After All Read online

  “We've spoken to the Toussaint family. There seems to be some history between Thomas Toussaint and Mr. Batiste.” Robin crossed his arms. He regarded Anthony steadily.

  “That was years ago and had nothing to do with Dominic.” Anthony shook his head.

  “Ms. Toussaint seems to think her brother stumbled onto something. She thinks Batiste gave the orders for the attack on her brother.” Robin squinted at him under the harsh florescent light.

  “Michelle still has a grudge against my uncle for what she thinks he did to her father. They were in business, it went sour, and her father suffered heavy financial losses. My uncle tried to help him. And he doesn't order hits on people.” Anthony sighed deeply. These are words he wanted desperately to say to Michelle.

  “She said you'd defend him. You're very close to Mr. Batiste I understand. You might go to great lengths to protect him.”

  “Did you tell her about these ridiculous allegations against me?” Anthony felt tightness in his throat. The thought that Michelle suspected he was a party to the savage attack on her brother filled him with a horror no accusation made by the police could possibly inspire. Surely she knew him better than that? He must find a way to make her see the truth.

  “Mr. Hilliard?” Majors leaned forward speaking in an emphatic tone to get his attention.

  “Am I being charged with anything?” Anthony looked from Detective Robin to Majors.

  Several seconds passed before Detective Robin spoke. “No.” His dour expression seemed to say wished the answer was different.

  “Then if that's all, I'll be going.” Anthony pushed his chair back roughly and started for the door.

  “Not yet. We need a written statement before you leave, sir. ”Detective Robin still sat at the battered table.

  “How long will that take?” Anthony noticed Detective Majors stand straight as though on alert. Majors seemed poised to stop any attempt to leave by force. Anthony felt trapped in a bad dream from which he could not wake up.

  “A clerk will be in shortly. Take a seat, please.” Detective Robin rose slowly. He started to leave the room then paused in front of Anthony. “Would you like to call your attorney?”

  “No. Let's get this over with,” Anthony said in a crisp tone.

  Anthony wanted to pound the walls with frustration. Instead, he forced himself to focus on getting through this obstacle to finding Michelle. He answered the same questions and gave the same answers for another maddening hour. Then he had to review the printed statement before signing it. At last he emerged from the small interview room to find Cedric waiting for him on a hard wooden bench in the hallway. It was almost nine o'clock, four hours since they had left the library site.

  “Man, what the hell's been going on? I've been out here for two hours.” Cedric matched Anthony's long strides as they left the building.

  “They think I've got something to do with Troy's murder. Detective Robin says they have information that I was involved in drug dealing with Troy.” Anthony yanked opened the door to his car.

  “Damn!” Cedric got into the passenger side. They sat in bleak silence for several moments.

  “What did they ask you?”Anthony leaned his head back against the seat.

  “A bunch of questions about how we hired Troy and why. Officer Oubre asked if I ever noticed you spending time talking to Troy or sending him on errands. If you worked late a lot; how well I knew Troy. Stuff like that. I gotta tell you, this is blowing my mind.” Cedric rubbed tired eyes.

  “It gets worse. Michelle's little brother, Dominic, was beaten up. Not only do the police suspect Uncle Ike is involved, but Michelle thinks I'm covering for him. God, Cedric. What is happening?” Anthony spoke in a strangled voice.

  “I wish I could tell you.”

  “I've got to go see Michelle.” Anthony gunned the engine.

  Cedric placed a hand on the steering wheel. “Hold on, Anthony. That's a bad idea. The cops may think you're trying to intimidate her. They're probably watching you.”

  “I don't care what the police think! Michelle has got to listen to reason. She's got to.” Anthony gripped the wheel tightly.

  “Listen to me,” Cedric spoke with urgency in his voice. “Her brother is in intensive care. If she really believes your uncle is responsible, what chance do you have of making her see reason? Besides, she's probably at the hospital. That's not the place to hash this out.”

  “I can't take it, Cedric. Knowing she thinks I'd hurt Dom is tearing me up inside.” Anthony squeezed his eyes shut as if in pain.

  “I know. But rushing into anything isn't the answer.” Cedric watched his expression anxiously. “Give it a day at least. For your sake and hers.”

  “Maybe you're right.” Anthony's shoulders sagged. “I feel like I'm standing in a dark tunnel with a huge train heading straight for me.” He loosened his hold on the steering wheel.

  “I hear you, man.” Cedric put a hand on his shoulder. “Let's get my truck and head over to my place for a beer. Come on, it's been months since we just hung out. What do you say?”

  “Thanks, Cedric. Going home to an empty apartment right now would be rough.” Anthony broke off. He stared straight ahead. With a deep sigh, he put the car in gear and nosed out into traffic.

  ***

  “The police think Anthony is connected to that murder and,” Michelle said. Her voice quavered before she could go on. “And to the attack on Dominic.” Michelle held onto the edge of her desk. For one brief moment the room seemed to dip and sway around her. She swallowed hard in response to a surge of nausea that hit her.

  “It's only a suspicion, 'Chelle. They can't prove a thing.” Shantae placed steadying hands on both Michelle's shoulders. “Maybe you should sit down.”She eyed the pasty look on Michelle's face with concern.

  “Then why did they question him?” Pushing Shantae's hands away, Michelle ignored her attempts to guide her into a chair.

  “They think Anthony was in on this guy's drug dealing. Ike got Anthony to hire him when he got out on parole. And there's some kind of connection to the Housing Authority.”Seeing the growing horror on Michelle's face, Shantae rushed on. “It's circumstantial, Chelle. They have no proof.”

  “Anthony has been defending Ike for years. Maybe he has more of a motive than family loyalty.” Michelle closed her eyes trying to blot out the ugliness of the picture forming in her head.

  Shantae's voice became a distant hum as her mind raced replaying scenes of she and Anthony together. Could she have misjudged him that much? Had she been so blinded by desire she saw Anthony as the man she wanted him to be completely missing the real man? Yet he had never denied that Ike was his role model, especially when it came to the business world. And she had been foolish enough to trust him again. Only this time Dominic may have been hurt because of her.

  “Anthony would never deal drugs.”Shantae shook Michelle's arm to get her attention. “Chelle, are listening to me?”

  Michelle gazed around her as though trying to find her way. Shantae's voice broke through her thoughts as if waking her from a hypnotic state. Michelle's grief-stricken expression became venomous.” Anthony can rot in jail with his precious uncle for all I care. Don't ever defend him to me again.”

  “Now just a minute, Michelle Toussaint,” Shantae snapped, wagging a finger under her nose. “If he says Anthony is being framed, then you can count on it.” Her chin jutted out pugnaciously.

  “Then maybe he's fooled Cedric, too.”

  “Oh, Chelle,” Shantae wailed in exasperation.

  “Shantae, Dominic almost died. He still could for all we know.” Michelle's eyes welled with tears.

  “And whoever did it ought to get sent away for a long time,” Shantae said in a gentle voice putting an arm around her. “But nobody can tell me Anthony would murder somebody and sell drugs to children.”

  “Lord, Shantae. I just don't know what to think anymore.” Michelle covered her face with both hands. Her shoulders trembled.

&nb
sp; Shantae embraced her. “You've been here two hours past quitting time. Let's get out of here. You're spending the night with me.”

  Michelle pulled away wiping her face with a wad of tissues. “I'll be okay.”

  “Don't argue,” Shantae said firmly. She handed Michelle a handful of dry tissues. “I'll drop Devonne off at Mama's. Me, you, and Laree are going to have one of our sister to sister group healing sessions.”

  “That sounds good,” Michelle said, her voice weak with emotion.

  “We're going to survive this together,” Shantae whispered. She held Michelle tightly for a second before stepping back. “Now, first thing we'll do is call Laree. Then we'll stop by your apartment to pick up a few things.”

  With Michelle in tow, Shantae and Laree rounded up a wide selection of comfort foods at the grocery store. They cajoled her into their game of finding things to lift their spirits. Microwave popcorn, hot chocolate, marshmallows, and tabloids with outrageous headlines were thrown into the shopping cart. When they got to Shantae's house, they put on fuzzy slippers and over-sized tee shirts. But the playful chatter quickly changed as the evening progressed. Hours of talking out anger, fears, and frustration left the three women drained. Michelle did most of the talking. She grappled with her conflicting feelings about Anthony.

  “Chelle, I've got to agree with Shantae for once.” Laree wrapped both arms around her knees. They sat around Shantae's living room on big, fluffy pillows. “Anthony couldn't have done what they're accusing him of.”

  “He's just not like that,” Shantae put in looking at Michelle. “Deep down, you don't think so either.”

  “Deep down I don't want to believe it. But what I want and the truth could be two very different things.”Michelle bit her bottom lip.

  “The truth is Anthony isn't the kind of person who would hurt anyone, Chelle,” Shantae insisted.

  “Maybe not. But he still stands up for Ike,” Michelle said with a grimace.

  “Now wait--” Shantae began.

  “No, Shantae. He defends Ike no matter what. That makes Anthony an accessory to every horrible thing Ike's ever done as far as I'm concerned. Now I don't want to discuss it anymore. What's important to me now is that Dominic get better.” Michelle breathed deeply.”That's all I care about.”

  The women fell silent for several minutes, lost in their own thoughts. Bundling themselves in blankets, they remained curled up on the pillows watching television and talking until they fell asleep sometime after three in the morning. Michelle was the first to wake up. She smiled at the sight of her friends sprawled on the floor. Their support and caring helped to blunt the pain but not banish it. A now familiar grip of sorrow took hold as thoughts of Anthony pushed through. Somehow she must find a way to banish him from her mind. To forget the sensation of his warm lips on hers or the sweet, tangy smell his skin. Despite her bitter pledge, Michelle knew forgetting Anthony was her biggest challenge. One that would test her beyond anything else she had to face. The picture of Dominic lying unconscious in intensive care came to her and she felt ashamed. How could she sit here longing for Anthony? How could she feel anything but loathing for a man who may well taken part in the brutal beating of her brother? She would do well to remember that Anthony was first and foremost, Ike's devoted nephew. That alone should help destroy any feelings she had for him. Michelle could almost laugh at the bitter irony that she at last could agree with Anthony on one thing, family should come first. Never again would she let emotion rule. Michelle stood and began preparing for a new day.

  ***

  “Anthony was down talking to the police yesterday.” Buster chewed on the stump of a cigar. He took it out of his mouth and dropped it into a large ceramic ash tray on the bar.

  “Yeah, I know. So what? The boy don't know nothin'.” Ike swallowed the last drop of whiskey in the glass he held. He sat on the sofa in his den.

  “I told you that damn Lonnie is too dangerous to mess with. Didn't I tell you that when you put him over all them other ex-cons?” Buster stabbed a finger in the air between them.

  “They ain't gonna be able to trace anything back to him.” Ike stared into the empty glass. “He knows how to cover himself.”

  “I ain't goin' to prison, Ike. We been through a lot together, but this is too much. Things done got way outta hand. You know what I'm talkin' 'bout.” Buster scanned the room nervously.

  “What's wrong with you, Buster? Think we bein' bugged? You been watchin' too many of them cop shows.” Ike barked a harsh laugh devoid of humor. He tapped his fingers rapidly on the arm of the sofa.

  “This ain't no joke, Ike. We talkin' 'bout a killin',” Buster said in a hoarse whisper.

  “Stop actin' like a scared old woman,” Ike bellowed.

  “Look here, not a damn thing Lonnie does can be connected to me. I made sure of that. He ain't never told me details of what he's been up to; thinks he's slick. But that's suited me just fine. He's on his own if the police ever catch up to him. And if you had any sense, you been stayin' away from him much as possible, too.” Ike glanced sharply at Buster who squirmed in his chair.

  “I-I only talked to him a few times,” Buster exclaimed. “We just talked about maintenance on some apartments, that's all.” He rubbed his chin with a shaky hand.

  “You better practice that story so you can sound more convincing when some sharp detective is questioning you,” Ike snorted in disdain. He poured himself another drink.

  “What about that Toussaint boy? Lonnie must a been clean crazy pickin' on him.” Buster began pacing the floor.

  “Go home, Buster. You startin' to get on my nerves.” Ike had his back to him.

  “But what we gonna do, Ike? We can't sit around waitin'--”

  “I said go home!” Ike's voice boomed menacingly. He threw his head back and closed his eyes. He spoke in a more composed voice. “I'll call you later.”

  Buster started to speak but stopped seeing the look on Ike's face. Buster left without saying goodbye. Ike sat alone staring at nothing in particular. A deep frown ceased his features.

  ***

  “Has the doctor said anything lately? Is he the same?” Michelle rushed through the doors. The sight of Brian coming through the hospital lobby with heavy steps sent a spike of dread through her stomach.

  “No change. They still don't know if he'll come out of it. At least he's survived the first twenty-four hours.” Brian's face was haggard. His usually unruffled look gone.

  “What about T’aneka?”

  “She’s bruised up, but okay. They let her Mama take her home a few hours ago.”

  Michelle let out a long breath. “Thank God for that at least.”

  “Let's sit over here. I couldn't take Mama and Dad another minute. I needed some fresh air.”

  “What do you mean?” Michelle sat on the edge of a bright blue vinyl bench next to her brother.

  “For a while they barely spoke to each other. That was bad enough. Now they're sniping at each other over the least little thing.” Brian kneaded his temples with both hands.

  “God, they could at least put aside their differences at a time like this. I'm sure Daddy is doing his best to blame Mama somehow.” Michelle said in a weary tone. “This is especially hard on her. She and Dom are so close.”

  “Michelle, Dad is suffering just as much. He shows it differently. Mama isn't exactly the victim you seem to think she is,” Brian said in a cutting voice.

  “What are you talking about, Brian?” Michelle leaned towards him. She studied his face intently.

  “Nothing.”

  “No, there's something else,” Michelle persisted.

  “All I'm saying is Mama can take equal blame when it comes to how bad things have gotten between them. She does her share of taking pot shots at him, too.” Brian avoided meeting her gaze.

  “You're not telling the truth, at least not all of it.” Michelle grasped his wrist. “What do you know?”

  “Nothing, really.” Brian shook her hand loos
e. He glanced at his wrist watch. “I better get to the office for my meeting. I'll be back tonight.”

  The anxiety in his face made Michelle back away from forcing the issue. “Okay.”

  “Dom is going to make it, 'Chelle. He is.” He hugged her fiercely before striding away.

  Michelle rode the elevator to the fifth floor. Stepping into the hall, she started towards the intensive care unit when familiar voices raised in fury stopped her. She whirled around and headed in the direction of the sound.

  “If you hadn't alienated him all these years, he wouldn't have needed to go somewhere else for a job. You pushed him to this!” Annette's voice was full of resentment. She and Thomas were alone in the family waiting room down and then hall away from the rooms and nurses station. A television played softly in the background.

  “Stop it, Annette. One of these days--” Thomas stood with his back to her.

  “Dominic is dying because you wouldn't do one simple thing for him. You've been punishing him for what you think I did.”

  “I don't think, I know what you did!” Thomas spun around. “So did all our friends. Sneaking around with Ike.”

  “Gossip made it more than what it was, but you could never believe that.” Annette spoke with resignation. “I don't care anymore. I'm sick of begging you to forgive me. Think what you like. Just stop taking your anger out on my son.”

  “Your son, eh?” Thomas towered over her.

  “You never treated him like he was yours. Having you was worse than having no father at all. At least Ike gave him a job.” Annette said in a level voice, her eyes bright with animosity.

  “If you think Ike would have been a better father, why didn't you leave me? I'll tell you why; because Ike was through using you. He wouldn't have you, would he?” Thomas snarled in a brutal tone.

  “He made me feel wanted, something you don't seem capable of anymore.” Annette did not back down under his attack.