Читать книгу When Somebody Loves You Back - Mary B. Morrison - Страница 13

Less than a block from Darius’s house, Candice’s neck snapped in disbelief. “Not in this affluent neighborhood.”

A car, with a driver wearing a veil shielding the face, zoomed by. Either they were an underaccomplished actor, an actress hiding from the paparazzi, a pissed-off bride, or a crazy person. Realistically, all or any of those characters could reside in The Valley.

Adjusting her rearview mirror in one fluid motion, Candice saw the car skid into Darius’s driveway. Candice hit her brakes, rotated her steering wheel to the far left, stomped her clutch, and shifted into second gear, making a U while turning off her headlights.

Candice backed a few feet into Darius’s driveway, prepared for a quick escape if necessary. Fumbling through her shopping bag, grateful she’d bought binoculars, she leaned between the driver and passenger seats, adjusted the magnifying lenses, then peeped through the holes thinking, Why didn’t I get a camcorder?

The black SUV, license plate HH2, faced the house. Dim, dimmer, the headlights vanished. The driver’s door opened. A woman, about five feet five, dressed in a wedding gown, got out of the car, in the car, then out of the car again. Tossing the veil inside, she definitely wasn’t Fancy.

“This is great material for Act I of my screenplay. I’ve got to get closer.”

Hanging her spy glasses around her neck, Candice tiptoed behind a pineapple-shaped tree. How many people had keys to Darius’s house?

“Oh my gosh.” Candice ducked when sensor lights beamed in the woman’s face. Why was this woman entering like she lived there? Adjusting the binoculars, Candice gasped. “My goodness. It’s Ashlee.”

Candice hadn’t seen Ashlee in years. The unmistakably creamy pale skin, straight dark hair, and small nose were definitely Ashlee Anderson. But why was she there? Ashlee was always a nice, polite, innocent little girl who’d grown up the same until she started working for, nah, make that fucking around with, Darius.

Waiting for the door to close, Candice continued squatting as she scurried closer to the SUV. Peeping through the driver’s window, she saw the veil on the floor. Moving to the back window, “Oh God.” Candice’s heart thumped as she hoped what she saw wasn’t true. “A baby!” A precious little baby was asleep on the backseat.

Sliding all eight of her fingers in the crack, Candice struggled to force down the window. The glass didn’t budge. She shook hard. The baby’s short arms stretched over its head, then covered the ears. Maybe Candice should call the police. Naw, that would ruin her chances of being the first one with the “breaking news.” Forget it. She’d find another way to rescue the infant.

Lightly sprinting, Candice eased into her car. Scrolling her PDA, she entered the license plate number into her Palm Pilot. Shifting into second gear, she crept up the block at five miles an hour, headlights off, rubbing her palms, like she was preparing for a sneak attack on someone.

“Why am I still hiding?” She laughed, pressing the accelerator. “I can’t wait to see the videos.”

Candice wanted to stay, but Jada would soon wonder where Wellington’s stuff was. She should crush sleeping pills in Wellington’s food so Jada could get some rest. Poor thang.

Stopping a few blocks away, Candice reentered the convenience store, reluctantly purchasing the junk food and a pint of strawberry ice cream. Parking in Jada’s driveway, Candice sat. Worrying. What if the baby was still in the car?

Candice circled, then exited Jada’s driveway en route back to Darius’s house. Wellington would have to get his sweet satisfaction elsewhere. Candice had a screenplay to develop. With the short distance between the homes, maybe she could make it back before the ice cream melted.

“Oh no.” Looking in her rearview mirror, Candice noticed a limousine behind her, so she bypassed Darius’s house, slowing to five miles an hour. When the limo cruised into Darius’s driveway, Candice made a U-turn. This time she parked curbside, knelt beside her car, and adjusted her binoculars. The shrubs shielded her body.

The limo stopped. No one got out. Then all the lights in the house went out. Eagerly Candice mumbled, “No one would believe this if I told them.”

“Believe what?”

“Ooowwww!” Candice screamed, raising her hands to her face. Her eyes widened to a blinding flashlight.

“Excuse me, miss, but what do you think you’re doing?” he asked, standing over her dressed in a dark blue LAPD uniform.

If she had the balls, she’d punch him in his nuts. Go do some real police work. “Could you move that light out of my face? I thought I saw a puppy roaming in the bushes,” Candice said, fumbling with the branches before she stood.

“Yeah, yeah. I’ve heard it all before. Unless it’s your puppy, you’re trespassing. You’re a little too old to be one of Mr. Williams’s groupies, wouldn’t you say?” Stepping closer, the officer said, “Consider this a warning, lady. I will arrest you if I find you trespassing on Mr. Williams’s property again.”

Sorry-ass wannabe cop. Probably trying to earn free tickets. “My apologies, Officer,” Candice said, looking at his badge, “Nero. I’ll leave. If you find a dog, give it to Mr. Williams.” Candice muffled, “So you can have an ass-kissing partner to cover your off shift.”

“I heard that,” he said.

Brushing off her sweatpants, Candice fingered her ponytail. He wasn’t worth arguing with, but he succeeded in ending her stakeout. For the moment. “Shit!” Getting in her car, Candice squeezed the carton of ice cream.

“Great, now I have to go back.” Stopping three blocks away, Candice entered the convenience store, exchanged the pint of strawberry, and headed toward Jada’s via Darius’s house.

Candice frowned. The black SUV was now parked on the street. Was it there before? Shaking her head, Candice doubled-parked. She peeped to see if the baby was still inside. Red and blue lights rotated behind her.

“Oh, great. This is incredible.” Was Darius’s house the only one on his beat? If he was doing his job he would’ve discovered the kid was in the car. Maybe the baby wasn’t. But what if the child was? Nero wouldn’t believe her. Candice would come back after Officer Nero’s shift ended at seven o’clock in the morning.

Parking at Jada’s, Candice entered the quiet house. Except for the foyer, all of the lights were off. “Hopefully they’re asleep.” Candice placed the snacks on the kitchen counter, the ice cream in the freezer, then strategically hid all except one of her clock cameras. She’d hide the last recorder in Jada’s bedroom after Jada took Wellington to the hospital.

Returning to her guest room, alone, she sat by the large bay window. Her fingers tapped lightly against the keyboard, sixty, seventy words a minute.

See, that’s why a brotha should never fuck his sister.