by Combs, Sasha
“Hayford... Please...” She begged. Hayford’s lips curled up in a sexy smile. His hand lowered, then lay along the delicate arch that sculpt her back. He sighed saying...
“My cousin Marian...” His smile softened, while milking every second. “Her boyfriend finally popped the question. Her parents are throwing an engagement party and we’ve been invited to attend.”
She looked at him curiously; wondering about his awkward timing. Hayford said...
“So... Can you go? With me to the party, that is.”
“Sure, sure... Just remind me.”
“Linda... This is important to me. Everyone will be there.”
“Hayford... Can we talk about this later? I’ve got to shower and change...”
When the unraveling began, she didn’t blame it on the topic of conversation. And his timing was only a minor annoyance. But his eyes and the way he was staring at her. The way his hands touched and stroked her body. These were the triggers that spun her like a spinning top on speed. He was deliberately seducing her when she didn’t have time for this. Hayford smiled, saying...
“All right... I’ll behave. Now go, before I change my mind.”
When he released her, Linda dashed pass him, rushing into the bathroom. She slammed the door, then busily darted around the large washroom. She spoke hurriedly, loud enough to be heard over clatter and running water.
“Hey... Can you brew me a cup of coffee. And oh yeah... Toast me a bagel.”
“Sure...” he said, while slipping on the pants he’d laid across the chair. He zipped up, then padded out of the bedroom with worry on his mind. In the big scheme of things, he could have said more to her. He could have put up a valid fight but what would have been the use? From the moment Linda fastened the gold shield on her outfit. Through and through, she became a Detective. When Hayford’s involvement cleared the way for Linda to sit for the Bar exam; she surprised him by declining the offer. She kissed him lovingly, then told him, that she couldn’t allow his family’s name or their powerful influences to bail her out. Even though she’d been wrongly accused, Linda had accepted the cards as they were. She didn’t know when or if she would ever practice as an attorney. And for now, that wasn’t even a concern for her. Instead, Linda embraced her new career as a detective, and she was determined to be the best police officer this city had ever heard tell of.
*****************
In the distance, standing near a squad car, Detective Linda Gables could hear an infants wail, echoing through the predawn darkness. The woman holding the child fixed her gaze on the female officer attempting to coax words from her mouth. When she arrived in front of the four story brownstone; the crime scene had been poorly preserved and she pointed this out to the officer whose job it had been to secure the area. The CSI team had been spewing profanities from the moment they arrived and their frustrating complaints could be heard right along with the baby’s sobbing. There was something strange about this crime scene and you didn’t have to be a detective to sense this. Even the homeowners living in the pristine brownstones recognized the spoiled quality in the air, but not one person loitered or gawked in awed astonishment. In most neighborhoods overtaken by cops and other crime scene professionals; the streets would be littered with the presence of the people living nearby. But not here. Instead, a leery calm hummed its presence. This immaculate street housed millionaires, bankers and fifth generation aristocracy. Their windrow treatments showed no signs that the crème de la crème wanted any parts of this unlawful act. Their safe haven had been marred and all that had been worthy of being valued was shattered in an instant. These people were the city's elite and their false sense of security had been smeared with the blemish of this murder.
“Detective Gables?”
The voice from the young female officer broke into Linda’s musings. Her eyes drifted in the direction where the officer had been earlier, questioning the witness. Before discussing details that had already been gathered, Linda preferred to study the crime scene for herself. Not unlike a sideline observer. Her first observation had been the rookie officer interrogating the only witness. Linda had watched the officers frustrating gestures and puzzling gazes. Shoulders raised in question. Pen tapping on her smart pad; yet unsure of what to type. The officer nodded her head, clearly abandoning her efforts to pry words from the witnesses mouth. After she guided the woman with the crying child to sit in the rear of her vehicle, the officers eyes lifted, catching a glimpse of Linda standing near a brownstone. In that moment, the young woman's face lit with relief. She said a few words to an EMT tech then she crossed the pavement with purposeful stride. Now, standing no more than a few feet in front of her, the rookie officer added...
“This witness is a mess. She’s scared and she isn’t saying much and when I’ve managed to get her to say something; her only concern is for a person named Sam or Sammy.”
Gables stared at the officer when she said...
“Sam... Is that the name of her baby?”
“No. Her baby’s name is Nikki. I was able to get that much out of her.”
The officer rightly observed Linda’s irritation, so she quickly added...
“I think she has another child named Sam and she’s repeatedly saying his name out of worry or concern.”
“You don’t sound confident Officer....Crown.”
Gables eyes had drifted down to steal a peek at the officers name tag, then her lids lifted, to stare at her directly. Gables said...
“If this woman is repeatedly saying one name, we need to be certain that this Sam person isn’t missing. We also need to consider one other possibility. She may be telling us the name of the killer.”
Gables frowned when she pointedly added...
“Officer Crown, did the witness explain her reason for being out so early? She’s carrying a baby for God sake. By the look of things, she either witnessed or stumbled on this scene before dawn. Don’t you find that oddity somewhat strange? I think asking her questions about the killer shouldn’t be our only concern. We need to know why she was here in the first place.”
The piercing wail of the infant’s protest caused both women to peer at the distressed witness holding the child. The woman clutched the baby, staring off while the EMT offered to help comfort the child.
It wasn’t until Gables mentioned the word killer; Officer Crown’s eyes drifted over to the body slumped behind the drivers seat in the Mercedes. She was one year out of the academy and this was her first homicide. So far, her only cases had involved theft, domestic violence or the casual run in with prostitutes and drug dealers.
Officer Crown cleared her throat because she accepted that her interrogation techniques weren’t up to par for this particular case. Truthfully, she wasn’t prepared to deal with a crime of this magnitude.
“Detective Gables, I’ve done all I know to do with this witness. It took me a while to get her calmed down and even then I wasn’t able to get any useful information out of her. I can tell you that she is afraid and we may need to take her to a hospital for a psychiatric evaluation.”
Gables dismissed the young officers comment because is wasn’t uncommon for witnesses to unravel when coming face to face with a dead body. She spoke using a low tone before leaving to question the stunned witness.
“Check in with the crime scene investigators. They may need officer’s to help search the area for evidence.”
Officer Crown nodded and watched as Gables turned, then continued on to talk to the witness. She was disappointed in herself. She had not done a good job and she wanted to redeem herself but Linda’s dismissive posture prevented the young officer from following the detective. Unlike most female officers, Gables was a difficult person to figure out. She was fair and easy to get along with; or at least, that’s what Crown had been told. Until this evening, Crown had only heard about Gables because Linda had earned a name for herself. Not just that she was thorough and more than competent on the job. The characteristic that received the m
ost praise dealt with her appearance. They talked about her attractiveness; both men and women. The fit and tone of her body. In spite of that, as detectives went; Gables was one of the city's finest. In the short time that she’d been on the force, on more than one occasion, she’d brilliantly solved her cases. This was something the young rookie aspired to achieve. But sadly, her performance this morning wouldn’t win her any brownie points.
Crown moved into the shadows. From where she stood, it didn’t appear that any one needed her help. Feeling self-conscious, and ill-equipped, she shied away, using her failure as her excuse. She admired the more seasoned officers and the effortless way they navigated the area, as if there were cheat sheets, surreptitiously prompting their actions. Reaching down her side, she felt for the cruiser keys attached to her utility belt. Her eyes were focused on her vehicle and she’d lost sight of Linda but she wasn’t out of hearing range.
Before she’d gotten far, Linda had turned back to look over her shoulder. She’d never been a rookie officer in the true sense of the word, but her first months as a detective had been a period of testing. When she’d needed words of encouragement, there had been none and she painfully recalled the memory. She called out to Officer Crown...
“Crown...” She said and her voice startled the rookie.
“Yes...” Crown said with surprise.
“Good work.” Their eyes met, exchanging a knowing glance. Linda wanted the young woman to know that there would be many more days like this but each time, she would get better. She would learn, and never repeat her mistakes.
The rookie cop nodded her thanks and she watched as Linda turned, then continued on her way. She appreciated the compliment but she also knew there was much more that she needed to learn. She didn’t measure up to Detective Linda Gables’s standards, and strangely that bothered the inexperienced officer.
************************
Linda sat at her desk reviewing her notes, trying to make sense of things. To Linda’s dismay, the investigation had been more than she’d imagined. Once she rolled up her selves, and begun working; it was then that she realized what she’d walked into. The crime scene was a frazzled disconnect teetering and tilting towards a total screwup. When the first responder arrived on the scene, he’d neglected to secure the car where the woman had been found dead. This one snafu led to a multitude of others. With so many people lingering around, indiscriminately touching and leaning against the vehicle; when the techs finally arrived, they couldn’t find one indisputable clean finger print to lift. When pictures were taken, another discovery was noticed. The pattern of smeared blood on the drivers seat and the steering wheel suggested that one of the officers had moved the victim, thereby altering her original position. No one admitted this of course because the blunder was such an obvious breach of police procedure; the person accused would never be able to explain his actions. Then there was the woman with the screaming baby. The witness had taken a valium, after getting the okay from one of the officers. When Linda finally got around to talk to her, the woman’s words were a bundle of mishmash slurs. In short, nothing she said made a bit of sense. From then on, it was a steady downhill trot. At each turn, something concerning the investigation required her involvement. She was immersed up to her elbows, unraveling a catastrophe of mismanaged details. Linda dug in her heels, directing the investigation until she felt every patch of ground had been covered. Before she knew it, it was noon and her partner, Detective Stone was working alongside her. They were downing coffee at the precinct by the time Linda realized what she’d done. Without meaning to, she’d reneged on her promise to Hayford, by not returning to her apartment.
“I’m headed for the break room.” Stone said while holding a mug in his hand. “Can I bring you another cup of coffee?”
Linda raised her head for the first time this past hour. She’d been reading then rereading three statements taken by two of the first responders. So far, no one had heard or witnessed anything that would lead them to the killer. Even the young woman with the screaming baby...her insight had not amounted to much. And she was the biggest puzzler.
Linda’s brown eyes were red rimmed. She blinked several times, to chase away the burn. Lifting her head to look at her partner, it was then that he noticed the strain. Stone said...
“Damn...you look tired. Wanna go home to catch some zzz’s? You’ve been at this longer than me.”
Before she could respond, the phone on her desk rang. The number flashing was one of the dispatch extensions and they both knew what that meant.
“Doesn’t look like either of us will be going home any time soon.” She said before answering. Linda picked up the phone. She reached for a pen, then a sticky notepad. She scribbled down a code, an address, cross streets, then underlined one word with emphasis. Signifying the importance of the word, she drew three more lines beneath it, while Stone peered over her shoulder.
Not particularly stunned he said...
“Damn... Another murder.”
***********
Chapter 2
Three days later
Last night had been a good one. No nightmares or dreams causing her to cry out in bursting screams. Of course, that restful sleep didn’t come to her naturally. Linda had begun relying on over the counter products. Sleep aids that remedied her nighttime problem. In so many ways, she was thankful that the low dose pills helped. However, at the rate of her consumption, she was certain that their potency would lose their effectiveness but for now, she counted her blessings.
After working countless hours and double shifts, Linda had made a difficult decision. A measure used only as a last resort and rarely employed if she could help it. Before falling headlong into her bed last night, she turned off every phone in her house. Even her mobile lay silent. She’d been running on fumes and ignoring a hefty measure of guilt. After not returning to her apartment as promised, her conversations with Hayford had been tepid; approaching stranger territory. It also didn’t escape her notice that, each call over the past three days had been initiated by him. She’d tried to act the part whenever he called. Her attempts at feigned interest wouldn’t have won her any awards, on or off Broadway. In spite of that, she’d persuaded herself to believe that she was a capable multitasker. How difficult could it be; to listen while reading over files and preparing an outline of questions for possible witness interviews? Unfortunately, being a thespian would never be one of her callings. Repeatedly, when Hayford called her, after a few brief sentences, Linda would put him on hold. She would turn her attention to something her partner, Charles Stone had said. Their conversations would become heated, primarily due to their different work styles. All the while, Linda would forget about the flashing light that still blinked on her phone. That telltale sign that should have reminded her that she’d put Hayford on hold would wink and flicker until finally it flashed no more. Most times, she would forget that he’d even called or that she’d placed his call on hold. When he’d call back, her desk phone would ring because she’d left and was headed out of the department. With each attempt, his voice was colored with undertones of rigid restraint. After the way she’d unintentionally treated him, when he bothered to check in, they each began playing a role. Pretending that nothing was wrong. When the truth was all to clear. Linda’s job was the primary problem. For three days she had not seen him. And the words they shared weren’t enough to form one decent conversation. Her late night work hours, and crazy bull sessions were her sole motivators. Thinking out loud, and throwing out theories with her partner and a few other detectives at the station; these informal meetings were all she talked about. Since being named the lead investigator, to the Emma Strauss and Mia Price-Cortland murders. Since that appointment, there haven’t been enough hours in the day for Linda and Hayford to spend together as a couple. Even now, as light shone through her windows, hinting of a new day. The reality of her situation was bitter sweet. She had a job to do. An oath that tied her to her profession. Linda yawned, then s
tretched...
“Hayford and I will be all right. Everything will get better once I solve these murders.” She comforted herself with this pronouncement, then tucked her shoulder beneath her sheet.
Across town, Hayford Mead was furious. After talking to Detective Charles Stone, he’d just been told that Linda would be clocking in late this morning. He knew after talking to her partner, that more than likely she was at home sleeping in. He didn’t begrudge her the few extra hours of sleep. Actually, he was pleased to learn that finally she was taking some of his well meaning advice. But of all the days, that she would decide not to answer her phone; he cursed that this would be one of those days. He wanted to march right over to her apartment; demanding that she let him in. He didn’t do it of course because forceful tactics typically backfired when used on Linda Gables. He cursed, venting his anger.
“Dammit... Fuck it all to hell.” He said under his breath. Her not answering being the last straw.
"So,....what's our next move?" Drake Pitman stretched his long legs, reclining on the sofa in Hayford's office. The two men had been friends since university and he'd more than earned Hayford's friendship. Hayford tossed his mobile on his desk, then with a wave of his hand, he reassured his friend.
"Don't worry. I'll make sure this information gets into the right hands."
"I thought you'd squared away everything with your girl."
"When it comes to Linda... Our relationship is a work in progress."
"From where I'm siting, it doesn't look like you're doing all that well. Has she pulled this kind of stunt in the past? Or is this some kind of passive, aggressive move on her part?"
Hayford glued his eyes on him, pointedly. He said...
"You don't want to be on my bad side. Especially when you’re asking for a favor."