Murder in Germantown (24 page)

“
You’re such a loser. I would go with you, but some idiot may have the news waiting outside for me. I don’t feel like being mobbed.”

“
It could be a good diversion, but I’ll pass. All of them hoes all over you would turn my stomach. Speaking of stomach. What’s for dinner?”

“
Don’t know, but I have the dessert just for you.”

“
We still have the turkey, veal and pork burgers and wedges.”

“
Yeah, but I don’t want burgers tonight.”

“
I’m not doing any gourmet cooking tonight, so do not ask. That’s the only reason you dragged me to those cooking classes.”

“
No. I drug you there because your spoiled ass could only cook basic meals, and Brandon needed well balanced meals. Fried chicken and hot dogs wasn’t cutting it. How about we have breakfast foods?”

“
Yes, I can go for that. Belgian waffles, Canadian bacon, eggs scrambled, and raisin bagels,” I offered and went into the kitchen when my cell phone rang.

I wanted to ignore it, but it was the ringtone assigned to my family. I checked the caller ID, and answered, “Aunt Diana, what’s up?”

My Aunt Diana was a recovering drug addict, but also a damn good dental hygienist. I had encouraged her to go to rehab in the small town of Williamsport, Pennsylvania where the Little League World Series was held each year. She took my advice, and 12 years later she had no desire to move back to Philadelphia, the rotten city that I love. She sprinkled a visit here and there, but “The Port” was hers and her second husband, Kyle’s. Her son Karon and her three adopted kids lived there, too. What a bunch.

“
This is Kyle,” he said and corrected me. “We have a problem.”

“
What’s up?” I asked with some hesitation.

“
Your aunt is in jail. They locked her up.”

“
What?”

Now that was a comment worthy of the front page. In jail. That was the most insane thing that I had ever heard in my life as it related to Aunt Diana. I put the phone on speaker, so that I would be able to dress as he spoke.

“
Remember our wedding?” he asked.

Of course, I did. Dajuan and I were groomsmen, and Dajuan sang.

“
Your cousin Kareem paid for our wedding flowers and our honeymoon. He ordered us a roundtrip Amtrak sleep car to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and a limo service the entire time that we were there.”

“
Stop, Kyle. I know all of the details. What you’re really saying is that Kareem ordered all of this with a stolen credit card, and they arrested my aunt for this.”

“
Man, he told Diana that he had a friend do it as a favor. I gotta get her out of there.”

“
I’m on my way. Chill out.”

“
Well you don’t have to come all the way here. They want the money to release her.”

“
How much?”

“
I have...”

“
Kyle! How much?” I growled.

Brandon ran over to me and hugged me. I picked him up and saw him as a baby all over again. Dajuan was up from the piano bench, probably in the bedroom getting dressed.

“
Sorry for yelling, man,” I said. “But you know how I feel about my aunt. Whatever they want they can have tonight.”

“
They want $4,278.19.”

“
Can we Western Union that much?” I asked Dajuan.

“
The banks are closed,” Kyle said.

“
Kyle, go to the Giant Supermarket. They have a Western Union station there. I’ll send you $4000 and you can add the change.”

“
We will pay you back.”

“
Goodbye, Kyle. You can’t get to the market on the phone with me.” I hung up and asked Dajuan, “Do we have that much in the safe?”

“
Ravonne, calm down,” Dajuan suggested. “Yes, we do.”

“
I am calm, dammit. She’s too damn fragile to be in there. I can imagine her shaking and crying. Damn, Kareem. That fool is paying every dollar back for this. I might not get him out of jail for this.”

“
Can’t we use my credit card?”

“
Yeah, even better idea.”

“
No, let’s go with the cash because the verification process takes too long with credit cards over the phone. I don’t want the court to close and she can’t get out. I’ll go count the cash while you call the courthouse and work your lawyerly magic.”

I picked up the phone and acted. Dajuan was serene and seemed to have everything under control. I usually held my composure, but this could not be thought out as methodically as one of my clients. This was something totally different. I would not sleep knowing she was being strip-searched and made to sleep in a cell. I knew that she was sitting trying to be patient, relying on her faith in God that Kyle would contact me and I would run to her rescue. She was absolutely correct, because she had always been there for me.

“
South Williamsport PD.”

“
Hi,” I said into the phone cordially.

I sat on the sofa and tried to relax. Brandon was right under me. He rubbed my leg as if he was trying to calm a tiger.

“
You have a Diana Bezel-Sampson in custody and I wanted to know what time you closed and the latest time that the money could be brought in to have her released?”

“
Who is asking?” a gruffy male voice asked.

“
This is Ravonne Lemmelle, her attorney. I’m in Philadelphia and am en route to wire the money to your town for her release. I was wondering if I faxed you the receipt from Western Union could you hold off forwarding her to jail?”

“
You do not sound like an attorney. You sound like a parent.”

“
I am a lawyer, and her nephew, sir, and I am very concerned. My aunt is no criminal.”

“
I know that. She’s here because she refused to tell us who the male was who ordered the flowers from our local florist. See the local florist remembers the call and the transaction, because it was her biggest sale ever. Your aunt was on the line with the male and pretended that it was her father. She claims to have no idea where her father is.”

“
Wait, how do you know that she pretended?” I thought a moment and then said, “Ignore that. That’s testimony and we’re not there, yet. I will say that it was a shock for her dad to be at the wedding. He is very estranged. With whom am I speaking with?” I was absolutely lying through my teeth. That creep wasn’t there.

“
Deputy Tomlinson.”

“
Okay, Deputy, I am going to wire the money. It’s 4:50. The money should be in Williamsport by 5:20. It’s going to the Giant, and I am unsure how far that is from the station, but...”

“
Five minutes.”

“
Then her husband will be there just in time.”

“
I’ll start the paperwork now for her release, but she’s going to the prison at six, Mr. Lemmelle.”

“
Thank you, sir,” I said and hung up. “Thanks Dajuan,” I said to him as he entered the living room with the cash in hand and ready to leave.

CHAPTER 55

After we sent the cash, I was relieved. My part was done. I had fulfilled my duty. Dajuan was driving us back to our home. I was no longer in the mood to be in the hood gathering data for my client, but that was also my duty. I knew that when I accepted my law degree and license to practice. I had to multi-task anger, grief, sadness, happiness, depression, family, and work. No matter the emotion, I was the ultimate actor. Bottom line, I was going to Charlie B’s and I’d love doing my job. I also planned to cook for my family, because I was a strong black man.

Dajuan interrupted my thoughts. For the most part, he had been quiet in the wake of this drama with my aunt. It paid to have a mate who knew me inside and out.

“
What do you want for dinner? We can eat out,” he said and then added, “I can’t believe, Kareem.”

“
Me either, but she was in on it. With his encouragement, I’m sure. She’s a woman and a fancy wedding is a dream from being a young lady.”

“
So glad that we don’t have to worry about a fancy wedding.”

“
What does that mean?” I had a little more bass in my voice than normal.

“
Don’t start Ray-Ray. You know how I feel about same sex marriage.”

Dajuan looked at me weirdly at a red light. His glare penetrated me. I knew what he meant, but deep down I knew that he would marry me. I let it go, and switched gears.

“
I’ll cook dinner.”

“
Don’t play superman, Black Face. Fo’ real. We can eat out and get the same meal that you planned to cook,” Dajuan told me.

He had a point. This was not the time to be obstinate.

“
Let’s go to the Midtown Diner on 11th and Samson.”

Midtown was a cozy 24-hour diner where the gay children flocked after the club and hanging out of Philadelphia’s notorious gay strip: 13th Street.

“
They have good breakfast.”

“
And hopefully my girl Gladys is there,” Brandon said and smiled at me.

“
You’re too darn much,” I said to Brandon as Dajuan laughed.

“
Ladies, man,” Dajuan said to Brandon, and then to me, he said, “What time do you plan to go to the bar?”

“
Happy hour. Seven-ish. Most of the caddy girls will be there then ready to gossip, and the dudes will be there for them.”

“
Okay, I’ll drop you off and take Brandon to Cheltenham Mall. We will grab you when you’re done. You don’t need to be driving. You need a driver,” he told me and smiled. Such a charmer. So protective.

“
Take me home to change out of this suit, and then we can go to the Broad Street Diner, since you’re going Uptown with me. They have nice Belgian waffles.”

“
Yeah, I hope so. What are you going to do about Kareem, though? I cannot not believe that he did this.”

“
Alright. I will get with him the next time I talk to him, but in the meantime...” My words trailed off because I had nothing to say.

CHAPTER 56

After a relaxing fortification break at the Oak Lane Diner, Dajuan hit Broad Street going toward downtown at 6:50. There was a light touch of rush hour as workers from the Willow Grove area took Broad Street to the I-76 entrance. Slowed to a crawl, I put Nemo on for Brandon to watch in the headrest TV. He sat in the back seat whining about nothing at all, of course, aggravating the hell out of me with the gay shit.

The houses along that stretch of Broad Street were large, three story A-frames. Some houses even posed as physician, dentist, and veterinarian offices on the first level. The second and third levels were the professional homes.

I was snapped out of my day dream by Dajuan punching his hand on the horn and swerving to avoid a Camry. He chanted imprecations and gave the finger to the Camry’s driver, which was quickly volleyed. He had to get off Broad Street to avoid testing the Range Rover’s airbags. He flipped a right onto Olney Avenue. At the next light, we were on the corner of Olney and Belfield. On the SW corner was Central High School, and also the same corner that Wydell claimed that he picked up the taxi that had taken him home the night of the murders.

Dajuan proceeded through the light. The next light was the LaSalle U campus. Had it been earlier, I may have had the urge to stop. I need not worry, though. I was sure that Rude had done his job. At the next light, Dajuan turned left onto Wister Street and passed Germantown Hospital. Wydell’s little brother was still there recuperating. We meandered along Wister Street until we reached Germantown Avenue and Dajuan made a left.

“
I wanna go to Nana’s, Daddy B?” Brandon said with imperious niceness.

He obviously recognized the landmarks and knew that we were in the vicinity.

I looked over to Dajuan who simply shrugged as if nothing mattered to him. There was something on his mind. I could tell. I often wondered if he missed being in New York. I had the luxury of being close to my family, while his entire life was still there. We did visit occasionally, but I wondered if that was enough. He barely received calls other than the begging type. That would break my heart, partly because I valued my family and made every effort to show it.

I called my grandmother, and she answered on the second ring.

“
What are you doing, Granny?” I asked without any intro.