Stone de la Bru Familia

Free Stone de la Bru Familia by Peter Mack Page B

Book: Stone de la Bru Familia by Peter Mack Read Free Book Online
Authors: Peter Mack
questions or any information that might be helpful…" he trailed off as Stone took the card from his fingers and stepped to the side. 
    "No problem," Stone said, flipping the card through his fingers and creasing it down the middle. 
    Detective Briggs was halfway down the steps when he turned and asked, "You really own that building, hunh?" 
    "Yeah." 
    "You can’t be more than twenty five. Somebody leave it to you?" 
    "Yeah," Stone responded, knowing that if the white man knew he bought it with his own hard earned flock money there would be a giant telescopic lens trained on him. 
    "That's what I figured," the detective said, satisfied, and ambled on down the walkway. 
    "That's a strange white man. He look like a real pig," Mabel said and giggled low. 
    "Yeah," Stone replied, lost in thought about how he could find out who killed Misty.  
    He remembered that Keasha said she'd been with Ebony. And Ebony said that Misty was with Heather, a tenant in his building, earlier on the evening of Misty's death. Heather might know something, he reasoned as he was about to turn into the house. 
    “That look like the social worker," Mabel said before she stepped into the house ahead of Stone. 
    He looked back out to the street where a brand-new Volvo sedan was pulling to the curb. She parked in the spot that the detective had just vacated. 
    "I'm going to finish breakfast. You inviting her in to eat?" his mother asked. 
    "Naw, ma. This won't be long. She should be dropping off the papers for Serena to stay," he said as the thin dark woman rounded the back of her car and navigated the high curb in Jimmy Choo heels.  
    She got her walk together for the concrete runway to the porch, aware that Stone's eyes were on her. He had to admit that the linen suit fit her slim frame nicely. All it took was a little digging to find out the career and marriage-ending secret in her closet. She had stuff hidden that could send her to jail. She would be valuable to Stone for a long time. 
    "Good morning," she greeted breathlessly, smiling with perfect white teeth. 
    "Good morning yourself," he replied, wanting to ask why it was that black women wore purple eye-shadow. It only made her look like a carnival character. He wanted to tell her that she didn't need it. 
    "This is for you," she said, handing over the plain manila envelope she'd been pressing against her small breasts. "That's two birth certificates. One man. One woman. Mid-twenties just like you requested." 
    Stone opened the folder and found two birth certificates and social security cards. 
    "And here is what you need for Serena." She now handed over a blue folder. "There will be a court date in two weeks. Here I will give my testimony as to whether or not I think Serena is currently living in a safe and stable environment. Just a formality," she assured him. 
    Stone flipped through the official documents. There were forms to fill out which named him as Serena's legal guardian and guidelines to his rights and obligations pertaining to guardianship. 
    "Is that what you wanted?" she asked. 
    "Exactly. Thanks." 
    "You mind if I ask you a personal question, Mr. Sweetwater?" 
    "What's that?" 
    She peered into his eyes. "Why is Serena so important to you?" 
    Stone looked to the branches of the high tree at the curb. A slow breeze swept through them, brushing the limbs gently. He turned slowly to the woman before him. He wondered what made her ask the question. He thought of the pictures he saw of her cavorting with a man that wasn't her husband.  
    It was obvious to him that what the social worker cared for most was  herself. This was why it was so easy to blackmail her into ensuring that he got custody of Serena and providing him with a fresh identity for Brock James and his woman, Traci. 
    "She just is," he responded before taking a step towards the door. "See you at court," he added. 
    "Is my secret safe with you?"

Similar Books

Maxwell's Point

M.J. Trow

Crystal Gryphon

Andre Norton

The Book of Someday

Dianne Dixon

Claimed by Light

Reese Monroe

Prince Thief

David Tallerman