Melody: A Novel Part 36

He shrugged. "Since this is all over, I figure there's no need for hard feelings. It just so happens that there is this live performance being played over at that jazz club on Fifth." Steven raised an eyebrow. Parsons grinned. "Figured maybe you'd want to go with me tonight."

"Huh?" Steven glared.

Brianna smirked. "Parsons, you can't be serious."

"Why not?"

She laughed. "Parsons, if you were the last man on earth and I had to date you to stay alive, I'd commit suicide." The detectives laughed.

"Good one." Parsons grinned. "But could you give me a real reason why you wouldn't want to go out with me?"

"Goodness!" Brianna laughed. "I can probably think of a million! You accused my partner of rape. You're a downright nasty person. You accused me of breaking the law and busting Steven out of jail. You searched my home and threatened to arrest me. Need another reason?"

Parsons straightened the collar of his blazer. "See, that's what's wrong with chicks. Women always hanging on to the past."

She grinned. "Get lost, Parsons. If I see Jesus before you, then it will still be too soon."

"Okay fine." He moved from the desk. "I guess I have to find another young lady who'd like to see Brian McKnight live, at the VIP table."

"Hold on!" Brianna sprung from her desk like a root. "Did you say Brian McKnight?" Parsons nodded. "Uh, you can pick me up at seven. You already know the address."

"Bree!" Steven stood. "You're actually gonna go out with Parsons?"

"Steven, I'd go with the Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan if he had Brian McKnight tickets!"

"I don't believe this." Steven looked at Brianna. "You're gonna go out with the man that nearly ruined my life and my career, Bree? This is certainly turning out to be one h.e.l.l of a weird day."

"I'll be at your place on the dot, Brianna." Parsons winked.

"Oh, just a minute, what's your first name?" she asked.

"Wilbur." He smiled.

"Wilbur?" all the detectives shouted in unison.

"Lord, have mercy." Brianna walled her eyes. "What's your middle name then?"

"Rupert."

"Rupert!" the detectives shouted.

"Wait. Your name is Wilbur Rupert Parsons?" Steven grimaced.

"Yes." Parsons looked around. "Something wrong with that?"

"Uh, maybe you should think of officially changing your name to 'Agent.'" Brianna sighed. Parsons left.

"I can't believe you're going out with him, Bree."

"Oh, Steven, please. It is definitely nothing romantic. I'd go out with a c.o.c.kroach to see Brian McKnight." She laughed. "By the way, when you left for a month, where in the h.e.l.l did you go?"

He cleared his throat. "Oh, uh, I was taking care of business. I had to lay low to sniff the guy out."

A short, bald detective walked up. He patted Steven on the back. "Hey, Steve! Heard you racked up a fortune in Vegas, man! Way to go!" He walked off.

Brianna blinked. "What did he say?"

"Nothing." Steven rummaged through papers.

"Wait a minute. I know he didn't say your a.s.s was in Vegas."

"Well, I had to find a place to lay low and..."

"Steve! I don't believe you!"

"What?" He grinned.

"You had the nerve to go gambling in Vegas when all h.e.l.l broke loose down here?"

"I had to get my hands on some extra money. You just be glad I came back when I did. I saved your life, Bree."

"I cannot believe you, Steven. Vegas?" Jersey walked out with a file. "Captain, Steve had the nerve to go to Vegas while we were trying to save his a.s.s from prison! Aren't you shocked?"

Jersey guffawed. "I would be if I could stop laughing!"

The other officers joined in on the fun.

"It isn't funny at all!" Brianna looked at her peers.

Jersey held her stomach. "The h.e.l.l it's not!"

Everyone laughed.

Cheyenne Wilson walked up. "Excuse me."

"Miss Wilson." Steven looked at Brianna. "Didn't expect to see you down here. Is everything all right?"

She shrugged. "I heard that you caught the rapist. I guess I wanted to make sure for myself that it was the truth."

"Yes." Brianna nodded. "He's in the holding cell now. Uh, we would have called you to let you know any details."

Cheyenne looked at Steven. "No, I didn't come here just for that. I wanted to apologize to Detective Kemp."

He stood. "Cheyenne, you don't have to do that."

"Yes, I do, Detective. I treated you horribly. I saw everything you went through, and it was because of me."

"No." He smiled. "It was because of the rapist. It wasn't your fault I looked just like him. I didn't even know I did." He chuckled. "I don't want you to feel you did anything wrong. You're the victim in this, not me."

"So?" She looked at her purse. "He won't get off will he?"

"No way. Especially after coming after a cop." Brianna smiled. "And we're gonna do all we can, personally, to make sure he pays."

"As long as we have you and the other victims to come forward and do their part." Steven rubbed Cheyenne's arm.

"I will, don't worry. He's ruined all of our lives, the least I can do is make sure he suffers for it." Cheyenne glanced around the station. "How come I get the strange feeling it's not over?"

Brianna walked toward her. "It'll feel like that to you for a while, Cheyenne. But in time, things will become clear again. And you'll be able to live a normal life. You'll be able to let go of what happened to you."

"And we'll be here if you need us." Steven smiled.

A Week Later Melody had become addicted to sitting on the porch in the afternoons after work. Sarah constantly teased her, claiming Melody had become an old lady before her eyes. Melody sipped the spicy tea. She loved her new rocking chair. She loved looking into the street. She hadn't realized how beautiful her own neighborhood could be. h.e.l.l, Sarah always talked about going to Paris.

Melody grinned. She promised she'd take Melody there soon. Paris didn't have anything on this. Melody couldn't remember the last time she felt so carefree. Well, at least not since Keith Taylor entered her life.

Keith. She stopped rocking. Her mind drifted to that dark planet she tried so hard to escape from. Who could blame her? It would definitely take some time to let go. Sarah had been so strong. She spent her time consoling Melody. Yet she knew Sarah was dying inside. Melody wished Sarah could finally find a happy ending.

She often wondered what Keith felt. She knew he probably thought about Sarah constantly in jail. Did he ever think about what he'd done to Melody? Melody wished she could see a sign that he had some remorse. Maybe then she could move on.

She rubbed her shoulder and stomach. St.i.tches were a small price to pay if it meant that Keith finally got what he deserved. She rocked again. Funny, she still felt sorry for him.

She and Sarah would have to deal with him again once the trial began. Melody would take things one day at a time. Unlike Keith, she believed in letting destiny run its course.

The front door opened. Sarah relaxed beside the house in jeans and a flimsy T-shirt. Melody grinned. Sarah displayed a more comfortable style of dress these days. Her thick blonde ponytail blew across her face. She flicked it back with a simple nod. Her green eyes stared in midair. Melody often tried to guess what Sarah thought about these days. They never talked about Keith. They felt it was the only way to move on.

"So, when's Aileen leaving?" Sarah slipped her hands in her pockets.

"Next Monday." Melody rocked. "I can't believe it. My best friend is moving to Dallas."

"Well, you can't blame her. I mean, Jonovan got that job as supervisor of the headquarters down there." Sarah whistled. "s.h.i.t, that's sweet, man." Melody nodded. "I mean, after driving those trucks all this time, now he'll be in charge of the people who drive them." They grinned.

"Yep." Melody sipped. "It'll be good for Aileen, too. I keep teasing her, saying she'll be bored as h.e.l.l without friends. I know it's not true. Aileen could make friends anywhere. She adjusts quickly."

"How's she doing? You know, since the rape?"

Melody drifted to her own rape for a second. She shook the memory away. "She's doing better. She seems so much like her old self sometimes I gotta wonder if she's just pretending, you know?"

Sarah sat beside her on the upside-down flowerpot.

"And do you pretend, Mel?" Sarah looked at the yard. "I want you to know that you don't ever have to hide how you're feeling from me." She took Melody's hand. "I'm always here for you. I always will be. Nothing will change that."

"Funny. I think I worry more about you, Sarah, than you ever could about me."

She stood. She stretched. "Nonsense. Nothing happened to me. It all happened to you."

"No, it happened to both of us, Sarah." Melody shook her head. "Maybe you need to face it and stop feeling guilty." Sarah sighed. "I know you don't want to talk about it, but it won't bother me if that's what you're thinking. Sarah, I love you. I don't hold what happened against you. You only loved Keith. You didn't make him do the things he did."

"I don't know how you can be so understanding with me, after the s.h.i.t I put you through, Melody. You were right all along and I didn't stand by you. I'll never forgive myself for that." She leaned against the house. "I'm giving up men. It'll be a long time before I even look at one again."

"You?" Melody grinned.

"I'm serious."

"Oh please!" Melody stood. She laughed so hard she nearly dropped her cup. "You couldn't give up men for a month, Sarah."

"Yes, I could!" She chuckled. "I'm not this needy thing, if that's what you think. What's a man, anyway, but a big fat liar? And after that mess we just went through...how could I trust someone new?"

"Being alone isn't the answer, Sarah." Melody took her hand. "I almost lost Lucas because I pushed him away. Then I realized how happy he made me. I realized that in order to get through this, I needed him. I wanted him." Sarah nodded. "Sarah, when you're in love for real, it's gonna be so different from anything you've ever experienced. You just need to stop looking and let it find you."

"I can't believe this. You're giving me advice about men?" Sarah shook her head. "Must be a full moon coming tonight!" Melody laughed. They hugged. A red sports car with tinted windows drove up. "Who's that?" Sarah couldn't make out the driver.

"Jeff," Melody whispered. He got out looking as handsome as ever. His eyes immediately found Sarah's. He straightened the end of his navy-blue T-shirt. Soft, indigo jeans hugged his muscular bottom. He stopped before reaching the porch. He watched Sarah as if she were the only woman in the world.

"Hey, Mel." He waved. She smiled. "Hi, Sarah."

"Jeff." She nodded.

"Hi. Uh, Melody, I came for that file that Mr. Lawson asked you to look over. I want to check over it before tomorrow."

"Oh yeah!" She snapped her fingers. She set the tea on the rocking chair. "I'll be right back." She ran into the house.

Jeff moved closer to the porch. "She seems to be doing well. I'm glad things are getting better for her."

"Yeah." Sarah looked at the front door. She turned from his gaze. "Did you really come all the way over here for that file? You could have called. Melody would have gone to work extra early if you needed her to."

"Yeah, I know," he exhaled. "I wanted to see how you were doing. I know this has been very hard on you. Uh, I wanted to let you know that I've seen Keith in jail."

She rubbed her face. "He wanted me to tell you he loves you."

"Well, I don't want to hear it. And I would appreciate it if you wouldn't come over here with little messages from Keith."

"Sarah, that's not why I came. I just wanted you to know that someone is here for you." She looked at him. "If Melody isn't there or your friends, then you can always come to me. I want to help you in any way I can."

"Jeff, I know that you have feelings for me, right?" He shrugged. "But I'm not ready to even think of being with a man right now. It will be a long time before I trust another man again."

"Sarah, I completely understand." He smiled. "I want to be your friend, though. And I'm not doing it for any other reason than to just be there."

"I appreciate that." She smiled.

Melody walked out with the file. "Here you go, Jeff."

"Thanks." Jeff slid it under his arm. "Sarah, remember what I said, okay? And there's still some good men left in the world. I'd like to think I'm one of them. Just don't let Keith make you think otherwise, okay?" She nodded. "See you, Melody."

"Bye, Jeff." She waved. He looked at Sarah for the longest time, and drove off seconds later. "What was that about?" Melody asked Sarah.

Sarah grinned. "It's about me...finally being the one in control." She put her arms around Melody's shoulders.

Melody smiled.