He took the badge from her and stared at it. “Detective Ruby Lee.” He looked back at Ruby. “Shit, you’re Theo’s daughter.”
“I am. I think you know Dr. Carmichael?”
Rodney glared at me. “What are you doing here? You have no right to be here. I just brought Erica home.”
“Good,” Ruby said. “I have a few words for you and for her.”
“She’s not in any condition—”
Ruby grabbed the badge from Rodney’s hand and pushed him out of the way, entering the townhome. I did a double take. She was a completely different person in the line of duty.
I followed her in, clasping the yearbook to my chest.
“We have some questions, Uncle Rodney.”
“Look, whatever you think is going on, I assure you that Erica and I are not involved.”
“Really? Two people are wanted for murder and a host of other crimes right now—two people you knew very well at one time. One of them is your brother-in-law, my father, the man who raped my cousin, which led directly to her death.”
“Gina’s suicide is no business of yours.”
“Isn’t it? My father tried to do the same thing to me, as you know. And at this point, we’re questioning whether Gina actually did kill herself.”
“What are you saying?”
“We think she might’ve been murdered.”
He rolled his eyes. I scanned his features. An eye roll wasn’t what I had expected from a distraught father. I walked closer, still clutching the yearbook to my chest.
He regarded me. “What do you have there?”
I handed the book to Ruby. She turned to the relevant page, the photo of the future lawmakers club.
“I want you to take a look at this.” She pointed. “That is Theodore Mathias, my father. That is Tom Simpson, who is also wanted right now on charges of kidnapping, raping, and torturing a ten-year-old boy. That is Larry Wade, currently incarcerated and awaiting trial on those same charges. And that, Uncle Rodney, is you.”
“Where the hell did you get this?”
“I’m thinking you might already know. A poor woman is dead because of this yearbook.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You don’t? Then I think I will be going into the bedroom there to talk to my aunt. I have a feeling she’ll be a little more talkative than you are.”
“You know I’m not going to allow that.”
“That’s fine. I can make her talk to me. I can take you both down to the station for questioning. Then you’ll have to talk to me.”
“You don’t have anything on me. Or Erica.”
“I don’t have to have anything on you. Your brother-in-law is a wanted man. Taking you to the station for questioning is standard procedure.”
“Erica is not in any condition—”
“I don’t rightly care. I came here for information, and I aim to get it. Now we can either do it here or at the station.”
“Fine.” Rodney sighed. “I don’t want her here.” He pointed to me.
“No, you don’t get to make the rules. She stays.” Ruby walked through the living room and into the kitchen. “Let’s all sit at the table.”