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While Alphé swept the ice and water to the trap that led to the drink, he thought about Pierre’s closing statement. He didn’t even care about money. Anger had clouded his thought processes. Usually by now, he would have called Katrina and then texted Calista, to tell them he was on his way home. In the wheelhouse, he sat, getting out his phone. Katrina answered on the first ring.
“I was worried.”
“Calista’s boyfriend accused me of murdering my brother.”
Katrina gasped in disbelief.
“I had the sheriff here and a Coast Guard investigator when I pulled in.”
“Alphé, come home. I’ll head over there now. Just be safe. I can even pick you up if you’re too upset.”
“No, I’m okay. I’m going to stop by church for ten minutes before I come home. Please tell Calista what happened. I’m not sure I can tell her without making her feel guilty.”
“You know she’ll be mortified.”
“I know it. I’m irrational right now. You might be the only person I’m not pissed off at.”
He rarely cussed.
“Go to church. I’ll see you soon. Hang in there, Alphé.”
Calista already knew, however. The sheriff had stopped by Alphé’s house to talk to Lola, but Calista was there, instead. They had asked if she could collaborate Alphé’s story about the letter from Lola’s lawyer and also that the man she was seeing from the BLM had really told Alphé’s children about their paternity.
Nearly incoherent when she tried to talk, the sheriff patted her back, asking her if she needed water.
“This is insane,” she cried. “You should talk to his ex-wife, too. No one knows Alphé better than Lola.”
“Where can we find her?”
Calista told them, “Above the hardware store.”
“Can I ask why you’re here?” the sheriff asked, wondering if there wasn’t a triangle going on.
“I babysit for Alphé’s four children after school.”
At the hardware store apartment, it incensed Lola that anyone would accuse her ex-husband of killing his brother. But she wouldn’t answer questions about her relationship with Rodney.
Katrina got to Alphé’s house shortly after the sheriff left and found Calista beside herself.
“Just calm down. No one is going to arrest Alphé,” Katrina said, holding her. “Where are the kids?”
“They’re in the kitchen, doing homework. Is Alphé angry with me?”
“No, he doesn’t blame you at all. They told him it was Austin, Calista.”
“He threatened to do it last week. He promised me he wouldn’t when I got upset. But I broke up with him, and this is his revenge.”
“Well, I think he made himself look like a real asshole, if you’ll excuse my language. Wash your face, and I’ll make you a cup of coffee and say hello to the kids. Oh, and I was thinking, let me see the iPads so I can disable the camera and audio and make sure there’s no location devices activated. We don’t need that maniac spying on you.”
“They’re all at my house.”
“Are you safe there?”
“God, I hope so! What should I do?”
“I’m going to call the sheriff who was here. Do you remember his name?”
“Dave Chastain. He’s Justin’s brother.”
