Chapter 74
“He’s dead!”
“Are you sure it doesn’t bother you that me and your brother had a thing together while he was in town?” Sadie asked Johnnie. They were in Johnnie’s kitchen, having some pie.
“Yeah, I’m sure,” Johnnie told her. “I know how men are now, and my brother ain’t no different.”
“Isn’t any different,” Sadie corrected. “There’s no such word as ain’t in the English language, Johnnie. When you go to work for the Beauregards, Ethel will constantly correct your English until she’s satisfied she’s properly educated you.”
“I know, Sadie, but I’ll remember that’s how she is. Can you tell me anything more about the Beauregards?”
“Well, if you can get through the first couple of months or so, you’ll have it made,” Sadie assured her. “Ethel Beauregard wants to be treated like the fucking Queen of England. That’s why her last maid quit. Betty Jean got sick and tired of Ethel constantly putting her down because her English wasn’t up to Ethel’s standards.” Sadie laughed a little, then went on. “That damned Ethel still doesn’t understand why Betty Jean quit a perfectly good and respectable job for a colored woman, as she called it, to work in a restaurant that paid less money. It wasn’t just dealing with her. It was also dealing with the constant advances from Eric, her husband. When you start working for them, be on the lookout. The man has a thing for black women. He’s been after me for years, and Betty Jean just couldn’t take it anymore. Poor Ethel. She thinks the world of Eric. To her, he’s the perfect southern gentlemen.”
“You know what, Sadie? I think I’m related to them.”
“What? How?”
“I’m pretty sure that Eric’s father is my grandfather.”
“What? Are you sure?”
“No, I’m not sure. But I intend to find out when I start working for them. Do you know if there is a Nathaniel Beauregard related to them?”
“I don’t know, but Betty Jean told me they have pictures of family members dating back to the early 1800s. If he’s in their family, that’s where you’ll find him.”
The telephone rang. As Johnnie answered it, she said, “I’ll be sure to check it out.” Before she picked up the receiver, she said, “I bet this ain’t—I mean, I bet this isn’t anyone but Earl. She put the phone to her ear. “Hello.”
“Johnnie, I got great news,” Earl told her with unfamiliar excitement.
“Yeah, Earl. What is it?” Johnnie looked at Sadie, who was laughing silently.
“He’s dead! The old bastard is deader than a doornail!”
Confused, Johnnie asked, “What are you talking about? Who’s dead?”
“West is dead! The mangy old fart got drunk and wrapped his Rolls Royce around a tree.”
Johnnie frowned. “How can you be happy about something like that, Earl? The man is dead.”
“Fuck him! Have you forgotten that he was moving me out of the company just a few weeks ago?”
“No, I haven’t forgotten. But to be happy about someone’s death? That’s sick.”
“I suppose you wouldn’t be happy if someone killed the man who killed your mother.”
“That’s different.”
“How is that any different?”
“The difference is your father-in-law didn’t kill anybody.”
“Yeah, well, moving me out of the company would have killed me, if only symbolically.”
“Whatever you say, Earl. Whatever you say.”
“I thought you would be happy about this. It means that you can have anything you want now. Meredith is at his lawyer’s office now, finding out how he divided up his fortune. I can see him telling Seymour Collins to leave Meredith the money, but leaving me in charge of the business. That’s the only way things could have gone. What else could he do? I know he’s not going to let her run Buchanan Mutual. He’s too much of a misogynist for that. It probably killed him, but when little Buck died, he didn’t have any choice.” He laughed.
“Sounds like you got everything figured out, Earl.”
“I do. And from now on, it’s everything first class. We’re going to move into that big mansion of his. I’m going to have his cars, his money, his company, everything.”
“I guess this is the end for us then. You don’t need me anymore. You can have any woman you want now, Earl.”
“I know that, but I want you. Don’t worry. I’m going to take care of you for the rest of your life. You won’t have to worry about anything, ever. You can go to college if you want. I’ll pay for it. Whatever you want. I can afford it now.”
“Whatever I want?”
“I promise. Whatever.”
“Okay, I’ll remember that. Listen, Sadie is here, so I gotta go, okay?”
“Yeah, I’m at the office. I have to catch up on everything. I’ve been so busy since he died. There were so many things he hadn’t shown me about the business. It’s been a crash course. That’s why I didn’t go with Meredith. A lot has happened all of sudden, you know what I mean?”
“Yeah, I know. A little while ago, my mother and I were at the Savoy sipping iced tea at the pool. Now she’s been savagely killed and the police haven’t done anything about it.”
“Johnnie, is there anything I can do? Just name it.”
“Thanks, but I don’t think the killer will ever be found. He’s white, you know?”
Earl was quiet for a second or two then said, “Okay, well, I gotta go. I’ll call you, okay?”
“Okay,” she said and hung up the phone.
“So, that was Earl, huh?” Sadie asked.
“Uh-huh.” The doorbell rang. “I’ll be right back. Let me see who this is. It’s probably Lucas.”
Johnnie looked through the peephole. She frowned when she saw Napoleon Bentley. Instantly, she knew why he was there. He was going to hit on her again, and she was glad Sadie was there. That way, she could make just about any excuse to get rid of him.