Changing Faces

by Kimberla Lawson Roby

  “Marvin is lying, Mama. I’m telling you.”

  “No he’s not. He followed you right after you left here yesterday morning,” Mattie Lee said matter-of-factly, and seemed proud of what she knew. “He saw you meet that fool at some apartment and he said you never came back out for three hours. Marvin waited in his car the whole time but you was too stupid to realize it.”

  “Mama, please,” Charisse begged, and wondered why she’d been so careless when it came to Pastor Damon. But in all honesty, she’d never expected even remotely that Marvin would think to follow her. Not when he was acting as though he didn’t care anything about her.

  “Let me explain,” Charisse continued. “I was going to tell you about the money but I wanted it to earn some interest. I wanted to surprise you with how well I’ve invested it.”

  “You just a lying, sneaky bitch, Charisse,” her mother yelled, standing up. “Which is another reason why I’ve always hated you. But baby, I promise you this…you gone pay. You hear me? If it’s the last thing I do, I’m gone make you pay for this. You gone pay for what you done to me and my Johnny,” she said, pointing her finger in Charisse’s face.

  “Mama, please just let me talk to you. We can go to the bank tomorrow morning and fix this,” Charisse said, and was glad that she’d already opened another joint account in both her and her mother’s name—all thanks to one of her coworker’s daughters, who worked at a nearby branch. Charisse had gone to see her the day after Marvin had begun threatening her about the money. “Mama, please just listen to me,” Charisse continued.

  “Ha! Now, Charisse, do you actually think I’m gone let a stupid bitch like you get over on me like this? Do you?”

  “But Mama, this is not all my fault,” Charisse declared. “If only you had loved me the same way you loved Johnny. Because if you had, I wouldn’t have despised him so much and none of this would have ever happened.”

  “Look,” Mattie Lee said, now touching Charisse’s nose with the tip of her fingernail. “For the last time. I will never love your silly ass. Not for as long as I live,” she said, forcing her finger farther into Charisse’s face and knocking her head backward.

  “Now get out of my way,” Mattie Lee said, reaching for the phone.

  And Charisse started panicking. “Who are you calling, Mama?”

  “The police, that’s who. So, I’m tellin’ you for the last time. Get the hell out of my way,” Mattie Lee repeated, and shoved Charisse to the side.

  “Mama, I’m begging you…please don’t pick up that phone.”

  But Mattie Lee grabbed it anyway and pressed the on button.

  And that’s when Charisse yanked the wrought-iron fireplace poker from its holder and swung it across her mother’s back.

  Mattie Lee bellowed out and dropped the phone by reflex.

  “You crazy bitch,” she said, clearly in pain but still bending over to pick the phone back up.

  “I said no, Mama,” Charisse screamed, and whacked her mother across her back again and Mattie Lee fell to the floor.

  But Mattie Lee was far from giving up and struggled to get to her feet. When she did, she made another confession. “That’s why from the time you were two years old, I beat your little ass whenever I felt like it. And now I’m gone beat it again for old time sake.”

  However, when Mattie Lee charged at Charisse, Charisse swung the poker repeatedly. She swung it across every part of her mother’s body until finally Mattie Lee dropped down to the floor again, this time screaming for her life and yelling for her husband to come help her.

  But Charisse didn’t care about any of that and simply started swinging again. She swung back and forth as hard as she could and she was now striking multiple blows to her mother’s head.

  She did this over and over and over again until her father seized the weapon from her.

  Chapter 33

  WHITNEY

  TAYLOR WAS PREPARING TO lie down for a while, but I was still trying to process what had happened over at Cameron’s. It was so totally astounding, and I was now convinced that there was no sure way to truly know a person. At least not completely, and that bothered me. I was troubled because this unfortunate realization had already been proven twice within the last twenty-four hours. First by Rico and then by Cameron, and I feared that this was as good as life was ever going to be. At this point, I just didn’t see any reason to be optimistic about anything.

  “Can you believe him?” Taylor finally said while easing her body into bed and leaning against two large pillows.

  “No,” I said, pulling the sheet and comforter over her and realizing how stuffed I was. Taylor had eaten barely half of her dinner, but I had gobbled up every morsel of mine and was happy about it.

  “I mean, the man has a wife and two kids and I never even picked up on it. I feel so stupid.”

  “But you shouldn’t. Not when there was no way for you to know what was going on. He hid his family from you and that’s not your fault.”

  “But I still should have noticed some sort of sign. I should have paid more attention to what he was doing. I should have thought about the fact that he always kept his phone calls forwarded, and now I’m trying to think back to some of the business trips he went on and which cities he’d claimed he went to.”

  “He forwarded his phone calls? Why?”

  “He would tell me how he didn’t want to be bothered with sales calls or any others when he was at home. And I guess it never really mattered to me because I always called him on his cell phone anyway. He spends a lot of time at construction sites and with his clients in their offices, so that’s the way I usually contacted him. Pretty much, it just became a habit.”

  “Wow. Well, I will say this, Cameron is good. And so is Rico. Both of them have mastered the art of deception and it makes me sick.”

  “I just don’t deserve this,” Taylor said, closing her eyes and covering her face with her hands. I knew she was outdone so I sat on the edge of the bed and tried to console her.

  I sat there for a few minutes and then my phone rang. When I pulled it out of my purse I saw that it was that jerk Rico. He’d called while we were driving home but I hadn’t answered it. But this time I would end this once and for all.

  “Hello?” I said.

  “Are you still upset?”

  “What do you think?”

  “I know and I’m sorry. But the fact that I’m really in love with you should mean something.”

  “Well, it doesn’t.”

  “So, what are you saying? That you’ve never made any mistakes. Are you saying that you’re perfect?”

  “No. But I’ve also never used someone the way you used me and then lied about being married.”

  “Okay, look. I know you probably hate me right now, but Whitney, everyone deserves a second chance.”

  “Not where I come from.”

  “So, just like that, this is it? This is the end of what we had together?”

  “Exactly, and now that you finally realize that, please don’t ever call me again.”

  “If that’s what you really want.”

  “I do.”

  “Then, Whitney…you take care of yourself,” he said, and hung up.

  But the thing was, I didn’t know how I felt about it. I was still hurting terribly over what he had done to me and I was sure that I could never trust him again, but for some reason I was now wondering if I had made a mistake. I wondered if I had dismissed him too quickly and possibly passed up on a man who did love me. I could tell Taylor was thinking the same thing from the way she was looking at me.

  “Don’t even say it,” I said, smiling at her.

  “What? That you’ll probably regret this for the rest of your life?”

  “I doubt it. It’ll be hard but I’ll get over this the same as anything else.”

  “I hope so, Whit. Because my gut tells me that Rico was the one. I don’t know why, but I just have that feeling about him,” Taylor said, and her phone rang.

/>   I leaned over toward the nightstand to see who it was.

  “It’s Cameron.”

  “Then don’t answer it.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I’m positive.”

  “I wonder if he’ll leave a voice message.”

  “I’m sure he will. He’ll go on and on with some sob story, but it’s too late for that.”

  I agreed with Taylor but I didn’t say anything because I could tell she was becoming emotional again.

  “Can you believe we’re going through almost the same thing at the same time?” she asked.

  “I know. Strange, isn’t it. But at least we’re able to be here for each other.”

  “There was a time, though, when Charisse would have been here with us, too.”

  “Amazing how things change, huh? But that’s life.”

  “I guess,” Taylor said, and her phone rang again.

  I leaned over again and saw that it was Charisse.

  “Speak of the devil. And I hope she’s not on her way over here, because she’s calling from her cell phone.”

  “Will you stop being so difficult and just give it to me,” Taylor said, and I laughed.

  “Hey, Brianna,” Taylor said, and then paused. “Sweetie, what’s wrong? What? Oh my God, where are you? Where’s your dad? Is your grandfather there? Okay, honey, your Aunt Whitney and I will be there as soon as we can and you call me on my cell phone if you need to, okay?”

  “Who was that?” I said when I saw the horrifying look on Taylor’s face.

  “Brianna. And it sounds like Charisse has killed her mother.”

  Chapter 34

  TAYLOR

  WHEN WHITNEY TRIED to turn down the street that Charisse’s parents lived on she couldn’t. Squad cars were everywhere, neighbors were standing and talking nosily on their lawns, and homicide detectives were parading in and out of the crime scene like it was normal. But I guess to them it was normal because they were used to it.

  “Gosh,” Whitney said. “Why would Charisse do something like this?”

  “I don’t know. And I keep hoping that it’s not true. But after seeing all this…”

  “Do you want me to let you out and then go park? Because I can tell you’re in a lot of pain.”

  “I’ll be fine. Just pull over here.”

  When she did, I stepped out of the car and walked up the sidewalk. But when I arrived directly in front of the house, one of the policemen stopped me.

  “Ma’am, you can’t go in there.”

  “I’m Taylor Hunt, Charisse Richardson’s attorney.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. Are you also the Aunt Taylor that the little girl inside keeps asking about?”

  “Yes.”

  “Please go on in,” he said, and I dreaded walking up the steps in front of me. But I held on to the rail and did the best I could.

  Inside, it was a madhouse. Even worse than it was outside and I thought I would faint when I saw Charisse in handcuffs and a black body bag over near the fireplace being zipped closed. Charisse looked at me strangely and I wanted to run to her. I wanted to tell the officers that this was an innocent mistake and that Charisse hadn’t done anything. But I could tell from the look on her face that this wasn’t true.

  When the officers escorted her toward me I got weak. I guess because I was still trying to digest what I was seeing.

  “I’m sorry,” Charisse said. “I’m sorry for everything I ever said or did to you, Taylor, whatever those things were.”

  “Don’t say another word. Don’t say anything to anyone until you hear from Jim Sable. I called him on the way over here and he’s going to meet us at the police station.”

  Tears dropped from Charisse’s eyes and I fought hard to keep my composure. It was hard seeing my friend look so pitiful. And while I had always known Charisse to be filled with sheer egotism, she now had straight humility. It was as if she’d become this person I hadn’t met before.

  “Please don’t take my baby,” Roy said, rushing toward Charisse and wailing loudly. “She was just defending herself. That’s all she was trying to do,” he continued explaining, but one of the officers stood between him and his daughter.

  And after he did, Charisse gazed at her father, and I stood there still trying to figure out why any of this was happening. It just didn’t make any sense. I knew Charisse had never gotten along with her mother, but had it been much worse than I had imagined? Were things so bad between them that Charisse hadn’t seen any other way except killing her?

  “Taylor?” Charisse said as they led her outside. “Please stay here with Daddy and the children until you know they’re okay.”

  “I will, and then I’ll see you in an hour or so.”

  “And one other thing, please tell Whitney that I’m sorry for everything.”

  “Of course,” I agreed, and wondered where Whitney was. But I was sure that the officer guarding the door wasn’t planning to let her through.

  I placed my arm around Charisse’s father. “Mr. Freeman, where are Brandon and Brianna? And Marvin?”

  “They in the lower level.”

  “Well, why don’t you come down there with me so I can check on them.”

  “I cain’t. I just don’t want them babies to see me like this,” he said. “And plus, one of them detectives say he gone wanna talk to me in a few minutes.”

  “Well, you come and get me when he does. Don’t you say a word unless I’m there with you.”

  “I won’t. And thank you, sweetheart.”

  When I went down the stairs, all I could think was that I would eventually have to walk back up them and how I hoped I wasn’t going to be sorry about it. I hoped I wasn’t causing internal bleeding or something a whole lot worse.

  “Auntie Taylor,” Brianna said, tearing away from her father’s arms and rushing over to me.

  “I’m here,” I said, hugging her, and to my surprise, Brandon came over and grabbed hold of me, too. They were both pressing against my stomach too closely, but there was no way I could reject them. There was no way I could disregard the love they obviously needed from me.

  “Thanks for coming,” Marvin said. “Especially since I know you just had surgery.”

  “No problem,” I said, asking him with my eyes what happened, but Marvin dropped back down in his chair.

  “It’s all my fault,” he said, and the children both turned to look at him.

  “I knew it,” Brandon yelled. “I knew you had something to do with this.”

  “Stop it, Brandon,” Brianna said. “Stop yelling at Daddy. He didn’t do anything and you know it.”

  “Yes he did, because Mom was just telling us how he was trying to turn Grandma against her. Remember in the car on the way over here?”

  Brianna moved away from her father and grabbed my arm, now seemingly agreeing with her brother’s thinking.

  “I didn’t mean it,” Marvin said. “I did tell your grandmother some things, but I had no idea—”

  “Just stop it, Dad,” Brandon said. “They handcuffed Mom right here in front of us and now they’re taking her to jail because of you.”

  I cringed when I heard Brandon’s words and I wondered why the police couldn’t have waited to cuff Charisse upstairs. I wondered why they’d had to do it right in the presence of her children as if her children didn’t matter. I knew the police department had its job to do, but it just seemed so insensitive. Even as an attorney I just didn’t understand it.

  “I wanna go home with you, Auntie Taylor,” Brianna said.

  “Well, somebody’s got to stay here with Grandpa, so that’s what I’m going to do,” Brandon announced, and I could tell he was serious.

  Marvin looked totally defeated and not at all like the new and improved husband who had purchased that new television without Charisse’s permission and then drank beer right in front of her that night I was over there. Instead, he was acting more like the old submissive Marvin again.

  Still, I stood there not knowin
g what to say to anyone about anything, and before long Charisse’s father yelled down to me. I assumed the detective was ready to question him so I turned toward the stairway.

  But when I did, Brianna asked me a question.

  “Auntie Taylor, can I come live with you for good? I promise I won’t be any trouble. I’ll do whatever you tell me to and you won’t ever have to get mad at me.”

  All I could do was look at her, then at Marvin, and back at her again. I just didn’t know how to answer.

  Chapter 35

  TAYLOR

  WHAT A DEPRESSING FOUR WEEKS it had been. Not just for me, but for all of us. Brandon, Brianna, Marvin, Roy, and even for Whitney, because the truth of the matter was, Whitney still cared about Charisse and had wanted to help her. As a matter of fact, Whitney had even gone with me to see her and the two of them had finally reconciled.

  But in the end, Charisse had forgone a trial, pleaded guilty, and the judge had sentenced her to fifteen years with a chance of parole in a few years. I’d been so upset, but I knew this particular sentence was actually lenient and that it had had a lot to do with her father’s testimony. He’d told the judge how Charisse’s mother had beaten her as a child and how if he’d been a better man he would have stopped it. He’d explained that Charisse had acted in the only way she knew how and that violence and cruelty was the only thing she had seen growing up. Then there had been the testimony of two psychiatrists who’d confirmed that Charisse was somewhat unstable and needed daily medication—medication that Charisse had never had prescribed for her in the past.

  I’d been shocked, of course, about everything I’d learned, and all of it saddened me. Partly because I loved Charisse as my friend, but mostly because her children were so miserable without her. They’d been inconsolable and had missed over two weeks of school. And it hadn’t been until they’d gone to see Charisse three days after her arrest and one day before Mattie Lee’s funeral that they’d finally started speaking to Marvin again. Still, it had taken them another week before they’d moved back home, Brianna from my house and Brandon from his grandfather’s.