CHAPTER
17
The following morning Bernadine rose earlier than usual to see her sister off. When she got downstairs, Diane had her one suitcase by the door—she’d sold the others—and her coat on, ready to go.
“Are you sure this is what you want to do, Di? You know you’re welcome to stay if you want.”
“I know, but I have to do this.”
They hugged. “Thanks for everything, Bernadine.”
“You’re welcome. Make sure you text me every couple of hours so I’ll know you’re okay.”
“I will. Tell Crystal good-bye for me.”
Bernadine nodded solemnly.
Diane picked up her suitcase. Bernadine stood in the door and watched as she backed the little brown car down the drive. With a toot of the horn, she drove away, and a sad yet hopeful Bernadine closed the door.
True to her word, Diane sent short texts along the way. After taking 183 south, she picked up I-70 and headed east. Hayes to Topeka was about two hundred miles. Barring any problems, Bernadine figured she’d be there before noon. Sure enough, by late morning she received a text. Here. Heading to dentist office. Found the money you hid in the glove box. U don’t listen well do you??? 
Love you!
Bernadine responded: Love you more.
Tommy Stewart had no way of determining night from day, so he spent the waking hours telling himself stories, drawing pictures in the dirt, and when he got really hungry, she’d arrive with his food. By the clock in his stomach, he guessed she delivered his burgers around the same time each day. On this day, when his stomach began to growl, he figured she’d arrive soon. But instead of sitting and waiting like he had been doing since being locked in the little room for who knew how many days now, he lay down on the poor excuse for a mattress, and with the now-freed pipe hidden beside him, wrapped himself in the thin quilts and waited. It had taken him what seemed like hours to work the pipe loose. His shoulders ached from all the pulling, and his hands did too, but if things went according to plan, he’d be free soon. Hearing the key in the lock he began to moan as if he was in pain. When she stepped in, he increased the volume.
“What’s the matter with you?” she barked.
“I need a doctor. My stomach’s killing me.”
She stepped farther into the room. “You’ll be fine.”
“No!” he cried. “I’m hurting really, really bad.” He brought his knees up to his chest and began rolling back and forth. “I’ve been throwing up, too. It’s like somebody’s poking me in my side with a hot poker.” He kept moving, moaning. “Please take me to a doctor, urgent care, something. Once they figure out what’s wrong, you can even bring me back here. I promise I won’t tell the doctors anything about you. Please! I don’t want to die in here. Please!” Out of the corner of his eye he saw her put down the bag of burgers and come closer. “Please, Ms. Wiggins, get a doctor!”
She came closer. “Oh, for heaven’s sake.”
Cradling the shotgun, she bent down to get a look at him, and that’s when he rose up and crashed the pipe across her shoulder. She cried out and fell to her knees, dropping the gun. While she slumped, moaned in pain, and clutched the injured arm, he scrambled to his feet and tossed the gun out of her reach. “Stay down,” he warned, breathing hard, filled with adrenaline and fear.
She raised her angry gaze and snarled, “You little bastard! I’ll kill you!” She latched on to the leg of his jeans, and he didn’t know if she was trying to yank him down or pull herself up. Panicked, he brought the pipe down again. Hard. Her scream filled the room. Not knowing what else to do, Tommy stood frozen for a few seconds, then tossed the pipe and ran.
Bernadine was gathering her coat and purse in anticipation of driving to the Dog for lunch when Tommy Stewart stumbled into the office, looking wild-eyed and crazy.
“Ms. Brown! Hide me, please! Don’t let her find me!” He was coatless, filthy, and shivering with cold. His hair was matted, and the smell! He fell to his knees, put his face in his grimy hands, and began to cry. “Oh god! I had to hit her! I had to.”
After recovering from being scared half to death, Bernadine picked up her phone and speed-dialed Will Dalton.
The county EMTs arrived with Will. After they took the smelly and sobbing young man away in their unit, Will drove to Astrid’s. No one answered the door. After hearing Tommy’s story, Will and his deputy thought she must still be lying injured in the basement room, so they broke out the glass in the door and let themselves in, but there was no one in the house and no gold Caddy in the garage. They didn’t find a pipe or a gun, either. Will called in an APB and went back to the hospital to talk to Tommy.
Later, he returned to Bernadine’s office.
“Why in the world did he come here?” she asked.
“He said he went to his mom’s first, but she wasn’t home. He didn’t have a key and didn’t want to break in because he figured that would be the first place Astrid would look. He was also afraid that if he ran into any of the businesses in Franklin, asking for help, they’d call Astrid. He didn’t know who to trust, but he knew you wouldn’t call her.”
“So he ran all this way in the freezing cold.”
“He was pretty scared. The docs are giving him fluids. Has a touch of frostbite on his fingers and ears, but they think he’ll be okay.”
“And his mother?”
“She drives a big rig. She’s out in Idaho somewhere, delivering a load. Talked to her on the phone a little bit ago. She’ll be back tomorrow.”
“And the PI, Sandy Langster?”
Confusion furrowed his brow. “What PI?”
She related the details of her meeting with the woman and Steve Tuller.
“First I’ve heard of this. Wasn’t Tuller the one involved with the roaches?”
She nodded and passed him the business cards the two left with her when they visited. He wrote down their phone numbers. “If she contacts you before I can get hold of her, have her call me stat. Same goes for Tuller. They may have information we can use in the investigation.”
“I will. Where do you think Astrid is?”
He shrugged. “All the hospitals in the area have been alerted. If she’s as injured as Tommy says she is, she’ll probably turn up.”
And she did, later that evening at a hospital in Topeka. She told the police Tommy Stewart broke into her home, assaulted her, and she wanted him arrested.
When Devon entered the kitchen, Amari took one look at his brother’s swag attire and cracked, “Does Captain Hook know you’ve been in his closet?”
Trent hid his laugh, barely. He glanced Lily’s way. Her shoulders were shaking with suppressed laughter, and there were tears of mirth in her eyes.
“I think I look pretty chilly,” Devon said confidently.
Amari looked between his parents, shook his head, and said, “Mrs. Payne’s going to give me and Brain a ride to the rec so we can get the sound system ready. I’ll see you there.”
He got his coat and left. Trent dearly wished he could go with him so he could step outside and laugh. He really thought he might burst if he didn’t get relief soon.
“How do you think I look, Dad?”
Trent coughed and cleared his throat. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite so swagalicious before, Devon.”
Lily was crying. “I think I hear my phone. Be right back.”
Trent swore he’d find a way to pay her back for not telling him about this in advance, but then again, no verbal description would have been sufficient. One had to see this to believe it, and even now Trent was having a hard time. The long-sleeved red velvet coat with its black belt and large faux gold buckle did indeed resemble something Captain Hook would wear. The hem hit Devon low on his thighs and showed the black jeans tucked into his black knee-high boots. He had a long black scarf tied around his neck, and on his head a black beret cocked to the side. In a way he looked quite swaggish, but also very strange. Trent couldn’t wait to see what Zoey and the other band members were wearing—or maybe he could.
Lily returned with her coat. “You guys ready to go?”
While Devon hurried to get his coat, Trent said to her, “I owe you for this, Fontaine.”
She mimicked a kiss.
Laughing, they walked out to join Devon.
Extra excitement was in the air at the rec center. This would be the auditorium’s first hosting of movie night since the riot, and everyone was anxious to see the renovations. There was more seating available than at the school’s auditorium, which meant more people could attend. The place began filling up fast. It was also the last day of school before the break. In four days it would be Christmas, and that added to the excitement as well. Tamar and her crew had the place decorated with Styrofoam snowmen, wooden sleighs filled with brightly decorated packages, and trees sporting ornaments and garnished with popcorn garlands. The music for the evening was seasonal R&B classics like Eartha Kitt’s “Santa Baby,” “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” by the Temptations, and “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” sung by the very young Michael Jackson and the Jackson Five. The regular movie-night snack menu was supplemented with candy canes, hot chocolate with marshmallows, and Marie’s famous gingerbread, made from a recipe passed down through the generations via her many-greats-grandmother Cara Lee Jefferson, one of the town’s first schoolteachers.
As Trent handed Lily her cup of hot chocolate and took his seat, he watched the smiling Devon, clad in his swag clothes, being fawned over by a bevy of lined-up little girls. “Lil, he’s signing autographs.”
“I see that,” she said as she sipped. “He’ll have to walk home tonight because that little pea head’s going to be too swollen to fit in the car.”
He snorted. “I’m still trying to get over the outfit.”
“You should’ve seen my face when he showed me what he wanted to buy. At least he paid for it on his own.”
“Amazing.”
“Truly,” she added. “We have Captain Hook, and there’s Zoey. Looks like she’s been in Tina Turner’s closet.”
She had on a long purple wig, a sparkly white shirt, a white skirt, and a pair of white patent boots. Both W. W. Dahl and Freddy, the sax player, were wearing black suits over black turtlenecks and Blues Brothers sunglasses.
Trent chuckled. “I hope they play well enough to back up all that swag.”
“If Amari’s to be believed, probably not.”
Seeing the Acostas enter, Trent waved them over. When they arrived, he said, “Sit with us.”
Anna said, “We’d love to.”
Luis sat down next to his mother-in-law. Alfonso and Maria asked permission to join the other kids down front and, after getting the okay, left the adults.
“So many people,” Anna said.
Lily said, “I know. Are you all ready for the holidays?”
“We are,” Luis said. “In fact, Tamar wants us to host Henry Adams’s first posada.”
He explained that las posadas was a Mexican tradition that reenacted Mary and Joseph’s search for shelter right before the birth of the Christ child.
Anna said, “Like Joseph and Mary, we go house to house, except we sing carols. In Mexico everyone is then invited to a home for pozole, and there’s a piñata for the children. It’s a wonderful way to bring the community together.”
Trent said, “What a great idea.”
“Our trailer isn’t large enough to host everyone for the pozole and the piñata,” Luis said, “so Tamar suggested we use one of the rooms here at the rec.”
“Sounds like fun. I can’t wait.”
Lily asked, “So what is pozole?”
Anna explained, “It’s like a soup . . .”
After they’d entered the noise-filled auditorium, Bobby and Kiki scanned the place for two free seats. The twins were with their Henry Adams grandmother, Genevieve. “There’re two over there,” Bobby said, pointing. “You grab them, and I’ll get us something to eat.”
“Okay. Hot chocolate too, please.”
“Gotcha.”
Kiki went to claim the seats, and Bobby made his way over to the food line. He couldn’t believe how many people there were, and wondered why there were so many little girls mobbing Devon, and why he was dressed so wack. He also couldn’t believe how nervous he was. The ring he’d gotten for Kiki had been burning a hole in his pocket since he’d picked it up earlier that day from the jeweler over in Franklin. The owner was nice enough to let him buy it on credit—after Trent cosigned the application—but the most important thing was that he had it. He was going to propose to her onstage right before the movie. He’d already cleared it with Tamar. He’d asked that she not tell anyone, so he was pretty sure no one else knew. Kiki didn’t, for sure.
Down on the stage, Amari and Brain were going about their duties. Watching Devon holding court in the side aisle, Amari said, “Tell me he is not signing autographs.”
Brain paused, looked over, and said, “If I did, I’d be lying. Who’s he think he is, Usher?”
“Not wearing those clothes.”
Amari spotted Kyra Jones walking down the center aisle, carrying a box of popcorn and a drink. When she saw him, she waved. Her braces were gone, and she had a new haircut. She didn’t look like Jaws anymore. In fact, she looked like a babe. He was so surprised, he stood frozen.
Brain said “Don’t just stand there like a dumbass, wave back! Thought you were from Detroit.”
That snapped Amari into motion, and he waved in return. “Aw, man, here she comes.” He busied himself with the mic.
“Hi, Amari.” Her smile showed pretty white teeth.
“Hey, Kyra. What’s up?”
“I’m free of the metal!”
“I like the haircut.”
“Do you?”
“I do.”
“Is it okay if I sit with you again?”
“Sure. Leah’s over there. Brain and I’ll be done in a few minutes.”
“Okay.”
He watched her leave and cracked, “As the OG would say, ‘That girl is fine.’ ”
“Don’t tell Leah, but I totally agree.”
Their jobs done, they went to the kitchen for snacks and made their way to their seats.
The night got under way when Tamar stepped out onstage. Everyone quieted. The evening’s movies were the animated Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and A Christmas Story. Ralphie’s quest for a BB gun was a Henry Adams favorite.
“Welcome, everybody. Doesn’t our auditorium look grand?” Applause sounded. “We give thanks for the great job done by the repair crews. First up is a new band. They started out calling themselves HA, but they’ve changed their name. Ladies and gentlemen, Exodus!”
The applause rang out, as did the screams of joy from Devon’s groupies. The lights, under the direction of Siz in the booth, hit the stage, and there they stood: Zoey in her Tina wig, holding a red guitar that looked twice her size; Devon decked out like Hook and holding a pair of rhythm sticks; and Freddy in his suit and dark glasses, his sax hanging from a strap around his neck. Zoey counted them down, and Freddy started wailing on the sax. The kids in attendance greeted the first few familiar notes with screams, and by the time Zoey sang “Hey baby, even though I hate ya I wanna love ya,” even Amari and the teens were on their feet dancing to Exodus covering Ariana Grande’s “Problem.” Freddy was strong on the sax, and although Zoey still wasn’t very good on the guitar, it was loud, and her pure-as-gold voice made up for her lack of playing skill. When the band reached the chorus, Devon snatched the mic free and moved to the apron of the stage. Leaning down, he began whispering the refrain, and the little girls lost their minds. They charged to the front of the stage and began singing back. Zoey sang the band into the second verse, and then into the short rap, accompanied by the voices of everyone in the house under the age of eighteen. The energy was so high that when the song should’ve ended, Zoey kept it going, and for another five minutes Exodus rocked the house.
They finally took their bows to a tremendous ovation. Siz shut down the spotlights, and the waving band hurried offstage.
Tamar stepped up to the microphone. “Wow! Let’s give them another hand.”
Applause shook the building again. The band came back out onstage, linked hands like a cast on Broadway, and bowed.
After their departure, Tamar said, “Even had me dancing. Mal, I want that song on the box in the Dog ASAP!”
“You got it!” he called back, and everyone laughed and cheered.
“Now, before we start the movie, there’s one more thing to do. Bobby and Kelly, where are you?”
Bobby stood up.
“Come on up. Kelly, you too.”
They walked down the aisle together. Kelly had confusion all over her face. Once they got to the stage, Tamar stepped out of sight, and Bobby walked to the mic. “First off, I want to thank everyone for all you’ve given to me, Kelly, and the babies. When we first got here, I wasn’t sure this was the place for us to be, but you’ve changed my mind and our lives. So thank you, very much.”
He waited for the applause that greeted that to end before saying, “Kelly and I have been together since middle school, and no matter what I was doing, right or wrong, she was there. I love her a lot.”
A chorus of Awws sounded from the crowd.
“And because I do love her, I want the world to know . . .” He walked over to where she stood and got down on one knee. Her eyes went wide as plates. He took the white velvet ring box out of his pocket and opened it.
“Oh my god!” she whispered. “Oh my god, Bobby?”
“Will you marry me?”
She started jumping up and down. Her hands flew to her mouth, and tears rolled down her cheeks.
People in the audience started yelling, “Say yes!”
She was so moved initially, all she seemed capable of doing was—nothing. Finally finding her voice, she said, “Yes.”
The audience cheered, and many of the ladies wiped at their own tears. As he placed the ring on her finger, took her in his arms, and kissed her, more cheers and applause went up.
When they returned to their seats, the house lights dimmed, the large screen lowered into view, and the animated Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer began.
That night, as they lay together in bed, Kelly looked at the small sparkler on her finger. “I love this, Bobby,”
“One day I’ll get you a bigger one.
“No, this one is perfect.” Turning his way, she said in a serious voice, “We’ve never talked about getting married. Can I ask what’s changed?”
“Me. Being here. Seeing life in a different way. Trent’s helped a lot.”
“You two have gotten pretty close.”
“Yeah. He’s a great man. If I had a father, I’d want him to be like Trent. Being around him is going to make me a better dad to the twins.”
She cuddled close. “I think you’re pretty awesome now.”
He kissed her on the forehead. “Do you think Reverend Paula can marry us on New Year’s Day? I’d like for us to start the year out as officially husband and wife.”
“You are so sweet. That’s kind of soon, but we can ask her. Even if we can’t get all the paperwork done, we can still have a little ceremony and do all the legal stuff later.”
He thought that was a great idea. “One more thing to tell you.”
“What?”
“I think I want to go to college and be an engineer like Trent.”
She rose up and looked into his face. “You’re serious,” she said.
“Very. And he said he’s willing to make an investment in our future, so he’s offering to pay tuition, books, the whole deal.”
“Oh my god!” She fell flat again.
He saw her tears and eased her close. “Aww, baby, you have to quit all this crying.”
“I’m just so happy. Last Christmas we didn’t even have enough money to buy each other a piece of gum, and now . . .”
“I love you, Kiki.”
“You’ve never said that before.”
He chuckled. “I know. Not something guys do where we come from, but for your love, I’m going to tell you that every day. Every day.” As he held her tight, Trent’s words floated across his mind again: A man is only as strong as the woman who holds him.