by Stacy-Deanne
“I told you.” He leaned back on the giant desk. “I didn’t see Lang at all Wednesday. I talked to her on the phone that morning and we got into an argument.”
“About what?” Dee got her pencil ready to jot on the notepad.
“I couldn’t come to the recital to see her student perform.” A timid smile escaped his lips. “Lang loved teaching the piano. She lived through her students. She thought of the lessons as private journeys that only she and her protégés shared.” He chuckled. “She said, ‘Music is the foundation of life and living.’” He rubbed the peach fuzz on his narrow chin. “Whatever that meant. Anyway, she took me not going as a sign of nonsupport, but I couldn’t just push everything aside and she didn’t understand that.”
“We’ve been asking around,” Dee said. “Some say you have a temper.”
Gage’s eyebrows wiggled.
“Several people said they witnessed you going off on her.” Dee read over her notes. “One person even describing you as ‘a mad man’ when Lang couldn’t come to a company dinner because she had a lesson with her student.”
“I got pissed, yes.” His gaze latched onto Dee. “But, just because a man gets mad sometimes doesn’t mean he killed his girlfriend. Lang got mad at me plenty of times too. Did any of these ‘people’...” He did the air quotes. “Say anything about that?”
“Are you a jealous man concerning Lang, Mr. Raider?” Connie flipped her thin, blonde ponytail over her shoulder.
“She was one of the most beautiful women I’d ever seen.” His nostrils flared. “What man wouldn’t be frightened someone would steal her away?” He dropped his head. “I didn’t kill her out of some jealous rage. She was in The B-District for God’s sake. The seediest part of Baltimore. Who knows who got a hold of her?”
Connie dipped her head, squinting. “We shouldn’t be alarmed about your temper and interactions with Lang?”
“No,” he mumbled. “I never laid a hand on her in anger.”
“Then we can count on you to be cooperative?” Dee stood, extending her hand to him.
With his face absent of any encouragement that convinced Dee, he took her hand, sending a cloud of floral cologne her way. “Definitely.”
****
“Come on.” Connie slapped the vending machine in the police station lounge for the third time but the Fritos didn’t budge. “Son of a bitch. You took my money now give me my chips.” She jammed her finger inside the shoot. “Come on, damn it.”
“Need a hand?”
She jerked at the familiar voice, believing she couldn’t have heard what she thought she had.
“There’s a trick to it.”
Connie frozen as CeCe Babbitt knelt beside her and gave the machine two taps with his fist.
The Fritos flew on the floor.
“Viola.” He handed them to her. “Bon appetite.” CeCe’s dim, green eyes widened against his translucent skin.
“CeCe Babbitt?” Connie’s breath caught in her throat. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“I work here now.” He pushed his hands into the pockets of his airy slacks. “This is my first day.”
“Wait, a minute.” She crossed her arms, cutting her eyes to the group of detectives who headed to the ice machine. “You work here at the police station?”
“Surprised?” His new, deep-brown landing strip goatee added an authoritarian flair to his oblong face. “I got fired from the office supply store.”
Connie squinted. “Because you were bothering the women?”
He smirked, rubbing his short, slicked back hair. “I saw the opening for clerical work and I applied.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah, I’ll be doing research, managing paperwork, filing.” He winked. “If you need a personal assistant, I’d love to help you out.”
“No.” She faked a smile, raising the chips. “I’m good, thanks.”
“I got a new place too.” He rocked on the heels of his black, leather lace-ups. “There was too much drama at the boarding house and I needed to get from under my aunt’s hold.”
Connie nodded, giving him the onceover.
His eyes sparkled. “Think of me being here as fate.”
“Connie?” Dee approached them. “You ready to get going? Got people we need to question before the day is through.”
CeCe’s eyes widened as he gazed upon Dee. “You’re Detective Quarter.”
“Mm.” Dee held her waist, her face beaming with a flirtatious glow. “You are?”
“This is CeCe Babbitt.” Connie kept her gaze on CeCe.
“So nice to meet you, Detective Quarter.” He yanked her hand. “You’re famous around here. Been all over the news.”
“Connie told me about you.” Dee shook CeCe’s hand. “You’re the guy she met during Prisha’s case. You were also a suspect in Jeanette Dobbins’ murder, weren’t you?”
CeCe sighed, letting her hand go. “They exonerated me but doesn’t look like anyone cares.”
Dee put her arms behind her back. “You’re working here now?”
“Clerical stuff.” He tilted his head. “You look beautiful, Detective Quarter.”
“Thanks.” Dee winced at Connie who rolled her eyes in return. “You’re sweet.”
“It’s the truth.” CeCe focused back on Connie. “But there’s only one woman around here I have eyes for.”
Connie gaped. “Excuse me?”
CeCe caught his bottom lip between his teeth. “I’d better get back to work.” He backed out the room, staring at Connie until he got out of view.
“Ugh. Good riddance.” Connie shook her shoulders. “When are they gonna get this damn machine fixed? It’s been like this for two weeks.”
“So that was CeCe Babbitt?” Dee crossed her arms. “He’s cute.”
“Cute? He’s a weirdo. I can’t believe he’s working here. Now I have to put up with this crap.”
“He has a crush on you.” Dee’s brown skin glowed in the turquoise blouse. “What’s the big deal?”
“I can’t stand CeCe Babbitt.” Connie ripped open the chips. “I don’t like this at all.”
“Well, you handle that. I have enough dealing with a creep of my own.” Dee straightened the silver ring on her middle finger. “The hearing for the protective order against Jonathan is tomorrow. It’s my last hope of getting him out my life.”
“It’ll work out.” Connie crunched chips, holding the bag toward Dee.
“No thanks.” She rubbed her stomach. “I threw up my entire breakfast. I’m only two months into this pregnancy and I’m miserable.”
“You look beautiful though.” Connie nudged her. “Got that motherly glow.”
“With the thick hips to match?” Dee stroked her sides, which had gotten more curvaceous in just a few weeks. “Soon I’ll be wearing elastic waistbands and those big ass granny panties.”
Connie laughed, spitting out crumbs. “We gotta keep an eye on CeCe Babbitt.”
“Forget him.” Dee stole a chip though she claimed she didn’t want one. “We got a case to worry about.”