Chapter 27 – Kendall
Kendall considered her trip quite productive. It was late, though, and she was exhausted.
Leaning back in her desk chair, she closed her eyes.
Although she wasn’t alone, the office was silent and eerie.
Because she knew. She knew Charlotte was dead and that was the reason for Brooks’s absence.
The Reddings had just begun to have home recitals again after years of not doing them because of their changed status.
Kendall declined all but one invitation and hadn’t stayed long at that one.
She’d thought she’d have many more to attend.
Now…
Charlotte was gone. Forever. Just gone, a memory. A candle in the wind who’d crashed and burned because she hated Meggie. Or loved Brooks so much she’d sacrifice Meggie. It didn’t matter. The end result was still the same.
Charlotte was dead.
She glanced around her office with expensive furniture, sophisticated décor, and fine paintings. Kendall still remembered Charlotte’s excitement as they chose the decorations, having a heavy helping hand for the lobby and Kendall and Brooks’s offices.
If Brooks’s only answered one of her calls or texts, Kendall would ask about the location of Charlotte’s body. She wanted to tell her a last goodbye. She wasn’t at the funeral home. When Kendall called on the drive back, Lewis told her Brooks had taken possession of her.
Kendall glanced around the office again. Why was she there right then? She could’ve gone home instead of coming straight to the office, but…right. Johnnie might’ve been there.
A button on Kendall’s desk phone buzzed. It was from Beams’s extension. Despite the lateness of the hour, the assistant agreed to stay late to help Kendall.
“Yes, honey?” Kendall answered, sighing.
“Mrs. Harrington is here to see you.”
“Fuck, I forgot to call Roxy. She left a message for me.” Kendall picked her glasses up from her desk and put them on. “Send her back.”
“Knock, knock,” Roxy said as she opened the door a minute later.
Immediately, Kendall noticed her smile wasn’t as bright. Roxanne Doucette Harrington sparkled in any setting, so it was easy to see when that light dimmed.
Kendall hurried from behind her desk to hug Roxy.
“I’ve been trying to reach you, sugar,” she said, offering a loose hug. “Mattie told me you had an out-of-town business trip.”
Kendall trusted Roxy to keep her secrets. They’d discussed her divorcing Johnnie in LA, but now that she was putting plans into motion again, she couldn’t get her thoughts together. “I did.”
“I need to talk to you about Mortician.”
Roxy’s sharp tone, and brush off, startled Kendall. “What happened?” she squeaked.
“You tell me, Kendall. You didn’t think you should mention to me that you and Mortician went away for a day trip?”
All the years she’d had Roxy’s support and love flashed through Kendall’s head. As hurtful as her underlying anger was, Kendall knew it wasn’t because of that trip. Roxy never had a problem with Kendall and Mortician’s close friendship.
Their brief kiss rose in her head and she flushed, suddenly unable to meet Roxy’s gaze.
“I’m sorry…I’ll talk to Bailey,” Kendall said, on the verge of crumbling. Bailey must’ve discovered the trip and told Roxy. “I was in a bad state and—”
Gnashing her teeth together, Roxy threw her clutch on the desk and sat.
“I should’ve told you before Mortician told Bailey—”
“Mortician didn’t tell her. That lowdown, dirty dog motherfucker you’re married to told her,” Roxy snarled. “Along with everything else that motherfucker has put in my baby’s head, Kendall.”
Each nasty detail of Johnnie’s conversation with Bailey, as Mortician had told Kendall, ran through her mind. Now that motherfucker had fucked with her again. No wonder Roxy was angry.
The silence seeped into Kendall’s brain and she blinked, watching as Roxy grabbed her clutch and pulled out a lacy handkerchief, dabbing at her eyes.
“My baby’s getting the help she needs for all her drinking,” she said briskly, holding the scrap of material against one of her cheeks to catch her falling tears.
“Mortician’s a good man, but that boy’s heart is broken.
Because of Johnnie. He destroyed my daughter.
Why didn’t you tell me about the trip, sugar?
I could’ve helped her and made her see it was just friends taking a much needed break. ”
Kendall jumped to her feet and hurried to Roxy, then kneeled in front of her and laid her head against her chest. “I’m sorry.”
It felt as if those words had been said a thousand times over the last few days, but there were so many regrets, each ‘I’m sorry’ was warranted.
Roxy hugged Kendall. “Harley’s going through so much right now—”
“I’ll do whatever I can to help out.”
“Besides Bailey, the two people I know Mortician will talk to are you and Outlaw. I haven’t talked to Outlaw yet. Rebel was released from the hospital today and I didn’t want to burden him.”
“I’m glad to hear she’s home.”
“Me, too. They are throwing a welcome home celebration for her. Harley and me cooked. I heard the celebration went well.”
“I’m so glad you and Harley—”
“I’m not here to talk about Harley. I’m too fucking furious with Johnnie.”
“Me, too,” Kendall said hoarsely. “How could he hurt Bailey for no reason?”
“Bailey drank herself into oblivion and now she’s across the country in Maine. Mortician touched down earlier. He went to get her settled in but she doesn’t want to see him.”
“I’ll make sure to tell Mortician I’m here for him and the kids. And you know I’m always here for you.”
“I know, sugar.” She dabbed her eyes again, then tapped Kendall’s shoulder, signaling her to stand. “I have to get going. It’s late and it’s been a long few days.”