Floundering Adrift (Detective Linda Galbes)

by Combs, Sasha

  Hayford frowned, while shifting on his side to face her.

  “Linda... That isn’t true.”

  “Then tell me what you know.”

  Hayford raked his fingers through his hair while saying...

  “It isn’t that simple Hon...”

  Linda slapped her hand on the blanket while saying...

  “I knew it. I knew it. You’re protecting someone. That explains everything. When it comes to your friends and protecting them... Your help is equally divided because you’ll never allow your friends or their precious lives to be damaged. You divi a little bit over here and a little bit over there. Some for me and some for your friends. Well, I’m tired of that. It’s not right and I don’t have to stand for it.”

  She was crawling out of the bed when his arms wrapped around her waist to prevent her from avoiding another confrontation.

  “Linda... If you’d just wait for one minute and let me talk... How can you justify leaving after saying something like that? That’s a damning accusation. You need to give me a chance to defend myself.”

  “Why should I give you the opportunity to waste my time? Your loyalties won’t allow you to tell the truth because you must protect your friends. Lies... That’s what you want to talk about. Lies and more lies.”

  “Linda...” His hold was like a vise grip. “Wait just a minute.”

  She tried to pry herself free but his hold was too strong. She said... “Hayford, let me go.”

  “I will. When you stop behaving like a child.”

  “Me? A child! You’re the one being...”

  He cut her off because he’d grown weary of the bashing. Each word spoken was voiced with stern conviction.

  “I reported the important facts to the police but I never said that I wouldn’t tell you the rest of the story.”

  Before Hayford spoke, he’d surmised a few conclusions. Linda was emotionally invested in these murders and regardless of what he shared, the chances were pretty high that she wouldn’t be fair-minded. He also accepted that he might not be excused from her wrath. Whatever he chose to say would have to be damn compelling. For all that, her muscles were tightly coiled. By the stiff way she held her body, he was sure that he wasn’t doing a great job convincing her. Linda, tested his hold, pressing down to free herself but he wouldn’t release his hold. He wasn’t hurting her; that much he was sure of. Linda blurted...

  “If there’s a story to be told... Then tell me... What did you leave out of your police report?”

  This isn’t the way Hayford had planned to tell her but like so many things in their relationship; Linda had forced him to reveal what he knew on her terms.

  Her body lay pressed firmly against his, stiff but resigned to accept the current situation. He inhaled, finding a strange sense of pleasure in the way their bodies twined on her bed.

  He said...

  “Baby... What I’m about to tell you... You cannot print this. This information cannot be a part of any report. If you use this information, there won’t be a witness stepping forward to corroborate the details, and without a witness the claims will only lead to further scrutiny on your end.”

  Linda didn’t doubt that Hayford’s information would be crucial. As a newsman, he was one of the best in the business but as a Mead and a man with a great deal of influence and power in the city; she didn’t doubt the relevance of his claims. If a Mead said that something was true; no one with a hint of commonsense would ever doubt or dismiss the assertion.

  Linda said what she had to say; and later, she hoped she wouldn’t regret that she’d said it.

  “All right. I’ll be certain not to link your name to any of my reports.”

  Hayford couldn’t give a rats ass if she did, but it had been Linda who’d been the one to cringe whenever the name Mead came up in any of her reports. She still recalled her first bust. On New Year’s Eve, Hayford Mead’s name was printed in her final report. For this reason, and a few others; he tried his best not to have his family’s name linked to Linda or any of her cases. But some problems were unavoidable. Sometimes, this couldn’t be helped.

  As a Mead, Hayford was keenly acquainted with the city’s most powerful movers and shakers. He grew up, and traveled in a circle of friends, composed of influential families. Without meaning to, he knew most of their secrets and typically he heard tale of tryst and questionable activities within the hour of the event happening. And currently, the city was being plagued by a rash of murders; targeting socialites and wealthy young women.

  Hayford eased one hand free, loosening his hold. He felt her body lean forward but she made no attempts to break free. Her chest rose, causing the deep inhalation to press her back into him. A move so brief and innocent, yet still it managed to arouse him. He raised his hand, tracing one finger down the line of her face. Just being near her caused his body to respond. His length tingled and quivered its desire. There was nothing about her that he didn’t love and he needed to articulate this.

  The moment held a sense of peace. He counted the seconds, then said...

  “The call that I made, telling the police about the other location... I learned about it because a friend of mines... His mistress witnessed something strange one night. The events that she saw and heard were far too unusual in that particular building but at the time, she dismissed it because... Well, she had other concerns. She needed to get home before her husband questioned her whereabouts. But, when she left the apartment building, she couldn’t dismiss what she’d witnessed. The following morning, while listening to a newscast, she heard about the second murdered victim and that the body had been discovered in her building.”

  “Was she on the same floor as the second murder victim?”

  “Yes. She was in an apartment that was supposed to have been sublet after she married her husband. Hearing the victims name caused her mind to go back to that night. She recalled what she’d seen and her gut told her that she might have witnessed the person responsible for the murder, fleeing the building. In spite of that, she was too afraid to report what she’d seen because she’s married and she had no legitimate reason that would explain her being in that building."

  "The apartment her husband knows nothing about." Linda supplied. While he’d been talking, he’d lowered his arms. She was actively listening and he wanted her to assume a comfortable position. She was sitting cross-legged; her back pressed against the headboard.

  Hayford said...

  "That's right. Her husbands doesn't know that she still uses her old apartment. In spite of that, she wanted to do the right thing, so she passed the information along to the only person she could trust. My friend...the person she’s having the affair with. He contacted me, and told me what she’d seen. I called you, and later I called the police; directing them to check out that rear apartment buildings service entrance.”

  Linda stared at him incredulously. She couldn’t believe his ability to dismiss how easily his friends shirked their own personal responsibilities. Trying her best not to allow this emotion to seep through, she asked...

  “So... She saw this person... The person leaving the building.”

  “Yes.” He said.

  “You also said that she heard something. Can you be a little more specific? Did she say exactly what she heard?" Linda supplied him with a few examples. "Footfalls... Loud clatters...or maybe voices. A name... Cries, screams... Banging or fighting noises?”

  He was silent, while recalling all that Drake had shared.

  “I think she might have heard a door closing then voices but she darted back in the apartment to avoid being seen.”

  “So... If she was in the hallway, that means that she got a good look at the suspect.”

  “Maybe... Look...Linda. I might be overstating what I heard.”

  “Well, explain what you heard.”

  “She dashed back inside of her apartment, to avoid being seen by the other tenants on the floor. But when she saw the person leaving Mia’s apartment, it wasn�
�t Mia. She say’s that it wasn’t Mia...that much she was sure of. But she also said at the time, she’d thought that Mia was standing just beyond the door, preparing to leave and lock her door.”

  “Why did she say that?”

  “I don’t know Linda. Like I said... She was trying not to be seen. You must remember... She’s having an affair but she doesn’t want out of her marriage.”

  “Typical...” she supplied, and her voice didn’t sound at all sympathetic. Hayford continued.

  “She dashed back inside of her apartment, giving the people leaving Mia’s place the opportunity to vacate the building ahead of her. She waited a while, then she heard the opening and closing of a door in the alley. By the time she reached her back window to investigate the noise; she noticed the door leading to the rear building. It opened, then closed. She says that she saw a man using that service entrance... But she thinks that maybe someone else was with him. Actually, to me..., it sounds like she was afraid. Maybe she thinks she heard or saw two people because that’s what her brain persuaded her to believe.”

  “You think that she was conditioned to see two people because she thought that Mia and this guy were the people stepping out into the hall.”

  “Yes...exactly.”

  “But what if you’re wrong? What if...what if, there are two people committing these murders? It would make perfect sense to me.”

  Linda felt a nervous excitement. Much like the thrill experienced when taking a final exam. That confident assurance when you know that you've chosen the right answer. She leaned forward, moving closer. Their knees bumped sealing the connection. He lay his hand on her thigh, hoping that he'd been of some help. He also noticed that she didn't push his hand away. These clues and facts were bigger than her. Far more important than her prima donna posturing. She tried to contain her relief but Hayford's forthrightness had stunned her. So far, this information was turning out to be her best lead yet.

  Primed to know the truth. Cocked and fully loaded, she bulldozed forward, disregarding promises and consequences.

  “And who is this witness?" She asked. "I have to talk to her. Hayford... It sounds like she saw the killer.”

  “Linda...” He said. His voice was laced with exasperation.

  “I can’t tell you that. I told you. Whatever I say... You’ll have to accept that there will be no witness to repeat what I’ve just shared. Technically... She doesn’t exist.”

  “Technically? Technically! Are you serious? You tell me that this woman witnessed a murderer fleeing a building but technically...she doesn’t exist?”

  Linda jerked his hand free, removing his palm from her leg. When she stood along the side of her bed, her eyes bore down on him.

  “Hayford... Let me tell you the difference between you and me... I fight crime... I put criminals behind bars and I let the justice system do what it does best. On the other hand...there’s you. You fight to protect your friends and you do whatever it takes as long as it means your friends get to keep their dirty little secrets. You cover up lies while I on the underhand... I expose them because that's what cops do.”

  She was stepping into her clothes while he jumped from the bed, rounding it to face her. His words pelleted her.

  “Linda... I would safeguard your secrets in the same way and I know you would do the same for me. Believe me... You don’t need to know her name.”

  She turned, almost losing her balance while attempting to step into her dress.

  “Hayford... There is a murderer on the loose. A person killing with no signs of stopping. There is no secret that I could....nor would I ever keep that would prevent me from capturing that person.”

  His hand grasp hers when he said...

  “Neither would I. But you don’t need to know her name because the facts won't change. I reported what needed to be reported. This information can be useful without you knowing the identity of the parties involved.”

  “You’re picking and deciding which pieces of information you deem are safe topics. That isn’t your job Hayford. Let me decide what I need to know to solve my caseload.”

  “Linda, I’m not telling you how to do your job.”

  “Then tell me names. Let me decide what is and what isn’t important.”

  He glared at her. His hands fell to his side, while he watched her finish dressing. His words held little life when he said...

  “I can’t do that.”

  She grimaced when she said...

  “I thought so.”

  Linda walked from her bedroom, straightening the wrinkles out of her clothes. Still in her room, Hayford gathered his clothes and dressed in silence. When he joined her in the living room, his eyes landed heavily on her when he said...

  “Why does it have to be this way... Why can't you understand the position I've found myself in?"

  “I’m a cop Hayford. A detective. That’s why it has to be this way.”

  “Linda... I’m talking about us.”

  Her face went flat when she said...

  “So am I.”

  Linda walked to her apartment door. She opened it, then stepped aside, hinting her meaning. Her eyes fell to the floor. She waited until she heard the sound of his feet nearing her. When he stood in front of her he said...

  “This doesn’t change anything. You’re upset and we're right back where we started. Baby...”

  He stepped closer, then said... “I still love you and I'll give you time alone to think about what I've said.”

  He touched her face, forcing her eyes to look into his. Linda did the unspeakable. She looked deep into his passionate blue eyes. She didn’t doubt his love but she questioned if the heartfelt emotion was enough. Her lids lowered to the floor. Hayford pressed his lips on her forehead, then he stepped away. She heard his feet moving down the hall, then the sound of the elevator echoed its arrival. Before she stepped back inside of her apartment, she warred with her sensibilities. She loved him that much she knew, but they were from different worlds and for her, that was an enormous problem. A gap that even she didn’t know how to deal with. In spite of their countless shortfalls, his untimely exit would be shelved alongside all the other odd moments they’d shared. Because in the end, she couldn’t imagine her life without him and her heart belonged to no other.

  Linda’s back leaned against the door. Its firm surface was the only thing that kept her from falling. Her legs felt like lead weights and she was visibly shaken. A combination of shame and guilt tortured her gut. What had she been thinking? Inviting him over with the idea of ambushing him? Hadn't it been her idea not to involve him in her work?

  Linda’s ears tweaked in knowing. A familiar call urged her body into motion. With one leg she sprang forth, pushing her back away from the door. A singing song wailed from her mobile, the lyric coming from her bedroom. The apartment was small, so it only took several long strides to get her there. With a lump in her throat, she hurriedly answered without looking at the screen to see who the caller was.

  "Hayford..." She said his name, prepared to apologize and hoping he had not gotten far. But after answering the call, her anticipation was summarily crushed. The caller was her best girlfriend, Maxine. A woman privy to her secret and impossible to bullshit.

  "Don't be angry Linda. I know after enduring your long unnecessary hiatus...tonight is your big night with lover boy."

  Earlier, while talking to her friend, Linda had assured Maxie that all was well on the home front. But, now...as she sat alone in her apartment, she wasn’t sure about anything anymore. She'd bungled things and she didn't know where she and Hayford stood. Clearing her throat to prevent the tears from falling. Linda faked a nonchalant attitude.

  "Maxie... Why are you calling? Is there anything wrong?"

  "Well... Kinda sorta. I'm sitting here filling out the online invitation to the symphony orchestra benefit. I promised the organizers that I would sponsor a table. So far, the head count is six but I need too add one more couple. I know this is a little on the sh
ort notice side... But honey I'm desperate and I really don't want to spend the evening with people other than my good friends."

  Linda was silent, unsure how to answer.

  "Linda... Are you there Hon? Or has Hayford got you engage in something that prevents you from talking?"

  Maxie laughed but her giggle faded and her chuckle was replaced by concern when Linda didn’t take part in her joke.

  "Honey... Did I call at a bad time? I'm sorry if I did."

  "No... You're not interrupting anything Max. As a matter of fact, Hayford just left."

  "Had to call it an early night?"

  Linda sighed heavily. She plopped in the chair, then covered her eyes with her free hand. Maxine was the one person she never had to pretend with. It didn’t matter what she’d done or how foolish she’d been; Maxie always knew exactly what to say. She really wanted to tell her best friend every ugly truth; not leaving out one gory detail. Right down to the last signature signed on the autopsy report. She wanted to tell her friend everything the media had yet to learn. And more than anything, she wanted her friend to know about Hayford and his selfish friends. She wanted to tell everything Hayford had sworn her not to tell. Damn him for holding her hostage to the truth. Maxie was her best friend. Her confidant. Her watering hole when life seemed like a desert. And then there was Hayford. The man in possession of her heart. She summed up her nightmare in as few words as possible.

  Linda chewed nervously on her thumb nail, while saying...

  "Maxie... I don't know what I'm doing anymore."

  "Linda.... What happened?"

  Without knowing the specifics, Maxie was fairly certain that Linda's job was at the heart of her problem.

  "It's Hayford. We had another fight. It was pretty bad.” She whispered saying..."I asked him to leave."

  "Oh Linda.... Sweetie, I'm so sorry."

  "Max... Sometimes I just don't know..."

  "What Hon? You just don't know what?"