Page 68 of A Lifetime in 30 Days
By now, Jamaica and Ronni had both gotten up from their seats and were standing to Vanna’s right. Croy stood, but moved so that he was a few steps behind Gail.
“Don’t rush me, girl! If you knew what was comin’, you’d sit your ass back down and shut up,” Gail said. “But no, you too good for that. Good and damn foolish. But I swear you’ve got a little bit of luck on your side. How else do you keep escaping everything I put in place for your downfall?”
That last part had Vanna raising a brow and Aden stepping up closer to flank her left side. She felt his hand on the small of her back and knew that he would intervene the second she gave him the word.
“What are you talking about?” Vanna asked, that sickening feeling swirling in her stomach now.
Gail’s eyes were bloodshot just like Diane’s had been the last time she’d seen her. Vanna had witnessed Gail drunk before, but never like this. She practically reeked of alcohol like she’d been drinking nonstop for weeks. Her steps had been wobbly, and now she was barely able to stand still without swaying from one side to the other. But none of that stopped her.
“You know what I’m talkin’ ’bout.” More slurred words, this time added to a wave of her arm that almost sent her sprawling across the floor.
Croy had held out his arms, indicating he was ready to catch her whenever she finally toppled over.
“I tipped those cops off to that bank account!” Gail yelled. “When they came to my house to talk about my Caleb, ask if he had any enemies that might want to see him dead. Or if maybe he jumped in that water himself. I told ’em, you! You were the enemy! And I made sure they knew that’s where Caleb put his money. I knew because the statements came to my house along with all his other mail after you put him out.”
“What?” Vanna asked, her voice a raspy whisper.
“Caleb’s lovesick ass told me a while ago about that account. Said he wanted to make sure he had all the money he would need to take care of you right this time. All that boy talked about was getting your trifling ass back. Made me sick!”
“Wait a minute,” Vanna said. “You knew my name was still on that account.”
“Caleb didn’t never take it off. Tossed those papers you signed right in the trash one night. Said he wasn’t letting go of the last thing he had of your life together. I told him he was a fool right then and there. Told him he was a sorry excuse for a man, letting a woman dominate him the way you did.”
At her words, Vanna thought about all that Aden had told her about Caleb’s relationship with his mother. Vanna had never heard Gail talk to or about Caleb like this. She’d only ever doted on him and berated Vanna for not doing enough to take care of him. How the hell had she even formed those words when it was obvious now how badly she’d spoken to her own child?
“And I knew he had all that money, so I told the cops that’s where it was, and that’s how they knew to arrest your ass,” Gail said. “But then you got out of jail, and I knew I had to do more, to fix it so you’d stay behind bars until you died just like my son. So I put those bags in your house.”
“How the hell did your drunk ass get into her house?” Jamaica asked.
Gail’s head turned to Jamaica and frowned again. “You, the cop bitch,” Gail said with a shake of her head. “You should know better than to hang around criminals.” Gail laughed again before returning her gaze to Vanna.
Then she started to dig into the deep pocket of the white three-quarter-length jacket she wore. She pulled out keys and jingled them in the air. “I told you, you was dumb. You never changed the locks on the house. Caleb still had his key, so I used it and I was so ready to see you fry when I checked in with the detective and learned that they’d searched the house.”
“You vindictive—” Vanna moved toward Gail, ready to put hands on her, when Gail pulled a gun out of that same pocket and aimed it directly at her.
“Get back!” she told Vanna. “You stand back until I’m ready to end this for you.”
Aden had inched an arm around Vanna’s waist, pulled her back, and tucked her behind him. “I think it’s time for you to go,” he said in a voice that was far too calm for the rage Vanna felt jumping off him as she placed a hand on his arm.
The guests were immediately up and out of their seats, all rushing toward the opening where the patio led back into the restaurant.
“I ain’t goin’ nowhere,” Gail continued. “Not until I’m finished with her. If you’d just gone down with the cops, then I wouldn’t have to do this, but it’s probably better this way.”
At this moment, Vanna wished she hadn’t taken Granny’s gun from her after that night when she’d pulled it on Aden. Not that it had any bullets, anyway.
“Nah, you’re leaving,” Aden said. “Going out the door with the cops you love talking to so much.” He nodded just beyond Gail’s shoulder, and Vanna’s eyes widened as she saw two uniformed cops coming through the opening to the patio.
She hadn’t heard them before, but now the sound of sirens in the distance broke through the air. Somebody at the party must’ve called the police, thankfully, or this situation could’ve ended much worse.
“You killed my son, and all he did was love you!” Gail cried out as one of the officers came up behind her and demanded she drop the gun.
Another officer came around until Gail could see him. “Drop the gun!” he yelled “Drop it now!”
“No!” Gail yelled back. “She killed my son!”
Davon had gotten up and had moved Granny to the other side of the DJ stand, out of the line of fire, and Vanna whispered a silent thank-you to him as she glimpsed them out of her peripheral. Aden never moved from in front of her, and Jamaica and Ronni still stood beside her.
“Ma’am, we’re only gonna ask you one more time,” the officer who stood in front of Gail said now.
