Kamira nodded. Seeing Sally walking past their office, she quickly yelled out, “Sally, can you come into our office for a minute?”
Sally, hearing her, turned and stood in the doorway. “What’s up? Terrance, everyone is talking about your lunch with Greta Garrison.”
Kamira giggled.
“Who is talking about my lunch? For god’s sake, I just left there.”
“The Bellow sisters are here, and they have been chatting on their phones with their phone tree. It appears someone quite enthralled Greta Garrison, Investigator James.”
Kamira looked at Terrance’s frown and said, “Sally, would you ask Willie Mae to come in?”
“I would if I could, but Willie Mae is at the church meeting with Father Chestfield about the memorial service tomorrow.”
Kamira closed her eyes, thinking tomorrow was going to be a hard day for her family.
“Okay, thanks.”
Kamira and Terrance spent the rest of the day setting up Kamira’s interview and travel plans before heading home.
Kamira took a hot shower before collapsing on the bed in exhaustion.
The room was considerably darker since Kamira had fallen asleep, an oddity given how bright the moon illuminated the outdoors. When her eyes caught movement across the windowpane, a bony hand dragged across the glass, and she resentfully stood to look.
Time seemed to fall away from the mysterious hand at the window. Suddenly she was standing inside the shipping container where she was imprisoned before coming to Shadowbank.
Looking at the flickering lightbulb overhead, she sensed movement. Scared, she couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. Her body trembled. She knew if she looked around the shipping container for the bony hand, it would be lying here dying.
She sensed the movement again, behind her. Turning quickly, it wasn’t herself she saw lying there dying. It was Willie Mae.
She screamed.
Terrance, jumping up from the bed, grabbed Kamira’s shoulders, shaking her awake.
“Kamira, it’s just a nightmare. Wake up, love.” Terrance begged.
Kamira sat up in the bed, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Terrance sat down beside her, tenderly holding her in his arms. “Was it the same nightmare of the shipping container?”
Kamira silently nodded in agreement. Struggling to talk, her mouth dry, she replied, “Only it wasn’t me. It was Willie Mae.”
“Willie Mae? Has she ever been in your nightmares before?”
Kamira stood, “I need some water.”
Walking into the bathroom, Kamira splashed her face with cold water after gulping down the glass of water. Looking into the mirror, seeing her face, she thought, is this a sign of something to come?
Walking back into the bedroom, Kamira climbed back in under the covers and snuggled up to Terrance, saying, “Promise me while I am gone. You will watch over my auntie.”
“I will, baby, now try to get some rest. Your auntie is going to need you tomorrow.”
An hour later, Kamira quietly got out of the bed so as not to wake Terrance. Looking at the clock, she saw it was 3 am. She went down to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee.
The following day at 11 am, the family and a small group of friends gathered around the burial site in the church graveyard for the Rite of Committal ceremony.
Father Chestfield blessed the gravesite and led the group into prayers over Clifton Buchanan’s body one last time.
Committing Clifton to the earth, Father Chestfield recited more prayers before asking everyone to join in to say the Lord’s prayer.
Father Chestfield approached Willie Mae and said, “Willie Mae, the women have made a luncheon for your family and friends downstairs.”
Willie Mae sadly acknowledged his statement and said aloud, “Let us go inside for a luncheon the women have prepared for us.”
Looking at Kamira, she asked, “Are you okay, Kamira? You looked tired.”
Kamira smiled gently, replying, “I am fine, Auntie. Walk with me inside.”
Taking her auntie’s tiny hand in hers, they began the walk to the church.
“Auntie, I have to fly out to Minnesota after the memorial service to interview a few ladies. Will you be all right for a day till I get back?”
Willie Mae smiled. “Of course, I will. Clifton is now at peace. If I need anything, I will call Billie and Keisha. I don’t want you worrying about me now.”
Billie strolled up next to the two women and walked alongside them. While Kamira and Billie quietly talked, Willie Mae was setting an alternative plan in motion.
Chapter 7
The following day, as Terrance was driving Kamira to the airport to catch her flight, Willie Mae was in an Uber on the way to the greyhound station to purchase a ticket to Parchman Farm, the Mississippi State Penitentiary. She was going to visit George Buchanan.
Kamira arrived at the Falls Baptist church to conduct her prearranged interview with Marilu Hudson.
Walking into the church office, she saw a group of three people waiting for her. The woman she saw approaching her was plump, her hair sprinkled with gray and bright blue intelligent eyes.
“Good Afternoon, you must be Detective Jackson. I am Marilu Hudson Bester. This gentleman here is my husband, Harry Bester, and Pastor Drew. We can go to the pastor’s office for the interview.”
Kamira shook hands with everyone and followed them into a comfortable office that held a 6-foot long table and chairs.
Once seated, with Marilu directly across from Kamira, Kamira said, “Tell me how you met Charles Chestfield, and he came about counseling you.”
Kamira watched as Marilu glanced at her husband, taking his hand in hers.
“I was 27 years old when I met Pastor Chestfield, just joining the church, while I was getting divorced from a violent man and had Tommy, who was only two years old.
Pastor Chestfield felt I needed counseling to address my issues of healing after a violent relationship. I met with him weekly, and six months later, we began an affair. It was soon after that I think Charles started planning his wife’s murder.”
“You believe Pastor Chestfield murdered his wife, Faye
