Chapter 14
GENEVA
Geneva rose from bed while Samuel and her in-laws were all still asleep. The only other person stirring in the early-morning hour was precious little Gabrielle. When Geneva went into her daughter’s room, Gabrielle was already sitting up in her crib, and when she saw Geneva walk into the room she burst into a smile that was brighter than the sun. Geneva knew some things in life could get old, but watching the smile on her daughter’s face wasn’t one of them. “How’s my beautiful girl this morning?” Geneva said in a cooing voice.
Geneva lifted Gabrielle from her crib and kissed her cheeks until her daughter squealed with delight. She couldn’t believe how much her baby girl was growing every day. She’d been long and skinny when she was born, and now she was long and plump, like an adorable Gerber baby. Geneva walked over to the changing table and sang to Gabrielle as she wiped, powdered, and fastened a fresh diaper around her bottom.
Geneva felt blessed that Gabrielle was such a good and low-maintenance baby. She’d inherited that quality from both Geneva and Samuel. While Geneva had been pregnant, many of her customers had talked about the challenges and rigors of pregnancy, birth, and then the task of raising an infant. She’d expected sleepless nights, exhaustion, frustration, and at times, resentment for having to make such a drastic life change. But to Geneva’s amazement, it was nothing like she’d thought it would be.
Her pregnancy had been smooth, and she’d worked at the salon up until a few hours before Gabrielle had been born. The first three weeks after Gabrielle had come home were a huge adjustment. Geneva had been tired and worried every second, wondering whether she was doing the right thing. But when the fourth week rolled around, it was as if a new chapter had been written. Gabrielle started sleeping through the night, she only cried when she needed to be fed or changed, and Geneva began to feel more confident each day that she knew how to be a parent. “My goddaughter has a better sleep pattern than I do,” Donetta had joked. Not only did Gabrielle sleep through the night, she was a calm, happy baby, and it made Geneva and Samuel’s life so much easier.
Geneva opened the mini-fridge in the corner of the nursery and pulled out a bottle. “Is Mommy’s little princess ready to eat?” Geneva laughed when Gabrielle gave her a huge grin that erupted into happy giggles. Gabrielle knew the routine, and she was so ready to eat that she actually clapped her hands. This was Geneva’s favorite part of her day. As she sat in the comfortable reclining chair and cradled Gabrielle while she fed her, she almost forgot about why she’d been so tired when she first got up; then she remembered, and it sent a chill through her.
After Geneva burped Gabrielle, she grabbed a handful of bibs and a few cloth diapers and headed downstairs. “I’m gonna sit you in here while Mommy makes breakfast,” she said to Gabrielle. Once her daughter was secure in the portable playpen, Geneva knew that in another twenty minutes, Gabrielle would be fast asleep for another hour and a half. She walked over to the refrigerator and pulled out bacon, eggs, milk, cheese, and butter and set them on the counter.
As Geneva began to prepare food for the family, she tried not to think about the dream she’d had last night, but no matter how hard she willed herself not to, she couldn’t get the image out of her mind of Johnny’s dead body, and a woman cloaked in shadow standing over him. It had all seemed so real. Geneva had always heard that dreams were the thoughts and sensations that occurred in a person’s mind during sleep. “Is it possible to actually see something from someone else’s life?” she said out loud. She looked at the digital clock on the stove and saw that it was eight o’clock. She’d told Donetta that if she didn’t hear from her by eight this morning she was going to call her, and as if like clockwork, Geneva’s phone rang. It was Donetta.
“I was about to call you, but you beat me to it. I’m so glad you made it back alive.”
“Of course I did,” Donetta said in a groggy voice.
“Nowadays you can never be too sure when you meet someone new. I watch Forensic Files, and you’d be surprised at what people will do. There’s a lot of nuts out there.”
“I hear you, but there’s no need to worry. The old me would’ve been caught up in some foolishness, but the new and improved Donetta don’t mess around.”
Geneva opened the pack of bacon and lined a large skillet, slice by slice. “So, how did it go?”
“Guuurrrlllll,” Donetta said. “You just don’t know.”
“Wow, things went that well?”
“They’re still going.”
Geneva shook her head as she cracked eggs into a bowl. “Wait a minute, please tell me that you didn’t sleep with him—and he’s still there?”
“No, I didn’t sleep with him, I had sex with him, and yes, he’s in my bed right now and I’m in my kitchen about to make breakfast. Girl, I’m up early, cooking for a man. Hell has officially frozen over.”
“Girl, stop! I can’t believe this . . . I mean . . . damn, I don’t know what to say.”
“I know!” Donetta squealed with delight as she whispered into the phone.
Geneva turned off the skillet of sizzling bacon and moved the bowl of eggs to the side. She took a seat on a bar stool at the end of the island because she needed to fully concentrate on everything Donetta was going to say. “Give me all the details, and don’t leave anything out.”
“You know I love to kiss and tell.”
“Well, tell me while I still have a few minutes of peace before everyone wakes up.”
Donetta giggled. “Okay, so we had a great conversation in the bar, which is actually more like a sophisticated lounge. He’s got daddy issues like most folks I know, but he’s handling it. Anyway, we had such a good time that we closed down the place and had to end up going to the lobby to finish talking. We talked about relationships and what we wanted.”
“Wow, y’all got down to the nitty-gritty right away.”
“At this age, and after all I’ve gone through, I’m not interested in wasting my time.”
“I hear you.”
“Anyway, we talked enough for me to know that he’s smart, funny, honest, successful, and an all-around good guy, but . . .”
“There’s always a but.”
“You got that right. He’s had a lot of women, and he’s never made a serious commitment, as in an exclusive relationship.”
“Ever?”
“Not that I could tell, and that’s why I promptly told him that even though I haven’t been in a serious relationship in a long time, or even dated for that matter, I still want to. I told him that I want to get married and I want to raise a family of my own, then I picked up my purse and got ready to leave.”
“Good for you. But obviously that didn’t happen, so tell me how he ended up in your bed.”
“He told me that he hadn’t wanted a commitment in the past, but every situation is different, which I agree with. Then he leaned in and kissed me, and before I knew it we were back at my house taking off each other’s clothes.”
Geneva knew that Donetta had only had sex once since having her reassignment surgery, and that had been six months ago. Donetta had told her that it had been a huge disaster. She’d been so disappointed that Geneva believed it was the reason Donetta hadn’t had any interest in going on a date since that night. As Geneva’s mind briefly flashed back to that time, she now realized the true significance of what last night must have meant for Donetta, and also, that the man she was with was truly someone special. “He obviously knew what he was doing,” Geneva said.
“Not only did he know what to do, he knew when to do it.” Donetta’s whisper carried a softness in tone that Geneva had never heard before. “He was so gentle. He took his time, he talked to me, he kissed me, he told me I was beautiful. Girl . . .” Donetta paused and her voice trembled. “It was magical.”
“I’m so, so very happy for you, Donetta. You’ve waited a long time to feel this way, and I can’t think of anyone who deserves it more than you.”
�
�Thanks, honey. I don’t know where this is going to lead, but I’m going to enjoy it while I can. I’ve learned that I can’t worry about what might happen tomorrow, because the next day isn’t promised. If someone had told me when I woke up yesterday morning that today I’d be waking up beside a handsome, caring man who rocked my world, I wouldn’t have believed them. But it happened.”
“You’re right.”
“So I’m just gonna live in the moment, and let this moment take me to the next one.”
Geneva thought about what Donetta was saying, and she knew that she needed to do the same thing with her life and the worries she’d been having since yesterday, especially after her bad dream last night. “Donetta, I agree with you, and again, I’m so happy for you, girl.”
“Enough about me, how’re you feeling this morning?”
“I’m good.”
“Geneva, it’s me you’re talking to. I know you’re happy for me, but I can hear something in your voice that’s not quite right. It’s the same thing I heard last night, so don’t tell me you’re good, because I know you’re not.”
“It’s nothing, really.” Geneva didn’t want to bring Donetta off her high by telling her about a crazy dream she’d had, but at the same time, she couldn’t shake the feeling that her dream meant something. “I don’t want to worry you.”
“I’m already worried, and I’m gonna be upset in a minute if you don’t tell me what’s going on.”
Geneva took a deep breath. “This is going to sound crazy, so just keep an open mind about what I’m getting ready to tell you.”
“Okay, my mind and ears are open.”
Geneva told Donetta from beginning to end about her dream, not leaving out a single detail. “I was literally there, watching Johnny in the moments before his murder. I just wish that I’d been able to move my legs so I could’ve gotten a good view of whoever it was that killed him.”
Donetta was silent.
“I know you think I’m crazy. Say something.”
Donetta let out a deep breath. “No, I don’t think you’re crazy, I’m just processing everything. You obviously had that dream because you saw Vivana on TV yesterday, and that brought the trauma of what happened two years ago back to the surface.”
“Yes, that’s true, and at first I thought the same thing. But Donetta, it was more than just a dream. I’m telling you, it was real. Vivana didn’t kill Johnny.”
“You know, it’s funny,” Donetta said with a sigh. “I’m one of the very few people in this entire town who never thought that bitch was guilty. Is she nuts? Absolutely! Is she capable of murder? You bet. But did she kill Johnny? I don’t think so.”
“Up until last night I really believed she did, and you couldn’t have convinced me otherwise. But after my dream, I know in my heart that she didn’t.”
“Tell me again, what was the last thing you remember seeing the killer do in the dream before she walked out the door?”
“Well, like I said, the person was definitely a woman. The shadow around her filled the entire space like a shade tree. She stood over him, and even though I couldn’t see her face, I know she was smiling. She said something to him that I couldn’t understand, and then right after that she waited for a minute or two, like she was waiting to make sure he was dead, then when he took his last breath she turned around, kicked him in his side, and walked away.”
“Damn! She was one cold killer.”
“It sent chills down my spine.”
“I bet.”
Geneva tried to remember as many other details as she could, and then something else came to her. “I think the killer took the blue box that I told you about. As a matter of fact, I know she did. When Johnny left the living room he had it in his hand, then once he was in the kitchen I could hear him fixing another drink, so he had to have set it on the counter in order to do that. But when I went in there after he was murdered, the blue box was nowhere to be found.”
“That makes a lot of sense. Remember, during the trial when the detectives said that Johnny had been blackmailing all those women with videos and pictures he’d taken, but they couldn’t find any physical proof, not even cell phone records because he’d used a burner phone. All that physical proof, along with the burner phone, was in that blue box, and after the killer murdered him, she took the evidence with her.”
“Exactly!” Geneva hopped off her bar stool and started pacing the floor. She glanced over at Gabrielle, who was fast asleep, and then walked over to the other side of the kitchen. “In my dream, I distinctly saw Johnny pull out some pictures, DVDs, and a burner phone. I guarantee you all the women he blackmailed were in that box.”
During the murder investigation, the only way the detectives had discovered that Johnny was blackmailing women was that he’d gotten sloppy, and had forgotten to erase a few e-mails he’d sent from the hard drive of his computer. Two of his victims had also sent him threatening texts on his regular cell phone. But because the authorities had figured out that Johnny must have primarily used a burner phone for his dirty deeds, they’d suspected that there had probably been more victims out there than they’d ever really know. Now Geneva believed it without a doubt, and one of those faceless victims had gotten away with murder.
“So what are you gonna do?” Donetta asked.
“I’m not sure. On the one hand, I don’t want to go to the police because they’ll never believe me. And besides, if Vivana is really innocent, that means she’ll be released from prison. She vowed to kill me once, and if she gets out she might try to finish what she started.”
“Like I said, she’s capable, for sure. But I don’t think she’ll do anything because she knows the authorities will be keeping a very close eye on her.”
“I guess you’re right, but there’s only so much the police can do.”
“True. But if what you’re saying has merit, which I believe it does, you need to talk to someone you can trust who’s in a position to represent you if you need legal counsel and protection for coming forward with new evidence.”
Geneva thought for a moment. “You’re right, and I know just the person. Councilwoman Harris. She’s a licensed attorney, she’s well-respected in the police department, and I can trust her completely.”
“I hadn’t even thought about her, but you’re right.”
Geneva and Donetta talked for a few more minutes before hanging up the phone. Geneva felt a small sense of relief knowing that she could go to Charlene Harris for advice. Not only was she qualified to help, she was a friend. Geneva decided that she’d wait until after Thanksgiving to give Charlene a call.
Chapter 15
CHARLENE
Charlene woke up in a fog. If she thought her head had been hurting when she’d gone to bed in the wee hours of the morning, it was even worse now. Her temples throbbed so badly that she had to squint just to open her eyes. She was also nauseated, and her mouth was so dry that her lips were cracked. “I’ve got to pull myself together,” she said as she looked at the alarm clock beside her bed and realized it was after ten in the morning. “Oh no, I’m going to be late picking up Lauren.”
Lauren’s flight was scheduled to arrive at ten thirty, and Charlene had told her daughter that she’d be standing at the baggage claim waiting to get her. Slowly, she sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes. She was tired, but she knew she needed to get up. Charlene knew that by the time she got dressed and on the road, she’d be an hour late. As it was, Lauren’s flight would be arriving in the next fifteen minutes. “I need to ask Phillip to pick his sister up because he can get going quicker than I can.”
When Charlene put her feet on the floor and stood, she felt as though she’d just stepped onto a carousel. She remained in place for a few moments until she could gather her bearings, and then she reached for her silk robe and tied it tightly around her waist. She walked down the hallway that led toward the front of the house where the staircase was, and called out for Phillip. That was a bad idea because it made her head r
ing like a bell.
Charlene went back into her bedroom and picked up her phone from her bedside table and found a text message from Phillip that he’d sent a half hour ago.
Phillip: Mom, I hope you slept well. I’m going to pick up Lauren from the airport. We will see you soon.
Charlene smiled and remembered that Phillip had told her he would pick up his sister. “I can always count on that boy.” As she walked out to the kitchen, a thought came to her. She wondered whether Phillip had come home at all last night. When she’d gone to bed shortly after one o’clock this morning, he hadn’t been home. She’d also awakened a few hours later at four, with an intense need to release the wine she’d drunk. Her throat had also been parched, so after a trip to the bathroom, she went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. She’d looked out the window and seen that Phillip’s rental car wasn’t there.
Now Charlene was almost certain that whomever Phillip had been out with last night, he’d likely stayed with them and had never returned home. Charlene shook her head. “Lord, please slow him down because he’s moving too fast with all these women,” she said aloud. She knew Phillip was a grown man with a life of his own, and that he could do as he pleased. But he was also still her child, and she knew it was her job to protect him until she took her last breath.
Ever since Phillip had been a little boy, she’d guided him and had given him sound advice, and she had no intention of stopping now. He needed help before his casual love ’em and leave ’em lifestyle landed him in more trouble than he could handle. Johnny Mayfield was a prime example of what could happen if a man continued to pursue the wrong women, and although Phillip was far from the conniving scoundrel that Johnny had been, Charlene knew that one bad move with the wrong woman could land her son six feet under. As she thought about Phillip, her mind took her to her own set of troubles that had started yesterday.
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