90 Church by Dean Unkefer

Author:Dean Unkefer
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781250067340
Publisher: Picador

CHAPTER EIGHT

ALL IN THE FAMILY

ASTRONOMY

I knew what to expect the next day at the Medalley mansion. Again I was waved through the gates. Everything seemed normal, except inside there were no fresh flowers; yesterday’s had wilted. I moved through the mansion like I lived there, and got a glimpse of Hermes as he walked into his study and closed the door. Strangely, he didn’t seem bothered. I asked the maid where Regina was and she pointed to her bedroom. I waited for a while and finally Leah came out of the bedroom, her eyes puffy and red. Dabbing at her nose, she said, “My mother is awake now. She would like to speak with you.”

I knocked quietly on Regina’s bedroom door and heard her soft voice say, “Come in.” The room was almost dark, Regina was in her bed and I could barely see her through the dim light. Through the shadows she said, “You knew … Leah told me … You knew, and you tried to stop it. My daughters are innocent. You tried to protect them. You are independent; you learn things. You’re loyal to me … Thank you, thank you for trying to help.”

Her calm control gave me a cold chill, and somehow I had this feeling again, that I didn’t know everything. Something else was going on. My profound guilt prevented me from saying anything, except, “I will protect Leah. I will protect you. As God is my witness I will protect you both.” At that moment I wasn’t sure who I was going to protect her from; her own people or 90 Church – or perhaps from me.

She smiled at me like I was a child. I expected her to be straightening flowers around the house by noon.

I didn’t see Michael or Dewey until the next evening when I knew everyone would be at the Heidelberg to discuss the case. I wasn’t sure what to say at the meeting. No one knew why Mercedes was murdered – she had nothing to do with drug trafficking. Leah should have been in the car. I sat in silence, trying to contain my hatred for Michael. Michael knew they were going to kill both Leah and Chevy. That’s why he had trouble talking to me the night he was drunk. I was just as guilty. It was my fault Mercedes was dead.

Then came my turn to speak. I simply reported that I was a trusted member of the household and was looking after Leah, and stayed mostly around the pool. There were smiles and smirks, and then Dewey and Michael started in with a barrage of questions: How many people were in the house during the day? Did I see any drug activity? Who did Hermes meet with? How often did Pepe come over? Did I overhear anything? What was the house like? It went on and on. When I was describing the Medalley mansion, I did remember something unusual: on the roof was a sundeck with a

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