FREDDY PRINCE | CH. 9
Chapter Nine
Two weeks into Kalani’s return to Virginia, and there was still no tremendous leap in her investigation. Everyone she talked to from the rehab center pointed her in the same direction: the woman she visited in Dunes Town.
The first day they met, the woman answered very few questions. She barely wanted to tell Kalani her name, even though -according to everyone she interviewed- the woman was the closest person to her mother.
Dahlia Freeman worked at Naomi’s rehab center. In fact, she helped fund the project and even called in a few favors to push Naomi’s licensing through quicker than normal. When she learned that Naomi’s husband, Mayor Montgomery, and her brother Mack were great friends, Dahlia’s world slowly crumbled.
The more time she spent with Naomi, the more she saw they had in common. Over the years, her love for Naomi grew into something more than just a friendship. At one point, she even wanted Naomi to leave her marriage and start a new life with her. When Naomi refused, Dahlia felt it was best she quit the rehab center and move away to clear her head and put her love for Naomi behind her.
She ended up going back to help Naomi after her rising success -and her failed marriage- with the hopes of finally gaining the relationship she desperately wanted. Things went well for them for a while, but after Naomi's body surfaced and no one had any information on her murder, Dahlia started her own investigation for the truth.
“Hi Dahlia, it’s Kalani. I’m reaching out to you again to see if you feel more comfortable answering a few questions about my mom. I don’t mean to be pushy or overstep your boundaries; I’m just looking for answers. Everyone I’ve talked to has said I should speak to you. Please, all I’m asking for is a few moments of your time. When you feel ready, even if it’s only an email, please reach out. Thanks.”
Guilt and pain flooded Dahlia’s veins. The day Kalani showed up at her door for an interview, she knew who she was right away. There was no mistaking it. Kalani was the spitting image of her mother; the woman Dahlia was in love with.
She wanted to call back and tell Kalani everything she knew or felt was the truth, but she was afraid for her own safety. Over the years she’d investigated Naomi’s murder, the truth pointed in one direction: the mayor's office. Dahlia knew someone there knew what happened to Naomi. She even believed someone who worked there had something to do with it.
She was the only one who went forward with information to help Naomi’s case, but it got swept under the rug before anything serious came of it. It was like one minute the world loved Naomi and everything she did, and the next minute they forgot all about her.
“Was that her again?”
Judy, Dahlia’s girlfriend, interrupted her thoughts.
“Yeah,” she nodded. “She’s not gonna stop calling until she figures this out.”
Although Dahlia was happy in her new relationship, she still held onto the thought of Naomi. The emptiness she felt in her heart often made her second-guess her relationship with Judy. Sometimes, she felt like another Naomi was out there waiting for her, and other times she thought she was just crazy in love.
“If her coming around is gonna trigger you back into depression, you need to put your foot down and tell her to stop harassing you. I know what happened is very tragic, but honey, you can’t lose yourself again.”
Dahlia hated when Judy rushed to get away from the topic of Naomi’s murder. It made her feel like she didn’t really care about how she felt. She knew Judy was only worried about her spiraling downhill again because it was what people did when they loved someone. They protected them and tried to make sure nothing ever harmed them. Unfortunately for Dahlia, the harm was already done.
“Is it the right thing to do though? She’s just as adamant about finding out the truth as I was three years ago.”
Judy sighed and plopped down in a chair next to Dahlia at their oversized dining room table. As she stared into Dahlia’s brown eyes, she remembered why she fell in love with her. It was because Dahlia was strong and persistent. Gorgeous, in a non-conforming way. She marched to the beat of her own drum and no matter what, she always fought for what was right.
“Do you think you have what it takes this time around? You've been fighting for a proper investigation for three years.”
“With as much of a stink as Kalani’s stirring up, I think so. She’s got access to the inside, so if I work with her on this, we might be able to get the proof we need once and for all.”
Judy nodded her head. She wasn’t sure if Dahlia’s idea was a good one, but she felt obligated to support her. Either way, she knew Dahlia would do what she wanted to do, and there was nothing she could do to change her mind.
“As long as you're careful and don’t let your emotions override your judgment on this. I don’t know what I’ll do if anything happens to you.”
Judy left Dahlia alone to process her own thoughts. It was a dangerous game: going after the mayor, who was also an ex-marine. People had already turned up dead, and the police turned a blind eye to the investigation. Being an Air Force veteran herself, Dahlia knew how things worked. If trouble ever knocked on the military’s door, there was always a way to sweep it under the rug.
After some time going back and forth with herself, Dahlia decided she was finally ready to return Kalani’s call. She wasn’t sure of what she would say right away, or how they would move forward; she just knew it was time.
Dahlia had waited three long and excruciating years for the perfect opportunity to resurface. When the opportunity finally knocked at her door, she could no longer ignore it.
“Kalani, it’s Dahlia. I’m ready to talk.”
The day of Freddy’s community fundraiser was a busy one. He invited Kalani along to do some video promo for her website and to allow her the experience of what it was like to be him for a day. There were a lot of important people in attendance, people she didn’t know would even support what he was doing. For her, it was an amazing sight to see; a young, black man pushing through the barriers of those meant to oppress. And winning.
“Nice turnout.”
She smiled as he approached her. He was so busy shaking hands and posing for photos, he felt bad for not being able to entertain her.
“Yeah,” he chuckled. “We weren’t expecting so many people to show up. I know most of them are probably only here to sabotage me though.”
“Don’t say that,” she laughed. “Strike a pose. This’ll be a good photo for the press.”
Freddy stood in front of the heavy banner his team put together for the event. The sun was shining just above his head, making it look as if an angel hung somewhere near. His tailored suit rested against his frame perfectly, and his eyes were full of fire and fight. She was right; it was an amazing photo.
“Okay, Mr. GQ. I see you.”
“GQ, huh?” Freddy chuckled again. “I don’t think GQ is ready for me. They’re a little amateur for my style.”
He spoke in a playful French accent, making Kalani laugh effortlessly. They had great chemistry. A lot of things in common too. Worked well as a team and even shared some of the same frenemies.
From across the room, Shonnie watched as Freddy and Kalani did more flirting than anything. Even though Freddy wasn’t her man, she hated seeing him with another woman. Especially Kalani. It reminded her of why they had beef; aside from Shonnie’s affair with her father, it seemed like the men she dated were always more fond of Kalani than they were of her.
“Excuse me.”
Shonnie cleared her throat as she approached them.
“Hate to interrupt.”
The women exchanged semi-hateful smiles, while Freddy checked his watch to be sure he wasn’t late for his speech.
“I was wondering if I could talk to you for a minute,” Shonnie said. “It’s kind of private.”
Kalani smirked and shook her head a little. Although she thought listening to their conversation might help with her investigation, she was perfectly fine with letting them talk alone. It was Shonnie who was jealous, not the other way around.
“Don’t mind me,” Kalani said. “I have to leave early, anyway. Something came up.”
Freddy wanted to ask her what that was but figured it had something to do with her mother. If it weren’t for him having to do a speech to end his event, he probably would have left with her.
“Mayor’s daughter, huh?” Shonnie sassed.
“It’s nothing like that,” he assured. “She needed my help with something, so we been working together.”
“Mmhm,” Shonnie playfully rolled her eyes. “Did you know she was Corbin’s daughter?”
There was a slight pause in their conversation. When he noticed she called the Mayor by his first name, he wondered what they had going on behind closed doors.
“Nah, I didn’t know that. Not until she asked for my help.”
Shonnie’s tone was off that day. She sounded cold and mysterious. The last date they had didn’t end the way their dates usually did, and her attitude at the event made him question why even more.
“Help to investigate her mother’s murder, right?”
They stared at each other for a moment; both of their eyes wandering the other. The longer he stared, the more he knew Shonnie knew something he didn’t. Or something he did.
“Yeah,” he said.
“And you think that’s a good idea?”
She gave him a look that clarified his suspicion. Shonnie knew something. How much she knew was just as much of a mystery as what she knew about the night Naomi Salah was murdered.
“I know you saw something three years ago.”
She stepped closer so no one around could hear her.
“I also know you signed a Non-disclosure in exchange for a settlement. What you saw; what you know,” she shrugged. “It’s all a mystery. But do you really think helping the one person digging up everyone’s skeletons is gonna keep your name out of this?”
Freddy looked down at Shonnie like he’d seen a ghost. The evil grin on her face made him question whether or not she was Naomi’s killer. He thought that if she was sleeping with the mayor, she had a motive.
Maybe his wife found out and threatened to expose their scandal, and it would’ve ruined Shonnie’s career or gotten her fired. Maybe she wanted some of the insurance money. Who knew? But it was evident she knew something.
“Yeah.”
She slowly nodded her head.
“I know everything. You could’ve gone forward about what you saw that night. Even if it wasn’t what you thought you saw, you didn’t say a word. And you call yourself an advocate for women? How the fuck will that look to the people you’re trying to get on board with your community center? Women are supposed to trust you with their lives? Their daughters?”
“You know damn well what I do is genuine.”
He angrily cut her off. Although he sounded stern and defensive, Freddy kept his voice down so no one overheard their feud. The last thing he needed was for someone to overhear and tell Kalani he knew more than what he said he did.
“Is it?” Shonnie chuckled. “All I’m saying is, tread lightly. Because while she’s out here going through everybody’s dirty laundry, it won’t be long before she finds something of yours in the mix.”
“What the fuck did y’all do?”
His voice was so furious, he nearly growled.
“Are you really that scandalous that you’d help cover up a murder?”
“Help cover up a murder?” Shonnie chuckled again. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
She walked away just as Mo went to grab Freddy for his speech. He had no time to go after her and make her confess to what she knew, and he didn’t want Mo asking questions either. So, he had to let her leave while he closed out the event.
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