Chapter 321: Cookies
*I think it’s a great idea. Put the old bitty in her place. – Mia*
Mrs. Henderson-Brown was back home after her stay in the hospital. Pagan knew this because her son was standing on the front porch. His hair was dark blonde, and he was a few inches shorter than Pagan. The man had the same sour look and pursed lips as his mother. And his brown suit was also just as immaculate as her blue one had been.
With a groan, Pagan opened the front door and stepped into the doorway. Pasting on his troublesome client smile, he greeted the man who. “Can I help you?”
“I’m Edward Henderson-Brown the fifth.” The man said with self-importance as he held out some papers to Pagan. “Margaret Henderson-Brown is my mother.”
“I’m Pagan.” He replied with a smirk, ignoring the papers. “The first.”
Edward the fifth was not impressed.
“This occurred on your property.” The man slapped the papers into Pagan’s chest.
He looked down and watched them flutter to the ground before propping himself against the door frame with his shoulder and crossed his arms in front of him. “And you want me to do what? Put it in my scrap book?”
“I want you to pay it. It’s your property.” The man demanded.
“Cookie!” Pagan called over his shoulder.
“What?” the large black man asked coming down the stairs after fixing the toilet in the girls’ bathroom.
A Barbie doll had been flushed down and stuck in the pipe. He could only assume that the girls were fighting again.
“This fuckhead thinks you should pay his mother’s medical bills.” Pagan laughed.
“Did I get her pregnant?” Cookie asked confused.
“This is Eddie.” Pagan said crossing his ankles.
“*Edward* Henderson-Brown.” The man angrily corrected him.
“The fifth.” Pagan added, amused at how easily he got frustrated and angry.
“Yes, the fifth.”
“The old bitch next door?” Cookie asked looking over his friend’s shoulder. “Whatever. You can file it to the property insurance. Make sure you include the police report and the video footage of her purposely falling off the bottom step.”
With his jaw moving like a fish out of water, Pagan stood up straight and stepped back into his house. “Talk to the police if your mother is not giving you details about the incident.”
The door was then closed and both men went back to the office. Cookie pulled up the front porch cameras just in time to see the man smash the sidelight.
“That family.” He muttered as he clicked the button to notify the police.
Pagan was grateful that the girls had been out with Karan to get cookies. Cookies for Mrs. Margaret Henderson-Brown. Unfortunately, they pulled into the shared driveway while the Monroe police were still there.
“Hey, Murphy.” Karan said as she walked up to the front porch. “Are we still taking the cookies over next door?”
“You bought that crazy bitch cookies?” Sgt. Murphy asked shaking her head.
“Yeah.” Pagan admitted. “The girls thought it would make her feel better.”
Murphy shook her head. “Your girls have hearts of gold.”
“Yeah, they do.” Pagan smiled. “I really don’t want to disappoint them.”
“I’ll walk over with them.” Murphy offered.
They finished up with everything that she needed for her report. Then with a girl on either side of her, Murphy walked next door as Ashlyn carried the box of cookies.
A woman slightly younger than Karan opened the door. “Now what?”
“These are the girls from next door, Ashly and Alyssa. They brought cookies for your mother.”
“Daddy always gets them for us when we don’t feel good.” Ashlyn said holding out the box. “We thought they might make her feel better.”
The woman looked surprised and confused.
“Maybe they can bring them in?” Murphy suggested. “Or perhaps, you would like to take them to Mrs. Henderson-Brown?”
The woman nodded and stepped back, opening the door wider for them to enter.
With a gentle nudge on their backs, the officer guided the girls into the house. The woman closed the door and stepped around to the small group.
“I’m Natalie, Margaret is my grandmother-in-law.” She motioned to the sitting room to the right. “She’s in here.”
They walked into the room and Mrs. Henderson-Brown looked at the trio in surprise.
Ashlyn offered her the box of cookies. “We brought you cookies to help you feel better.”
“We didn’t know what you liked, so we got you a bunch of different ones.” Alyssa added. “My favorite are the turtles. But they don’t look like turtles.”
The older woman smiled at the girls. Her shame and guilt showed on her face, but only briefly. Then her face hardened, and she looked up at Murphy. The woman smiled at her, but the unspoken message was clear.
Behave. Be nice. Be kind. This will help your case.
“Thank you.” She said and motioned for her granddaughter to take the box.
Nicole took the box and sat it on a nearby table. Ashlyn and Alyssa hugged the older woman and kissed her cheek.
“Get to feeling better. And we’ll be quieter in the backyard from now on.” Ashlyn promised.
“Th-thank you.” She replied before making a dismissive motion with her hands.
“Come on, girls. You better get back to your own cookies before they are all gone.” Murphy suggested.
They said their goodbyes and Nicole escorted them out. Once outside, they ran back to their house and the other box of cookies.
They rushed in, followed by Murphy, to find Cookie trying to get to the box behind his wife. With their dad encouraging them, the girls grabbed the cookies and ran to their playroom upstairs.
“Not fair!” Cookie laughed as he followed them upstairs. The other adults could hear him stomping down the hall. “Fee, fie, foe, fum! I smell those cookies! Gonna get me some!”
There were lots of laughs and happy squeals coming from upstairs.
“You married him.” Pagan teased.
“Don’t remind me.” Karan shook her head laughing.
“You should get a cookie tattooed….” Murphy suggested with a grin and a glance at the other woman’s crotch.
“I should see if Reed will make me a ring for my hood.”
“Damn.” He said shaking his head to get the image out of his head. Both women laughed at him.
Karan laughed at him before asking if he wanted to come play. As always, Pagan declined the offer. Karan and Cookie’s marriage wasn’t exactly open, but it wasn’t monogamous either. They both had sexual appetites that required additional partners. But they never played without the other.
