by Carrie Carr
"Who would that be?" Detective Lane questioned.
"I would rather not say," she said to him. For fear of incriminating Michelle, she decided to keep her inside information to herself.
"I think it's time we let Ms. Bell 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 blonde 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," Bianca 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 Bianca. Bianca 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."
Bianca 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 Bianca 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.
"Bianca?" 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," Bianca 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 Bianca 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.
Chapter 16
DETECTIVE UHLER HANDED BIANCA 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 Bianca, while Detective Uhler stood, his tiny note pad in hand.
"Are you ready to finish?" Detective Uhler asked her.
Bianca 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.
Bianca 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 Bianca 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. Bell, 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."
Bianca 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. Bell," 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. Bell," Detective Lane added.
A tad bit embarrassed, Bianca 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 anymore after that?" Detective Uhler asked as he shifted through his notes.
Bianca 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.
Bianca 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 pr
oves 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 Bianca. "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 Michelle Moore?" Detective Lane asked, finishing her sentence.
"That's right."
"But everyone at the office had seen you as a blonde," Detective Uhler said.
"I know it was a crazy thing to do, but I was desperate and when I'm desperate, I don't think clearly."
"While you were in the stall with Bruce Colby, did you wrap the belt around his neck?" Detective Uhler asked.
"Yes, but I didn't kill him."
Detective Lane lowered his head as if to collect his thoughts. Then he lifted his head and peered into Bianca's eyes. "Why did you wrap the belt around his neck?"
"Why does anyone do anything? For the fun of it."
Detective Uhler stepped back as if to fully take in her words. "Did you know he had a bad heart?"
"No. Does he?"
"You didn't know he had a bad heart?" Detective Lane asked.
"I may have heard something about it."
"How do we know you didn't accidentally kill him?" Detective Lane asked. "Think about it, Ms. Bell. Think about it really hard. Maybe you accidentally killed him. Let's suppose you and Bruce were wrapped up in the moment, you had the belt around his neck, it started to get exciting, like you say, and accidentally, with no fault of your own, he died in the act. Then you put his ring and his belt in your drawer so it would look like you were set up."
She stared down at the table, annoyed. "That is not how it happened," she said in an elevated tone.
"Why don't you tell us how it happened then?" Detective Lane suggested.
"I told you already. I didn't kill Bruce and even if I did─" she stopped herself, not wanting to say too much.
"Even if you did, what?" Detective Uhler asked.
"Not only was Camina having an affair with him, but there was someone else as well."
Detective Uhler exhaled a breath of confusion. "What do you mean?"
"Michelle had an affair with him as well, and she also has blonde hair."
Detective Uhler was about to write something, then slapped his pen down on the table. "Let me get this straight. All three of you were sleeping with Bruce? Is that what you're saying?"
"No, that's not what I'm saying," Bianca said. "I had sex with him once, or almost. It was an ongoing thing for Camina, and Michelle used to sleep with him until she found out he was married."
"How long ago was that?" Detective Uhler asked.
"How long ago was what?"
"That Michelle was sleeping with Bruce?"
"I don't know. I can't remember."
"There's some truth in there somewhere," Detective Uhler said as he glanced over at Detective Lane. "They say there's truth in every lie."
Detective Lane chuckled. "They never met Bianca Bell. Isn't that right, Ms. Bell?"
Bianca stared at him and didn't say anything right way, then asked, "Are you going to let me leave now?"
"Should we?" Detective Uhler asked her.
Bianca nodded.
"You can leave for now, but like I said to your coworkers," Detective Uhler said. "We'll definitely talk again."
Bianca glanced at Detective Lane then Detective Uhler. "Thank you," she said before making a swift exit out the door.
She couldn't believe that they let her go. After having sweat tears under an intense interrogation, it felt good to be free.
Chapter 17
LEE AWAITED BIANCA AT THE front desk. She hurried down the hall and immediately spouted into his arms, holding him tight. When he pulled away from her, he noticed her hair. "You colored your hair again."
"Yeah, this morning."
"Why?"
"It's a long story."
"But you're okay?" he asked.
Bianca nodded and said, "Let's get out of here. Please."
As they proceeded out of the police station, Bianca turned around and saw Detectives Uhler and Lane. They were watching her, almost studying her, and it sent a frost through her spine. After suffering enough already, she refused to allow their judgmental stares to ruin her moment.
She would have to explain everything to Lee even though she knew it would be embarrassing. It was a necessary evil. One thing was for certain. She could not, and would not, tell any more lies. It was all the lies that made her situation much worse.
In Lee's Jeep, he and Bianca did not share more than a couple of words as they traveled down Broadway Street. But the silence was just what she needed.
As soon as she and Lee stepped through the front door of her apartment, she breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't think she would ever see her apartment again. As Lee helped her off with her coat, she absorbed the clutter in her front room. Right away she grabbed the empty glasses from the coffee table and took them into the kitchen.
When she returned to the living room and grabbed the sweater from the chair, Lee stood in front of her. "Why don't you do that later. Come sit down with me."
Bianca released the sweater from her hand and sat on the sofa, and Lee joined her. "You want to tell me what happened?
She shook her head, not sure she was ready to talk about it just yet. Everything that had happened to her brought her to this point, this point of enlightenment where she realized the error of her ways.
"It feels great to be home," she said. "I can tell you that."
"It's good to be here with you," Lee said to her.
"Would you pour me a drink, Lee?"
Lee shook his head and smiled at her. "No, I won't. You don't need that. That's why you have me."
Though a stiff drink was in order at that moment, she had endured too much to argue with him. "This has been the craziest day of my life, Lee." Embarrassed to even talk about what happened, she forced herself to recount most of the events that transpired that day. Not only did she purposely leave out the part of her trying to elude the police, but also that the detectives had more than ample reason to suspect her.
"I'm sorry I put you through all of this," she said to Lee. "Everyone tried to warn me. You, Michelle, my doctor, but I didn't listen."
"Sometimes we have to learn these things for ourselves."
She stared into his eyes and scooted closer to him. "I think I've always loved you, Lee, I mean, really loved you, just never realized it because I was too busy acting out."
"Don't be too hard on yourself."
"All the same. Thank you. Sometimes I wonder if I deserve to have someone like you in my life."
She and Lee shared a warm smile, and when she moved to face him, she kissed him. That kiss brought back memories of the first time they locked lips, but this time was different. It possessed a romantic flavor, not like before when she perceived him only as a dear friend. And for the first time, she found herself attracted to him in a more intimate way, and it felt so good.
All she could think about was why she failed to experience this feeling before. Could it be that her promiscuous endeavors prepared her for this moment?
He peered at her through his dark brown eyes. "I'll always be here for you, Bianca. Always. Even if one hundred years go by, I'll always be here for you."
"That's so sweet, and it means so much to hear you say that, but I have no intention of going anywhere, even if they do think I did something that I didn't."
Bianca snuggled up against Lee and brushed her head against the center of
his chest, breathing multiple sighs of relief until she fell asleep.
Back at Whitley & Austin later that afternoon, Stuart having come in late that morning had just learned of the murder and how Camina, Michelle and Bianca were all suspects. When he saw that Bianca was not at her desk, he immediately sprang into action and tracked down Michelle. He approached her fast. "Where's Bianca?" he asked her.
"She was in this morning, then left back out," Michelle said.
"Did the detectives question her yet?"
"When I talked to her this morning, they hadn't."
"Do you know the names of those detectives?"
"Why?"
"I have information for them," he said to her.
Not only was Bianca his cousin, but he considered her a dear friend. He planned to help her in any way that he could, which would include sharing with the police everything that he knew.
Stuart made his way to the police station on Addison and Halsted, wanting to speak with the detectives before they questioned Bianca. After Stuart asked to see Detective Uhler, the sergeant at the desk escorted him down the hallway, towards Detective Uhler's office.
Stuart could have kicked himself for not having spoken up sooner. But he had his own reasons for not coming forward. A part of him wanted to just forget about what he witnessed and remain anonymous, but when he learned that Bianca was a suspect, he obligated himself to step in and do everything he could. It was his chance to do something for someone other than himself.
Detective Uhler was on the phone when the sergeant and Stuart reached his tiny office. When Detective Uhler finished his call, Stuart and the officer stepped inside.
Stuart stood at the desk with a serious, concerned look on his face. "I need to speak with you about Bianca Bell."
Detective Uhler signaled the sergeant to leave and the sergeant closed the door on his way out.
"Have a seat," Detective Uhler said to Stuart.
Stuart eased down in the chair, not bothering to remove his coat. "My name is Stuart Clark and I have information about the night Bruce Colby was murdered."
Detective Uhler reclined himself back into his chair. "You do?" he asked as he pushed his glasses up on his nose.