Fiction
Vengeance From The Grave Part 4
A Henry James And Roberto De La Cruz Series
My name is Henry Allen James, and I’m Roberto De La Cruz, and we’re writers for Dark Sides of the Truth magazine.
It seems over the last couple of years, family get-togethers at Cynthia Alexander’s mansion have taken a much too somber tone. So many bad things have happened to the family over the last two years.
Cynthia getting intentionally struck by a car, Damen being arrested for a crime he didn’t commit and the elephant in the room no one ever spoke of, the death of Dante Alexander.
For now, it was just me and Cynthia sitting in the kitchen enjoying each other’s company before everyone showed up.
“So?”
“So?”
“Are you going to tell me what this is all about Henry?”
“Yeah, but I don’t think you’re gonna like this baby.”
“It’s about Dante isn’t it?”
“How in the hell did you know that?”
“Your language Henry. Let’s call it intuition. You’re not the only person in the house who has it. You know very well I’m in constant touch with the boys and Sunny. So when you told me you wanted to call a family meeting and after speaking to my children, I assumed you wanted to talk about the only family member who's not with us.”
“You’re amazing woman, you know that?”
“Flattery won’t get you anywhere lover. What’s this news about Dante?”
As I shared what we knew so far, Cynthia remained motionless, the muscles in her face taut, normally full lips pressed into thin lines. Only when tears began to well up and trickle down both cheeks did she silently wipe them away with both hands. When she spoke her voice was hardly a whisper.
“You’re telling me my son made his presence known to Gorgie, Victoria’s brother?”
“Yes baby, I am.”
“Why would Dante do that?”
“That’s why as a family we need to talk about this honey. The first thing I need to know is if Roberto and I can run with this.”
“You mean a story don’t you Henry?”
“Yes. But before you say anything Cynthia, think about this. According to Gorgie, Dante told him something was going on off-court and it was time for some vengeance. We think someone in the Dukes basketball organization may have helped Macy, fed him information the day Dante was kidnapped and…”
“Murdered.”
There have been many moments of silence between us since we’ve gotten together, most of them contented times where we shared each other’s space, enjoying feelings that each of us completed the other.
This wasn’t one of those moments.
“Dante needs justice, Henry. If you and Roberto can give it to him, if you two can bring closure to this, then that’s what you need to do dear.”
When she reached across the table and caressed the top of my hand I gently sandwiched her slender, tapered fingers in my hands, then nodded.
“We’ll do our best baby.”
“I know you will. I also know you’re going to need help with Shaundrika. Does Robert know about this?”
I nodded, “yes the plan is I’m supposed to talk to you and he was supposed to tell her.”
“Which he hasn’t.”
“Uh, how do you know that?”
“Because if he had I would have already heard from her.”
When the doorbell rang we exchanged knowing glances and got up and left the kitchen. From this point on it would be a battle royal and we both knew it.
It wasn’t long until members of the Alexander brood, Ray Jr., Demarcus, Cynthia, and Shaundrika were sitting in one of the mansion’s enormous living areas, along with Robert, Manny, and his wife Victoria.
A laptop was opened in the center of one of the coffee tables. Damen and his wife and two girls had not been able to make the trip from Houston but were online via webchat. While they wouldn’t be able to see everything going on, they could at least hear the conversations.
“Okay, Henry. Everybody’s here. What’s this about? You and mother changed your wedding date again?”
“Uh, no Demarcus. At least not yet anyway. This is something we all need to discuss and reach a decision on.”
“Well?”
“Okay let me get right to the point. Roberto and I have some information that’s prompted us to believe we need to do a deeper dive into a story…”
“Oh, finally you two found a decent story? I was beginning to think you’d lost your touch.”
“Very funny Sunny. Anyway, Roberto and I need the family’s permission to go down this road.”
“Why do you need our permission? You’ve never asked us for permission in the past.”
“It’s because we’re doing a story on your brother Ray. Roberto and I have recently stumbled onto some information about Dante.”
While the shocked expressions from both Demarcus and Ray spoke volumes, the gasp from Sunny pretty much punctuated everyone’s surprise.
“Where’s Donnie Cynthia?”
“I believe he and Gorgie are playing video games in one of the back rooms.”
“Robert, can you go get them?”
“Sure.”
“So it seems as if Sunny and I aren’t the only two who can uh, see, and hear things other people can’t.”
“Are you talking about what I think you’re talking about Henry?”
“Let us finish Shaundrika.”
When Robert returned with Donnie and Gorgie. Roberto, who was leaning against the mantle of a dormant fireplace beside Robert and Sunny, pushed away and walked over to Gorgie.
He turned and placed his hand on Gorgie’s shoulder then said, “folks, your brother Dante came to Gorgie and had a conversation with him.”
Instantly, the room exploded with a series of running commentaries and questions, then more excitable conversations.
“Whoa, hold up folks. Chill for a minute.”
“You and Roberto are springing this on us now, Henry? After everything this family has been through, you want to bring up a terrible moment from the past?”
“Shaundrika, let me explain.”
Sunny shifted in her chair, struggling as she slid forward and stood up.
“No Henry. I said no. You are not going to drag up painful memories of what happened to Dante just so you and Roberto can have your damn story.”
“Sunny…”
“I said no!”
Everyone watched in silence as she walked out of the living room sobbing, a hand clasped over her mouth.
“Good job Robert.”
“Henry, I tried but…”
“Well, let me go see if I can fix this.”
“No Henry. I’ll go.”
“You sure Cynthia?”
“Henry I think she’ll talk to her own mother.”
Knock on the door.
“Go away, Henry.”
“It’s not Henry Shaundrika. May I come in?”
Moments of silence sitting beside each other on the bed.
“We need to let Roberto and Henry do this story dear.”
“No mother. I can’t, I don’t think I can handle…”
Several more seconds of silence broken by soft sobs and reassuring hugs.
“Why mother? Why did Dante have to die? Why couldn’t it have been me? It was Henry and I that broke the story on Charles Macy. Dante died because of me. I killed him.”
“No baby you didn’t and you know in your heart you weren’t responsible for Dante’s death. Now we have a chance Shaundrika. We have a chance to finish this once and for all. Charles Macy may be in prison and his son Dwayne dead, but Dante’s story isn’t over Shaundrika. You need to let Roberto and Henry help him finish it.”
More seconds of soft sobs and tighter hugs then silence and next a soft whisper.
“Okay.”
“What dear?”
“I said okay. Henry and Roberto can run this story.”
“I’ll let them know.”
“No mother. I will.”
“Are you certain?”
“Yes, yes I’m sure. I can’t run from this forever.”
“No baby, you can’t. Let’s go tell them.”
Read On — Vengeance From The Grave Part 5
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© P.G. Barnett, 2020. All Rights Reserved.
