Piece Keeper

by Antwan Floyd Sr.

  Tip-toeing across the linoleum floor he kept looking over his shoulder as if he was expecting her to return at any moment. He wanted to leave, but the urge to stay and learn more about her was overwhelming. Stepping into the kitchen he stood in the center of the room and inhaled. Closing his eyes he let the memory sensor in his brain detect the last meal she’d prepared there. He inhaled once more taking in the scent of old chicken grease. His mouth began to water as he imagined her sitting at her kitchen table eating. Pulling out the chair he eased into the seat, placed both hands flat on the table, and massaged oak with his palms. Laying his face on the table he felt the coolness chill his skin. “Ahhh,” he cooed.

  Rising from the table he made his way to the refrigerator and opened the door to look through it. He removed the lid from the Tupperware bowl and retrieved a chicken leg. Placing the lid back on the bowl he closed the door and bit into the chicken. With each bite he imagined himself nibbling at the fruit between her legs. Oddly enough he was beginning to relax. He walked through the apartment as if he belonged there. Stepping into her hallway bathroom he dropped the chicken bone in the trash, opened her medicine cabinet, and began rummaging through her things. He read her prescription bottles and birth control pills. His nose wrinkled up looking at the tube of Monistat 7. Placing all her things back the way she had them, as best he could, he closed the cabinet and made his way towards her bedroom.

  Once again he stood in the center of the room and inhaled. He could smell her, the scent of Teresa as he called it the first time she’d given him a hug. He never could remember the name of her perfume. Just the scent alone gave him an erection. Walking over to her closet he slid the doors open and began thumbing through her wardrobe. After he’d seen enough he closed the door. Just as he was about to leave he paused staring down at her clothes hamper. He flipped the lid and dug both hands into her dirty laundry. Removing a pair of her panties and her robe he held her underwear in front of his face, stuck out his tongue, and licked the crouch area. Suckling the sweat from her vagina on his tongue he let his saliva marinate in his mouth before swallowing. Dropping her undergarment back into the hamper, he slid his arms into her robe the best he could trying not to tear it. He pulled back the comforter on top of her bed, climbed in the covers, and hugged one of her pillows. He felt a sense of calmness as he felt sleep begin to fall over him. Before he was completely asleep he heard the sound of voices. Jumping from the bed and pulling the comforter back into place, he crept over to the door and gently closed it. He stepped into the closet, closed the door, pressed his ear against the wall, and listened closely.

  “Thank you for understanding,” he heard Teresa’s voice explaining. “Just give me one second. I’ll get the cash. I tried calling my friend James for a ride but he never answered.”

  “I understand,” a strange voice replied. “I started not to stop though, considering how you’re dressed.”

  “Tell me about it. You know at least six cabs passed me by before you stopped. Thanks again,” she said as she handed him the money. Transaction completed, she let him out then locked the door behind him.

  James continued to listen as he heard her move down the hall towards the bedroom. He felt his stomach become queasy as the bedroom door opened. His thoughts raced as he tried to remember if he left anything of his out that she could find. He held his nose as he felt blood beginning to drip. He had no idea how he would explain why he was hiding in her closet wearing her robe. He held his breath as he heard her moving about the room then heard abruptly leave the room. He listened for a few minutes. Once he felt as if she would not return for a while he eased the door open. Stepping out of the closet he paused. Looking down at the floor he saw a pair of pink pajamas, panties, and a bra. He began to kneel to pick up her panties but dismissed the thought and moved towards the entrance to the hallway. Peeking his head out, he looked down the hall and saw that the bathroom door was cracked open. Tip-toeing he made his way to the bathroom door where he heard the shower running. Peeking through the crack in the door he could see her reflection in the mirror from the neck up. He stood for a moment and watched her shower. She looked so peaceful to him with the lathered soap glistening off of her neck and suds slithering down her body.

  He jumped as he heard banging at the front door. Perhaps it’s the cab driver again, he thought as he made his way back to her bedroom and into her closet once again. The banging continued until he heard her yell that she was coming. He heard her wet, bare feet smacking against the linoleum floor. With his ear still pressed against the wall he heard the door lock unlatch and the door open.

  “Can I come in?” Black asked leaning against the wall leading from the hall into her apartment.

  Teresa stared in awe. “What are you doing here?”

  “We need to talk.”

  “Talk to Morena… I mean Baby Love. That’s what you call her right?”

  “Teresa, I’m sorry. Can I come in….please?”

  She stepped to the side and allowed him to come in. She knew she should have run to put on some clothes yet she remained wrapped only in a dry towel. After locking the door she led him to the living room where they both had a seat on the sofa.

  “Teresa, I’m sorry.”

  “You said that already.”

  “Yeah…I said that already. I didn’t know Morena was coming. I would have never—”

  “Gotten caught right?”

  “Be fair.”

  “I am being fair. I was fair enough not to kick you out when you came to see me in the hospital. I was fair enough when I allowed you to give me a ride home from the hospital. I was fair enough when you tried that slick nonsense with the flowers, balloons, and clothes. And don’t say you weren’t trying to be slick. I even was fair when you called that fake ass Selma Hayek Baby Love.”

  “I just wanted to do right by you.”

  “Do right by me?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then tell me, Black… why does it feel so wrong?

  Black leaned back against the sofa, closed his eyes, and placed his hand on his forehead. Teresa turned her back to him crossing her arms across her chest. Several seconds passed before Black opened his eyes and broke the silence. “This is not how I pictured this in my head.”

  With her back still to him and her legs crossed she rolled her eyes. “Well things in life seldom turn out the way that you picture them.”

  “It shouldn’t be like this, Teresa. I mean… you hurt, I hurt, and I….” Black paused. It was hurting him to get the words out.

  She turned to face him and she felt her mood soften looking into his face. “You what?”

  “Haven’t even given my friend a hug.”

  Teresa didn’t want to but she smiled. She wanted to stay angry. It was true they were friends. In fact they’d been friends before they were lovers and she knew with all the ass backwards, wrong things he’d done he still loved her and always would even if they weren’t together. She slid closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. He hugged her back wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close. He inhaled her scent as he felt her kiss his neck. He pulled back bringing them eye to eye. They gazed at one another before he went in for a kiss. Their lips locked instinctively. She ran her hand across the back of his head. Moans fell from their lips. Her chest heaved seductively as she felt his strong hands roam across her flesh with familiarity. His hands glided down her thighs and she slowly slid her legs open as the towel fell to the floor. His hand began massaging her vagina which moistened more and more with each touch. Unbeknownst to them, James crept from the closet and peeked from around the corner to ogle at the two lovers angrily.

  Running her tongue down his neck Teresa nibbled at Black’s Adams Apple. Feelings of lust, shame, fear, and guilt all came flooding at the same time. It was like a head rush; too much to bear. She withdrew from Black’s grasp with tears streaming from her face and stood up. Quickly she retrieved the towel from the floor and re-covered herself.

>   “What’s wrong?” Black asked with his testosterone now at full peak.

  She glared at his erection with disgust and rolled her eyes. “Just go, Black.”

  “Go? We need to talk about this.”

  “Talk? We were doing a little more than talking.”

  “I don’t understand you.”

  “Clearly.”

  Black threw his hands in the air bringing them down hard on his legs in frustration. “Here you go.”

  Teresa’s mood switched to full blown anger. She didn’t want to argue and she didn’t want to explain herself. Black was making that harder and harder with each statement he made.

  “Come on, Black. Just go.”

  Black stood to his feet and shook his head in disappointment. “Don’t you see I love you?”

  “Keep it real, Black. You don’t know how to love me… never did. I was raped. I need comforting…not sexing.”

  He dropped his head, balled his fists in anger, and stormed from her living room leaving her apartment in a heated rage. James stood in the hall smiling. Stealing glimpses of Teresa balled up on the couch crying he wanted to go to her and comfort her. He turned, went back to her bedroom, and climbed out of her window. Running across the parking lot with her robe blowing in the wind he climbed into his car and peeled away from the building.

  Chapter Five

  Black stepped into the precinct where Teresa worked. He was still upset about what had occurred the night before and was looking to take it out on someone. Today James would fill that slot perfectly. Posted against the wall in the back of the room he surveyed the floor looking for the officer. The setting was not unfamiliar to him. All police stations were the same in nature. He imagined that if he were in a police station in Belgium it would be pretty much the same. Cops and robbers, that’s what his father called it. He was proud of Black and his accomplishments but he thought it was a waste of time and money. A system that was designed to never succeed, Black felt he could do more to help. Maybe his father was right. He shook the thought from his mind and zeroed in on James across the room. The unsuspecting man hadn’t even noticed him. Black made his way towards him but was cut off before he reached his desk.

  “Can I help you?” the blonde haired, tanned detective asked placing his hand on Black’s shoulder.

  His eyes were still trained on James as he exited the building. Now annoyed, Black turned and faced the officer that had interrupted his mission. He put Black in the mind of Val Kilmer. Not the Top Gun Val Kilmer, not even the Tombstone Val Kilmer. The overweight, straight to video, B List actor Val Kilmer. The look-alike stood face to face with Black. Black looked over at the man’s hand on his shoulder. The officer got the point and promptly removed his hand.

  “Yes, I’m looking for the detectives in charge of the Prince case,” Black stated.

  “And you would be?”

  Black flashed his badge. “A.D.A. Love. Can you get the detectives that I’m asking for please?”

  The detective cleared his throat and walked around Black towards his desk. “I’m Detective Waeltz. I’m in charge of the Prince case. I sent the files over to the D.A. already.”

  “I read them. A little thin don’t you think?”

  “What do you want me to say? I sent what she gave me.”

  “What I want you to do is do your job and do it efficiently.”

  “All I can tell you is what I put in the report. Ms. Prince claims that she was sexually assaulted. She doesn’t give us a who or a where. A call was placed that a half-naked woman who looked beat up was lying in the street. When the responding officer found her she had no memory of how she had gotten there or how long she was there.”

  “She claims she was assaulted?” Black asked, forehead wrinkled.

  “Right now it’s just a statement.”

  “So you’re calling Ms. Prince a liar?”

  “I’m not making any judgment calls at all. Only going with what’s in front of me. Officially I can’t say anything. Un-officially sounds like a case of date rape.”

  “What the hell kind of detective are you?”

  “Who the hell are you to come in here and question how I run an investigation?”

  “I’m the guy that’s going to crawl all up in your ass until you get the results I want.”

  “This isn’t Chicago, Mr. Love. We do things differently here in Danville.”

  “It’s District Attorney Love and I don’t give a damn where we are. The law is the law.”

  Detective Waeltz laughed. “You might think so huh?”

  “Excuse me?”

  Chief Witherspoon ducked out of his office and gestured with his hand for Black to come over. “Love! In my office please if you don’t mind?”

  Black looked Waeltz up and down before walking off towards the chief’s office. By the time he stepped into the office the chief was already sitting at his desk. A glass of water, a bottle of brandy, and three Alka-Seltzer pills sat in front of him.

  “Close the door,” he demanded as he scooped the pills from his desk and dropped them in the glass. The pills fizzed and dissolved turning the water a murky looking color. He downed the water then quickly poured a shot of the brandy into the same glass and slammed it. “To wash my mouth out from the Alka-Seltzer,” he said as he opened a drawer and placed the glass and alcohol inside. “Have a seat Love.”

  Black shook his head no. “I’m fine. What can I help you with Chief?”

  “Thought that I’d introduce myself.”

  “Jason Wallace Witherspoon, Chief of Police for Vermillion County,” Black stated. “Only son born to Jason Wallace Witherspoon Senior and Jennifer Witherspoon. Born in New York, moved to Danville at 15 years old where you attended high school until graduation. Left for a number of years… fell off the grid. Re-emerged two years later. Enlisted into the Army. Did a tour in the Middle East during the Regan administration. Released for dishonorable discharge, joined the academy, and got a job as a beat cop with the Danville police department. Worked your way up the ranks to Chief and here we are.”

  Witherspoon reclined in his chair placing his hands on his rotund belly. “Impressive. Just wanted you to know anything you need my department is at your disposal. Teresa is family and in Danville we take care of family.”

  “Thank you, Chief,” Black said as he exited the office.

  ***

  Here she was dressed and ready to tackle her fears. She was determined not to let what happened to her get the better or her and become an anchor in her life. She was confused about a lot of things and had no one to talk to about them. She couldn’t call Black. He would either argue with her about them and their unresolved issues or press her about who raped her. She still hadn’t confessed about who had done this to her. That was another thing; facing the chief and the other two officers at work. She knew any other woman would had quit yet she felt in doing so she gave them more power over her and she refused to be powerless to such cowards.

  She wanted to talk to James but after he acted so jealous, and on top of that ignored her call when she needed help, she was beginning to feel a friendship with him wasn’t worth maintaining. She stood in the bathroom in her apartment staring into the mirror. She was all cried out. She wanted to cry but nothing would fall. She screamed until the hair on her neck stood and her ears shrilled. She screamed until her voice began to ache. She screamed until she laughed. It was the first genuine laugh that she’d had since this entire ordeal began. She turned on the faucet to the sink and let the water run underneath her hands. She splashed the water on her face and turned the faucet off before grabbing a towel and drying her face. Dropping her towel into the sink she took one final look at herself in the mirror.

  “Here we go,” she whispered as she marched down the hall to her front door. Securing her purse on her shoulder she unlocked the door and opened it. Standing on the other side of the door was someone she did not want to talk to. Her eyes squinted evilly as she bit into her bottom lip. “What can I d
o for you, Morena?”

  ***

  Officer Hunter and Officer Foster walked and talked as they headed towards their separate squad cars. Pausing midway through, they waited until a fellow officer had gone passed before continuing.

  “What are we going to do?” Hunter quipped in a hushed tone.

  “About what?” Foster asked innocently.

  Hunter leaned in closer to her and whispered. “You know… do about Teresa.”

  She pushed him to the side and opened her car door. “There is nothing to do.”

  “You know she’s coming back to work. What if she rats us out?”

  “You’re paranoid. She’s not going to say anything and if she does so what? We’re cops for Christ’s sake. Who are they going to believe? Some emotional Black chick or three of Danville’s finest?” She climbed into the car and closed the door.