A Piece of the Pie

by Michelle Lindo-Rice

  “Wait until daylight,” Bertie said. “They gave her a sedative. Talk to her in the morning and find out if she’s really sick.”

  “If she’s a liar, I want to know it now.” Pumpkin marched down to Evie’s room. She opened the door. Evie was asleep. Her mouth was open and she was snoring. Pumpkin closed the door and returned to the kitchen.

  “She’s knocked out, but first thing tomorrow, I’m getting answers.”

  *******

  At exactly 9:33 the next morning, Pumpkin headed to her mother’s room. She was going to wake Evie up. She hadn’t slept well the night before. She’d tossed and turned so much Cameron had gone into the guest room.

  Too many questions.

  Too little answers.

  That would change now.

  She knocked before opening the door.

  Then her eyes widened. Pumpkin rushed out the room and called out to Cameron and Bertie. “She’s gone. My mother’s left me again just like before.”

  20

  Her heels clicked on the graveled path into the alley. She dragged her suitcase behind her. The clamoring in the otherwise quiet path made Evie feel like she was walking into the scene of a horror movie, but this was where Rodolpho insisted they meet.

  If she had known the place was so deserted, Evie would’ve worn her sneakers.

  She held her purse tighter under her arm. Rodolpho stood about five feet away. She squinted. He was alone. Evie relaxed. If the other men had been there, she would’ve taken off running.

  She left her suitcase where it was and scurried toward him.

  He twirled a toothpick in his mouth. “You have all of it?”

  Evie nodded and pulled out the thick envelope. She handed him the envelope like she would a leper.

  Rodolpho flicked the bills and nodded. “It looks right.”

  “Good. So now we’re done.” She turned and began to make her way down the path.

  “Not so fast,” Rodolpho said.

  Evie froze. Her stomach clenched. She turned around in slow motion to see his revolver. Her eyes widened, but she wouldn’t let him see she was scared. Dogs smelled fear. “I paid you. It’s over.” She spoke firmly.

  Rodolpho shook his head. “I can’t let you go. You have the picture of Freddie in your phone. How do I know you won’t blab your mouth?”

  “I’m here,” she said, pointing to the ground. “I paid. All I want to do is go on with my life.”

  “I can’t let you do that. I’m sorry.”

  “I can give you the phone.” She slowly moved her hand to her pants pocket. Before she could pull out her gun, she heard a voice behind Rodolpho.

  “I’ll give you three seconds before I blow your head off.” The click of his gun bounced off the walls.

  She sagged. Mitch was here.

  Where had he come from? Then she stiffened. Had he followed her here? He had some nerve! She had it handled.

  However, she’d deal with that after this Rodolpho situation.

  Evie pulled her weapon and said, “Put your gun on the floor. Any wrong move and I’ll paralyze you for life.”

  Rodolpho must have realized he was outnumbered. He held up his hands in surrender. Then he lowered his gun to the ground and kicked it in Evie’s direction.

  “I wouldn’t touch that if I were you,” he advised before running off.

  Evie exhaled and looked down at the source of Freddie’s death. She kicked it out of the way.

  Mitch came over and hugged her. Evie punched at his back before her shoulders heaved. “I thought I was dead.” She sobbed against his chest.

  Mitch rubbed her head and soothed her. “It’s over. It’s okay.” He used his shirtsleeve to wipe her face.

  Once she composed herself, she asked, “How did you know?”

  “I told you I got you,” Mitch said. “Pumpkin called me and told me you’d left. I caught up with you and I’ve been trailing you all day.”

  She squinted. “How did you find me? You’re more than a driver, aren’t you?”

  “Don’t worry about that. You’re safe with me.” Mitch took her hand and used the other to get her suitcase. They walked to the black Lincoln Navigator.

  He opened the rear door and helped Evie inside.

  When she got in, her mouth dropped open. “Pumpkin! What are you doing here?”

  “I made Mitch come get me once he found you,” she said.

  She heard the trunk slam and Mitch jumped in the front.

  “You could’ve told me,” she accused.

  “You would’ve run. No more running.” Mitch put the vehicle in gear and drove off. In five minutes, they were on the highway.

  Evie looked into Pumpkin’s face and groaned internally. She would’ve preferred to face Rodolpho’s gun all over again than face Pumpkin.

  Her daughter began. “Why did you steal from me?”

  Evie grew wary. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Cut out the lies!” she fumed. “I know you took the George Richter painting. It was missing this morning. The morning after you spent the night in my house. How much did you get for it?”

  She’d gotten two hundred thousand, which irked because Evie knew it was worth close to a million dollars. But she’d been desperate. However, Evie wasn’t about to say she’d done it. Not unless Pumpkin had actual proof. Did she?

  “Why do you think I took it?” Evie asked. “How do you know it wasn’t your assistant paying you back for firing her? She does have the code to get into your place.”

  “Because I changed the code,” Pumpkin said through gritted teeth. “Now answer me.”

  Evie didn’t react to that news. She was old school. Unless there was a picture or video, she wasn’t saying anything.

  Pumpkin exhaled. “Why am I even wasting my time asking? You’re not going to tell me the truth. You’re a liar.”

  The word “liar” punctured Evie’s heart, but she was tough. She gripped her bag close. It held the rest of the cash. She wasn’t going to let it go.

  Pumpkin wasn’t done talking. “This isn’t the ideal place or time, but I’d like to get something off my chest. I don’t know when you’re going to take off on me, so we’ll tackle it now.”

  Mitch slowed down and Evie looked outside. There was heavy traffic. She was stuck. She met Pumpkin’s gaze and squared her shoulders.

  “When you kicked me out and when you left this morning, it brought back old feelings. Feelings of loneliness. Feelings of not being loved.” Pumpkin shook her head. “Do you know what it was like growing up knowing your mother didn’t want you?”

  Evie touched her chest. “I knew I couldn’t take care of you. There’s a difference. Besides if I didn’t want you, I would’ve aborted you.”

  On the inside, she was cussing out Mitch for setting her up. He probably knew they’d be deadlocked.

  Pumpkin’s face held hurt and anger. “Am I supposed to be grateful you decided to have me? Please. You’re selfish. You don’t love me. The only person you care about is yourself. What am I to you?”

  Evie closed her eyes and shook her head. She couldn’t bear the lashes of truth. They were ripping her heart. Especially since Pumpkin was right.

  “Why did you come here?” Pumpkin’s voice rose. “Why did you come back into my life and make me care about you?”

  The words tore from Evie’s mouth. “I needed… I wanted…”

  Pumpkin yelled. “Answer me. What do you want me from me?”

  With the speed of a bird being freed from its cage, the truth flew out of her mouth. “I wanted your money. That’s all I’ve ever wanted from you. That’s why I came back. That’s why I took the painting. Is that what you wanted to hear?” She spat out.

  Pumpkin’s sudden tears made Evie feel shallow. But she wasn’t about to dwell in the land of regrets.

  Evie stiffened. “You asked for the truth, so don’t be a baby about it.”

  “Are you even sick?” Pumpkin asked.

  “Nope
. Never been sick a day in my life except for that panic attack,” Evie bragged.

  Pumpkin shook her head. “You never loved me. I see that now.” She looked upward. “I wish my father hadn’t died. Maybe he would’ve loved me.”

  Evie pretended to be unmoved. “Quit the dramatics and dry your tears. You turned out all right, so I did the right thing. And for your information, your father isn’t dead. That man is very much alive.”

  21

  A scammer knows a scammer. If it was one thing Evie knew, it was scammers. And the man before her was a scammer.

  “How do you he’s faking?” Mitch said. “I’ve been watching him for weeks and I haven’t seen anything.”

  “I just know.”

  Mitch kept his gaze on hers.

  Evie shrugged. “Fine. If you must know, he’s got shifty eyes. He’s hiding something, I know it.”

  She was outside the gym Ashton frequented. They had just watched him wheel inside. “Everyone exposes themselves eventually—with the right motivation—except for me.”

  After Pumpkin blindsided her, she’d demanded Mitch drop her on the side of the road. She had been ready to leave.

  Mitch had other plans. He took Pumpkin home before pulling into the garage. He engaged the child locks so she couldn’t leave.

  “Let me out,” Evie demanded, banging on the window. “You set me up, you overgrown ape.”

  “Where are you going to go? You have nowhere to go,” Mitch had said.

  She had a large amount of cash in her bag, which would prove otherwise. “Don’t concern yourself about me and my welfare. I’ve been taking care of me just fine for the past forty-two years.”

  Mitch turned around to face her. “That’s the problem. You’re all about you. What about your daughter?”

  Evie jutted her chin. “She’s fine without me.”

  He shook his head. “She’s fine money-wise, but her heart is broken.”

  “I’m not staying in here and taking this from some broke-down Doctor Phil.” Evie’s voice escalated. “You let me out of here right now.”

  “I’ll let you go, but first I need your help.”

  Evie’s eyes narrowed. “What can I possibly help you with?”

  “Cameron’s in serious trouble.”

  She raised a brow, her anger forgotten. “What kind of trouble?”

  “Two years ago, he hit a runner and drove off.”

  “Goodness.” Evie touched her chest. She knew there had been something going on with Pumpkin and Cameron. But she had no idea it was this big. “I don’t remember hearing this on the news.”

  “That’s because no one knows.”

  “Did the runner die?”

  Mitch shook his head. “No. Cameron paid the man’s hospital bills and paid for his recovery. However, he’s paralyzed and in a wheelchair. Cameron gave him a job. In fact, he’s the breakout star in The Cover-Up.”

  When she heard the title, Evie cupped her mouth. “Is the movie about him?”

  Mitch nodded.

  “That was dumb,” she spoke aloud. “Cameron pulled an Usher confession. What if people connect it back to him?” She shook her head. “This is some messed up stuff going on. I would’ve never pegged Cameron as the hit and run type.”

  “No one knows what they’d do in a situation. With all the police brutality—especially toward black men—he panicked. He’s planning on confessing at a press conference in three days. He confided in me a couple weeks ago.”

  Her eyes widened. “Pumpkin must be beside herself with worry,” Evie said. “But what do you think I can do to help? I’m the last person Pumpkin wants around to offer support.”

  “I’ve been watching this guy and something’s not right. It’s a hunch,” he looked at her pointedly, “but I’m usually right about my hunches.”

  “You’re wrong about me. I’m every bit as selfish as Pumpkin said.” Tears filled her eyes. “I’m a liar and that’s the truth.”

  Mitch unlocked the doors so he could join her in the back. “You may be selfish, but I know in your own twisted way, you love her.” He wiped her face. “So will you help me?”

  “Why are you doing this?” she asked.

  “Because Cameron gave me a second chance. So I’m going to do the same for you.”

  Her heart accepted his words, but Evie had her pride. “I guess I’ll crash with you for a minute and see what’s going on. I don’t have anywhere to be at the moment.”

  Mitch held out a fist. She rolled her eyes and bumped her fist with his. Mitch opened the door and retrieved her luggage.

  “Where we going?”

  “Cameron’s rented me an apartment thirteen floors down.”

  She slapped his arm. “You live here? Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “You didn’t need to know.”

  That was three days ago. Now here she was running on a treadmill at 5 a.m. when she hadn’t worked out in a decade.

  Evie stopped to catch her breath and to keep from passing out. She lifted her chest as she walked into Ashton’s view. They were the only two people in the gym. Mitch said they’d be alone until about five-thirty. She hoped he was right.

  Ashton smiled at her before making a show of adding weights to the weight bar. Evie hid a smile and took a seat near him. She placed her gym bag on the floor where she was sure he could see it. Then she took out her water bottle and towel.

  His eyes widened.

  Ashton pretended he hadn’t seen what was inside. However, his eyes kept straying to her open bag. She placed the bag high on the rack above. High enough that someone in a wheelchair couldn’t access.

  She gave him another bland smile before going back to the treadmill. On cue, Mitch called. She answered, talking loud enough for Ashton to overhear.

  Evie feigned shock. “Oh, no. Is she all right? Oh my God. I’m coming. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.” She rushed out of the room and headed to the exit.

  Ashton didn’t call out to alert her that she’d left behind her bag. Just as she’d predicted.

  “How do you know he’ll do it?” Mitch said, peering inside the door. He had his video camera ready. They were hidden behind the glass leading to the Zumba area. They could see Ashton, but he couldn’t see them.

  “Cause I would,” Evie said, laying a hand on his chest.

  Ashton looked around the deserted gym. He looked up at the bag. Then he returned to his weights.

  She could feel Mitch’s heart beating fast under her hand. “He’s not falling for it.”

  She placed her index finger on her lips. “Give him a minute.”

  Ashton looked at his watch. He looked toward the exit. Then he squared his shoulders. He glanced around one more time before standing to go over to her bag.

  Mitch’s eyes widened.

  “Told you,” Evie said.

  Mitch pressed the video button on his iPhone. He walked in Mitch’s direction.

  Ashton’s back was turned. He hoisted the bag down and pulled out the wad of cash. Then he smiled and shoved it in his gym shorts.

  “Smile for the camera fool,” Mitch said.

  Ashton jumped.

  Evie came forward and sang, “You’ve been hit by… You’ve been hit by a smooth criminal.”

  22

  “If Evie were here, I’d wring her neck with my bare hands,” Bertie said. “I hate seeing you like this.”

  Pumpkin shook her head. “Then I’d have to bail you out of jail. I can’t lose you.” She’d been camped out in her bed inconsolable for three days. Cameron had been so worried that he’d stayed home to take care of her and he’d called Bertie. He’d even delivered the perfume to Christine with her apologies.

  “Humph. You should press charges against Evie for stealing that painting.”

  “I won’t miss it,” Pumpkin said.

  “I hate that she took advantage of you. You’re more than your bank account or your possessions,” Bertie said.

  Pumpkin couldn’t keep the resentment ou
t of her tone. “Not to my mother.”

  When she’d confronted Evie, Pumpkin had hoped Evie would return the rest of the money from the painting and proclaim, “I was desperate, but no money is worth your love.” Pumpkin was furious, but ready for the fairytale. She was prepared to forgive Evie and to rebuild the trust between them.

  But that hadn’t happened. Evie had hugged her purse and asked. “Do you want your money back?”

  That’s all Evie had wanted to know.

  Pumpkin had shaken her head, knowing her heart wouldn’t easily recover from this betrayal.

  Bertie asked her a question, bringing Pumpkin back to the conversation.

  “What does she mean your father is alive? I was there for Garvin’s funeral. I watch them lower him into the ground. She can’t lie about that.”

  Pumpkin nodded. “But she can lie about who my father is.”

  Bertie almost fell out of her chair. Literally.

  “Grandma!” She helped her grandmother back in her seat. Pumpkin didn’t think she’d ever seen her Grandma that surprised. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine. Go on,” Bertie said.

  “His nickname’s Big Will. His real name is William Fisher. He lives in New Jersey. According to my mother, he’s a Bible thumper. That’s why she left him.”

  Bertie’s mouth was open wide enough to catch flies. “I remember him. He was well built, like Mitch. He thought he was ‘Mr. It’ on the block.”

  “Evie gave me his address and phone number. I don’t know if I want to meet him. Not after what I’ve gone through with her.”

  Her grandmother patted her hand. “You don’t have to decide today.”

  “I have you. That’s enough. I’ll be content.” She smiled. “I’m done crying over someone who doesn’t value me. I won’t waste any more thoughts on Evie. I’ll think about eating your sweet potato pie next week.” She looked at the clock. “The press conference is tonight. I’d better get ready.”

  Bertie put a hand to her mouth. “With everything going on, I’d forgotten that was today. I wish I’d remembered. I would’ve canceled the women’s meeting. Is Cameron ready?”