Chapter Fifteen
As quickly as it came, the storm passed over. The limo driver entered the parking lot and stopped outside the community center. Candace and her children waited in silence as the driver walked around to open the door. Candace watched as Rachel and Daniel climbed out. She sat inside the limo a little longer, observing the streams of people heading inside the building.
“Mom?” Daniel peered at her through the car door. He resembled his father more and more every day. His wiry body appeared strong and solid.
“I’m fine.” Candace took his extended arm and stepped out on the sidewalk. The sun’s rays warmed her body, but she still trembled. She clung to her son’s hand for a moment and then let go.
Rachel stood a few feet away, talking to a young man who looked familiar for some reason. Candace had become well acquainted with the North Valley High basketball teams over the past few years. The tall, athletic boy could’ve been a team member. With the new season starting in a few weeks, she looked forward to Rachel having a focus. Frank would’ve wanted his daughter to continue playing the game they both loved.
She’d forgotten how Rachel’s eyes lit up when she smiled. The girl stayed so sullen most of the time. Typical teenage attitude laced with a deep sadness. Right now her daughter’s dimples were deep like her father’s as she grinned up at the boy. Candace tried to get a better look at his face, but all she caught was his side profile. Curious, she moved in their direction, but Rachel noticed her coming. The smile, along with the dimples, disappeared.
Candace raised an eyebrow as her daughter shook her head slightly. She could at least introduce her friend. “Daniel, do you know who that is?”
“Nope. I thought we were going to eat,” he replied.
Not wanting to argue with a hungry boy, Candace eyed her daughter as she walked past. Someone had to keep the peace. She could almost hear Pamela saying, “She’s growing up. Let her go.” Rachel might be almost seventeen, but she was still Candace’s little girl. Her children were all she had. Especially now.
Several folks nodded in Candace’s direction as she walked by them. Some people looked familiar from Sunday service, but she couldn’t put names to many of the faces.
As she stepped through the doors, she stopped suddenly, causing Daniel to bump into her from behind.
“Whoa, Mom. Whatcha doing?”
The new detective stood out from the crowd. Candace wasn’t sure why. Maybe because he was so tall. No, there were several men similar in height. Many of them wore expensive suits, but Detective Jackson’s suit seemed to fit him in all the right places. He must have sensed her stare, because he looked in her direction. Candace pulled her eyes away from the detective. Déjà vu. They had had this same staring match at the graveside, for goodness’ sake. Hopefully, he wouldn’t think anything of it.
She looked away. There he is again. The man that stood behind the detective. Once again she felt like he’d been watching her for some reason. Well, who is he? Why does he appear to be so familiar?
She grabbed Daniel’s shoulder. “Uh ... why don’t you go inside and grab something to eat? I’ll be right behind you.” She needed to find out who this man was. Crazy to just walk up to a complete stranger, but they were in church.
“Mom, are you sure you’re okay?” Daniel tilted his head, confusion written on his face.
“I’m fine. Really, I will be right behind you.”
Daniel stared at her a second longer and then shrugged. “If you say so.”
After she watched Daniel’s back part from her, she looked around for the man in the crowd. She didn’t have to look far. He approached her, his eyes set on her face. Despite people being around her, Candace’s body tensed as the man stopped in front of her.
He held out his hand. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”
She looked down at his hand, which seemed oddly large. The man was not very tall up close, but his broad shoulders and big arms suggested he liked to hang out at the gym. “Thank you. Uh, do I know you?”
The man’s smile wavered as he pulled his hand back. “I knew Ms. Coleman. I will miss her.”
Either the emotional toll of the day was really getting to her or this guy was creeping her out. She sensed there was a reason to not dismiss this man, though. “What did you say your name was again?”
Before he answered, she felt a light tap on her shoulder and spun around.
“Candace, how are you?”
“Hillary, you startled me.” She turned back around, but just as quickly as he’d appeared, the man slipped back through the crowd.
Hillary reached for her arm, her eyes concerned. “Is everything all right?”
She turned back, shaking her head. “Yeah. I’m still in shock, I guess. What about you?”
Hillary glanced around; then she reached up and cupped Candace’s elbow. “Do you mind if we walk this way a little?”
She glanced around one more time, hoping to see the man again. Candace answered, “Sure.” There was no way she would forget his face.
Once around a corner, Hillary stopped. “You know, there’s talk at the office that Mitch Harris is a suspect.”
“How do you feel about that?”
Hillary sighed. “I don’t know. I’ve been the legal assistant for Mitch for three years now. I kind of figured out there was more than a working relationship between Mitch and Pamela. But he wouldn’t harm her. At least I don’t think.”
Candace moved in closer to the older woman. “What do you mean by that? Did you see something change in their relationship for Mitch to want to kill Pamela?”
“No. He admired her, and she was one of the best lawyers. He wouldn’t jeopardize the firm. I guess. I mean, what I’m trying to say is, people can do things in the heat of the moment.”
Crime of passion. Maybe she’d listened to Frank too much or watched too many cop shows. But something had to have changed. “As her friend, I know Pamela tried several times to pull away from the relationship. Hillary, he had some type of stronghold over her. I mean, she could’ve worked for anyone. I told her many times she could’ve started her own firm.” Was that it? No, Pamela would have shared those details. Or was she going to? She hated to badger the woman, but she asked, anyway, “Are you sure you didn’t notice any animosity between them?”
Hillary hesitated for a second. “No. I can’t say that I did, but ...”
“But what?”
“I don’t know. There was some tension there. Sometimes. But I really don’t try to get into people’s business.”
Candace stepped back. She shouldn’t pressure the poor woman, but the police needed to know these things. When Pamela had brought Hillary to the salon, she’d struck Candace as such a shy woman. Quiet and unassuming. She had never really had a professional do anything to her hair. She could tell that Pamela liked the woman and wanted to help her with the then partial makeover, so she’d offered a discount.
“I’m sorry, Hillary. I know this must be hard on you, too. Kinda has you in the middle.”
Hillary’s eyes watered. “But not as hard as it is on you. I understand you two have been friends since middle school.”
“Yes. It’s going to be different without her.”
“I’m so sorry.”
Candace watched Hillary walk away, her shoulders hunched down.
As she stepped back into the hallway, which was now less crowded, Candace wondered if Hillary knew more than she had chosen to reveal. The air around her seemed stagnant all of a sudden. Over in a corner she saw Mitch Harris talking to Pastor Freeman. Her inclination was to move closer to listen to the conversation. She moved forward. Her movement caught Mitch’s attention.
Candace couldn’t read his eyes. There was sadness and something else. Pity. Surely, he wasn’t trying to empathize with her.
She needed fresh air. Like now. Instead, as she turned, she bumped into one very solid body.