“Oh, come on, Jack.” Kate remained calm, but her focus never wavered from Dana. “I know you’ve been going out with her. And I’ll bet you’ve seen her since you found out the second victim was Karen Whiteside. You would think Dana might mention that she was one of her patients.”
“We don’t talk about work.” The words came out as a growl. But he had known the last time he talked to Dana. It just never came up.
Jack stepped on the accelerator and the car shot out into the street. He was taking Kate home. He couldn’t deal with her right now.
Thankfully, Kate stayed quiet. At her house, she struggled out of the car on her own without a word. Jack watched her slowly make her way into the house, but he didn’t get out to help. As the door shut behind her, he felt a twinge of guilt for being angry with her. For not helping her. She was his partner. And even with everything that had happened, she’d become his friend.
*~*~*
Kate leaned against the door after it shut behind her. She wasn’t sure what had her more winded, the walk from the car or the sheer force of will that it took not to scream at Jack that he was being an idiot.
There was something about Dana. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but something bothered her.
You’re jealous. The thought came unbidden into her mind and it surprised her when she thought about it. Was she jealous? Was Dana’s budding relationship with Jack something that truly bothered her?
If she were being honest, the answer to that question was yes. She had tried to avoid thinking about it because they were partners, but in her heart, Kate was interested in Jack. He was a strong, handsome man. She would have to be blind not to see that. But he was so far out of her league. And now he hated her.
No matter what she felt about him, Kate had to work on her newfound determination to never let him down. She planned to start by talking to Dana. Maybe it was jealously, but she planned to either prove to herself that she was being silly or prove to Jack that there was something about Dana that wasn’t right. He might hate her more when she was done, but at least then he would hate her for the right reasons.
She dropped onto the couch without grace. How could one be graceful when it seemed that every muscle in her body was sore and refused to work the way she wanted them to? Good thing there was no one around to see her, because she felt embarrassed by her current state. She wasn’t accustomed to not being in top shape.
When she’d finally settled into a somewhat comfortable position, Kate pulled her laptop close and opened up a web browser. The page was set to load her favorite search engine and she typed Dana’s full name into the search box.
The results were slim. Mostly court appearances and newspaper stories that quoted something Dana had said here and there. Strike one.
After perusing several dozen search results and finding nothing of interest, Kate changed her tactics. Using specialized search engines available to law enforcement, she looked into Dana’s past as far as public records would take her. The department had a small file on her because of the work that she did with victims of domestic abuse.
Nothing earth shattering. But Dana’s history seemed to stop about the same time she entered college. There was nothing before. It was like until the day she entered college she didn’t exist.
Like fire ants at a picnic, that crumb was enough to draw Kate forward, deeper into her search efforts. She skipped dinner, left the TV off, and forgot how uncomfortable she was as she picked through information.
A lot of nothing. No family history. No birth certificate. No trace of Dana before college.
Just as frustration at the lack of information was reaching its peak, her cell phone rang. She glanced at the screen and felt a twinge of disappointment when the picture there was of Lisa rather than Jack. A girl can always hope.
Sliding her thumb across the screen to activate the phone she pushed the disappointment out of her voice.
“Hi Lisa.”
“Hey. What happened? I just heard about your accident.”
Kate was surprised. She’d only talked to Lisa a handful of times without Jack around, and in every case it was a short conversation about something related to technology. Lisa was pretty good with gadgets and computers, but Kate was better. A couple of months ago, they’d gotten into a discussion and Kate offered her help if Lisa ever needed it. Lisa had taken her up on the offer a few times.
“I’m fine, Lisa. Mostly bruised and banged.” Kate didn’t offer up any more details. She didn’t want to worry Lisa unnecessarily.
“I’m glad you’re okay. Is there anything I can do for you?”
“Thanks, but no. I’m just trying to take it easy. Honestly, I’m already tired of the recovery process. I just want to be back to myself and be able to do everything I want to do without it hurting every time I move.” That much was true. Kate did not like feeling so vulnerable.
The conversation turned to small talk. Kate asked about school and friends. Lisa answered without volunteering too much information. Just as Kate thought the conversation was winding down, Lisa’s tone changed.
“You know what happened, I guess.” It was a statement, but also a signal that something more was coming. Lisa kept her voice flat, but it didn’t fool Kate.
“I know. How are you doing?”
“This sucks, Kate. No one understands. Well, no one except the counselor. I mean, I think she understands, but she’s like everyone else. She thinks she knows what’s best for me, but she really doesn’t have a clue.”
Kate chose her words carefully. “You mean Dr. McNally?”
“Yeah, but she’s not really a doctor you know. She doesn’t, like, have a Ph.D. She’s just a counselor.”
“I know that. I think people are comforted when they think of her as a doctor. It makes it easier for them to put her in a position of authority.” Where was this headed? Was Lisa bonding with Dana? The idea made Kate sick to her stomach.
“She doesn’t need help with that. She’s pretty convinced she knows what she’s talking about.” Kate was relieved to hear the doubt in Lisa’s voice. Maybe she wasn’t the only one catching weird vibes.
“You don’t think so?” She was trying to draw information out of Lisa without it being obvious.
“She sounds good unless you listen closely to what she says. I mean, she says what everyone else says about me and Tim, but she’s paid to say that. I expected it. But she also implied that I shouldn’t trust Mom or Uncle Jack.”
“Lisa, I won’t try to tell you the same thing everyone else has about Tim. You know it’s wrong, and I think you’re mature enough to figure that out all on your own. What I will say is that there are repercussions to that relationship and you might want to think through those repercussions before you make any more decisions.” Kate wanted to tell her about Jenny, but Lisa didn’t need that right now. She was hurt enough.
“Yeah, I know.” It was a typical teenage answer. One designed to end a conversation without provoking additional comment. Lisa wasn’t ready to talk about the whole issue with Tim. And Kate didn’t want to push it. Besides, she was more interested in the other part of Lisa’s assessment of Dana.
“What do you mean she implied you shouldn’t trust your Mom or Jack?”
“Just that. She said that Mom and Uncle Jack only think about themselves.” Noises on Lisa’s end of the phone made it sound like she was moving around.
“Is that what you think?” Geeze, now Kate sounded like a shrink.
“Well, maybe. I mean, Mom parties all the time. It’s what she does. I don’t really think anything of it, unless she’s being stupid. And Uncle Jack is just Uncle Jack. Ever since…” Lisa’s voice trailed off. “Um. Well, since awhile. He just hasn’t been himself.”
Curious. “What were you going to say Lisa?” Kate had to be careful. She wanted to know what Lisa had intended to say, but she knew if she pushed too hard the girl would withdraw completely.
“I’m not really supposed to talk about it.”
<
br /> “Oh. Okay.” Kate waited. She hoped that not pushing but not offering anything more would leave an opening for Lisa to continue.
“Okay, look. Uncle Jack will be furious with me about this, but it’s time you know about his wife and daughter.”
TWENTY-THREE
Her work would never be done. Marlee watched the woman through her car window. This one would be like all the rest. Stupid and blinded by the man who hurt her and her daughter. May as well stop this now before someone else got hurt.
The anger that had reached a crescendo earlier in the week was back. Only now it was Lisa’s stupid mother. She was going to do something very dangerous. Something that would put both her and her daughter in jeopardy. What was it about Southern women that made them so weak?
Marlee had tried to warn her. She’d called, with her voice disguised, of course, and told her she would have to pay for the mistakes that got her daughter hurt. She had even gone to her house. Marlee planned to leave her a message to drive home the point that her actions were the cause of what happened between Tim and Lisa.
This was not a healthy relationship. Marlee knew Lisa would see the truth eventually. In time, she would understand that Tim had taken advantage of her. But by then the damage would be done. And Leslie would be to blame just as much as Tim was.
Leslie probably knew all along that something was going on. She only chose to address it when it was no longer possible to ignore it. And then Leslie blamed Lisa. Leslie needed to be taught a lesson. She needed to be made to see how much damage her ignorance had done.
But Leslie’s brother, Jack, had ruined everything.
Jack Roe - homicide detective extraordinaire. Marlee didn’t understand why he’d been so eager to help Leslie. After what she had allowed to happen to his wife and daughter, Jack should stay as far away from her as possible. But he had showed up at the hospital, and then later at Leslie’s house like one of the Three Musketeers, sword drawn and ready to do battle. It didn’t make sense, and Marlee wanted desperately to understand his choices.
It didn’t hurt that he was handsome and sweet and could even be funny when he wanted to. If Marlee could ever see herself spending any time with a man, it was Jack. But that could never happen.
Poor Jack. He was stupid like all men. Marlee had learned to look past it a long time ago. Men were just stupid, there was no way around that. God, who was also a man, designed men to be led around by their desires. That was how he controlled them, and why he created Eve. And there was no mortal woman who would ever be able to change that. Marlee had come to terms with that, too. She couldn’t change the men. So instead, she had to change the women.
Still, Marlee could like Jack. A lot. She could spend some time getting to know him and maybe even grow to tolerate the thought of a long-term relationship with him. But he would never understand. He would never be able to comprehend the service that she was doing for women as a race. It was her calling to do the things she did, and Jack would never get that. But why else had she gone through the nightmare of her past if not to be prepared to handle the battles of her present and future?
Then there was the whole issue of his sister. Unfortunately, there were a good number of women who were just as stupid as the men in this world. And those were the women whom Marlee was charged with taking care of. Leslie was turning out to be one of them. She was just about to cross the line, and that really torqued Marlee off. She couldn’t focus when her brain was eaten up by all of the stupidity that others inflicted on the children of the world. She had hoped a simple lesson might set Leslie straight.
Jack had screwed that up and the anger just kept building, threatening to choke her completely if she didn’t find a way to release it
Exercise wasn’t going to do it this time. Not to worry. Cynthia Norton would be walking home from work right about now. Cynthia worked late and didn’t have a car. When she couldn’t bum a ride, she walked or took the bus. And she was another woman who failed to learn from her past mistakes. But Marlee planned to teach her one final lesson. A lesson she would die to learn.
Marlee turned onto a street near Cynthia’s home that she typically walked when she had no ride. Sure enough, she was moving at a steady pace up the street, predictable as always. Marlee pressed the brakes and pulled up beside Cynthia. She pushed the control to lower the passenger side window.
“Need a ride?”
“Oh. Hi. You scared me. I wasn’t sure who was pulling up.” The woman walked toward the car.
“So sorry.” Marlee tried to smile, to seem friendly. “I just saw you walking and thought you might need a ride somewhere. Hop in and I’ll take you.”
“Oh, I don’t know. I’m not going far…” Cynthia’s words trailed off and she took a step backward.
“Come on Cynthia, get into the car. It’s not like I bite.” Marlee didn’t have the patience to deal with this indecisive woman right now. “I just want to give you a ride.” She’d spoken harsher than she meant to, so she tried now to lighten her tone and forced another smile.
“Oh why not?” Cynthia grinned and got into the car.
“Where should I take you?” But her mind wasn’t focused on the answer or the conversation that followed. She was planning Cynthia’s final lesson and the punishment she would measure out before that lesson was finished.
She pulled onto the main road and pressed the accelerator. When Cynthia had called to tell her that she was going back to an abusive husband, it only added to the anger Marlee was already struggling to control. This was the final straw. Obviously, Cynthia just wasn’t going to get it.
“I live a few blocks from here, off Dedeaux Road.” Cynthia picked at her cuticles.
Marlee could tell Cynthia didn’t want to be cornered into another conversation about her decision to stay with her husband. But she was going to have that discussion, whether she wanted to or not. It would be the last conversation she ever had. She’d had her chances. This was the only way to make sure that she didn’t continue to hurt her daughter, Amy.
Marlee didn’t give Cynthia time to think, instead she launched into her rendition of a speech she had heard her own mother receive from a relative many years ago.
“Cynthia, I’m not sure you know what you’re getting into. And what’s more important, I’m not sure that you know what kind of danger that you’re putting your daughter into. Have you really thought about this?”
Cynthia pointed to a street on the left.
Marlee turned the car.
“You know, I realize you see a lot of tragedy in your job,” Cynthia said. “But you’re wrong about Bill. If you think he’ll hurt Amy, you’re wrong. She’s his whole world. And she’s probably the reason that he’s making this change.”
How could Cynthia take it for granted that her daughter was immune to the abuse that her husband was so quick to dish out? Marlee saw this pattern often. It was just a matter of time before he turned his anger on Amy. She couldn’t defend herself. That was her mother’s job, and Cynthia was failing.
“You’re wrong, Cynthia. And Amy is going to be the person who has to pay for your mistake. If he’s not already abusing her, he will be. Men like Bill are addicted to the power that this kind of abuse gives them.” Marlee stole a quick glance at Cynthia as she rolled through a stop sign.
She was breathing hard. Red splotches worked their way up her neck to her face. She turned to face Marlee. “You know, I don’t know who you think you are. I’ve spoken to you what, six times? And you think you know everything there is to know about my life. Well, you’re wrong. Now, butt out and let us live the way we want to live.”
“I can’t do that, Cynthia,” Marlee turned North on Highway 49 and stepped hard on the gas.
“Where in the world are we going?” Cynthia reached for the door handle. “Stop this car and let me out right now.”
“Cynthia, you’re an adult. You can make the choices that you need to make, but Amy’s not. She’s a child. Everything you do directly aff
ects her, and I can’t let you do that to her.”
“It’s not your choice.” Cynthia’s voice cracked.
“It is now. Since you won’t make the right one. I just have to do it for you. See, Cynthia, I told you, I know what happens when irresponsible women like you think only of themselves, or worse, only of the abuser.” She gripped the wheel so tightly, her fingers ached. “I grew up with a father that abused me. He started with my mother. And when she threatened to leave him, he turned to my sister. Mom turned her head and pretended that nothing was wrong.”
In her anger the full story was coming out, whether Cynthia wanted to hear it or not. She had to understand what pushed Marlee to do what she had to do now.
“Dana was my sister. And for two years I listened to our father sneak into her bedroom and take what he wanted from her. I’d lie in my bed at night and listen to him grunting and her crying, and I’d pray that he would ignore me.”
“He did, too. Until Dana decided that she’d had enough. She tried to run away, but Father found her. And he brought her home. Then he taught her what it was like to live on the streets. Only, he taught the lesson so well that Dana really did end up dead.”
Marlee spared a glance at Cynthia. The other woman was pale, and her eyes held the type of understanding that Dana had been looking for since the first time Cynthia appeared in her office with bruises on her face and defeat written all over her. Still, Marlee thought Cynthia understood all the wrong things right now. She didn’t have all the facts just yet.
“I remember how he sounded that night. It was as if he were experiencing the greatest pleasure of his life. By the time he hit his final release? My sister was already dead!”
Marlee’s voice cracked. She stared straight ahead as she steered the car down empty country lanes until she pushed back the emotion that threatened to consume her. When she regained control, she continued. Quieter.
Biloxi Sunrise (The Biloxi Series Book 1) Page 13
