WAITING FOR RICHMOND’S RETURN TO the beach house, Kayla lifted the window inside the master bedroom, climbed in the bed, and listened to the soft sounds rolling off the ocean. Stressed, she pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. Placing her chin on her knees, she hefted the remote and clicked on the television.
Needing someone to talk to, she called her sister, Alana. The cell chirped once before Alana answered it. “Have you told him yet?” The words rushed from her sister’s mouth.
Kayla chocked back a cry. “No. Not yet.”
“Why not? You have to tell him, Sis. Tonight, Kayla. Tonight,” Alana emphasized.
Kayla eyed the sparkling ring on her finger. “I tried to tell him tonight, but every time I went to tell him, we got interrupted by a phone call. One of the phone calls was so urgent, he had to leave.”
“I understand. You sound so sad, you’re making me sad. Regardless of how things turn out between you and Richmond, just know I’m here for you. And I love you.”
The doorbell rang, startling Kayla. “Thanks, Alana. I love you, too. Someone’s at the door. I’ll call you back after I talk with Richmond to let you know what happened.” She ended the call.
Leaving her cell on the bed, Kayla padded barefoot toward the front door. Having no clue who’d be visiting her here, she hoped it wasn’t crazy-behind Carson. She’d had enough of him and his trying to remarry her to last her a lifetime. If Carson was the last man on Earth, I wouldn’t marry him.
Reaching the doorway, Kayla placed her eye over the peephole to find the porch empty. Hmm. That’s strange. I could’ve sworn I heard the doorbell ring. Maybe she was so worried about telling Richmond the truth, she was hearing things.
Making her way through the living room to lock the sliding glass door in the den, she heard it squeak open. Fright stomped her. She stilled in her tracks. “Who’s there?” she called out. “Richmond? Is that you?”
The sound of glass breaking made her heart leap into her throat. Then the lights inside the den started flicking off and on. Off and on. Then off completely. OhmyGod. Someone’s in here.
Just as Kayla tried to flee toward her bedroom, she collided into a figure. “Where do you think you’re going, bitch?!” Hands lunged into Kayla’s chest, and she plummeted to the floor to her side. Her ribs throbbed with pain.
She rolled from her side to her behind. Using her hands, feet, and butt, she scurried away from the intruder, backing up towards the front door. Her stomach churned with fear. Starting with the invader’s shoes, Kayla’s eyes hiked over jeans, chest, and stopped when they reached a twisted face.
Standing beneath the arch inside the living room, Chelsey’s white face contorted. Evil flickered her green eyes. Her blonde hair tangled on her shoulders.
Kayla suppressed the scream at the back of her throat. “What are you doing here, Chelsey?” Eyes darting back and forth for something to knock the hell out of Chelsey with, she hopped to her feet.
When Chelsey’s head tilted, her bang fell down over her eye. “I think you know why I’m here, Kayla. Russell left me tonight because of you.” She swung her hair back over her shoulders.
“Because of me…why me?”
“You know why, Kayla!” she screamed, taking a step forward.
Thinking of how she’d escape, Kayla kept her eyes trained on Chelsey. “Look. If I caused any problems between you and Russell, I’m sorry. I’m sure he’ll be back.”
Frowning, Chelsey’s eyes darkened. “He’s not coming back because he thinks you’re going to reveal his secrets. Because of you, I’m out in the cold. Have nowhere to stay. Nowhere to go.” Kayla had no idea she’d been living with Russell and things were that serious between the two of them. Chelsey put her fists up in front of her face and started shuffling her feet. “Put up your fucking dukes, bitch!” Swinging at the air, Chelsey began closing the distance on Kayla, backing her into the door.
This chick is crazy. “Chelsey, I’m not up for a fight. Let’s just talk about this. Calm down.”
Chelsey ran up to Kayla and punched her in the face. A hot pang stung her cheek. “Now wait a second, bitch!” Kayla kneed Chelsey in the gut. When Chelsey clenched her stomach and slumped over, Kayla jabbed her side, and then her other side.
Chelsey lunged forward. They fell to the floor.
Tussling and wrestling on the ground, they rolled into the brand new coffee table. The legs on the table broke. Glass shattered everywhere. Using all her strength, Kayla clutched Chelsey’s shoulders and flopped that crazy bitch to her back. On top of her, Kayla grabbed the sides of Chelsey’s head and banged it in the floor. Banged it again. And again.
Clawing at Kayla’s face, Chelsey’s eyes rolled.
“Kayla!” At the sound of her voice being called, Kayla felt someone grab her from behind. The next thing she knew, she was flying off Chelsey. Now on her feet gasping for air, she turned. Her heart dunked. Russell stood before her, with murder written on his twisted face.
A loud scream tore from Kayla’s mouth.
Suddenly, the front door flung open and in walked Richmond. “What the hell is going on here?”
“Oh, Richmond.” Kayla ran up to Richmond, then stood by his side. “Chelsey broke in here and tried to kill me.”
Holding a CD and a book to his chest, Russell reached for Chelsey’s hand and helped her to her feet.
Grabbing the sides of her head, Chelsey squeezed her eyes, then shook her head. Focusing her gaze on Kayla, she sucked her teeth. “Ah, Kayla. Ain’t nobody tried to kill you. If I wanted you dead, I would’ve brought a knife or gun. I just wanted to scare you, that’s all.”
Unbelievable! Shaking her head, Kayla rolled her eyes.
Disgrace shattered Richmond’s pupils. “The three of you disgust me.” The room fell silent. “That’s right. I know about all of your secrets. Russell, I know you’re sleeping with Chelsey. To take the advantage of a young girl like her, how low could you go?” Russell parted his lips to speak. Richmond flung up his hand, stopping him. “I already know how low you can go. You were with Kayla’s grandfather the night he killed Salina. You knew all along that Leroy Van Buren killed my wife, and you never said a fucking word! Not one fucking word to me!” Richmond’s lips quivered. He glowered down at Kayla. “And you, Kayla; you knew, too. You knew that your grandfather killed my wife, and you said nothing! Nothing! Of all the people in this room, what you did hurts me the most! You should’ve told me your grandfather killed my wife.”
A chilly black silence surrounded them.
Kayla’s eyes clouded with tears. “I’m sorry, Richmond. I never meant to hurt you. But you have to understand…I didn’t say anything because I wasn’t sure my grandfather had killed Salina. I didn’t want to badmouth his name unless I was sure he did it.”
When Kayla touched his arm, Richmond snatched it away. “Liar! All of you are liars!”
The big knot in Russell’s throat pushed against the skin. “Let me explain, son.”
“Don’t you ‘son’ me, you sonofabitch! You knew Leroy poisoned Salina, and you never said a damn thing. How could you be so selfish? How could you put Leroy before me? Before Salina? Before Isabelle? Night after night after night…I wondered who killed Salina. And you knew. But you never said a gotdamn thing.”
Russell’s jaws shook like jelly as he bellowed, “I didn’t say anything because I killed her gotdammit!” Shaking his head, he muttered, “Leroy didn’t kill Salina. I killed her. I murdered your wife.” Crying profusely, Russell brought his trembling hands up to his face and looked at them as if he didn’t recognize them. “Leroy didn’t kill Salina, son,” he reiterated, grabbing his chest. “I did. And I’m going straight to fucking hell for killing her.” Nose running, Russell smothered a sob.
Richmond gave his head one hard shake after another. “No. No. You couldn’t. You loved Salina. You might not have given a damn about me…or Mom…or Dirk or Suade, but you loved Salina. You. Loved. Salina.”
> Distressed, Kayla could feel nausea rising in her as she listened on. The effect on Kayla was shattering. OhmyGod. Russell killed Salina. His own daughter-in-law.
Russell confirmed, “You’re right. I did love Salina, and that’s why I couldn’t tell her no when she begged me to help her die. As you know, she was dying, son. She was in a lot of pain. I couldn’t stand the sight of seeing her suffer.” Tears dropped from Russell’s eyes like rain. “On the night I killed her…this is what happened…” Russell’s words trailed off as he began telling his side of the story.
Struggling to inhale her next breath through the thin, clear oxygen tubes inside her nose, Salina looked across the pitch dark bedroom toward the entrance to find Russell standing there. Wearing an ivory, silk nightgown, Salina struggled to bring her arms from by her sides to rest them in her lap beneath the cotton comforter.
With a portable ventilator positioned beside her king-sized bed, Salina inhaled oxygen through the tiny tubes inside her nose. “Please,” she whispered, then swallowed. “Come in.” She struggled to convey the two words to Russell.
Slithers of moonlight shined on Russell as he stalked toward Salina, feeling horrible for being there behind his son, Richmond’s, back. Reaching her bedside, Russell paused and stood over a dying Salina for what seemed like long minutes.
Standing over Salina’s bed, glowering down at her, Russell pulled the beaded string of the lamp positioned on the nightstand, the gloomy room vaguely brightened. He felt a weary expression settling on his face as remorse dulled his beating heart. “Oh, Salina,” he murmured, shaking his aching head. “My dear, sweet Salina.” A sharp breath expelled from his lips.
Honing in on his daughter-in-law’s face, Russell tilted his head. His dark gaze wandered over the ivory, silk comforter down to the foot of the bed, then back up to her brown, pale face. Knowing he was about to kill her, Russell’s heart grappled inside his aching chest. How could he even think about killing his son’s wife?
Shaking his head profusely, his shoulders sagged. He swiped his bearded face, placed the black medical bag on the wooden nightstand, then sat on the mattress next to her. “Are you sure you want to do this, Salina?” His deep, baritone voice flowed over the cold room.
Salina sucked in a deep breath. She nodded. “I’m positive, Russell. I can’t do this anymore. Tired.” Her lids lowered, then reopened. As if she were about to change her mind, she turned her head and stared at the window.
With a soft pillow propped beneath her head, Salina turned her head to recapture Russell’s teary gaze. A single tear streamed from her right eye down over her cheek just as a tear slid down his trembling cheek. Using the pad of his thumb, Russell wiped the water from his dear, sweet Salina’s face. Many people never understood their bond, but she was truly like a daughter to him. The daughter he always wanted, but never had.
Anyway, the muscles in his hairy jaws clenched. His heart twisted. “Don’t cry, Salina. I’m sorry; I can’t do this,” he said in a shaky voice, shaking his head. He tore his gaze away from hers to stare at the wall over his shoulder.
Salina slid her hand across the linen toward him, circled her fingers around her father-in-law’s wrist, and returned his sullen gaze back to her face. In a whispering tone, she reminded him, “You promised, Russell. Please. I. Hurt. Bad. I want,” she squeezed her eyelids together, “to die.” Her misty eyes slowly reopened.
“God forgive me for letting you talk me into this.” Russell’s shaky voice pierced the cold room. Tears streamed down his face onto his dress shirt, now dripping in floods. Cupping her hand, he hefted it to his mouth and placed a tender kiss on her knuckles. His lips trembled.
A small opening formed at Salina’s mouth as she whispered, “God will forgive us both, Russell. I’m ready to die. Please, help me go to Heaven. Please.” Russell reached into the medical bag and pulled out a syringe and a tiny clear bottle. He stuck the tip of the needle into the bottle and filled the syringe with the poison.
Giving his head a hard shake, he lifted her arm from her side, inhaled harshly, and pricked her skin with the pointed tip of the needle. “Thank you,” she cried. Discontent hardened his face as he gently lowered her arm to her side. “The letter. Don’t forget the letter,” she reminded him.
Feeling like pure evil, Russell lulled open Salina’s top drawer, pulled out the letter addressed to his son, Richmond, then slid it into the pocket inside his blazer. Tears puddled his eyes. He grazed her cheek with his knuckles. Tender. Gentle. “I hope I never have to give Richmond this letter.”
Salina’s breathing labored. “The drug is working. Thank. You.” Quick, shallow breaths rushed through the small circular opening of her pursed lips. Already, Russell regretted poisoning her.
Bright headlights from outdoors in the driveway streamed through the sheer drapes and spilled inside the bedroom. Tires rolling over thick gravel punctuated Russell’s ears. A car engine hummed.
Scared out of his mind, Russell hastened to the window and stood to the side of the wall. Wary, he stuck two fingers between the cracks in the blinds and scissored them open to peer out the window into the dark night.
“Richmond’s here.” He cursed. “You’re husband’s home.” Shock ladened his voice. His shoes shuffled across the carpet as he rushed back over to the bed where Salina lay dying. “Apparently, he changed his mind about going to the wedding.”
Tears of grief drenched Salina’s face. “Go out,” she inhaled harshly, “back door.”
Mercy darkened Russell’s tone as he grumbled, “Dear God. Look what I’ve done. This is murder, Salina.” As Salina fought to breathe in her next breath, Russell bent over and gently kissed her hot forehead. “I’m sorry things had to be this way. Ask God to forgive me when you get to Heaven,” he mumbled. Grief-stricken, he snatched his medical bag from the bed, then hastened out of the room like a thief in the night.
Russell had been smart enough to travel by feet on the evening he’d murdered Salina. Hiking through the woods with the black medical bag clutched in his hands, his troubled heart thudded hard in his chest. Tears steadily shot from his eyes, and he could barely see how to get back to the main road.
Breathing raggedly, he finally reached the end of the woods on the other side of the forest. Coming to a stop at the end of the road not far from Spaulding Drive, he began walking along the edge of the road when suddenly Leroy’s red pickup truck pulled up beside him.
The passenger side window rolled down, revealing Leroy’s face. “Need a ride?” his longtime best friend asked him. Miserable as hell, Russell hesitated. Leroy’s eyes darkened, as if he’d known what Russell had just done.
Nodding his head, Russell yanked open the door to Leroy’s truck and hopped in the passenger’s seat. Placing the medial bag between his thigh and the door, trying his hardest to hide it, Russell prayed Leroy hadn’t seen it.
“You know,” Leroy said, steering the truck down the road, “you look like crap tonight.” Clenching the steering wheel, Russell felt like Leroy knew that he’d just murdered Salina. Bile scratched the back of his throat.
“Thanks.” Russell’s nerves jittered inside his head. He’d messed up big time, and he knew it. Salina was probably dead by now, he thought, feeling as if the world had dropped on his head.
Driving down the street, Leroy stated, “Sitting at home by myself tonight...I got to thinking…about all those questions you kept me asking me regarding poison and whatnot. About how to kill someone and make sure they die peacefully. Please tell me you weren’t asking me all those questions because you’re thinking about killing Salina like she asked you to.”
Russell’s head snapped from the window to look at Leroy. “How do you know that Salina asked me to help her?”
“Because, friend, she told me she was going to ask you to kill her because I refused to do it myself. We can’t take life into our own hands, Russell. Death is up to God; not up to man. What’s in the bag you’re trying to hide
from me?”
“Nothing.”
Leroy slammed his fist on the steering wheel. “Goddamn it, Russell! Salina told me she’d invited you over tonight. While sitting at home, I put two and two together. Please tell me I got here in enough time to stop you from making the biggest mistake of your life?! Tell me I’m wrong about what I’m thinking.” When Russell didn’t respond, Leroy shook his head. “Dear Lord. You did it. Didn’t you?”
Tears dropping in his lap, Russell nodded. “She asked me to. She was going to die anyway.”
Leroy suggested, “We have to turn around and try to save her. I need to call my granddaughter.”
Russell swiped at the tears coming out of his eyes. “For what?”
“If we’re caught at Salina’s house, that’s going to make me an accessory to her murder. Kayla needs to know that I had nothing to do with this.”
When Leroy took out his cell phone to call Kayla, Russell panicked. Once he heard Leroy tell Kayla he had something important to tell her, Russell tried to snatch the phone from Leroy. When Leroy went to grab it back from Russell, he lost control of the truck.
The truck started spinning in circles, then it crashed into a huge tree. Russell momentarily blacked out. The sound of the blasting horn and the smell of smoke eventually woke Russell up. When he realized what’d happened, he reached over and placed two fingers to Leroy’s jugular vein, but he didn’t have a pulse. Leroy had died.
Russell hollered. He felt as if he was losing his mind. Conjuring up another sick idea inside his warped brain, Russell jumped out of the truck and ran as fast as he could to Leroy’s house. Wanting to make it look like Leroy had killed Salina, he planted the syringe and a picture of Salina inside the safe they’d often talked about. Afterward, he’d gone home, took a shower, and went to bed. For years, he’d pretended like he hadn’t done a damn thing. That is, until now.
Russell’s shoulders shook violently as he lifted his gaze to meet Richmond’s icy eyes.
Russell’s story had broken through Kayla’s fragile control, and she burst into tears.
Richmond’s finger shot up in the air, and he pointed it straight at Russell. “Stop lying! Salina would never ask you to help her to commit suicide. Stop lying before I smash your fucking brains out!” Richmond’s fist clenched and unclenched.
Sobbing worse than a child, Russell extended a CD, a book, and an envelope to Richmond. “Here’s the letter Salina wrote to you regarding her wish to die. She also left a recording for you. I don’t know what’s on there because I never watched it. She told me to give it to you if you ever found out what I did to her. The book is my diary. My confession. Give it to the police. I’ll be waiting at my house for them to come and arrest me. I was wrong for taking matters in my own hands. I’m so sorry. So. So. Sorry.”
Chelsey stood behind Russell, peeking her head from around his shoulder. Holding on to Russell’s arm, she said, “Russell isn’t lying, Richmond. One day while helping out at the estate, I overheard Salina ask him to help her commit sui—”
Richmond pointed a sturdy finger at Chelsey. “Shut up, Chelsey! Salina did not commit suicide! Leroy killed her! Get out of my house, Russell! And take your gold digging ass girlfriend with you!”
“I’m going to leave the letter, CD, and diary on the kitchen table.” Russell’s shoulders slouched as he headed toward the family room. Placing his hand on the sliding glass door, he paused and looked back at Kayla. “By the way, don’t trust Carson. Thinking you’d figure out my secret, I paid Carson to break you and Richmond up. He’s only pretending to want you back.”
Kayla’s mouth dropped open. Stunned, resentment for Carson and Russell boiled her blood. Carson is nothing but scum. She folded her arms across her chest. “Well, you wasted your money because I’d never get with Carson anyway.”
Russell’s lids lowered over his eyes. “I know.” He lifted his lids. “For the record, I don’t think my son could’ve found a better woman than you. As much as I loved Salina, I think you’re just as good of a woman as she was. I wish nothing but the best for you, Kayla.” Russell pulled open the door and stepped out onto the deck.
Kayla sighed. Jerk.
Richmond marched behind Russell, screaming, “If what you said is true, Russell, you’re going to jail for killing my wife! I’m going to prosecute you to the fullest extent and have your ass locked up for the rest of your old life!”
At the sound of the sliding glass door shutting, Kayla’s knotted stomach gurgled with grief. I have no idea what to say to him. Relieved that her grandfather hadn’t been the person to kill Salina, she felt beyond sorry for Richmond. How in the world was he going to ever get over Russell killing his wife?
“Richmond,” Kayla uttered, walking into the kitchen where he stood. Feeling as if she betrayed him, too, she glanced up at the blank stare on his stressed face. “I’m so sorry that you’re hurting.”
Richmond sniffed. Placing his hands on his hips, his eyes narrowed with malice. “You’re no better than Russell, you know?”
Refusing to make the situation worse, Kayla nodded. “I apologize for not telling you that I suspected my grandfather killed Salina. But in honor of his memory, I felt I had to be for sure before I told you.”
Richmond punched the wall so hard, he put a dent in it. “You should’ve told me! You were going to let me marry you, knowing it was a possibility that your grandfather killed Salina. As your fiancé, I deserved to know the truth. If you loved me like you claim you do, you wouldn’t have been able to keep such a hideous secret from me.” Scowling down at her, he clutched her shoulders tight. “You didn’t love me. Like all the other women around here, you just want me for my money.”
Sobbing, Kayla shook her head. “You know that’s not true, Richmond. I tried telling you, but every time I did, something came up. Like tonight. I tried telling you twice tonight.”
His eyes were cold. He bared his teeth. “When did you try and tell me? Before or after you sucked my dick?”
Kayla’s mouth parted wide. She hauled off and slapped him. As soon as his face started swelling, she felt horrible. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hit you.”
“Just leave.”
“Come on, Richmond. Don’t do this. I said I was wrong. I said I was sorry.” She cupped her hand in a prayer symbol. “I’m begging you to let me stay here and help you get through this. I love you, Richmond.”
Moisture gathered in his irises. “I said we’re done. I don’t ever want to see your lying face again. The wedding is off. You can keep the ring. If you pawn it, you’ll get at least half a million for it.”
Kayla’s fingers shook as she slid the ring off her finger and slammed it on the counter. “I don’t want the ring if I can’t have you. I. Love. You. Call me when you realize that you mean more to me than anything in the world. Until then, don’t bother.” Devastated, she spun and rushed out the front door.