Page 62 of A Lifetime in 30 Days
But it was when the lights were out and she lay in the dark, listening to Granny’s soft breathing and Frito’s congested snore, that thoughts of Aden returned. They always came to her at night, when her defenseswere down and there was nothing else happening to keep her mind off him. It had only been two days since their argument on Monday night. Two days since he’d texted or called her. Two days that she hadn’t texted or called him.
She didn’t know what to say to him or how to say it. Should she apologize for even considering that he could be framing her? Probably. Would he want to hear it? She wasn’t sure, and truthfully, she just didn’t feel like dealing with that right now. Because while Aden might not be the one framing her, somebody certainly had been, and she still didn’t know why.
Aden brought a lot with him, just as she knew she brought a lot to the table as well. Maybe their past was just too much to overcome. Maybe Caleb and what he was to both of them would always be an obstacle, even after Caleb’s death. And maybe it was just too soon to be thinking this seriously about any of this. It wasn’t like she and Aden were in a deep relationship, like they were in love or something. Two weeks of really good sex, good conversation, shared memories, common goals and interests—that’s all. She could get over that.
But something Jovani had said before he left rang true in her mind: Aden probably did know someone who could install a security system. And if they were on speaking terms right now, he would’ve probably already called that person to handle it for her. It didn’t occur to her until this very moment how good it had felt to have someone—other than Granny—taking care of her for a change.
Chapter 19
August 24
“Bingo!”
That one word was music to Vanna’s ears. Having the forethought to add the Pretty in Pink Girls’ Club’s annual Bingo and Brunch fundraiser to her roster of birthday celebrations may have been the smartest thing she had ever done. Who knew how much she’d need this time with these young women dedicated to rising above their circumstances and to making a difference in this world?
For six years, she’d been volunteering with the organization, enjoying every moment she spent with girls ages thirteen to eighteen. How many times had those girls ended up refilling her well, instead of the other way around, the way it was supposed to be. Something about seeing that hopeful gleam in their eyes, listening to the plans they were making for their future, the optimism that rang through their voices, was so overwhelmingly invigorating. They met once a month, usually at the community center, but sometimes, like today, funding was available for them to rent a larger space and open their event up to the community.
Bingo and Brunch was a major part of their yearly budget, something Vanna knew because she was on the finance committee for the organization. A belated thought hit her then, and she had to grit her teeth to push it out of her mind. What if this embezzlementinvestigation reached as far as this organization’s books being audited? Parish and Beaumont had already shown up at her job asking ridiculous questions and putting her livelihood on the line. Jovani immediately filed a complaint with their superiors when she told him about it, but the damage was already done. Well, not exactly. HC Sr. knew damn well Vanna hadn’t been taking money from the firm. He kept his eyes on the firm’s bank account as keenly as he did his personal accounts. So the only thing the detectives had been successful at accomplishing was embarrassing the hell out of her ... again.
The break-in at her house a few days ago, however, had ended with egg on the detectives’ faces instead of on hers. Will and Cordell had both made statements, and nowhere in them did they say that she was ever mentioned during the planning or execution of the robberies. Jovani had called her yesterday morning with the news. Both men were aiming for plea deals that would keep them from serving a full prison sentence and paying a hefty fine to the casino. Jovani hadn’t been optimistic that they would get everything they wanted in a deal, but he was only concerned with whatever they were saying as far as it linked to her. Which wasn’t much at all. Neither of them knew about the credit union account in her and Caleb’s names—the sole reason the detectives assumed she was connected in the first place. And although that was the account that held the money they’d accused her of embezzling, the detectives had indicated to Jovani that there was more money missing. But without another account with Vanna’s name on it with a chunk of money that had been deposited in the last three to six months, they still had very little evidence against her. Will and Cordell couldn’t corroborate their theory that she was in on Caleb’s plan. Nothing connected her to Elliot Joble’s murder, and nobody she knew—meaning her employer—had given any indication that she’d embezzled money before.
“I’m filing a motion to dismiss first thing Monday morning,” Jovani had said when she spoke to him yesterday afternoon.
So she awoke with a smile on her face Saturday morning. And one big reason for that smile was the girls she saw walking around the room they’d rented at this hall. They were dressed in pink polo shirts and black shorts, or some of them wore black leggings. Vanna, along with the other adult staff present, wore the colors as well. Jamaica used to joke that the only reason Vanna had signed on to work with this organization was because of their shared affinity for the color pink. Vanna had only half denied that.
In fact, she’d found more gratification in watching some of these teenagers grow into beautiful young ladies. She’d been to more than one high school graduation and, as of earlier this year, the college graduation of two of her Pinks—that’s what they called the girls in the club, a fact Vanna adored.
“I can’t win if Granny’s over there scooping up every round,” Ronni complained from where she sat across the table from Vanna and Granny.
Jamaica was sitting beside Ronni. They all had a board to play and a dot marker to use to mark their cards. All except Granny, who played three boards, had a marker in her hand, and two more on standby in case she ran out of ink during the round. She’d won four times in the hour and a half they’d been here.
“Do we have to take her to the movies with us when we leave?” Ronni continued to whine.
“You’re a sore loser,” Granny quipped. “I sure hope you’re teaching your kids better. Plus, if you stop running your mouth and pay attention, you might win a round or two.”
“How? You’re playing all the boards, Granny,” Ronni argued.
“Girl, I ain’t even got all the boards. There are six tables of people playing here. And three or four tables of people just running their mouths and eating all the food. Maybe you should go over there and join them,” Granny told her.
“All right, you two,” Vanna interjected. “It’s just a game.”
Jamaica laughed. “I can’t tell. This seems to be getting serious.”
“Too serious,” Vanna said, and chuckled.
“Oh, you mean like things between you and Aden were before the smart detective over here suggested he wasn’t trustworthy,” Ronni snapped.
“Ooooooohhhh, shots fired!” Jamaica said, putting a fist up to her mouth to stifle another burst of laughter. Then, as if just hearing everything, frowned at Ronni. “Hold up.”
But before Jamaica could continue to go at Ronni, Vanna added, “Wow. Did I deserve that?”
She had, of course, told them about her conversation with Aden. And while they’d both been as relieved as Vanna that he wasn’t involved, only Ronni had immediately blamed Jamaica for causing the discord that Vanna and Aden were currently experiencing.
Ronni sat back in her chair and pouted. “Well, you’re defending Granny, and you know she’s winning all the time.”
“You’re legit sitting there whining about not winning at bingo. Do you really want a heated blanket or the full season ofRizzoli & Isleson DVD?” Vanna asked. To be fair, she would’ve liked to win the DVDs herself, but she could also just buy them. “Besides, we’re here for the charity—you remember that, don’t you? We bought tickets, sold a few, and bid on the silent auction, all so that the club can raise money.”
Ronni looked at Jamaica, and Jamaica rolled her eyes. “Well, that’s true. And maybe that was a cheap shot. So I apologize. But you still dodged the Aden topic.”
