The Season of Sin (Peace In The Storm Publishing Presents) (11 page)

 “You look different without your glasses.”

“Better?”

“No, just different. You look good with them too. I don’t understand this. You don’t even know me but you seem to care about me as much as my family.”

“I do.”

“Why though?  Why would you care so much?  What’s in it for you?”

“Do you think there’s always a reason someone has to care about you?”

“When it’s a stranger it makes it hard not to think so.”

“You believe in fate, Dylan?” He opened his blinds.

“People always ask me that and I never know what to say.”

He got two bottles of orange juice out of the fridge and passed her one.  “Don’t you know what you believe in?”

“I thought I did.” She opened the juice. “How did you know I like orange juice?”

“Oh I didn’t. Just figured you did. Don’t most people like orange juice?”

“Just strange you’d hand me orange juice on a whim.”

He smiled. “You make people feel like they’re talking to the FBI sometimes.”

She spit juice when she laughed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel like I was suspicious or something. It’s just that even my family seems to know less about me than you do already.  It’s just a feeling I’m not used to.”

“Is that so?”

“I feel so connected to you. I hated the way we met but I’m glad we did.”

“That connection was brought on by fate.  I think you do believe in it but just don’t know it. I’d like to be your friend, Dylan. I don’t want anything in return.”

“Would you be angry if I said I didn’t believe you?”

“No. I’m glad you’re honest.”

“How long you gonna stay in this hotel? You said you moved to Albany months ago. Can’t you find a place you like yet?”

 “I have my eye on this place on Avery Street.  I’m still going over my options though.”

“The houses on Avery are gorgeous.  Not out of your reach?”

“No I got a good chunk of change.”

“What do you do?”

“Uh I owned my own construction business. I’ve worked in construction all my life.”

“Wow then you must be well off huh?”

“I wouldn’t say all that.” He loosened the curtains.  “I owned a local company. I’d say my finances keep me comfortable but I’m far from rich.”

“So you’re staying in Albany then?” She smiled.

“Are you happy about that?”

“You said you lived in Baltimore?”

“Boston.”

“Oh beautiful city.”

“To me it was just home. You like Albany?”

“Yeah it’s okay.” She leaned back and swung her feet. “I’ve never lived anywhere else.  I think I’d like to move though.”

“Why?”

“Just want a change.” She strolled around the room, picking up items as she did. “Zoë’s been trying to get me up to New York City.  She says my art would really fly if I moved there.”

“She’s right. Your work would reach a wider audience if you got in a museum up there. I’d give it serious thought. Your work deserves to be in museums everywhere, Dylan. Here and overseas.”

She thumbed through the novel on his end table. “You’ve never even seen my work.”

“I have.” He pointed to his laptop on the back table.  “Stayed up all night looking at your website.  I know some of your work’s in museums in the local artist section. You’ve had write ups in the paper.  You donated several paintings to community centers and homeless shelters in the area. You were on Channel Five News last year.”

“Okay how long have you been stalking me?”

He laughed.  “You must be proud. You’re very talented and one day the entire world will know it.”

“Yeah well when my work is in Rome and Paris, or still raved about after I’m dead then I’ll feel I’ve accomplished something worth bragging about.” She shook up his snow globe.

“It’ll happen but you gotta believe it will.”

“Anyway I didn’t come to talk about me.” She put the snow globe on the dresser.  “I need to talk to you about something very serious. I need some advice.”

“Okay.”

“What would you do if you knew something that might get someone that you cared about in trouble? And uh, you knew you should tell because it’s the right thing to do. Also if you didn’t say anything you might get in trouble too. What would you do?”

“Is this about your mother’s death?”

“Did you catch the news or paper about Shannon Kuriakis?”

“Yes. She was seeing your mother wasn’t she? They had a lesbian relationship.”

“Right.”

“Dylan this is making me nervous. What does this have to do with you getting someone into trouble?”

She breathed into her hands. “The paper left out some things but the police told us that Shannon was wearing only one earring.  They didn’t see the earring anywhere in the field they found her in so they think she lost it where she was murdered.”

“Okay now you’re really making me nervous.”

“I have her earring.”

“The one that’s missing?”

She nodded.

“You sure it’s hers?”

“I’d seen Shannon wearing those earrings before. I remember how pretty they were but I couldn’t remember it was Shannon’s earring until the police told us she was missing one.”

“Where did you find it?”

“Down at Old Swaggert’s garage. My ex-boyfriend works there.” She exhaled. “I think he might be involved.”

“Isn’t that a big jump? Just because you found an earring there?”

“People say Shannon was going to see Bruce the day of my mom’s funeral. Now what’s the chance that some woman who wore the same type of earrings happened to be where Bruce worked? And those earrings aren’t the kind you just find off the rack.”

“Well, wow.” Nick took a deep breath. “That does sound suspicious.”

“The cops said Bruce claims he didn’t see Shannon that day at all.”

“And you don’t believe him?”

“I want to with all my heart but it’s not adding up. Shannon’s friends said she was going to see Bruce and she had a gun.”

Nick sat on the chair by his ironing board.  “Okay but maybe she never saw Bruce. Maybe he’s telling the truth.”

“Well she was very drunk supposedly.  It’s possible she was too wasted to make it. I’d hate to think Bruce was lying about this.”

“You must still care about him.”

“What do I do? If I take the earring to the police and tell them where I found it, do you think they’ll arrest Bruce?”

“I don’t know. I mean it depends on what they are already thinking about him. If Bruce is the prime suspect and they found out he lied then no telling what would happen. It doesn’t look good but you really don’t know if he lied.  Shannon may not have made it to Bruce.”

“You’re right.” She hooked her fingers. “She could’ve been killed before she even got to see Bruce.”

“The only way to try to find out what really happened is to…”

“I gotta talk to Bruce.” She ran to the door. “See you later okay?”

“Be careful, sweetie.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

“Course I got time for you.” Bruce cleaned oil off the thin tube and stuck it underneath the hood of the car. “What’s up?”

“I’m sure you heard Shannon’s been killed right?”

“Uh-huh.” He leaned into the car until his foot lifted off the ground.

“You don’t seem too surprised or concerned.”

“I’m not a fake, Dylan. If I didn’t like you when you were alive I’m not gonna pretend I’m upset when you’re dead.”

“She was still a person. Just the fact that you knew her should bring some pity.”

“I doubt if something happened to me Shannon would crack a tear.”

“Can you stop with that damn car and look at me please?”

“Hold on let me screw this in. Ah. There we go.” He stood against the car. “You got my undivided attention.”

“I gotta ask you something important and I don’t want you jumping down my throat.”

“I’d never do that. You can talk to me about anything.”

“And you’ll be honest?” She stepped over bolts and screws in the grass. “You promise?”

“Are you gonna be honest with me too?”

“About what?”

“About your feelings for me.”

“Bruce please.”

“I know it hurt you to find out I cheated but I always loved you and only you.”

“Just stop it. I don’t care about that now.  This is important.”

 “And you’re important to
me
. I just can’t lose you.” He touched her cheek.  “I know what happened to you. Are you all right?”

“I...I’ll be fine.”

He banged his fists together. “If I find that guy I’ll kill him with my bare hands.  That’s a promise I’ll keep for the rest of my life.”

“That’s the last thing I need to hear from you. Is violence the only way you men can get your point across?”

“I can’t help it.” He held her waist. “I love you with every bone in my fuckin’ body.”

“Let go.”

“You know I do.” He moved his lips over hers but didn’t kiss her.

“Let go.” She turned her lips away. “Please.”

He let go. 

“I want you to be honest with me.  Did you see Shannon before she disappeared? Before you lie I already know what Shannon’s friends have been saying.”

“Okay supposedly she told them she was coming to see me. That’s the story.”

“Did she?”

“No for the last time. Why can’t folks believe what I say?”

“Why would Shannon’s friends say she was coming for you if it weren’t true?”

“I don’t know.  Okay maybe she planned to come and got killed before then.” He raised his arms.  “Is that not possible?”

“If you still love me you’d tell me the truth, Bruce.”

 “That is the truth. I’m sick of defending myself.”

“And we both know you wouldn’t be getting angry unless you had a reason.”

“Why don’t
you
be honest then huh? You think I had something to do with Shannon’s murder don’t you? Isn’t that why you’re here?”

“I didn’t say that okay?”

“No you didn’t say it out loud.” He threw his rag down. “Why the hell you asking me all these questions anyway? Are you accusing me of killing Shannon?”

“No!”

He walked toward her.  “Aren’t you?”

She stepped over pieces of rubber and pebbles as she backed away. “I didn’t say that, Bruce.”

“I can read between the lines.”

“Listen okay?” She held her hands out.  “I just want the truth. That’s all.”

“I knew it. I fuckin’ knew it.”

“Knew what?”

“That you’d soon listen to all the horrible shit everyone’s always said about me.”

“This has nothing to do with anyone else.”

“Bullshit. You’ve turned on me, Dylan. Just as judgmental as everyone else is huh?”

“I didn’t turn on you. I only asked if…” He grabbed her. “Oh! Br…Bruce.”

“I’ve had it with this shit!” He shook her. “I’m sick of people trying to ruin my life.”

“Let me go!”

“I didn’t kill Shannon.”

“B…Bruce listen to me okay?” She put her hands on his chest. 

“No you listen.” He dug his fingers into her arms. “I don’t need this shit from you or anyone else. I’m sick of living like I got a fuckin’ sign over my head just because I’ve made some mistakes.”  Sweat dripped down his nose. “You understand me.”

“Bruce.  You’re hurting me.”

“I said do you understand?”

“Let me go.” She sobbed. “Please!”

“Listen.” His breath warmed her face. “I didn’t see Shannon and I didn’t kill her. You hear me?”

“Bruce you said you’d never hurt me.  But you are now.”

He thrust his tongue into her mouth. She suffocated from pain
and
rapture. Her fingers settled in his thick hair.  She felt like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon when he kissed her. She’d missed this for so long. 

But she shouldn’t have.

She tore from his kiss. “We should stop. This isn’t right.”

“Nothing’s been more right than us being together.” He kissed her neck. “We both want it, Dylan.” He caressed her backside. “Don’t fight it. We deserve to be together. You know we do.”

“No.” She turned from his kisses. “Please let me go.”

“I’ll never let you go again. That’s when things got messed up.”

“Turn me loose.”

“Dylan it’s just you and me now.  You can be honest.” He forced his mouth on hers.  “You don’t have to pretend with me.”

She drifted back to being in the rapist’s van. How he blocked her movements and covered her mouth.  How she fought until she couldn’t breathe and it still hadn’t been enough.

How his fingers tore at her clothes.  How her throat ached from screaming.

How he wouldn’t stop. He wouldn’t stop.

 “No!” She punched Bruce.

 “Oww!”

“Get away!” She slapped and scratched. “Leave me alone!”

“Hold on!” Bruce seized her hands. “It’s
me
, Dylan.” He felt her cheek. “Shh.  It’s okay. You’re safe now.”

“Let me go. You had no right to grab me like that!”

“Oh honey I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I wasn’t thinking.”

“Just stay away from me.”

“I’d never do anything to hurt you.”

She ran to her car.

“Dylan!”

She sped off. 

∞
∞ ∞ ∞

“Don’t protect him, Dylan.” Jasmine sat in one of the chairs Brianna brought out at the station.

“Dylan what is it?” Steven sat on the edge of his desk. 

“Tell them.” Jasmine pushed her. “Tell them how Bruce attacked you.”

“Aunt Jas please.”

“Attacked her?”

“That’s right, Detective Morris.  She tried to give him a chance to explain and he lost his temper like he always did and scared her.”

“It wasn’t like that.  He was angry because he thought I was accusing him of killing Shannon.”

“I’m lost.” Steven swung his leg.

 “Me too.” Brianna looked up something on her computer. 

“I went to Swaggert’s to talk to Bruce because…”

“He got rough with her.  Can you believe that? After what she just went through with that other creep?”

“Stop twisting things, Aunt Jas. He kissed me, yes but I started to think about the attack. I got scared on my own. Bruce would never hurt me.”

“I don’t mean to be rude.” Brianna rocked in her chair.  “But could you please tell us what you’re here for?”

“I have Shannon’s other earring.” Dylan twisted her purse strap. “I found it before at Swaggert’s garage.”