When Perfection Fails (10 page)

Lenora threw her head back and laughed. This was the best she had felt in the last twenty-four hours. She sat at a table in the back of Sweet Dreams Bakery enjoying the burst of lemon flavor in her mouth. The cake's light texture delighted her senses. Lenora smiled at her guests. “So which one do you like?”

Candace giggled and grabbed a napkin from the table to wipe the frosting from her mouth. “Definitely the lemon cake with the lemon filling. Oh my, that was so moist and refreshing.”

“I could just eat the buttercream frosting,” Angel added.

Lenora arched her eyebrow. Candace continued to slyly include their young friend in her wedding planning ventures. Lenora inquired, “So does this give you any ideas for your wedding, Angel?” She winked at Candace.

Candace returned her wink. “What? You and Wes chose a date and didn't tell me?”

Angel's eyes darted back and forth from Lenora to Candace. She placed her hand on her hip and pursed her lips. “What's going on with you two? Why do I feel like that was a trick question?”

“Trick? No trick.” Lenora pointed her finger toward Angel. “More like a nudge.”

Candace added, “You don't want to keep Wes waiting forever.”

Angel rolled her eyes. “Ladies, I'm getting close to deciding on a date. Wes and I are best friends. I couldn't imagine being with anyone else for the rest of my life. That's a really important step, right?”

Candace piped up. “Definitely. Darnell and I are friends. Friendship is the solid basis for any relationship, don't you think, Lenora?”

Angel turned to her. “Yes, you and Reverend Freeman are an inspiration—the perfect couple.”

Lenora's smile faltered. “Well, no one is perfect. We all have our issues, but I know I'm with my best friend.”

She was still torn up after her conversation with Michael. Why did it never occur to her that her sons wouldn't notice the tension between her and Jonathan? They never spent quality time as a couple anymore. When the boys were younger, Jonathan and she would try to steal away as often as they could. Those were during the days when Lenora's mother was still alive.

Despite the distance between them, Lenora still felt as if Jonathan was the man for her, and she wouldn't change a thing about her life. Lenora knew she was as much to blame as he. They both needed to be reminded of the friendship that brought them together as a couple.

Candace touched her arm. “Are you okay?”

Lenora observed the concern in both Candace and Angel's eyes. Embarrassed for drifting off into her thoughts, she reached for her notepad on the table. She said, “Of course, I'm sorry. I'm a bit out of it today. This is your time, Candace. So, we have settled on the lemon cake, right?”

Candace ignored her question. “You've seemed troubled since yesterday. I didn't know you were friends with Charmayne Hudson.”

“Oh.” Lenora sat back in the seat. Memories from yesterday flooded her mind. She responded, “We've been friends on and off since we were little girls. I want to apologize again about the interruption yesterday. I know it didn't look or sound good, but I have always been available for when Charmayne is in crisis mode.”

Candace shook her head. “No apologies. I just wondered if you needed to talk.”

“Yes, it sounded like both of you were really upset,” Angel added.

Lenora felt her cheeks grow warm. She spent her time keeping the men in her life satisfied or making sure her brides were happy. Since her mother died, she didn't share her troubles with anyone. Jonathan was not always available or understanding.

Angel walked around the table and placed her hand on Lenora's shoulder. “Both you and Candace were there for me last year when I found out what really happened to my mother. If I can help in any way, please let me know.”

She was tempted to confide in both women about her fears, but instead, Lenora shook her head. “I appreciate you both, but I don't need to burden you with my problems.”

Candace observed her for a moment. “Okay. Well, how about a prayer. You think the chef would mind if we use his room for a prayer session?”

Lenora bit her lip. How she needed prayer now more than ever. She stuttered, and then cleared her throat. “I don't think he would mind.”

“Good.” Candace stood and grabbed her hand.

Lenora reached for Angel's hand, and the trio stood in a circle.

Candace prayed, “Father God, we come to you in the sweetness of food and fellowship this morning. We have laughed and planned for an upcoming joyous occasion. We have a sister among us who is smiling on the outside, but, Lord, you know her pain and her fears. I want to ask for a special blessing of peace of mind, that peace that surpasses all understanding for Lenora Freeman. None of us are alone in our walk. Father, you are there waiting for us and encouraging us to lean on you. We ask that Lenora remember to lean and trust in you, no matter what struggles come her way. She is safe in your arms. Now, Father, we are about to depart, and I ask for traveling mercies for all of us. May your angels protect our coming and going. In Jesus' name.”

All three women said, “Amen.”

Lenora took a deep breath. Her face was wet from fresh tears that flowed. She wiped her face. “I'm so thankful for you taking the time to pray over me. We're supposed to be here for your wedding.”

Candace held out her arms. “I consider you a friend. I do want you to know you can talk to me anytime.”

Lenora returned Candace's hug. Then she pulled back. “Thank you.”

She reached out to Angel. “You, young lady, I'm looking forward to setting up some cake tasting for you in the future and working with Chef Langston on your wedding cake.” Lenora hugged the young woman too.

Angel stepped away. “I'm looking forward to doing this myself. I will be talking to Wes soon.”

While Candace and Angel went up toward the front of the bakery to drool over the pastries at the counter, Lenora dropped off Candace's choices with Chef Langston. She smiled at him. “I'm looking forward to you delivering another exquisite cake in about two weeks. I do appreciate you fitting us in so close to the date.”

Chef Langston tipped his hat to Lenora. “My pleasure. Always love working with you. You make it all work so easy.”

Lenora laughed. She tried, but too bad she couldn't always plan for other areas of her life. She walked toward the front of the store.

Angel commented on the display of pastries in the front. “Mmm, you can hurt yourself in here.”

Candace placed her hand on her hip. “Tempting, but I can forget about fitting in my dress if I mess with anything behind that glass.”

Lenora, Candace, and Angel laughed as they walked out of the bakery. Lenora waved good-bye as the two women walked toward the parking lot. She watched them climb into Candace's car, and then headed to her own car. There was a rolled up paper sticking out from under her windshield.

Lenora rolled her eyes. She could not stand when people stuck their annoying fliers on her car.

She snatched the paper and looked around for a trash can. When she didn't see one, she unlocked the door and tossed her bag on the passenger seat. Normally, she didn't bother looking, but this time, she unrolled the paper.

Lenora gasped. It was a copy of the same article that Charmayne brought by her office yesterday. The only difference is someone wrote with a black marker across the paper,
“It's time.”

How did this person even know this was her car? Lenora crumpled the paper in her hands and jumped inside the car. She slammed the door shut and scanned the parking lot.

She had such a good time with Candace and Angel. The thought that someone had followed her to the bakery and purposely added this cryptic note to her car sent waves of panic. Lenora began to feel hot and suffocated and not just because she was sitting in her warm car.

Lenora stuck her keys in the ignition, but a buzzing sound startled her. She hesitated, reaching for her phone. Was her tormentor in the parking lot watching her every move?

She snatched the phone from her purse and checked the screen. Charmayne was calling. She'd tried to get Charmayne on the phone several times that morning.

She answered. “Hello, Charmayne!” Her voice sounded higher than usual in her own ears.

No one answered, but yet Lenora sensed someone was on the phone.

“Charmayne?”

The phone went dead. Lenora pulled the phone away from her ear and ended the call. The crumpled paper sat on the seat next to her. She stared at it like it was a large insect that had invaded her space.

It's time.
What exactly did that mean?

She started the engine. An urgent need to go to Charmayne's home rose in her spirit.

Lenora gripped the steering wheel as she zipped down I-77 in the left lane. Traffic was heavy as the lunchtime crowd traveled back to their workplaces. She concentrated on the cars around her and sought a way to pass into the next lane. As an opening came in front of a car to her right, she guided the car over until she reached the far right lane. She tapped the steering wheel as she slowed the car down. Her anxious thoughts were almost too much to handle.

God wouldn't give her more than she could bear. She took deep breaths and prayed for the terror in her mind to cease. Finally, she turned on the street leading to Charmayne's house.

Lenora slung the car into the driveway. Before jumping out of the car, she grabbed the crumpled paper and her purse. The loud roar of an approaching garbage truck drew her attention as she opened the car door. She turned away from the truck to focus on Charmayne's home. Charmayne's car wasn't visible, but Lenora assumed the Jaguar was parked in the garage. The silver Jag was a gift from Bishop and while Charmayne had a love/hate relationship with her dad, she gladly accepted the expensive gift. How the bishop could be so flamboyant was always questionable to Lenora.

No doubt, the Freemans had exquisite tastes, but they did linger on the side of sensibility and simplicity. At least Lenora tried. She was raised by a single mother who worked many night shifts at the hospital to support her family and eventually help pay for Lenora's college education. She was simply grateful.

Lenora scanned the neighborhood, noticing there wasn't much movement other than the garbage truck picking up trash bins along the way. As Lenora drew closer to the front door, she stopped before heading up the steps. There was a patch of no grass growing in Charmayne's yard. She stepped a little closer and noticed shoe prints in the dirt.

She shook her head and walked up the stairs. After she rang the doorbell, Lenora remembered Charmayne had a landscape person maintain the yard. The grass appeared to have been recently cut so Lenora wasn't sure why her eyes were drawn to the shoe prints. As she glanced back over her shoulder at the prints, she noted they faced Charmayne's living-room window.
Almost as if someone had been standing in that spot for a while.

What was taking Charmayne so long to come to the door? Was she even home, and if she wasn't, where was she? It occurred to Lenora that she hadn't heard a single word from Charmayne since yesterday. It was Charmayne who came to her yesterday, upset and reaching out for help. Knowing Charmayne's tendency for soaking her sorrows in a bottle of wine, Lenora was wondering if her friend was passed out in the house. With the cryptic threats she had received and Charmayne revealing similar threats, this was no time for a pity party.

Lenora leaned on the doorbell again. Then she cupped her hands around her face and peeked through the windowpane next to the door. Through the white sheer curtains Lenora glimpsed the hallway. She narrowed her eyes in search of movement.

Movement from the side of her left eye startled Lenora. She stumbled backward from the window and spun around. Her heart was beating fast as she clutched her shirt. Her instincts told her she saw something, but no one was behind her. She glanced down at the shoe prints once more and frowned.

Lenora turned back to the front door and banged on the door. She shouted Charmayne's name. Now she was just making a fool of herself. She stepped back and clenched her hands. This wasn't helping her nerves at all. She turned around and folded her arms trying to figure out what to do next.

Her ears caught a sound. A low, steady rumbling sound.
How did I miss that before?
She turned and walked toward the garage. It sounded like . . .

Horrified, Lenora sprinted over to the garage and yelled. “Charmayne?” She stood on her toes to try to see through the garage-door window. She was tall, but she still couldn't see into the garage. Lenora began to bang on the garage door. How long had the car been running? It couldn't be safe for Charmayne to be running the car inside with the garage doors closed.

Lenora quickly calculated she'd been here at the most five minutes. She ran over to the garden area and searched for an object. Picking up a smooth stone, she threw it. After the glass shattered, Lenora covered her mouth as she clearly heard the Jaguar's engine hum louder.

She might be losing her mind, but she had to get inside that garage. With trembling fingers she reached for her phone from her bag and dialed 911. She prayed that this would all turn out fine. Charmayne would show up, give her a crazy look, and demand payment for breaking her garage window.

An operator interrupted her thoughts. “What's your emergency?”

She answered, “I think my friend is in trouble. She's not answering the door. It sounds like the . . .” Lenora choked. “. . . the car is running in the garage, but the doors are shut tight. That's not good, right? Can you send someone out here? Please?”

“Ma'am, can you tell us your location?”

Lenora had been to this house over the years so many times, but the house number failed to register. She stepped back and looked at the arch over the front door. “203 . . . 203 Quest Drive. Please hurry!”

Lenora ended the call and folded her arms around her body as waves of despair clutched her mind. She chided herself as she thought back to yesterday. What did Charmayne say before she left?

Lenora held her head. “Charmayne, what have you done?”