Chapter 70

“I want you to stay on the case.”

Later that night, Meredith followed Earl to Ashland Estates. She couldn’t believe he would go to his Negro mistress at a time like this. She wondered if Earl told Johnnie Wise about her and their family. Does he talk to her about things he couldn’t talk to me about? Is that why he had to see her tonight? Is this how he copes with life?

Meredith parked half a block away from Johnnie’s house and watched Earl go to the front door. For a brief moment, she considered knocking on the door. There could be no denials if she did, but Meredith Shamus could never do that. She had too much pride to get into an ugly confrontation in public. She sat in the car and cried while she waited for Earl to come out. She toyed with the idea of confronting Johnnie but dismissed it.

Meredith picked up the file Hatcher gave her. For some strange reason, she had to see the photos again. As she shuffled through the pictures, she realized she hadn’t seen all of them. She saw a strikingly handsome colored man talking to Earl. In the next still, the man was punching Earl. Meredith found herself staring at the man who had humbled her husband. He looked familiar. She shuffled the pictures until she came to a picture of Johnnie. She put the pictures side by side. The resemblance was uncanny.

Is this her father? No, it couldn’t be. He looks to be only a few years older then her. How old did Mr. Hatcher say she was? Didn’t he say she was sixteen? But she looks to be in her mid-to-late twenties. A brother then? Yes, her brother. But why didn’t Mr. Hatcher tell me about him? Maybe there’s something more in the packet.

Meredith reached inside the packet and pulled out a copy of the notes Hatcher took, which chronicled the dates and times Earl met with Johnnie. She read the notes rapidly, until she came to the night of the pictures at the Savoy Hotel. After reading through the notes, it occurred to Meredith that the notes and pictures were in perfect order. All she needed to do was put them back in their original order and she’d have the complete story.

From what she read, it was clear that the colored man was Johnnie’s brother Benny. He and his wife Brenda were from California, according to the license plate on his car. They were there for the mother’s funeral. The last entry under the Savoy Hotel said that Benny and Johnnie’s next door neighbor rented a room at the Savoy.

Meredith started the car and pulled off. She decided to keep Tony Hatcher on the case. When she arrived at her home, she called Hatcher at his office.

“Hatcher,” he said when he picked up the phone.

“Mr. Hatcher, this is Meredith Shamus.”

“Yes, Mrs. Shamus. What can I do for you?”

“I want you to stay on the case. He’s at the Negro woman’s house right now. Can you get over there right away?”

“No problem, Mrs. Shamus. I’ll get right on it.”