Page 59 of Judgments of Fire and Desire

“That’s crazy. Well, I will be at the meeting tomorrow. The mayor called and asked me to attend.”

She nodded. “I figured he would. It was because of your diligence and judgment about this case that got us as far as we’ve gotten. It seemed they were just fine with letting Darlene hang for it all… no pun intended.”

I slowly shook my head. This was wild. “They only brought attention to themselves by coming after me.”

“Yeah. I’m more than sure they thought you would be dead by now though. Had it not been for Genesis, that last car accident would have taken you out for sure, even though it wouldn’t have been at their hands. Mister Coler probably has had a moment of reflection and regret by now though, since his sentence of forty years.”

I nodded slowly. “Possibly.”

I hadn’t even thought about Coler. My focus had been on Genesis and her family. I just wanted to make sure she was good. I didn’t even go to the arraignment. I really didn’t care. It was because of his actions that I was able to see myself for who I was. “Has Samuel Farris surfaced yet?”

“No. We’ve been watching his grandmother’s house as well as his. He may have skipped town on us, but it’s only a matter of time before we track him down. I feel like his grandmother knows exactly where he is, but she keeps saying she doesn’t. You think Genesis may be able to find out?”

I took a deep breath as I shook my head. “Not at all. She hasn’t spoken to anyone in her family since the warrant was issued. Somehow, they all blamed her for this.”

Stephanie frowned. “What?”

“You heard me right. Everything from her being too hard on him to her putting me before protecting her brother. It’s crazy. Could have sworn he was a kid. She’s been depressed about it all week. So, I’m on my way to her now.”

“Okay. I didn’t mean to hold you up. How’s the house repairs going?”

I huffed as we walked out the door. “That bad, huh?” she asked.

“They haven’t started yet. The insurance is holding everything up. I just want to get it fixed. I mean, I’m enjoying my time with Genesis, but there’s no place like home. I would much rather she stay with me.”

She slowly shook her head. “Well, whatever. Enjoy your time with your lady, and I’ll see you tomorrow. If something comes up before then, I’ll text you. I still haven’t found anything proving the lieutenant’s involvement, but I still want to be extremely careful.”

“Thanks. See you tomorrow.”

I walked away from her before she kept talking. She seemed extremely talkative today. She probably thought I was pissed about her not letting me know about Kerry. I still somewhat was. No one could be trusted these days. Kerry stealing from the citizens had caught me by surprise. Some people could barely afford to pay their property taxes, and she was padding their bill. That would most likely be a federal crime.

When I got to my car, I noticed a damn note on the windshield. I rolled my eyes. I was so sick of this bullshit. However, when I pulled it off the windshield, I saw it was from Tyson. He’d written on the outside of it,This is from Tyson.

I pulled it from the wiper and got in the car, not wanting anyone to see me reading it. Once I cranked up, I opened the note. It simply read,Don’t trust nobody. I overhead someone talking about a couple of detectives that were working for theopps. Keep your eyes open, and I got your back in case you miss something.

That put me on edge. I wondered who he’d overheard. He didn’t put names. I slid my hand down my face and pulled out of my parking spot. Although things seemed to be getting more intense, I knew they were wrapping up. People were starting to scramble, doing what they could to protect their identities and hide their misdeeds.

As I racked my brain, trying to think of who else could be involved, I was turning into Genesis’s driveway. My mama was already there, waiting for me. When I got out of the car, she hopped out of hers with a huge smile on her face. I couldn’t help but reciprocate it, although my mind was in turmoil.

“Hey, Mama,” I said as I made my way to her.

“Hey, baby. Can you help me with the bags?”

I frowned slightly. “What all did you buy?”

She frowned back. “You know Genesis is my girl. I bought turkey legs, cabbage, cornbread, stuff to make maque choux, and sweet potatoes.”

“All that?”

“Don’t act like Genesis don’t deserve all that. I bought stuff to make lemon bars as well. Her mom said it was her favorite dessert.”

“I didn’t say she didn’t deserve it, Ma, but I don’t want it to take you all night to cook either.”

“Come on here, boy. Only an hour or two.”

I rolled my eyes and led my mama to the back door. Once I unlocked the door, Mama made a beeline to the kitchen, and I went to the bedroom to take a shower so I could help her. As I put my things down, I figured it would be better to go help her prep, then take my shower. It wasn’t like I would be able to help her cook.

I changed into shorts and a T-shirt then made my way back to the kitchen. When I did, my mother said, “I was wondering where you went. You worried about the time, but yo’ ass ain’t in here helping me.”

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