“How are we supposed to get to Curtis’s place and back tonight? On the bus? Or should we take a cab and have some sharp-ass cabbie finger us?!”

“Calm down, cuz,” I replied, my eyes back on the road in front of me. “I’ll have Cash tell Collette he has to work late so she’ll have to get one of her coworkers to give her a ride home. Drive his SUV and park it a few blocks away from Curtis’s place or I’ll think of something else. If I have to drive you guys over there, I will. I can’t rent a car now. I don’t trust Collette. She doesn’t miss much. If she even thought we were involved, she’ll remember a detail like me renting a car on the same day of the crime. And as dumb as Cash is, I don’t think we should trust him too much either now.”

“I agree with you on that.” Bo slapped the dashboard with the palm of his hand. “I wish we hadn’t even involved him in our plans!”

“I wish we hadn’t either. But up until that stupid comment he made at the table, he was pretty cool. He knows too much now and if we change our plans, things could fall apart and we might have to postpone our project for a while!” I stopped for a red light and turned to Bo again, this time with a pleading look on my face. “We can’t put it off any longer. We have to get this thing done
tonight
.”

“Yeah, I know. Sarah’s already packed some of her stuff,” Bo snarled.

“If we don’t do what we need to do before she moves out, there’s no telling what she’ll do if she’s already moved out after Curtis and her daddy are dead. As long as she’s still in the house, we can maintain some level of control. And, her daddy is our ace in the hole. If he gets well—heaven forbid—we’ll put more pressure on him to talk some sense into her head. If he succeeds in turning her around, she’ll behave the way a good wife should, the way she did before she got involved with Curtis.”

“I don’t think Kenneth is coming home this time. The thing is, we
need
to move before Sarah bolts and before Big Daddy goes to meet his maker,” Bo said. “That little stroke he had last night pushed him a little bit closer. I hope you’re getting yourself ready for the lavish funeral you’ll have to throw for a prominent big shot like him.”

“I am.” I still hated funerals and I wanted to get Kenneth’s over with as soon as possible so I could go on with my life. And at least I was sending him away in style. The Armani suit that I had purchased for him to be buried in was on a hanger in one of my walk-in closets, hidden behind my evening wear. I planned to pick out his casket in a day or so. I had also begun to plan a three-week cruise to the Caribbean for myself and Ricky as part of his “payment” for helping me out with the gun. And as a way for me to celebrate Curtis’s departure—not to mention Kenneth’s. But I couldn’t finalize my travel arrangements until Kenneth had taken his last breath.

I was still looking at Bo. I didn’t realize the light had turned green until the motorist behind me blew his horn. I stepped on the gas and resumed the conversation at the same time. “Uh, what I will do is drop you and Cash off a couple of blocks from Curtis’s place. Then I’ll go back home. Sarah will be my alibi. I’ll make sure of that.”

“Vera, believe me, nobody will suspect us, so we don’t really need any alibis,” Bo insisted. “Especially a woman like you.”

“I know. But we can’t take anything for granted and get sloppy. So just in case somebody does suspect a woman like me, I want to be accounted for during the time that this, uh, incident takes place. When the cops can’t find out who killed Curtis, Sarah just might get a notion in her head that you had something to do with it. She’ll recall how mad you got when she told you about him and her and how soon Curtis got killed after that confrontation.”

“Well, the cops won’t be able to prove a damn thing!” Bo yelled, slapping the dashboard again. “I’m just worried about Cash.”

“You don’t need to be. I’m going to sit his ass down and have a real long talk with him. I will tell him in no uncertain terms that if he ever mentions this situation again, in any way, he’s going to be out of a job and a place to live. And he just might end up in jail holding the bag by himself. Nobody would believe him if he tried to bring us down with him!” I was so excited, I didn’t notice the next red light in time and I shot straight through it, thankful that no other cars were close enough to crash into mine. Bo and I panicked at the same time. Once again he slapped the dashboard. “I’m sorry!” I hollered. “I’ll be glad when this is over. I’m going crazy!”

“Just keep your cool,” Bo said in a gentle voice. “Vera, I just want to thank you for looking out for me. I wouldn’t be able to take care of this Curtis problem without you coaching me all the way—and getting me that gun. I am even more grateful to you and I just wanted you to know that. Thank you.”

“No problem at all, honey. I’ve had your back since we were kids. I wasn’t going to let you get hurt by another woman again,” I told him. “After this is over, and Curtis is six feet under, we won’t ever mention it again. I think the sooner we put this mess behind us, the faster you and Sarah can work things out and start your family. I still think that a baby will keep us in the loop forever. Especially if something happens to Sarah, too, one of these days. . . .”

We remained silent until I drove into the parking lot at the store. “I’ll find an excuse to come by the office this afternoon. I’ll drop off the clothes you and Cash need to wear tonight. The gun too,” I told Bo.

“Thanks again.” Bo gave me a quick smile and then he squeezed my hand. “Tomorrow everything will all be over. And I’ll have my wife back to myself.”

I nodded. “You sure will,” I agreed.

I
T WAS TEN MINUTES TO TWO THAT
F
RIDAY AFTERNOON WHEN
I
ARRIVED
at the hospital. Normally the cold antiseptic smell associated with a hospital, the sight of sick people wandering in and out of the rooms, and a grim-faced priest clutching a Bible bothered me. It all reminded me of death. But none of that bothered me this time. I guess it was because this was going to be my last day on Earth.

I felt numb and detached as I entered Daddy’s room. I ignored Vera, hovering over the bed, looking down at Daddy with a blank expression on her face. As soon as she saw me, she suddenly got as animated as a cartoon character.

“Oh, Sarah! I’m so glad you’re here!” she sniffed. I couldn’t believe she could stand here and say such a thing to me with a straight face.

I continued to ignore Vera. When she attempted to hug me, I brushed past her and went over to the bed and grabbed my father’s clammy hand. “I love you, Daddy and I’m sorry about everything that’s happened,” I said, tears flooding my eyes.

“Everything is going to be all right, Kenneth,” Vera cooed. I hated when she used that fake-ass tone of voice! She had become so shallow I could see through her with my eyes closed. She touched Daddy’s shoulder. “When you come home, we’ll take a nice long vacation. All of us, Cash and Collette included.”

“Uh-huh,” I managed. “We haven’t been to the Caribbean in a while. Maybe we should go there.” I had heard the bitch on the telephone yesterday talking to her travel agent. She had already made plans for a cruise for herself and a person she had only identified as a friend. Who the hell was this mysterious friend? I wondered. She had no reason to refer to my daddy as a friend. Now that I knew she was planning a murder, I figured she was capable of doing just about anything. But since I was not going to be around to deal with her after today, I didn’t care what she was up to. If she was going to have Curtis killed, what would she do to Daddy?

As much as I loved my daddy, there was only so much I could do to protect him. It was too late anyway. I was not going to let Curtis die alone. But Daddy was not stupid and I didn’t think that Vera was stupid enough to do anything to him. I could see her getting away with Curtis’s murder, but I honestly didn’t think she’d get away with killing my daddy. He had too much money and too many friends in high places for that to happen.

The telephone rang and I answered it. It was Daddy’s friend, the private investigator Tim Larkin. “Hi, Tim. I’ll tell my daddy to call you back when my stepmother and I leave,” I said.

“Hmmm. I hope he’s doing better.”

“He’s about the same. I’m sure he’ll be happy to talk to you.”

“That’s fine. Just let him know I’ll call him later so we can discuss that . . . uh . . . issue. He’ll know what it’s about,” Tim said.

“I will, Tim.”

Vera wasted no time getting nosy. Her face looked like it was about to crack. Her lips started to move even before she got the first word out. As soon as I placed the telephone back into its cradle, she said, “I don’t mean to be nosy, but was that Tim
Larkin
?”

“Uh-huh. Daddy’s investigator friend,” I replied. I noticed how Vera flinched.

“I guess he wants to keep up with what’s going on with Kenneth’s condition.” She was trying to smile, but it didn’t hide the frightened look on her face now. “Is that why he called?”

I hunched my shoulders and shook my head. “He said something about an issue they had already discussed. Why?”

“I’m just curious, that’s all.”

The longer I stayed in the room with Vera, the sicker I felt. It didn’t look like she was leaving any time soon. Since this was the last time I’d see my daddy, I didn’t care. I wasn’t going to leave until I was good and ready.

Vera kept glancing at her watch. About twenty minutes later, she suddenly remembered she had a hair appointment.

“I’ll probably grab a bite to eat after I leave the beauty shop and then I’ll swing back by here before I go home,” she said. “Sarah, I’ll see you at the house around seven or so.”

“I don’t think so. I was planning to go to the movies tonight,” I told her.

“Oh?” She flinched again. “Maybe I’ll go with you.”

“Uh, I’m going with a girl I went to school with.”

“Oh,” she said again. “Well, I’ll see you when I see you, I guess.”

“I guess you will,” I sneered. She gave me a funny look before she left.

“What was that all about?” Daddy asked.

“Nothing.” I sniffed and then rearranged Daddy’s pillows. “Daddy . . . I’ll always be with you. Even when I’m not.”

“You sure are talking out the side of your mouth today. Is there something you want to talk to me about?”

I shook my head. “No, Daddy.” We discussed a few mundane subjects and every time he steered the conversation back to me, I steered it to another mundane subject.

It was after 4:00 p.m. when I gave Daddy one last hug and told him I loved him. I kissed his cheek and told him good-bye; then I cried all the way to the hospital parking lot.

As I was leaving, Vera was returning. She didn’t notice me and I did nothing to get her attention.

When I got home, I went to my room and looked at some pictures of me as a toddler clinging to my mother’s legs, me as a teenager with my grandmother, and me with a bunch of various friends. Then I looked at the pictures I’d taken with Daddy and Bo. I had come such a long way and I didn’t have one single picture of myself with Curtis. But it didn’t matter now. We’d spend eternity together and that would be worth more than a few pictures.

I picked up the beer at the first liquor store I came to and the smothered chicken. I arrived at Curtis’s place a few minutes before eight.

A few minutes after nine, we heard heavy footsteps approaching. I froze, but Curtis didn’t even react. He was used to people running up and down the hallway outside. When somebody banged on his door, he set his beer down on the scarred coffee table and looked at me with an annoyed look on his face.

“Who the hell could that be?” he chuckled. “I hope it ain’t that Donaldson woman begging for another beer.” He attempted to rise and I grabbed his arm. “What’s the matter, baby?”

“Curtis, I love you,” I whispered. “I’ll always love you.”

“I know.”

His door didn’t have a peephole, so Curtis couldn’t see who was outside. “Who is it?” he shouted. Before he could say anything else, somebody kicked the door and it flew open. The two men who stormed into the apartment had on ski masks and dark clothes, but I knew who they were. And as soon as they saw me, it was nothing but chaos.

“SARAH!” Bo yelled. A gun was in his hand and his hand was shaking like a leaf. “OH GOD NO!”

“What the fuck is this?” Curtis boomed, looking from me to Bo and back. “What’s going on, Sarah?”

I couldn’t say a word and I couldn’t take my eyes off that gun in Bo’s hand.

“Oh shit!” Cash hollered. He lifted his mask and stared at me with his mouth open. “Girl, you in the wrong place!” Then he turned to Bo, who was just standing there looking at me. Bo’s ski mask was still covering his face, but it didn’t hide the tears rolling out of his eyes. He raised the gun and aimed it at my head. “Sarah . . . I’m sorry,” he croaked.

Curtis lunged at Bo. There was a lot of cussing and yelling and all four of us were swinging our arms. The gun went off and Curtis hit the ground. Then it went off again.

I didn’t feel a thing. When I hit the ground, everything went black.