Chapter 9 - The Brother Who Missed the Funeral
Darius Brooks arrived at Renee's house the following morning with a grocery bag full of presents and an easy smile that disappeared when Malcolm showed him the photograph.
"Where did you get that?"
"Someone sent it. Were you there?"
Darius sat down. "Yes."
"You said you were in New Orleans."
"I lied."
Renee folded her arms. "Start talking."
Darius had been struggling with gambling debts. Julian offered to help if he retrieved a folder from Loretta's house. Darius drove there the night Simone died, saw her arrive, and panicked. He left without taking anything.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Malcolm asked.
"Because Julian said the police would think I was involved. I was scared."
"Were you involved?"
"I didn't touch her car. I didn't hurt her."
Darius agreed to give investigators a formal statement and surrender his phone records. Malcolm did not promise forgiveness in exchange.
"I love you," he said. "But you're going to tell the truth whether it hurts us or not."
Darius nodded, tears sliding down his face.
His statement gave investigators a new lead: Julian had called him minutes before the collision and asked whether Simone had reached Loretta's house. Darius had answered yes.
The next day investigators arrested Julian on financial charges supported by the audit. He denied any role in Simone's death. Celeste faced charges related to the alleged trust fraud and the assault investigation; the cases would proceed through the courts.
Malcolm felt no triumph watching the news. Isaiah's cast was still on his arm. Simone was still gone. The families whose housing money had been diverted still needed help.
He announced a restitution process overseen by independent trustees and funded emergency repairs for the affected homes. He asked Tasha to help design controls so workers could report concerns without losing their jobs. She accepted only after negotiating real authority.
"I'm not here to make you look good," she told him.
"Good," Malcolm said. "I need you to make the numbers right."
That evening Isaiah found his father in the kitchen washing dishes.
"Is Celeste coming back?"
"Not to this house while the safety arrangements are in place."
"Will she go to jail?"
"That's for the courts to decide."
"Do I have to talk about the stairs again?"
"Maybe, with people trained to help. We'll make sure you know what's happening, and you won't have to face it alone."
Isaiah leaned against him. "I miss Mama."
"Me too."
"Did she know I loved her?"
Malcolm turned off the faucet. "Every day."
They listened to Simone's Christmas tape together. Isaiah asked to hear the part where she laughed, then played it again.
Late that night, Dana called. Investigators had obtained security footage from a gas station near the crash site. It showed a person approaching Simone's parked car earlier that evening. The face was obscured, but the person wore a distinctive silver bracelet.
Malcolm remembered that bracelet. He had given one exactly like it to Celeste for their first anniversary.
Then he remembered something else.
He had bought the bracelet from a small jeweler who made only two.
The other had been a gift for Renee.
Malcolm looked toward his sister's bedroom door.
May you like
He refused to jump to a conclusion. He called Dana back.
"Find out who actually wore it that night," he said. "Both bracelets. Every record."
