Again, Grandma looked at me, through me. Without speaking, she pulled an envelope out of her belt bag and set it on the table. “One of the reasons I’m successful is because I know how to read people.”
Olivia Keyes had amassed quite the empire since she’d purchased her first department store at the young age of twenty-five with the help of Albany’s late grandfather, who also owned several strip malls in the Ann Arbor area. As an only child, she inherited his company and created Keyes Investments. Business had been good to the shrewd businesswoman and Grandma was currently in the process of developing a state-of-the-art shopping center in Downtown Detroit.
“Divorce final?” Grandma asked.
I paused, trying to remember how much I’d divulged to my grandmother when I’d told her I was leaving Darrell. “Yesterday.”
“Good. It’s never easy to divorce. Even if you can’t stand the bastard you married.”
Chuckling, Albany agreed. “That’s true.”
I had never known my grandfather, had only seen pictures of him. Essentially, Grandma Liv had erased his existence. She’d even changed all her kids’ names to her maiden name because of the shame associated with being Donald Witherspoon’s jilted wife.
The scandal was legendary in their small hometown of Ypsilanti, Michigan. I had made the mistake of asking my grandmother about the man she’d married and was promptly shut down. It wasn’t until I was a teenager that I’d discovered the real reason no one dared speak of the man. Not only had he cheated on Grandma for years, but he’d also chosen to move in—and marry—his mistress while he was still married to Grandma.
“How did you move past it?” I asked.
“I took everything with me when I left that fool.” She shrugged. “By the time I was done with him, he and hiswifedidn’t have a pot to piss in.”
“Do you regret it?”
Grandma flashed a sad smile. “I have to say … the best revenge is to live well and love better.” She chuckled. “I tried, Pooh, but I can’t even lie. Not even to help you feel better. The truth is, revenge was sweet. After what he put me through, I don’t regret anything I’ve done to make his life hell.”
“I’m done with love,” I confessed.
Grandma patted my hand. “You’re too young and too beautiful to say that. I have many regrets, but my biggest regret is that I let bitterness close my heart to new love for so long. Don’t be like me. In a year’s time, that asshole won’t even faze you. He’ll be a small dot on the larger map of your life. A landfill.”
I cracked up. “You’re hilarious, Grandma.”
She sighed and stood. “I’m just telling the truth. Give me a kiss and walk me to the door.”
Doing as I was told, I linked arms with her and led her toward the front of the condo. “I love you. I’m glad I’m home.”
“I’ll be glad when you finally tell me everything,” Grandma retorted. Then she pointed at the envelope on the table. “In the meantime, take that blessing and stop being so damn stubborn.”
“Thank you,” I whispered, unable to stop the tear that fell.
Grandma dashed it away with her thumb. “I’m always here for you. No matter what.”
As we walked toward the door slowly, we chatted about my plans for the weekend. “I’ll stop by tomorrow,” I announced. “We’ll have lunch and watch a movie or something.”
Grandma frowned. “Pooh, no. Tomorrow is poker night. I’m not watching no movie. We can do that Sunday. After you get your hair braided. They look a little raggedy.”
Laughing, I nodded. “I’ll make the appointment today. And Sunday it is.”
A few minutes later, Grandma was gone. I peeked in the envelope and silently thanked God for my grandmother. I counted the cash, separated rent money, and set it on Brianna’s nightstand. Then, I closed my laptop and headed to my first destination. No time like the present to shift my focus back to this case. The sooner I figured it out, the sooner I could move on, away from Wes.
To find the culprit, I had to figure out what Wes was doing when the videos started. I also needed to monitor his movements, observe his interactions, familiarize myself with his everyday contacts.
It didn’t take me long to find him either. A quick call to his secretary told me everything I needed to know. He’d always been a creature of habit, so I was able to track him at his favorite breakfast spot. From there, I’d tailed him to the gym and watched him play basketball with Hendrix and some of his friends. Around lunchtime, he’d grabbed lunch at the café next to the fitness center.
Inside the café, I’d hunkered down at a corner booth. I tried not to pay attention to the way he smiled at the barista or flirted with the women seated near him. He seemed at ease there, like he knew the regulars and enjoyed the company. I made a mental note to speak with one of the women behind the counter, the only one who didn’t seem affected by Wes’s charm.
Pulling my cap down over my eyes, I tucked my phone in my purse. While I hated to leave in the middle of the day, I also didn’t want to take a chance that he would spot me. After I finished my coffee, I hurried toward the door only to be blocked by the man that I was supposed to be hiding from.
He raised a brow. “Care to tell me why you’ve been following me?”
Damn it.So much for being incognito.
