Terrance stood to rinse out their coffee mugs. “No problem, we have the Greta Garrison interview at nine this morning. Do you want to meet there?”
“No, if I leave now, I should be able to make it back to the department in time to leave.”
Kamira walked over to the sink where Terrance was standing and kissed him gently on the cheek. Turning, she grabbed her bag and left to go, silently hoping she could convince Willie Mae to open up to her.
Kamira arrived at the Bellow estate, finding Willie Mae standing outside the front door.
Willie Mae, settling into the passenger seat, said, “Morning Kamira, what’s on your schedule today?”
“You, Auntie. It’s past the time we talked.”
Kamira didn’t miss the look of nervousness that passed Willie Mae’s face. One she quickly hid.
“I don’t know what you are so bothered about, Kamira. It’s a hard week with Clifton’s memorial service coming up tomorrow. I have a lot on my mind, is all.”
Kamira pulled the car over to the side of the road and put the vehicle in park. Turning, she looked at her auntie.
“Then explain to me why you took a pot of gumbo out to old Arnie Bailey when we just brought him a pot a week ago?”
“I thought he might need some more. That’s all.”
“Enough, Auntie, you asked him who was now running the State Line Mob, plus you and the Bellow sisters have started a phone tree looking for Alyce Ann Buchanan. What is going through that head of yours, woman?”
Willie Mae was quiet, trying to come up with any reason to stop the questions.
“Auntie, this is dangerous. How long has it been since anyone talked to Alyce Ann?”
Willie Mae looked at Kamira, sadness filling her eyes, saying, “No one has heard from Alyce Ann since she left me a text message on the Friday before your wedding. I am worried about her being alone now that George is up in prison.”
“What did the text message say, Auntie?”
“All it said was, ‘I need to talk to you tonight, be careful.’ Then the gazebo went up in flames. I texted her back, telling her to come to the estate, but she never came. No one has seen or heard from her since.”
Kamira nodded her head. Her thoughts were taking her places she did not want to go. “Auntie, do you think George Buchanan has something to do with his wife disappearing?”
Tears welled up in Willie Mae’s eyes." I don’t know for sure. But the one thing I know is that gazebo fire was not an accident, it was a pipe bomb, and it’s my job to protect my family."
Kamira felt her heart race. “No, Auntie, it is not your job to protect this family. Let me and Jack find Alyce Ann.
Trust me to find Alyce Ann. You need to take a step back. George Buchanan in prison still makes him a dangerous man.
This whole thing could be hazardous, and I don’t want you putting yourself in a situation that could bring you harm. Let me handle this.”
Kamira watched the wave of emotions cross Willie Mae’s face and the fierce look that came into her eyes.
“Okay, I will let you handle it, Kamira.” Wille Mae said, ending the discussion.
With a sinking feeling in her belly, Kamira knew Willie Mae would not let this go.
Arriving at the police department, Willie Mae walked straight to her office, ignoring everyone in her path.
Terrance, his eyebrows raised, asked, “Everything alright with Willie Mae? I expected you two an hour ago. We need to go if we’re going to interview Greta Garrison."
“Let’s go,” Kamira said tersely. “I will drive.”
On the short ride to the church, Terrance asked, “You seem tense, love. Everything went okay with Willie Mae this morning, didn’t it?”
Kamira rolled her shoulders, trying to release the tension. “No, Willie Mae thinks it’s her job to protect this family. She has connected the State Line Mob with the gazebo fire. To top it off, it appears, Alyce Ann Buchanan is missing, and we need to find her.
We’re here. Let’s get through this interview, and we can discuss Willie Mae tonight over dinner. Maybe we should invite Jack. Between the three of us, we should be able to get creative with ideas in keeping Willie Mae on track and safe and finding Alyce Ann.”
Walking into the church, Kamira saw an elderly lady walking down the hall. She asked, “Good morning. We are looking for Greta Garrison?”
The elderly woman smiled and said, “I am Greta. You must be Detective Jackson. Come on to my office. I don’t have a lot of time, but I will try to answer your questions.”
Terrance smiled at Greta Garrison, and Kamira swore she heard Greta say under her breath, ‘but I have time for that man.’
As the trio got seated, Kamira asked, “Ms. Garrison, do you remember the time surrounding Faye Chestfield’s death and the construction happening here at the church?”
Greta frowned and looked harshly at Kamira. “Faye’s death saddened everyone here. Pastor Charles the most. In his grief, he hung the remaining drywall himself. He wouldn’t let anyone help him. Two weeks earlier, the pastor discovered there was a leak in the pipes, so some men from the church, before Faye passed, had torn the wall out and fixed the leak.”
Greta sat back, furious with Kamira, squinting her left eye. She glared at Kamira. “What does that have to do with the body in the basement? Don’t tell me you think the pastor buried that boy?”
Kamira smiled and replied, “We are still trying to piece things together, Ms. Garrison. We know that the man found in the wall is a Daniel Billings, who we believe to be Danny the Gravedigger.”
“That’s impossible, Detective. I helped the Pastor clean out Danny’s room myself. The pastor, bless his heart, thought Faye might have been having an affair with Danny. I assured him she wasn’t.
