His First Lady (40 page)

“What?” Leon’s voice was scraggly as he could feel his lips tremble barely able to speak a word.

Flint threw his pen down and leaned back. “The 1
st
degree murder of Samuel Whitfield and the conspiracy to murder Samuel Whitfield, Katie and Sundi McCoy, and sexual assault to a child under the age of 12.”

Leon’s knees buckled. “1
st
degree murder? Sexual assault, what?”

“Mr. Ladson, you need to prepare for the fight of your life. Outside of the sexual assault of a child, this is a capital murder case and the prosecution is going for the death penalty.”

Leon sat paralyzed.

Flint continued seeming to not care if Leon was cognizant or not. “The prosecutor’s witness wore a wire and a camera. They’re also in possession of the money that exchanged hands between the two of you.”

Thoughts rushed through Leon’s head. Aaron was a shiftless thug that God had forsaken but he had given a chance. Leon was the only reason that Aaron was employed, drove that used Mercedes, and was even remotely close to being good enough to take Mimi out. Now, he had betrayed him like he owed him nothing when he owed him everything.

Leon looked down at the table then looked up at Flint completely speechless. He closed his eyes as tight as he could. “What do I do now?”

Flint sighed. “You start by hiring my team to represent you and then you tell me everything good or bad because I don’t care whether you did it or not, my goal is to win the case.”

Leon placed his head in his hands in silence.

“Mr. Ladson?” Flint said to get his attention.

“Who filed it?”

“Who filed what?” Flint asked.

“Where did the sexual assault charge come from? They can’t prove that.”

Flint pulled out the complaint from the pile. “A complaint was filed by Katie M. for Sundi M.”

A heavy wave of heat flooded through Leon. How was that possible? No, he had seen Katie’s driver’s license. Nothing made sense anymore.

Leon looked up at Flint. “Is Sam even dead?”

“Beg your pardon?” Flint asked with a surprised look on his face. “Mr. Ladson, you’re being charged with the murder of and the conspiracy to murder Mr. Samuel Whitfield. Forgive my bluntness but it gets no deader than that.”

Mimi stretched as she stood up from the floor. “Okay, did we really just go through an entire roll of packing tape?” She asked looking all around Evan’s bedroom.

Evan stopped singing in the middle of her song and looked around her bedroom. “I think so. There’s a whole box downstairs.”

“Ahhh,” Mimi groaned. “I hate going up and down those stairs. I think this is your way to ensure that I get my cardio in,” Mimi said walking out of Evan’s bedroom toward the staircase.

Evan laughed at Mimi then picked up where Mandisa was in
Overcomer
. It felt good to laugh and sing even momentarily; it kept her mind off of her current situation. She couldn’t describe her feelings because embarrassment and humiliation just weren’t strong enough words.

The more she found out about Leon’s crimes, the worse she felt. She had been in such a fog that she couldn’t even see what was right in front of her. His public arrest made not only the local news but the national news and it was being reported that he was facing the death penalty although unlikely since a plea deal was in the works. This was the first time in days that she’d been able to come to her house without reporters waiting in her front yard for a comment.

Now going through her memories upfront and personal made for an arduous task. Relaxed in black leggings, a bright pink tunic and head scarf, Evan looked around her bedroom at the taped up moving boxes, the open ones, and everything that still needed to be wrapped and packed. She wanted so badly to end any connection she had to this house which would have been unimaginable thinking back to when they had first moved in to it and how much she’d loved it.

She recalled the day when she had first stepped foot into the house. It was more lavish than she ever thought she deserved certainly more excessive than she thought a pastor and his wife should have but Leon had convinced her that they had earned it.

The house was colossal and Leon played like Santa, taking her through it, impressing her with the fact that the house had five bathrooms, a library, wine cellar, fitness room, and space for two offices, his and hers. He took great pleasure in wowing her; watching her gasp in each room they entered. But it was this bedroom, the Master bedroom that helped seal the deal for her.

As if it were yesterday, Evan recalled walking up the winding staircase to it. Leon opened the double doors and she remembered looking around the massive room, placing her hand to her chest, mouth wide open completely speechless at the sight. She thought that the closet was bigger than her parent’s very first house. That was a lifetime ago.

She walked over to her vanity table and picked up the crystal cross that her mom had given her on her wedding day. She held it close to her chest and closed her eyes. It signified the only thing that she was holding onto now, the cross. Deep in her thoughts, she jumped hearing Mimi walk back into the bedroom with a brand new roll of tape.

“Rosalie is scrubbing that kitchen,” Mimi said starting the fresh roll of tape to tape the top of a box she was working on. “That woman is amazing,”

Evan picked up a piece of bubble wrap and wrapped the crystal cross. “She certainly is.” Evan sighed looking around. “I missed her.”

Mimi placed her hand on her hip. “Okay, remind me again while we’re just not letting the movers do all of this.” Mimi made a face.

Evan stopped singing again. “Because there’s some stuff that I just wanted to pack myself. Don’t worry, they’ll have plenty to do,” Evan said pushing a box to the side with her foot.

Mimi sighed. “This might be too soon but what did you decide about the clothing drive? The ladies auxiliary didn’t know if they should be canceling some of the things that were on the calendar since they hadn’t heard from you.”

Evan stopped and looked at Mimi. “I don’t know what I’m doing day to day, hour to hour right now. I can’t even think about that,” Evan said hastily not realizing her harsh tone until she saw the look on Mimi’s face.

Evan took a deep breath. “I didn’t mean to say it like that.”

Mimi put her hands up in surrender. “I shouldn’t have mentioned it.”

Evan began wrapping frames. “It’s not you. I’m just really not the person to make decisions anymore about anything regarding the church,” Evan said looking over at Mimi. “I’m sure they’ll decide what’s best.”

Mimi nodded. “Everybody’s just concerned about you.”

“Can you just tell them that I’m fine?” Evan asked as she placed wrapped items into a box. She just wanted to change the subject. “So, have you heard from Aaron?”

Aaron’s name caused a smile on Mimi’s face. “As a matter of fact, I have. He called and said that he’s out of town but has something really important to tell me.” Mimi beamed.

Evan smiled. “Really? Does that mean what we think it means?”

“I don’t know but I think I was too hard on him the last time I saw him. I really miss him. To be honest, he makes me happy and I haven’t felt like that in a long time.”

“You deserve to be happy,” Evan said.

Mimi looked over at Evan. “You do too, you know?”

Evan said nothing continuing to wrap and pack.

Mimi walked into Evan’s closet and came out with an armful of comforters. She sat them on the bed to be refolded for packing. She cleared her throat. “I read about the charges for Leon. I’m still in shock.”

Evan felt as if the air had been sucked from the room. She kept packing but said nothing.

Mimi seemed to notice as she pushed the folded comforters in a box. “Has he responded to the divorce papers?”

Evan stopped wrapping and sat on the edge of the bed. “He signed them. The attorney says that he believes that he’ll be able to get this over for me really quick.”

Mimi looked at her then started to tape the box. “Good, you can move on.”

Evan nodded. It was easy for Mimi to say but it wasn’t as simple as that. She looked around the room that was now almost bare.

“Remember when I first moved in here and I didn’t have any furniture but that old rusty iron bed frame?” Evan laughed with her eyes filling up with water.

“Don’t forget ugly,” Mimi said.

They both laughed.

“I remember that you and Leon argued because he wanted everything brand new and you were content with that ugly bed.”

Evan sat frozen. “I want to go back there,” Evan said feeling broken and weak. A tear ran down Evan’s cheek. No matter how in control she appeared, she knew that she was barely holding on. Mimi rushed over to her and put her arms around her.

“I know you do.”

Evan wiped her eyes and got angry. “Look at all of this stuff. Why did I need half of it? Any of it? I let him convince me that I needed all of this…mess,” Evan said. “I only wanted to serve God and love my husband. Why is that so wrong?” Evan cried, wiping her nose.

“It isn’t,” Mimi said, “It’s so right.”

Evan looked at her bare surroundings except for one picture that she had skipped over; their large framed wedding picture hanging over her vanity. She stood up from the bed, stepped on the chair of the vanity and took the picture off of the wall. Evan climbed down and turned the frame over taking the picture out of it. She held the picture up and tore it down the middle then in quarters, then eighths until nothing remained but shreds.

Daniela sat at her desk in the church office that she shared with Rob. She loved when she was able to have the office to herself. Although, Rob had the majority of the space, she enjoyed the corner desk space that she was able to call her own. She was paying the church’s bills but had to keep redoing her calculations since her mind was alternating between Ariel and Candy and all of the events that had happened in her life recently.

Just weeks ago, Daniela had struggled to eat and sleep as guilt and regret gnawed at her soul. She struggled to get out of bed, talk to anyone, or even attend to her children. Rob had been beyond understanding having taken days off from the church, cared for their children’s needs, and cooked meals without as much as a gripe.

They had waited before going to the police until they could prepare their children and their families without telling them details that their lives might be changing. Finally, after days of uncontrollable crying, and fighting about going to the police, she finally told Rob that she was ready to surrender. Just as frightened and emotional as Daniela was, the two discussed obtaining an attorney and surrendering. Rob assured her that he would support her no matter what that meant.

Before leaving the house, she removed her jewelry and placed her wedding rings safely in her jewelry box at home. She dressed demurely in a belted gray dress and formed a neat bun on the top of her head. She was quiet, hugging each of her children tightly until they pulled away from the tight squeeze. She wanted to remember their warm bodies and each of their smells hoping never to forget them if that was the last time for a long time that she’d be able to hold them.

Rob held her hand tightly as they entered the police station. She literally didn’t think she’d be able to walk in without assistance but God had given her strength and she managed to. They were shuffled around until they finally sat in front of the two investigators handling Ariel’s case. They were as she imagined, intimidating but unlike what she imagined, they were polite even courteous.

Telling the details of that night, she had sobbed hysterically in front of the men who took notes and listened. Rob kept his hand in the middle of her back rubbing it every now and again for support. She fumbled with the damp balled up Kleenex in her hands and kept her eyes down. When she had finished her story, she looked up to find both men staring blankly at her.

Mr. Henderson, the older white haired gentleman with the kind blue eyes leaned forward resting his arms on the desk. “That is certainly a riveting story Mrs. Summers,” he paused, “but it isn’t consistent with the findings of this case.”

Daniela’s red eyes widened. She looked over at Rob in disbelief then back at the investigator. “But that’s what happened. I’m telling the truth.”

The young brown skinned investigator leaning against the wall with folded arms smiled. “We appreciate and consider all leads and we value the communities help in solving crimes. However, sometimes the sensationalism of a crime brings in lots of well…crazies.”

“Excuse me?” Rob asked furiously. “My wife is not one of the crazies. This is tearing her apart and I don’t appreciate you treating her like this.”

“I apologize. I didn’t mean it like that, Mr. Summers,” The young man said.

Mr. Henderson looked at the young investigator and frowned then at Daniela. “Mrs. Summers, we certainly believe that you believe what you’re saying. The only problem is that we’re looking for a murder weapon; to be more specific, a 9 mm. Your version of events do not collaborate the findings of Mrs. Parker’s murder.”

Daniela felt like she was in a dream. She knew what had happened yet no one believed her and she was starting to question her own sanity. She looked over at Rob who she felt had to be questioning her sanity as well.

“I’m confused,” Rob said.

“The cause of death has not been revealed to the public but the cause of death was a gunshot to the head. Any other bruises to the body were the result of trauma perhaps from being thrown into the landfill.”

“I’m an x-ray technician. I know when someone’s dead and she was dead that night on the concrete. There was no gunshot to the head.”

Mr. Henderson stood up. “We’re following lots of leads and we are not far from making an arrest. We have a lot of evidence but we can only go forward with the ones that are legitimately consistent with the evidence and medical findings of the autopsy.”

Daniela looked at Rob and felt defeated. “What am I supposed to do now?” She asked.