"You still haven't given me a motive, Christy. Why would Van murder Bobbi? And what does it have to do with the dealerships?" he asked.
Ignoring his question, she continued, "So, a little over six months ago I had to bail Richard out of jail. He hadn't been in trouble for a long time, and he got snagged at a routine traffic checkpoint for some outstanding warrant or something. He obviously didn't want to call Nadine to help him so he called me."
She stopped tickling his stomach and grabbed a long strand of his hair. As had become her habit, she started braiding it while she spoke.
"I posted bail, but I asked to speak to someone who could confirm that he really wasn't in trouble. That it was a fluke that he'd been stopped and got picked up for an old warrant. That's when I met Detective Cochran." She let out a long sigh. "She was able to confirm what Richard had told me. He'd been staying out of trouble, and it was an old warrant. It wasn't too far into our discussion when she realized I was not a fan of my parents. It wouldn't be a stretch for me to say I let her know how much I despised them.”
Anthony sat up and leaned back against the headboard. He crossed his arms over his chest and gave Christy his full attention.
"What about the dealerships?" he asked, trying only to show mild interest.
"Detective Cochran suspects something has been going on there. Possible embezzlement and connections to an international car theft ring," she said in a hushed tone, her eyes bright with excitement.
Anthony shook his head. "Wouldn't embezzlement and a car theft operation fall under federal jurisdiction? Like the FBI?"
"Apparently not." She shrugged.
"And so you agreed to help her," Anthony said. "That's what you were looking for in their house the day I found you. Something that would connect Van to whatever is going on at Bobbi Bowen's Luxury Autos."
"Yes." She smiled. "That's what I was doing. Digging for something, anything that might help her prove he is up to something. Right now, their information is limited and they don't even have enough for a search warrant. Don't you see, Anthony?" Christy asked, her eyes wide. "Bobbi must've found out what Van was doing. She would never let him use her auto empire to do something illegal."
If you only knew, he thought.
"What does Detective Cochran want from me?" he asked, knowing what the answer was going to be.
"She wants to know if you've heard anything. I know it burned her insides to say it, but she can't deny that you're a well-connected..." She stopped talking and looked at him.
"It's okay to say it, Owani. I'm a well-connected criminal, and me and my crew would probably have heard something on the street."
She nodded hopefully.
"You can tell her that embezzlement and international car theft is out of my scope of work. I have nothing for you to give her."
Christy narrowed her eyes. "What about your friend Grizz? Do you think he knows anything?" she asked.
"Christy, I'm telling you out of sheer love that you need to remove yourself from this. You’re nosing around in dangerous territory. You need to tell Detective Cochran that you asked me, I told you I don't know anything and you cannot be of any further help to her."
He swiped his hand through his long hair and grunted. "And what is she doing asking you to search your parents’ house? She should follow specific rules of law and evidence. She is not allowed to ask a citizen to do something that she can't legally do herself. Searching a home without a warrant would fall under that. It's unethical."
She rolled her eyes at his use of the word unethical. He should talk. "She knows that and I know that, Anthony. She didn't ask me. She didn't even hint at it. And when I offered she specifically said ‘I cannot ask you to do that.’ And I made sure she knew that she didn't have to ask. I'm only too willing to search their house on my own."
"Okay, but she did ask you to ask me."
"So what? That's not illegal. When I told her I wasn't going to hide what we were talking about from you she said she didn't care. She suggested that maybe you’d heard something. So, I'm asking for a morsel. A tip. Anything I can pass on to her," Christy pleaded.
"Let Detective Cochran find her own morsels, Christy. I'm putting an end to this right now. You stay away from her. That's an order."
"You can't tell me what to do, Anthony!" she screamed.
"I just did!" he screamed back. He exhaled loudly and his expression became softer. He reached for her and she pulled away. "Christy, honey, I'm asking you to stay away for your own good. Please, with everything that is going on, don't you have enough on your plate?"
She slumped and nodded. "Yeah, I guess I do. It's just that I know Van had something to do with Bobbi's death. He is pure evil." Her expression was pleading and hopeless. “And if there’s no way for me to prove he was the reason for her death.” She paused and looked away. “Then I want to help take him down another way.”
"Maybe you're right, baby." He reached for her again and this time she welcomed it and moved toward him. "But can't you be happy knowing Van will face justice one way or another? Please walk away from this situation."
"Anthony," she sighed into his chest, "if Vivian is declared dead, then the dealerships become mine. That means that someone is stealing from me. And I don't care about the money. It's the principle of the thing. I don't like the thought of someone thinking they're pulling the wool over my eyes. Especially if they're doing it under direct order from Van."
He tucked her head under his chin and wondered how she would react if he told her that Van wasn't the mastermind behind the international auto theft ring. As a matter of fact, Anthony was certain Van didn't even know about it.
He stared at their reflection in the mirror over his triple dresser and inhaled the enticing aroma of her silky hair. His fingers traced a line up and down her side as he wondered, What would she do if she knew that the man who was stealing from her dealerships was the same man who was holding her in his arms?
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Naples, Florida 1978