Page 153 of State of Affairs (First Family 1)

Outside of Clarissa’s house, she spotted an open space and parallel parked. She felt giddy with excitement at the possibility of closing this case once and for all, even as she reminded herself it was never as easy as one, two, three, done. But they were further along than they’d ever been, and that was something.

She knocked on Clarissa’s door and heard children talking inside.

The door swung open to reveal a young Black woman with long braids and a child on her hip. Through the storm door, she gestured for Sam to come in.

“Sorry about the chaos and the mess,” she said.

“No worries. I have kids too. I get it.” Once upon a time, she’d wondered if she’d ever be able to say those words, and now she had three kids and a college student she’d come to love like a son. She followed Clarissa into a cozy but messy space where kids and toys were the focus, just the way they should be.

Clarissa put the little one down to play with her siblings. “I made coffee. Would you like some?”

“That’d be great. Thanks for taking the time to see me.”

“When Lenore called to tell me you’d be coming by to talk about Calvin’s case…” She sighed deeply. “I have to admit, I cried a little. We’ve waited so long for answers. So, so long.”

Sam sat with her at the kitchen table. “Too long.”

Clarissa took the seat that had a direct view into the family room where the children were playing and watching TV.

“Mostly what I’m looking for are any thoughts or impressions you had from around that time. We’ve found that with cases that have gone cold like this one, the smallest recollection can blow the whole thing wide open.”

“I wish you knew how often I’ve thought of Calvin and that night over the years. Even after I married my husband, who I love very much, my heart still yearns for Cal. We were the very best of friends long before we started dating in eighth grade. And by dating, I mean running around with groups of kids, going to the movies and the park and the arcade. Typical kid stuff. But my feelings for him—and his for me—weren’t typical thirteen-year-old feelings. We were very much in love.”

Sam’s heart broke for her. “I’m so sorry you lost him and that it happened the way it did.”

“It was the worst day of my life. I’ll never forget that call from Ayana.” She wiped away tears and made an effort to pull herself together. When her little one toddled into the room, she scooped him up and held him on her lap.

“What do you remember about the days and weeks leading up to the day Calvin died?”

“For the first time since his dad and uncle died, he was really happy. He’d decided to pursue chemical engineering in college and had picked classes for his junior year with that in mind. It was nice to see him excited again. It’d been really tough for him after his dad died.” She subtly wiped away more tears. “He was so smart. He would’ve been so successful in whatever he did.”

“He was well liked among his peers?”

“Very much so. It was impossible not to like him. His death messed up a lot of lives. Many of us were never the same after.”

“What do you remember about his cousin D’Andre around the time Calvin died?”

“We tried to stay far away from him and his scumbag friends.”

“Calvin stayed away from him too?”

She hesitated only slightly, but Sam noticed. “He was so torn. He knew what D’Andre was up to, but they’d been raised like brothers by two very close brothers who died within months of each other. Cal and D’Andre shared a bond, even if they were as different as two boys could be.”

“So Calvin saw him?”

“Once in a while. It certainly wasn’t like it’d been when they were younger and were together every day. They were on two very different paths. Calvin never gave up on trying to get D’Andre to see that he was going nowhere fast with his crap, but D’Andre didn’t listen until he went to prison and found Jesus.”

Sam took copious notes. “Lenore showed me photos of both boys from around that time, and I couldn’t help but note their resemblance to each other.”

Clarissa nodded. “People thought they were twins when they were younger. No one could believe they were first cousins and not brothers. Calvin used to say they were brothers from another mother.”

“Do you think it’s possible that Calvin was mistaken for D’Andre the day he was killed?”

“I’ve thought of that. Of course I have. But the one thing I can’t get past was that D’Andre hadn’t shown his face around Lenore’s for a long time by then. He knew she didn’t approve of his lifestyle, and he went out of his way to avoid her for that reason. Anyone who was watching him would have to know that was the last place he’d ever be.”

“Is it possible that someone was looking to send a message to D’Andre by killing his cousin?”

“That’s far more likely than someone mistaking Calvin for D’Andre at Calvin’s house. Do you think Calvin was killed because of D’Andre?”