This interested Hawk. “You know about my father’s infidelities too?”
She nodded. “I’ve heard about it for years.”
“What were people saying?”
“They were excusing it. They were saying boys will be boys and that your mother should have realized it. It was as if they were blaming her for not being enough for him.”
Hawk’s heart dropped. “You think my mother knew about those rumors?”
“She had to have known. She’s connected to the black community here in Brackenridge more than anybody else in your family. I’m certain she knew.”
It was more devastating for his mother than he had thought. “Damn,” he said.
“But you know what kind of gets to me?”
“What?”
“Chief Donnally said your mother never had security before.”
“That’s not entirely true. She had a trained driver.”
“But he said it was your father who wanted to get her a full-fledged bodyguard.”
Hawk nodded. “That’s right.”
Janita looked at him. “Why all of a sudden?”
Hawk thought about it. Then he shrugged his shoulders. “I have no idea.”
“That’s what I’m wrestling with. Why all of a sudden he felt she needed a bodyguard when she didn’t before? Did something happen?”
Hawk’s phone began to ring. “Nothing that I know of,” he said. He couldn’t think of anything. “But I’m purposely out of the family loop,” he added. Von woke up when he heard that phone ringing.
Seated down on the table, Hawk turned it face up and looked at the Caller ID. “It’s my brother Matty,” he said as he answered. “Any news?” he asked him.
“Come home. We heard from the kidnappers.”
As soon as Matty said those words, Hawk jumped up. “What’s their demand?” he asked, which caused Von to sit up and Janita to look up at Hawk.
“They said they will be calling back within the hour to tell us their demand,” he said.
That sounded crazy to Hawk, or exactly something his mother might do. But he didn’t trip. Any news was better than no news. “I’m on my way,” he said and ended the call.
“Let’s go,” he said to Janita and Von, and he didn’t have to say it twice. They were right on his heels.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
But when they got to the Webster Mansion, and Hawk saw all of his siblings’ cars, along with police cruisers and a police SUV withPolice Chiefwritten on it, his resolve weakened. He was suddenly terrified for his mother.
Janita’s plan was to wait outside with Von because she was sure that family didn’t want to see her face again. Especially not after what Donnally had told them. But Hawk had already, in his mind, nixed that plan. He was nowhere near ready for Janita to leave his side. He couldn’t verbalize why, but when she, as if she was still on duty, opened that back passenger door for him, and he stepped out, it was a definite feeling. He wanted her with him. “You’re coming in with me,” he said to her.
“Inside?” Janita sounded doubtful.
But Hawk didn’t. “That’s what coming in with me means.”
“We don’t wanna cause any trouble. We’ll wait out here.”
“Not him. Von can go on home. We’ll let him know if anything happens. I know it’s been a long day for him too. But you’re staying with me,” he said as if it was an order, and then he began walking toward the huge front door of his childhood home.
