Deadly Deception by London St Charles

Author:London St Charles [Charles, London St]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780999328897
Publisher: LS Charles Publishing Group
Published: 2020-06-14T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

“How is she?” Jackson asked, rushing into the living room, tripping over his feet.

“Shaken up, but okay,” Cadence responded, touching his arms, which stabilized him. “Jackie had a lot of questions, and I answered them as best as I could, but she’s asking for you.”

“I can’t go up there like this,” he retorted, glancing down at his dirty clothes smudged with splotches of Lester’s blood. “My hands––– they look rough like a street fighter. I don’t want to scare her.”

“You could never,” Cadence said, lifting his hands and examining the bruises. “Go shower. I’ll toss these clothes in the washer, and when you’re done, I’ll put some ointment on your knuckles.”

“I don’t want Jackie to think I’m avoiding her.”

“She just got out of the shower about five minutes before you came inside,” Cadence countered, unbuckling Jackson’s jeans. “She should be getting dressed for bed. I’ll let her know you’ll come upstairs once you’re cleaned up.”

“Thanks, baby,” Jackson said, kicking off his shoes, stepping out of his jeans and boxers, then pulling the shirt over his head.

Jackson dug in his pants pocket, retrieving his wallet and phone before handing the clothing to Cadence. He placed the wallet on the side table but kept his phone.

Entering the bathroom designed with a Japanese theme, Jackson sat on the white bath bench encased in a block of glass from the floor to the ceiling. He dialed Sly’s number, then Tony’s. Both went straight to voicemail.

“Officer Johnson.” Jackson grimaced. “Officer Douglas had to be mistaken.”

After trying to reach his cousins a second time, he called their mother, Aunt Mable.

She was the matriarch of the family at seventy-five years young. No one thought she would have children, but at the age of forty-five, she gave birth to Sly and Tony, who were more like Jackson’s little brothers than cousins when they were coming up. Jackson’s grandmother passed when his mother was a teenager. Aunt Mable embraced the role of mother and raised her two siblings, putting them through college and making sure they never went hungry. Jackson would always treat her with the utmost respect.

“Hi, Aunt Mable.”

“Jax, darling, is that you?” she asked, her voice shaky and tired.

“Yes, ma’am,” he replied, wincing as he stretched his fingers. “I’m sorry for calling this late. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“It’s no bother, nephew,” she replied, clearing her throat. “Anytime you call is a good time.” Jackson could hear the smile in her voice. “What’s troubling you?”

“I’m trying to get a hold of Sly and Tony, but neither of them are answering the phone. Have you heard from them?”

“They’re at work,” Aunt Mable replied, yawning. “You know they can’t bring their phones in that jail.”

“Ma’am?” Jackson’s shoulders straightened.

“They have to keep them in the car. It’s a liability or something like that; Sly tried explaining it to me,” she said, yawning a second time. “But it never made sense. If I had an emergency, I’d have to call the prison, and someone would connect me. Hell, by the time they finally get him on the line, I’d be dead,” she fussed, having a coughing fit.

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