Melody: A Novel Part 11

"Yeah, maybe we do, but nothing's wrong with caring for one another. And we have done this and more for the victims. You know that, Bree." He sighed. "It's just different when you're close to someone. Being a cop...it's like a family, Brianna. You automatically have that acceptance and protection, you know?"

"I just feel so d.a.m.n...helpless. I hate this feeling!" she shouted. The officers briefly witnessed her outburst, then went back to business. "I guess I better go inside and take these clothes off for evidence."

"Wait, Bree." Steven rubbed his chin. "Tell me what happened."

"To make a long story short, the Albany Predator was waiting in my home." She moved for a female officer to pa.s.s. "He may have been here the entire time. I'm not sure. I heard a noise when I went to feed Davis." She gestured inside. A muscular black officer played with the tired feline. "He ran off somewhere and I heard someone in my home."

"Did you know it was the Predator?"

"Not at that time. I didn't know what the h.e.l.l it was, really. I just got the feeling that something was wrong. I tried to go back upstairs for my gun, but I ran short of time so I got the pepper spray. But that was like getting nothing because I didn't get the chance to use it." Steven shut his eyes. "So uh..." Her voice shook. "He grabbed me, he said a lot of things I don't care to repeat, tied me to that table." She pointed. "Tried to rape me, I fought back. He ran out...end of story."

Steven scoffed. "It's only the beginning, Bree. I knew this would happen! It's all my fault."

"What? How the h.e.l.l can it be your fault, Steven?"

"It's my fault because I kept letting you push me away. I knew you needed me. But I let you go on with this fantasy that you can take care of everything yourself. It's the same bulls.h.i.t that killed what we had!"

"I don't have time to listen to this." She waltzed into the living room. He followed.

"I want you to admit it; you can't handle everything on your own. I want you to once admit that you're not some super cop and that you get scared, too! I need to hear this from you, Bree!"

"Steven, I can't believe how selfish you're being. I was almost raped tonight! The last thing I need is to be interrogated by you!" She sighed. "What do you want from me?"

Captain Jersey walked inside. She looked back and forth at Steven and Brianna.

"Morris, are you okay?" Captain Jersey's voice held its usual stiffness, yet Brianna could tell she cared. She wouldn't have rushed over if she didn't.

"I'm fine." Brianna looked at Steven. "I was just about to tell Steven that I can take care of myself, and that I know what I am doing." He scoffed.

Jersey sighed. "I'm not so sure. I mean, I know you're a d.a.m.n good cop, Morris, but this is just a little too close for comfort. I'm thinking that maybe I need to take you off this case, and let Kemp go at it alone."

Chapter Six.

"Excuse me?" Brianna nearly dropped the blanket. She rushed to catch it after remembering her torn clothes. "Captain Jersey, you cannot be serious. I have put months and months of time and effort into catching this man. I know this case better than Steven does! How the h.e.l.l can you even think of taking me off it?"

"I can think of it because you were almost raped tonight. Not only that, you're damaged goods."

"Damaged goods?" Brianna gaped. "What the h.e.l.l are you talking about?"

"She's talking about how you're gonna be when you start to face this, Bree." Steven squinted. "I mean, really, face it. You haven't faced it yet."

"I'm facing it fine! I know what happened to me! It has nothing to do with me being able to do my job! I can handle myself, Steven!"

"You were almost raped tonight!" he yelled.

"But I wasn't! And this is the f.u.c.kin' job, right? We are cops! We know the dangers like the back of our hands!" She looked at Jersey. "Captain Jersey, you can't pull me out now. You can use me as bait even."

"What?" Steven shrieked.

"I mean, he knew I was a cop. He knew everything about me, Captain. He even knew Steven and I used to be together. I am no different than any other woman he's wanted to control. The only difference is that I got away. Don't you see? Rapists don't just walk away. They don't just quit. Captain Jersey, I can draw him out."

"How?" Steven scoffed.

"He wants me, Steven." Brianna's voice shook. "And he'll be back."

"So what'cha saying?" He rubbed his chin. "Huh? You want to put yourself out there for this sick motherf.u.c.ker? Why can't you just walk away, Bree? Why do you always have to prove that you're better than everyone else?"

"I'm not doing that, Steven!"

"You can't just wish tonight away, Bree. I don't care what you do; this has happened! You were almost raped tonight!"

"I know that!" She cried into her hands. Steven reached for her. Jersey gestured for him to let her be. Brianna calmed down. She took a deep breath. "I am not in denial. No matter what you both think, I can do my job, regardless of what I went through tonight. I'm a cop." She looked at them. "Okay?"

"You're a woman first, Bree." Steven shook his head. "Why can't you realize that? There's nothing wrong with being scared or confused. No one expects you to be perfect, except yourself! No one else expects you to be anything more than what you are."

"I can take care of myself, Steven." He paced. "Captain Jersey, let me finish off the case."

Jersey rubbed her forehead. "I..."

An officer ran into the room. "Detective Kemp, you got a phone call from the station." The officer threw the cell phone to Steven, then ran back outside. Brianna and Jersey watched in silence.

"What?" Steven looked at the ladies. Brianna and Jersey exchanged glances.

"Wait, when...this evening?" He rubbed his face. "Yeah, I'll be there. Did you dispatch some officers already? Okay, yeah. I'll be at the scene in five minutes. Yeah, Detective Morris is fine. Okay, bye." He stared at the phone.

"Kemp, what is it?" Jersey glared.

He exhaled. "Monica Cartwright...is dead."

"What?" Brianna covered her mouth.

"Who is Monica Cartwright?" Jersey fixed her gla.s.ses.

"The woman we brought in for questioning about the rapist. The one that got away." Brianna looked at him. "Steven, what happened?"

"Apparently it happened this evening. A neighbor found the body. Monica's body's all bruised up. She was raped, too. The blows to her head may have caused her death. They say it looks like the work of the Albany Predator."

"s.h.i.t!" Jersey stared at the carpet. "Homicide. You know what that means, don't you? Oh, if you think Commissioner Reynolds has been riding our a.s.ses about this guy so far, then you just wait until he hears this! A f.u.c.kin' homicide!"

"Captain Jersey, you can't take me off the case." Brianna exhaled.

She shrugged. "Morris, weren't you listening? The man may have killed that young lady. So the homicide guys get the case, you know this. It's changed directions, Morris. We're no longer dealing with just a rapist. Sorry, but you and Kemp's days are numbered on the case." She rushed out the living room.

Steven shook his head. "And if we find out he's killed others it may even go to the FBI. He'd be a serial killer. f.u.c.k! How did things get this far?"

Brianna sighed. "He was here. He was so d.a.m.n close, Steven. How could I let him get away like that?"

"You did the best you could."

"But he could be a killer, Steven. I had him. I was so close and I just let him get away."

"I got to get to the scene. I'll call you with the information soon as I can." He rubbed her arm. "Are you really okay?"

"Yeah," she sighed.

"You sure?" She nodded. He kissed her forehead. "See you, Bree." He quickly headed toward the front door.

"Steven, wait!" Brianna struggled with the blanket. "I got to get changed and..."

"You kidding me? You're not going, Brianna! This man nearly raped you, and he may have murdered Monica Cartwright! You're not going anywhere near that place!" He ran into the yard.

"Oh yeah? Try and stop me." Brianna ran upstairs to change.

Melody arrived for her first day at Caper a few days later. She felt more at ease since Lucas's visit last night. He claimed he'd come over to wish her well for her first day. She grinned. She tugged on the lapel of her crisp tan pantsuit. Courtesy of Sarah's newest credit card. If Lucas's intentions had only been about the job, then how come he hadn't mentioned the job once?

Melody scampered to the floor she'd be working on. She'd do her best not to appear c.o.c.ky, though she'd figured out how to navigate the building already. With such a complex building that hadn't been an easy accomplishment. She stopped in a hallway encased by beautiful, top-notch offices. She wondered if she'd become acquainted with everyone here.

She doubted it. Even though Caper Enterprises took up less than half of this skysc.r.a.per, Melody had a feeling that it boasted the most employees in the building. And that seemed to be a lot. Well-dressed men breezed past her like gnats. Two women flew around a corner chattering. Melody would have made their acquaintance, but couldn't keep up long enough to say h.e.l.lo.

The ladies darted around another corner talking about coffee and a new brand of perfume. She pa.s.sed Dave's empty office. His secretary stacked papers on his desk. Melody continued down the hall. She looked for her office and the trainer Dave had a.s.signed her. He'd been nice enough to take care of things personally for her. Once again, she couldn't help wondering if it had been more for Lucas's sake than for hers.

At this point she couldn't afford to care. All she'd think about would be this job from now on. She antic.i.p.ated working here more than she thought. She liked the busyness. She liked the organization. She liked keeping to a schedule. h.e.l.l, she just liked feeling important and needed. She would be leveling things out for all of Caper's employees. She vowed to do her best. She'd become a top necessity, if she had anything to say about it.

Her trainer turned out to be a forty-year-old clerk named Mario Lamos. Melody glowed at seeing another Hispanic on the premises. She a.s.sumed if she would see one, they'd be pushing a bucket. Maybe her ideas were prehistoric, but Caper didn't seem like it hired many of her kind. Mario presented her a girlish smile the moment she entered the office.

He told her about the business within minutes. She could see why Dave spoke so highly of the chipper clerk. Mario knew everything about files, answering phones and setting up meetings. She wouldn't have been surprised if he knew how many staplers were in the building. She grinned at the thought. Her mind drifted to the news reports she'd caught over the last few nights.

She'd become so sick of this rapist she didn't know what to do. It didn't matter to Melody who he targeted specifically. Black or not she felt like a potential victim. She didn't know how much longer she could deal with being so on edge. Maybe this job would get her mind off things. At least it would keep her busy.

Mario shared personal tidbits about himself after explaining the job to Melody. He got a pretty hefty sum for his duties. He first started at Caper at twenty-three, too. Melody didn't find that part too comforting. She did not want to be an a.s.sistant for the next seventeen years, high pay or not. Mario openly admitted his h.o.m.os.e.xuality though Melody had picked up on it immediately. He boasted that he knew everything about everyone in the company. Melody took this as another chance to do her own digging. If Mario knew the goods, it would be in her best interest to become a friend.

She waited until he went on about some boat he and his boyfriend Luis were buying. They'd been saving up for a trip to Costa Rica. The two had been together for four years. Mario claimed they'd finally make it official. Melody pretended to care long enough to get to the good stuff...what she wanted to talk about. Mario unpacked newly delivered office supplies for her desk.

Melody liked the office, though it lacked the prestige of Dave's. She walked around the back of her desk. She also had a window where she could see around the city.

She ran her fingers down the cool gla.s.s. She belonged here. She could feel it. Maybe this had been what she needed all along.

"So, you're a quiet chica, huh?" Mario winked. "We can talk all the Spanish we want in here, but in the halls, let's keep it English."

"I speak primarily English, anyway, unless I'm p.i.s.sed."

Mario chuckled. "Then what'cha do?" His accent became apparent after every three words.

"I curse in Spanish." She grinned. "There's not a lot of Latinos where I live or where I go and all, so it's easy for me to curse folks in Spanish and walk away."

He laughed. "I'm gonna like you, girl. I really think we'll become fast friends. I like your style, mama. That suit's to die for. I think I saw it in a catalog from one of them fancy stores. Girl, if you got that kind of money, why are you an a.s.sistant here?"

She shrugged. "First off, my sister paid for this suit. She's the one with the dough in the house. h.e.l.l, she's the one with the house, period." Mario grinned. "Soon I'll be making my own money, and I won't need her to support me. I just want to do all I can. I think working here is going to be a great opportunity for me." She sat in the leather chair behind her desk. "Mr. Lawson is very nice. He seems very fair and professional."

"Oh yes, he's the best," Mario gushed. Melody wondered if he held more than admiration for his employer. "Mr. Lawson believes in helping the underdog, you know? He gave me a chance when no one else would. I hadn't even finished college and he offered me a place here. After he saw my qualifications, of course. He's one in a million. I wouldn't want to work for anyone else." He smiled.

"Well, if it's all it's cracked up to be, then maybe I made the right decision to work here." She smiled.

"Yep." He yanked a box of folders from the floor. "Pardon me for staring but...you are Sarah Johnson's sister, right?" Melody nodded. "You guys don't look anything alike."

She grinned. "Believe me, we know. We get this all the time. I mean, we say we're sisters, yet people are always dead set against believing us." She chuckled.

"I mean, I didn't even know Sarah was Latino until probably recently. And I still can't believe it." He slapped the box on the desk. He held his thick waist. "Your father was white, right?" She nodded. "What exactly was your mother?"

"A woman." Melody grinned.

He chuckled. "Her race."

"Mexican." She smiled.

He tilted his head. "Ah, I'm Chicano myself. I got a lot running through my blood." She smiled. "Got any kids?"

"Who me?" She chuckled. "I can't even keep my own room clean. You think I can tell someone else how to run their life?"

Mario laughed. "I can see you'll be fun to have around already, Mel. Looks like we're hitting it off well. So, how did your parents meet? Was your mother born here or Mexico?"

"She was born here." She looked at the ceiling. "Actually, I kind of forgot how my parents met." She grinned. "I think they met in college. My dad was a dentist and my mother a pharmacist."

"Wow, very good jobs, huh? You come from good stock. I know Sarah makes that good dough where she works."

Melody shrugged. "Now it's time for me to make some decent money for myself, hopefully."

"Lucas told me that your parents died in a car crash when you were young, right?" She nodded. "I'm sorry. It must have been hard growing up without parents. My parents are the center of my world. I'm so close to my mother, I could be a pimple on her a.s.s." He laughed.

"Wow, well...I guess that's a good thing." Melody chuckled. "So you really know a lot about the people here?"

"Nothing gets past me. I guess every workplace needs a good gossip, huh?" He rested his large frame against the file cabinet. Melody couldn't help thinking why the most alluring men seemed to be gay. Mario had looks, charm and a sense of humor. Too bad she'd been the wrong d.a.m.n gender to even experiment with him. "Something on your mind?" he asked.

She shook from her daydream. "What do you know about Keith Taylor?"

He sighed. "Besides the fact that he's fine as h.e.l.l?" She grinned. "Well, he's probably the only one here I don't know much about." He opened the box of folders. "I don't think the CIA could get into his business. He's very private. He doesn't give people the opportunity to know what he doesn't want them to."

"What do you mean?" Melody nibbled her lip.

"Well, with other people you can just read them, you know? You can listen to their conversations. You can see how they react, and you can watch them and find things out. Not Keith. It's like he's always...always guarded somehow. Like he goes out of his way to make sure he doesn't lend extra information. It's not normal, if you ask me."