Page 35 of Faded Rhythm

16

Sable

Back in the hotelroom, I settle on the edge of my bed and dial my mother. It barely rings once before she picks up.

“Hi, my sweet baby,” she says, sentimental as always. “Are you okay? I’m worried about you.”

“I’m okay, Mommy.” I try not to let the weight of everything slip into my voice. “I’m just tired.”

“I wish I could hug you right now.”

I close my eyes and imagine her perfume. Shalimar. Powdery and sweet.

“I wish you could, too,” I say.

There’s a pause, then I ease into it.

“Has Brett ever said anything to you? About our marriage, or…anything that struck you as strange?”

She hesitates. “Strange? Not that I can think of. Why?”

I chew my bottom lip. “I’m divorcing him.”

It’s quiet. On my end, and on hers. It stretches on so long, I start fidgeting. I only stop because King’s eyes are on me. Dark eyes and a stare that pins me in. It makes me want to behave.

“Sable,” she finally says softly. “Brett’s always given you a good life. I thought y’all were happy.”

“I thought so, too,” I say. “I don’t know. It’s complicated.”

Another pause, then her voice drops like she’s deep in thought. “Well…I understand that. Powerful men are complicated. Your daddy was like that, too.”

“Yes,” I murmur. “I’ve been thinking about him a lot lately.”

“Me, too. That’s odd that we both…” she trails off. “His accident. He wasn’t himself before it happened. He was in his head a lot. Kept getting phone calls he wouldn’t tell me about. Always leaving home in a rush. Your daddy never rushed for anything unless it was serious.”

“Did you ask him what was going on?”

“Of course I did. He just said he’d explain it all soon enough.”

I nodded. “Something was going on. The way he veered off the road…it just doesn’t make sense.”

“No, it doesn’t,” she agrees. “He wasn’t drunk. He wasn’t sick. He seemed…scared.”

Big Ray Lovelace? Scared? That didn’t make sense to me.

“He talked a lot about Dime back then,” she said. “He was worried. He said he was thinking about cutting his losses and going independent with Redd. Said Dime had his hands in too many things.”

“How come you never told me any of this?”

She sighs. “I didn’t think it was relevant, I guess.”

I sit with that for a moment, my mind a mess of thoughts.

“I love you,” I say. “We’ll talk again soon.”

“Okay, baby. Love you more.”

I end the call, turning my attention to King. “I think my father-in-law might have some answers.”

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