“Get your clothes off,” he barked. Without a word, she confidently unbuttoned her dress and let it slip to the floor, kicking her shoes aside. She was not wearing a bra and stood in just her panties, about the size of a piece of string. Her breasts were round and pert and just the perfect size. The nipples stood erect under his gaze.
It had no effect on Sergei. She was far too old for his tastes, but he needed to see if she was up to the job. That’s what Joey was for. “You ready for your audition?”
The girl smiled at him and nodded.
***
After Joey and the girl had gone, Sergei poured himself a coffee from his coffee maker and reached for his cell phone. It was time. Every month since Tara had left, he had, without fail, sent her a different photo of her daughter. For the first few months the text had gone ignored but last month she had replied. Just four words. What is she like?
That had been enough to tell him that he was doing the right thing. She would come back of her own accord, of that he had no doubt, and when she did? Well, she would pay. He had no intention of letting her have anything to do with Anna. She was his daughter, and his alone. She didn’t even know about Tara and he wasn’t about to tell her that her mother was a whore, but Tara didn’t know that and he could, and would, use it to get what he wanted. He pressed send, the message off to its intended target. He knew he was getting to her. It was just a matter of time until she did what he wanted.
Twenty-Six
Kyle looked down at his phone. It was Tara again. She’d been calling him since he left the apartment, but he hadn’t answered. He didn’t want to talk to her, and her constant calling felt almost like an intrusion. He ignored the call, telling himself that he’d talk to her when he had a better idea of what he wanted to say. Not wanting to be disturbed again, he switched his phone off.
After agreeing to let him watch the interview, Kat had buzzed him through the main door and into the precinct. Ushering him through to a side room, she’d left him with strict instructions that he was to remain there and keep quiet. He felt a bit guilty for pressuring her to let him be here, but he needed to hear what Luccio had to say.
Putting his phone in his pocket, he returned his attention to the window in front of him and watched as Kat entered the room, sitting down at the table across from Luccio. He felt as tightly coiled as a spring, the tension stiffening his shoulders and leaving his fists clenched. He watched as Kat handed the paperwork for the plea deal to Luccio’s legal counsel. It took him several minutes to read it, and the silence while he did nearly drove him crazy.
Once it was signed, the questioning began in earnest. Kat started slowly at first, going over old ground and re-establishing what they already knew. Kyle wanted to shout at her to just get on with it, but he knew that Kat was a skilled interrogator who knew what she was doing. She would get there. He would just have to be patient. Eventually, she brought him around to the subject of Lori. He could feel the tension in the room as Luccio began to describe what had happened.
Kyle stood transfixed, his breathing shallow, as he heard Luccio explain that it was a drug deal gone bad. Luccio had supplied a large portion of the drugs in downtown L.A. through his network of dealers. One of these had been selling product through a staff member at the video store next to the Walmart where Lori had been shopping. The store manager had walked in on the deal taking place and called 911, so the dealer had run. That’s when he had come across Lori in the parking lot and stolen her car, killing her and her baby in the process.
Kyle felt sick to his stomach as Luccio explained that it had never been meant to happen. That sick feeling turned into disbelief, though, as Luccio kept on talking. He explained that when he found out that Lori’s husband was a cop, he had been worried that, somehow, it would be traced back to him. He’d kept an eye on Kyle through his various contacts and, when Kyle had lost everything, he had stepped in to offer him the job as his head of security to keep him close.
They still didn’t have a name, though, and that was all that Kyle was really interested in. As though she could sense what he was thinking, Kat asked him the one question that they were really here for. Who had shot her?
With a last look at his counsel, who nodded his agreement, Luccio turned to Kat and gave up the name. Deshaun Ali. He had a name! Kyle felt adrenalin rush through his veins. At long last, they would get his wife’s killer.
***
“I want to talk to him,” Kyle said as soon as Kat opened the door to the side room.
She looked at him as if he had lost his mind. “Not gonna happen!”
“Please, Kat, I’ve got questions I need answers to,” he pleaded.
“You know better than anyone else what would happen if I let you in there! I could lose my job from letting you watch as it is.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry, Kyle, but the answer’s no.”
He knew better than to push it. And she was right, he’d already tried their friendship as it was, and it wouldn’t be fair to push it further. “Look, we’ve got a name. It’s more than we’ve ever had.”
Kyle nodded. Yes, it was, but a name wasn’t enough. They would need to find him and even then, Luccio telling them that he was the one who had killed Lori wasn’t enough to actually arrest and charge him for it. They would need more. “So, what are you going to do next? Have you heard of this guy? Do you know where you’re going to look?”
Kat held up her hands. “Slow down. We’ve only just gotten the name!”
He knew she was right. Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm himself down. “Yeah, of course. I’m sorry. Thanks for everything you just did in there,” he told her. “Just keep me in the loop, okay?”
Kat placed her hand on his arm. “Of course I will.”
***
It was dark by the time he let himself in to the apartment, and he was surprised to find there were no lights on. Walking over to the lamp in the living room, he switched it on and was surprised to see Tara curled up on the couch, fast asleep. Watching her, Kyle felt ashamed about the way he had treated her that morning. Crouching down in front of her, he stroked her cheek, pushing a strand of her hair that had fallen across her face behind her ear. She stirred under his touch, and when she opened her eyes he could see that she had been crying.
“What’s wrong?” he asked her.
She looked at him for moment, then shook her head and smiled brightly. “Nothing, nothing at all. Where did you go? I was worried about you.”
Seeing the concern etched on her face, Kyle felt like a complete bastard for walking out the way he had, with no explanation. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me.” He knew he owed her an explanation. “Have you eaten?”
She shook her head.
“Okay, I’ll make us some pasta.” He’d had time since leaving the precinct to think, to get his head straight. He hadn’t come home right away, not wanting to face Tara and answer her questions. He’d needed some time to himself to figure out what was going on in his head.
Finding a bar, he’d spent the next few hours nursing a couple of beers and trying to understand his feelings. He’d finally figured out that it had been the guilt that had made him react the way he had. He couldn’t believe he’d felt anger towards Tara, even for an instant. She had not made him fall in love with her, hadn’t made him choose to move forward with his life. No, any anger he felt should be directed at himself for allowing justice for Lori to take a back seat.
Well, no more. All this had made him realize that he needed to close this chapter of his life if he wanted to move forward with Tara with a clear conscience. And the only way to do that was to find Lori’s killer.
The pasta was simple, but good. He hadn’t eaten all day, having been distracted from his breakfast, so was now starving. He didn’t talk while they ate, digging in hungrily. Putting his fork down after the last satisfying mouthful, Kyle knew that it was time to tell Tara what was going on.
She already knew what had happened to Lori, but what
she didn’t know was how much it had affected him afterwards. He’d glossed over his reasons for leaving the LAPD, and he hadn’t told her about his obsession leading to him losing everything. He told her now, how the need to find her killer had taken over his life, had led him to sacrifice everything in the search for justice.
What he couldn’t explain, just couldn’t put into words, was how the phone call had triggered the guilt he felt for moving on with his life, or how that guilt had turned into anger toward her. Blaming his actions on the phone call, he explained that the shock of it had caused him to react the way he did, an explanation she seemed to accept. He couldn’t tell her the truth. It would hurt her, and that’s the last thing in the world he ever wanted to do. No, some things were best kept to himself.
***
Tara listened as Kyle told her about his family, saw the pain in his eyes as he described the effect their loss had had on him. Her heart broke, but she did not reach out to him, sensing that this would just make it harder for him. She instinctively knew that he was holding something back but she didn’t question him, not wanting to push him away.
There was no question in her mind now that she couldn’t tell him about the message. She wanted to. She didn’t like keeping secrets from him, but he had so much to deal with right now she couldn’t, wouldn’t, burden him further. No, she would just have to bear this on her own for a while longer. She had survived so much in her life. She would manage this, too.
“So you went there today, to see Luccio?” she asked him, hating the feel of his name on her tongue.
“Not to see him, to find out what information he had. It was worth it, even though I wanted to reach through the glass and choke him. He gave up a name.”
“That’s great news! So are they going to arrest him?”
“No.”
Tara was confused. “Why not?”
Kyle explained that even if they knew where he was, and they didn’t, the best they could do at the moment would be to bring him in for questioning.
“Well, they will find him and he will pay for what he did, I’m sure of it.” Tara said brightly, happy that Kyle was going to get his wish. Standing up, she went over and stood behind his chair, slipping her arms around him and nuzzling his neck. “The police will deal with it properly this time, I’m sure. It won’t be the same as it was before.” Kyle didn’t respond. “You are going to let the police deal with it aren’t you? You’re not going to do anything silly?” Tara needed to know.
“Of course I’m not. Don’t worry,” he said, turning and kissing her cheek.
Happy now, she cleared the plates and took them into the kitchen. She didn’t see the look on Kyle’s face. If she had, she would have known that just waiting for justice to happen was not going to be an option.
Twenty-Seven
They met at a coffee shop just around the corner from the precinct. Kyle had arrived early, anxious, and was already seated in a booth by the window, nursing an Americano when Kat walked in. Sliding into the seat opposite him, she ordered the same and sat back.
“So? Have you got him?” he asked immediately.
“Good morning to you, too!” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. He waved her off, impatiently. With a sigh, she replied, “No. I’m sorry, Kyle, but we’ve looked everywhere, got feelers out, but no one has seen him.”
Kyle felt himself deflate. He had hoped that she would have good news. “So how much effort are the LAPD actually putting into this? I don’t suppose it’s really that important to them.” He felt bad for saying it as soon as he saw the stung look on Kat’s face. “I’m sorry, that was uncalled for.”
Kat nodded. “Yes. It was.” She looked at him in the eyes. “You were one of us Kyle, and so was Lori. It’s important.”
Kyle dropped his eyes to the coffee in front of him. “So what now?”
“We keep looking. Keep talking to our CI’s. Something will give. It just may take some time.”
That’s exactly what he was worried about. It was starting to eat him up inside, and the longer it went on, the worse it was going to get. “Give me five minutes with Luccio, alone. I’ll get you the information you need.”
Kat sighed. “You know better than anyone that it doesn’t work like that. And you want him to pay, don’t you?”
Kyle nodded.
“Then you have to let us do this by the book. The last thing any of us wants is to get this guy and then find out he gets off on a technicality.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I guess it’s just that we’ve never been so close before.”
Kat looked him in the eye. “I know it’s hard, but you have to believe that we will get him in the end.” She smiled. “Look, as soon as I have any news, anything, I’ll let you know. Okay?”
Kyle tried to return her smile, but it looked more like a grimace. “Okay. Thanks, Kat.”
Drinking the last of his coffee, he left ten bucks on the table, said his goodbyes and left Kat to her coffee.
Twenty-Eight
Something was wrong. Tara had been woken by the sound of the front door closing. Checking her watch, she saw that it was not yet nine a.m. That was twice in two days now he had left without letting her know where he was going. Their lovemaking last night had been as intense, as passionate, as it always was but she couldn’t help but feel that he was holding something back.
Throwing back the covers, she slipped on her robe and went to make coffee. Pacing round the kitchen, she felt like a caged animal. She couldn’t spend another day all alone with just her thoughts for company. She had started venturing out more and more as time had passed, but she was still nervous about going out alone so, usually, they went out together.
But today, she needed to get out. If she didn’t, she felt like she was going to scream. She was not going to spend another day cooped up here while Kyle was off God knows where! Deciding to treat herself to breakfast out, she quickly showered, pinned her hair up in a bun and got dressed.
She paused as she stepped out of the apartment and filled her lungs with fresh air. God, that felt good. She stood there a while, feeling the hot sun on her face. Feeling her mood lift, she decided to head to the mall. It was only a few blocks away and she would enjoy the walk.
She thought she might treat herself to some sexy new underwear. She didn’t think the bedroom was the problem, but it never hurt to make sure that things stayed interesting in that department! She’d been walking for about twenty minutes, enjoying the bustle and noises of life in L.A., when she happened to glance in the window of a coffee shop as she walked passed.
What she saw stopped her in her tracks, as if she’d been slapped. Kyle was sitting in a booth with another woman. A very attractive woman, at that. Looking away in case they saw her, she turned and quickly headed back the way she had come, all thoughts of going to the mall forgotten. She didn’t feel the tears falling from her eyes as she hurried back to the apartment.
Fool! What had she honestly expected? She of all people should know what men were capable of. Why had she allowed herself to think that this one was any different? But she had. After everything they had been through to be together, it had never occurred to her to doubt him. But now she was.
Running up the stairs of their building and into their apartment, she slammed the door closed behind her. Leaning back against it, she took several deep, steadying, breaths. Calm down!
She should have trusted her instincts. She’d known something was wrong, that he was holding something back. But what had she actually seen? All he’d been doing was talking to a woman. An attractive one, yes, but that didn’t mean anything.
Thoughts were fighting for space in her head now. What should she do? She couldn’t ignore what she had seen. It would eat away at her, but she couldn’t let herself jump to conclusions either. She knew she had no choice. She would just have to ask him about it and take it from there.
***
It was a couple of hours after she’d gotten home that he returned to
the apartment.
“I saw you this morning.” She tried to keep her voice calm, not to let the fear she was feeling seep through.
“You went out? Why didn’t you tell me?” He seemed angry. “We agreed, remember? If you leave the apartment, you’re to tell me where you’re going. What if something happened to you?”
Tara had assumed it was concern for her welfare that had made him tell her to let him know where she was, but now she wasn’t so sure. “How was I supposed to tell you? You disappeared before I woke up and didn’t even leave a note!” She couldn’t avoid the catch in her voice this time.
“I know. I’m sorry. There was something I needed to take care of.” He was definitely hiding something this time.
“In a coffee shop?”
He sighed. “That’s where you saw me?”
Tara tried to stay calm. “Who is she?” The fear Tara felt was now rising in her throat.
“Just a friend. From before I met you.”
“So what was so important that you had to meet this friend in secret?” She couldn’t stop herself. She had to know.
“It wasn’t in secret, I just never told you.”
“You haven’t answered my question, Kyle. What was so important?”
“Look, it’s nothing to do with you, okay? Some things are my own business and you’ll just have to learn to trust me!” Turning away from her, he stormed off towards the bedroom.
***
Kyle felt bad for keeping secrets from her, but it was for her own good. How could he possibly expect her to understand this obsession with catching his wife’s killer? He loved her, but that didn’t mean that he didn’t need to see justice for his family. Would she understand that? He thought she would, but it wasn’t a chance he was prepared to take.
There was no need for her to know what was going on and when it was finished, he would make it up to her. But it needed to finish. He knew the LAPD were doing all they could, but they had to work within the law. He didn’t. He had a lot of contacts from his time working for Luccio and it was about time he paid some of them a visit.