Case 321

by Shiralyn J. Lee

  I needed to release my tension so I shoved her up against the wall, holding her arms above her head with one hand and fumbled beneath her white vest top with the other. Reaching for her beasts and fondling them hard, I squeezed her nipples tight. My mouth was all over hers, she could hardly catch her breath. I pushed my hips into hers and kicked her legs apart. I needed her, I needed her touch, her smell, I needed to feel close to her before I became too engrossed in the rotting society that I lived and worked in.

  I unfastened the belt on her jeans and then the zipper. My hand slipped inside, searching beneath her lace underwear for her wet wanting patch. There was nothing gentle about my actions, I wanted rough. I wanted her to feel the power that I had over her. Her arms struggled free from my grip and she fiercely undid the buttons on my shirt, prizing it open to reveal my white bra that covered my small breasts. She kissed and licked my chest. I fucked her with my fingers. She kissed my neck and then whispered into my ear that she loved me…

  I stopped fucking her immediately. Tears filled my eyes and uncontrollable emotions flooded my entire body. I felt weak and wanted to collapse, but instead I tried to carry on fucking her. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t find the strength to carry on with this farce. I finally broke down and cried into her shoulder. She was motionless. Her hands were still gripping tightly on to my shirt and her breathing had quieted down. I knew that she was disappointed.

  “I’ll get the plates then, shall I,” she said, excusing herself from further embarrassment.

  “I’m sorry, Kate, I thought I could…”

  “It doesn’t matter, Paige. It’s not like we haven’t been here before,” she said, disenchanted.

  Our relationship was at a stale point. It had been for some time, about two years. Neither one of us was sure if we were still together because we loved each other, hoped that if it wasn’t love that we might one day fall back in love, or if it was down to the pure fact that we had bought our house together and were keeping us alive for financial reasons. We’ve been together for seven years and the first five were faultless. But then my work partner at the time, Jerry Harris, had to leave the agency. His wife had been diagnosed with breast cancer and he had to make a life altering choice to be with her. That was when Emily was given the job as my partner, although she is definitely straight, Kate didn’t see it that way. She began with snide comments and ridiculing Emily behind her back, this was all before she had even met the girl. But then I made the mistake of introducing the two of them and it just reinforced Kate’s jealous thoughts. Emily is beautiful, slender, long brown hair, blue eyes and a great cheek bone structure. I can’t say that I wouldn’t have gone for it if Emily was into women, but she’s not, and that’s where my secret desire ends. But Kate couldn’t leave it alone. For months, she would throw jealous rages if I was out late, usually because I was on a case. She would accuse me of all sorts. She’d ask me if I liked fucking straight girls and turning them into lesbians and then attempt to grab my hands so that she could smell my fingers. I began to stay away from home, sleep in the Chevy two or three nights a week, stay out late a strip club with anyone who was willing enough to want to drink with me. She pushed me away and I felt useless. The nice sweet Kate that I had fallen in love with had dissipated into a numb reality. But I made a second huge mistake by staying away from her so often and she sought solace with an ex-girlfriend of hers, Alice Francis. She was an exercise instructor who drove around in a 2011 Chevy Malibu, thinking that she was all that. Kate thought that I wasn’t coming home one night and invited Alice round for a drink. She said it wasn’t planned, but one drink led to another and they ended up in bed where I caught them. Alice was between Kate’s legs, no doubt that any conversation taking place was a muffled one. I walked in on them. Kate was horrified, her naked body was half emerged from the coffee colored silk sheets, her arms above her head, clutching tightly to the pillow as she enjoyed her treatment. She couldn’t find the capacity to speak any words whilst Alice was still beneath the sheets, unaware of my presence. I stood silent at the foot of the bed, watching my girlfriend receive her forbidden pleasure. Kate must have wanted the ground to swallow her up right then and there. But the sad thing is, that I didn’t feel any rage inside, I couldn’t muster up those jealous feelings that someone who would give a shit, would show. Instead, I gave a polite cough to announce my presence. Alice’s head stopped bobbing between Kate’s thighs. She flicked the sheet away from her to be faced with me standing right behind her. I said, ‘hi Alice, when you’re done with Kate, would you mind leaving.’ I then left the room, went down stairs and opened an expensive bottle of wine. Ever since then, I have found it hard to give Kate 100% of myself. Can I trust her again? Maybe, maybe not, but I do know that I was faithful to her. It was just ironic that the accuser was doing exactly what she was accusing me of.

  ♦♦♦

  Kate had set the table in the dining room. White napkins folded into triangles had been placed elegantly over the round white plates with gold rims, crystal stemmed glasses half filled with my favorite red wine, 2002 Seavey Cabernet Sauvignon, produced in the Napa Valley hillside vineyards. I favored its black dense plum flavors induced with a hint of licorice. The rest of the bottle had been placed to the side, by my plate. A silver candelabrum with tall white candles that had been lit was in the center of the glass table. Now I felt like a complete shit.

  “Sit down and enjoy your meal,” Kate said quietly as she carried two plates of hot food in.

  “Are you sure that you don’t want me to choke on it,” I gestured.

  My remark was met with silence. Kate didn’t even look up at me whilst she sat at the opposite side of the table, picking at her food as though her appetite had left her.

  “How’s Emily?” she finally asked me.

  “Emily’s fine, she asked me how you were too.”

  “I suppose she would,” her eyes were still focused on her plate. “Are you ever going to forgive me, Paige?”

  “Don’t let your food get cold, Kate, I can see that you’ve gone to a lot of trouble to make this nice, and it is nice.”

  I ate the rest of my meal in silence, looking up every now and again to check that Kate was eating hers. She left most of it.

  Chapter Six

  Emily had got an early start at the office. She’d managed to track down credit card records where James Speight had left a spending trail. We had decided not to freeze his banking ability in hopes that he would eventually surface and slip up. It paid off. There had been a transaction on his MasterCard in Bakersfield. That meant a 4 hour journey for us.

  We took the I-5 South and headed for our destination. I could feel the hate in the pit of my stomach beginning to surface. Memories of my childhood would never leave me, giving me the strength to catch this bastard and give him what he deserves.

  “Here, drink this,” Emily said, opening a bottle of water and passing it to me.

  The journey was intense. We had a potential lead and could be literally hours away from catching him.

  We passed the exit signs for Los Banos, Coalinga, Avenal, Lost Hills, getting closer to Bakersfield. We came off the highway and drove another 14 miles before turning left on to Coffee Road.

  “I don’t know about you, but I could certainly do with a Starbucks right now,” I mentioned to Emily. The road sign had influenced my decision.

  Ten minutes later I was enjoying a venti cappuccino and a sunflower turkey cheddar sandwich. Emily had a venti iced coffee frappuccino and a chicken sausage wrap.

  We drove along Oswell Street. The skyline was barely visible through the smog pollution caused by dust from tractors, and mist from the constant use of fertilizers and pesticides. The mountains made matters worse as they surrounded the city on three sides, keeping the pollution close to the ground.

  “We must be close to the Valley Plaza Shopping Mall,” Emily said. “There it is, just ahead.”

  ♦♦♦

  The parking was free, that was a bonus su
rprise. When we entered, my immediate opinion was that this seemed to be a hangout for delinquent teens. The premises itself seemed a little outdated in appearance but housed some major retail names.

  The restaurant where James Speight had frequented was exceptionally busy. We spoke to the manager and got a description of Speight from him. He told us that he was a friendly, quiet man, and that he tipped well. I showed him the picture and he identified James Speight.

  We were close, I could feel it.

  “So, next the hotels, liquor stores?” Emily asked.

  “If he’s eating here, he won’t be far.”

  We visited each store, questioning the staff and showing his picture. His distinctive look gave us an advantage. One shop girl recognized him and said that she had seen him hanging around the hotel area. She saw him talking to a young woman.

  The hotel was just minutes away on foot. The receptionist said that he was there but had checked out yesterday. He had paid by cash and once again earned himself a great reputation for tipping well.

  She said that he had a young woman with him when he left. She gave us a description of her. In her late teens, long blonde hair that met at her waist, brown eyes, tiny waist, a blue denim mini skirt and cowboy boots. They left in a beat up red Dodge Plymouth.

  The search was on. We drove around for hours looking for this old wreck of a car. The winds had picked up, sweeping the dust around like miniature tornados.

  “He could be anywhere by now,” Emily said.

  “I’m not leaving until we find him.”

  My phone rang and I knew it would be Kate. After a few rings it went into voicemail. I reached into my pocket and read the message whilst still driving. ‘Paige, will you be home late tonight. I have the chance to see a movie with a friend, text me back please.’

  “Fucking bitch!” I called out.

  “Is everything alright?” Emily asked.

  “Yes, just keep looking out of the window for this piece of shit.”

  We drove out of the city and on to Rosedale Highway until we reached Jenkins Road. Something made me want drive down there. After a few minutes of driving, we came across a house that looked a little run down. I’ve never let a hunch go without paying some attention to it and this one held no exception. I turned the car around and drove back to the house and parked next to the curb.

  “Why are we here, Paige?”

  “I just need to check it out. Something tells me that this house would be fitting for a scumbag like him.”

  We got out of the car. The garden was overgrown with weeds and grass that was 3ft tall. The windows were boarded up and the walls covered in graffiti. We crept around the back, being cautious of any unwelcome surprises. The back door was just a piece of cheap board on a hinge and it was obvious that someone had been, or was still living there. I pulled out my gun, Emily did the same. We entered the building. The first room we were standing is was the kitchen. It stank of mildew and rotting flesh, maybe that of a rat or a feral cat. The hallway was next and then the living room. On the sofa was a blue blanket and a foil dish with remnants of Chinese food and it wasn’t that old.

  “Someone’s living here,” Emily whispered.

  A few candle stubs had melted away on the fireplace hearth and lots of disgusting flies were buzzing around, probably from whatever was rotting. We entered the bedroom and immediately my attention was drawn to a large shape beneath the bed covers. It moved. I signaled to Emily to stand at the foot of the bed whilst I stood by the head. I kicked the lump. A person jolted up and screamed for us not to kill her.

  “Who are you, and no bullshit. One quick phone call and I’ll have you sent down,” I told her, my foot was still on her leg.

  “Christine, Christine Walker. I’ve been living here for about a month, I don’t have anywhere else to go,” the girl cried out, her hands now up above her head in fear that she was about to be arrested.

  “Do you know this man?” I asked her. I showed her the picture and she quickly responded that she didn’t know him but she had seen him around. She told us that she’d seen him with a woman in Meacham Road. They’d gone into a house together.

  “Could you show us which house,” I asked her.

  “For the price of a coffee, a large one and a good meal,” she replied.

  I threw $50 at her. She needed more than just a large meal. She took us to the house that she’d seen Speight go into. She stank up the Chevy but I had no choice.

  “There, that’s the house.”

  I stopped the car just a little way past the building. Christina got out and then ran off down the street, disappearing into the dark, behind a bungalow.

  “Do you think he’s really in there?” Emily asked.

  “I fucking hope so.” We walked discreetly across the front lawn. The house was small, a one level ranch type, and as we approached the side of the building, we saw a beat up old red Dodge Plymouth parked around the back.

  “The fuckers home,” I said.

  I checked the back door. It was unlocked. Emily opened it slowly and we both stepped inside. The kitchen was in darkness but a dim light omitted from one of the rooms in the hallway. Our guns were ready to fire at a moment’s notice. It was obvious that he hadn’t been living here long. There was nothing in the way of personal items. The countertops were empty, there were no curtains up at the windows and the place smelt like damp had been around for a while. We cautiously walked toward the room. There were no sounds to alert us of any presence. We stood in front of the door and I motioned to Emily that I was going to kick it in.

  “1,2,3,” I whispered and then kicked the door in.

  I quickly poked my head inside to see if anyone was in there. We hadn’t bargained on what we had just found. A young woman, possibly the one who had been described to us, was on the bed. She had been hogtied and stripped naked. Fear filled her eyes and she tried to scream through the duct tape that had been stuck over her mouth.

  We had to act fast.

  “Where is he?” I asked her as I tore the tape from her face.

  “He’s here, in this house,” she attempted to say, her voice was hoarse from trying to scream through the tape.

  “Emily, find something to untie her with.”

  There was a paring knife on the chest of drawers, Emily grabbed it and cut the rope that had been used to tie the poor girl with. She covered her naked body with a blanket and helped her up off the bed.

  “He was going to kill me,” she sobbed, her body was shaking frantically.

  “Shush, you must be quiet,” I told her.

  I led the way out of the bedroom. Emily and the girl followed close behind me. I knew that we had just saved her life from that sick fuck.

  A noise came from the living room and I couldn’t ignore it. I held my arm out to prevent the others from going any further. He was aware of our presence and waiting for us.

  “James Speight, I know you’re in there,” I called out. My gun was in front of me and I was ready for any interaction with him. A mirror on the far wall caught my attention as I noticed his reflection in it. He was hiding behind the sofa and holding a survival knife in his hand. If he had any intension in using that thing on me, he had better be able to use it on the first swing.

  I walked up to the side of the sofa. “Come out, you fuck.”

  He slowly emerged from behind it. With his knife in his hand he began to move toward me.

  “I give you credit for your intelligence,” he spoke with a sly manner.

  “Drop the knife Speight,” I said, gritting my teeth.

  “I’m not that stupid. I can take you on and her, and as far as that little whore is concerned, I have some unfinished business.”

  The girl squealed and held even tighter on to Emily.

  “I’m going to ask you one more time, Speight, drop the fucking knife.”

  “Go fuck yourself, bitch,” he said smugly.

  He lunged forward with his weapon. I fired a shot directly at him wounding
him in his right shoulder. He dropped the knife but didn’t go down and came at me with his whole body weight pouncing on me. I fell backwards on the ground with him on top. Emily screamed at him that she would fire if he didn’t stop. He was ready to die. He attempted to put his hands around my throat but I managed to push him off and get up fast. Emily didn’t have a clear shot yet, as I was standing in front of him. He got up and lunged at me again, this time with his clenched fist. I’d had enough of this jerk. I clenched my own fist and with one punch to his face, I knocked him to the ground. He was out cold.

  ♦♦♦

  The local sheriff’s department was alerted and in handcuffs, Speight was led away. The young woman, who had been hogtied, turned out to be a runaway who had gone missing about a month ago. She was 17 year old Jenifer Williams from Long Beach. It was a simple reason that she had run away in the first place. She’d had an argument with her mother about coming home so late at night. Jenifer didn’t think that it was right that her mother should have such a hold over her anymore. It was a pathetic reason that almost cost her, her life.

  “Thank you,” she said, as an officer escorted her to his car.

  “I’ll be in touch once the paperwork has been filled out, Ms. Bleu,” the sheriff informed me.

  Chapter Seven

  Back in San Jose, I chose not to go straight home and opted to go for a few drinks at a bar that I like to frequent. I ordered a beer and guzzled it down quickly and then ordered a second. Kate was on my mind the entire time. I read the text again. It pissed me off that she had chosen to spend the evening with her friends rather than try to resolve our differences. Remembering that I hadn’t had a chance to text her back, I sent her a message. ‘Enjoy yourself. I’ll see you when you get home.’ There was no point sending her anything to worsen matters.

  It was almost 11pm. I’d left my Chevy in the bar car park and taken a cab home. I stank of beer, seven bottles of it to be precise, but I wasn’t ashamed of it.