Chapter Forty-seven
Wes decided to talk to the last person he knew had talked to Larry Stowe. He walked into the Kingdom Building Church offices. There was a different person, an older woman, sitting at the secretary’s desk today. She reminded Wes a little of Minister J.D. in terms of her facial features.
He smiled at her and said, “Hello. I’m Wes Cade, and I’m wondering if I can talk to Minister J.D. I called him earlier this morning.”
“Sure.” The older woman smiled. “It may be a few moments. He is in with someone now.”
“Thanks. I will wait.”
Wes walked over to a group of framed pictures on the wall. The first time he came to see Minister J.D., he hadn’t noticed the collection. He studied the photos and knew from the clothes people wore that they were taken in the late eighties, early nineties. Wes recognized a younger Minister J.D., along with K-Dawg and Larry Stowe, in one of the photographs. Larry really looked angry in the photo, and it was not just that rap artist swagger, where one was mad at the world for the camera’s sake. No, Wes sensed tension in Larry’s eyes.
Minister J.D.’s door opened. When Wes turned around, he was surprised to see his friend Detective Darnell Jackson stepping out of the office. Wes walked over.
Both the minister and the detective watched Wes as he approached. Both looked solemn.
Darnell asked, “Now, why did I know you would not be far behind me?”
“A reporter has to get their story,” Wes replied.
Darnell turned to shake Minister J.D.’s hand. “It was a pleasure to meet you. Sorry about the loss of your friend.” Darnell gave Wes a warning look. “Like I told Serena, be careful with the details on this case.”
Wes nodded. “You got it.” After Darnell walked away, Wes addressed Minister J.D. “I hope you will still see me.”
“Sure. It’s good to see you back. Come on in.”
Wes followed the minister into his office and sat down across from him. “I won’t hold you long, but given the turn of events since I saw you last, I would like to know what relationship Eddie Gowins had with Larry Stowe.”
“The last time you were here, we talked about the old Royal Records. It was actually partly owned by Eddie. He brought in demo tapes from all types of artists. He was all about looking for the next star. Well, we were young, and Eddie talked good game. So we decided to let him manage us.”
Wes tilted his head. “Big mistake?”
“Big mistake. Don’t get me wrong. I liked Eddie. Smooth talker. Loved that restaurant. It’s a shame that we lost it. To be honest, I don’t know why Larry was there.”
“He certainly wasn’t trying to resurrect his career,” Wes said.
Minister J.D. let out a short laugh. “No. You know, I stayed in touch with Larry while he was in prison. I told him when he got out, I would get him hooked up with a job at the church, but you know, he was more interested in his little girl. He wanted to be able to see her make it in the music industry. When he got out, he talked to me about helping Melanie. It’s funny, but that girl wouldn’t give him the time of day. You couldn’t blame her, but he was trying to make up for his absence. Unfortunately, the bottle took up most of his attention.”
“Do you think Larry might have talked to Eddie about managing Melanie’s career?”
“I don’t know. After K-Dawg died, we all tried to stay in the game for a while, but it all fizzled. Everyone, including Eddie, just gave it up. He went into the restaurant business, and everyone went and did their own thing.”
Wes thought about how Larry still dressed like he had when he was in his twenties. “It still seems like Larry hadn’t let go. Was there a beef between Eddie and Larry back then?”
“Not that I could tell. But . . .”
Wes encouraged the minister. “Yes. Is there something else?”
“To be honest, Larry was good. He had better skills than K-Dawg on the mic. He could freestyle like nobody else could. I think he always had resentment about not getting his due.” Minister J.D. looked down at his desk for a long moment, as if he was in prayer. He finally turned his attention to Wes. “When Larry came to sit in my office, right there in that chair, I almost felt like he was apologizing to me for something. He kept saying, ‘I should have stayed loyal to y’all.’”
Wes frowned. “Sounds like he betrayed you in some way.”
“I just wasn’t sure how or what he was trying to tell me. Now I won’t know until we meet on the other side.”
Wes’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and looked at the caller ID. “Minister J.D., I appreciate your time. I need to get this call.” He shook the minister’s hand and quickly walked out.
By the time he was outside the office, the voice mail had picked up the call. He listened to Angel’s voice. “Wes, I’m not sure what time you wanted to meet today, but there’s something I need to do. If you don’t hear from me in a few hours, then send the cavalry to come find me.” Wes heard a door slam, like Angel was either getting in or out of the car. This reminded him of when she showed up at her father’s house a few weeks ago. Wes dialed Angel’s number.
She didn’t answer.
Wes peered down at his phone. He played the voice mail again. Angel sounded stressed and determined. He felt an urge to find her. Angel, where are you, and what are you up to?