by Karen Deen
“Sweetheart, come here and sit down. We need to have a chat.”
Luke went on to explain that they were police who’d been watching this boat and one other for a while. Women along the coast had been drugged in bars with none of them remembering what had happening except recalling the sound of water. They all woke on a beach somewhere, naked from waist down. They had been drugged with the date rape drug, and unfortunately, had all been raped.
Gasping, my hands covered my mouth “Oh, my God. Those poor women. Who would do that? Do you mean it happened on this boat? Luke, I can’t stay here. We need to get off.” Luke cupped my face, drawing my attention back to him.
“Zoe, look at me. Just breathe, baby. It’s okay. You’re safe. I won’t let anyone hurt you.” It wasn’t me that I was upset about. All those poor women who were abused, had their rights taken away from them.
“I’m okay, Luke. But we have to stop him. Whoever it is, we have to stop him. He can’t keep hurting women. He can’t take away their control. No one should have taken my control away.” I was suddenly battling with my own demons.
“How does he do it? Where does he get them from? I want to help. Let me help catch him.” My voice grew loud. I was agitated and seeking revenge. I may not have been able to punish my parents but if I could help stop this man and bring him to justice for someone else who was suffering, then it would be worthwhile.
“No! Absolutely not. This has nothing to do with you, Zoe. We’re going home.”
“I’m not going anywhere. I never got to stand up against those things that were happening to me, so I am standing up now.”
Luke looked full of rage.
“This is not your battle to fight. What do you think you are going to do to help? Go and sit in the bar waiting to get picked up and drugged? How the fuck will that help. You’re crazy.”
My mind went back to all those years ago. That was exactly what I could do. I knew what needed to happen and how to keep myself safe. I couldn’t put my parents away but if I could help put the piece of shit behind bars, I would feel like I’d beaten them. I swore I would never go back there, but one more night might be just what I needed to bury it forever.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Luke
No way was this happening. Zoe knew nothing about the case, yet she was throwing herself in boots-and-all trying to help the police. They wouldn’t accept her help. They didn’t allow civilians to get involved in criminal cases.
“Why do you want to get involved? You don’t know a thing about this or about who their suspects are. I don’t understand why you are coming out with this crazy talk.”
“I think I’ve already worked out who it could be. I know you aren’t going to want to hear it, Luke, but they’re suspecting Andrew. That’s why they’re watching his boats. I’m right, aren’t I?”
We waited for the police to answer. My heart sank. It couldn’t be. He was my mate. He would never do that to a woman. Not the Andrew I knew. But that was the thing, did I really know him anymore? The way he talked about women these days was so disrespectful. He still hadn’t settled for any relationship. Zoe hadn’t liked his vibe from the start. Maybe he wasn’t the person I used to know.
Detective Bowman looked straight at me. He was a straight talker. I could see that from the moment he stepped onto the boat. “I’m sorry, Luke, Zoe is correct. He’s been seen at every bar, the same nights the women disappeared. He has access to the boats. There are other factors that mount up we can’t share, but, let’s just say we know we’re close to getting him. He has a pattern. We know it could either be last night or tonight. When the boat disappeared yesterday morning, we thought it would be last night on the other boat. The tracking on this boat has been turned off, so it took us a while to find you. It wasn’t until we tracked down the captain who told us where he anchored you. When there was no woman last night we wanted to make sure that whoever was on this boat wasn’t part of this mess. I’m sorry, I wish I was wrong about your friend, I just don’t think we are. We can’t stop when we’re this close to finding out.”
I couldn’t process everything. Not too long ago, I was snuggled with my beautiful girlfriend about to have an amazing day.
Now, I was listening to some harebrained scheme Zoe had about helping catch a rapist who also happened to be my best friend. What universe was I in? Zoe’s voice snapped me out of my daydream, or now, a nightmare.
“I can do this. It’s been a while, and I can’t explain why, but I used to frequent bars dressed in a disguise. Long, blonde wig, contact lenses a darker colour. I can do it again. I just need to know you will protect me.” She looked to Detective Bowman.
“We will make sure you’re safe at all times,” he reassured us both.
“I will protect you. If you insist on doing this, then I will fucking be there to protect you. You are not to leave my sight. I will get him into the bar. If he doesn’t pick you then we walk away and fly home. Away from this craziness.” I was almost growling as I tried to contain my emotions.
“Luke, we can protect her,” Detective Bowman reinforced.
“I protect her. I’m her man. I protect her!”
A nod was all I got from the Detective. He understood the message loud and clear.
We spent the next hour or so sitting on the boat planning how this would all pull together. I wasn’t happy about this at all. I’d learned one thing about Zoe. When she made up her mind about something, there was very little we could do to change her mind. This was definitely one of those times.
Sailing back to the marina, I sat holding my girl in my lap. I had so many plans and surprises for Zoe that now weren’t going to happen. Instead, my happiness was marred with fear for what was about to transpire. There was also a part of me that felt absolutely shit for planning to catch out my best friend. Trying to get my head around it was hard. The only thing that gave me comfort was if he were responsible for the crimes, he deserved everything he got, and I’d be standing in line waiting to bring him down. My heart and head were conflicted. I just couldn’t imagine him doing this. I knew they were convinced it was him, but I found it hard to believe my judge of character was that wrong. For years we’d had each other’s back, and even after college. When our families pulled us down, we could always rely on each other to help blow it off and keep going. Andrew and I had always been very different people, but we just blended together. We balanced each other out. I never prayed, but right now, I was praying to whoever would hear me, that they had it all wrong.
The plan was to tell Andrew that Zoe got sea sick and needed to book into the motel for a few nights instead of staying on the boat. She would stay at the motel the first night to get some rest and I would take him out for a few drinks to thank him for the use of the boat. Zoe would enter as her alter ego. I was unsure how I would handle that. I needed to encourage him to pick her up for a good night of sex. How fucked up was that? Who offered up their girlfriend to someone else? I had to keep telling myself that it was not my girlfriend I would suggest he pick up. She was just an unknown woman having a drink. There would be undercover police in the bar and stationed around the marina. The barman would also be an undercover cop, so he could control what Andrew did with her drink. I swear to God, if he drugged my girl, I would kill him. I wouldn’t care how many police there were to witness it, I would kill him if he touched or hurt her in any way.
I promised Zoe no one would ever hurt her again and I would live by that promise or die trying.
Neither of us were in the mood for sex. Instead, we lay on the motel bed holding each other in silence. We felt all the emotions swimming through our bodies. By being this close, it was like we were sharing our worries.
The alarm on Zoe’s phone sounded, alerting her to start dressing in the outfit the detectives had organized. I made sure it was not leather. I didn’t want our memories tarnished. I worried it would bring up awful memories for Zoe. I had Dr. Fordosa’s number, so if needed, she was just a phone call away
. There was no way this was going to set back all the amazing progress Zoe had made. She felt she needed to do this one last thing to finally put it in the past. I wasn’t convinced, although, it wasn’t me who suffered the life she did growing up. I knew early in our relationship that I needed to allow Zoe to drive her own recovery. All I could do was offer support and be by her side. Tonight would be difficult as she took the reins.
I had ten minutes before I was expected to meet Andrew at the bar. Zoe had been in the bathroom for a while. I needed to see and hold her before I left. She needed to know how I felt.
“Zoe, I need to go. Can you come out so I can see you?”
Slowly the door opened.
There she was. The girl I remembered from all those years ago. Yet, she looked so foreign now. The body was the same but nothing else matched. This was not my Zoe. Not even close. The spark in her eyes was gone. The warm energy her soul emitted was also gone. The moment she put on the wig and plastered on the makeup, it erased all the beauty of my baby away. Standing before me, she was a shell of a woman that existed all those years ago that she had fought so hard to bury.
“I never thought I would ever be here again.” Her whisper had a slight quiver.
“This is not who you are anymore. You are far more than this shell of a person. This is just playing dress-up for Halloween. Just look at it like that. This is your nightmare horror costume. After tonight, we burn the costume and it will never be used again. Ever! Do you understand me?”
“Yes. I just need to do this. I know it’s hard to understand. I’m sorry, it’s your friend, but I just need to do this. If I can’t get justice for myself, I need to get it for someone else who can’t.”
I held her as tight as I could. “I love you so much. Don’t do anything stupid. Don’t leave my sight. Let the police handle it all when they’re ready. The minute you feel this going south, you yell my name and I’m there. Understand? No heroics. I can’t lose you. It took me this long to tell the world you’re mine. I won’t breathe without you. Be safe.”
The knock at the door let me know it was time. The police were here to do the last brief with Zoe after I headed over to the bar. Walking out the door was the hardest thing I’d ever done. My whole being was telling me this wasn’t right. I couldn’t protect her if I wasn’t with her.
Taking a seat at the table inside the bar, I made sure I had full view of where Zoe would be sitting with her back to me so I wouldn’t distract her. But when she walked in, she’d see me and know I was here watching her every move.
“Hey, buddy, you need another drink before I sit?” Andrew walked up, slapping me on the shoulder. He looked tired and had aged over the last few months. He might have talked like he was still the Andrew I knew in college, but looking at him now, he was far from that.
“No, I’m good thanks. I’ll get the next shout.” He headed to grab his drink while I took a small sip of my light-strength beer. I needed to stay alert.
Plonking himself down with a big sigh, it sounded like the weight of the world was on his shoulders.
“Sorry you had to cut your trip short, man. Shame Zoe got sea sick. Weather would have been good for a few days out on the water.”
“Yeah, the cove we anchored in was spectacular. Next time, I’ll have to get her sea sickness medication for the trip. Maybe she has a virus because she still doesn’t feel herself. She’s going to have a rest tonight so it’s just us boys.”
“Party time then.”
“Not a chance. I’ll just have a couple and then head back to the room to check on her. Anyway, surely you will be looking for a hook-up for tonight. I don’t want to cramp your style. By the look of you, a good hard fuck is what you need to relax.” I tried to talk on his level.
“Man, life is just so fucking hard at the moment. Work is a killer and I feel like I am doing it on my own. The only thing that makes it feel better is when I take a woman and show her who’s boss. Have my way with her then leave her to pick up the pieces. I just need to offload so I can keep functioning.”
My skin crawled. Why had I never heard how badly he spoke of women? God, I hoped I never sounded like that. My parents and family would be horrified. Dad especially. We were raised to be respectful to others, especially women.
“Yeah, I know what you mean,” I said, gulping down my beer to wash the sour taste from my mouth.
We chatted a little about his day and the place we had sailed to, until his eyes were drawn towards the door. I knew without looking that Zoe had just entered the bar. I could feel her presence. Giving her time to approach the bar, I glanced up at the last minute. She knew I’d seen her but didn’t look long enough to connect and give it all away. After she sat down, Andrew became obviously distracted by her, continually looking in her direction while stopping his conversation.
“I’ll get the next round of drinks, what are you having?” He pushed back the chair and was on his feet in seconds, his wallet ready. “My shout tonight. It’s not often I get you here for a few days, even if you are tied down by your woman.”
As he headed to the other end of the bar where he could be right next to Zoe, his brother walked through the door. He surveyed the room, then joined Andrew, pulling up a stool right next to Zoe. I watched her body language. She was uncomfortable, no doubt struggling with her confidence. The barman placed our drinks in front of Andrew, then one for Zoe and Peter. Andrew chatted with her before returning to the table with our drinks.
“You find a chick to take home, my friend?”
“I thought so, until my brother sat down. He gave me the signal that he wanted her and to back away. Been happening for months. Whenever I’m out at a bar he seems to turn up and hits on the girl I started chatting up. Within ten minutes, they’re leaving, and she’s all over him. Don’t know how he does it. It’s like they want him bad the way they hang onto him. I don’t know what he says, but it obviously works. Keeps taking them back to the boats and then I’m left to clean up the mess in the morning. Fucking shits me, man. Told him if he is going to use the boats at least clean up afterwards. Sucks having to walk into a room smelling like sex and you missed the fun.” He continued talking a little more on his brother, the pieces all falling into place. I needed to alert the police. They needed to know it wasn’t Andrew.
Leaving the table for the men’s room, I gave one undercover cop the signal that I needed to talk. I didn’t want to leave Zoe, but they had to know they were watching the wrong guy. I could hear the footsteps follow me into the bathroom. Quickly explaining what I knew, he nodded, and I was out of there.
Coming from the bathroom my eyes fell on the spot where Zoe should have been. She was gone and so was Peter.
Fuck!
Racing toward the door, Andrew’s voice mumbled something to me, but I was focused on finding Zoe. Just as I neared the door, one of the detectives stepped in front on me.
“Calm down, you’re making a scene. She’s safe and we have eyes on her. You have to trust us. You have to trust her. She knew it was him. She worked that out, too. Let her do this, and let us do our jobs.”
“No fucking way, that’s my girl he’s got and if he hurts one little hair on her body, I will kill him. Do you hear me? I will make sure he pays with his life.” Andrew stepped up behind me just like always, I should never have doubted him.
“What’s going on, Luke? Need a hand, mate?” I was still struggling with the detective stare-down and who also had hold of my arms.
“It’s all right. Just give her five more minutes. They’re entering the boat now. We just need to catch him in there, then she’s out. The wire she’s wearing and the cameras are capturing it all.”
Andrew looked confused, but I was ready to hit the guy to get past him. “She knows what she’s doing. This is all part of the plan, just the guy is different. Don’t wreck her hard work. She’s strong, man, and doing great. Let her see this through. It seems important to her.”
“Someone want to tell me what the fuck
is going on?” Andrew was clearly looking agitated, picking up pieces of what we were saying. My shoulders sagged as I turned to face him. This wasn’t going to be easy.
“They think your brother is a rapist. They’re trying to catch him now. Zoe is working undercover for them. They thought it was you, they planted her here to catch you.” My head fell because I didn’t want to see the hurt in his eyes. I knew it was focused at me as well as his brother.
“You thought I could do that? You thought I was like that?” he asked, stumbling over his words.
“Deep down, I knew it couldn’t be you, but I had to do what was needed. I’m so sorry, man. I know you’re angry.”
“He’s my brother. It can’t be him. Surely, it’s not him. There must be a mistake. I know he acts strange and picks up a lot of women, but it can’t be him. Christ, six months ago I was convinced he was gay. All the women leave falling all over him.” I could see the moment Andrew’s mind started connecting the dots. “Holy shit, he’s drugging them, isn’t he? They’re all over him because they can’t stand up properly. What the fuck is going on?” His voice was rising and the disappointment at me was overtaken by anger toward his brother. A couple of policemen gathered near us seeing that things were escalating.
The detective who’d held me back, listened to the voice in his earpiece.
“Got it. On my way.”
“What the hell is going on?” I yelled, following him out the door.
“It’s over,” I heard him over his shoulder. “They’ve got him and she’s safe.” The two words that I needed to hear. Now, I just needed to see her with my own eyes. Running down the marina, I heard Andrew behind me. I couldn’t deal with him at the moment. Not until I saw Zoe was okay and not hurt. I arrived to see Peter face down on the pier being handcuffed and arrested. Zoe stepped off the boat with the help of the female officer. I didn’t wait. She was in my arms before her feet took another step.