Presumed Guilty: Serena Manchester Mysteries, #4

Chapter One

Georgetown, South Carolina

Saturday, September 23, 4:12 p.m.

It was a beautiful wedding. Trey and I looked into each other’s eyes. For a split second, I thought how wonderful it would be for us to be husband and wife. 

You may now kiss the bride.

I averted my gaze from Trey to watch the couple kiss. I hoped no one noticed the maid of honor and best man were busy eyeing each other instead of focusing on the bride and groom. I felt so bad! The whole time Malcolm Moses and Alecia Robinson exchanged vows, I not only imagined it was Trey and myself, but my heart longed for it. 

You need to get it together, Serena. Becoming Mrs. Trey Evans will never happen. 

I’d made some impulsive decisions in my life when it came to men, which resulted in me being married twice. Both ex-husbands had been a poor substitute for the real thing standing in front of me. 

No matter how many times someone said three times the charm, I wasn’t convinced. Three strikes and you’re out was a real possibility. Though I’d been growing in my faith, the glass half empty scenario had always been me. It may have stemmed from years of reporting on a constant stream of bad news, seeing humans at their worst.

But then my circumstances changed leading to my return back to my hometown, after being away for twenty-five years. One of the first people I came across was Trey. We picked up our friendship as if no time had passed. 

I could tell Trey was different. 

Not just older, but the interest that I’d craved from him when we were younger had blossomed. It was like he really saw me, the woman I’d become. He pursued me until I finally stopped running late last year. 

But Trey and I had clashed on several occasions during our almost year-long romantic adventure. These days, my choice of profession as a private investigator placed me in some precarious situations to Trey’s chagrin. Trey was also the minister of music at our church. And he continued to have a strong reputation in the community as he did as a young man. 

 I was pretty sure my reputation hadn’t won any awards since being back in town. I heard the whispers and knew people thought I wasn’t right for Trey. 

I had my own doubts.

So why was this wedding making me all emotional?

I decided to blame it on my hormones and the occasion and forced myself to concentrate on the happy couple. After the pastor officially announced Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm Moses, the wedding party joined the newlyweds for pictures in the building’s lobby. Alecia had four bridesmaids. I didn’t know them all personally, but they had been pretty cool to hang with at the bachelorette party.

Trey fit right in with Moses’s other groomsmen. It was like looking at a football team. In fact, every single one of them had played football for Georgetown High School. One groomsman, Kevin Thompson, was the current head coach. 

While they were all good-looking men, Trey stood out. I could’ve been biased, but that man wore that tux. I wanted to give the tailor a high five.

For the umpteenth time, his eyes met mine and a smile spread across his face. I couldn’t help but blush. Knowing me, I probably didn’t even look at the camera as it flashed. When Alecia saw those photos, she would let me have it. How badly my emotions were out-of-control today was so embarrassing.

I found out last night at the rehearsal dinner that Alecia had placed Trey and me strategically together at the bridal table. The matchmaking had been rampant among my family members. In some ways, it was annoying, but also endearing. All those years, I’d dreaded coming back to this town. Now that I had been back for two years, it felt like I’d never left.

After the wedding party sashayed into the reception, Moses led Alecia to the head of the wedding party table. Trey followed behind me and pulled out the seat for me. I sat down with a sigh, more than grateful to get off my feet. It’d been a while since I sported heels for this long or even wore makeup a whole day. In my past life, as a reporter, it was a daily routine to have my face beat with makeup, striding from location to location in three-inch heels.

So much had changed.

While the servers sat steaming plates of food on the tables, Trey leaned in and whispered. So, what do you think of today’s festivities? 

I grinned. Alecia was a beautiful bride. And Moses didn’t look half bad either. 

Trey chuckled as he leaned back in his chair. You two really need to stop acting like you hate each other. You kind of act like siblings.

Moses was sometimes my nemesis, and we did bicker like a brother and sister. Well, really Detective Moses did all the fussing. Mainly, he preferred I stayed out of his investigations, which I couldn’t seem to stop doing. I’d met him on a murder case when I first moved back home. My young cousin and Alecia’s son, Chris Robinson, was a person of interest in the murder of a convenience store owner. After the dust settled, Moses apparently fell for Alecia and she for him. 

As Trey and I slowly got to know each other again, Moses and Alecia moved full speed ahead, announcing their engagement this past Valentine’s Day. I recalled how Alecia wiggled her eyebrows at me as she showed off her diamond ring.

You should have one of these on your finger, Rena.

I reminded her I’d been down that road twice.

She responded, So, this is my second marriage. And while I couldn’t ever see replacing Leon, I’m too young to stay a widow. You’re still young too, Rena. 

Alecia had a point. Though I continued to find gray hair each day in a new spot, my hormones certainly weren’t dead.

Everyone watched as Moses and Alecia finished their first dance. It started off romantic with the two staring into each other’s eyes. But then the DJ made a scratch, and the music transitioned into a bass thumping groove. I don’t know when they’d practiced this dance, but they were on point with the choreography, drumming up whoops and hollers from the reception attendees. 

The DJ switched to a smooth R&B ballad.

Trey nudged me. Can I have this dance? 

Suddenly nervous, I softly said. Of course. 

As soon as his hand touched mine, my body warmed like he had ignited me. We swayed to the music, lost in our own world. 

I realized the choreographed dance moves were not over when Trey didn’t follow me back to table. Instead, he lined up with the groom and the other groomsmen.

I sat down and leaned over to Alecia. Please tell me you don’t have anything planned that involves me getting up to dance.

Alecia giggled. I don’t even know what’s going on at my own wedding. We said we weren’t going to do this.

When New Edition’s, If It Isn’t Love started, I knew we were in for a treat. New Edition had always been a favorite of Trey. My cheeks hurt, I was grinning so hard. Trey had the choreography down pat. 

I exchanged a look with Alecia, who was practically levitating off her seat. Okay, Moses isn’t doing too bad.

Alecia nodded in agreement. The other three need a little work, but they’re having fun.

I had to agree. In my mind, for the dance, Trey was first, Moses came in second, and I gave third place to Coach Kevin Thompson. Fourth place was a guy I just met this weekend, Jonathan Reynolds and then bringing up the last place was Moses’s youngest brother. The poor guy must have missed a few practices.

The wedding guests exploded with applause, everyone stood to their feet. I’d taken my heels off while sitting and the linoleum floor felt chilled against my stocking feet. When Trey returned to his seat, I said. You kept that to yourself.

He wiped the sweat from his brow with the cloth napkin. Sorry, Moses threatened all of us with secrecy. We probably could have used a few more practice sessions, but Kevin had more important things on his plate.

With an undefeated season so far, his eyes are on that championship. You think they are going to get it?

Of course. Trey nodded. Kevin has the magic touch. Out of all of us, he was the one who made it to the NFL, albeit briefly. It’s a shame how injuries take you out.

All the single ladies, it’s time.

My head whipped around. I hadn’t realized Alecia had left the table. Under my breath, I said, Oh no. It was time to throw the bridal bouquet.

Saturday, September 23, 6:06 p.m.

I cringed as I observed several women scurry to the center of the floor. Why at that moment did I catch my sister’s eye? 

Beverly Lawson-Matthews, Bev to me, sat next to our mother. Both of them were grinning like they shared some secret. I knew no one expected me to stand in line to catch some flowers. I was too old for that and despite my intrusive thoughts today, I knew better than to be wanting to get married. So, I did what I did best when I didn’t want to face something.

I leaned over and whispered in Trey’s ear. I need to get some air.

Trey peered at me, his face unreadable. You want me to come with you?

I rubbed his shoulder. No, no, I will be right back. I promise. I cringed inside at how my protests must have sounded.

Trey raised his eyebrow at me but thankfully made no comments. I made sure to not look in the direction where my sister and mom sat. I knew in my gut I was probably being rude, but I’d done my job as maid of honor today.

 And I really needed some air.

As soon as I stepped outside the reception hall, doubts plagued me. Maybe I should have stayed and tried to catch those flowers. September had been merciless. But, after a brief shower, the temperatures had plummeted this evening making it feel more like fall weather. I hadn’t heard the rain over the DJ’s music, but the street and sidewalk outside the center were clearly wet. The breeze penetrated the short sleeve satin dress I’d worn most of the day, making me shiver slightly.

Rubbing my arms, I sensed a presence, like someone watching me. The hair stood up on my arm. My first thought was, I should go back inside. But I glanced over my shoulder. A man stood off to the side. What struck me about him was the fact that he wasn’t dressed formally. He was dressed in jeans with a dark tank top, displaying muscles as he leaned against a motorcycle.

Was that Amir?

My young associate, Amir Wright, who assisted me with investigations, often rode his motorcycle. I shook my head. Amir was inside, dressed in a suit, and he’d brought a plus one to the wedding.

A puff of smoke surrounded the man’s head. 

Curiosity, like from my former reporter days, clicked on. Common sense should have sent me inside, but that kind of sense had often escaped me. I moved closer to see if I could get a look at the man’s face. Even from viewing his side profile, something about him seemed familiar. 

I froze. For a split second, the man reminded me of Alecia’s first husband, my cousin Leon. But that wasn’t possible. He died the year before I returned home in his own front yard, and there had been many witnesses, including Alecia and their young son, Chris.

When I realized the man was looking back at me, I jerked back slightly as if struck.

Despite the sliver of fear creeping in my gut, I plunged into the question at the tip of my tongue. Do I know you?

I saw he’d appeared to be inhaling from a vape in his hand. He took another hit and then stepped closer.

I stepped back this time; his face looked too familiar to me. There was a resemblance to my cousin, but he also looked more like…

No! No! No!

He spoke, You don’t know me yet. The man’s voice sounded hoarse, like he’d been smoking a long time.

I croaked, still trying to process his face. You look familiar. Are you related to me?

When he smiled, the combination of his grin and those hazel eyes shook me to my core.

Oh my goodness! He looks so much like him.

I crossed my arms as my body trembled. I knew this face. Though it was a different person, the features were the same as the person I had longed for as a little girl and had been painfully compared to as I grew into a young woman. His legacy was one of the reasons I left this town at age eighteen.

The man stood about ten feet away from me. I believe we’re kin. I can see it and I think you can see it too. Folks call you Rena, right?

Alarm bells went off in my ear. How do you know my name?

I’m Quan. Quan Graves. We probably know the same man.

I sucked in a breath so hard it made my chest hurt. Or maybe the ache in my chest suddenly came because this man just told me what I’d always wondered. I croaked out. Dallas. Dallas Robinson was your dad, too.

We stared at each other. As much as my dad got around as a ladies’ man, I figured I had other siblings in the world.

So, I have a half-brother.

Chapter Two

Saturday, September 23, 6:36 p.m.

You’re my brother? My voice quivered as I spoke. I barely recognized it myself. There was no doubt this stranger standing in front of me had to be a product of the rolling stone that was our father, Dallas Robinson. The same father who had rolled over my mother and left her shattered. I don’t mean to sound rude, I started, but after all these years, why did it take so long for us to meet? Why are you here?

His smile was too much like my father’s for comfort. I’ve only been back in town a few months. I was asking around about your aunt, but I didn’t know she’d passed.

I’d inherited my Aunt C’s house. It was the main reason I came back home. I had a head injury that left me down for so long I’d been unable to fully return to my career as a reporter. My aunt had been begging me to come back for years. Her death was the catalyst for me moving from Charlotte over two years ago.

Did Aunt C know I had a brother?

Quan lifted his hands. I asked around, people said Rena Manchester owned the house now. I know you moved away from here a long time ago when I was younger.

I nodded like it all made sense, but it didn’t. I’d spent so much of my life only knowing my half-sister Beverly. Bev’s dad, Reverend Thomas Lawson, was my stepdad. Rev. Lawson clearly favored his biological daughter over me. I watched from afar how my father could have been in my life.

I blew out a breath to release some of tension from my body. My investigative brain kicked in, helping me keep my emotions at bay. Do you know Alecia?

Quan looked back at the doors where a classic jam spilled out. There was definitely an electric slide going on in the hall.

Alecia. Yeah, Leon introduced us. I’ve probably talked to their son Chris more than his mom though. I met him when his dad was alive. Really sorry to hear about Leon’s death. Poor kid.

Yeah, Chris is my godson. He’s come a long way over the past few years, but I know he misses Leon. So my Aunt C knew about you?

Claudia Robinson was Leon’s mother. I knew her as Aunt C all my life, and she’d been my lifeline growing up and my main connection to my father, especially after his death. You might as well say my stepdad hated Dallas and, with me having similar features to my dad, that didn’t help me at home. I spent more time at Aunt C’s house as a teenager. Back then, my mother didn’t seem to care that I’d adopted my aunt as a mother figure. I couldn’t fathom why my aunt wouldn’t tell me I had a brother.

Family had been everything to her. We’d kept in touch the entire time I lived in Charlotte.

Quan continued, oblivious to my inner turmoil. I mostly remember Claudia as the principal at the elementary school. My mom told me we were related, that she was my dad’s oldest sister. Anyway, I came to talk to her about my … our dad. This would have been almost ten years ago.

I see. I frowned. You know Dallas wasn’t really in my life. He was kind of in and out. When he was around, he was a lot of fun. Did you meet him?

Quan’s face contorted as if in pain. I remember him from when I was little, but I never got to know him. He died when I was four years old. From what my mother told me, you were ten years old when I was born.

I figured Quan was younger than me, possibly in his early thirties. He really reminded me of my dad when he was Quan’s age. Yeah, that sounds about right. Dallas died a few days before I turned fourteen.

You used to be a reporter, but you’re a private investigator now?

I cocked my head to the side, thrown off by the swift change in topic. So, I wasn’t the only one with an investigative streak in the family. You’ve really been doing your homework on me.

Quan smirked. I’ve been wanting to meet you for a long time, but we never crossed paths.

And now? He couldn’t have known I would walk away from the reception to get air. He wasn’t dressed to attend the wedding. So why was he here? I learned a long time ago to be wary of coincidences. He had to have been waiting for someone. Maybe someone who was at the wedding.

I glanced around us, expecting someone to come outside or, with my track record, out of the shadows around the building. We weren’t in the middle of nowhere, but woods surrounded the community center. I could hear vehicles speeding down the highway. Still suspicious of his attire, I asked, Since you knew Alecia and Chris, did you attend the wedding?

He chuckled softly. No. Alecia wouldn’t have invited me. She’d prefer I stayed away from her son.

Reeling from these revelations, I wasn’t sure how to respond. I didn’t blame Alecia. Chris ran with some boys a few years back that almost had him in serious trouble. He was smart, but an impressionable young man, even more so since the death of his father. I wondered what my newfound brother was into that would