by Combs, Sasha
Linda frowned when she said...
“That’s unfortunate but it couldn’t be helped. Elizabeth’s diary will help explain so many things. For instance; why would Chief Billings risk sending his own son and Mike back to Elizabeth’s penthouse? There has to be more to this case and I’m sure that the answers will be found in Elizabeth’s private writings.”
He knew she was right but on so many levels Hayford had wanted to protect Elizabeth’s memory. He also had hoped by telling Linda a few stories about his friend; perhaps she would see the Elizabeth that he had known. A confused wealthy woman with too much time on her hands. A woman who wouldn’t admit it but she was dying to be loved. But Elizabeth had not been his only concern. If news about her diary were ever to leak out, Hayford didn’t like the idea of her parents hearing the awful details about how their daughter manipulated so many of their dear friends as well as most of the people her father had placed on his payroll to prevent her from getting into too much trouble.
When Linda had left her office, she had tried to compartmentalize her thoughts by placing Elizabeth’s words in the back of her mind. She had done her job by collecting all the evidence that the district attorney would need to prove their case. She had played her last serve...now the ball was in their court. But oddly enough she found it difficult releasing the dribs and drabs of information that still clang around in her head. She needed closure to feel better about the way she chose to solve this case and with Hayford sitting next to her; Linda knew he had the details to definitively put this case to rest.
“In the car on the way to the mayor’s party...you told me that you knew about Elizabeth and Chief Billings.”
Linda felt his body go stiff for a moment. Hayford was still holding her hand, and she could feel the sudden jerk in his reaction. She knew even though he and Elizabeth had recently been at odds over her life choices; he pushed aside his objections to seek out justice for her.
Linda kept her eyes down because she didn’t want to look directly in his face. Currently she was drawing on her inner strength and to look into his eyes just might unhinge her resolve.
“You said it was Billings who sought out Elizabeth and not the other way around.” she said.
Hayford recalled how Elizabeth had told him, one night, her latest conquest would be to take on another one of the men her father had been paying off from the moment she returned to the city. It was common knowledge that the commander of one of the cities homicide divisions commonly hobnobbed with wealthy and influential people. Billings had his eye on the mayors job...he knew to get there, he’d have to pad his pockets with money from the movers and shakers of society. He and the current mayor had become fast friends and he had told Billings that he had the makings to run the city one day. The mayor had been grooming Billings to take his place once he’d served his last term even though he knew that the commander had a less than stellar past. There had been a number of shady deals, and questionable behavior that should have ended his career. But Billings was a smart man. He buried anything or any person that might spell doom for him. Billings had hid his indiscretions and he did this without anyone being the wiser. But his cunning maneuvers ended on the day he met Elizabeth Van Wilson. Before he intertwined himself with Elizabeth, he’d actually been making pretty good headway in the political arena. His name was mentioned in high places and most people respected the way he ran his department. In spite of that, Billings had snapped when he heard about the fountain incident. He was furious when he learned what Elizabeth had done and the way his son had been humiliated when he proposed to her. Billings had allowed his pride to rule the direction he’d chosen to deal with Elizabeth Van Wilson. At first the two had simply toyed tit for tat with the other...exchanging stray comments that never amounted to much. But one evening, Elizabeth had told Hayford, she and Billings had gone into the restroom of a prominent nightclub and in the stall of one of the lavatories; while straddling the toilet, the chief had made love to her. Hayford had been so upset with her, because he’d already known about the incident at the fountain that involved Chief Billings son. He had told her she was playing with fire and it wasn’t wise to involve herself with a son and his father. At first it had been Elizabeth’s plan to simply monkey around with Chief Billings head. She had intended on telling him that she still cared for his son and she planned to re-ignite their love affair. Elizabeth and Hayford had argued well into the night over her plan. When he left her penthouse, he had no intentions of ever returning. He had warned her that Billings was not a man to toy with and he wasn’t so sure her father would be in the position to protect her from him. Billings had made a name for himself in the city as being hard on crime and protective of his family. His status over the years as a widower and the father of one son who worked as a mechanical engineer at a well-known firm in the city; this shiny boy persona had been skillfully contrived and most people believed the facade of his public image. He wanted to be the cities mayor one day and Hayford had noticed how important social climbing had recently become to him.
A few nights ago, Hayford had been at home putting the final touches on his article before submitting it to his editor. He had not expected to hear from Elizabeth, especially after the way they had argued when he’d last seen her. She had wanted Hayford to come over to her penthouse, and when he didn’t; she took it upon herself to go over to his apartment. It was then that Hayford had been told by Elizabeth that she was carrying Charlie’s child. She had been so angry with Billings because after making love to her, he’d been seeding dirty lies about her to his son Charlie. Elizabeth had not known that she was pregnant yet when her and Billings had been held up in the stall at the nightclub, and when she realized it, she’d regretted what she’d done. Elizabeth knew she had not been an angel when she returned home and she never denied that she slept with more than one man at a time. Most times she was openly honest by telling her current lovers the names of the men who were sharing her bed. When she’d been dating Charlie Billings, for a short period he had been the only man in her life. Her monogamy had not lasted long but for a time, Charlie had been the only man in her life. Elizabeth knew that like everyone else in the city...Chief Billings was well aware of her sexual indiscretions. The idea that he was making up lies about her to tell his son had infuriated her...causing Elizabeth to want more than anything to turn the tables on him. As he thought on this, Hayford recalled being amazed over Elizabeth’s sense of right versus wrong. She’d been raised by caring parents and they’d been educated at one of the best boarding schools on the East Coast. But somehow, Elizabeth had fallen off the wagon...making up her own rules as she went along. To get back at Billings, Elizabeth had been hinting to him that she had the kind of life changing news that would permanently upset his life. She wasn’t so sure if Billings would take the bait but with nothing else to lose, Elizabeth lashed out before taking the time to consider her actions.
As Hayford shared this information with Linda, he could see the frown on her face and he knew, her frown would be quickly followed by a question.
“Did Billings know with certainty about the baby? When I told him and Charlie about the pregnancy while we were in the library he looked surprised...but I’m not sure if his expression wasn’t an act to further confuse and deceive Charlie. The man had a whole lot of people fooled...and I’m including myself in that crowd.”
Hayford shrugged.
“Elizabeth had played them both for so long I can’t say with certainty what she told either man. I do know one thing for sure...she was beginning to feel that she might want to keep the child. When she came to my apartment I told her if she did remain pregnant; the right thing would be to let the father of the baby know that he’s going to be a dad.”
“That was the last time you spoke to her.”
Her words sounded more like a question but based on what he’d shared with her earlier, he reasoned that Linda already knew the answer. When Elizabeth came to his apartment, that had been the last time he’d seen
his friend alive. At that time, Elizabeth had been on the fence regarding her pregnancy but when Linda told him about the final lines written in her diary, Hayford finally knew what his friend had wanted to do. On the night of New Year’s Eve, Elizabeth had intended to share the news about her pregnancy with Charlie. The area in that part of the park near the bridge had always been her favorite place. Hayford thought it had been a shame that his friend would lose her life in a place that she’d held scared in her heart. The fact that she’d chosen this place meant that, the words that had formed their final conversation had apparently sunk him. Hayford had shamed Elizabeth, causing her to do the right thing.
While he’d been sitting on the sofa next to Linda, Hayford’s mind had drifted off to that night when Liz had unexpectedly showed up at his apartment. Realizing that he still had not answered Linda’s question; instead, he nodded his head to affirm his response. He could still feel that awful feeling in the pit of his stomach after he’d been told by his informant that the body floating in the water might be that of Elizabeth Van Wilson. He closed his eyes tight trying to wipe the image of her floating in the cold mirky depths out of his minds eye. Elizabeth had been so childish and reckless and he wished her father had never coaxed her to return home to the city. He wondered what would have happened if Charlie had not sought out the help of Detective Mike Smith that night. Just maybe Charlie and Elizabeth would have been held up in her penthouse, making love because Charlie would have found out that he and Liz would be having a child together. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case and now a number of lives weighed in the balance due to Elizabeth’s diary and the content that would expose and harm others.
As his mind whirled with thoughts, Hayford knew he didn’t want to think about Elizabeth anymore because he’d done all that he could do as her friend. His thoughts were on the living now...one particular female to be precise.
Hayford had noticed how Linda would only look at him if he lifted her head to his face...or if he said something off balancing which usually infuriated her. He knew after what he’d done to ruin her life; he didn’t have any right to expect her to think highly of him. He also knew when he made love to her, it had not been done because his body lacked self-control. When Hayford had guided Linda to the kitchen floor to make love to her; he had done this because over the two years that he’d known her, each time he saw her his attraction towards her had increasingly grown. He had never thought the opportunity would present itself for him to express how he felt towards her; and when he saw her standing on shore while they poked at Elizabeth’s body...parts of his soul shouted for joy.
Two birds with one stone...he’d been telling himself. He could help Elizabeth and Linda by helping to solve the case. But when he found himself alone with Linda...and his body’s emotions began forcing him to come to terms with how he truly felt; as the night grew long and their time together lengthened...with each passing second Hayford wanted to be in her presence. Not just to help her on the case; he wanted to be with her because he was realizing his emotions went beyond simply caring about Linda’s wellbeing.
While his arm rested on the edge of the sofa, his thumb made contact with her neck and he noticed that Linda didn’t flinch. Hayford traced a soothing trail up and down her neck, and the motion relaxed her in a way that surprised him. Earlier, when he’d reached across the distance to interlace her fingers with his hand; the gentle hold that he still held was reminiscent of his feelings for her. He was holding on because he knew he could never let her go.
A calming quiet had settled in the room. Linda’s eyes were still downcast and as usual Hayford’s company was affecting her. She tried to maintain her composure but doing that wasn’t something easily accomplished.
Hayford inhaled deeply when out of the blue, he tossed Linda an unexpected question.
“Linda...do you trust me?”
Linda had been looking at the curious way Hayford had been toying with her hand. She liked the contrasting colors of their complexions and she adored the memory of his strong hands as he held her firmly in his embrace. She had always been shy around him mainly because she had heard how he’d written articles blasting the judges decision when she’d been lumped in with the guilty verdict of her study partners. At the time, his pitiful gesture had not meant much to her but over time she had learned to forgive. When Linda had read his stories in the past she would always direct any negative tone in his articles indirectly towards her. She had convinced herself that he was an evil man...even when her father had told her she shouldn’t blame him solely for what had happened to her. But Linda had blamed Hayford. She’d even blamed him when she’d been hired to the force and none of the police or the detective’s had accepted her.
At every turn, and at every opportunity; Linda had blamed her failures on Hayford Mead. But after tonight...and what they had shared; she now knew all of her hate had been wrongly directed at him.
Slowly, Linda lifted her eyes. She’d always found him attractive and she knew women were constantly fawning over him. She didn’t want to join in on their ranks because like most women, she didn’t like sharing her men; but Linda wouldn’t object to a little one on one if a relationship was what he had in mind.
Resting her eyes on him...she considered his question. She wasn’t the type of person easily prone to lie and this was a characteristic that Hayford was acquainted with. After spending time alone with her, Hayford had learned that much about her. She could feel her heart racing because she was hoping his reason’s for asking weren’t his polite way of just making conversation.
Nodding her head affirmatively, Linda said...
“After tonight...yes...I do trust you.”
He felt the folding of skin on his forehead as it melded together like an accordion and before he could stop himself, Hayford said...
“Am I too understand that you’re saying that you trust me because of what happened tonight? You trust me because I helped you? Is that what you’re saying Linda?”
Linda’s back went stiff as she came to a sitting position. Her moving forward had brought her face closer to Hayford...and the unexpected whiff of her shower fresh aroma caused his body to stiffen and stir.
“No...that’s not what I meant...” She’d said, while vehemently trying to correct him.
“I know you only helped me because of Elizabeth...”
Hayford cut in before she could finish.
“That wasn’t my only reason for helping you Linda.”
Hayford took advantage of her nearness by moving forward to softly kiss her on her lips. The gentle brushing hadn’t been enough for him, so he deepened the kiss by dipping his tongue pass the fullness of her moist lips. A sultry moaning sound was captured in their mouths; muffled by their cheeks. While their arms readjusted to hold on tight to each other; the same could be said for the passion that stirred in their kiss. Hayford moved their bodies back to lie on the couch, while their hands roamed and caressed each other. He didn’t want to end this kiss but this situation needed clarification. He had wronged her once...and it had all been due to a huge misunderstanding. He wouldn’t allow that to happen again because Linda meant much, to much to him.
Lifting his head, he could see that her eyes were still closed. He used this time to slowly take in her face and as he did he could feel his heart melting due to an invisible pull that attracted him to her.
When Linda opened her eyes, she could see that Hayford was smiling at her. Shyly she looked away...but when he guided her eyes back to him by gently repositioning her chin; Hayford needed her to understand why her trusting him was tremendously significant.
“Linda...I need to convey to you how important you are to me. If anything would have happened to you tonight, I’m sure I would be sharing a cell right next to Billings, Mike and Charles. Every time I look at your bruises, I think to myself where did I go wrong tonight. I think I should have done more to help you...and when I think on what I was able to do... I still don’t think it was enough.”
Kissing her again...this time with tender passion; Hayford allowed his kiss to say what he knew his words had not conveyed. Once again, he tried to tell her how he felt but this time, he didn’t leave anything to chance.
He could see that Linda’s breathing was heavy and she didn’t want Hayford to stop. The longing in her eyes seared him and his desire was beginning to mount. His eyes bore heavy on her, then he said what he’d come to know as fact.
“Linda...I love you. I would have moved heaven and earth tonight to keep you safe. Tonight wasn’t just about Elizabeth...tonight had been just as much about you as it had been about getting justice for Liz.”
“From the beginning, you could have told the police what you knew about Elizabeth and that alone would have generated enough reason to suspect their involvement. Sure, Charlie and Chief Billings might have walked but at least we would have had the opportunity to bring them in for questioning.”
Hayford lowered his mouth, pressing his lips gingerly on her forehead to kiss her. He allowed his lips to linger for a few seconds before he spoke in a tired voice.
“I thought about that.”
Touching her bruises he said...
“Now I wish I had called the police and told them what I knew. It would have meant you wouldn’t have been hurt.”
Linda could see the pain in his eyes and she didn’t want him feeling guilty for what Mike and Billings had done to her. She knew as a Detective things like that could happen and when they’d been roughing her up, not once did she cower due to their physical abuse.
The expression on her face softened and all at once she knew Hayford really did love her. She knew, the way things had played out tonight would mean a conviction for all parities involved in Elizabeth’s murder and with the conversation being recorded by Hayford’s editor; the tape would refute any of Billings or Mike’s denials. She couldn’t wait for her opportunity to stand in court, then to point her finger at them. They had confessed their crime to her and the taped confession would support her testimony if either man decided to lie on the stand.