When Perfection Fails (12 page)

“Okay, well, if you think of anything else, let me know. In the meantime, we can start there. If there is anyone else who knew, let me know as soon as possible. I will say that the timing is odd, and the fact that it started after Bishop Hudson's death indicates that we need to check into a few things.”

Jonathan stood. He grabbed Lenora's elbow as she stood. This time she let him place his arm around her shoulder, but she remained distant. “Thank you, Detective. I will take my wife home now. We appreciate any information you can find.”

As they exited the interrogation room, Jonathan pondered how easily Lenora remembered the date of the accident. Did that night still haunt her today? It appeared he wasn't the only one guilty of withholding information.

Lenora's confession was indeed more life-changing. Did the secret lead to Charmayne's death? He and Lenora had some serious talking to do.

Jonathan feared if someone did fatally harm Charmayne and Lenora was receiving threats, did that mean his wife was in danger now? Jonathan had felt useless and torn as he watched his father slowly wither away. How could he stand against an invisible threat that could snatch away the love of his life?

Serena had been looking all over for Lance Ryan. She went back to the coffeehouse to find out more information. In her mind, there had to be a reason why this Lance fellow chose this coffee shop. Could have just been wishful thinking.

The tall, blond-haired male barista shrugged. “Sorry, people are in and out of here all the time. Anyone could fit that description.”

Serena eyed him. “Really? So, you have a lot of tanned white guys come in here with buzz cuts and hazel eyes ordering espresso?”

“I just take orders.”

“Fine. Please pass the description around to your colleagues. This guy dresses real sharp, and he is almost military-like in the way he carries himself.” Serena grabbed the cup carrier and walked out. She jumped into the car with her cameraman, Bud Hillman.

Bud asked, “Did you get what you need, Serena?”

“I got coffee.” She certainly wasn't having any luck finding her source.

“So, do you have enough footage for your story?”

“Yeah, let's head back to the station.” She closed her eyes, realizing she needed to do a better job of getting more sleep.

By the time Bud reached the station, Serena felt like she could have gone home and slept for days. Better than having to face Alan. This story might just be dead before she made any real progress.

Serena left Bud to unload the station's car and entered the building. As she waited for the elevator, her phone buzzed. “Oh great!” Alan had texted her to meet in his office as soon as possible. As she rode the elevator, she guzzled down the rest of her coffee. When she exited the elevator, she crushed the cup, tossing it in the nearby trash container. No time to stop by her desk. She would only get caught up in her e-mail and social media feeds. Serena knocked on Alan's door.

“Come in.”

“Hey, Alan. What's up?”

Alan looked up from touching his iPad's screen. “I should ask you that question. Have you heard the news?”

Serena arched her eyebrow. “News?”

“Your girl. Charmayne Hudson. Apparently she was found dead this morning.” He frowned. “You okay, Serena?”

Serena had clutched her chest as though the wind was just knocked out of her. “What? When did this happen? She was on my list to go see today.”

“Well, you're going to have to cross her off your list. You might want to see if you can make friends with someone at the police department. They are pretty tight-lipped over the details.”

Questions scrambled Serena's mind. She was hesitant to tell Alan she had trouble finding her source. Did Lance Ryan have anything to do with this? She desperately needed to get some details. “You know what? I'm pretty sure I know who is working this case.”

“Go get us some answers. You know this is going to be the top story tonight.”

Serena headed straight to the elevator and entered it. Did Charmayne lose her life because someone was scared she was going to expose them? Why did this Lance guy give her those documents? There was a wall of mystery behind Lance Ryan. She'd been a reporter long enough to determine when a person had a secret agenda. How deadly was
that
agenda?

It took her about twenty minutes of maneuvering through traffic, but she found a parking spot and entered the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. For as long as she'd been a reporter, Serena always found herself doing crime investigations. If she could have skipped the police academy, who knows, she might have made a great detective.

Serena searched, hoping to catch a glimpse of Detective Darnell Jackson. She certainly didn't want to run into the captain who didn't take too kindly to her dropping by the station. Why did she have such a knack for getting under people's skin? She was just doing her job.

Just as she almost gave up, she spotted the tall, handsome detective. She started to walk toward him, but stopped. There was a couple leaving the room with him. Serena stepped over behind a group of officers to get a better look at the couple. Wait—she knew them. It was Pastor Jonathan Freeman and his wife. Why was Darnell questioning them? She imagined they knew Charmayne Hudson.

Serena waited until she saw the Freemans leave, and then drifted over to the detective. As she approached Darnell, she couldn't help but think, another one bites the dust. She had a very brief time to date the detective and like she always did, she destroyed a potential relationship because of her thirst for a story. Now Detective Jackson was getting married in a few short weeks. All the good ones were always taken.

“Detective Jackson, looks like you will officially be crossed off the bachelors' list in a couple of weeks. Congratulations.” Serena smiled and held out her hand.

Darnell displayed his perfect set of white teeth and smirked at her extended arm. “Let me guess; you are here to pick my brain for information about . . .”

“Charmayne Hudson.” She finished for him. “So, how does a woman who I just talked to a few days ago turn up dead in her own home?”

“Serena, you know it's too early in the investigation for us to reveal those details to you.”

“So you suspect some foul play?”

“I didn't say that, Serena.”

“But this is homicide?”

Darnell let out a sigh and sat down at his desk. “Serena, you know the Homicide Unit gets deaths that are not easily explained.”

“Are you confident you can investigate what led to Charmayne Hudson's death?” Serena badgered.

Detective Jackson folded his arms. “Look, this woman was well-known and grew up in this community. We are going to look at all the facts.”

“What about her city council disputes?”

Detective Jackson narrowed his eyes. He studied Serena for a moment. “Do you have something you should be sharing with me?”

“Why would you ask that?” Serena said innocently.

“I find it curious that you turned the focus of her death to her position as a city councilwoman.”

“Well, you're aware she was at odds with Mayor Carrington and a few other city council members. I mean, you're going to talk to them about events leading up to her death.”

“Of course. We will talk to everyone who talked and touched base with her recently.”

“Did the Freemans help you? Are they friends?”

Darnell sat up in his seat. “That's enough, Serena. I've told you all that I can.”

Serena gritted her teeth. “You're going to leave me hanging here with nothing. Come on.”

“You know what?” Darnell stood. “You will get your information as soon as we are ready to share with the public. In the meantime, let this woman get a proper burial and memorial before you rake her name over the news with whatever you have been working on.”

Serena smirked. “You know I have to get the truth.”

“I know you, Serena. Just don't do anything stupid. See you around.”

Serena narrowed her eyes as the detective walked away from her. This was not going her way. At the beginning of the week she had high hopes for a really good story. She knew in her gut there was so much going on under the surface. Now she was back to square one.

Or was she? Maybe all the pieces were right in front of her and she just needed to find the connections.

Lenora stabbed the fork into the sweet and sour chicken. The sweet tangy taste usually would have excited her taste buds, but she just chewed the meat as if it was a least-favorite meal. She looked over at Keith who was wincing, but making an effort to enjoy his food. Michael held his head down, taking a long time between breaths to scoop more fried rice into his mouth. She noticed her youngest son would occasionally glance up, peering back and forth from her to Jonathan.

It struck Lenora when Jonathan arrived back with the bags of food that it was the first time in a while that the entire family sat together for a meal. Jonathan was at the other end of the table munching thoughtfully on an egg roll. He hadn't looked at her since he came back from the restaurant.

After leaving the police station, she and Jonathan decided to keep a lid on the threats Charmayne had been experiencing. Lenora sensed Jonathan was upset with her for not sharing she had received threats too.

Even Eliza was unusually quiet. She wondered how much he had shared with his mother. Regardless, Lenora was relieved Jonathan had apparently encouraged his mother to keep her sharp-witted statements to herself tonight. After all, what was there to say?

Charmayne was dead. Lenora could still picture the anxiety on Charmayne's face. Was it just yesterday? Why didn't Charmayne say something to her sooner? Instead of being uptight about the city council seat and the possibilities of Jonathan running against her, Lenora didn't understand why Charmayne hadn't confided the threats earlier.

Charmayne was known to take desperate measures, which was one of the reasons why she butted heads with her father. Still, Lenora couldn't believe that Charmayne would kill herself.

Eliza did what she did best: interrupted the silence. “I feel bad for that woman, I really do, but does everyone have to be so tight-lipped tonight?”

Lenora stared across the table at Jonathan. Maybe he hadn't said anything to Eliza.

Jonathan's eyes were tense as he returned her stare. He looked away. “Mother, Charmayne was near and dear to the community being Bishop Hudson's daughter.” He wiped his mouth with the napkin and threw it on the table. “It's a bit of a shock and a tragic loss.”

Keith sat up. “They're not saying on the news how she died. Does anyone know?”

Lenora noticed that earlier on the news. “They're still investigating.”

“So it wasn't by natural causes?” Michael inquired.

Lenora rubbed her forehead. A dull ache had been throbbing in the center of her head since earlier that day. She hoped sleep would make the lingering headache disappear. She stood from her chair. “I'm sure we will find out soon enough.” She turned to Keith. “You need to lie back down and get some rest, and Michael, don't stay up too late.”

Michael grimaced. “It's Friday night, Mom.”

“I know, I know. You don't want to mess your schedule up too much. Monday morning will be here before you know it.”

Lenora squeezed her youngest son's shoulders as she left the kitchen. On the way out, she heard Eliza say, “She seems to be taking this death pretty hard, isn't she? I didn't think they were that close.”

Lenora shook her head as she ascended the stairs. In a past lifetime, Charmayne and she were inseparable. She grew up beside Charmayne at Greater Heights Church, and they attended the same classes in high school. As adults, they were not the closest of friends. At least, they weren't the kind of friends who went shopping or attended a movie. Over the years, she had questioned if Charmayne was ever really a friend to her.

Lenora entered the bedroom and closed the door behind her. She reached for her nightgown behind the bathroom door. An early bedtime would do her some good although she wasn't sure her thoughts would settle and allow sleep to come. Lenora heard the door open behind her as she tried to snuggle under the covers.

Jonathan entered the room and closed the door. He sat down on the edge of the bed.

There may not be any sleep for either of them. She knew it would only be a matter of time before Jonathan stopped brooding and questioned her more. Lenora pulled the sheets up to her midsection. “Is there something you want to ask me?”

Jonathan snapped back, “Is there something else I should know?”

“Why, do you think I'm keeping secrets?”

“Well, it seems as if I was being accused of that a few nights ago. I just thought maybe we ought to put
everything
out on the table.”

She had been worried about Jonathan's political ambitions destroying the fragile pieces of their relationship. What if she had destroyed their relationship all by herself by not coming clean earlier? “Jonathan, I don't have anything else to share.”

“What if you get contacted again?”

“Obviously, I will let the police know this time.”

He swiveled around and faced her. “I understand about putting the past behind you. I know what happened with you and Charmayne years ago was another lifetime. But—”

Lenora slapped the covers. “But
what?
Why do I feel like you are angry with me for what is not in my control? We don't know what happened to Charmayne. I don't know why I got these strange texts. If it was you, would you have showed them to me or would you have decided you didn't want to worry me?”

Jonathan closed his eyes. “I'm your husband. Your protector.”

“You also inherited the pastorship of one of Charlotte's largest congregations and you lost your father. Our son was in a car accident with his girlfriend.” Lenora threw her hands up, throwing the sheets back. “Okay, there were some strange texts, and it alarmed me, but I'm a sensible woman who, I admit, has a tendency to become anxious when things happen outside of my control.”

Her eyes teared up. “Jonathan, it felt like something was wrong, but I wasn't sure. I have never run to you with every little thing. And I know I sound like a hypocrite now after going at you the other night. I just . . . I don't know what's going on.”

She rarely cried in front of Jonathan. Something she learned from her mother. Her mother said never let a man see your tears. Why? Lenora didn't know, but she couldn't hold back being vulnerable right now, because frankly, she was scared to death.

Jonathan moved closer and wrapped his arms around her. “You were an independent woman when I met you. I expect that of you. I know you don't want me to feel burdened, but I don't like feeling shut out either.”

She choked out, “You know as much as I know right now.”

Jonathan rubbed her shoulders. “We're going to figure this out. Go ahead and get some rest. You're going to need your energy for what's to come.”

She tried to catch her breath. “I don't want anyone else to know.” Lenora looked at him. “It was a long time ago and the man survived, but I'm ashamed, even now.”

“You were young. We all do things we are ashamed of when we're young. One day when you're comfortable, maybe it's a story you can tell that will help someone else get over whatever shame they feel. I'm going to do some work in my office now.”

She nodded and watched as her husband stood and walked out of their bedroom. Suddenly, she felt all alone.

He was right. Jonathan was always right. She just didn't know what God's plans were in this case, especially with her friend dead.