“I’ll always be in your corner, Danny Boo.”
“You know you’re my only true friend.”
“You have plenty of friends,” Nikki said. “What about the bridesmaids?”
“Those trolls?” Danielle said. “I’m letting Cecelia be in it because I was in her lame wedding. You know she’s always been jealous of me, ever since college. And the other two are Troy’s sisters.”
“What about your sister?”
“What about her?”
“Well, don’t you think it’s about time you made up with her and the rest of your family?” Nikki could see her friend’s jaw tense. “I mean, ever since I’ve known you, you have been at odds with your family. Whatever happened, it was so long ago. Let it go, Danielle. Your family loves you. Lots of people do.”
“Girl, stop talking all crazy,” Danielle said dismissively. “I don’t need them. As long as I have Troy and as long as I have my best friend, I’m cool. You’re the only two people who appreciate me. Everyone else is either jealous or just hateful.”
“That’s not the right attitude,” Nikki said. “God didn’t make us to be all by ourselves. You should forgive your family—for whatever they did.”
“Girl, don’t start preaching to me. I’m really not in the mood.” Danielle rolled her eyes.
“Well, I’m just saying God doesn’t like that you’re like this,” Nikki said.
“Please don’t lecture me about God,” Danielle stressed. “I know you’re a holy roller now, but give me a break. I know who you were before your little spiritual makeover.”
“Look, I did do some crazy things back in the day, but that doesn’t mean—”
“What it means is that I don’t want to hear about God from somebody who has sinned as much as you have!” Danielle snapped.
Nikki bit her lip and swallowed hard. She’s right. Who am I to tell her what God wants? I am just fooling myself.
“When you can live without sinning, then you come talk to me,” Danielle said. “Until then, shut up.”
“Well, I just hope you forgive your family,” Nikki said. “That’s all I’m saying.”
“I don’t want to talk about all those haters. So many people are just jealous of me. It’s ridiculous. I can’t help it if I’m beautiful and smart and have money.”
“Danielle.” Nikki sighed. She hated it when Danielle talked like this. Even after all this time, sometimes Nikki felt as if she did not understand her friend. “I don’t know why you always say things like that. Nobody is jealous of you or hates you. Plenty of people adore you.”
“See, you’re just so sweet,” Danielle said with a smile. Her earlier derision of her friend was gone. It was as if the exchange had never happened. “You think the best of everybody. That’s why I love you. But see, I know people better than you do. And I know I have to keep my guard up. Besides, I don’t need a lot of friends. That’s why I have you.”
Just then, they heard a light knock on the door. Danielle looked up. “You’re expecting company?”
Nikki scrambled to her feet. “Oh, yeah. I have a friend who said she’d stop by.”
“A friend?” Danielle cut her eyes toward the door, but Nikki was already scrambling across the room.
She opened the door to Keedra. “Hi, girl!” Nikki said, and embraced the woman.
Keedra stepped into the living room, holding her son’s hand. “Hi, thanks for inviting me over.”
“No problem,” Nikki said. “I was so glad you called to say hi. We have plenty of space, so it’s always nice to have a friend over. Dinner will be ready in just a sec.”
Danielle looked the woman up and down. “I see you made it to K-Mart’s end-of-season sale,” Danielle said to Keedra sardonically.
“Huh?” Keedra frowned. “What do you mean?”
“She doesn’t mean anything,” Nikki said quickly. She shot Danielle a sharp look.
Danielle wanted to retort, but didn’t.
Nikki smiled at Keedra. “Keedra, this is my best friend, Danielle. Danielle, this is my friend, Keedra, and her little boy, Josiah.”
Keedra extended her hand. Danielle pretended not to see and turned back to flipping pages in her magazine.
Keedra hesitated, then said, “Nice to meet you.”
“Yeah. You too.” Danielle didn’t bother to look up.
Nikki jumped into the conversation. “Would you like something to drink, Keedra?”
“Sure. What do you have?”
“Sweet tea.”
“Oh, that’s great. It’s so hard to find good sweet tea! And this is the South. I just don’t understand.”
Nikki laughed. “I know what you mean. It surprises me that more places don’t have sweet tea around here. Going out to eat is tough. Nobody seems to serve it. That’s probably why I stock up on it at home! I love Red Diamond tea. I buy it by the jug!”
“Oh, you have Red Diamond? I love that stuff, girl!” Keedra grinned.
Keedra glanced at Danielle, trying to invite her into the conversation. “So, do you like sweet tea, too, Danielle?”
Danielle pretended she hadn’t heard the question. She continued flipping through her magazine.
“Danielle, Keedra was asking you a question,” Nikki prodded as she stepped into the kitchen.
Danielle glanced up, an innocent expression on her face. “Oh, I’m sorry. What was that?”
“Oh, I was just asking if you like sweet tea, too,” Keedra repeated. “I love me some good sweet tea.”
“Oh, no, I don’t drink sweet tea,” Danielle breezed. “It has too much sugar. I try to watch what I put into my mouth.” She looked Keedra up and down. “But I can see not all of us do.”
“She’s just joking,” Nikki said quickly, returning to the living room with a plastic jug of tea in one hand and a glass in the other. “Danielle drinks sweet tea.” Nikki poured Keedra’s tea into a glass and handed it to her.
Danielle frowned. “You didn’t ask me if I wanted something.”
Nikki laughed. “Girl, you’re not company. This is like your second home. You can get your own.”
Danielle rolled her eyes, but stood. Then she sashayed to the kitchen and grabbed a cup then retrieved the jug of tea from Nikki and poured some for herself. She turned back to Keedra. “Yeah, she’s right. This is like my second home. I even have my own special cup, see.” She held out the white, plastic cup she had gotten from one of the city’s many Mardi Gras parades. “Nobody drinks out of this but me. Neat, huh?”
“Yeah, that’s nice.” Keedra smiled.
Nikki quickly fixed plates of cornbread and jambalaya and they all sat at the dining room table and ate, Danielle next to Nikki. Keedra sat across the table. The children fussed about sitting at the table, so Nikki let them sit on a blanket on the floor near the adults.
“Did you see the new photography at that black bookstore on Linwood?” Keedra asked.
They had discovered during their first phone conversation that they shared a love of photography. Keedra was a recent graduate with a photography degree and worked for a local newspaper.
Nikki’s eyes lit up. “Girl, I did! I went by there the other day when I stopped by the campaign office. It’s amazing. The lighting. The colors.”
“I know,” Keedra said. “If I had half that talent! Did you see the expressions on those faces? The photos made me want to cry, I could just feel what those people were going through.”
“Me too,” Nikki said. “Especially the one of the mother holding the baby sitting on the front row at the funeral.”
Danielle listened to the conversation as she quietly drank her tea, then stood, brushing nonexistent wrinkles from her chocolate skirt. “Well, I’m going to head on out. Seems that you two friends have lots to talk about without poor little old me hanging around spoiling the party.”
Nikki looked up, startled. “You haven’t even had dessert. I made your favorite, bananas Foster.”
“I’m not hungry,” Danielle said, gathe
ring her keys. “On second thought, just stick me some in a bowl and I’ll be going. Seems like three’s a crowd.”
Chapter 29
William stopped by the deputy coroner’s house the next evening. Francesca Garcia was one of the sharpest people he knew, someone he had known since childhood. She had been one of his brother, Mac’s, classmates, and now, at thirty-two, she could have a shot at the coroner’s post if she wanted to run—making her the youngest person to ever hold that position in the parish.
“Hey, come on in.” She smiled when she opened the door for William.
He stepped into the spacious living room of her two-story, antebellum home. “Good to see you again,” he said. “Things have been so hectic, what with the funeral and all, that I’ve not had a chance to get back with you. What can you tell me about Reverend Chance’s death?”
Dr. Garcia sighed. “Well, you know I really can’t say anything.”
“Come on Fran. You’ve got to give me something to work with. I just can’t wrap my head around the idea of suicide.”
Dr. Garcia thought for a long moment, as if trying to decide if she should say anything. At last, she spoke. “Well, all I’ll say is this: There are some people in the city who have been pressuring our office—my boss—to declare it a suicide so there won’t be an investigation.”
“So, you’re saying it wasn’t a suicide?”
“All I’m saying is there are people with a vested interest in it being ruled as such,” she said. “They don’t want this thing dragged out any more than it has to be.”
“So, what does your work show?”
“William, my name can’t be attached to this.” Her tone was serious.
He nodded eagerly. “Okay, it won’t. Just tell me what I need to know.”
“There was no water in his lungs.”
William stared at her, his eyes narrowed. “So that means—”
“He was dead before he hit the water.”
The revelation struck William hard. He had known in his gut that his boss hadn’t killed himself, but having it confirmed sent shock waves through his being. That meant only one thing: someone had indeed murdered Reverend Chance.
But who? William told Nikki about his conversation with Dr. Garcia that night as they lay in bed.
“Murder? Are you serious?” Nikki was shocked.
“Yes, baby,” he said. “Somebody killed Reverend Chance.”
Nikki let out a slow, low breath. “That’s some serious stuff. Who could it be?”
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “But I have my suspicions.”
Nikki shook her head. “Surely you don’t think Spencer, or the Lo Dark campaign would stoop so low? I mean, that’s crazy, right?”
“I don’t know,” William spoke slowly. “I really don’t know.”
Silence enveloped them for a moment, each processing the information.
William mused. “You know, there always were those rumors that Dark has mob connections.”
“Yeah, but those are just rumors. I mean, this is Shreveport, not some big, overpopulated city.” Nikki twisted to look at him in the glow from the moon that sliced through the curtains. “Do you think that whoever killed Reverend Chance would come after you if you ran? Will, I’m getting freaked out by all this.”
William didn’t say anything for the longest moment. She jabbed him. “You sleep?” she finally asked.
“No,” came the answer. “I’m just thinking.”
“Okay, tell me.”
“You know what this means?”
She slowly nodded. “Yeah. You’ve got to find answers, one way or the other. And if the current police chief and administration are the ones blocking you, then you’ve got to get in there and become the administration yourself. You’ve got to run.”
William met with the Chances and Reverend Hicks, telling them of his tentative decision to run. Maybe if he won the election, at least then he could open an investigation into Reverend Chance’s death. He still wasn’t hundred percent certain he wanted to do this, but he knew he couldn’t let someone get away with murder. Maybe his wife was right, maybe this was God pushing him to follow his political dream. Well, Lord, I sure wish you would have given me a nudge into my political career, not a shove like this, he mused.
Reverend Hicks seemed pleased William would run and told him he would see to it that William’s family moved into a larger home immediately and got another car.
“Why?” William asked.
Reverend Hicks looked at Olivia, who shrugged. “Well, you know politics is very much about appearances,” he said. “And we really must make sure your image is appropriate.”
“My image is fine,” William said, feeling his face growing hot. He worked hard to put his best foot forward. He was living in a house that was already more than he could afford. He couldn’t take on any more expense. And he didn’t want handouts.
“Well, your house is all right,” Reverend Hicks said. “It’s decent, but it’s not truly a ‘wow’ factor. For that, you need to change zip codes. And that little car you drive?”
Olivia jumped in. “What he means is that we need to give your image some punch. You need to look like you have already arrived, like you’ve made it.”
“Yes, not like you’re hanging on by a thread,” Reverend Hicks insisted. “It just isn’t right. You’ve got to look self-sufficient and your car—”
“I am self-sufficient,” William said stiffly. “I take care of my family. I don’t need some handout.”
“William,” Olivia said, touching his hand. “Reverend Hicks didn’t mean any harm. We all want what’s best for the campaign. And he’s right. You can’t be a mayoral candidate driving around in some budget college-student looking car.”
“Besides, I understand you are in a bit of a financial bind,” Reverend Hicks said. “I believe your home is on the verge of foreclosure, is that correct?”
William’s eyebrows shot up in surprise edged with embarrassment. How did Reverend Hicks know about that? “Oh, uh, we—”
“Never mind all that,” Reverend Hicks interrupted. “My point here is that it seems this new residence will be right on time for you. We can arrange a quick sale of your house so you don’t have that foreclosure on your record. I know someone who can help with that. And we can get you moved.”
William’s jaw was tight. All the feelings of inadequacy came flooding back. Nikki deserved to live better than having to struggle to keep a roof over her head or to share a breakdown-prone car with him. And his child deserved access to the best. “I’m not taking somebody’s handouts.”
“Don’t look at it as such,” Reverend Hicks said. “It’s not a handout. Just think of it as something to tide you over until better things come along. And you’re a bright young man; better things will come along soon for you.”
“Well, what about campaign finance rules or something?” William said. “I can’t—”
“Well, you’re not a candidate yet,” Reverend Hicks said. “You’re just a young man trying to provide for his family. And I’m a pastor interested in helping young families. Olivia and I have it all arranged.”
William glanced sharply at Olivia, who smiled, but said nothing. Reverend Hicks continued. “The house belongs to a friend who is out of the country and needs a house sitter. And I have a friend who owns a car dealership who is just waiting for the word. He owes me a favor. Olivia has seen to it that you have a new bank account.”
“Well, let me think about it,” William said finally.
William mulled the idea over for another few days. He and Nikki spoke about the upcoming election in hushed tones after Psalm went to bed at night. This would mean so many changes for them.
The first few days of September seemed to speed by as the qualifying deadline drew near. And now, time had run out. William had to make his decision public. Today was the last day to qualify for the upcoming elections. If he went through with signing up, there would be no turning back.
&
nbsp; “You sure this is okay, Nikki?” William peered into her face. “If you don’t want me to run, I won’t. I know it’s asking a lot.”
Nikki’s temples began to pound, but she smiled. “It’s okay.”
William smiled back, glad to have her support. He grabbed the car keys from the table. “Well, I’m going to sign up to run for mayor.”
The story came out in the paper the next day, broadcasting a new challenger for Dark. The frenzy was immediate. “Who is this young kid?” Someone from Lo Dark’s camp was quoted as saying in the story.
William read the story through three times before putting the paper down. It didn’t bother him that they had questions about him. They’ll know who William Broussard is before long, he mused, the excitement of his decision finally taking hold. He had always thought he would be older by the time he ran for office, but he was finally wrapping his head around the idea that he could become the city’s youngest mayor. He had worked all his life for this—he didn’t even have a single speeding ticket. “Keep your nose clean,” his old political science professor had told all the students. And William had taken that to heart. He didn’t want to be compromised like so many candidates; by some skeleton clanking out of the closet.
Even before he officially declared his candidacy, so many things had happened at lightning speed. The family’s move had been a hurried one, as they tried to get everything settled before his announcement. In a matter of days, they were living in a four-bedroom house in one of the city’s mixed race, nicer neighborhoods—though, purposefully not the wealthiest—and driving a shiny Yukon. He had decided to keep driving the Protégé, though, and leave the Yukon for Nikki. His new home was in the wealthiest part of town, but not the wealthiest neighborhood. Reverend Hicks said this would give him the credibility with the Whites but not alienate him from the Blacks.
The house was a shade smaller than their other one, but it was a lot nicer, with its landscaped lawn and newer construction. Just last week, they had celebrated Psalm’s fifth birthday with a party under the gazebo on the back lawn. Mac and his family had attended, as had William’s mother, with the woman inspecting the house and giving a nod of approval, as she thought her son had finally begun making some real money. William basked under her smile. He had seen Nikki trying to put on a smile as well, though he knew without being told that she was disappointed when her mother called the morning of the party to say she and her husband would not be able to make the drive up from Houston, because Carla had some type of emergency.
Scandalous Truth Page 12
