by S. K. Lessly
I glanced up at my jailer questionably, but he gave me nothing except stone cold silence. I met Lionel’s eyes and held them as the big guy led me further inside the room to where the couch and chair were set up. Lionel was sitting on the couch, his hard eyes shooting daggers at me. The big guy waited until I sat down in the plush lounge chair before he turned and left.
When the door shut and we were alone inside the room, good ole’ Lionel decided to open his big fat mouth.
“What the hell am I doing here?” he asked me, frowning. “What the hell did you do?”
“I didn’t do anything,” I replied, leaning away from his bitterness. “Why do you think I did something. What did you do?”
Lionel looked disheveled, dressed in a pair of wrinkled slacks and shirt. He leaned on his thighs and sent accusatory eyes my way.
“Don’t give me that bullshit. What the hell am I doing here?”
I shrugged. “I haven’t a clue, Lionel.”
“This is ridiculous,” he postured. “Don’t they know who I am?” I knew that question wasn’t directed at me. He was showing off for whomever was watching us.
Still, that didn’t stop my mouth from saying, “I’m sure they know who you are, they just don’t care.” I also snickered and received a nasty look for my sarcasm.
“This shit isn’t funny, Alexis. What the hell is wrong with you?”
I didn’t reply.
Lionel stood and started pacing the room, spewing law 101 to no one in particular. He started talking about his rights, being kidnapped from his home, not allowed a phone call, blah, blah, blah.
I did my best to ignore him. I slouched further in my chair and closed my eyes. My stomach took that moment to growl and I immediate regretted skipping breakfast. I was beyond starving now.
“Do you hear me talking to you?” I jumped, opened my eyes and leaned back when Lionel’s face suddenly appeared close to mine. I attempted to push him away but he wouldn’t budge.
Finally, he got the hint and straightened. He looked down at me and gave me cold flinty eyes.
“What the hell is wrong with you?”
I blinked up at him. I was so deep into my own thoughts I didn’t even hear him talking to me.
He tapped my head with his knuckles. “Hello…earth to Alexis? I swear for someone as smart as you, you sure don’t act like it.”
I pushed Lionel’s arm away from me. “Stop that. What do you want?” I asked, annoyance laced in my tone.
“I said, has anyone spoken to you yet?”
“Yes.”
“Well, what did they want?”
I didn’t want to tell him. I was tired of hearing him blame me and I knew as soon as I told him why I was here, he’d start back up.
Unfortunately, if I didn’t tell him what’s going on, he would keep at me until I confessed so I might as well get this over with.
I sighed and said, “They think I hacked into some database.”
He threw his hands up, turned from me stopping like a child. “This is perfect. You are unbelievable, you know that? I specifically asked you what you did, and you told me nothing.”
“Because I didn’t do anything, Lionel.”
Lionel turned back around to face me. “Whatever, Alexis. Look, just stay away from me. I have nothing to do with whatever you’re into and I’ll be happy to tell them that.”
I stood and walked toward him. “You’d do that?”
“Hell yeah. Why not? You and I aren’t together anymore, remember? I have no vested interest in helping you.”
I stared at him for a long time before I shook my head and went back to my seat. What in the hell had I seen in him? He was such an asshole. He never wasted a moment to make me feel like shit. I had plenty of hate for this bastard and I had no problem festering in it.
I closed my eyes, willing him to disappear or better yet, make me disappear from this nightmare. No such luck, it would seem.
“I mean really, Alexis. How on earth do you get yourself wrapped into bullshit?”
Before I could tell him to fuck off, the door to the interrogation room finally opened. The guy that brought me breakfast strolled inside and positioned himself next to the door. Next to enter was the red-haired girl I’d seen Ethan talking to the night of my abduction, followed by Ethan himself.
The woman and Ethan didn’t fully step into the room. They congregated by the table, huddled together deep in conversation. I watched Ethan and this woman intently, envious of the connection that couldn’t be missed between them.
“Isn’t that your boyfriend?” Lionel asked.
I didn’t reply.
“Who’s that with him?” he went on without preamble. “She’s hot as fuck.”
I felt Lionel’s beady eyes move to me then back to Ethan and the redhead. He started to chuckle. “You’ve got to be kidding me. You didn’t break up with me because you thought you had a prayer with him?”
Lionel laughed louder, drawing attention to himself and me.
Aghh, I hate this son of a bitch.
He then proceeded to, as usual, make me feel like shit.
“You can’t compete with her even if you tried,” he said to me, a little too loud for my taste. “Look at her and look at you. That woman is a goddess, sexy and beautiful. You on the other hand...” He shook his head and leaned into me. “…not so much.”
I looked down at what I had on and sighed, knowing just how right he was.
“Get away from me,” I said softly, wrapping my arms around myself protectively. I was trying to hold back the tears but as my nose and eyes started stinging, I knew I was losing the battle. I turned away from Lionel, away from the room, and walked back toward the couch.
“I wish I could, you know,” he called after me. “Get away from you. You have no idea how happy I am to have you out of my life. You were doing nothing for me but weighing me down.”
“Mr. Stevens,” I heard Ethan call. I didn’t turn around. I kept my hands folded around myself and tried to fight the tears from coming. “Will you come have a seat?”
“Not until you tell me what the hell this is all about,” Lionel bellowed, using his authoritative voice, which fell flat in my opinion. He was stuck in this room with me and had the same amount of power as I had: none.
“I have nothing to do with her and why she’s here. I think it’d be best for you to let me go.”
“Mr. Stevens, either you have a seat right here or I’ll sit you myself. The choice is yours.”
Lionel didn’t reply but I heard slow footsteps moving away from me and a chair scraping along the floor.
“Ms. Stone, do you mind joining us?” Ethan called out to me.
I wiped my face with my shirt then turned and walked to the table. I didn’t make eye contact with anyone; I just found a seat next to Lionel.
“You okay?” I heard Ethan ask, and I looked up to find him looking at me.
“Oh please, really Alexis?” Lionel cut in, rolling his eyes. “Can we have at least one day without you crying?”
My eyes fell to the smooth surface of the table and my folded hands. I breathed out slowly, praying for strength. I was so embarrassed. Lionel was being a jerk and even though I was used to it, I hated the pity I felt radiating from Ethan.
“Look,” Lionel began, spreading his assholery to the masses. “If you aren’t going to tell me why I’m here, at least let me call my lawyer and get him here. The sooner he gets here the better—”
“Shut up, Mr. Stevens,” Ethan snapped. “Alexis.” I looked up at Ethan. “Lester says you didn’t eat your breakfast.” He reached in his pocket, pulled out an energy bar and handed it to me. I took it from him and opened the wrapper. I bit into it hungrily, sending a silent note of thanks to him.
“Do you mind chewing with your mouth closed?” Lionel snorted.
The look that appeared on Ethan’s face that second reminded me of the looks he used to give Clint in high school. Shit was about to hit the fan.
“Mr. Stevens, I�
�m going to tell you the rules only once so pay attention,” Ethan started before he took his seat across from us. “I will ask you a series of questions and I expect you to tell me the truth. If you don’t, there will be repercussions. I’m not a patient man so I don’t have time for games. If I feel you’re playing games with me or stalling, I’ll not hesitate to express my displeasure. And trust me. you don’t want me displeased, understand? So, let’s get started.” Ethan opened a folder in front of him and began reciting from the paper before him. “Your full name is Lionel Picard Stevens.” Ethan snickered and glanced at Lionel. “Your parents were Trekkies huh?” Ethan asked referring to Lionel’s middle name, which happened to be the name of the captain of the 90s series Star Trek: The Next Generation. Lionel didn’t answer but I saw him tense slightly. Ethan chuckled, shook his head and continued. “You work for the law offices of Stanley and Heath in Center City West, Philadelphia, is that right?”
Lionel stared back at Ethan before he huffed out, “Yeah, I’m not answering any questions until my lawyer gets here. You can ask all the questions you want but you’re not getting anything from me.” Lionel, clearly proud of himself, puffed out his chest, folded his arms and narrowed his eyes on Ethan. “So, be very careful,” he warned, “Right now, this is just a misunderstanding. But it could easily turn into something else and I have no problem taking jobs.”
“I see…” Ethan responded flatly.
I stared shocked at the both of them as they stared at each other in silence, looking as if they weren’t giving in at all. Then suddenly, before I could blink, Ethan grabbed Lionel’s wrist and twisted it awkwardly, causing him cry out in pain.
“Ahhh, you crazy son of a bitch. Let me go!” Lionel barked out, slapping his free hand at the hold on his wrist, yelling in pain.
Finally, Ethan let go, and Lionel grabbed his wrist.
“Now, I’m going to ask you again…” Ethan began, his voice eerily calm.
“Fuck you… you…” was all Lionel managed to get out before Ethan reached over and grabbed him by the elbow, applying pressure to sensitive nerves. Lionel screamed loud and tried to remove the death grip Ethan had on his arm. However, Ethan squeezed harder, the cry coming from Lionel pierced my ears.
“I can do this all night, Lionel,” Ethan said over Lionel’s cries of pain and pounding on the table. “It’s entirely up to you.” Ethan moved his face to match the direction Lionel’s writhing took him.
I was completely shocked. I’d never seen Ethan this way in my life. When he would get into fights in school, it was never in front of me except for that day he knocked out Jerry. His face was so calm, but his eyes scared the crap out of me.
“Lionel, are you ready to cooperate?”
“Yes!” Lionel said through gritted teeth.
Ethan let him go and he cradled his arm, throwing an evil look Ethan’s way.
“Now we’re going to start off with easy questions again. Please tell me your full name,” Ethan said just as calm and collected as if he was asking the time or the weather.
He looked at Lionel who reluctantly confirmed his full name.
Ethan smiled. “Good and you work for Stanley and Heath?”
“Yes, I’m one of the attorneys there,” Lionel replied reluctantly.
“Excellent.” Ethan nodded then looked at the redhead next to him. The woman opened a familiar manila folder and pulled out a stack of photos.
“Now, can you tell me if you can identify these people?” She instructed, her voice strong yet soft and velvety. Dang, she was the perfect package. Sexy, tough and she sounded hot. No wonder Ethan was with her.
Lionel looked at the picture she placed in front of him then back at her.
“It’s you, of course,” he deadpanned.
“Good,” Ethan praised, then continued. “What about the next one?”
I looked at the photo placed on top of the first one and noticed it was a picture of the big guy currently standing by the door, which I remembered was Lester.
“It’s that guy right there,” Lionel announced, a bit of annoyance in his voice.
“Good, Mr. Stevens. You’re doing fabulous,” Ethan announced, his voice dripping with extra niceties. However, the ire in his eyes didn’t match his tone.
He threw a nod to the woman next to him and she placed two more pictures down in front of Lionel. The picture was of the two men they had shown me. Lionel looked at the pictures then brought bored eyes back to Ethan. “I don’t know these two.”
“Okay, what about the next one?”
The picture of the dark-haired woman that I identified in the sex video was placed on the table and I saw Lionel tense slightly. He tried to play it off by giving Ethan a smile, but the smile never reached his eyes. “I don’t know who she is either. I guess you’ve wasted your time.”
Ethan looked at the picture then at Lionel. “So, you don’t know her either? Humph.” He turned the picture to the side so he could see it clearly. He grinned and pointed at the picture. “That’s a shame. She’s hot, though, right? Nice piece of ass.”
Lionel grunted but I noticed him tense even more. Ethan kept at him. “So, you’re saying you don’t know either of these people?”
Lionel didn’t look at the pictures, his eyes remained locked on Ethan. “That’s what I’m telling you.”
Ethan nodded once. He reached behind his back and I knew what was coming. I moved my chair slightly away from Lionel, the movement causing him to look at me.
“You see, Lionel…” Ethan pulled his Glock from behind his back and sat it in front of him. “As I said before, I’m a very impatient person. I don’t like when people try to play me for a fool. Assume I know more than what you think I do. It’s not smart to lie to me. Now, I’m going to ask you again, which one of these people have you seen before?”
Lionel looked at the gun then at Ethan. “I told you I—”
I saw the movement before I heard the sound. I covered my ears with my hands and closed my eyes, like that was going to stifle the deafening sound of the gunshot. When I opened my eyes, Lionel was on the ground in the fetal position, his arms covering his head.
“What happened?” the woman asked after a few seconds had passed.
“Not sure,” Ethan replied, sounding as if he was perplexed, like he didn’t just fire a gun at the air between me and Lionel. Ethan sucked his teeth and stood up, leaning on the table so he could get a better view of my ex on the floor. “Ah hell, I thought the safety was on.” He looked at his gun then at Lionel on the floor. “My bad, Lionel. These things are tricky. You need help getting up?”
I looked at Ethan again stunned at his behavior. He was messing with Lionel and it looked to me as if he was enjoying every second of it.
“You’re fucking crazy, you know that,” Lionel replied once he realized it was safe. There was panic in his eyes, but there was also anger. I doubted he’d do anything about it. He was a lover not a fighter.
My petrified ex slowly pulled himself up off the floor and warily placed his butt back in his seat.
“So I’ve been told,” Ethan replied, shrugging his shoulders, indifferent. “You can’t say I didn’t warn you. I told you I hate being lied to. It makes me crazy and unpredictable.” He then gave Lionel a look that made him lean slightly back. “Now, why don’t you take a look at the pictures and tell me if you know anyone.”
Lionel seemed to be weighing his options, as if he had any options. Once his reality sunk in, he straightened in his chair, narrowed his eyes, and pointed to the woman in the picture. I looked at him.
“There we go. Good choice. Now, who is she?” Ethan prodded.
“I’m sure you know who she is,” Lionel rebutted defiantly. Ethan picked up his gun again and Lionel’s posturing quickly died.
“Okay, okay.” He placed his hands up, eyes wide. “Her name is Catia Popovich. Her family is from a small country called Kazan.”
“Ah, and where do you know Catia from?” Ethan placed his gun back
on the table.
“She works for the firm.”
“And what kind of relationship do you two have?”
“We’re friends,” Lionel offered, and I caught his shoulders tense and his eyes gravitate to the gun on the table. His eyes quickly darted to me, but he barely looked at me, his telltale sign he was lying.
“Hmmm… Lionel, that doesn’t sound right.” Ethan looked at the woman next to him. She bent down and pulled out a laptop from a computer bag and opened it. “So, Lionel, while Jessica here is getting the laptop ready, are you sticking with this story that you two are just friends?”
Lionel looked over at me then at his hands.
“Are you concerned about Lexie?” Ethan asked. “That’s surprising considering the shit you said to her earlier.” He leaned closer to him. “Now, tell me. What’s the nature of your relationship?”
Lionel looked over at me again then back at Ethan. “We hooked up once, but it was recent. After Alexis and I broke up.”
Ethan shook his head and signaled Jessica to show Lionel what she had. Jessica turned the laptop toward Lionel and me and she started a video of him and the woman having sex on the kitchen table; my kitchen table.
Huh, I didn’t see this video.
Lionel looked wide eyed at the video. “That’s… that’s… where did you get this?”
“Does it matter, Lionel? Please confirm that’s you and miss Catia.”
“I mean, well.” He shifted nervously in his seat. “It looks like me but—”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Lionel, that’s you. Admit it,” I blurted, tired of his stalling.
“Oh, shut up, Alexis,” he barked at me and rolled his eyes, dismissing me. “I’m not saying it isn’t. I just said she and I just hooked up.”
I felt the rage boiling in my veins. He was such an arrogant prick.
“You’re so stupid!” I exclaimed and rolled my eyes. I pointed to the bottom right of the screen. “The video is date stamped.” I shook my head. “You’re such a prick.”
Lionel squinted closer to the laptop. The date was two weeks prior to my mom passing away.
“Okay, fine.” Lionel huffed out and turned to look at me. “That’s me and yes we slept together while I was with you. What did you expect? It’s not like you were taking care of home. I had to do something.”