The Devil Within (Devil Series Book 3) (3 page)

Is this son of a bitch really trying this?

“Tell you what.” He leaned toward. “Why don’t we team up and find out what really happened? With your brilliant detective mind and my connections in this town…the possibilities are endless.” He grinned.

“Tell
you
what.” She subdued the urge to jump over the table and strangle him. “I’ll think about that and get back to you.”

Chapter Four

“I just can’t believe that bastard.” Alexis yanked off her earrings as Kevin pulled his silver-gray Porsche 911 Carrera S up to her Nantucket beachside home. “Did Grant Copeland actually offer to help me find out who killed my father?” She laughed. “Did that really just happen?”

Kevin parked and took the keys out of the ignition. “It happened,” he mumbled.

“Oh, honey.” She took off her seatbelt and kissed his cheek. “I’m sorry if I let Grant hijack our evening. I’ve been talking about him ever since we left the restaurant.”

He looked at his key. “It’s fine.”

“No it’s not.” She kissed his pouty lips. “You took me out for a wonderful dinner and I have to repay you.” She took his hand and placed it over her breast. “I can think of a way we’d both appreciate.” She got out of the car. “Come on.”

“No, I’ve got to be getting home.”

“What?” She stooped down to the passenger window. “You’re kidding me.” She checked her watch. “It’s eleven-thirty. Besides, you always come in after you bring me home.”

“Not tonight.” He put his hand on the steering wheel. “I’m tired.”

“Okay, what the hell is going on?” She stuck her head inside the car. “You were acting mad at the restaurant. Did I do something?”

He didn’t answer.

“You’re gonna pout like a child now? I don’t even deserve an answer?”

“I think I deserve one.” He got out of the car. “I’m glad you picked up on me being pissed because tonight it seemed like you didn’t give a damn about anything but Grant and this vendetta of yours.”

“Oh God.” She moaned. “Here we go again.”

“And every time I bring it up, you make me feel like the bad guy, Lexi.”

“What’s wrong?” She took his hand. “I know you didn’t want to eat with Grant and I sure as hell didn’t. I did that to see what the hell he’s up to.”

Kevin took his hand from hers and rubbed his face. “I’m getting a feeling that I don’t like, Lexi.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” She held her waist.

“I’m your boyfriend.” He glared at her.

“Yeah, and…”

“We promised to trust each and be honest with each other, didn’t we?”

“Kevin—”

“I need an honest answer for what I’m about to ask.” He pointed to her. “No bullshit, Lexi. Grant’s attracted to you.”

“Ugh.” She touched her stomach. “You want to wear that beef mignon I just ate?”

“I’m serious. He’s attracted to you.”

“Okay, so he is.” She scratched her head. “He’s repulsive and old enough to be my father. What the hell are you getting at?”

He squinted. “Are you attracted to him?”

“Oh!” She put her hand over her mouth. “Here it comes.” She bent down. “You better stand back.”

He grabbed her arm. “I’m serious.”

“You can’t be serious!” She laughed. “I know you didn’t just ask me if I’m attracted to the man I hate more than anything. That man raped my mother. He killed my father. Do you seriously think I could be attracted to someone like him? I’m disgusted you even asked.”

“I’m disgusted that I felt I had to ask.”

“Are we really having this conversation?” She turned to the side. “You can’t possibly think I’m attracted to Grant! Are you nuts? Grant and I had wine at dinner. What the
hell
did you have?”

“Sometimes you can become attracted to someone even if you hate them.”

“No.” She shook her head. “No way in hell I’m attracted to Grant. Look into my eyes, Kevin. I hate him. I hate him so much that I could kill him with my bare hands.” She pushed him. “You know this. How can you even ask something like that?”

“I’m sorry but it looked like the flirtation was genuine on your part.”

She stood back and scoffed. “Then you’ve lost your damn mind. I’ll do whatever I have to do to prove that Grant killed my father.” She got closer to him. “He cannot continue to hurt people and get away with it!”

“Would you sleep with him?”

“What?” She felt as though he’d knocked the wind out of her.

“How far would you go to get the information you need?” He clasped his hands in front of him. “Huh? You said you’d do anything. Would you sleep with him if that’s what it took?”

She slapped him.

He looked at her and rubbed his cheek.

“Go to hell, Kevin.” She got her house key from her purse and headed toward the porch.

“How can I know you wouldn’t?” he shouted.

She stopped on the first porch step.

“After what I saw at the restaurant tonight and what you just said…how can I know?”

She turned around. “You should know
me.
If not, then what the hell are we doing together?”

She stomped up the steps.

* * * *

Alexis and Penelope peeked into the employee lounge of the Tate Valley Hospital the next day. Two black men dressed in blue scrubs looked up from their plates.

“Hello.” Alexis stepped inside and took out her badge. “I’m Detective Alexis Adams and this is my partner Penelope Dao.”

Penelope waved.

“We’re homicide.” Alexis put her badge up. “We need to speak to Khalil Williams. We heard he was in here.”

“I’m Khalil.” The dark-skinned man with the round face and neat afro wiped his mouth. “Is there a problem?”

“We need to speak to you about a recent homicide,” Penelope said. “Can we talk to you alone?”

“I’ll leave.” The other man gathered his tray and gave Khalil a strange glance. “Check you later, man.”

They bumped fists and the man left.

Penelope shut the door.

“What’s going on?” Khalil’s voice shook. “Am I in some kind of trouble?”

Alexis took out her notepad. “Why would you be?”

“I don’t know about you but when the cops wanna talk to a brotha it’s usually not just to shoot the breeze, if you know what I mean.”

“A young woman named Alicia Bellows was found beaten to death behind Kel’s,” Penelope said.

“You mean that old raggedy ass club on Soviet Avenue?” He grimaced. “If you think I know anything about that then you’re wasting your time. You’d never catch me in an area like that, and I don’t know why you need to speak to me.”

“Someone called us today with a tip.” Penelope sat beside him. “This person said that they saw a blue van on Soviet Avenue yesterday evening about five or six, around the time Alicia was killed.”

Khali looked at Alexis. “What—”

“The person managed to remember half of the license plate number,” Alexis said. “We checked it out and we found a 2002 blue Chevy van registered to you.”

“Jeez.” Khalil pushed his face into his palms. “Wait a minute, I—”

“Do you or do you not own a van that fits that description?” Penelope asked.

“I didn’t kill anyone okay? I don’t know Alicia Bellows. I’ve never heard of her! Was this a white girl?”

Alexis nodded.

“Fuck.” Khalil jumped up. “Man no.” He rocked. “You guys got this shit twisted if you’re trying to say…”

Penelope stood. “Khalil—”

“Man hell no!” He moved away from her. “You trying to pin that shit on me? I didn’t kill Alicia Bellows. I don’t even know the bitch!”

“Nobody said you killed anybody,” Alexis said. “But you’re not acting very innocent right now.”

“Just tell me what the fuck does this have to do with me?” He got in Alexis’s face. “I wasn’t at Soviet Avenue yesterday, I swear to God I wasn’t.”

“Where were you yesterday evening between five and six?” Alexis asked.

“I was at home, asleep.” He pulled on his scrubs. “Hello. I’m a nurse’s assistant. I only have time to work and sleep, not go out and kill white girls.”

Penelope huffed and glanced at Alexis. “Did anyone know you were home sleeping?”

He rubbed his fro. “My neighbors should know I was home. I’m sure they saw my car.”

“So you don’t drive the blue van?” Penelope asked.

“No.” He stroked his arm. “I don’t know how the van got there. I swear I wasn’t anywhere near Soviet Avenue.”

“You gotta tell us something that makes sense, Khalil.” Alexis sat at the table. “How the hell could your van be on Soviet Avenue around the time Alicia was killed if you weren’t driving it?”

“I don’t know!” He paced. “All I can tell you is
I
wasn’t there.”

“Was someone else using your van?” Penelope squinted.

“No.” He avoided eye contact.

“Khalil, don’t make our jobs any harder.” Alexis stood. “You either drove that van to Soviet Avenue, someone else did, or there’s a fuckin’ ghost going around driving blue vans to places where women are being murdered. Which should we believe?”

“Shit.” He took a loud breath. “She didn’t do anything. She wouldn’t murder anyone.”

“Who?” Penelope asked.

“Nadine.” He backed up from them with his head low. “She’s my sister. I sold her the van a while back.”

Alexis lifted her head. “Where can we find her?”

Chapter Five

After seeing no signs of Nadine at her home, Alexis and Penelope went to the house next door.

“Please let us get good news.” Alexis knocked on the neighbor’s door.

“I don’t know about that.” Penelope chewed gum. “When people start to go missing it never seems to be good.”

The door opened.

A chubby black woman with her hair wrapped up in a scarf walked onto the porch. “May I help you?”

“I’m Detective Alexis Adams with the Tate Valley Police.” Alexis took out her badge. “This is my partner Penelope Dao.”

The woman nodded. “What can I do for you?”

Penelope pointed to Nadine’s house. “We’re looking for Nadine Williams. Do you have any idea where she is?”

“No. I haven’t seen her.”

“Does she drive a blue van?” Alexis asked.

“Yes, a Chevy I believe. She said she bought it from her brother. Is something wrong?” The woman laid her hand on her large bosom. “Do you think something happened to her?”

“We need to speak to her in connection to a homicide,” Alexis said. “A young woman named Alicia Bellows was found beaten to death yesterday evening.”

“Alicia?” The woman covered her mouth. “Oh my God.”

“You know Alicia?” Penelope asked.

“That’s Pastor Bellows’s little girl.” The woman gasped. “I used to go to his church years ago. I can’t believe this.” She shook her head. “Alicia had some issues because her mother was always so sick, but she was a good person.”

“We think Nadine might be connected in some way,” Alexis said. “Or either she might know what’s going on.”

“Jesus.” The woman looked up. “I don’t talk to Nadine that much, but she’s not a killer if that’s what you’re thinking. She doesn’t hang out with the best of people, but Nadine would never hurt anyone.”

Alexis got out her pencil. “What’s your name?”

“Phyllis Baxter,” the woman said.

Alexis jotted it on her notepad.

“Do you know any names of these people Nadine hangs around?” Penelope asked.

“No.” Phyllis scratched under her headscarf. “I just know that she hangs around some funny people.”

Alexis nibbled on her pencil. “Do you know if Nadine knew Alicia Bellows?”

“No.” Phyllis held on to the door. “But no way would Nadine be involved in murder. I just can’t believe something like that.”

* * * *

Alexis and Penelope waited on the street in front of the small green house for about twenty minutes when a medium-height, slender brunette in a jogging suit sprinted up the street.

Penelope peeked through the mirror on the passenger’s side. “This might be her.”

Alexis watched the woman through her side mirror.

The woman, who appeared in her mid to late twenties, jogged across the yard of the green house and caught sight of the detectives. “May I help you?” She walked to Alexis’s car.

“I’m Detective Alexis Adams.” Alexis held her badge out of the window. “This is my partner, Penelope Dao. Are you Blake Maddox?”

Sweat drizzled from her face and down her neck. “I am.” She huffed and puffed. “What’s going on?”

“We got your name from a man who works with Nadine Williams.” Alexis put her badge up. “He said you’re a friend of hers. We need to speak to you about a homicide.”

“Homicide?” Her brown eyes got wide. “Oh God. Is Nadine okay?”

Alexis and Penelope got out of the car.

“We hope so,” Alexis said. “At this point we’re not sure.”

“I don’t understand what’s going on.” Blake trembled. “Who’s dead?”

“Alicia Bellows,” Penelope said.

“Oh.” Blake covered her mouth and stooped over. “My God.”

“Are you okay?” Alexis touched her back.

“No.” Blake broke into tears. “This can’t be true. Alicia isn’t
dead.
”

“You knew Alicia?” Penelope squinted.

She nodded. “We’re all friends.” Blake wept harder. “Nadine, Alicia, Mercy, all of us. What happened to her? I just saw her the other day.” She put her hand on her flat stomach. “This can’t be real.”

Alexis gestured to the fading bruise on the side of Blake’s face. “What happened to your face, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Blake laid her hand on the spot. “I…I fell.” She shrugged. “I’m always so clumsy.”

Alexis and Penelope looked at each other.

“What did you fall on…a fist?” Penelope put her hand on her waist. “Because that’s what it looks like.”

“No.” Blake backed away, sniffling. “It’s nothing. What happened to Alicia? What does this have to do with Nadine?”

“May we come in?” Penelope gestured to the house. “We’ll do our best to explain it to you.”

* * * *

“I don’t believe this.” Blake sat on her couch, clasping a can of Mountain Dew. She’d opened it the moment they got into the house but hadn’t sipped any in all of ten minutes. “I mean…how can you be talking to someone one day and they’re dead the next?” Mascara ran down her face as she sobbed. “It just doesn’t happen.”