“Well look at us,” he said as I approached. “Just a couple of kids, ditching class on a Friday afternoon.”
“I wish,” I said, squinting up at him. “That sounds like way more fun.”
I slid into the car as he opened the door for me. The seat was low, and I tugged at my skirt as it threatened to ride up.
“Are you hungry?” he asked when we were on our way.
“No, I’d rather just get this over with,” I said.
“How are you feeling?”
“All right.”
“You don’t sound all right.” He frowned over his shoulder at me. “Did you take anything?”
“Oh no, it’s other stuff. I’m not really in much pain,” I said. I’d been fending off a dull headache all morning, but it was the least of my concerns.
“What’s up?”
“Nothing.” I waved my hand.
“Tell me,” he prodded, unaffected by my brush off, another tactic that often worked with Bill.
I hadn’t told anyone so far. I sighed into my seat and looked out the window. I could tell him, that was the problem. I could tell him, knowing he was strong enough to shoulder some of the pain. “A family friend passed away last night. I found out this morning.”
“I’m sorry,” he said, his eyes focused on the road.
“It was cancer,” I said to the moving landscape.
“Were you very close?”
I bit back tears as I stared ahead. It had been so long since I’d let myself go in front of someone, even Bill. At times he goaded me, trying to get me to cry because it worried him. It wouldn’t be fair to him if I did in front of David. My voice hitched when I said, “Yes. She’s been around when my mother hasn’t.”
“You’re upset. It’s okay.”
I looked over at him as the tingling in my nose receded. “Of course it is. Why wouldn’t it be okay?”
“I mean that it’s okay to cry. I won’t tell anyone.”
“Just because I’m not crying doesn’t mean I’m not upset,” I said gently.
“I know,” he said. “I know how brave you are. I’m sorry that we have to do this today.”
“Thanks.” To my amusement, he flinched slightly when I touched his arm. “You’ve been very brave, too.”
He looked at me uneasily over his arm and said, “I’m not going to cry if that’s what you’re getting at.”
It felt nice to laugh. “No, of course not. You saved the day, what do you have to cry about?”
~
Cooper greeted us in the waiting room. “The good news is that Alvarez number two is in custody for violating his parole. He not only had a gun on him, but a healthy amount of coke too. Dumbass. Since he’s a felon, he’s going to get it even worse.” He looked from me to David. “I still need a statement for the D.A.’s office, which you guys can do individually or together, but between us, he’ll probably take a plea bargain.”
For the first time, I wondered if I should have Bill present, but something about Cooper made me feel safe. And I knew enough from Bill that a statement was pretty straightforward, as long as I wasn’t guilty of anything.
“I’m ready,” I decided.
“I’d like to do it together,” David said.
“That’s up to Miss Germaine,” Cooper said and they both turned their attention to me. I agreed. We followed Cooper into his office, where he poured us each a glass of water. He held up a tape recorder, letting us know the statement would be on the record.
“Witnesses Olivia Germaine and Lucas Dylan, incident involving Mark B. Alvarez on May seventeenth,” he said into the recorder. May seventeenth? It was almost my birthday, and I’d completely forgotten. I supposed that everyone else had too, since nobody had mentioned it.
“All right, Miss Germaine,” he began.
“Olivia, please,” I said.
“All right, Olivia. Can you give me a general recount of what happened?”
“I left my office on Adams around ten o’clock last night. I noticed a male figure watching me from across the street. When I realized it might be Mark Alvarez, I turned and ran in the opposite direction.”
“How do you know who Mark Alvarez is?”
“He has threatened me before.”
Cooper raised his eyebrows at both of us. “Did you file a report?”
“No, my husband didn’t think it was necessary.”
David’s chair creaked as he shifted.
“Tell me about that encounter.”
“I was walking home in the evening about a month ago.” I stopped to calculate. “Yes, about a month ago, and he stopped me outside my apartment building. Told me he’d been looking for Bill – my husband – and that he’d know what it was about. Bill was the prosecutor in a case against Mark’s brother Lou over a year ago.”
Cooper nodded. “Sounds like retaliation. Bill Germaine? I’m not familiar.”
“I’m sorry,” I said. “It’s Bill Wilson.”
“Oh right, I know Bill.” He looked between the two of us. I realized then why organized crime had stuck out to me the night before. Bill’s case had relied heavily on gang and organized crime specialists. It was likely that he’d worked closely with the CPD during the trial. David’s and my being together the night before wouldn’t look good, no matter the truth.
“He assaulted her that night,” David stated.
“Is that so?” Cooper asked.
“Well,” I gulped. “He grabbed me – I’m not sure if that’s considered assault.”
“Of course it is,” David asserted.
“Okay, continue please,” Cooper said, furiously writing.
“I ran. I was heading toward the train. I’m not really sure what I was thinking, it happened so fast. When I felt him gaining on me, I knew I’d run out of time. I turned into an alley instead, but when he caught me, I discovered it was actually David behind me.”
“I was driving home and almost hit her with my car when she ran across the street. I ran after her and when I caught her, I could see that she was panicked.” He shifted noisily and ran a hand through his relaxed hair, lowering his voice slightly. “I left the alley to look for whatever was chasing her.”
“Had you two met before?”
“Yes, we have a mutual friend.”
“Right after David left, Mark appeared from the other end of the alley. He must’ve guessed I would exit there.” I paused when David shifted again in his chair. It almost seemed more difficult for him than for me.
“Go on,” Cooper said, not looking up from his notes. “Be specific.”
“He immediately pushed me to the ground, and then into the wall when I tried to get up. That’s when I hit my head. I finally managed to get to my feet and tried to hit him.” David snorted. “I told him I wasn’t afraid of him, and,” I stopped, feeling mildly embarrassed. “And spit on him.”
“What?” David exclaimed, jumping from his seat. “What were you thinking?” he bellowed.
“Calm down, David,” Cooper threatened. “You never know how you’ll react in a situation like that.”
“He wouldn’t let go of me,” I justified.
“Where was he holding you?” Cooper asked.
“When I tried to hit him, he caught my arm,” I said, taking an extra long sip of water so I could hide my face.
“No shit,” David cried. I spit out my water and started coughing violently. “What did you think would happen?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I croaked while wiping my mouth.
“It means you’re no match for first, a man, and second, a criminal.”
“I’ll kick you out if you keep this up, David,” Cooper warned. “Just ignore him, Olivia.”
I shot a distinct scowl at David before turning back to Cooper. “That’s when he hit me. He was mad that I’d spit on him.”
“I can’t listen to this. He’s scum, Coop. Why was he even out in the first place? Scum.” David sat back down and ran his hand over his face, pulling at
his chin.
“Yes, I noticed the bruise,” Cooper said, ignoring David. “Then what?” he urged.
I wavered, looking over at David. “Are you sure you want to stay?” I asked him. “You seem upset.”
He only pursed his lips and inhaled loudly through his nose.
“Um,” I continued, turning my attention back to Cooper. “I think he said that Bill fucked them over and that he would suffer for it. That it was Bill’s fault Lou was convicted. That they’re in the same gang.”
“He said gang?”
“Yes,” I confirmed.
“This could be important. What exactly did he say?”
I racked my brain, feeling the pressure. “Like I said, that Bill fucked up. He messed with his family. Lou was in jail because of him. He wanted to know why Lou got ten years and he didn’t when they belonged to the same gang and sold the same drugs. Then something about us having fun and that if I was,” I cleared my throat, “if I was good, he’d send me home to Bill afterward.” From the corner of my eye, I saw David’s knuckles whiten from gripping the arms of his chair. “I said Bill wasn’t home. He said, ‘I didn’t say I’d send you home tonight.’”
A thunderous crack filled the room, and I almost fell out of my chair in surprise. David jumped up and cursed.
“What the . . . ,” Cooper said, getting up.
“I’m sorry,” David said. He tossed part of the chair’s arm in the trash and sat down again, careful not to touch the splintered wood. “I’m sorry,” he repeated, steepling his fingers and rubbing his nose. “I’ll pay for the chair. Continue.”
Cooper sat down again while mumbling something and looked back at his notepad. “Ridiculous. I’m sorry, Olivia. Did he make any other allusions to . . . ah, keeping you over night or . . . ?”
“Well, he said to relax and that,” I cleared my throat again, “that I would ‘like it.’ That soon I’d be begging for it. And if I fought him, I’d regret it.” I exhaled, looking down at my own hands. I was hoping not to have to relive this so vividly.
“What was your physical stance relative to his?”
I hesitated and briefly considered lying. “At this point he had me pinned against the wall.”
“And was he restraining you?”
“Well,” I stopped and looked away.
“It’s okay,” Cooper urged. “This is a safe space. There’s no wrong answer.”
“Yes, he had his arm across my shoulders and he was sort of . . . I guess, pinning me with the rest of his body. Suggestively.” Why couldn’t I just say it?
“So he was sexually aggressive with you?”
David inhaled sharply and dropped his face in his hands. He released a string of muffled curse words while I tried not to cry. I should have asked him to leave.
“I’m sorry,” Cooper said. “David, please calm the hell down, you’re upsetting her.”
I wiped away an invisible tear and straightened my shoulders. “Yes. He was sexually aggressive.”
“Fuck,” David said sadly. He shook his head. “I had no idea. Why didn’t you tell me last night?”
“It’s fine, David,” I reassured him. “Everything turned out fine.”
“Fine?” he asked, his leg bouncing up and down rapidly. “Everything is fine to you. It’s not fine to me. You could have been seriously hurt or - or worse.”
We were all quiet for a moment. I could tell by the look on his face that Cooper had picked up on David’s extreme reaction. It also struck me as odd. We barely knew each other. There was no denying our attraction, but I wasn’t his to protect. I wasn’t his responsibility. And this wasn’t his fault. So why was he so upset?
Cooper stared at me, prompting me to continue. “That’s when David appeared.” I put on a smile for him, but was looking at the floor.
“Mark didn’t know I was around,” David started slowly. “So I had the element of surprise on my side. I lunged at him, and after we wrestled for a minute, the gun fell from somewhere on his body. I grabbed it. I backed him up against the wall, and he said he didn’t want any trouble. Then he said he had friends on the force. That he’d be out after a night, and he’d come back for both of us. That’s why, like I said Cooper, I really need you to a keep an eye on this for me. I want any and all updates.”
“Don’t worry for now,” Cooper reassured him.
“He didn’t say friends,” I interjected. “He said he had deals. Deals with the cops. He didn’t seem afraid at all.”
“Very interesting,” Cooper nodded, making more notes.
“That’s when you guys arrived,” David finished. “Just in time, too,” he grumbled. “If I - ”
“David,” I interjected overexcitedly. “Here, have some water.” I shoved the glass at him. With a lawyer for a husband, I understood the concept of TMI.
“Well this has been very helpful,” Cooper said. “More so than I thought. Do you have a card, Olivia?”
I fished one out of my wallet and he rose to show us out. “That’s it?” I asked.
“Yes, ma’am. If you’ll follow me, I’d like to get a picture of the bruise, and then you’re all set.”
I let another officer take my photo as Cooper and David talked. On our way out, I thanked him for his help.
“We’ll call you if we need anything else,” Cooper told me. “Like I said, I don’t expect this to go to trial and if it does, it won’t be for a while. But I’ll keep you in the loop.”
“Thanks again, Coop,” David said with a handshake. “Let me know about that chair,” he joked and a grumble was his only reply.
~
On our way out, I asked David if we should send a fruit basket as a thank you, and he laughed.
“He might get suspicious if we send a joint fruit basket.”
“Oh really?” I asked. “That would make him suspicious. Not running into each other late at night. Not your reaction in there.”
“He asked me, when you were getting your photo taken, if it was accurate how we ran into each other. He warned me that if you and I were hiding something, the statement could be inadmissible.”
I gasped. “But it is accurate!”
“I know, I told him. He’s skeptical, though.” He was quiet as he opened the door for me and made his way around to the driver’s side.
I looked at him over the roof of the car. “Why were you so upset?”
“Not were, Olivia. Am. I am upset, and for a lot of reasons. For one, it pisses me off that your husband isn’t - ”
“Wait,” I said, holding up my hand. “It’s fine. I don’t need to know. Let’s not drag Bill into this.”
“It’s a little late for that. It seems this is his mess, in fact. What does he have to say about it?”
My mouth opened briefly before sealing into a tight line.
“Olivia?” he prompted. I slipped into the seat, pulling the door closed behind me. He followed a moment later, but didn’t move to start the car. “Does he know?”
I shook my head. “He’s been in meetings all day.”
He pursed his lips and said gently, “You need to talk to him.”
“What am I going to say?” I asked the window, tugging at my earlobe.
He started the car and reversed from the spot. “Tell him the truth.”
I jumped at the sound of my phone and looked from it to David and back.
“Go ahead,” he said without looking at me. “Answer it.”
“Hi, Bill.”
“Hey. This case is turning out to be more intense than I realized. I’ve taken some depositions, but I might have to come back next week.”
“Um,” I started. “I had another incident last night.”
“Incident?”
I opted for the shortened version. “I left work late, and Mark Alvarez was waiting for me on the street.”
“Oh no,” was all he said.
“He chased me down Adams and into an alley. I ran into a friend of Andrew’s, amazingly, who works nearby, and together we mana
ged to subdue him until the cops arrived.”
“Holy shit, Liv! So they have Mark Alvarez in custody now? I knew that bastard would break his parole. He didn’t even make it three months.”
I nodded, even though he couldn’t see me. “Yes, in fact, I’m just leaving the police station where I spoke to Detective Cooper.”
“Cooper, yeah, I know him. Olivia, you really shouldn’t talk to the police without me present.”
“But nothing really even happened,” I retorted. “I just gave a statement.”
“Are you all right?”
“Yeah, a little shaken up, but,” I paused, glancing at David, “fine.”
“Good babe, I’m glad. I don’t know why he’s involving you. I’m so sorry I can’t come home right now. Can you get one of the girls to sleep over tonight? I think I can be back by tomorrow afternoon. Or do you want to come here?”
“No, he’s detained, and I have this party tonight that I cannot miss. Gretchen and Lucy are coming so maybe I’ll go home with one of them,” I said.
“I’m going to talk to Cooper and make sure this is taken care of. Promise to take it easy. Aren’t you still sick from the trip?”
“No.”
“Okay babe, I have to go if I want to get anything to eat today.”
“You haven’t eaten yet? It’s almost four o’clock there.”
“I’ve been seriously swamped.”
My heart pounded, and I rubbed my temples.
“Liv?”
“There’s something else,” I said, lowering my voice. I took a shaky breath. “Bill, Davena passed away last night.”
Silence on the line conveyed his surprise. I stared hard out the window as I waited.
“Liv, honey, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s terrible. Poor Mack.”
“Yes, terrible. Did you know it was that bad?”
“I knew, but no, I didn’t really know.”
He moaned. “I am so – oh God. You must be, just . . . should I come home tonight?”
I set my jaw as I continued to watch the passing cars. I’d been strong for years, keeping the hurt inside and managing day to day. Couldn’t I make it one more night before dissolving? Because that was what I wanted to do. To let someone else take over for a while. “No,” I sighed finally. “I’ll be fine until tomorrow.”
Come Undone Page 20
