by Wild, Cassie
Then the real nightmare came.
She and I were back in that parking lot, in front of the bar, and she was screaming at me, cold fury and hatred in her eyes. Then she got behind the wheel of a car and sped away.
I jumped in my Lexus and followed. I had to get her to listen to me. We traveled over long, dark roads. There were curves and potholes and bumps, but I had to keep her in my sights. I had to get her to stop, to listen. I couldn’t lose her forever.
I drove on and on, faster and faster, but her taillights were getting smaller and smaller the faster I drove. I slammed my hand on the wheel in despair. I couldn’t lose her.
Then, before I could blink, her car loomed in front of me. I was flying toward her, too fast, heading right for her driver’s side. I slammed on the brake pedal with both feet, screaming for her to move, but nothing happened. I got one more look at her face before my car crashed into her.
I woke up, heart pounding. The sight of the sun peeking in through the curtains made me sigh in relief. A dream. It didn’t matter how real it had felt.
I felt terrible, sick, and achy, as if I hadn’t slept a wink, but even through the fog, I knew one thing for certain. There was no way I could lose her forever. I had to get Preslee back.
Chapter 25
Preslee
On Monday morning, Ava went to work as usual. She took the car this time, but only after I assured her that there was nowhere I wanted to go. I just wanted to bum around the apartment all day and hide my face from the world.
After the dreams I’d had, I felt like an emotionless zombie. It was like all of my mental strength had been sapped. I felt…numb.
“You’ve been downloading too much information over the past few days,” Ava had declared before she’d left.
Leave it to her to put it in computer terms, but she was right, I’d been dealing with way too much. Getting my memories back in bits and pieces. The detectives not believing me.
Kris.
As soon as I thought about him, I was flooded with images from the dream I’d had. I wrapped my arms around myself, shivering at the memory of Kris, so broken and battered. My panic when I found him that way. I felt physically ill just thinking about it. The emotions were still so raw, and now I couldn’t even call him to tell him about the dream, hear his voice to reassure myself that he was safe, because I’d driven him away.
No! Part of me shouted in protest, objecting to placing any blame on myself. Kris was the one who’d lied. He should have been honest with me, and I was well within my rights to be angry, but I shouldn’t have said some of the things I did. That much I could now admit. I’d wanted him to hurt, to feel the agony that he’d caused me with his casual betrayal. At the same time, I didn’t feel that I was in a position to apologize. I’d ignored his calls for days until finally the phone had stopped ringing. He’d given up on me.
I couldn’t blame him. I hadn’t even tried to understand, to listen to what he had to say and consider every angle of what happened.
I closed my eyes, trying to forget the glorious lines of his body. The way he tasted when I licked his neck. How he shivered when I traced a line down his torso with my fingertips. I couldn’t let myself get swept away in fantasy and delusions. My body hungered for him, but my head knew better.
I hated him, I told myself. He hurt me. I hated him.
But I didn’t. Not anymore. I was angry. I was so, so hurt and angry, but I didn’t hate him. I couldn’t. He had gone above and beyond for me. He didn’t need to cart me around on a wild goose chase for evidence. He didn’t have to come to this little apartment for brunch, just so he could spend time with my best friend. He didn’t have to hold me in his arms on a crowded street corner while I cried over a recovered memory. He didn’t have to do any of those things, and yet, he had.
God, the man drove me crazy. I’d seen so much in his eyes, kindness and friendship, but also lust, want, desire and need. I’d responded to all of it because I had wanted him too. The look in his eyes had undone me.
If only he had been honest with me, I kept telling myself, but what would that have changed? Would I have trusted him? The entire reason I became involved with him in the first place was because I believed he had the know-how to help me on my case. Had I known that he was just some regular Joe off the street, would I have opened up to him?
Maybe.
He was a warm, kind person, but I was gun-shy too, I had just gotten out of the hospital. It’s likely that we would never have become involved at all. Did I want to give that up? If I had known at the time how it would end, would I have done anything differently?
We always want to believe that if we could go back and change history, we would, but I knew that meant I would have never met him. He sparked a passion in me that spread like wildfire, hot and a little dangerous. But he was also a balm for my soul. He’d driven fear and anxiety away with soft touches and sweet kisses that healed my wounds. Could I honestly say that I wished it hadn’t happened? If anything, I regretted knowing that I’d probably never experience that sort of pleasure again. No other man would measure up to Kris.
He had, after all, been my first.
It was all such a mess. I laid on the sofa, going over everything in my mind for what felt like hours. I was so deeply entrenched in my mixed-up thoughts that I almost didn’t notice my phone ringing. I picked up just in time to avoid sending the call to voicemail.
“Miss Keats? This is Detective Gracen.”
His gruff voice on the other end of the line caused me to bolt upright.
“Yes, Detective. What can I do for you?” I felt my pulse pound. This could either be very good or it could be very bad.
“Miss Keats, we’ve taken Kris Fields into custody,” he told me.
My hands started shaking.
He continued, “He was arrested for drunken and disorderly conduct last night. I was wondering if you’d be interested in coming down to the station to ID him in relation to your case.”
The room was spinning. A possible happy ending through all of this nonsense was so close, I could almost touch it. At least happy for this part of my life.
“I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
Chapter 26
Preslee
When the cab pulled up, I climbed in and begged him to drive to the police station as fast as he could.
“Listen, kid, I’m not gonna risk getting a ticket – especially if we’re going to see the police, anyway.” He laughed, like this was the funniest joke he’d ever heard.
I sat back, my stomach a mess of nerves. I hadn’t thought about this part, hadn’t thought about what it would mean if they really did make an arrest.
By the time I arrived at the station, they were ready for the line-up.
Krazelburg looked unhappy to see me as he led me into a cool, dark room with two-way glass along one wall. On the other side was a second room with lights trained on the opposite wall.
An assistant district attorney was there with a large cup of coffee steaming in her hand. She looked overworked and exhausted, with dark, bruising circles under her eyes.
“Hi, Miss Keats,” she said warmly and shook my hand. “I’m here to document the line-up process. My name is ADA Marks. Do you need anything before we get started?”
I shook my head. “I’m really eager to get this over with,” I answered honestly.
She smiled in understanding. “Deep breaths and take your time. Don’t feel like you have to rush. We have all the time in the world, just make sure you’re certain.”
I heard the detective mutter something under his breath, and I was pretty sure it wasn’t complimentary.
“What was that, Detective?” Marks asked, her hazel eyes narrowed.
“I just hope Miss Keats gets it right this time. She already fingered the wrong guy once,” he said.
Marks rolled her eyes and refocused her attention on me. It felt good to have someone on my side since Gracen was nowhere to be found, and he’d been the �
�good cop.’
Krazelburg knocked on the two-way glass to signal that we were ready. A moment later, five men walked into the room and lined up against the wall.
“Okay, Preslee,” the ADA said. “Do you see the man you claim was driving the car that struck yours?”
I nodded. I was absolutely positive. I’d picked him out as he was walking in. He now stood in the middle of the line-up, his head tossed proudly back as if he was untouchable. He didn’t appear the slightest bit nervous or anxious. Arrogant to the core.
I pointed at him. “It’s number three,” I said aloud. “That’s the man who hit me. He was the driver.”
“You’re sure, Preslee?” the ADA asked.
“Completely sure,” I said firmly.
Krazelburg snorted. “How can any of us believe you?” He looked at Marks. “This is a total waste of time. She has no idea what she’s talking about. She came in and told us that she had a dream about who hit her. A dream, for Christ’s sake.
Marks shook her head at him. “We have her ID on the record now. That’s what matters, Detective.”
He scoffed. “Are you sure you didn’t have another dream, Preslee? Maybe there was a different guy in that dream. Or maybe some other guy pissed you off and you wanna put the blame for your accident on him instead.”
I refused to be baited. “No. He’s the one. I know it.”
“This is insulting,” Krazelburg grumbled. “How do we know her memory wasn’t affected even more deeply by the accident than we thought? We can’t risk charging a man with a crime when our witness has a proven history of memory loss.”
“Detective, I suggest you back off,” the ADA said sternly. “You’re badgering a victim.”
She might as well have not spoken. Krazelburg took a step toward me, his eyes narrowing. “I want you to be absolutely certain. Can you really trust yourself, Preslee? Aren’t your memories all faded and mixed up?”
I felt a ball of fear in the pit of my stomach. I had felt certain before Krazelburg started chipping away at me…but now I was second-guessing myself.
“Are you willing to destroy any chance of prosecuting the right person by identifying the wrong guy?” He closed the distance between us, bending his tall frame to get right in my face.
I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of seeing me flinch, but I was coming close. The doubts swelled within me, pushing to the surface. If I was wrong, I’d condemn an innocent man.
Suddenly the door flew open and Gracen came charging in. “Leave her alone, Nestor,” he said. “You’re under arrest.”
I couldn’t have been more surprised, and neither could Krazelburg. He jumped back from me and faced his partner.
“What are you talking about, Mort?” He laughed, but the sound was hollow.
“We brought Quaid Fields in earlier today,” Gracen said. “One search warrant later and we found your name all over his records. For some reason, the idiot kept careful records of all the people he’s paid off, and for which cases. You’ve been on his payroll for years.”
Krazelburg laughed harshly, looking from Gracen to the officers who had entered the room along with him. “Who are you going to believe? Some dirty lawyer or your partner? C’mon, Mort – we’ve been through too much for you to give me up like this.”
Gracen’s voice was heavy with sadness, and I felt a pang of sympathy for the guy.
“You’re right. We’ve been through a lot, but the proof is there. Plus, he gave you up. Told us the whole thing. His son called him after he hit Miss Keats, and fled the scene. Quaid called you. I’m sure your cell phone records will show that.”
He glanced at me.
“I’m guessing you took Preslee’s purse out of her car after she was pulled out by the EMT’s and delivered the purse to Quaid’s office. You tried to take her necklace at the hospital so she couldn’t be identified. The nurse on duty at the time identified you as the detective she had an altercation with. It’s over.”
Krazelburg seemed to shrink. His shoulders slumped and his head hung low. I’d expected a fight, but he seemed to know that it was over. He handed over his service weapon and badge, then turned, and allowed himself to be handcuffed.
ADA Marks placed a hand on my shoulder. “Are you all right, Preslee?” she asked kindly. “Let’s get you some water and sit you down.”
“I’m okay, really,” I told her once I found my voice again. “I’m just…I mean, is it over now?” This felt like a dream. I was half tempted to pinch myself.
She smiled. “There’s a good chance that it is, yes. I’m guessing this won’t even go to trial.”
She led me from the room and into the hallway where Detective Gracen was waiting for me. He looked torn up.
“Miss Keats,” he started, raking his hand through his silver-streaked hair. “I just wanted to apologize for everything you’ve been through.”
“I understand.”
“No cop wants to believe that his partner is crooked,” he confessed. “But I had a feeling. I should have followed my instincts a lot sooner. It felt like no matter the progress we made on your case, we were no further ahead than before. I should have considered he was on the take.”
“I’m just glad that it’s all over,” I said. I hated what I’d been put through, but it wouldn’t have been fair to take it out on Gracen, not when he’d worked so hard to make things right.
“It looks as though he’s been covering up for his son for a long time,” Gracen said. “You’re the only person who didn’t accept the pay-off right away and drop the case. Smart girl.”
“Lately, I haven’t felt so smart,” I told him truthfully.
“Well, you were,” he said. “Your insistence on finding the truth was what got us on the right track in the first place. When Kris Bedford came in and told us about his history with the Fields family…”
“What?” I cut him off, “what about Kris Bedford?” My heart stuttered at his name.
“When he came in here the other day, he gave us enough information to convince a judge to sign off on a search warrant that got us Quaid’s files.”
It was suddenly hard to breathe. Kris, again, had gone out of his way to help me even though I’d made it perfectly clear that I didn’t want anything to do with him.
“I know you’re pretty pissed off at the guy,” Gracen said. “He lied about his identity, but just try to remember how hard he pushed to get us to believe you and to pursue Quaid Fields and his son. Maybe cut the guy a break.”
The detective patted me on the back and assured me that he would call me as soon as anything new happened. I nodded, but I wasn’t really paying much attention. My head was too full.
Chapter 27
Preslee
I hung up the phone with a shaky hand and exhaled in relief. Detective Gracen’s words were still running through my head, but one thing in particular kept repeating again and again: It was over.
“So what did he say?” Ava rushed out, bouncing up and down on the sofa with excitement. “What happened? Are they going to settle? Was there a plea bargain or whatever?”
I turned to her with a smile, but it was a slippery one and I wound up bursting into tears. All of the tension rushed out of me, along with the fear, worry and frustration of the last few weeks. Ava, like a true best friend, just wrapped her arms around me and let me cry.
“I’m sorry,” I finally laughed several minutes later. “I have no idea where that came from.”
“I think you earned a good cry,” she said. “I’m guessing that means everything went okay?”
I nodded. It had turned out more than okay.
“They’re gonna take a plea.” Detective Gracen had told me over the phone. “And the DA made it a point to include as part of the plea that the Fields family be held responsible for my medical bills.”
“So now that it’s all over and done,” Ava reasoned. “It’s time to move forward. Any ideas?”
I shrugged. “Just going in the direction I�
�ve been going in already, I guess. I should be out of your hair in no time, now that I don’t have to worry about putting money aside for the hospital.”
Ava ran a hand through her purple streaked hair. “Hey – I like you in my hair!” she joked.
I chuckled along with her, but then grew serious. “C’mon, Ava. You know I love you, and I know you love me, but there’s no way we can live this way forever. You need your space, and to get back to living your own life. You’ve spent way too long worrying about me. Time to think about Ava. Don’t you think so?”
She looked down at the sofa.
“Hey, lady,” I said. “Chin up! This is a good thing!”
“I’ll miss you, is all,” she said. “I had gotten so used to living alone, but then you moved in. It’s nice, coming home and having somebody to talk to. You know?”
“Well, maybe you could find a roommate. And,” I grinned wickedly, “maybe your roommate could be a boy whose name is Dan because he loooooooves you…!”
She turned beet-red and threw a pillow at me. “Does not!” she giggled.
“Oh, he so does,” I insisted. Then I got serious. “I mean it, Ava. Time to think about you.” She nodded, and I could tell that she understood what I meant.
The metallic clang of the mailbox being closed prompted Ava to jump up and run down the stairs. I opened my laptop and pulled up a real estate website. Part of me wanted to live in the heart of the city, but I would have to take on some much better paying clients in order to be able to afford that kind of rent.
The thought of an apartment in the city brought back the memory of being at Kris’ stunning apartment. And with that, of course, came the memories of everything I’d done there.
I was saved from being swept up in memories by Ava’s return with the mail.
“Hey, there’s something here for you.” She tossed me an envelope.
I sighed when I saw the now-familiar rectangle envelope. “Another invitation. I’m getting so tired of this,” I admitted, the irritation coloring my voice.
“Come on, it’s not the worst thing in the world,” she said. “So a bunch of people want to meet you after hearing how you stuck it to the Fieldses. Can you imagine how many people they screwed over? I’m surprised the mayor hasn’t presented you with a key to the city yet.”
