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A Week Later
“Hey.” Dee found Rena lying on the daybed in the middle of the afternoon. “I heard you were out here.”
“I was just relaxing.” She sat up, her blonde curls sticking up in the back. “I’m supposed to help Asia with something. I’ll see you.”
Dee sat beside Rena and grabbed her hand before she got off the bed. “What’s wrong?”
Water filled her brown eyes. “Nothing.”
“You’ve been avoiding me for days. Did I do something?”
“Dee, you’ve become one of the best friends I’ve had. I love you being here.”
“Then be honest with me. What’s going on with you? You act like you can’t look at me.”
She closed her eyes, tears sneaking from under the lids. “I don’t deserve your friendship.”
“Why not?”
“Something happened.” She glanced around, shaking. “I should’ve stopped it but I didn’t.”
“Is this about Prisha?”
She shook her head. “I wanna tell you the truth but I can’t.”
“If you’re my friend, then you can tell me anything.”
Rena batted her eyes, sniffling. “Do you love me, Dee?”
She sat erect, thinking about the possibility for the first time. “Yes. Yes, I love you, Rena.”
“I value your friendship.” Rena held Dee’s hand to her bosom. “Promise me you’ll never hate me.” She laid her face in Dee’s lap. “I’m sorry, Dee. I’m so sorry.”
Dee lifted Rena’s head. “What’s going on?”
“It’s just scary to realize that I’ve given my life to a facade. I thought The Circle was my family. I thought Jonathan cared about us but he doesn’t. He’s using us. I see that now.”
“Why are you saying these awful things about Jonathan?”
“Listen—”
“No.” Dee stuck her hand in Rena’s face. “Jonathan is our leader. He’s brought us into a world that’s more than we could ever dream of. How can you talk about him like this?”
Rena wiped tears from under her nose with the back of her hand. “There’s a side to Jonathan you can’t imagine—”
“I don’t want to hear this.” Dee stood, fixing her dress.
“Listen.” Rena jumped to her feet. “You don’t belong here, Dee. Jonathan, he—”
“Deidra?” Jonathan’s voice rang through the garden. “Deidra, are you out here?”
“Oh god.” Rena grabbed Dee’s hand. “Don’t tell him what I said. Just forget this.” She scurried behind the daybed, toward the trail.
“Rena?” Dee whispered.
“Never mind.” She waved as she ran. “We’ll talk later.”
Jonathan stormed toward Dee with his hands swinging. “We need to talk.”
She backed up, alarmed by the fury in his eyes.
“What about my warning did you not understand?”
“What are you talking about?”
“You’ve been asking the girls about Prisha.” He grabbed her, his face turning red. “Why would you do that?”
She winced as his fingers pierced her arms. “You’re hurting me, Jonathan.”
“I don’t want to hurt you.” He squeezed tighter. “But your actions leave me no choice. You’ve been a bad girl and I could punish you.”
“Punish me?” She tussled. “Let me go!”
“Shut up.” He moved his hands to her wrists. “You’re mine and no one’s gonna save you. Not Winston, no one.”
Her stomach tied in knots. “Jonathan—”
“I own you.” His lips shook as he pushed her on the bed. “Don’t go behind my back again. You understand me, Deidra?”
She shivered, holding in tears.
“I didn’t kill Prisha, and I’d better not hear of you asking questions about her again.” He got in her face. “If you disobey me, I’ll show you a side you don’t wanna see.”
She leaned back, pushing her fingers into the sheet.
“Are we clear?”
“Yes.” She swallowed, apprehension building into a full-fledged panic attack.
He leaned up, glaring at her. “Don’t defy me ever again.” He left.
Panting and shaking, she took out the phone Winston had given her but didn’t have the courage to complete the call.
****
Five Days Later
Winston and Connie met with Charlie in the interrogation room after being informed the police brought him in on domestic violence charges.
“Sit down, big boy.” Winston pushed Charlie into the plastic chair, the poor thing squeaking under the massive man’s weight. “Let’s talk.”
“I didn’t hit Susan.” Charlie turned around, watching Connie as she walked behind him. “I’ve never hit her. She’ll tell you when she gets here and you’re both gonna look dumber than you already do.”
“According to the officers,” Connie said. “Someone called and reported the disturbance.”
“Travis did this.” Charlie scoffed. “He hates me and will do anything to get me out of Susan’s life.”
“You’re going to blame beating your girlfriend on Travis?”
He jumped in Connie’s face. “I didn’t beat—”
“Sit your ass down.” Winston shoved him in the chair. “Who do you think you’re talking to like that?”
Charlie gripped his head, groaning. “Travis is doing this.”
“Travis has been beating his mother?” Winston held a mocking expression. “Is that the best you can do?”
“I’m telling the truth.”
“Okay, what’s he doing?” Winston chuckled, crossing his arms. “Beating his mother to put it on you?”
“You don’t understand how fucked up that kid is.” Charlie pointed. “Susan is scared to death of him. That’s why she puts up with his bullshit—”
“Stop it.” Connie hit the table. “Stop lying! If you’re big enough to hit a woman, you can admit you did it.”
“I’ll never admit it because I didn’t do it!” Charlie lowered his head to the table. “Please believe me.”
“Save the crocodile tears, Chuck.” Winston rocked. “We’ve seen tons of men like you and you fit the MO of an abuser to a T.”
“Fuck both of you.” He sat up. “All you’re doing is trying to pin Prisha’s murder on me. Fat chance with that because I didn’t do it.”
A black, uniform officer walked in after a quick knock. “Susan and Travis Crawford are in the next room.”
“Yeah, talk to her.” Charlie nodded. “Talk to that little maggot too. Tell him what I said.”
Winston instructed the officer to keep an eye on Charlie and he and Connie went next door.
“What’s happening to Charlie?” Susan leapt out the chair before Connie and Winston got in the room. “What are you doing to him?”
“I wanna tell you the truth.” Travis walked from behind his mother. “I can’t hide this anymore.”
“Travis, don’t.” Susan pulled him beside her. “Keep your mouth shut. Is Charlie okay?”
“Funny you worry so much about him but I doubt he has the same concern for you.”
“You’re so wrong, Detective Wilks. Charlie didn’t hit me. We just had a fight. You’re picking on him.”
“Stop protecting him, Momma.” Travis yanked his arm away from her and approached the cops. “Charlie was at Prisha’s a few days before she died.”
Connie glanced at Winston.
“They had an argument.” Travis exhaled. “He told me before she was killed that he’d gone to see her. Momma didn’t know.” He turned to Susan. “There’s a lot about Charlie I bet she doesn’t know.”
She rolled her eyes, seething.
“I don’t want the same thing that happened to Prisha to happen to my mother.”
“Travis.” Susan clenched her jaws. “Be quiet.”
“No keep talking,” Connie said.
“Are you keeping Charlie here?” Susan whimpered. “He’s a good man. Yes, he’s made mistakes, but he’s a good man.”
“How did you get that bruise on your neck?” Winston pointed to the purple mark under her ear. “Charlie did it, didn’t he?”
Travis cut his eyes to Susan.
She slapped her hand over it. “Charlie didn’t hurt me.”
“He says Travis is abusing you,” Winston said.
“Me?” Travis gaped. “He’s insane.”
“Travis has never hurt me.” Susan shivered.
“Okay, Travis didn’t do it and Charlie didn’t do it.” Connie shrugged. “Is there an abusive ghost living in your home?”
“This is funny to you?”
“No, it’s very sad, Susan.” Connie stood closer to her. “You’re protecting a man that might end up killing you.”
“Charlie didn’t hit me.” She swung her arms. “I don’t have to prove anything to you.”
“No, but Charlie does.” Winston opened the door.
“Wait here,” Connie instructed Susan and Travis as she followed Winston out the room.
Charlie sighed when the detectives rejoined him. “Did you talk to Susan?”
The black officer stood in the corner by the door, clearing his throat.
“Travis says you and Prisha argued before she died,” Connie said. “Is that true?”
“Look—”
“I’d suggest you think long and hard before you lie,” Winston said. “Did you see Prisha and did you argue? Yes or no.”
“I’m sick of this shit.” Charlie pressed his huge hands to the table. “You want to play hardball, we can play. I’m not telling you guys shit. You want anything else speak to my attorney.”