“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” JB folded his arms. “Frankly, boss, I’m offended you think I’ve done something.”
“We found the gun, JB,” Sheriff Brown told the room.
JB looked at the floor.
“We’ll round up the boys—”
“For what? You found a gun. So what? People go hunting all the time. You have a gun. It don’t mean you fired on anybody.”
“Nobody hunts with a pocket pistol.” Sheriff Brown rolled his eyes. “The gun we found had Eddie’s prints and the bullets match the one they pulled out of Mr. Spegal. We’ll round up the boys and send them to D.C., or Baltimore, or—”
That was enough to break JB. “No! No! Don’t do that.” He searched the council for sympathy and found none. “How long will those boys last outside of Rain?”
“Those were questions to ask yourself before you contacted Limetech,” Jordan answered.
“Look, I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Deal with me. Eddie was following my orders. He’s still a kid.”
Tigris came around to the front side of the table. “Do you know what you’ve done, JB? Limetech isn’t here to help. Everybody is in danger because of you. Why?”
There was something about her tone...her attitude...her nerve for daring to lecture him. JB stood straight. “I put everybody in danger, Wild Thing? No. You put everybody in danger. You think we don’t know what’s going on? You use us to make yourselves rich. You can cure us, but you let us die. If anybody needs to suffer and go to hell for their crimes, it’s you people. All of you!”
She wasn’t pressed. “And yet, here we sit, clean-conscience and unfazed.”
“That’s what’s hurting everybody!” JB shouted. “That I-don’t-give-a-damn attitude. You need to care, girl.”
“But, I don’t.”
Ronald raised his voice. “I asked you a question, JB. I will not ask again.”
Everyone waited while JB weighed his options. Neither Dylan nor Jake understood the gravity, but they felt its weight.
“Will you help everybody who’s innocent?”
“Who’s innocent?” Jordan asked.
“My mother was innocent,” JB countered. “She loved Mr. Will. But you let her die because of a child’s mistake.”
This time it was Keisha who got up. She came around the table and got in JB’s face. “Don’t talk about Poppy. Don’t you dare put his name in your mouth. Cicely had the run of his lab and this whole place. She could make the elixir herself if she wanted. Had done so on several occasions—”
JB’s eyebrows arched. It was news to him.
“—But she didn’t take one thing that didn’t belong to her. Not even to save her own life. She had choices, but she didn’t put the burden of Maya’s betrayal on us. But, you think that’s your job? No, sir! She died in her home. In her sleep. She wanted to be with Poppy and we made sure she went peacefully. After saving everybody’s life over and over again,” she pointed to Ronald, “his daddy had to jump out of a truck. A Limetech truck. They don’t care about you any more than they care about us. But, here you are betraying us...AGAIN... You think you get a request? Your whole family can burn in hell and I will sleep well, knowing I’m that much safer.”
She turned away, giving her attention to her family. “Get the Harrisons out of my house.” She swung around again. “You’re not fooling anyone, JB. It’s not just Maya, is it? Cicely was Sid’s momma too. Sid and Diana are involved with you, aren’t they?”
His wordless opened mouth was her confirmation.
Ignoring him, she talked to her husband. “They know our schedules, our routines, where we are and who’s after us. They are watching us, and he’s passing the information.” She pointed over her shoulder.
Everything she said made sense...too much sense. JB’s broken sobs made the most sense.
Tigris went to her mother, and they shared an embrace. The duplicity again and again from the same source was crushing. But the Bishops were a proud, resilient force.
Refocusing on the rest of her family, Keisha said, “The Harrisons get nothing. Not one drop of anything.”
“Agreed,” Ronald said.
“Agreed.”
“Agreed.”
Every member of the clan echoed the sentiment.
While the horror unfolded, Jake texted Sonny. Whatever you need to do, do it now. They are going to kill Maya and us too.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Rain was too small for a person to get lost, let alone four. Sheriff Brown and his deputies picked up Nipsey. However, Eddie, Gossett, Pryor, and Prince were hiding. Somebody tipped them off, but it didn’t matter. The Bishops hadn’t fed them anything useful. If the sheriff didn’t flush them out, the sickness would.
Dylan and Jake were given freedom but warned to remain at the Bishop Mansion for their safety. Warned also, they would get no chances, no help, and no mercy should they conduct themselves inappropriately.
Jake chose to wait near the meeting room to be near Maya when her turn came. Dylan searched for Nile.
She found him. They embraced and made a hasty retreat through the garden to the boathouse.
“This is an unprecedented level of crazy.”
“You know what happened in there?” He quirked an eyebrow.
“Watched the whole thing...even your brother texting. Warn him against doing stupid stuff.” She showed him her phone. Sidney was being questioned. “I don’t know how this will play out.” She let him help her into the boat. “The Harrisons are a big part of Rain. This might divide the town. I can’t imagine what it means for Jacob, you, and me.” She gestured to the wide world. “Toni is reopening the restaurant for Aunt Earlene, thinking life is good. The bottom just dropped out and nobody knows it yet.”
“HI. I THOUGHT YOU LEFT?” Toni brushed her hair out of her face.
“I thought we had a date.” Sonny removed his sunglasses and leaned against the hostess booth.
“You didn’t call me.”
“I’m here now.” He half-smiled. “Let’s go have some fun.”
“I can’t. The dinner crowd is going to be huge. I have to set up.”
He pretended to pout. “How about a break? Can I steal those lips for fifteen minutes?” He beckoned with his head. “Let’s go for a ride.”
Toni hesitated for ten seconds, then yelled out, “I’ll be right back!” She gave Sonny her hand and let him pull her outside.
He didn’t bother with helmets; he didn’t ride her that far. Off the main street, down the road, turning into a driveway with a grey van.
“Nobody lives here.” Toni slid off the bike.
“I know. It’s a nice place to be alone.”
Toni grinned, was grabbed from behind, and got a cloth full of chloroform smashed over her face.
“I was about to kiss her,” Sonny snapped.
“You’re on a schedule.” Prince carried Toni’s slumped body to the van.
“That I am.” Sonny backed out of the driveway.
He pulled up to the school just after the bell. Students poured from the front double doors. Fortunately for him, there weren’t that many. Also, fortunate, the bike drew Mackey, as he hoped it would. He and his friends came over.