Chapter Seven
Now what? Angel had had no clue the reporter Wes Cade was related to Detective Lenny Cade. She followed Wes into the house, wondering if this was a good idea. Her goal was to do her investigation without letting anyone in her family know. This guy’s whole career was based on reporting stories. Not that it would be a bad idea. Maybe she needed some media attention on her mother’s disappearance. It had been so long.
Her beautiful African American mother had been in the news for a few weeks only because her granddad was a famous local musician. It angered her that the media gave attention to certain high-profile missing person cases, while others were barely mentioned. Thankfully, today there was the Internet and social media, which helped with spreading the news.
Angel focused on the cozy living room she had stepped into. A woman who resembled Wes was sitting in a recliner and appeared to have been disturbed from a nap. Her curly sister locks were peppered with gray and positioned high on the top of her head.
The woman blinked several times and said, “Wes, honey, you were supposed to come back with food. I didn’t know you planned to come back with a guest.” Despite her comment, a smile spread across the older woman’s face, putting Angel at ease.
“I will explain. Let me put this food in the kitchen,” Wes replied.
Wes disappeared through a doorway off the living room. Angel wondered if he had had second thoughts about inviting her inside. She didn’t have long to ponder this before he returned. He stared intently at her.
“This is my mother, Wanda. Mom, this is—”
“I know who she is, Wes. It’s Angel, right?”
Startled, both Angel and Wes eyed Wanda.
Wes blurted, “Mom, how did you know who she was?”
Wanda lifted herself from the recliner and walked around the coffee table, which was covered with family photos and African American figurines, and extended her hand toward Angel. “I knew your mother. You look so much like her. She was a beautiful woman. Your grandmother too. Beauty runs in the family.”
Angel’s face grew warm. She knew her fair skin had probably turned visibly red around her ears and cheeks. She shook Wanda’s hand. “Thank you. I really hate to intrude on your Sunday afternoon. I’ve been working up the nerve to do this for some time.”
“No problem. We haven’t had guests in some time on Sunday. Why don’t you sit down?” Wanda took her arm and guided her to the couch.
Angel glanced at Wes, who stood watching the exchange between his mother and her. She didn’t want to look at his face too long. This was the same man she stared at, instead of listening to, when he reported the news. His clean-shaven face was stunningly handsome up close, kind of reminiscent of one of her favorite actors, Columbus Short. Wes must have been to church today, because he still was dressed in a suit, minus the jacket.
She’d gone to the eight o’clock service, despite not having Grams beside her. The absence of Grams had weighed heavily on her as she listened to the morning message. A few years ago, she wouldn’t have cared about having her grandparents around, but she missed both of them today. They had been a major force in her life, always there when she needed them, even when she’d been rebellious.
After the call from the Bring Them Home Foundation, she didn’t sleep, not that she’d been sleeping much, anyway. She decided today was the day she would try to see Detective Cade. Angel had met him twice in her life. Once with her granddad. She remembered the depth of sadness and the tears that did not fall as Granddad asked Detective Cade if he would continue to look for her mother. Angel was almost seven years old then, and she remembered that the conversation took place a few weeks before she started second grade.
The second time she met Detective Cade was at the opening of Southern Soul Café. Her granddad and the detective had gathered there with other members of the popular North Carolina–based band. What she remembered most was the coldness her granddad displayed toward Detective Cade. She’d always thought of her granddad as warm and funny. It never occurred to her that he would not speak to someone. At some point, Detective Cade came over to her to introduce himself. He was the first person who commented about how much she resembled her mother. She didn’t think so.
Wanda returned to the recliner, while Wes sat down in a chair. Angel sat on the couch and turned her body slightly toward Wanda. “I really appreciate this. My granddad passed away about six months ago. Unfortunately, my grandmother suffered a minor stroke this past week.”
“Oh, you poor thing. Is your grandmother going to be okay?” Wanda leaned forward, her eyes filled with concern.
“Yes, she is expected to recover after some rehab.”
“Pops and I were able to attend your granddad’s funeral. Nick and my dad were good friends back in the day. It was hard for him to be there,” Wanda said.
“I was hoping to talk to Detective Cade.” Angel lowered her voice. “I had some questions about the day my mother disappeared.”
Wes, who had been very quiet, spoke up. “You don’t remember anything about that day?”
Angel turned to face him. “My memory is pretty fuzzy.”
Wanda added, “Well, you were young. I remember it was your fifth birthday.” Wanda pointed at Wes. “Wes had received an invitation to your birthday party, but he opted to go fishing with Pops.”
Wes cocked his head to the side. “Really? I didn’t know that.”
Wanda smiled. “You and Angel hung out a few times. You were older. Wes was almost nine when you turned five.”
Angel smiled. “Small world.” Maybe that was why she had always felt like Wes was a familiar face to her.
Wes shook his head. “I guess. I just don’t remember.”
“Angel, I attended your birthday party. From what I remember, there were more adults there than children,” Wanda noted.
Angel frowned. “I remember that too.” As a matter of fact, she couldn’t remember there being many children at the party at all. Or if there was a special theme. Growing up, she had had friends who had birthday parties with cool themes that included a princess or a superhero. What really bothered Angel was the lack of photos. Who doesn’t have photos from a kid’s birthday party?
Wanda twisted her hands like she was nervous. “It’s not a great time in my father’s life right now. He’s suffering from Alzheimer’s. I don’t know if there is much he can help you with, although some days he thinks he is still working a case.”
Angel’s hopes were crushed. Detective Cade was the one person she had been counting on. “I’m so sorry to hear that. I touched bases with him about four years ago, when I started working on a documentary about my mother. I just lost focus. Now I wish I had stayed on course.”
Wanda clasped her hands together. “I’m so sorry. I can’t imagine what you and your family have gone through. My dad worked a lot of missing cases over the years, but I know because he watched your mother growing up, he really was determined to help find her.”
Not wanting to waste her visit, Angel inquired, “What do you remember about my mother? Was she happy or sad the day of my birthday?”
Wanda sighed deeply. “I couldn’t tell. She seemed happy to be giving you a party. You were all dressed up in a pink sundress. I think she was wearing pink too. I know she was telling everyone she had finally received an offer for a record deal.”
“Mom, I didn’t realize you knew the Robertses so well. Were you close to Angel’s mom?” Wes asked.
“Oh no.” Wanda shook her head. “I actually graduated with Jake. Angel, it was your uncle who invited me. I mean us. Wes and me.” Wanda smiled nervously as she spoke about Jacob.
“Oh.” Angel wondered how close Wanda was to her uncle. She had never seen Jacob with any woman other than Liz and really didn’t know much about his early years.
“Elisa?”
Angel’s heart skipped a beat. A voice from behind her had called out her mother’s name. She turned to find an older man standing in his bare feet and pajamas. His shock of gray hair resembled a halo on his head.
Wes jumped up from the chair and moved toward the older man. “Pops, you’re awake. Let’s get you back in your room.”
Pops moved his head back and forth and pointed at Angel. “Elisa?”
Angel rose from the couch. “I’m sorry. Maybe I should come back another time.” Or not at all.
The detective continued to try to communicate with her. “Elisa, where have you been? We’ve been looking for you.”
Wanda moved beside her father and gripped his arm. “Pops, that’s not her. That’s Elisa’s daughter. Now, let’s get you back to your room.”
“I told Nick, he did it,” Pops shouted. “Nick wouldn’t believe me.” Suddenly looking confused, he whispered as he stared at her with wild eyes. “Maybe I was wrong.”
Angel’s eyes connected with Pops’s. She knew she should leave, but she had to ask him a question. “Who? Detective Cade, who did what?”
She tried to move closer, but Wes stepped in front of her. “I think it’s best you go now.”
Angel looked over Wes’s shoulder and watched as Wanda guided the ailing man back down the hallway. She looked at Wes. “I’m sorry.”
Wes walked over to open the front door. He stared at her intently, his face displaying a mixture of emotions. “Don’t be sorry. I’m sorry Pops can’t help you. Maybe I can. Let’s stay in touch.”
She nodded and then walked briskly out the door, with Pops’s voice filling her head. “I told Nick, he did it.” Angel doubted Wes meant what he’d said. The reporter probably just wanted to get rid of her. Could she blame him?
Pops’s statement pounded her until she was inside her car. She struggled through tears as she fiddled with the keys. Finally, she found the right key, pushed it in, and turned the ignition. She pulled off, tears streaking down her face.
At least the detective had confirmed what she had always known in her heart. Her mother was dead. In the back of her mind, she was scared the person responsible was someone close to her mother. The same person who had abandoned Angel the night her mother vanished into thin air. What really was his excuse for never contacting his own daughter?