His First Lady (41 page)

“Mrs. Summers, go home,” The younger investigator said politely.

Daniela looked at the young man then at Rob whose gentle eyes seemed supportive and loving.

“Let’s go home,” Rob said taking her hand and standing up.

Mr. Henderson walked to the door. “Mr. and Mrs. Summers, thank you for coming today. If we need to get in contact with you, we have your information.”

Daniela stopped, jerking lightly from Rob’s grip and looked at Mr. Henderson shockingly. “That’s it?”

That’s it? That was the question she had asked the man who had no answer for her. She was in agony over Ariel’s death and now he was telling her not to call him, he’d call her. So now she was trying to get her life back as it had been before Ariel’s death which it was never going to be. The event had changed her forever. Today was her first day back and in spite of Rob telling her to take more time off; she wanted to resume her First lady duties even if she wasn’t ready to get back to the hospital just yet.

There was a knock on the office door. She jumped not knowing whether to pretend she wasn’t there or to answer it. Another knock; which obviously meant that someone had seen her car parked in the First lady’s parking spot. She took a deep breath then walked over to answer the door. Opening it, she stood in shock obviously having not prepared herself to see Candy standing in front of her with a box and a smile. Daniela stood speechless at the sight with her hand still holding on to the knob.

“Hey friend,” Candy said cocking her head to the side. “Peace offering?” Candy placed the wrapped box out for Daniela to take.

Daniela stared at Candy unable to form words. She looked down at the box then back up at Candy.

“It’s a new phone,” Candy said. “It’s even an upgrade.”

Daniela looked at Candy in utter disbelief. “Are you serious?”

Candy nodded. “I am, aren’t you going to invite me in?” She asked.

Daniela’s shocked face turned angry. “No, I’m not.” Daniela stood at the door entrance tightening the gap between her and the opening of the door.

Candy crossed her fur covered arms and sighed. “I know you don’t want anything to do with me but I really need to talk to you. I just need to explain.”

“Explain what?” Daniela asked her. “You and I both know what happened. You belong in jail and you’ve ruined my life. If I never see you again, that’s too soon. Please leave.”

Candy didn’t budge. “Dani, you’re kicking me out of your church?”

“Please leave before I call the police,” Daniela raised her voice.

“Fine, until they arrive, I’ll just explain to you from out in the hall where everybody can hear the conversation.”

Daniela stared at Candy knowing that Candy was asinine enough to do just that. Daniela walked away from the door and Candy entered in behind her closing the door. Daniela sat down and began looking over the papers on her desk ignoring Candy who stood behind her.

“Dani, please give me a chance. I’m very sorry. I miss you so much,” Candy said staring at the back of Daniela’s head.

Anger filled Daniela and she swung her chair around and stared at Candy. “What kind of person are you? I don’t miss you. I don’t even know you. You took someone’s life and ruined countless others. I no longer want you in mine ever again.”

Candy glared at Daniela then placed her large purse and the gift box on Rob’s desk before sitting down on the edge of the corner chair in their office. “I’m sorry.”

Daniela viewed Candy’s apology as halfhearted and it only disgusted her more. “You’re sorry?” Daniela fought to remain composed as rage filled her body. “You killed a woman and you have the gall to come into the house of God all made up with your fake gift, your fake lashes, your fake hair, and a two thousand dollar purse on your shoulder. But you’re sorry? Some things sorry just doesn’t cover.”

“Don’t you think I know that, Dani?”

Daniela looked at Candy and scrunched her forehead. “You made me look like I lost my mind and my husband was probably wondering if I needed to be committed or something.”

“He doesn’t. Rob’s not like that,” Candy said trying to reassure her. “He loves you.”

Daniela slammed her palm down on her desk. “Are you kidding me right now? I don’t even care what you think. I care that you took someone’s life and you don’t seem bothered by that.”

Candy stared blankly at Daniela.

Daniela pointed to the door. “Just get out!”

Candy continued to sit without making any attempt to get up. “I just want a minute to explain. I never meant for any of this to happen but I didn’t know what to do, Dani. I couldn’t lose my marriage or cause my husband to lose his ministry.”

Daniela folded her arms. “It’s always all about you.”

“No, it isn’t.” Candy paused and dropped her head. “You don’t understand. This....this pathetic piece of…well, she almost took everything I loved away from me. And when I saw her again, I just became so angry that I wanted to wipe her off of the face of the earth,” Candy proclaimed. “I can’t even explain it.”

Daniela stared at Candy. “What?”

Candy looked up at Daniela. “I found her phone number in Will’s cell phone about three years ago. He said that they only had lunch a couple of times and that he was helping her with some spiritual issues but I knew that wasn’t true.” Tears began flowing down Candy’s powdered cheek.

“Will and I tried to work through it but it was so hard for me to forgive him. I told him to leave and I nearly had a nervous breakdown.”

Daniela shook her head as she listened to Candy.

“I still acted as First lady and no one knew any better. During this time, I found out that I was pregnant; he begged to come back so we went to counseling. Now, our marriage is great and we’ve worked hard to have that. I didn’t tell anyone. I couldn’t even tell you. So, when I found out about her and Evan’s husband, it brought everything back. It just ate me up to know that she was doing this to another First lady.”

Daniela sat amazed at Candy. “You think that excuses what you did? You killed a woman who had a right to live and raise her children.”

Candy nodded. “I know; I know Dani,” Candy said solemnly.

Daniela looked down then in Candy’s eyes. “She was shot in the head, Candy.”

“You know I didn’t do that,” Candy responded quickly dabbing her eyes with her finger.

“I don’t know you,” Daniela snapped back.

“Well, I wish I could take it all back but I can’t. I just wanted you to know that I never meant for any of this to happen and I never meant to make you look crazy in front of Rob. I’m just trying to figure this all out.”

“Then go to the police and confess. You need to take responsibility for this.”

“I can’t,” Candy replied.

“It’s the right thing to do. It’s the godly thing to do.”

“It’ll destroy Will and all that he’s worked for.”

Daniela shook her head in disbelief. “If you’re not honest and true to what you profess to believe in Jesus then what good is what you and Will preach?”

Candy groaned as she stood up and grabbed her purse from Rob’s desk. “You don’t understand. I didn’t put Ariel in that landfill and I didn’t shoot her in the head. I could never do anything like that.”

Daniela looked at Candy and almost believed her. “Then who could?”

Candy and Daniela’s eyes locked waiting on Candy who was hesitant to answer.

Candy looked down. “He did it to protect me and everything we worked so hard to build. And I will never betray him for proving his love to me like that,” Candy said.

Daniela gasped in disbelief.

Candy shrugged and patted her wet cheeks with the back of her hand. Daniela stood up to be face to face with Candy.

“Candy, I can only answer to God for my actions and I’ve gone to God and I’ve repented for what I’ve participated in. I’ve tried to make it right by confessing to what happened to the police but you need to do the same thing.”

Candy looked at Daniela and reached out, touching her arm. “Dani, I don’t think I did anything wrong; I was executing biblical vengeance.”

Daniela’s mouth dropped in amazement as she stared at Candy sadly realizing that she never really knew this woman that she had considered a friend.

Candy took a deep breath. “Well, I’ve got to pick my kids up now but I came to tell you that I love you friend. I hope you know that,” Candy said placing her arms around Daniela to hug her.

Daniela was stiff as a board as Candy hugged her. Candy smelled like her usual lavender perfume but the stench of depravity was all over her. Daniela closed her eyes wondering how any of this had happened.

“I’m glad that Rob supports you so much. He’s such a great guy,” Candy said. She kissed Daniela on the cheek before walking out of the office leaving Daniela staring at the door.

Greg turned his truck off and reached for the five recycled bags of groceries on the seat and floor of his truck. Getting out, holding the bags in both hands, he shut the truck door with his foot. He chose to run up the flight of steps to his condo with the bags instead of taking the elevator.

He had a quick thought about Evan. He hoped that she was okay. He didn’t know if she had left town, or returned to the church; he certainly hadn’t since preaching Ariel’s funeral not even to clean his office out. He kept busy; afraid that if he slowed down then he’d hear the Holy Spirit loud and clear telling him to go back to preach.
Go back to JMC?
He didn’t even want to think about it; not now.

He had received two separate visits from members of the church board asking him to return as senior pastor. They had been persistent, with five board members arriving the first time and eleven on the second visit crowding his condo. They had offered more money, a home, and a late model truck. He had declined; they didn’t get that he loved God simply with his heart and soul; material things did nothing for him. They said that they had prayed; he said maybe they should pray again and wait on God’s answer next time.

He thought of Evan, praying that God would give her everything she needed to be whole. That woman had a lot of guts and he admired that. Just when he had given up on her ever making Leon responsible for what he’d done to her; she brought charges that helped Ben and his team hold him until Aaron revealed everything he had participated with Leon in and agreed to testify against him.

Greg huffed as he made it up the last flight of stairs to his place then felt his pocket for his keys to open his door. He’d laugh at himself if it wouldn’t take the last bit of breath out of his body from running up those steps. He had to do better.

“Not bad for an old retired man,” Evan said.

The voice startled Greg. He looked up surprised to see Evan standing outside of his door looking radiant; dressed casually with a cream pea coat over a tunic, leggings and long boots. Seeing her standing at his door looking fresh faced with glossy blushed lips took his breath away more than running up flights of stairs ever could.

“First lady? What are you doing here?”

“Call me Evan,” she said, “I’m not a First lady anymore.”

“You’ll have to forgive me,” He said.

“I’ll think about it.” Evan smiled. “I didn’t mean to stop by like this…”

“You never do,” Greg said as the two grinned sharing the irony in those words.

“But I wanted to say goodbye.”

Greg felt his heart sink to the floor; looking at her unable to find the right words. He jiggled the keys in his hands nervously.

“I didn’t mean to take you by surprise.”

Greg nodded trying to shake off the butterflies that she seemed to cause in him whenever he saw her. “Would you like to come in for some tea or water, or something?”

“Sure,” Evan smiled.

Greg placed the key in his door and opened it stepping aside allowing Evan to enter in first. She walked past him giving off her usual scent of fresh flowers that seemed to always make his knees weak. She stood in the entrance way as he closed the door behind her.

“I also wanted to say, thank you.”

Greg sat his bags down on the counter and looked at her curiously. “Thank me for what?”

Evan grinned. “For making sure that Sam and Sundi got justice; for being diligent about reminding me of my worth, for making me accountable to God and myself, and,” Evan paused, “for just doing what’s right.”

She walked up to Greg and placed her arms around him. He stood surprised at first then relaxed enough to hug her back and pat her on the back.

“That’s what you should expect,” He said.

“I didn’t but I will from now on.” She released him then placed her hands in her pockets.

Greg felt himself getting emotional and he could have kicked himself for feeling that way since he hadn’t wanted to fall in love again and had been careful not to. He walked over to the refrigerator.

“Can I get you a glass of something…water?” He asked looking inside the fridge. He laughed; embarrassed and hating that he didn’t have anything better to offer her especially when he just left the market. “I’m an awful shopper.”

Evan smiled. “That’s okay. I’m fine, really.”

Greg closed the fridge and looked at Evan. “I thought you had already left town. It was like you disappeared.”

Evan raised an eyebrow. “I’m not the only one.”

Greg nodded looking at the sadness in Evan’s eyes. “Right.”

“I wanted to though, especially the more I found out about Leon,” Evan said sadly. “You knew about Ariel?”

Greg wasn’t prepared for Evan’s question and he was sure that she could tell from his face that her question had taken him off guard. Discovering the affair was shocking at the time but he could never hurt her like that. “I couldn’t tell you.”

Evan nodded and sat down on his barstool. “I don’t blame you. I probably wouldn’t have believed you anyway.”

Greg nodded. “I went after Leon for Sam. I never knew what all that would entail. I just wanted to make someone accountable for Sam’s death.”

“You were a faithful friend to Sam,” Evan said. “Because of you, he can be remembered for the man that he was and I’m sure Emily and their children are grateful for that.”