Authors: Monica P. Carter
Scandalous Truth (21 page)
Chapter 60
Danielle lounged in bed, sipping a glass of wine, flipping though channels under the soft light of candles. She had earlier been listening to mellow music, but turned from it to see what was on television. She stopped her channel surfing to watch an entertainment show, catching up on the celebrity gossip. She had to know these details, because one day she would be one of those celebrities. She would be traveling in those circles.
She had let the drama with Troy and the shenanigans at work sidetrack her, and she hadn't thought much about her movie star aspirations lately. But watching that entertainment show reminded Danielle of her dreams of fame.
The stars on all those shows seemed so hollow; none of them could measure up to her, as far as Danielle was concerned. She felt confident that if she could just have a few minutes with a director or producer, she would be on her way. That was all the more important now that she had dumped Troy. Landing a gig in a movie or on a show would be the only thing to rescue her from her life now.
She was daydreaming about walking the red carpet when she heard a knock at her door. She wondered who it was as she sat motionless for a moment. She wasn't expecting any company, so whoever it was could just go on back home.
Knock, knock, knock
.
.
She got a chill. She quickly got up, swiping her hand over her hair. She ran to the bathroom and sprayed a bit of body spray over her midsection and thighs, then pulled her dress back down.
She walked to the door. She opened it. And smiled.
Troy snatched her to him and kissed her hard on the mouth.
“I knew you'd be back.”
Chapter 61
“What are you doing in here?” Olivia demanded.
“IâI was just looking for something,” Nikki stammered weakly.
“Does William know you're here?” Olivia asked, looking around suspiciously.
“Wellâ”
“I thought so.” Olivia's eyes narrowed. “You know, you've caused William enough trouble, don't you think? And now, what are you, adding breaking and entering to your little criminal resume?”
“I didn't do anything!” Nikki said. “I just wanted to come down here and look for something.”
“Something like what?”
“Clues to your father's murder!”
Olivia stopped cold. “What do you know about my father's murder?”
“Nothing,” Nikki said, “but I'm trying to help.”
“You leave my daddy's name out your mouth!” Olivia spat the words. “I'm calling William.”
“No! Wait!” Nikki rushed to the woman and grabbed her hand.
“Are you attacking me?” Olivia's eyes were large and wide.
Nikki dropped her hands. “I'm sorry. But please, can we just talk?”
Olivia was not in the mood to entertain Nikki's request. She punched the memorized digits to the Broussards' home phone. After a moment, she spoke. “William, I just walked into a break-in at the office.” She paused. “No, no. I'm fine . . . No, it's not like that . . . But you have to see this . . . Yes, I think you should come down.”
Nikki wanted to hop into her car and rush back home, but she stayed rooted to the spot. She slumped down on a chair and waited. A hostile Olivia stood with her arms crossed over her chest, silently glowering at Nikki.
Fifteen minutes later, Nikki heard a car door slam. And the door to the office tore open. “What's going on?” William demanded.
Olivia pointed. “I stopped by here to get some notes I forgot earlier and I found her rifling through our things.”
“Nikki, what are you doing here? I thought you said you had an errand?” William demanded. Before Nikki could speak, he held up his hand. “No, let me guess. Another one of your lies, right?”
The words cut Nikki deeply, but she struggled not to show the hurt. She spoke clearly. “No, William. I didn't lie. I told you I had an errand. If you'll recall, you showed no interest in my whereabouts and told me you were going to bed. So I didn't think you'd care.”
“You didn't think I'd care to know you were coming down to break into my office?”
“I didn't break in!” Nikki's voice rose. She struggled to remain calm. “All I was trying to do is find a clue to the murder.”
“What, you're Sherlock Holmes now? I had to get my child out of bed for this? I had to rouse her from her sleep, pack her into a cold vehicle and drive across town, and for what? This is so unreal. I don't even know you anymore.”
“William, yes, you do know me,” Nikki cried. “I'm your wife. I'm the woman you swore you'd love, but you've been treating me like I'm not even there. I thought if I could help you figure out who killedâ”
“I don't want to hear this!” William said in disgust.
He shook his head and stared pointedly at his wife. “I think you should leave now.”
Chapter 62
William moved out the next morning. He packed a duffel bag of clothes.
“Where will you go?” Nikki asked, wanting to beg him to stay. But she held her tongue.
“I don't know,” he said. “I'll crash somewhere. Maybe at the office.”
“But, Will, please let's not do this,” she finally uttered what was in her heart. “You can't leave.”
“I can, and I am,” he said, zipping the bag.
“But, Will, everything I've ever done, it's been for you,” she said. “I gave up my dreams for you. My world revolved around you.”
“Well, then you should be relieved to have some free time on your hands,” he said, picking up the bag.
He slung it over his shoulder and hoisted a box under the crook of his arm. Nikki felt her heart pound hard in her chest. She wanted to fling herself at his feet and beg. She wanted to hold on to his leg and make him stay. She wanted to stretch out across the doorway and block his exit.
But she did none of these things.
Instead, she sat on the edge of the bed and said nothing as her husband walked out of her life.
Nikki could not believe her husband had left her. She had refused to let tears flow last night. And now, this Saturday morning, as she scrambled eggs for her child, none fell from her eyes.
She served Psalm breakfast and then sat at the kitchen table with a calculator. Her heart hurt terribly at the thought of losing her husband, but she knew she still had to be practical. What would she do about money? How would she support herself and her child? The thoughts swirled around her mind.
She wrote down expenses, and then the thought came to her. The newspaper. That's it. She snapped her fingers. She would apply for a job as a photographer.
The photo editor had told her several times that he'd love to have her on staff. When Nikki shot that photo of that accident right around the time William signed up to run for office, the editor had been impressed with her work. She had been on the interstate when she saw the accident. Instinctively, she had grabbed her camera. She recalled now that William had been angry after seeing that photo in the paper. He hadn't let her explain that she had taken the photo on a whim, not as a deliberate act of defiance. But maybe that photo, and all her previous work, would be enough to land her a job. Nikki's hand shook as she dialed the number to the paper. She doubted if the photo editor would be in on a Saturday, but called anyway, as she knew newspaper folks often had erratic schedules.
“Joe Smiles, please,” she said when someone answered.
“This is Joe.”
“Hi, Joe,” Nikki said. “It's Nikki Broussard.”
“Hi, Nikki,” he said. “How are you?”
“I'm doing great. I was actually calling to see about getting some work, maybe if you had some freelance assignments. Or even a full-time position.”
She heard Joe sigh. “Well, Nikki, we have a slight problem with that right now,” he said. “I'd love to hire youâfull-time, evenâbut unfortunately, this latest business with the credit cards is posing a real problem. I don't know that I can bring you on, on even a freelance basis, with that thing hanging out there.”
Nikki closed her eyes a moment and let out a deep breath. “Joe, it was a crazy situation,” she said. “I'm really sorry that all happened.”
“Yeah, Nikki, I couldn't believe it when I heard it,” Joe said. “We were all shocked. We've enjoyed working with you in the past. You were a great intern and you've done some good freelance work for us.”
“Thanks, Joe,” Nikki said, “but I really need a job.”
“Nikki, I just don't knowâ”
“Joe, my child was sick and I couldn't think straight,” she rushed to explain. “I made a terrible call. I was desperate.”
Joe's voice lowered. “You know I understand. If it was my kid, I might have done the same thing. Hope I never have to find out. But right now, I can't do anything for you.”
“Thanks, Joe,” Nikki said sadly. “Have a good day.”
The phone slipped from her fingers and the tears finally came.
Chapter 63
BLACK MALE FOUND BURNED IN CAR
Nikki wouldn't have paid any attention to the headline, but the smiling face of Troy caught her attention. Why was Troy's picture under this headline?
Don't tell me he's gone and killed somebody. I told Danielle he was bad news
.
Don't tell me he's gone and killed somebody. I told Danielle he was bad news
.
But as she read, her breath caught in her throat. Troy wasn't the assailant. He was the victim. Troy was dead! She snatched up her cell phone and pressed Danielle's number.
When her friend answered, Nikki's words came out in a rush. “Danny Boo, are you okay? I just read the terrible news in the paper. Why didn't you tell me? I'm so sorry!”
“It's okay,” Danielle said in a toneless voice.
“I've been so wrapped up in my own problems, I didn't even realize anything was wrong. When did he go missing? What happened?”
“I said, âIt's okay,'” Danielle said. “Look, I really don't want to talk about this.”
“I know you're in shock. I'll be right over.”
Before Danielle could say anything, Nikki hung up. She snatched up her keys, grabbed Psalm and raced to the SUV.
Nikki had no time to think about her own life that was falling apart. Her best friend needed her.
Nikki arrived at Danielle's condo and let herself in. Danielle was polishing her toenails.
“Danielle, I am so sorry for your loss,” Nikki said, hugging her friend.
“I told you, it's all right,” Danielle said.
“The story didn't say a lot,” Nikki said. “What happened?”
Danielle shrugged. “I really don't know. Just whatever they said in the paper. He was shot in the head at close range.”
Nikki gasped. “Poor Troy.”
“Yeah.”
“What are they doing about funeral arrangements? Have you spoken with his family?” Nikki asked.
“Well, I went by his mama's house only to find two other women over there, both claiming to be his grieving girlfriend,” Danielle said. “So I left.”
Danielle's hands fluttered lightly in the air, their movements seeming to belie the seriousness of the moment. Nikki looked around her friend's place. The walls were covered with photos of Nikki and Danielle at various functions over the years. But not one photo was of Danielle's family. Nikki's heart ached for her friend who was so enclosed in a lonely world estranged from her own family, especially now as she struggled with the loss of her fiancé.
I've got to work harder to be there for her. I'm all she has
, Nikki told herself.
I've got to work harder to be there for her. I'm all she has
, Nikki told herself.
Nikki grimaced at Danielle's news. “That's pretty bad,” she said, casting about for some words of comfort. “I'm sure that was just a misunderstanding. You were his fiancée.”
Danielle fastened the top back onto the red polish. “Well, it's a shame, what happened to him. I guess he must have been dealing with the wrong type of people. It's really a shame.”
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Nikki drove back home, thinking about her next move. In a matter of two months, she had gone from a happily married woman with a man who adored her, to someone who could very well be headed for divorce. “Oh, and don't forget, you're on your way to being an unemployed felon,” she said to herself, recalling her legal woes.
Depression crouched on her shoulders, and she gripped the steering wheel tighter. And now, her ace in the holeâthe job at the newspaperâhad fallen through. She knew she had brought this on herself.
“I didn't trust God,” she muttered to herself, finally admitting for the first time the full magnitude of what she had done. It was her own impatience and haste to do somethingâanything to find an answer for Psalm's condition. She hadn't truly prayed over her situation. “I talked about faith, but when it mattered, I didn't have it. And now, look what happened.”
“I have made a mess of my life.”
The realization hit her hard.
Nikki roused Psalm from bed. “Come on, let's get ready for church,” Nikki prodded.
“I'm sleepy,” Psalm protested.
“Girl, if you don't get yourself up,” Nikki warned, “talking about you're sleepy. Come on.”
Psalm made unhappy noises, but slowly climbed out of the covers. Nikki quickly fixed breakfast and did the girl's hair into a ponytail at the top of her head and let her wear the rest of her hair down in the back, a decision that made Psalm forget her earlier protests.
“Where is Daddy?” Psalm asked as they walked out the door. “Is he going to church with us?”
Psalm still did not understand that her father had moved out. Nikki hadn't tried to explain too much. She had just said William was working a lot and would be at the office. But Psalm was used to the family attending church together.
“Well, your daddy is still working,” Nikki clutched about for an explanation.
“Will we see him at church?”
Nikki didn't know, but tried to distract the child. “Maybe so,” she said. “Do you want to have pizza for dinner after church?”
“Oh, can we really?” Psalm's eyes lit up at the thought.
“Sure,” Nikki said.
When they arrived at church, service was already under way. Nikki dropped Psalm off at the children's church service. Sister James caught up with her as she got ready to enter the sanctuary.
“I didn't see your name on the list of those who have purchased their new usher uniforms,” she said.
“Oh . . . I . . .” Nikki had forgotten about the order. With so much going on lately, usher uniforms were not very high on her list of priorities.
“I tried to call you twice last week,” Sister James said. “I guess your voice mail must have been messing up, because I didn't get a call back.”
Nikki had avoided contact with most people lately. “Yeah, I know, I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to call you back,” she said.
“Well, I guess I should just be happy you're at church today,” Sister James said pointedly. “I wasn't sure if you were coming, seeing as how it's so late.”
“Oh, I . . . uh . . . yeah,” Nikki stammered.
“Well, don't just stand out here,” Sister James said. “You're an usher, you know better. Get on in and find a seat.”
The usher on the inside of the door slowly pushed it open. Nikki was about to step inside when Sister James grabbed her arm. “And don't you worry about all these things they put in the newspaper. You just keep God's Word in your heart and He will see you through.”
Nikki smiled gratefully. She quickly stepped into the sanctuary and allowed the praise and worship to envelop her being. She remained standing and swayed to the music, clapping and singing along with the choir and others in the congregation.
The burden of a crumbling marriage, impending legal woes, and the stress of being an out-of-work single mother almost made her sit down, but she refused to give in to the temptation. Instead, she sang with more gusto than ever, as if willing away her troubles.
The new pastor preached about prayer and its healing power. As Nikki sat and listened, she felt encouraged. Her sadness seemed to lift a little. But as she drove home following service, a dark cloud again settled over her spirit. Doubt battled the confidence she wanted to feel. Doubt told her maybe it was too late for prayer to work for her.
Maybe she had gone too far. Maybe God would no longer hear her cries.
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