Melody: A Novel Part 8

"f.u.c.k!" Steven kicked the chair.

"Steven, please, calm down, all right?" Brianna rubbed her temples. "Look, this has been a very grueling case and we need to regroup and..."

"What? Start from scratch?" He chuckled. "News flash, Bree, we're sitting right smack in the middle of scratch because we haven't found one f.u.c.king thing to bring us close to that maniac!"

"Don't you think I feel the same way? Steven, I'm a woman myself! Do you think I like having other women terrorized by this man? If I had him now, I'd probably hang him by his b.a.l.l.s, but that is not the way to handle things." Steven shook his head.

"We're cops, Steven. We are allowed to be afraid, but we're not allowed to lose control."

"Seems to me you need to start losing control before it gets too late, Bree."

She ran her hands through her curly black hair. Her almond-brown eyes fluttered at the remark. "Is this personal, Steven?"

"Come on, Bree." He sighed.

"No, I'm just wondering because you've been shooting remarks at me for weeks. Do you blame me for us not finding this guy? I'm only one woman in the department, Steve."

"I know that, Bree. Look, I still care about you, even if you don't want me to." She looked away. "I know it's been a long time but my feelings never died. I will always have this need to protect you."

"So why do I feel like you're blaming me for what this guy is doing?"

"Look, I just get sick of you questioning my methods all the d.a.m.n time. This s.h.i.t is hard for me, too, Bree. I mean, lately all I think about is that b.a.s.t.a.r.d and trying to catch him. And it's not easy with a b.i.t.c.hy female captain breathing down my throat."

Brianna grinned, thinking of her rough superior. "Well, that's her way."

"I went off on Monica because I can't see how she can sit there and not want to help."

"Then you truly don't understand what it's like to be afraid. You were right when you said you couldn't understand her fear being a man, Steven. Think about that. Remember her words when you come down on another victim like it's her fault."

He rubbed his chin. "Jesus, is that what I was doing?" She nodded. He sat down. "Brianna, I'm so worried."

She touched his shoulder. "We'll catch him, Steven."

"No." He laid his hand on hers. He looked her in the eyes. "Bree can't you see why this case winds me up more than any other we've dealt with? We've probably gone after what, millions of rapists? But can you see why this bothers me? It hits a little close to home, sweetie."

"Steven." She knelt beside him. "You're talking about me, aren't you? Oh Jesus, that's why you've been acting so crazy. You're worried about me. Steven, I'll be fine." She smiled. "We'll get this a.s.shole like we've gotten all the others."

He exhaled into his hands. "If anything ever happened to you, I don't know what I'd do." She walked to the other side of the room. "I never stopped caring for you, Bree."

"Steven, please." She leaned against the wall. She rested her hand on her gun. "We can't keep going on like this."

"Bree, I have tried to get over you, but..." He chuckled. "You're too amazing for me to do that."

"Steven, we can't go back."

"What, because we're cops?" She turned away. "Bree, I didn't fall for that flimsy excuse when you dumped me, and I sure as h.e.l.l won't now."

"This is not the time, Steven. We have to think about this case. Now, you know you are my friend and partner. I care about you deeply, but as far as what we used to be, it's...it's out of the question."

He shrugged. "Everything seems to be 'out of the question' with you these days, huh?"

"Stop it, Steven! d.a.m.n it, look at the big picture! We have a man terrorizing people! The last thing we need to talk about is some love affair that we couldn't even hold on to."

"That you didn't want to hold on to." He held his waist. "I guess being with me was exciting at first. Then when you found me to be your career compet.i.tion, you lost the fire, huh?"

"Steven, you know why I broke it off." She leered at him. "You know and I don't want to discuss this right now."

"Are you prepared if this guy comes after you, Bree? Can you honestly handle that? I think about that every day. I hope you're scared because you need to be."

"I don't need you to tell me how to be, Steven. Unlike you, I don't need to be led around by the nose to get things done," she scoffed. "Let's just stick to the job and let all this other s.h.i.t go. Agreed?"

He sucked his lip. "Agreed. After all, you're the better cop, aren't you?"

She sighed.

Captain Jersey flounced into the room. The middle-aged woman overlooked her officers with gravity. She held a clipboard against her chest. Her green eyes shimmered through her red-rimmed gla.s.ses. She straightened the lapel of her gray suit.

"Kemp, Morris, I've been looking all over for you. What happened with the girl?"

"Monica?" Brianna shrugged. "Nothing much."

"And why not?" Jersey walked up. "She was almost raped. We know it was the predator, and she sure as h.e.l.l knows. Why isn't she still here helping us find this guy?"

Steven gulped. "Captain, she was too frightened to be of any real help. She was shaking so badly she could hardly talk. We told her to call us when she got herself together, and she agreed she would." Jersey looked at the chalkboard in the back of the room. "I see. You are supposed to be the best in the s.e.x crimes unit. Am I wrong? Yet each day you come up with nothing."

"Captain, it takes time."

"We don't have time, Morris! This man is dangerous. The rapes are happening closer and they get more and more violent each time. We gotta get his a.s.s off the street before he kills someone!"

"So you get that feeling too, huh?" Steven sighed. "Captain, we're doing what we always do, our best. We feel that the victims are opening up more and more. We can't make them talk." He looked at Brianna. "We'll go over the victims' statements and see if there are any leads. But we've talked to everyone we felt may have known or seen some man at one point who fits the description, and we get s.h.i.t each time."

"I don't like badgering victims, but at this point we have no choice." Jersey tapped her foot. "I want you to start arresting the victims if they refuse to cooperate."

Brianna jumped. "Oh, Captain, that's not a good idea. I mean these ladies are already over the top. If we treated them like they did something wrong, it could damage them for life! Captain, we just can't do it like that."

"We have no choice, Morris. The victims are the only ones that can tie things together for us, and if they're holding out it's going against the investigation. We can't let that slide. We'll just have to bring them in."

"This is sick, Captain." Brianna sighed. "We can't force them to do this. Look at what they've been through."

"I am, Brianna. I don't want anyone else to go through this either. So we'll do it my way. Until you can find something else solid that gets us closer to the rapist, we'll sweat it out of the victims." She went to the door. "And if they don't cooperate, they'll spend time here with us...in jail." She left.

"What the f.u.c.k was that?" Steven shook his head.

"Fear." Brianna went to the door. "Don't you recognize it by now?" She left.

Melody decided to take that spin by Aileen's after all, later that day. She never needed her girlfriend so much. She hadn't gotten any relaxation at home. She couldn't stop thinking about Keith's kiss. She kept her eyes focused on the car in front of her. Driving always took her mind off weird situations. The perfect time to think things out. Course the situation had been more than weird.

She didn't care to figure out the "why" when it came to Keith anymore. She just wanted him gone.

Melody and Aileen were closer than friends could be. Entering adulthood hadn't affected their relationship, either. At times Melody considered Aileen her sister. After all, she shared things with her that she hadn't told Sarah. Melody knew Aileen could help her come to terms with Sarah's intimidating new boyfriend.

Melody and Aileen had tons of things in common. They both loved the same music. They loved the same types of food. They even dressed similarly. They were both tall. They both loathed beauty regimes like doing hair and nails. They were quite creative. They were both hopeless romantics. They both loved to read but hated to be called "bookworms."

Melody loved Agatha Christie. Aileen had always been obsessed with Sidney Sheldon. Neither had missed a book by their favorite authors.

Melody respected Aileen for being a leader instead of a follower. Aileen never cared what others thought. She didn't care if an entire city disagreed with her. Nothing dissuaded Aileen's opinions, if she truly believed she was right. Such bravery wasn't easy to find in people under thirty. Her strength had been the reason everyone looked up to Aileen in high school. They came to her for advice. She always seemed to make the worst problems easier to handle.

Melody turned toward Aileen's street. She remembered when Aileen had been voted "Most Beautiful Senior," yet hadn't made prom queen that last year. Of course she didn't care. Aileen didn't succ.u.mb to society's traditions. She'd been more interested in creating her own. She had been one of few blacks at their high school.

Melody wasn't even sure if there had been another black girl there at the time. Melody had been the only Hispanic at Cleveland High herself. Hands down, Aileen had been slapped into the "pretty" group. She'd gained popularity at Cleveland without even trying. Melody had been the complete opposite. Yet they fit together, then as they did now.

A friendship couldn't get any better than this. Melody grinned when she thought of Aileen's wedding to Jonovan. Aileen had gotten married straight out of high school. Melody had been the maid of honor. She remembered tripping at the reception and dousing Aileen's beautiful dress with grape soda. Anyone else would have banned Melody from their life for embarra.s.sing them on such a perfect day.

Aileen hadn't batted an eye. She simply took Melody by the hand and playfully danced with her. In fact, Melody couldn't remember a time when they argued. She wondered how she could be so connected to Aileen yet struggled to feel closer to her own sister. She wiped a tear. She hadn't meant to cry, but it sometimes happened while strolling down memory lane.

Her fondest "Aileen" moment had been when Aileen had her daughter, Danielle. Melody had taken her to the hospital on a rainy afternoon. Jonovan drove big rigs from state to state for a living, so he'd been out of town again that week. Aileen didn't hesitate calling Melody when her water broke. In her own words, Aileen had refused to ride in some "tacky" cab to go to the hospital. Even in labor, Aileen could be a hoot.

Melody had also been the first, besides Aileen, to hold Danielle. In return, she'd been named Danielle's G.o.dmother. Melody cherished the t.i.tle, and she hoped she could live up to it, if need be.

Melody reached the driveway. She stared at Aileen's white two-story house. The front door was open. All of the homes in this neighborhood looked the same. To make matters worse, the residents' addresses weren't visible on the curbs. Melody always looked for Aileen's immaculate little garden to make sure she had the right home. A tin watering pail sat lopsided on the porch.

Water dribbled from the garden hose in the yard. Melody didn't like this scene. Aileen never left the door open, and she never left the garden hose out. She never left her pail on the porch. Aileen always kept everything in order. She always reprimanded Melody for leaving things in disarray. No, something definitely wasn't right.

Melody eased from her jeep as she looked next door. Even Aileen's nosy old neighbor wasn't outside. Melody couldn't remember a day when the elderly lady hadn't been on her porch. She crept to Aileen's door. She felt a chill when she walked inside. She saw the light from the kitchen.

She heard a noise in the back hallway leading toward the bedrooms. Melody took a deep breath. She called out Aileen's name, yet didn't receive an answer. She shouted at the top of her lungs. She checked the kitchen, den, living room and master bedroom. She ran to the phone in the den. Before she could dial 911, someone touched her from behind.

"Ahhhhhh!" Melody fell on top of the small desk. Aileen tumbled over her. "Ahhhh!" Melody waved her arms for dear life.

"Mel!" Aileen hollered. Melody's eyes settled on Aileen's brown pupils. Aileen shook her head. "I won't even ask." She stood. She brushed dust from her denim shorts. Her thin T-shirt fell damply against her dark skin. Her hands were covered in yellow gardening gloves.

"Oh G.o.d," Melody panted. "Oh, Leen." She stood. "I thought...I thought you...oh G.o.d, I'm glad you're okay." She hugged her.

"I know what you thought." Aileen shook her head.

"Oh, Leen, I was so scared! Do you know how I felt coming here and seeing the door open like that? I yelled for you and you didn't say anything! I was about to call 9-1-1."

Aileen walled her eyes. "Yeah, well, I don't think they'll find a black woman gardening at home that serious, Mel."

Melody sighed. "Leen, I thought maybe the rapist had..." She looked at the walls. "What's wrong with me? Why am I so d.a.m.n scared all the time?"

"Mel, I was in the closet getting some shears." Aileen pointed to the tools on the floor. "I didn't answer because I had my headphones on and I didn't hear you at first. When I heard someone walking around in my house, I ran out to see what the h.e.l.l was going on." Aileen's fluffy ponytail bobbed. "Well, I could use some explanation, Mel."

"Aileen, how could you leave your door opened like that with that rapist out there?"

"Here we go." She went into the kitchen. Melody traipsed in behind her. Aileen grabbed a can of grape soda from the refrigerator. "Melody, I don't want to hear one word about that rapist."

"But Leen, I..." Melody sat at the table.

"Not one word, Mel. I can't live like this. If it's not Jonovan on my back about being careful, it's my mother, or you. I'm fine. You're the one who looked like she had a meeting with a train wreck."

"I just got so scared. Leen, you gotta be more careful. This man is a monster. Did you see what he did to that last lady he raped? He beat her in the eye with a lamp, Leen. You saw her on the news! He practically caved in her eye. This man is not only a rapist, but he's a s.a.d.i.s.tic torturer who has some vendetta against black women."

"I know that, Mel." Aileen grinned. "I see it on the news. I see it in the paper and I am sick to death of it."

"Let's see how sick to death of it you'd be if it happened to you." Melody squinted. "Aileen, you got to take this seriously. If I were you I'd be s.h.i.tting bricks."

"Melody, I'm not gonna live in a box because of some creep! I have to live my life. And what's the big deal here? There have always been rapists and killers running around this city! What makes this one so different?"

"Because he's targeting black women, Leen!" Melody hit the table.

"Rapists target all women every day, Melody. You think he's the only one out there?"

"No, but he's the only one beating women to a pulp, raping them and leaving them for dead." Aileen turned toward the sink. "And all of the victims sounded just like you, Leen, thinking he wasn't gonna get them. Aileen, you're too smart to be so careless right now. How could you leave your door open like that? Daytime or not, it's still a bad idea."

"And I paid the price since you're here lecturing me." She sipped soda. Melody rubbed her forehead. "I'm sorry, Melody. I'm just so sick of people staring at me like I'm about to be on the six o'clock news. Just because I meet this a.s.shole's requirements, it doesn't mean I'm on his list. He can't rape everyone, Mel."

She scoffed. "Is that supposed to be comforting?"

"I really don't want to talk about this again. Jonovan and I had a big fight over it this morning, and I don't want to repeat the same scenario with you." She pa.s.sed Melody a Sprite. Melody loved Sprite like mice loved cheese. They sat down. "Oh, Mel, this marriage thing sure is tough sometimes."

"What's up, Leen?"

"Jonovan got on me about going to the store by myself last night. I'm always cautious, but he wasn't hearing it. Today, he wanted to call his boss and tell him he wasn't going to do his delivery in Dallas because he didn't want to leave me here alone." She sighed. "Well, we got into a big argument about it and he ended up going off to Dallas angry, anyway."

"Well, how long will he be gone?"

She walled her eyes. "A couple of weeks or more. He has other deliveries to do around Texas, too. d.a.m.n, Mel, I tell you that this is not like I thought it would be."

"Marriage?"

"Yeah. I mean, I know Jonovan needs this job to support us, but I don't know if I can deal with him being gone all the time for much longer. I knew being a truck driver would cause him to be gone a lot but I had no idea." She stretched. "Seems like he's gone way more than he's here and it's getting hard for me. I need him, too, Mel."

"Aileen, you know he's doing this to better himself. He's saving up so he can go to college and get a business degree. Leen, everything will fall into place. Once he gets his degree he can quit driving trucks, and with his business mind, he'll be moving up in the corporate world in no time." She slapped Aileen's wrist. "I know you miss him now, but it's worth it, Leen. Just don't give up on that."

"Melody, you're talking about dealing with things then and I don't know if I can deal with things now. I love Jonovan for being a hard worker and he does a d.a.m.n good job of supporting me and Danielle, but that doesn't make up for him not being here. We started off talking about this and now we're arguing about it. Seems like everything's an argument these days."

Melody took Aileen's hand. She felt guilty. She'd run to Aileen's to sort out her problems, not having any idea what she was going through. It couldn't be easy raising a child with an almost nonexistent husband. Melody made up her mind not to burden Aileen with her problems, unless Aileen brought them up.

Chapter Five.