The Ghost of Blue Ivy

by Parker Paige

  Finally, Detective Uhler pulled out his note pad. “Ms. Rose, why did you run?”

  She didn’t answer his question. Instead, she peered down at the handcuffs on her wrists.

  “‘Could you remove the handcuffs, please?”

  Detective Uhler glanced over at Detective Lane, as if he was considering her request. “You’re not going to try and run away again, are you?” Detective Uhler asked.

  “No.” She was still trying to catch her breath from all the running she did earlier.

  Detective Lane rose up from the table, seized the key from his pocket, stepped over to her and removed the handcuffs. He then stood at a short distance from her, his hands in his pockets. Blue Ivy rubbed her bruised wrist with a humble look on her face. “When do I get to make my phone call?”

  “Don’t worry. You’ll get your phone call,” Detective Uhler said to her.

  “May I have some water please?”

  “No, you may not,” Detective Lane said.

  “I thought detectives were supposed to be nice people.”

  “Who told you that?” Detective Lane asked her.

  She hoped to stall the questioning for as long as possible, especially since the issue of her hair color was bound to come up again.

  Blue Ivy lost her humility and changed her tune. No longer was she the timid little mouse that they escorted in for questioning. She was now just plain angry. “What is it you want to know? I told you everything. Anyway, you’re wasting your time with this. I’m not even strong enough to strangle anyone and what would be my reason if I were?”

  “There’s always a reason,” Detective Lane said as he peered at her. “Why did you run?”

  A faint smile covered Blue Ivy’s face as she wrenched and turned, not sure how best to answer. Then the truth escaped from her lips. “I was scared, didn’t know what else to do.”

  “Where were you going to go?” Detective Lane asked her.

  “I don’t know.”

  Detective Uhler glanced over his notes. “Ms. Rose, in your apartment I noticed the framed obituaries of your family. That was your family, wasn’t it?

  “Yes.”

  “Why don’t you tell us what happened to them?”

  “They died.”

  “They died or they were murdered?” Detective Lane asked.

  After briefly composing herself, she said, “So you’re now saying that I took out my whole family?”

  “We’re not saying anything,” Detective Uhler said. “We want you to tell us.”

  Blue Ivy hated the way Detective Lane studied her every time she spoke, judging her every word and move, as if predetermining her fate.

  “My family has nothing to do with why I’m here.”

  “How did they die, Ms. Rose?” Detective Lane asked her.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Oh, you know,” Detective Uhler said.

  “What if I refuse to answer?

  “We have all day and night,” Detective Uhler said. “And don’t even think about lying, because I’ll check it out.”

  In enough trouble and frightened to the core, the last thing she wanted to do was talk about the death of her family. Why were they putting so much emphasis on her deceased family? She wrestled with the decision of whether to disclose such personal details that could reopen too many old wounds.

  “We’re waiting,” Detective Lane stated firmly.

  She realized that they were not likely to let up. Without giving it any further thought, she inhaled a deep breath and shifted her body back into the chair.

  “My sister was strangled, my father shot my mother, then shot himself. Is that what you wanted to hear?”

  The detectives shared a look between each other, then Detective Uhler asked as he removed his glasses. “Why was your sister murdered?”

  “Why?” Blue Ivy asked, as if she didn’t understand the question.

  Detective Uhler didn’t repeat the question and didn’t seem the type to back down. While he waited for an answer, she realized that her anger served no purpose and thought maybe if she just answered their questions without hesitation, everything would be all right, and they would let her go.

  With her hands flat down on the table, she exhaled a short breath. “My sister was having an affair and her jealous, insecure husband found out about it and strangled her. Is there anything else you would like to know?”

  “We want to know everything,” Detective Uhler remarked.

  Detective Lane scooted his chair closer to Blue Ivy. “Ms. Rose, you’re a suspect to a murder. We can ask you whatever questions we like for as long as we want.”

  Detective Uhler interjected. “Don’t you think it’s a little odd that both your sister and Bruce Colby were strangled?”

  “No, not at all.”

  Detective Uhler slid his glasses up on his nose, continuing to scribble notes on his pad. “And what about your mother and father?”

  Blue Ivy exhaled a breath of frustration and asked softly, “May I go to the ladies room? I really need to go.”

  Detective Lane chuckled. “No, you may not. We want to know about your parents.”

  “I told you.”

  “Forget about all of that for now,” Detective Uhler said. “I’ll ask you something you can easily answer. How do you explain Bruce Colby’s wedding band in your desk drawer?”

  Blue Ivy’s eyes bulged. “I don’t know anything about that, and by the way, aren’t I entitled to an attorney?”

  “Sure,” Detective Uhler said. “We can lock you up right now until your lawyer arrives or you can talk to us right now. It’s your choice.”

  Not only did Blue Ivy not have an attorney, but being locked up didn’t rest well with her. She would just as well answer their questions in the hopes of satisfying their curiosity to the point of letting her go.

  Detective Uhler studied his notes. “Now, we want to know why security has a record of you leaving the building at six-thirty, the approximate time that Bruce Colby was murdered.”

  Blue Ivy’s eyes shot to Detective Uhler, the most serious stare she could find in herself. “I didn’t kill him.”

  “No?” Detective Uhler questioned.

  “No.”

  Detective Uhler stood up, pivoted over to Blue Ivy. “Why did you color your hair this morning?”

  Blue Ivy raised her shoulders, and then said, “I didn’t like the color anymore. I know you probably think it was because I didn’t want to resemble Camina or Laura, but that’s not it at all. It wouldn’t have worked anyway. Everyone at the office knows that I have red hair. I dyed my hair back to its natural brown color because I didn’t like the person I had become since dying it red.”

  “And what person is that?” Detective Lane asked. “A murderess perhaps?”

  Blue Ivy refused to comment on his suggestion.

  “Were you dating Bruce Colby?” Detective Lane asked.

  “No. I was not. That was Camina’s boyfriend.”

  “Ms. Givens said you had some type of identity problem,” Detective Uhler said. “She said you wanted to be like her. What’s that all about?”

  “She is welcome to her opinion.”

  “Is there bad blood between you and Ms. Givens?” Detective Uhler asked.

  “I don’t have anything against her. It’s her. She doesn’t like me.”

  Detective Lane’s eyes scrolled across Blue Ivy’s face. “Didn’t you just say back in your apartment that Camina was the one who told you that Bruce Colby was murdered, that she was your friend?”

  A shallow smile skirted across Blue Ivy’s face as she realized she’d been busted. “Did I say that?” she asked innocently.

  “Yes, you did. I was there,” Detective Lane said to her.

  “Well, I thought it was her who told me that, but it wasn’t. It was another friend, Laura. She and Camina look an awful lot alike and sometimes I get them mixed up.”

  “Hilarious,” Detective Lane said. “Even on the phone, they’re confus
ing to you?”

  “Sometimes.” Blue Ivy knew that they were not buying any of her story, but what else could she do.

  Blue Ivy could see the suspicious look in Detective Lane’s eyes.

  Detective Uhler rested his pen on top of his pad. “Ms. Rose, what were you doing at the office at six-thirty last night?”

  “Working. I work late a lot.” Frustrated, she paused. “How long are you going to keep me here?”

  “I wouldn’t think about going home too soon if I were you,” Detective Uhler said as he picked up his pen.

  “I’m telling you, I didn’t kill him,” she said. “Why would I kill Bruce, then place his ring and belt in my desk drawer?”

  A shocked look raced across Detective Uhler’s face. “I didn’t say anything about a belt. How did you know about that? I don’t remember mentioning it to you.”

  “You didn’t mention it. Someone else told me.”

  “Who would that be?” Detective Lane questioned.

  “I would rather not say,” she said to him. For fear of incriminating Laura, she decided to keep her inside information to herself.

  “I think it’s time we let Ms. Rose make her call,” Detective Uhler said to Detective Lane.

  “I think you’re making a big mistake,” she said.

  “Oh really,” Detective Uhler said, as he flipped through his notes. “An eyewitness saw a redheaded woman leaving the men’s room. There’s a record with security that you left the building right around the time of the murder, you colored your hair back to its original color the next morning, lied several times, resisted arrest, ran, and Bruce’s wedding ring and belt were in your desk drawer.”

  “Look. I can see where this is going, and I know how it looks, but I didn’t do it.”

  Her confession seemed to have little effect on Detective Uhler as he approached the door. Her time was running out. Unless she started to tell the truth, they were going to keep her there.

  “Okay,” Blue Ivy blurted out. “I’ll tell you what you want to know.”

  Detective Uhler’s hand froze at the doorknob. Without hesitating, he turned and gazed at Blue Ivy. Blue Ivy studied the look in his eyes, and she knew one thing. He was serious. Though she was ready to tell it all, she needed a breather or some air, anything that would create some space between her and them. What she needed was a cigarette, and she didn’t even smoke, but now might be a good time to start.

  “Would it be okay if I made my phone call first?”

  Detective Uhler seemed to think about it and then said, “Okay.”

  Blue Ivy scooted her chair away from the table and stood up, and Detective Lane soon met her at the door and opened it for her. “Allow me,” he said.

  Down the busy hallway, Detective Lane escorted her to the phone. It was a welcomed relief to be free of their calculating questions. While Blue Ivy anxiously dialed Lee’s number, Detective Lane stood close by, watching.

  Once again, she needed to call upon Lee to save her hide. He would be furious with her, this being the second time she was arrested. Only this time, it wasn’t for shoplifting, it was for murder.

  Still, he was the one she trusted, the one who she could count on regardless of the circumstance or situation. Upon calling Lee at his office, she learned that he was in a meeting and was forced to interrupt him and summon him to the phone.

  “Blue Ivy?” Lee said. “What’s wrong?”

  As soon as she heard his voice, the tears crawled from her eyes, as she had felt sane up until that moment. It was definitely the compassion in his voice that moved her.

  “I’m sorry to interrupt your meeting,” she said with a slight sniffle.

  “Are you crying?”

  Though obvious, she said, “No.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I did a terrible thing, Lee, really messed up this time. I just want to get out of here, go back to my old life and start over.”

  “Wait a minute, wait a minute, what are you talking about?”

  “There was a murder at my office last night and the police think I did it,” Blue Ivy said as she wiped the tears from her face.

  For a moment, Lee was silent. “Where are you now?” he asked her.

  “I’m at the police station on Addison and Halsted.”

  “They arrested you?”

  “Yes, but they haven’t charged me with anything. They’re waiting to finish questioning me now.”

  “I’m on my way.”

  Detective Lane stepped in front of Blue Ivy and pointed to his watch as that was her signal to end her call now.

  “I have to go now. Thanks, Lee.”

  It was as if Lee possessed some magical power of just showing up and making everything better. Somehow, in some strange way, she believed Lee could save her from this calamity, and just talking to him, knowing he was on his way, elevated her mood.

  Episode 16

  DETECTIVE UHLER HANDED BLUE IVY A Kleenex when she returned to the interrogation room. As the fear and doubt settled in her heart, she slouched down at the table.

  Detective Lane closed the door, taking a seat across from Blue Ivy, while Detective Uhler stood, his tiny note pad in hand.

  “Are you ready to finish?” Detective Uhler asked her.

  Blue Ivy nodded, shifted her body back and tried to find her center of peace. “May I have some water?”

  Detective Lane stood up from the table and poured her some water then handed it to her.

  Blue Ivy drank the water, and felt the perspiration of fear forming on her forehead. She fished for the half-truths in the back of her head and hoped not to say anything that she might regret later. Most importantly, she needed to convince them that they were questioning the wrong woman.

  Immediately after Blue Ivy gulped down the water, Detective Lane asked her, “Is that better?” Instead of answering his question, she had a question for him. “If I tell you what really happened, will you let me go?”

  She monitored the dubious look on Detective Lane’s face and swallowed hard. His facial expression revealed indifference, but she was dead serious in her request.

  For a brief moment, nothing but empty silence hovered over the room, and she wanted to scream. “Well. Will you?” she asked again.

  “Now, Ms. Rose, you know we can’t promise you that,” Detective Uhler said.

  “Even if I tell you exactly what happened that night, and why I think it was someone else?”

  Detective Lane interjected, “Just tell us what happened.”

  Blue Ivy hesitated, halted her movement and locked her eyes with the wall in front of her. She was afraid that if she told her story that it might make her look even more guilty, but they had her in a bind. All of the cards were in their favor, and all she could do was play by their rules and hope and pray for the best.

  “Look at it this way, Ms. Rose,” Detective Uhler said. “If you don’t tell us the whole story, we’re definitely not going to let you go.”

  Though she always believed honesty could be her best friend, somehow in this situation she wasn’t so sure, but she lacked options. After she coasted down another drink of water, she inhaled a deep breath. “Okay. I did see Bruce last night. We were fooling around in one of the office restrooms.”

  “Fooling around?” Detective Uhler questioned.

  “Yeah. We were going to do it, but…”

  Detective Uhler stepped forward, then planted his body in the seat across from her as if awaiting a fictitious story. “But what?”

  “But, we didn’t. Though I wanted to, when Camina came in and saw us, it was all over.”

  Detective Uhler scribbled some notes down on his pad while Detective Lane listened with an amused look on his face.

  “Anyway, when Camina came in and saw us, Bruce went after her, and that killed any chance of us finishing what we started.”

  “Why did he go after her?” Detective Lane asked.

  “I told you, they were dating, and it was no secret.”

 
The detectives glanced at each other.

  “What exactly did Camina see?” Detective Uhler asked.

  “Isn’t it obvious?”

  “Nothing is obvious with you, Ms. Rose,” Detective Lane added.

  A tad bit embarrassed, Blue Ivy was reluctant to finish, but she forced herself to. “I was sitting in Bruce’s lap on the bowl kissing him and at that moment, I wanted to make love to him, I really did, but when Camina showed up, he seemed more interested in going after her than making love to me.”

  “That upset you, didn’t it?” Detective Lane asked.

  “You bet it did.”

  “Then what happened?” Detective Uhler asked.

  “Camina left, I left and that was the last time I saw him.”

  “And you never saw him any more after that?” Detective Uhler asked as he shifted through his notes.

  Blue Ivy shook her head. “And it wasn’t until this morning that I learned what had happened and that’s the truth.”

  “Your truth,” Detective Lane said.

  Blue Ivy rolled her eyes at Detective Lane, then returned her focus to Detective Uhler.

  “That doesn’t prove that it was anyone else any more than it proves it was you,” Detective Lane said.

  “You think that I’m making this up? I’m not. That is what really happened.”

  “So you say,” Detective Lane said.

  Detective Uhler stood up as if trying to make sense of it all. “Did both Ms. Givens and Ms. Moore know Bruce was married?”

  “Of course they knew.”

  Detective Uhler stepped to Blue Ivy. “Your hair. You said you didn’t like the color anymore. Was that the truth or was that a cover‑up?”

  “No, that was the truth. I don’t like the color anymore, but I admit I did have other reasons for coloring my hair this morning.”

  “Which was?”

  “I didn’t want to be confused with Camina or─”

  “Or Laura Moore?” Detective Lane asked, finishing her sentence.