After All (36 page)

“
You think so?” Michelle's
tone was cold and unyielding.

“
Dominic is our son. Now
that Thomas knows that--”Annette began.

“
Daddy has always known
Dominic is his son, Mama,” Michelle said sharply. “He was hard on
Dominic because he wanted him to be a better person, not because he
thought Dom was Ike's son.”

“
So, you've decided to be on
his side,” Annette whined. “You're more like your father than I
thought. One mistake and I'm branded for life as a
cheat.”

“
I could forgive you easily
for one bad judgment, Mama. But you've lied to me for years.”
Michelle turned to her mother. “You portrayed Daddy as being an
insensitive brute who enjoyed trampling on your self-esteem. How
could you use me like that?”

“
Thomas threw himself into
work and put everything else ahead of me. I was so lonely. Instead
of understanding how he'd contributed to what happened, he placed
all the blame on me!” Annette twisted her hands in her
lap.

Michelle's eyes were hard as rock
causing Annette to shrink from her. “At least Daddy never tried to
turn me against you, Mama.” She moved to the other side of the room
as Annette began to cry softly.

Brian rushed into the room followed by
a frightened T'aneka. “What's wrong? Has something
happened?”

“
Oh no,” T'aneka
cried.

“
Dom's going to be okay.”
Michelle hurried to reassure them. “Doctor Frazier says he's
getting better all the time.”

“
Then why are you so upset?”
Brian went to Annette. She only shook her head and looked away.
“Dad, what's going on?” He looked up as Thomas came back
in.

“
T'aneka, Dominic is
actually moving his hands now. You go in to visit him. The nurse
won't mind.” Thomas smiled at the young woman. He led her down the
hall then returned. “I'll take your mother home. She's
overwrought.” He gently guided Annette out towards the
elevator.

“
Michelle, what is going on?
I f Dom is going to be okay, why is Mama crying?” Brian watched his
mother move away with slumped shoulders.

Michelle took his hand and led him to a
seat.”Brian, this is going to be a big blow, but
well...”

“
What?”

“
Mama had an affair with Ike
Batiste, and Dom was born nine months later. All this time Daddy
thought Dom was Ike's son, but now it turns out he's not.” Michelle
rubbed his shoulder to ease the blow of such terrible news.”I know
what a shock this must be.”

Brian eyed her for a few moments. “So
you finally find out.”

Michelle wore a stunned expression.
“You knew? Why didn't you tell me?”

“
I only heard it as ugly
gossip about fifteen years ago. It's not the kind of thing you tell
your eleven year old sister, you know. Dom was my little brother
regardless. Besides, Dad never treated him differently than he
treated me. He was tough on both of us.” Brian shook his
head.

“
But I haven't been eleven
for the last fifteen years. You should have told me,” Michelle
scolded him.

“
And make things worse? No
way.”

“
Well Mama certainly fooled
me all this time. The way she manipulated everyone. To think I used
to get so mad at him for the way he behaved towards her. Under the
circumstances, he was a saint,” Michelle snorted.

“
There you go again, passing
judgment.” Brian threw up his hands in exasperation.

“
But--”

“
But nothing. Dad shut Mama
out in his drive to succeed. He tried too hard to prove to her
family and friends that she didn't marry beneath her. He forgot how
much Mama needed him. And Mama? She's spoiled and used to being the
center of attention. Even her mother said so more than once,
remember?” Brian stared ahead with a sad expression. “They both
made mistakes that led to this fix they're in, Chelle.”

Michelle shook her head as if to clear
it. “Maybe you're right. It's just a lot to take in at once. I feel
as though I'm seeing our parents for the first time.”

T'aneka came in, her face beaming. “Dom
looks better. He opened his eyes a little, but I don't think he saw
me. That's a still good sign, isn't it?”

“
Sure is. Look what the kids
made him.” Brian held up a colorful crayon drawing with “Get Well,
Uncle Dom” scrawled in childish handwriting. It was signed by
Brian's two children. “I'm going to stick this on wall when the
nurse turns her back.” He grinned at them before
leaving.

“
Michelle, I'm sorry about
what's happened.” T'aneka sat three chairs from her staring at the
floor.

“
Honey, you don't have
anything to be sorry for.” Michelle got up and went to her. “You're
just as much a victim here.”

“
No, Dominic wouldn't have
gotten hurt if he hadn't been protecting me.” T'aneka said in a
wavering voice. She wiped her eyes with an already damp
tissue.

“
Of course he protected you.
Dom wouldn't stand by and let someone he cares about get
hurt--”

“
No, you don't understand.
Those guys were really after me.” T'aneka turned teary, swollen
eyes on her. “He was almost killed because of me.” She buried her
face in her hands. “I've hurt you, too. I wouldn't blame him if he
never wanted to see me again.”

“
T'aneka, tell me what
you're talking about.” Michelle pulled T'aneka's hands down and
patted them.

“
Lonnie and Miz Kinchen
found out I was the one copying them invoices. Somebody had been
following me for days before me and Dom got attacked. So then I
denied there was invoices like you talked about. And I'm sorry for
getting Dominic hurt and making it look like you made everything up
in your reports,” T'aneka finished with a sniff and
hiccup.

“
You were the secret source
passing information to Greg? Why didn't you tell me?” Michelle
exclaimed.

T'aneka nodded. “I got so scared after
they beat up Dom. Lonnie likes hurting people and when he's mad...”
T'aneka shuddered. “Please don't hate me.”

“
Of course I don't hate you.
It took a lot of guts to do what you did.” Michelle squeezed her
hand.

Tears rolled down T'aneka's cheeks.
“But if it wasn't for me, Dom wouldn't be in the hospital, and you
wouldn't be in trouble. I heard 'em say on Channel Six that you got
suspended. I messed up everything.”

“
Stop that right now,”
Michelle said firmly. “It's not your fault at all that Dom got
hurt. And as for denying you gave me those work orders, you were
terrified for your life. Don't blame yourself for that
either.”

“
Lonnie's got a big gang. I
just hope they don't try to hurt Dominic again.” T'aneka dabbed her
eyes.

“
I doubt they'd be that
stupid. Not with the police still investigating.” Michelle gave the
young woman what she hoped was a convincing smile of encouragement.
She certainly hoped those thugs were not so desperate or bold to
try again. But for T'aneka's peace of mind, she dared not share her
own fears. “And what about you? Are you okay?” Michelle asked
gently.

“
Sure, a coupla of men drove
up before they could-- you know. No, I'm fine.” T'aneka squared her
slight shoulders. “I'm gonna take care of Dom. We'll come out of
this okay. Someday those men are gonna pay for what they've
done.”

“
Men like that seem to get
away with.. ” Michelle bit her lip.

“
Murder,” T'aneka said in a
low voice completing the horrible word in both their
minds.

Michelle thought of Ike Batiste and all
the evidence implicating him in the growing scandal surrounding the
Housing Authority. Truthfully, she had always known him to be a man
given to questionable business deals. Yet even she was shocked at
the evidence of crimes being committed if not with his consent, at
least with his knowledge. No doubt he or his partners were
responsible for the assault on Dominic and T'aneka. And maybe
murder. She cringed at the thought that Anthony was somehow
involved. Michelle felt a rush of warmth at the memory of his
gentle hands stroking her. The hours spent holding each other,
sharing intimate thoughts and feelings; those had been some of the
most fulfilling hours of her life. The sharp pang of loss pierced
her once more. With all that's happened, he should be the last
person on my mind. What's the matter with me? Yet, she had to
know.

“
Did you ever hear Anthony
Hilliard's name come up?” Michelle spoke in a steady voice. She
tried to make the question sound neutral even though her heart was
pounding in the few seconds it took T'aneka to respond.

T'aneka frowned in concentration.
“No-oo, never heard of him. Least his name wasn't on none of them
invoices or bills. Who's he?”

“
Ike Batiste's nephew.”
Michelle watched her face carefully.

“
Nah, his name never came
up. And I'm sure he never did any work for them either. Miz
Kinchen's secretary is a lazy heifer. She always left all the
filing for me. Walks around with her butt on her shoulder callin'
herself an `executive assistant'.” T'aneka lifted her top lip in
scorn. “Anyway, that's how I was able to see all the
invoices.”

“
You're sure?” Michelle's
heart leaped with hope as she gripped T'aneka's arm without
realizing it.

“
Positive. Hey, Dominic told
me 'bout you and him. Tough luck he gotta have Ike Batiste for a
relative,” T'aneka clucked sympathetically.

“
Oh, that's over. I was just
wondering--, I mean for purposes of the story,” Michelle finished
lamely. She let go of T'aneka's arm and stared at the
floor.

“
Uh-huh.” T'aneka eyed her
skeptically.

Thankfully, Brian came back at that
moment. Michelle wasted no time escaping T'aneka's scrutiny. It was
mortifying to realize her feelings for Anthony were so transparent.
Michelle left T'aneka with Brian for her turn visiting
Dom.

Entering the intensive care unit, she
suppressed an involuntary gasp at the sight of her little brother
so pale and lifeless. Michelle shivered at the thought of how close
he came to dying. She took his hand and massaged it tenderly as she
gazed at him. After a time his eyelids fluttered and he opened
them.

“
Oh, Dom. You're going to be
just fine. Can you hear me, honey?” Michelle was thrilled to see a
slow smile spread across his face briefly before his eyes closed
again.

She kissed his hand. “If you can fight
against the odds then so can I,” she promised.

Michelle left the hospital with a new
determination. Not only would she help find the men who had
attacked Dom, but she would prove her report was valid. She would
do it for LaWanda, her baby, Dom, and all the others Ike had
hurt.

***

For the next two days Michelle spent
every hour putting together more evidence of the dirty deals going
on at the Housing Authority. T'aneka helped her reconstruct from
memory a list of repairs paid for but never done. T'aneka felt sure
the regional HUD office had audit records showing expenditures.
They organized dozens of photographs of apartments needing
substantial work. Michelle converted her dining room table into a
desk. Stacks of papers piled up on it in short order. She sat
sifting through the maze of federal housing regulations when the
doorbell rang.

“
Mrs. Hilliard.” Michelle
was flustered to find Anthony's mother at her door.

“
Hi, Michelle. I apologize
for showing up like this, but I was shopping nearby. Can I talk to
you for a little bit? Of course if you're too busy--” Lizabeth
scanned Michelle's face nervously as she knotted the strap of her
purse.

“
No, ma'am. Come on in. I
don't know what I'm thinking letting you stand out there so long.”
Michelle patted her hair and looked around the living room. She
began to pick up stray magazines and straighten the pillows on her
couch.”Have a seat. Can I offer you something? A cup of coffee
maybe?”

“
No, baby. Don't go to any
trouble.” Mrs. Hilliard sat down.

“
No problem. Actually I'm
making a pot now.” Michelle smiled at her before going into the
kitchen. She returned a few minutes later with a tray. “Here you
go. Hope it's not too strong, I've been drinking it to keep
going.”

“
Working hard I see.”
Lizabeth nodded at the piles of books and papers on the
table.

“
Yes, ma'am.” Michelle
tensed up hoping Lizabeth would not go over there. She remembered
leaving a rough draft of another damning report or Ike's
activities. When Lizabeth glanced away from the dining table to
look at the rest of the room Michelle exhaled slowly in
relief.

“
Lovely apartment.” Lizabeth
smiled tentatively at her.

“
Thank you.”Michelle shifted
in her seat.

After several seconds of silence,
Lizabeth put down her cup.”Anthony would throw a fit if he knew I
was here, but I had to come. You can tell me this is none of my
business. I'll understand if you do.”

“
No, ma'am, I wouldn't do
that.” Michelle broke in.