by Justus Roux
You said I could make your apartment homier. If you don’t like the plants I chose please let me know. Fair warning, I’m looking into some artwork as well. Let me know if I go overboard. Love Nicole.
He set the note down on the kitchen counter. He opened his refrigerator to grab the bottle of wine he had in there and was surprised to find it full of food. There was a note on the top shelf.
Your maid service is awesome. They grabbed the groceries I asked them to. Now you will be able to make yourself stuff to eat without having to call delivery. Love Nicole. P.S. Most of the stuff you can just microwave or you can make yourself a sandwich, quick and easy, like you like it.
He opened up a couple of the cupboards and saw they were full too. He set the wine bottle down. He really didn’t know what to think about Nicole’s kind gesture. He was still disappointed that Linda didn’t last too long. His need wasn’t completely squelched.
He grabbed his phone and dialed.
“Michael?” Nicole said sleepily.
“I just found your surprises. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” she said cheerfully.
“Tomorrow you are coming home with me. For now, go back to sleep.”
“Okay.”
He hung up the phone. He couldn’t take her saying she loved him right at this moment. He went and took a shower then headed to his closet. He opened the small safe that was in there and pulled out a book. Inside were three locks of hair. One was from Joshua Lewis, his first kill and at one time his best friend. He didn’t want to kill him but he couldn’t stop the impulse to do so. Luckily, he made the kill look like an accident. He ran his fingers over the lock of hair. This was the only kill he had a modicum of remorse for. He turned the page and looked at the next lock of hair. Jenny Thompson, his first real relationship. He turned the page again and looked at the next lock of hair. Kim Nichols, his next attempt at normalcy. He turned the page it was blank. He grabbed the pen that was inside the box. He wrote Nicole Fisher. He stared at her name written there for quite some time. He slowly closed the book and put it back into his safe then he left his bedroom and walked over to the balcony that was off the main living area. He looked out across the city. He was going to let himself feel something for Nicole. Maybe she would be the balance of normalcy he needed. Not that he felt the need to be normal. Yet, appearances had to be maintain. He couldn’t control his need to kill, nor did he ever want to. He was made this way for a reason. He needed no absolution or to have someone come to his rescue. Nicole would give him a break from himself. If she couldn’t be that for him then she would end up being another victim.
***
Nicole headed into Michael’s office. He was putting some paperwork into his briefcase.
“Are you ready for today, Nicole?”
“Yes. Are you alright from yesterday?”
Michael looked at her. She was wearing a very pretty yellow dress which suited her. “About the flowers and stuff you put in my apartment. I told you that I didn’t mind that you did that.”
“Not that. You had to talk to Johnny yesterday.”
“Oh, yeah I’m alright. I have dealt with a few killers in my career.”
She moved closer to his desk. “You have to shut that stuff out so you can deal with your job right?”
Michael could see the hopeful look in her eyes. She was expecting something from him, so he will play along. The truth was nothing about his job was disturbing. Listening to gruesome accounts of killings didn’t faze him in the least, in fact, he enjoyed comparing himself to those other killers.
“Yeah, I have learned to shut my emotions off so I can handle what some of those scumbags tell me.” When he saw her face light up he knew he said exactly what she wanted to hear.
“I knew it. That damn detective was saying awful things about you. I told him you had to shut off your emotions to deal with hearing all the gruesome details.”
“I’m assuming you are talking about Tim Dane. That guy just doesn’t like me for some reason. Don’t let what he said get to you.”
He was surprised when she rushed over and hugged him tightly. He slowly put his arms around her.
“If you ever need to talk about anything I will listen.” She looked up at him. “You know that right?”
“I do now.”
Her smile was so warm and genuine.
“Why do you care what some detective said about me?”
“It’s just not him…a couple of other people said you were a bit chilly. None of this matters.” She hugged him tighter.
“A couple other people huh, I’m guessing your roommate and Adam since they are the only other people you talk to.”
“Please don’t be mad at them.”
He gently cupped her face in his hands. “People are entitled to their opinions. I know I’m a bit standoffish. It’s just who I am. Don’t worry about any of this. All I care about is what you think of me.”
“I love you,” she said softly.
He smiled at her then stepped out of her embrace.
“Do you love me?”
“Nicole, we don’t have time to…”
“It’s a simple question.”
“I care about you, Nicole. It takes time for me to say…”
“I understand. We barely know each other and here I am spouting words of love already. I won’t say that again until you say it to me. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
“You give in too easy, woman. Your feelings are just as valid as mine.”
He was taken aback when she started to cry. He was confused by this reaction. He went over to her and took her into his arms. He didn’t know what to say so he just held her. He felt her hold him tighter.
“I’m sorry…no one has ever said to me that my feelings are important.”
“Not even your parents?”
“No. My dad left when I was young and my mom…I think she blamed me for his leaving. Nathan was my first real relationship and you know how that went. I will pull myself together I promise.”
“It’s okay, Nicole.”
Nicole pulled herself together and then stepped out of his embrace.
“You can go freshen up in my bathroom. Give yourself a moment.”
Michael watched her quickly hurry over to the bathroom. Damn it, he was going to have to tell that woman he loved her. She needed to hear those damn words. He never told anyone that he loved them before. Not even his other two girlfriends. He didn’t know anything about love, nor did he care to learn about it. He watched her come back out. She grabbed her purse and straightened her dress out. She looked at him. She looked vulnerable yet the warmth and love in her eyes was undeniable.
“Are you alright?”
“I will be. We are going to talk with that poor girl who almost became another victim of Johnny. The last thing she needs is to see some strange woman be an emotional mess,” Nicole said.
He walked over to her and gently ran his hand down her hair. “I’m sure you will bring her a measure of comfort.”
“How do you know that?”
“You bring me comfort.”
He leaned in and kissed her tenderly then he stepped back. He went back over to his desk and grabbed his briefcase. “We better head out. Are you sure you are okay?”
“Yep.”
“Alright. They have her in the interrogation room I spoke to Johnny in. The prosecutor will be observing like you did.”
“Why?”
“She wants to make sure I don’t harass the witness.”
“You wouldn’t harass her.”
“Of course not. But the prosecutor is Lexi Taylor and she has got the hots for me. She takes any chance she can to get near me.”
“Oh that bitch better not think about…” Nicole stopped talking when Michael started to laugh. She loved his laughter and quickly her jealousy was cooled.
***
Nicole waited in the interrogation room with Michael as they waited for the witness to show up.
>
“What is the witness’ name?” Nicole asked.
“Ashley Strickland. Let me do the talking you just observe.”
“Yes, Sir.”
Nicole’s whole body tensed when the door opened. A very attractive woman wearing a business suit came in. She looked to be the same age as Michael.
“Michael, it is always a pleasure to see you.”
Michael stood and went over to her. “Hello Lexi, where is the witness? I would like to get this over with so the poor girl doesn’t have to be put through undue stress.”
“Sure, you really care about the witness. You forget who you are talking to.” Lexi’s attention went to Nicole. “Why is your pretty young assistant glaring at me? Don’t tell me you have fucked her already.”
“Hey, who the fuck do you think you are?” Nicole said as she quickly stood.
“Well, I’m going to take that as a yes. You must have a magical cock on you, Michael, if that little thing is willing to go toe to toe with me.”
“How about you try to be professional, Lexi,” Michael said.
“I’m always professional.” She moved closer to Michael. “Maybe someday you might let me sample that magical cock of yours.”
“Back off, bitch,” Nicole said.
“Calm down, girl. Michael, you should explain to your booty call that I am the head prosecutor and that I could squash her career.”
Michael moved closer to her. “You will leave Nicole alone. Now bring in the witness and try to remember to act like a lady.”
Lexi shot Michael a daggered look then left the room.
“Nicole, you must remember to act professional.”
“I’m sorry, that bitch just pressed all my buttons at once.”
“That was her intention. I won’t let her hurt your career.”
“I’m not worried about that. I didn’t like the way she talked to you.”
“Gather yourself, the witness will be here any moment.”
Michael watched her close her eyes and take several deep breaths.
“I’m good,” she said.
Michael tended to forget that Nicole was ten years younger than him. Her career was new and her outlook on life was less jaded, though it sounded like her life wasn’t too easy to begin with. He cleared his thoughts and tried not to think about this. That damn Lexi, he wished he could cut her fucking throat and be done with the bitch. Someday maybe he would find a way to do just that. Right now, he had to focus on controlling his inner demon. A part of him wanted to kill this witness just so he could rub it in Johnny’s face. Another part of him wanted to fuck with this victim’s mind, psychological torture was almost as satisfying as physical torture. Yet, he had to focus on his job, especially with Nicole sitting right here and that bitch Lexi looking on in the other room.
“Michael?”
Michael snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Nicole’s voice.
“Wow, you were deep in thought.”
“What do you mean?”
“I was trying to get your attention for the last couple of moments. They said Ashley will be here in five minutes. What were you thinking about?”
“How to approach questioning this victim without upsetting her.”
“Oh, but why don’t you just call her by her name. Why do you call her victim?”
“Nicole, you have to separate yourself from the job. You can’t feel for all of them.”
Michael stood when the door opened.
A police officer escorted a very young woman inside. He instructed her to sit down and asked if she wanted anything to drink.
Nicole looked at Ashley. This girl couldn’t be no more than nineteen years old at most. She had a really pretty face. She wasn’t that much taller than Nicole. She was curvy and had badly dyed blonde hair. She wore faded jeans and a fitted T-shirt that had a unicorn picture on it.
“Hello, Ashley, I’m Michael and this is my assistant Nicole.”
“You are defending that piece of shit aren’t you?” Ashley angrily said.
“Yes.”
“Why do I have to talk to you?”
“I don’t want to make this any more unpleasant than it needs to be, but I will be cross examining you when you take the stand.”
“Someone should rape and strangle Johnny, make him feel what he put those poor women through. I thank God that I managed to get away from him.”
“Thank God, huh.”
“Yes. Why?”
“I find it odd that some hooker would be thanking God for anything.”
“Michael?” Nicole said.
“Nicole, I told you to sit there quietly.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“I do what I have to do to survive,” Ashley said.
“A lot of women do what they have to do to survive, but that doesn’t entail renting their bodies out.”
“Hey, what the fuck is your problem.”
“See, you are easy to get riled up. A woman in your profession must know there are risks to going off with some strange man. What made you decide that it was safe to go off with Johnny down some dirty alley? What did he pay you to do?”
“He wanted a blow job. It was Saturday night so I wanted to make it quick. He looked harmless enough. You have seen him.”
“So, you were going to get down on your knees behind some trash dumpster and suck his cock for a measly twenty bucks, that is the going rate for your kind isn’t it?”
“Look at you in your fancy suit passing down judgement.”
“What drug are you are addicted to that would make you take such a risk.”
“I don’t have to answer that.”
“Not here, no you don’t have to, but I guarantee I will ask the same question in court.”
“Why?”
“I have to do what’s best for my client. I have to make that jury see that your life and all of those other women’s lives wasn’t that great of a loss. Poor Johnny suffers from a mental illness and thank God he didn’t decide to kill someone who might have mattered.”
“Michael?!” Nicole said as she stood.
“Sit the fuck down, Nicole.”
Nicole slowly sat.
“My life matters, you son of a bitch! Those other women he killed mattered. How dare you say otherwise!”
“Are you angry?”
“You are fucking right I’m angry.”
“Good.”
“What game are you playing?”
“I want you to remember how angry I got you today. Use that anger to keep your shit together on that witness stand. You show that jury that your life matters that those other women mattered. Let them see Johnny for the monster he is. Because I guarantee you I will do everything in my power to get my client the least punishment I can. You want that asshole to suffer don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Now tell me how you got away from him.”
“I kicked him in the balls and ran like hell. I don’t know how I managed to get into a position to kick him, all I remember was connecting and feeling him let go. I ran as fast as I could praying some place was still open. I saw the neon sign of that bar and rushed in there. The bartender wasn’t going to help me at first and told me to tell my pimp to keep his girls out of his bar.”
“Were there many people in there?”
“No, just a couple of drunk guys and the bartender. Thankfully, a nice older man who believed me and was going to stay with me until the cops came.”
Michael wanted to smile. That stupid fucker could have pretended to be her pimp and drag her ass out of there. Her only hero was an older man. Michael wanted to laugh at Johnny’s stupidity. He couldn’t wait to share this with that asshole the next time he saw him.
“Times up, sexy,” Lexi said as she came into the room.
“You remember that anger, Ashley,” Michael said.
Lexi escorted Ashley out of the room.
“You wanted her to get angry with you?” Nicole said.
“Of course, otherwise s
he would crumble on the stand and make my job really easy.”
“You don’t want to get Johnny a lighter sentence?”
“No, someone like him doesn’t deserve to live. But since there is no death sentence in Illinois, life in prison will have to suffice.” Michael could easily make an insanity case for Johnny, but he didn’t want to. He wanted that idiot to suffer. Since Johnny was afraid to take on a male victim he would stand no chance with the prisoners he will be forced to live out his life. Michael gave Johnny two years at most before that fucker got himself killed.
“I’m sorry, I should have listened and just sat here quietly. I just couldn’t believe you were saying those awful things to her.”
“I had to get her mad so she would fight.” Michael stood and headed to the door.
“She didn’t have to talk to you, but she did, why?”
“I’m sure Lexi talked her into it.”
“She did that so she could get close to you. What a fucking bitch.”
“That’s part of the reason. The other part is Lexi wants the witness to get a feel for me before we go to court. It is a sound strategy.”
“You sound like you admire Lexi.” Nicole pouted.
“Don’t get jealous, woman, I admire her skill as a prosecutor, she is a hard bitch to beat.”
Michael left the room and Nicole followed. They went back to his car. He started driving to his apartment.
“Lexi is really pretty and she is about your age.”
Michael pulled into Millennium Park. He got out of the car then went over to her side and opened the door.
“Come here, Nicole.” Michael grabbed her hand and helped her out of the car. He slammed the door shut then led her to the Millennium Monument, thankfully there weren’t that many people here. He walked off to the side of the monument and pulled her into his arms. He kissed her roughly, lifting her up. He leaned her against the marble of the monument.
“Your jealousy isn’t necessary,” he said as he pulled her dress up.
“She is so…”
