BooksBarbecue
Back Nana Save as PDF
Chapters (70)
  1. Title page
  2. Prologue
  3. Part One
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. Part Two
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. Part Three
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. 55
  61. 56
  62. 57
  63. 58
  64. 59
  65. 60
  66. 61
  67. 62
  68. Get on the Mailing List!
  69. Also by Brandon Massey
  70. About Brandon Massey

A hacking cough. “That’s why I phoned. Your husband passed along your number to me. How’re you getting along?”

“It’s been tough,” Monica said. Running her fingers through her hair, she examined a new strand of gray. “But God brought my biological mother into my life this past weekend, too. That’s been an unexpected blessing.”

Silence on the other end of the line. When McBride finally spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper. “Grace?”

“You know her?” Monica sat up straighter in the bed.

The pastor started to respond, but a series of phlegmy coughs seized him.

Monica clutched the handset. She tried to pinpoint the emotion she’d heard in the pastor’s words: it sounded like fear.

But that didn’t make any sense, did it?

“Do you know my mother, sir?” Monica asked again.

Before McBride could answer, Monica heard the phone picked up in another part of the house. Grace’s voice boomed over the line: “Who’s calling? My daughter Monica needs her rest.”

A dial tone answered. McBride had disconnected.

Frowning, Monica replaced the handset on the cradle. Less than a minute later, Grace walked into the bedroom.

“Who was that?” Grace asked in a sharp tone.

The suddenness of Grace’s entrance, and the suspicion in her gaze, had caught Monica off guard.

“Reverend McBride,” Monica said. “I met him at Lily’s service. He said Lily used to attend his church, a long time ago. Do you know him? He said your name.”

“I most certainly remember him.” Grace’s lips twisted as if she’d bitten into a rotten apple. “How did he get your telephone number?”

“He said Troy gave it to him.”

“That old man is not to be trusted,” Grace said. “Lily abandoned his church due to his predilection for scandalous behavior. Among other things, he had a fondness for young girls.”

“Oh.” Monica wondered if the reverend had made a pass at Grace in her youth, but she didn’t dare ask. The disgust on her mother’s face made the answer obvious.

“I doubt he’s changed with age,” Grace said. “Such vile men never do.”

“I can understand why Lily would have left his church then. She wouldn’t have tolerated being a member of a congregation led by a man like that.”

“Indeed, you knew her well.” Grace touched Monica’s shoulder. “Get some rest, dear—and I’ll answer the phone if it rings again.”

25

Sitting in his home office in the basement that evening, eating a turkey-and-cheddar sandwich while the rest of his family ate dinner upstairs, Troy scanned the email that had arrived on his iPhone.

Dr. Stephens –

Background report on Grace Bolden is attached. I know this isn’t much, but this is standard for our express package. We can discuss what is needed for a more comprehensive investigation. Call me at your convenience.

Nick Sullivan

On the Move Investigative Services