“Father Chestfield, we believe your brother Charles Chestfield is still alive, and he was the one who killed not only Daniel Billings but his wife as well.”
“Detective, you can’t be serious? I identified my brother’s body. Charles’s body may have burned beyond recognition, but the necklace Faye had given him on their wedding day was still around his neck.
Kamira frowned. “Father, I met with a woman who had been receiving counseling from Charles. They were having an affair, and she confirmed Charles was planning to kill his wife and that Charles thought Danny and Faye were having an intimate affair.
She said that Daniel Billings caught her and your brother in a private moment in the chapel the night Mr. Billings was digging Faye’s grave.
The following day, Charles sent her and her son to Texas to wait for him to come. But she went elsewhere because she feared for her own life.”
Father Chestfield gasped, “Texas? Charles always wanted to serve in Killeen, Texas, near Fort Hood. He felt the families would need counsel when the soldiers were called away to duty.
We had visited there as a family often during the summers, on family vacations. Our Uncle Randall Lewis, our mother’s brother, once owned a motel in Killeen. He always provided free rooms for the family. Charles and I always shared our motel room.”
Kamira nodded. “Your uncle, Randall Lewis. Does he still own the motel?”
Father Chestfield, his eyes going wide, said," No, he died, within weeks after Charles from natural causes. He died in his sleep. You think Charles is still alive?"
Kamira nodded, “That’s our thought, Father. Thank you for your time today. Could you do one more thing for me?”
“Sure, what can I do?”
“Do you have your uncle’s social security number?”
I don’t, but my cousin may. I will call him and get that number for you and call you as soon as possible.”
The priest stood and shook Kamira and Terrance’s hand, “Please let me know what you find out about Charles. Detective, if that wasn’t Charles’s body, I identified, then who was it?”
Terrance looked gravely at Kamira and said, “Good question.”
Chapter 9
Late that evening, Willie Mae waited for everyone to go to bed. Somehow she had to get past that patrol car in the driveway and Giovanni and Nicko.
Taking off her shoes, she opened her bedroom window and carefully climbed out. Here she was at 88, climbing out windows.
Holding her breath, she stood still, listening. Not hearing anything, she ran to the trees and through the brush to the next estate.
She pulled out her cell phone and called an Uber to take her to Bugg’s Bar on Route 3.
When the Uber driver stopped in Bugg’s parking lot, she stared out the window at the packed parking lot, hearing the noise in the car with the windows closed.
Taking a deep breath, Willie Mae thanked the driver and went through the door of Bugg’s place.
The man she was looking for, Buddy Colfax, was sitting at the bar, and he looked intoxicated.
Willie Mae gathered her courage and stomped right up to the bar, getting into Buddy Colfax’s face.
Angrily, Willie Mae asked, “Do you know who I am, Buddy Colfax?”
Buddy Colfax drunkenly smiled at Willie Mae. “Sure, you’re that witch woman, Willie Mae Gordon. What do you want?”
Willie Mae stared at Buddy and said, “I know it was you or one of your boys that started the fire at my Billie’s place, and I am here to tell you, this all stops now.”
Bugg’s seeing Willie Mae come in moved closer to where Buddy Colfax and his friend were sitting. He knew this would not end well if he didn’t step in.
Buddy Colfax laughed.
“Mind your own business, old woman, or that niece and new husband of hers is next.”
“Now you listen to me, Buddy Colfax…”
Buggs had come up to the bar, saying, “Now, Ms. Gordon, this is not the place for you to be right now. I think you should go home.”
Buddy laughed and nodded at his friend Chester, who informed everyone that he needed to use the bathroom.
Buggs looked at Willie Mae and said, “Please, Ms. Gordon…”
Just then, a loud crash came from the kitchen.
Buggs looked at Willie Mae and said, “Go home, Ms. Gordon. I will have one of my staff meet you out front and drive you home. Go on now.”
Willie Mae glared at Buddy Colfax and said, “I am warning you now, Buddy Colfax, you better leave my family alone.”
Buggs watched her walk out the front door before running into the kitchen to see what happened. Once he got to the kitchen, he asked his dishwasher to take Willie Mae home.
Once Willie Mae heard and felt the heavy door close behind her, she sighed a breath of relief into the night air.
Opening her purse for a tissue, she felt the impact of something hitting her in the back of the head. She collapsed to the ground.
No one saw the man in the mask carry Willie Mae through the parking lot to a white van.
Fifteen minutes later, the dishwasher came back in the bar and told Buggs Willie Mae wasn’t out there.
Buggs, with a worried look, said, “Maybe she had her driver wait. I will call Terrance in the morning and make sure she got home okay. Thanks anyway.”
Buggs spent the rest of the night serving drinks.
The following day as Kamira and Terrance made their way to the office, Willie Mae awakens.
Willie Mae sat up from the basement floor. She wasn’t sure where she was, but from the moldy smell and the slat-boarded windows, allowing thin streams of light to hit the floor, Willie Mae realized that this must be in a house basement.
Standing up and standing still for a moment till the dizziness passed, Willie Mae moved around the room, feeling the walls for a light switch.
It seemed like forever, but she finally found it. Turning on the light, she looked around.
There was something in the corner. Shuffling over to a mound of plastic, Willie Mae moved the plastic and gasped.
It was Alyce Ann Buchanan, and she was dead.
While Jack,
