Murder in Germantown (20 page)

“
Excuse me? Jared? You’re Jared Vetter, right?”

Cocky stare. “Who’s asking?”

Here came the lie. That was the part that Aramis loved.

“
I’m Kevin James, Wydell James’ brother. He was arrested and I’m trying to find out some information about him. He told me that you were on his team and would help him with an alibi.”

“
I heard about that. I thought it was a rumor. What kinda help does he need?”

“
Solid alibi help.”

“
I like Wydell. Great guy and all, but I won’t lie for him.”

“
Just confirm that he was not at a party on Saturday and that’s all he needs.”

“
Sure, he was there! He’s the Main Attraction. He comes to every party.”

“
Main Attraction?”

“
You know like, Allen Iverson, The Answer. Wydell James, the Main Attraction. Your parents must be proud?”

“
You have no idea.”

“
He pushed out of the ghetto at 26 to go to college. He proves that anything is possible.”

“
Yeah, that’s my lil’ bro.”

Five minutes later, Aramis found Michael Rains’ Ethics class and peeked into the door. The professor had the students working in groups, which made it easy for him to slip into the class and approach the professor.

“
Sorry to bother you professor, but I have an urgent message for a student named Michael Rains. He has a family emergency.”

“
Who are you?”

“
John. I’m the part-time student clerk at the academic advisor’s office.”

“
Well, Mr. Rains is not here. He cut my class and be sure that the advisor gets that,” the professor said.

“
I’ll be sure to.”

Amongst a row of duplexes on 20th Avenue, Aramis found the only home with enough ornaments to be in the Christmas Day parade. He approached the walkway leading to the front door and accidentally bumped into an alluring, dressed down co-ed. He excused himself and picked up her cell phone. He handed it to her. Her touch was soft. Very feminine.

“
You’re quite excused,” she told him and brushed pass him.

“
If my phone is broken, I’ll track you around this campus for payment.” She wanted to add: “With ya fine self.”

Feisty
, he thought. He handed her a business card. “If it’s broken, I’ll take care of it.”

She scanned the card.

“
Why are you here?” Plenty of attitude.

“
Looking to talk about Wydell James. I hear his girlfriend lives here. Do you know Wydell?”

“
Of course I do, and I’m investigating his arrest. This campus is my turf,” she then tossed him a card of her own, and said, “Rhonesia Cosby, LSU campus reporter.”

“
How coincidental?”

“
Very. Now be gone before I have campus security escort you out of here.”

She had no idea if that was possible, but the threat was cute.

“
To late,” he said as security pulled up.

Two youthful, gunless, security guards hopped out a Chevy Cavalier. They exited their car as Shannon Oscar appeared in a second story window.

She yelled, “Both of you, get off my property. None of the girls that live here want to speak to you. So leave.”

She slammed the window shut and closed the blinds.

“
You heard her,” fake cop number one said.

The other one told Aramis, “Sir, you need to leave the campus. All interviews must be cleared through the deans. Do not come back here asking for student rosters, or you will be arrested.”

He then told Rhonesia, “You have enough enemies.”

“
None in the security office,” she snapped, “but I could create a couple.”

Aramis got the point and strolled nonchalantly to his car. He was mad that he had to leave that soon. Not because he had one more student to talk to; he wanted to be in the company of Rhonesia Cosby.

CHAPTER 46

Rhonesia had spent four hours trying to convince the executive editor of the school paper that they should allow her to effectively pursue the Wydell James case. He only agreed after she agreed to be partial to no one and report what she found without bias. That would force her to print up a scandal sheet of all the things that she found which ordinarily provoked a libel law suit. She had convinced Shannon Oscar to meet with her after showing genuine concern via E-mail. They did not meet on campus. They met at a McDonald’s at Broad and Olney, four blocks from the campus.

“
Hey, Shan,” Rhonesia said as she slipped into the very last booth in the back of the fast-food joint.

“
Hello, Neesha,” Shan replied.

Her tone was low and extremely timid.

“
I’m glad you changed your mind about meeting me. I am definitely on your side. Well, Wydell’s.”

“
Thanks. I’ll tell him. Sorry about my rudeness earlier, it’s just so many people pestering me,” she said and sipped her coffee.

She was in mourning.

“
I can’t go anywhere without feeling like I am being stalked by reporters.”

“
I am sorry if I upset you. I am new at talking to real victims,” Rhonesia smiled.

Shannon smiled, too.

“
He was so protective. No one would be bothering me if he was here. These idiots be playing on my house phone and sending me crazy E-mails.”

“
I bet every boy next door has you on their to-do list. They’re like high schoolers. We’re so lucky,” Rhonesia said, chuckling. She was warming up to being an investigator. “How’s Wydell?”

“
He’s fine. He called me once. I can’t even see him until he’s out of quarantine. He’s so healthy. He said he’s sleeping in a closet full of bunk beds. It’s him, a drug dealer, a robber, and three drug addicts. Two of them are dope sick, vomiting and defecating everywhere. It’s terrible.”

“
That sounds horrible. What if he gets sick with TB, Hep-C, or a staph infection in there?”

“
They don’t care. It’s insane. I can’t wait to see him.”

“
I’d like to see him myself,” Rhonesia said. “Could you ask him for me?”

“
Sure.”

“
I can’t imagine having to go through this.”

“
It’s surreal. Believe me, you want no parts of this loneliness. Just alone. Everything hurts. I’m still in shock. It’s right up there with a funeral.”

“
Do you have any idea why he was thrown into this mess?”

“
Don’t print this. He had an argument with one of the guys that was shot. I guess that’s the motive.”

“
Does his lawyer know that he has an alibi? I have been trying to get the tapes from the gym, but to no avail.”

“
That’s crazy, Neesha.”

“
I know. I am going to flash his picture around the area of the shooting. He had to be around there setting up. I’m also gonna get all snazzy and go to the bar where he lived to get some information.”

“
I would go with you, but...” Her voice trailed off and she sipped her coffee again.

“
No, I can do this. This is my job.”

“
I’m sure he’ll appreciate your help.”

“
Have the police searched his room?”

“
Yup,” she replied, quickly. She had a conspiratorial smirk on her face.

“
You cleaned his room?” Rhonesia asked earnestly.

“
Left the furniture.” Shannon giggled, finally.

“
Was there something to hide?”

“
Not exactly.”

“
Meaning?”

“
Meaning, I can’t tell you what he is doing in his spare time.”

“
Must’ve been nice to pay for Ravonne Lemmelle?”

“
He must really have a reputation?”

“
Shan, he is the newest attorney on the rise. He represented the Bezels. And he’s gay. That’s newsworthy in itself. Usually the two do not go hand and hand, but he produces acquittals like plastic surgeons produce youth.”

“
Lemmelle is gay?” Shannon asked perplexed. “He didn’t seem gay.”

“
You’ve met him?”

“
Yes, and he’s not a gay man.”

“
Dear, he is gay and makes no attempt to hide it.”

“
To hell he don’t.”

“
Shan, baby, gay does not mean leather and flamboyance. Step into 2007.”

“
He’s so...”

“
Delicious. I know, but wouldn’t touch either of us.”

“
A wasted dick.” She smiled and laughed.

Rhonesia laughed.

“
Anybody hate Wydell?” Rhonesia asked trying to stay on track.

“
Barclay, of course. Everyone knows that.”

“
Anybody outside of school. Did he tell you about anyone in this hood?”

“
No. I only spent the night there a few times.”

“
So, maybe he was hiding something.”

“
No, Neesh. He always went home during the week. I don’t know.”

“
Must be love.”

“
It was. Well...is.”

“
Okay. I’m going to do a colorful article on him and add a bit about you. Got a photo?”

“
In the dorm.”

“
Let’s get that. I need to get to the press room.”

CHAPTER 47

Aramis was a freelance reporter assigned to the police beat at the
Philadelphia Inquirer
. He had been there four years now and had yet to move in the communications world. If he kept working in tandem with Ravonne, he would get that one case that would take his career off like a space shuttle. He wanted to crack a big case, write it up for the paper, have the Associated Press pick it up, and then have literary agents beating his door down with advance checks for him to write all about the details of the case in a hardback.

He hopped out of his car. He drove. Twenty minutes later, he found himself in Chestnut Hill. Island Reality was an executive rental company who catered to wealthy clients.

“
Aramis Reed,
Philadelphia Inquirer
. I’d like to speak with someone in charge. I’d like to know about the three murders that occurred at 1935 Hope Circle this past Saturday,” he said, introducing himself and stating his business.

The blonde receptionist was taken aback.

“
Oh, I’m sorry, only the manager can release that type of information.”

“
Release? Sounds like the real deal.”

She sucked her teeth and took an irritated deep breath.

“
Ms. Percy is in a meeting with a client, and...”

“
And I’ll wait,” he told her and had a seat.

“
Her entire afternoon is booked.”

“
But she is here now. I’ll only be a minute. Just a few questions.”

“
Yes, I heard you, but...”

“
There is no but, sweetie, I will wait.”

“
It would be wise to make an appointment. To see you means,”--she checked her calendar--“delaying her appointment with the Scotts due in twenty minutes.”

“
She’ll be delaying more than that if she doesn’t see me.”

“
Like.”

“
Her next sale.”

Aramis looked around the walls at the photos of many homes. Some were rentals for parties and vacations. Others were for sale. Each photo had the skinny on the property printed on index cards neatly tucked in the corner of the picture frame. He spent the next fifteen minutes looking at pictures in an issue of
Architectural Digest
.