A Silken Thread - Brenda Jackson [120]
“Jaye Pittman?”
He nodded. “I was able to trace the satellite signal. Jaye was in New York that week and the signal came from Hattersville. It’s my guess Karen used it and sent those pictures to the four phones.”
Brian exhaled a deep breath. “But we don’t have concrete proof of that.”
“If you find the phone then you will. I bet it’s still somewhere in her possession.”
The room got quiet as they processed Matt’s new information. Griffin spoke first. “Considering what we know so far I think we need to tell Erica. She might not think she can trust you anymore, Brian, but she trusts April. If we’re all there, collaborating each other’s story, then she has to at least believe we’re on to something, and maybe she can come up with a reason for her mother’s obsession.”
Brian frowned. “I think we all know the reason. That damn curse.”
Griffin shook his head. “It might be, but personally, I think there’s more to it.”
Brian lifted a brow. “More to it, like what?”
Griffin shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe her sister knows.”
“Her sister? Erica said her mother’s sister died years ago.”
“Everyone thought she died, just the way Karen wanted them to,” Griffin said, shaking his head as if the entire thought was too unbelievable to share. “But Wilson discovered last year she hadn’t died. Karen had fabricated her death and faked her funeral. Blair is still alive in some nursing home in Cleveland.”
“You got to be kidding,” Matt said, as if he refused to believe one word of what Griffin had said.
“I kid you not. It’s an exclusive place, and I’m sure to have kept a secret like that for this long, Karen is paying good money to the medical staff to keep her hidden,” Griffin said.
“Then if money is what we need to see her, let’s see if we can arrange a visit. Find out what we can about the place, but we don’t want to do anything to tip our hand to Karen that we’re on to her,” Brian cautioned.
“I still say it’s time we let Erica know at least what we’ve found out without raising her mother’s suspicions that something is going on,” Griffin said. He smiled. “And I know just the way to do it. Hear me out and let me know what you guys think.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Karen was in the dining room sitting at the table with Erica when she heard the doorbell ring. “I wonder who that can be this time of the day,” she said, taking a sip of her tea. She looked up moments later when her housekeeper appeared. “Who is it, Cretia?”
“Mr. Griffin is here to see Ms. Erica.”
“He is?” Karen said, a smile beaming off her face as she quickly got to her feet. “Then please show him in.”
Surprise flickered in Erica’s eyes as she stood, too. Why did Griffin want to see her? Although she hadn’t yet spoken to April, she had gotten a text message from Griffin a few days ago saying he and April were trying to work things out and not to mention anything to her mother about them. His request had been odd but she had done what he’d asked.
She stood by the table as Cretia escorted Griffin into the kitchen. “Hello, Mrs. Sanders.”
And then he flashed a smile over at Erica. “I thought that was your car I saw parked in the driveway. I was passing by on my way to my parents’ house and thought I’d drop in since I haven’t seen you in months.”
He was apparently up to something, Erica realized, since he had just seen her last week. She tried to play along. “It’s always good seeing you, Griffin. Did you need me for something?” Her mother was hanging on their every word while she continued to beam.
“Yes, that new Tyler Perry movie starts today in Cleveland and I wondered if you’d be interested in going to a matinee to avoid the mad rush that will probably be there tonight.”
Before she could reply, her mother spoke for her. “A day at the movies sounds like fun. You two should go and enjoy yourselves. Have a good time.”
Griffin grinned. “I agree with Mrs. Sanders. Come on, Erica. I need to get away for a while and I would love to take you to the movies with me.”
Erica shook her head and smiled. “I never