The Raven Room

by Ana Medeiros

  Meredith turned off the overhead light. “Are you sure he’s your friend? He didn’t sound happy to hear from you.”

  “Lately we haven’t been seeing eye to eye on a couple of things.”

  “Can you trust him?”

  Julian didn’t reply and Meredith turned her attention to the road. She hoped they hadn’t made a mistake by calling Peter. She glanced in the rear-view mirror and saw Julian looking down at Alana, tenderly caressing her head.

  “How’s she doing?” she asked, tilting the mirror so she could get a better view of Alana.

  “She’s in and out.” Julian tucked her hair behind her ear. “I’m afraid to touch her.”

  “Where do you think she was going when we found her?”

  “The hotel, I would think.” He looked at her body. “She’s still wearing the dress I saw her in at The Raven Room. No shoes, no jacket…in this weather.” Julian rested his head on the back of his seat.

  “She hadn’t been out there for too long. We got to her in time.”

  Meredith heard Julian picking up her personal belongings and putting them back into her bag.

  “Meredith,” Julian called out.

  “What?” she replied, glancing at the rear-view mirror. Something in Julian’s tone made her apprehensive. “What’s wrong?”

  “I don’t know if I’ll ever forgive you.”

  “I can’t take it back, Julian.”

  He was quiet for a while. “Would you? If you could?”

  “Yes.”

  “I don’t believe you.”

  “Why?”

  “You put your needs and wants before everyone else around you.”

  Julian’s words made her tighten her grip on the steering wheel. “Is that how you see me?”

  “I’m being honest. I’ve always been honest with you.”

  Meredith was silent. She didn’t want to show how much his words hurt her. She focused on the road. She didn’t know if she could stop herself from saying something she would regret. “You either accept my apology or you can go fuck yourself.”

  “Meredith.”

  Ignoring him, she felt Julian kick the back of her seat with his foot. He was trying to get her attention. She continued to ignore him and Julian kicked her seat again, harder this time.

  “What?” she shouted, lifting her eyes to the rear-view mirror.

  “I’d have told you all the things you went to your stepmother for. All you had to do was ask.”

  “Bullshit. You kept me in the dark. I might have betrayed your trust, but your secrecy pushed me to it.”

  They didn’t speak for the rest of the trip.

  After parking the car in the underground garage, they made their way toward the elevator. Julian was again carrying Alana and she had her arms loosely wrapped around his neck and her eyes closed. Leaning against the wall, Julian rested his cheek on the top of Alana’s head. Meredith could hear him tell Alana, over and over again, that she would be okay; that he would never allow anyone else to hurt her.

  Unlocking the front door, she followed Julian into the bedroom. As Meredith went to close the curtains and turn on the lamp in the corner, he lowered Alana onto the bed.

  “We need to get her out of that dress,” Julian said, grabbing a blanket.

  “Where are your scissors? It’ll be easier if we just cut it off.”

  “They’re in the kitchen, right by the pile of mail.”

  Moments later, Meredith returned with the scissors. She found Julian sitting on the bed, looking down at Alana. She had moved into a fetal position. Julian was rubbing his hand up and down her back.

  When Meredith tried to pass him the scissors he shook his head. “I can’t. You’ll have to do it.”

  Meredith leaned toward Alana, a knee resting on the bed, and she pressed the side of the scissors against her skin. Feeling Julian’s eyes on her, Meredith cut the flimsy, tight dress, moving from the bottom hem all the way up to the neck.

  As soon as she lifted the sides of the dress off Alana, her first instinct was to cover her up again. Meredith didn’t want Julian to see what had been hiding under that dress but he already had.

  “Do you think Thompson was the one who did this to her?” Meredith asked, fearful. She continued to stare at Alana’s back.

  “It was him. I’m sure.”

  Meredith was afraid of what she was going to find as she continued to remove the rest of the dress. The sight of Alana’s battered body validated Meredith’s fears and made her recoil in horror.

  “What type of object leaves cuts like these?” she asked, almost to herself. “Her body will be covered in scars.”

  Meredith felt Julian get closer to her and rest his hand on her shoulder.

  “You don’t have to. I’ll do it.” She heard Julian say. His voice sounded pained.

  “You didn’t answer my question.”

  Julian squeezed her shoulder. “A bullwhip.”

  Alana was not wearing underwear and Meredith continued to stare at her marked body. Suddenly, she was afraid and she tried to steady her trembling hands. Julian approached Alana, and very carefully, turned her around so he could finish removing her dress. The front of her body carried the same bruises and cuts. Julian kneeled on the floor, cradling her naked body against his chest. He had his face tucked into Alana’s neck and Meredith saw Julian’s whole frame sway.

  He was crying.

  Unable to continue watching, she lowered her eyes. Witnessing Julian’s sorrow made her chest feel like it was about to burst.

  The sound of the doorbell made her jump. “Your friend is here,” she whispered. “Go. I’ll stay with Alana.”

  Without speaking, he covered Alana with a blanket. As he was about to exit the bedroom, he locked eyes with Meredith. “Let me handle Pete. Don’t tell him more than he needs to know. Even if he asks.”

  She nodded. The last thing she wanted was to discuss what was happening with someone she had never met before.

  After about fifteen minutes, Julian entered the bedroom with his friend. Both Meredith and Peter didn’t say anything to each other. She realized that Julian had already explained the situation. Peter was quiet and, with Meredith sitting at the end of the bed and Julian standing right by him, they were not giving him much space to work. Meredith wasn’t sure how aware Alana was but she wanted to stay close in case Alana became scared again.

  Meredith stared at Julian. A whole side of his face was now swollen and the skin had become a deep red. His eyes showed the same emotion she was feeling—fear.

  Peter spent a long time cleaning the cuts on Alana’s torso. There had been no words exchanged in the bedroom for more than half an hour and when Peter spoke, his voice was restrained. “She doesn’t appear to have any broken bones or a concussion, but without taking her to the ER, I can’t be sure.”

  “She’s not very responsive. Why do you think that is?” Julian asked.

  “She’s under the influence of some drug. Could be K, but who knows.”

  “Is there anything I should or shouldn’t do?”

  “Just let her rest. When she wakes up she’s going to be in a lot of pain, mostly because of the deeper cuts and bruises on her back. I’m going to give you a prescription for some strong painkillers and an antibiotic cream. She’ll be lucky if the cuts don’t get infected.” Peter glanced at Julian. “You should get stitches on that cheek.”

  “Can you do it?” Julian asked, his arms folded across his chest.

  “Not here.”

  “Then I’m sure a Band-Aid will do the trick.”

  “Seriously, man, the kinky shit you’re into has to stop. Cutting women? Beating them up?”

  “Not now, Pete,” Julian said, shaking his head.

  “Then when?” he asked, angry. “Things are spinning out of control—”

  “I said not now,” Julian interrupted him, raising his voice.

  “You never want to hear what I have to say but this is serious. I’m not okay with any of this, ma
n. Regardless if it’s consensual, it’s not right.”

  “If there’s nothing else you can do for Alana I’d like you to leave.”

  “Leave?” Peter asked, approaching Julian. “You wake me up in the middle of the night to treat your mangled, drugged-up girlfriend. I’ll have to lie to my wife when I get home because if she found out what you’re capable of she’d never allow you around her or our kids. And you’ve got the balls to talk to me this way?” Peter said, close to shouting. “Kick me out of your home?”

  Meredith moved toward them and wrapped her fingers around Julian’s closed fist. She squeezed hard. If they were to start hitting each other she wouldn’t know what to do.

  “Fuck you, you sick piece of shit,” Peter said, stabbing Julian in the chest with his finger as he enunciated each word.

  Meredith watched Peter grab the medical bag he had brought with him and walk out without saying another word. The whole time he had been there he had acted like she didn’t exist.

  “Why didn’t you tell him the truth?” she asked Julian.

  “It’s easier this way.”

  Meredith knew he was right. Explaining to Peter what had happened would only raise questions Julian wouldn’t be able to answer.

  She tucked the blanket around Alana. Meredith dimmed the light in the bedroom and pulled the reading chair closer to the bed. She sat on it with her feet folded under her.

  “What are we going to do?”

  “I don't know.” Julian stood for a while, watching her and Alana. “But I’m relieved that both of you are here. Safe.”

  “Are you wondering who Alana really is?”

  “I’ve wondered that from the first day I met her.”

  “I feel foolish calling her by a name I know is not her own,” Meredith said.

  “She might never tell us her real name.”

  Meredith leaned forward and caressed Alana’s hair. “Regardless of who she might be, the secrets she might be keeping, or the lies she might have told you, she cares for you. I saw it when I watched the two of you together that day in the living room. I hope you never forget that.”

  Julian didn’t reply and Meredith continued to caress Alana.

  “I’m going to run to the drugstore to pick up the medication,” he finally said. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  “No, I’ll go. You’re in bad shape too. Stay here with her.”

  “She freaked out when I approached her on the street but you made her feel safe. In case she comes around it’s best if it’s you who she sees.”

  Julian left and Meredith settled back into her chair. She buried her face in her hands and shuddered at the thought of all that had happened that night.

  She woke up to Julian covering her with a large, soft blanket. “What time is it?” Meredith asked, yawning.

  “Almost six. Are you okay in that chair?”

  “I’m fine.”

  “Go back to sleep. I’ll watch over Alana,” he said, sitting on the bed.

  They were speaking in a hushed tone.

  “How are you feeling? A lot of pain?” she asked, looking at him.

  “It’s not the first time I’ve had broken ribs and a mangled face. Nothing to worry about.”

  Meredith wanted to remain awake but her eyelids felt heavy and she couldn’t keep her eyes open. The last thing she remembered, before she fell asleep, was the blanket slipping off of her and a careful set of hands covering her with it again, making sure she was warm.

  She woke up with Julian gently shaking her.

  “Meredith?”

  “What’s wrong?” she asked, disoriented. He was crouching by her chair, his bruised face close to hers.

  “Your stepmom is on her way up.”

  “What?” she sat up quickly. “Why is she here?”

  “She said it was urgent. I couldn’t turn her away.”

  Meredith caught herself holding her breath. “Do you think she knows Alana is here?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Fuck.”

  They heard the doorbell and they both turned to face the entrance of the bedroom.

  “That’s her.” Julian stood up. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for her to know you’re here.”

  “Besides berating me for my choices, there’s nothing she can do to me.” Meredith left her chair and tried to fix her hair with her hands. Her heart was pounding. “How’s Alana?” she asked, looking at the sleeping form on the bed.

  “Still out.”

  “Do you have a brush or something that I can use? My hair is a mess.”

  Julian pointed toward his en suite bathroom. “Bottom drawer.”

  Meredith ran into the bathroom and searched for the brush. Her fingers touched something and she pulled it out. In her hand was a gold chain with a small cross.

  Hearing Julian call her name, Meredith debated whether she should return the necklace to where she found it. The police were at Julian’s doorstep. What if they started looking around, she thought. She couldn’t think of a reason she’d want to believe as to why Julian had such piece of jewelry hidden in the back of a drawer. Taking a steadying breath, Meredith reminded herself she trusted Julian and that was the feeling she was choosing to listen to. Certain that the necklace was safer with her than anywhere in the condo, she slid it inside her front pocket and exited the bathroom.

  “My hair is fine,” she said to Julian, almost choking on her own saliva. Her whole body was shaking. “Let’s go.”

  Closing the bedroom door behind them, they walked toward the other end of the condo. Meredith stood in the foyer as Julian opened the front door.

  “Good morning, Doctor Reeve. I’m detective Pam Sung and this is my partner, detective Luke Colton.”

  Meredith saw Colton standing beside her stepmother. He looked surprised to see her but was trying to hide it.

  “Good morning,” Julian said. “How can I help you?”

  “I have a couple of questions I would like to ask you. May we come in?”

  Julian moved to the side, allowing Pam and Colton to enter his home. When she spotted Meredith the expression on her face changed. She was angry.

  “Hi, Pam,” Meredith said, trying to steady her voice. “What’s going on?”

  Pam ignored her question and turned to Julian. “Where were you last night?”

  He pointed to his face. “Getting myself a good beating, as you can see.”

  “Where were you, Doctor Reeve?” she insisted.

  Julian folded his arms across his chest. “Why do want to know?”

  “Answer my question.”

  Meredith took a step forward, her heart still beating fast. It became obvious to her why her stepmother was there. “What happened last night, Pam?”

  Continuing to ignore Meredith, she focused on Julian. “Remember Alana Stewart? The woman you’ve been having an intimate relationship with?”

  Julian didn’t waver. He stood, silent.

  “She was found dead this morning,” Pam added.

  “You’re lying,” Julian said, his tone clipped.

  Pam reached for the file she had under her arm, opened it and passed a series of photos to Julian. “It’s quite obvious you knew her, Doctor Reeve.”

  Meredith watched Julian flip through the photos. “How did you get these?” he asked, lifting his incredulous eyes to Pam.

  “They were in her room, amongst her things.”

  Meredith snatched the photos from Julian’s hands, flipping through them herself. It was a series of bright images, one showing Alana reading a book, one of Julian by a park, a few of them together, smiling, and a sexually explicit one of Julian, lying on the floor, surrounded by books.

  Meredith passed the photos back to Pam. “She’s not dead.”

  Pam took another photo from inside the folder. “I don’t know about you, but she certainly looks dead to me.”

  Meredith took the photo from her stepmother. When she saw the face of the woman lying on the bed she looked at
Julian.

  “Meredith?” she heard him say. “Who’s in that photo?”

  She had to swallow several times before she could answer. “It’s Alana.”

  He came closer and grabbed the photo from her. As soon as he saw the image his expression changed. “It can’t be,” Julian finally said, shaking his head in disbelief. “It can’t be.”

  “I’m going to ask you again, Doctor Reeve,” Pam paused, narrowing her eyes on Julian, “where were you last night?”

  “With her,” he replied, still staring at the photo he held tightly in his hands.

  Meredith remembered Julian telling her the night before that he had waited at the New Jackson for Alana. “It doesn’t matter,” Meredith whispered. “Alana is safe. She’s in the bedroom.”

  “What are you saying?” Pam asked, frowning. “I have her body in—” she stopped mid-sentence, staring past Meredith and Julian. She looked perplexed.

  They both turned around and, standing behind them, completely naked, was the person they were all talking about.

  Julian was the first one to speak. “Alana…what’s going on?”

  “He’s telling the truth. I was with him last night.”

  Alana wavered on her feet, unsteady.

  “Then who’s the dead woman?” Pam asked.

  “My sister.”

  Julian looked as if his world was spinning uncontrollably and he didn’t know how to stop it. “You have an identical twin?”

  “I do.” Alana reached toward the wall, trying to support herself. “But she’s gone now.”

  Julian’s expression was of complete shock but he rushed to Alana’s side.

  “Should we take him down to the station for questioning?” Colton asked Pam, trying to take charge.

  Pam nodded, too lost in thought to speak.

  “I have to ask you to accompany us,” Colton said to Julian. “There are a lot of questions that need answers.”

  Julian let go of Alana. Before he walked out of the condo with Colton he passed Meredith and quickly leaned in, giving her a kiss on the cheek. “Her shoulder,” he whispered.

  “Did he do that to you?” Pam asked Alana, looking at the marks on her body.