Page 37 of Seer

“Lady, how did you get back here?” I bite my lip.

Fucking fool.

“Detective?” She prompts him for his name, but he lacks the brain power to understand what she wants.

“What is your name, child?” Annoying my mother is never a good thing.

“Detective Charles, ma’am.” I hang my head to hide my laugh.

“I am Mrs. Davenport-Fukuma. I’m representing Mr. Thorton. Where is my client?” With that, my mother has dismissed me entirely.

I kiss her cheek and wave at the Detectives.

“I’ll wait out front, Ma.” I walk past her and return to Leah, who’s pacing the waiting area.

“Did you see him?” I shake my head.

“No, they wanted me to look at a note. They’re acting really weird, and it makes no sense.” I hugged her and kissed the top of her head.

About two minutes later, Kai and Ma walk out with a fuming bad cop following.

“This isn’t over!” He yells at her back, and I growl.

“Are you threatening my mother?” Kai grabs my arm as I try to get past him.

“Cher, outside. Now!” Ma turns to the cop and looks him from his toes to his head.

“You haven’t been in this position long enough to have learned your place yet, boy. If you want to keep your job, I suggest you act like the public official you were hired as and not like the two-bit criminals you’re supposed to protect us from. You haven’t learned the difference, and I, for one, would love to know why. I’ll ask the mayor when he’s at my house for Sunday supper. Good day.” She spins on her high heels and pushes us all out the door.

Once we’re in the parking lot, she lets out a few curses in English and Creole before addressing me.

“Fabien,” she’s staring at the ground with her hands on her hips.

“That ain’t good,” Kai whispers to me.

“No shit,” I walk over to her.

“Yea, Maman?” It takes her a few deep breaths until she can look up at me.

“Why do they think you killed Charlotte Monroe?”

Chapter

Nineteen

KAI

“Charlotte’s dead?” I choke out.

“They haven’t retrieved a body, but they believe she is. Her house was broken into three nights ago, and the blood found suggests she isn’t alive.” She pulls the police report out of her bag and hands it to me.

“Where were you three nights ago?” I look at Fabien in utter confusion.

“Who would think you would do this?” I wasn’t prepared for the pictures attached to the report.

They are graphic and detailed.

“Not him, Cher. You.” My mouth drops open as I stare at Genevieve.