What's Done in Darkness (31 page)

“So Rowena and Katrina are in this together,” Shawde said. “It makes sense. Katrina had to have help to do what she did. But how does my brother fit into this picture?”

“Ned. Ned knew that Shemar was dating Katrina, so he talked to him, expressing some of his concerns when I was initially unsure about what to do. Shemar was shocked and horrified to learn about Carmen Young, and found her death suspicious, as I did. He sought me out to talk about the situation and what we ought to do. There really wasn't enough proof to go to the police with our suspicion. That's when I told him I would handle it by talking to Rowena. I'd always known Katrina was a narcissist, but thought that Rowena was fair. I mean, what were the chances that they'd both be psychopaths?”

“So Shemar was dating Katrina, yet he believed his girlfriend was guilty of murder?”

“I'm not sure if he initially believed it, or just wanted to hear more, sort of hash things out with me. I do know he was surprised that Katrina had never told him about Carmen. If she had nothing to hide, why wouldn't she ever mention the issue to her boyfriend?”

“So he was starting to be suspicious of her.”

“And once I was attacked, I think he was convinced. But the situation was big, and there was no real proof. I talked to him before I left, told him that Katrina was dangerous. I told him he had to let the matter drop, that Katrina would slip up on her own one day. But Shemar, he didn't—”

“Want to see her go unpunished,” Shawde supplied, a smile touching her lips. That was her brother. He'd always had a keen sense of right and wrong. If he'd believed Katrina guilty of assault, he would have wanted to see her brought to justice.

Shawde had that in common with her brother.

“He told me he was going to get proof. And that if he couldn't get proof regarding the murder, he was determined to get justice for me. I begged him to let it go, but I doubt he did. All I can assume is that he confronted Katrina at some point, or she found out what he was up to.”

“And that's why she killed him. Maybe with Rowena's help.”

“That's my feeling, that they're a team. Katrina wanted me dead, all because I was going to report her to the National Pan-Hellenic Council. Rowena tried to make it happen. But she failed, which was a huge loose end for them.”

“Because with you around, they could possibly be arrested for assault. You were a live witness. So you knew you had to get away.”

“I knew I wasn't safe. I believed in my heart that either Katrina or Rowena—or both—killed Carmen so that her complaint would be quashed.”

“And once my brother tried to take her down … she had to get rid of him, too.”

“Exactly.”

“Finally,” Shawde said, and stifled a cry. “You've given me the missing pieces. Shemar never got to tell me why he wanted to talk to me urgently about Katrina. He was on his way home to talk to me when he was killed.”

“I tried to get him to forget about it,” Angelina said. “I was safely out of Katrina's reach. And I wasn't telling anyone else at UB about what had happened. I'd learned my lesson. I was going to keep my mouth shut. I just … I just wish that Shemar had listened to me.”

Though Shawde's heart was heavy, it felt fractionally lighter after she heard Angelina's story. A sense of pride filled her. She was proud that Shemar had taken a stand for what was right, even if it had gotten him killed.

“My brother took a stand,” Shawde said. “Which validates exactly what I'm doing. I've dedicated my life to getting justice for Shemar. Thank you for sharing your story.”

“I'm glad we got to talk. I always liked Shemar, and I've always felt a measure of guilt over—”

“Please, don't feel guilty. It's not your fault.”

“Still, I know that if not for him wanting to defend me…” Angelina's voice broke. “I owe him, Shawde. And I want you to know that I'm no longer afraid to speak out. If you need me to tell my story to help nail Katrina, I'll do it.”

“I appreciate that more than you know,” Shawde said. “But now that Katrina's killed another boyfriend in Mexico, I think she's finally made the mistake that's going to take her down. She just hoisted her own noose over a tree branch, Angelina. And she's about to hang herself. I'm sure of it.”

 

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

My sister called me later, and I answered the phone before it could ring a second time. “What did you find out?” I asked without preamble.

“Well, I sent a message to Katrina's closest friend on Facebook, asking her to call me because I needed to talk to her. She just got back to me. And she said that any idea about Katrina being some sort of crazed killer is insane. Which is what I think.”

“What about the incident with the girl?”

“I brought that up, and she said the same thing that most of us had thought at the time. That because of the rapist on campus, and the murder of our soror, Angelina was naturally terrified after her own brush with the rapist. That's why she left school.”

I bit my inner cheek. For some reason, the answer didn't satisfy me. “Though I suppose if Rowena and Katrina were best friends, how much of what she says can you actually trust?”

“Are you looking for something where there is nothing? Are you trying to play Nancy Drew? Katrina is not this person that Shemar's sister made her out to be.”

“I'm just saying, Shawde said she had friends who would lie for her.”

“And you don't know Shawde from Adam. I went to school with Katrina. I know her.”

“All right. I just wanted to hear whether or not there was any merit to Katrina being … I don't know … a bit shady? But I guess if the friend thinks there was none, and the fact that the police never investigated anything … my mind should be at ease.”

“Exactly. I wouldn't take anything this woman told you seriously.”

Why would your sister send you down there?
Shawde's question came into my mind. But I shook it away, because as many problems as my sister and I had had over the years, I didn't believe that she would willingly put me in harm's way.

“All right. Thanks.”

“Good night. And just try to relax. You've had a stressful few days, and this person coming to see you obviously hasn't made things any easier. If you want to come back home, please do. Perhaps we'll both feel better that way anyway.”

“I'll think about it.”

I ended the call, and for some reason I turned my attention to the door. Had I heard a sound?

My eyes went downward, and I don't know if I was imagining it, but I thought I saw a shadow pass by. And if I hadn't been imagining it, had Katrina just been listening to what I'd been saying through my door?

And if so, how much had she heard?

I frowned, but I didn't get up and go to the door. I didn't feel like talking to her, and I could only hope that she hadn't heard what I'd been saying.

She likely wouldn't have been able to make sense of my part of the conversation anyway.

Besides, was it wrong for me to want to know the truth? If she had nothing to hide, then I had nothing to fear.

Despite what my sister had told me, I still had questions. So, minutes later, I was on my laptop and looking up the University at Buffalo. In particular, I was searching for stories about the Bike Path Rapist and the sorority girl who'd been killed.

I learned that three girls in the same sorority as the victim had first been suspected of the student's murder, but ultimately someone else had been charged. Like Marie had said, another sorority sister who had apparently been jealous had been charged with the crime.

Then I found myself looking up Shemar Williams and the car accident. The article about it wasn't very long. And it was the same thing that I'd heard from the sister. Out of control car collided with a truck. Shemar appeared to be driving as though he didn't want to stop. Speculation of suicide.

There was a knock at my door. I nearly jumped out of my skin.

Slamming the laptop shut, I said, “Come in.”

“Just wondering if you're okay. You haven't come out all evening.”

“I'm not really that hungry, and I just feel like chilling. It keeps hitting me, you know? One minute we were having a good time in Mexico, the next…” I shook my head. “It's just tough.”

“If you watch a movie or something…”

“Thanks. But I think I'm gonna just go to bed tonight.”

“I was actually thinking that I should open up the café tomorrow. Instead of spending all of my days just thinking about Christian, I should probably do something more productive with my time. And of course, the bills are still gonna come in.”

“That's an idea,” I said, perking up.

“So you won't mind?”

“No. In fact, I agree. It will give us something to do. Did you talk to Alexis?”

“I called her. She said she can come in.”

“Good. I think opening the shop is a great idea.”

*   *   *

The next morning, Katrina and I got up bright and early and went downstairs to begin the task of getting the café up and running. There was some comfort in the familiar routine that I had only just become accustomed to. Of course, Christian being missing from the trio was hard, but by the time we started brewing coffee and letting customers in I felt better.

And Katrina seemed to feel better, too, because she was talking and smiling with customers. We were busy. Many wanted to know about Mexico, because of course they'd seen the story on the news. Katrina respectfully told them that she didn't want to talk about it, and I said the same.

The only person I did talk about it with was Alexis, and I didn't bother to fill her in on the mysterious visit from Shawde. Instead, I just repeated what I'd told the police and my sister. That Katrina and I had been out, that Christian left the bar and the next thing we heard he'd been killed.

“I heard she married him,” Alexis said to me, whispering in a conspiratorial tone.

“Apparently she did.”

“I don't get why she would have you go on their honeymoon.” Alexis made a face. “I mean, unless the three of you had something going on…”

“No! Definitely not!” Was that what people thought? Well, I supposed that was better than the alternative. That I had somehow been involved in the murder.

“I've thought about the same thing,” I began, “and my honest opinion is that because they fought so much, she just wanted someone else there to help make sure they stayed sane around each other. I don't know if that makes sense, but maybe she thought that with me there, they'd be less likely to fight?” But as I said the words, they sounded stupid. Like a lame excuse.

And it was the one thing I really didn't understand, the one thing that gnawed at me. Why had I been on their honeymoon with them?

Alexis shrugged. “The whole thing is way too strange for me. Then again, I've always found Katrina a little bit weird.”

Alexis wandered off, and I headed to the front of the restaurant to wipe down a table that had recently been vacated. As I cleaned the table, I looked outside.

And saw Shawde.

She was standing across the street, looking at the coffee shop.

Seeing her, I remembered her parting question to me. Where was Gordon? He was the one loose end that didn't make sense. If her claims about Katrina were true and she'd gotten wind that Gordon was investigating her …

I shook my head. I was letting my imagination run wild. Perhaps it was the writer in me, trying to see some validity to Shawde's outrageous claims.

My eyes widened when I saw Shawde look both ways for traffic, then step into the street. Good God, she was coming over here. I quickly craned my neck around, searching for Katrina. I hadn't seen her in a while.

The door chimes sang as Shawde entered the shop. She started toward me, purpose in her steps.

“You need to leave,” I said in a hushed voice when she reached me. “You want Katrina to see—”

“Katrina left a while ago. I saw her head down the street.”

She'd left?
“It doesn't matter,” I said. “You shouldn't be here.”

“I learned some stuff. We need to have another talk. First of all, I found the hotel where Gordon was staying. They said he never checked out. But no one's seen him since last week.”

I swallowed. “So?”

Shawde narrowed her eyes. “So? I sent him down here to investigate Katrina, and now he's gone. Just vanished.”

“I told you to stay away from me.”

“There's more.”

Hearing footfalls behind me, I quickly whispered, “You have to go!” Then in a louder voice I said, “I'm not sure where you got the idea that the owner was offering franchises.” I glanced over my shoulder, and there was Alexis, carrying a tray of drinks. I forced a smile.

Shawde glanced at Alexis before meeting my gaze again. “I guess I wasted my time, then.”

“Looks like you did,” I agreed, giving her a pointed look.

Shawde flashed a tight smile, then turned and was off, whisking out of the café without a look backward.

A slow breath escaped my lungs.

“Franchises? Where'd she get that idea?”

“Who knows?”

Alexis walked off with her tray, and I turned—I supposed to see if Katrina truly wasn't in the building. I saw Irene, an occasional worker who had come in to work today, putting coffee beans into the grinder.

Katrina wasn't here. When the hell had she left? And where had she gone?

 

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

It was about three hours later, nearly 5:00 p.m., when Katrina came through the front door. I looked in her direction, my gaze questioning.

As she reached me, I asked, “Where'd you disappear to?”

She took me by the arm and led me to the kitchen area. Once inside, she closed the door before speaking. “I went to the local TV station.”