by N. Alleman
Unless it’s a police officer!
I mean, I don't know how likely that is, but at the same time I’ve heard of worse things. I know that there are cops who steal drugs from the evidence room, and go on to sell them for large sums of money. I know there are stories of male police officers taking advantage of female victims. I have seen evidence of officers helping criminals...
But why? Why would someone on the force want to have Damien killed? Why would they want Nadia framed for that? What could they possibly be gaining from it?
I can’t work out a motive, and without that I don't know where to turn. My mind turns over and over, wondering if I should call Nadia right now to see if there’s anyone that might have something against her, but there’s no point in going over that again. If there was, I’m sure she would have told me already.
Wait!
I lean in, spotting something strange on the footage that I’m watching of the impound lot on the day of the murder. I left it running while I thought, and now it seems like that was a good thing. I move my head closer, wondering if I’m seeing what I actually think I am, and as much as I want to disbelieve it, the evidence is right there in front of me.
Karen Whitfield.
She’s walking over to the van as if she’s been expecting it to arrive all along, and she appears to send the guy who works at the lot away, leaving the vehicle to her. She steps inside for several minutes. During that time I can’t see what she’s doing, but I keep on watching, knowing she has to emerge soon.
What the fuck is going on here?
I suppose, if I really think about it, she has been one to watch from the very start, but I didn’t think anything about it because I’m pretty sure that she was one of the officers assigned to the case. She was definitely the one who questioned Nadia at any rate. At the time, I didn’t think anything of the fact that she clearly didn’t want to let Nadia go, but now I’m wondering if that was all part of a bigger plan. If I hadn’t come into the situation, pretending that I was a lawyer, would she have kept Nadia there until they could officially find some way to pin it on her?
Then I remember her words spinning back through my mind. The ones she said to me as she saw me at the station once more:
“I’ve been doing a bit of background research on you, Alexi Smith, and I feel like your qualifications are more for the sort of man who kills people for a living... not a lawyer.”
Maybe she knows a lot more about me than she’s letting on. Maybe the people she’s clearly working for know exactly who I am and what I do, and that’s what she was trying to tell me. Was she trying to threaten me with that information, or could it be something else?
As I continue to wait for her to come back onto the screen, I research her name online using my phone, but unfortunately nothing comes to light. There was an incident a few years ago where she was suspended from the force for being seen as being too close to one of the criminals under arrest, but that charge was quickly dropped. Things like that don't tend to get forgotten about unless they aren’t true...
Or unless the person involved is a really clever criminal. Maybe she has a real thing for bad guys, and that keeps coming back to haunt her. Or maybe she really is innocent, and I’m trying to find blame where there isn’t any. Perhaps I’m plucking things from the air because I’m so damn desperate.
“Fucking hell!” Feeling the stress, I tug on the ends of my hair.
Unfortunately, as Karen finally exits the van, she stalks away from the parking lot, and I haven’t seen anything that proves she’s up to no good, but it looks like she’s got something in her hand. But what? At the very least she might be stealing evidence.
I download a copy of the tape just in case... who knows when it might come in handy.
As I click on the recording for today, just to see where the van is now, I can clearly see the space where it was sitting is empty, which means it’s already gone. Whether it’s been released or crushed I’m not sure, but I have enough to go back to Nadia with this new information. I might not have everything, but I do have a name, and for now that will have to be enough.
12
Nadia
The next time the phone rings, I’m over the moon to see that it isn’t anymore of Damien’s family ready to stir up my emotions—it’s Alexi. My pulse thunders as I pick up the phone, glad to be able to think about anything else other than the funeral.
“Hello?” I all but whisper into the receiver. “Alexi, is everything okay?”
“Are you still at the house?” He asks me, and instantly I hear worry in his voice. “Can I come over?”
“Would it be better to meet somewhere a little neutral?” I ask. The thought of anyone coming here and catching us together fills me with dread. Especially considering the conversation I’ve only just had with Damien’s mother.
“Maybe you could come here?”
“Okay, sure,” I tell him, dropping all of the pamphlets onto the table in front of me. I’m still determined to organize a nice ceremony, I still want to do that, but I realize I’m going to have to tackle that in stages—it’s much too overwhelming to do all at once. “I’ll see you in a while.”
Once I’m out of the house, I feel relieved. Until now I haven’t really noticed how much this house negatively affects me, but now it’s quite obvious. Even if this were a more normal situation, and I was given the house in the will—not that I think for one second that will happen—I know for a fact that I could never live here. There are too many unhappy memories. It feels like the negative energy from our toxic marriage seeped its way into the walls, and I’m afraid it would be like living with Damien’s ghost.
I slide into the driver’s seat of the car that I suppose now will be officially mine, and I drive over to Alexi’s home. On my way, the memory of what happened the last time we were there fills my mind, instantly making it very difficult to keep my promise to myself. How am I supposed to keep away from someone who makes me feel so amazing, even if he will end up being bad for me?
As hot as he is, as wonderful as he makes me feel, the man kills people for a living. There’s no way this can end well.
Ugh, it’s so difficult to consider what to do for the best – do I follow my head or my heart? Do I do what I know is best for me, or what I know is right?
And why am I still thinking about it?
I try to clear my head as I pull the car up outside his home, wanting to focus only on business. I step out of the car, taking a few deep breaths, before making my way to his front door, wondering what news he’s going to have for me. He must have found something to call me over here.
Who found out about my stupid crazy idea to call a hitman, and what are they going to want from me now? I can be pretty confident in the fact that it won’t be nothing. No one goes to this sort of extreme unless they intend to lord something over someone else.
I tap lightly on the door, before glancing down at my clothes, trying to smooth myself down before he sees me once more. I didn’t think about it when I hopped into the car, but now it’s all I can concentrate on. I probably look a right mess, and while that shouldn’t be a priority for me, it is.
Alexi opens the door, and the big smile on his face eases my nerves a little. “Hi,” he says and invites me inside.
Once I’m inside, I notice he looks concerned, and that makes me feel even worse. This clearly has to be something serious, and I don't think I fully grasped the gravity of that until now. “Sit down,” he insists.
I perch on the edge of his couch, my palms sweating. I try to open my mouth, to ask him what he’s found, but I’m unable to vocalize anything. My mouth has run bone dry, and the more I try to get words out, the worse it becomes.
“I have some stuff to tell you, and it might be hard to hear,” he says.
I nod, trying to act like I’m okay with that, even though I’m not.
“I don't know who was driving that van, the one who kidnapped and tried to frame you. I still haven’t seen their
face... but I have managed to ascertain that Karen Whitfield is a part of this.”
“Who?” The name is familiar to me, but I can’t quite place it. Who is the woman who is trying to ruin my life and what is her problem?
“Officer Whitfield – the one who questioned you after the police brought you in.”
“Huh?” That information is so shocking that my brain struggles to process it. How is this possible? A woman of the law... she questioned me hard, made it seem like I was definitely going to be blamed for the murder, and now I find out she knew the truth all along... what the hell is up with that? “Why would she do any of that?”
“I honestly don't know,” Alexi tells me. “But I have seen enough in my life to know not everything has to make sense. People usually have their reasons for doing things, however crazy those reasons seem to the rest of the world. I don't know if the why is what we need to concentrate on right now. We need to find out who she’s working with, and what they are planning next.”
“Right,” I nod, trying to gulp some of that down. “Okay, so what do you think?”
“Well, I want to hear your thoughts. I mean, I know you’ve said that there isn’t anyone who has it in for you, and I can tell by your face that this development with Karen Whitfield isn’t making anything clearer for you, but... I don't know, has anything happened since we last spoke?”
“No,” I shake my head quickly. “All I’ve been doing is working on funeral stuff. I read through the information, and I rang Damien’s parents to tell them what has happened.”
“How did that go?” He asks with a cringe.
“Terrible,” I admit, looking up into his eyes. “They hate me, they think that I’m a gold-digger. It wouldn’t surprise me if they think I murdered him just to get a hold of his money. They were very eager for me to do a pre-nup before we got married, but in a big show of romance, Damien refused. Now I think that was probably because he knew that he was never going to let me go...”
Alexi’s eyes light up with this new information, almost as if he thinks that could be a lead, but I quickly shake my head. Damien’s parents loved him, there was no way that they would do this, even to get at me. They would be more likely to have me killed instead!
“Then his brother called. Dimitri is much better than his parents. He actually gives me a chance and has gotten to know me. He wants to help me organize the funeral and stuff.”
I stop the story there, not wanting to go into too much detail here. There’s no point in us looking in the wrong direction, it’ll waste too much time. We need to concentrate on this Karen Whitfield lead... see where that takes us. Much as I can’t quite believe any of it, it’s the only thing that we have right now.
“Okay, well, I’ve got to tell you I don't feel comfortable with you being alone in that house at the moment.” Alexi tells me seriously. “I mean, I know that you have to be there because of all that you’ve got going on, and there’s no way I can stay with you. So with that in mind I think that it would be a good idea if you have a way to defend yourself.”
What the hell?
I sit there in a stunned silence while he stands up to grab whatever he is getting for me. I really hope he doesn’t give me a gun because I don't think I could use it no matter what happens. Plus, I wouldn’t know how to use it, and I’m not sure that I’ll be able to learn in a few short hours...
“Here,” he hands me a contraption I don't even recognizes. “It’s a Taser.”
“A Taser?” I whisper. “What’s that?”
“You can use it to shock people if they get too close to you. It won’t kill them, but it’ll keep them the hell away from you long enough for you to get away. It might hurt them a little, but I wouldn’t worry about that. You just use this and run for the fucking hills.”
I nod intently and listen closely while he explains to me how to use it properly. This I can deal with—especially if it comes down to a life or death situation. I try to picture myself actually having to do this to someone, and as much as I won’t like it, I think I can actually do it.
As I get my lesson, and Alexi keeps touching my hand to show me what to do, and I become consumed by the butterflies fluttering around inside of me. If I don't leave soon, we might just end up in bed together once more, and as tempting as that sounds, I’m not sure it would be good for either of us right now.
“I um... I have to go,” I suddenly tell him, forcing myself to step away. “I still have to deal with a lot of bureaucracy concerning Damien’s death.” It’s true, but I feel bad for using it as an excuse. “Thank you for this.”
I tuck the Taser in my pocket and turn to walk away, but before I can get too far he grabs onto my shoulder and spins me back around to face him.
“Can I... can I just ask you something first?” He suddenly looks a little shy, which has me incredibly intrigued. I’ve never known Alexi to be anything but strong and powerful, so this new side of him has me hanging on to his every word. “Oh actually, don't worry about it.”
“No, please ask me,” I say, touching his arm. I don't know what it is, but I have the strong feeling that whatever it was would be important, and I want to know what it was. “Please.”
“I was wondering…would you like to go to dinner with me?” He finally fumbles. “I mean, just so I can keep an eye on you? I mean, I know we’ll have to be discreet about it...”
I can tell that he’s fabricating his reasoning, and that deep down he might actually like me more than he should, which sends happiness screaming right through me.
Alexi wants to take me out on a date. I haven’t been on a date for a very long time, and I love the idea. Yes, it might be risky, and it’s definitely dangerous, but I want it all the same.
“That sounds great,” I smile at him. “I’d love to.”
13
Alexi
As soon as Nadia leaves, I set about getting ready for the perfect night out. I have never taken a woman out on a date before, and I’m looking forward to it. I can’t believe she said yes, especially considering the bumbling way I asked her. With all she’s going through, I want to make sure we have an incredible night.
I book a table at a small restaurant nearby, a place that I know has low lighting so no one will know us or be able to see us. It might not be the fanciest place on the planet, not as fine as what she’s probably used to, but I feel like it will be enough. The high life doesn’t seem to suit her anyway, so I hope that this will be a nice change for her.
To make things even better, I head out to pick up a present for her. I’m aware that my head is somewhere that it really shouldn’t be, but by this point I really don't care. I’m falling for Nadia, and it feels so good I can’t stop. She makes me feel so amazing, so special and I want to do the same for her. We might have gotten involved with one another under the most insane circumstances, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t right.
If it feels good to us, then who the hell cares?
I step into the nearest jewelry shop, and immediately I feel out of place. Even though I might have money at my disposal now, when I’m in a place like this, I instantly retreat back into the poor boy I once was, the one who lived on the streets with nothing to my name.
“Can I help you, sir?” A sales assistant asks me. I gulp, trying to get my composure back. I need to do this, I need to get something nice for Nadia, and I’m going to have to suck it up and get over myself to do that.
“Yes, please. I’m looking for a necklace...”
An hour later I walk out of the store, gripping tightly onto the box which contains what I believe to be the perfect gift for Nadia. A sweet, silver chain with a small heart on the end. Subtle, understated and beautiful—just like her.
I smile to myself, feeling like kicking up my heels I’m so happy. When I think back to screwing random chicks every weekend, it makes me a little sick to my stomach. What the hell was I thinking? How did I ever think that was going to make me happy? I didn’t even know happiness was back the
n... I was merely surviving.
But as soon as I get back to my place my mood is back in the shitter because it it’s obvious someone has broken in. The door is swinging wide open, the gravel in the driveway has been kicked up, and there’s a horrible energy hanging in the air.
“Shit.” What the fuck is going on now? I don't like this. I don't like things being out of my control.
This is why I never bring my work anywhere near my home. This is the first time I’ve done this, and it’s already come back to bite me in the ass...
I wrap my fingers around the gun in my pocket and slowly step forward silently. Someone is inside my home, and I don't want to alert them to my presence. I’d like to get the jump on them.
My heart hammers in my chest as I tiptoe through the hallway. I’m starting to think this is about me after all, until I see a familiar face grinning up at me.
“Well, hello there, Alexi,” Aidan is sitting on my couch, his legs crossed casually. Shocked, I lower my gun. What the hell does this mean? Is he somehow involved in all of this... or am I acting paranoid? Am I assuming the worst of everyone just because I’m so freaked out?
“Hi, Aidan,” I reply, slowly lowering myself into the nearest chair. “What are you doing here?”
“I think we need to have a talk about all of this, don’t you?” He seems to be talking about this case, which makes me nervous. I wanted to get this done without Aidan finding out because I knew he wouldn’t take too kindly to it, but it seems like I haven’t been discreet enough. “You have a lot to tell me... don't you?”
“Yes,” I admit. “Things have taken something of a left turn.”
“So, I understand Damien was murdered before you could get involved, some kind of revenge plot or something. Why wasn't that the end of it? Why did you then go on to steal evidence and spend time with the client? That was completely unnecessary?”
