Lord, Jesus help us. Please don’t let it get ugly in here!
I prayed my desperate pleas as I followed Amos to the door. We already knew Detective Wilkes had to be here looking for Briana. What would Amos say?
We stood by the door, barely breathing in anticipation of the detective ringing the doorbell. We had enough drama going on but the last thing we needed was to try to push this woman away. With our track record, Wilkes might want to throw both of us in jail.
Even though I was expecting her, looking over Amos’s shoulder as the detective approached our front door, I still practically leaped out of my skin again when the doorbell rang. I stepped back, watching as Amos opened the door.
“Good morning, Detective. Can I help you?”
Detective Wilkes peered in through the screen door, her eyes scanning behind us as if she knew we were hiding something. Or rather someone. “Can I come in, Mr. …er, Detective Jones?”
I arched my eyebrow. Amos had been retired from the force for five years. Knowing she wanted him far away from her case, the acknowledgement of his former title was highly suspicious.
“Why, sure. Come in, Detective Wilkes.” Amos opened the screen door, allowing the diminutive woman passage into the house.
Wilkes continued to let her eyes roam as she stepped further into the house. I met this woman about two years ago and she hadn’t changed a bit. She kept her red hair tied in a ponytail. The only thing different was the woman had given up on her blazer. We were in the middle of July, and even the calm, cool detective had the sleeves of her white shirt rolled up to her elbows. I noticed a slight shine on her face. It was indeed a hot one out there.
Amos stretched his arms towards the living room chairs. “Why don’t you have a seat? I’m assuming you have some updates.”
My husband was one cool cucumber, having a conversation with Wilkes as though there wasn’t anything wrong. I followed suit and sat down on the couch next to him as Wilkes seated herself in one of the chairs across from the couch. I decided I would do something I didn’t normally do. I would keep my mouth closed. This was Amos’s daughter’s life on the line and I didn’t want to mess up anything.
“Thank you for inviting me in. Unfortunately, I can’t share too much about the ongoing case. I know you know by now the identity of the young woman.”
Amos nodded.
Wilkes smiled, “Of course, knowing you and my dad, I’m sure you are aware of a lot more than you’re letting on.”
I didn’t see a problem with Amos hanging out with his old partner, Joe, but ever since I found out Lenny Wilkes, a former detective himself, was Detective Wilkes’ dad, I’d been a bit sketchy about the man. I hoped Amos hadn’t been talking too much to Lenny. It didn’t seem like a good idea if the man shared anything he knew with his daughter.
Amos grinned, “You know Lenny and I meet up on occasion to share war stories.”
“Mmmm, yeah, I’ve heard about those war stories. My dad is also not shy about asking me questions about cases, which brings me to the reason why I’m here.”
Uh oh!
Silence settled over the living room after her statement. Amos and I waited. I wanted to fidget, but I matched Amos’s calm demeanor as best I could. It was like Detective Wilkes wanted to create the most impact by taking her time to state her reasons. I don’t know why; all three of us knew she could only be here because she was looking for Briana.
She cleared her throat. “Jones, I’ve been trying to get in touch with your daughter, Briana. Any ideas where she may be?”
Amos cocked his head as though he was thinking. “Unfortunately, my daughter is a grown woman. I can’t say I keep up with her whereabouts.”
Wilkes’ facial features changed as if she was disappointed in his answer.
I don’t know why! Nobody was going to give up their child to the police.
“It’s really important that I speak to her. We have had some developments in the case.”
“Yes, I’ve heard. And I’ve seen the video, Wilkes.”
I was surprised by Amos’s directness.
“I’m sure you have as well as a lot of other people.” Wilkes shook her head. “Your daughter didn’t reveal to us that she knew the victim. We need to question her again now that we know she had an altercation with the victim.”
Amos responded, his voice a bit gruff. “There was no altercation. I saw the victim slinging hateful words at my daughter in a place of business.”
Wilkes shot back, “That had to be humiliating for Briana. From what I dug up, there’s a history with Sondra Howell. In fact, I believe it goes back to high school. Look, I realize Briana was bullied by Sondra and some of her peers. That has a lasting effect on a person. My theory is Briana had enough, especially when the victim entered her property last Saturday.”
I couldn’t hold my tongue. “How do you know if they had contact with each other that night?”
Wilkes turned to me as if she just remembered I was in the room. “Ah, Eugeena! Well, I don’t have to tell you your stepdaughter had a party or get-together at her house. I’ve been in touch with your neighbors and this went on each night this past weekend. A few people who were in attendance mentioned that Sondra was at the residence on Saturday night.”
This was news to me. I mean I knew Sandra had to have walked on the premises at some point.
Amos inquired, “So you have witnesses who said Sondra was on the property, but you don’t seem to have witnesses that stated they saw the two women together?”
Wilkes snapped, “Of course the women saw each other. How could Briana not see who was at her house? From our count, there were at least fifteen people at the house on Sunday night. That group wasn’t so large that your daughter couldn’t have seen Sondra at some point during the night. That’s why we need to talk to her. Something went horribly wrong. If anyone was in her shoes, the last person you’d want at your house is a known enemy.”
Amos stood. “I’m sorry, Wilkes, I respect you, but you don’t have any solid evidence, just conjecture. None of that will hold up in court. You can’t place a solid scenario where Briana and Sondra met and had a confrontation. With that many people at the house, I just don’t see someone not noticing. When you see my daughter, she will have a lawyer.”
Wilkes huffed, standing up sharply. Her face appeared flush as if she was ready to argue, but then her face softened. “I’m sorry this is happening to you and your family. You may not remember, but I was in school with your other daughter, Alexa. I remember Briana as a little girl. But I have to make sure justice is served for a grieving mother and … two young children who lost their mother.”
Amos’s stance seemed to shrink a bit, “I know you need to solve this case. I just hope you are looking in the right direction.”
“You did this job for a long time, Amos. You know it’s imperative that Briana come in and let me question her again. I’ve been trying to reach her and this doesn’t look good for her.” She turned to walk towards the door, but then spun around. “I don’t want to have to bring either of you in for impeding an investigation but I will.”
What? She wanted to throw us in jail.
After Wilkes left, I turned to Amos, my head spinning. “Well, she is something else! Was that a threat?”
Amos rubbed his head, “She’s just trying to force our hands like we can tell her where Briana is right now. Even if I did know, I wouldn’t tell her. Besides, I need to talk to her before Wilke does.”
“I’d say. You know after listening to Wilkes, you remember your theory about Theo… that he could have confronted Sondra that night?”
“Yes. What about it?”
“Why did they end up letting Theo go?”
Amos walked over to the window and peered out, probably looking for Wilkes to drive away. He turned back around and looked at me. “Pretty much the same deal that Wilkes is trying to put on Briana. That Theo had to have seen Sondra. But he too claimed he didn’t see her and no one could place him in the backyard. In fact, what Wilkes didn’t share and I know is that the death of Sondra happened in the early morning hours, the coroner thinks between midnight and six o’clock on Sunday morning. Theo left the house before midnight.” Amos moved away from the window and returned to the couch. “Even I could vouch for that.”
I frowned, “You can? How?”
“Remember I went over there to tell Briana to turn the music down. It was about ten o’clock then. Theo was over at the house. What I didn’t tell you was I saw him leaving.”
I folded my arms, “How do you know he didn’t come back?”
“He left because his mother needed him. Apparently she’d been ill and had to be taken to the hospital.”
“Okay, that’s a pretty solid alibi if people saw him at the hospital.”
“Yes, there were several witnesses. Theo is popular in the community. People know who he is.”
I sighed, “Who was this witness saying that Sondra was on the property? Why would she show up here? Was she looking for Theo? And…” I thought back to all that I knew about Sondra’s last night alive. “Sondra was at the Black Diamond that night. She left a night of dancing, or whatever, just to show up at Briana’s house.”
“None of this makes sense. The way she went off on Briana at the coffee shop, the woman was really unhinged. Not that I’m talking about the dead or not acknowledging she was a victim, but it’s like you said, Eugeena. She was an abrasive woman.” Amos shook his head. “I let myself get caught up in finding J.C. since I knew of his associations.”
“Is Wilkes aware of J.C.?”
“I’m sure she is. The circumstances around Briana and this Sondra woman have not helped matters. I just wish I knew where that girl was…I’m trying to be positive, Eugeena. But I have to say in the past few days, I don’t feel like I know my own daughter.”
“Don’t give up on her, Amos. She could just be overwhelmed and running scared. Hopefully, she’s listened to your phone messages and the messages from her sister. Most importantly, I know her mom is looking down on her. The one thing you told me about Briana is she never wanted to disappoint her mom.”
Amos sighed. “Francine was the glue that held Briana together. She was her baby girl. I’m thankful for us, Eugeena, I really am. But sometimes I wish I could ask Francine what to do about Briana. She always knew exactly what to do.”
I placed my hand on Amos’s shoulder, and then hugged him. “It will all work out.”
I didn’t want to offer some cliché or for my words to be in vain. We really needed this all to work out for everyone involved.