by Lolah Lace
Mike reached out to Tami and forcibly pulled her close. “I’ve never lied to you. Let’s just talk about this later. I wasn’t trying to upset you. I’m sorry.” He wanted to diffuse the situation before it blew up in his face.
Mike kissed Tami on her cheek. He pulled away and gazed into her eyes. If only he knew what she was thinking? He had questions for her that he wanted to ask but didn’t. Was it even the right time to ask them? He was conflicted. In his mind, he loved her too much if that were possible. Right now, he decided it was best to leave her alone. Feeling somewhat defeated, he quietly left the kitchen.
Tami wanted desperately to believe Mike, but she had felt so much loss and a wealth of tragedy. She was at a good place emotionally and didn’t want to ever relive her abandonment issues.
She turned to open the refrigerator. She noticed the picture of herself as a teen with her teenage cousin held to the freezer door by a magnet. The memories washed over her in a wave. She quickly looked away somewhat shaken by haunting images.
Tami needed to feel and see something other than the images of her past despair. She decided to watch the movie she rented and mellow out. Mike was a comfort to Tami. He was a calming part of her life. She didn’t have to hold up the façade of strength she built over the years when they were together.
After the movie, the night was over for Tami and Mike. She liked having him around. She could take care of herself, but Mike provided a sense of well-being she had never really experienced before.
Despite the setback of the night, Mike’s connection to Tami was as strong as ever. He always had a hard time keeping his eyes off of her and tonight was no different. Being with her brought him joy and he wanted it to remain that way forever. They decided to go to bed after watching the movie they rented. In her presence was right where he wanted to be.
CHAPTER 20
Crystal was leaving her job at Two Rivers Bar and Grill. It was late night but very early morning. There were only three cars and a pickup truck in the parking lot. Crystal walked toward her car with Jeff right beside her.
“Whose car is that?” Crystal pointed to a midsize car at the other end of the parking lot. The car was parked a few feet away from the pickup truck that belonged to the owner of the bar.
“Someone probably called an Uber.” They both reached their vehicles that were parked side by side.
“It probably belongs to the guy Officer Russell arrested.”
“Yeah, I’m sure. If I was a real dick I would have him towed.”
“No, don’t. He has to spend the night in the drunk tank, so that’s punishment enough.”
“You are too nice. You would make a really great girlfriend.”
“My boyfriend thinks so.” She threw the words out to let Jeff know he didn’t have a chance with her.
“So does that mean you’re not going to give Officer Russell a shot?”
“What shot? I have a boyfriend, and he has never asked me for my number.”
“He will.”
“But he hasn’t. I’m not going to worry about it. See you tomorrow Jeff.”
“Bye babe, get some rest.”
“You too.” She waved goodbye.
They entered their cars. Crystal drove out the parking lot first.
Crystal made a nice salary as a waitress, but she hated the headache that came with drunken customers. Unfortunately, she had bills and wanted a newer, more reliable car. She pulled her small sports car onto the road. It had seen better days.
She turned on the radio and rolled down her automatic car windows. She began to sing along with the radio while driving.
“I can’t let go/I can’t let go/I love you so/I love you so/No matter where you run or where you go/I’m going to know/I’m going to see/Because you can’t get away from me.”
After driving five blocks up the road, Crystal drove into the parking lot of a huge supermarket. A large neon sign in front of the store read MEIJER. Crystal found a parking space near the front of the store. It was a few spaces behind the handicap parking.
Crystal loved to shop in the middle of the night. There were barely any customers. This gave her time to browse at her leisure. As she strolled down the aisle, she tried to remove Officer Russell from her thoughts. She didn’t know what she would do if he asked her out. He was cute, but dating a police officer seemed so out of character for her.
She stopped in the aisle that shelved tampons and panty liners and placed those items in her hand-held shopping basket.
In the hair care aisle, she studied the products until she settled on a tub of frizz free hair gel. While in the alphabetical compact disc aisle, Crystal combed through the various artists.
She sang to herself. “I can’t let go/I can’t let go/I love you so/I love you so/No matter where you run or—”
Crystal stopped singing when she felt a presence behind her. She whipped around. Her bright smile touched her eyes as they lit up. “Hey, I haven’t seen you around the bar in like forever. What’s up?”
CHAPTER 21
Time was flying by and there had been little to no progress. Tami, however was feeling better about a future with Mike. Being Mrs. Crane didn’t seem so foreign after she let it marinate.
Although they were supposed to discuss the possibility of a future after this case was solved, it was difficult not to think about it. This was her first marriage proposal. She never let a man get close enough to think they had a future together. Mike was different. She loved him.
They drove separately to the Hinsdale police department. They both agreed to keep their personal life separate from their professional life. There was always a morning meeting, and Mike was always the last one to show up to the conference room. The meetings at the Hinsdale police department were earlier than the ones at Oakbrook. Mike refused to adjust to the time difference.
Tami sat on one side of the table. Detective Mike Crane and John Turner sat on the opposite side. There were pictures and names of the murder victims plastered along the wall accompanied with maps and photographs of evidence.
Lt. Meyers stood at the head of the table with Captain Fisher; a short, round, Jewish man in a suit who was in his fifties.
“The mayor wants to see an arrest or some visible progress.” Captain Fisher scolded.
“This is not an everyday case. You can’t just solve cases just like that.” John snapped his finger to make his point. “We don’t have DNA. We don’t have eyewitnesses.” JT explained.
“You need to find some.” Captain Fisher snapped back.
“We can’t just go around arresting people without evidence.” Mike joined in with JT’s assessment.
“There are at least ten people working on this case,” Tami added. “We’re working day and night.”
Captain Fisher’s eyes shot to Tami. “Johnson, you need to work harder. Spokespeople from some of the African American churches around here have visited the mayor’s office. They are complaining that these cases would have been solved if the victims were White.”
“Bullshit, oh come on, that’s completely ridiculous.” Mike was first to shoot that theory down.
“With all those northern suburban police departments being investigated for racial profiling it was only a matter of time before we got hit with something. These cases have to be solved sooner not later.”
Finally Lt. Meyers stepped in. “The church leaders are threatening to go to the press. We don’t need any bad publicity. We have to try to prevent that from happening.”
“And how do we do that?” Mike asked.
The room went silent waiting for an answer. Captain Fisher directed his attention to Tami. “Johnson, I want you to talk to the ministers. You know, calm them down.”
“Why? Cause I’m Black?” She hated having her race be an issue.
“Yes that, and because you’re a woman. You know how the politics of policing works. This is a part of the job.”
“I’m supposed to be a homicide detective. I’m not in customer
service or public relations. The department has people for that.”
“Johnson, that’s the end of this topic. You will go to these churches and tell them what they want to hear. There are only two predominately African American churches in Hinsdale. I would have asked detective Turner, but he’s not a female.”
“Amen,” JT muttered, and Mike let out a slight chuckle.
“One more time for the hard of hearing.” Captain Fisher looked directly at Tami. “Solve this case. Follow every lead. We need someone in custody as soon as possible.” He stressed.
“What about Marcus Dixon?” Mike asked.
“For now, forget about Marcus Dixon. I’m hoping he doesn’t bring a case against the department. I hope that the rumors that his attorneys are in contact with the NAACP are false. People, please be careful. The mayor is watching you. If there’s no progress I’m going to have to put more men on the case. That’s something I don’t want to do.”
“As opposed to more women.” Tami smarted. Her snark was off the charts this morning.
Captain Fisher ignored Tami’s snippy remark. “I need to know every—” Captain Fisher was interrupted by three knocks on the door. The door slowly cracked open.
A rookie officer peeked in. He was the new guy everybody called Clark Kent behind his back. He was the spitting image of the Christopher Reeve’s version of Superman without the glasses. Everyone in the room directed their attention to the rookie. “Excuse me sirs. I just need a moment with Detective Johnson.”
Tami took a deep resounding breath and stood. She headed for the door, and exited the conference room closing the door behind her. This better be important. Why was she being pulled out of a meeting with the Captain?
She was actually relieved to get a breather. Who wants to hear that they are doing a piss poor job from their bosses’ boss?
She followed the rookie officer into the hall. She leaned against the wall facing the Clark Kent clone.
“Thanks, you rescued me from Captain Kangaroo. What’s up?”
“You told me, if I thought something was important to your case to let you know right away. I thought this might have—”
“Yeah, yeah, cut to the chase.”
“There’s a lady here filling out a missing person’s report on her daughter.”
“What else?” She hurried him along.
“The lady, she brought in a picture. When I was typing in the description I assumed she was Caucasian. But her mother corrected me. She said she is Black. She’s you know, half and half.”
“You mean biracial?” Tami corrected.
“Yeah that. She’s been missing for twenty-four hours.”
“Twenty-four hours?”
“Yeah, she just disappeared. The live-in boyfriend said she just never came home from work. They’re both here, the mother and the boyfriend. It may be nothing, but the lady is biracial, so I thought it would be best to let you know.”
“Good work. Thank you.” She didn’t remember his name.
The rookie officer smiled and tried not to blush.
“Just doing my job.” He was too new to know he didn’t have a shot with her. He was too new to know that Detective Crane would smash his pretty young face in for just thinking about Tami.
“Put the mother and the boyfriend in a room. John and I will be there in a few minutes to talk to them.”
“Okay, you need anything else?”
“No, but thanks.” She smiled at him and realized she shouldn’t have.
The rookie flashed a goofy grin as he turned to walk away. He turned back and pulled a 3”x5” photo from his shirt pocket. “Oh, Detective, here’s the picture.”
Tami reached for the picture and brought it to her face. The photograph depicted a beautiful girl sitting on grass smiling. She could see why he would think she was Caucasian. The rookie began to walk away.
“Hey,” Tami called out. “What’s her name?”
“Crystal, Crystal Hurley.”
CHAPTER 22
The day was long, longer than most. Tami had gotten chewed out by her boss and put out on special assignment. It felt too much like a punishment, but she had to roll with the punches. Tami couldn’t wait to leave the station, go home, and take a long, hot shower. She left the Hinsdale police department with Detective John Turner. They walked through the employee parking lot together. She was sure he was tired also. There was no way Tami would let him retire without closing this case.
“I believe we got our fourth victim.” She mused to her partner.
“Could be. In all the time I’ve been out here I’ve never seen anything like this. This was one of the safest populated communities in the state.” John said.
“You’re not alone. I’ve never seen anything like this either, not here. This is my first real live serial killer.”
“I hope it’s your last. The Zebra Killer is out there somewhere.”
“What?”
“Huh?”
“What did you call him?” She asked.
“The Zebra Killer.”
Tami’s face involuntarily frowned. “Where did that come from?”
“Some of the cops around here came up with the name. All serial killers have a moniker. It’s in the rulebook.”
“That’s just great.” Tami sighed.
“I didn’t make it up.” JT shrugged.
“You know the word zebra brings back wonderful, warm and fuzzy feelings from my childhood. I guess it’s a little bit more poetic than Oreo Cookie Killer, the Mulatto Murderer or the Half-breed Killer.”
“It’s just words. They only hurt if you let them.”
“You’re right.”
“I’ve been trying to be cool, but I can’t bite my tongue any longer. What’s up with you and Crane?”
“What do you mean?”
“You think he picked out that expensive rock on his own?”
“Oh my god you—”
“Don’t call on the man upstairs now. What’s the deal? Are you going to marry that man or what?”
“I’m not ready to get married right now.”
“Shit, who the hell is ever ready? Do you think I was ready forty years ago?”
“You weren’t ready?”
“Hell no.” He snickered. “Just in case you didn’t know, if you don’t marry Crane he’s going to be one crazy-ass stalker.”
“Don’t remind me.”
“It’s all your fault.”
“My fault?”
“You put some of that Creole voodoo on the boy and he ain’t never been right since. Didn’t you say your peoples from We’seana?”
“John, you know I’m not from Louisiana.”
“I’m telling you the boy has already got y’alls babies names picked out.” John laughed out loud. “He can’t wait to have you barefoot and knocked up.”
“I’m glad you think it’s funny.” Tami’s rolled her eyes and pursed her lips.
“Detective Crane is one cool cat. I know you probably had your mind set on a smart, handsome, muscular, funny, tall, dark guy for a husband. But hey, Mike is five outta six.”
Tami giggled. “My number one priority is catching the Zebra Killer. It’s been about three months.
“Yes, but that bad ass rock he gave you is something to be reckoned with.”
*****
The afternoon air was humid and the hot sun shone brightly off the murky pond. Two ten-year-old boys rode mountain bikes down a dusty path surrounded by copious of greenery. The duo pedaled in sync, one behind the other. The smaller of the two boys tried desperately to catch up to the taller boy.
“You can’t catch me! You can’t catch me!” The taller boy yelled out turning his head to peer back at his friend. The tall boy swerved into the path of the other.
The small boy’s bike ran alongside the other boys slightly brushing against the back tire. The crash was inevitable. The boys collided, coming to an abrupt stop. The boys and their bikes toppled over sideways one on top of the other.
“I can’t get up.” The small boy struggled to get onto his feet. He finally rose from the dirt path and looked down at his bruised elbow.
“Hurry up! Get you bike off of me!”
The small boy pulled his bike off of the other boy and laid it in the grass. The smaller boy reached down and pulled his friend to his feet. The tall boy looked down at his bloody knee and then down at his bike. The smaller one dusted off his carpenter shorts.
“My leg hurts.”
“Whatever dude. Don’t be a punk. Hey, what’s that?” The tall boy stared over his friend’s shoulder.
“What?”
“Behind you.” The taller boy explained.
The small boy quickly turned around. “I don’t know.”
“What does it look like?”
“It looks like ah—” The small boy approached the object with his friend one step behind.
“Dude, it’s a dead body!”
“No way. Whoa, let’s get outta here.”
They began to back away.
“Wait, look it’s a lady.”
“Let’s get the cops. Maybe she’s still alive.”
“Hell no! She’s dead. Dude, let’s call the cops. Where’s your damn cell?”
The boys grabbed their bikes off the dirt trail. They turned around, hurriedly hopped on and pedaled off in the direction from whence they came. The bike’s tires blew dust into the air.
*****
Tami slammed her gym locker door shut at the local fitness center. She threw her small backpack over her shoulder and headed out of the locker room.
Tami walked through the parking lot to her car. She stopped when she noticed a small note attached to her windshield. It couldn’t be a ticket.
Tami reached for it. It was a square piece of paper. Her eyes drew in closer and it appeared to be a paper table napkin. She picked up the napkin and flipped it over.
The bottom left-hand corner of the napkin read “TWO RIVERS” and in a smaller print “Sports Bar & Grill.” Tami read the words scribbled on the napkin.
Tami, It’s too late for Crystal, next. XOXO, Zebra Killer.
Tami’s eyes reread the napkin. She scanned the area looking for something or someone suspicious. She spotted a body builder walking to his car with a gallon of water in one head and a gym bag in his other. Farther down the lot, she saw a woman trying to collapse a baby stroller and put it in her open car trunk.