After the Evil – A Jake Roberts Novel (Book 1) (13 page)

“Well, I’m impressed, an on-time arrival,” she
says.

She notices I didn’t get the joke.

“Industry talk. Sorry. Hello Jake, it’s wonderful to
see you again.”

I feel awkward, me the hard-nosed cop who has seen
it all. She has some kind of mystical power over me. She is my
kryptonite. At that moment, I can barely remember Mika, Harmon, my
job, or the girl. I just want Lori Powers to like me. She controls
everything, including my heartbeat.

“You look great, really great.”

The entire opening scene of our date is going by at
light speed.

“So where is this ‘unique and different’ place we’re
going to?”

“I thought we’d give magic a try, the world of
deception.”

That brings a bewildered look to her face, which
suggests I need to sell her on my idea.

“There’s a theater downtown where they perform magic
shows. My favorite restaurant is across the street. I’ve always
wanted to go to one of the shows, but I thought I’d save it for
when I met someone special.”

Her expression changed to excitement. I had scored a
point.

“What a fantastic idea, I’ve never seen a real magic
show. Oh, this is going to be fun.”

Her reassurance opens my pressure valve.

“There’s only one problem.”

My head drops and I solicit her pity.

“I don’t have a car, you know, like a real car. I
just have my department issued, unmarked cop car.”

I point at it in the street with a look of
sorrow.

“Umm, that’s a police car all right.”

She contemplates for a moment.

“I have an idea. We can go in my car, but you’ll
have to drive.”

She digs into her purse and holds out the key.

“It’s in the garage.”

Attached to the key ring is a dangling Lexus
logo.

I dream about owning a Lexus, but on department pay
there is no way I can afford it, unless I start taking bribes. Only
with great self-control do I keep from jumping off the porch and
running to the garage. While she locks up the house, I pull up hard
on the garage door. A moment of silence takes place as I take it
all in. Dragging my fingers across the smooth and silky silver
finish, I make my way to the driver side door. As I open it, the
rich smell of the leather interior permeates my nostrils. I breathe
in deep as my butt slides into the seat. For a moment, just a
millisecond, I almost forget the most beautiful woman in the world
is waiting for me.

Trying to impress her, I appreciate the
extraordinary and exquisite things of life, I back out carefully. I
also want Lori to know I can care for something, or someone
special. I stop backing up when she is at the passenger door, and
hustle around the other side to open the door for her. As she is
seated, I get a smile. I’m in Fantasyland. In the driver’s seat, I
press the automatic door locks and try to be funny.

“I don’t want you to escape.”

I laugh certain she gets my joke, but she has a
strange look again.

The theater itself is impressive. The interior is
elegant with deep, rich wooden pillars that elevate the ceiling
toward heaven. Balconies surround the main floor, which is covered
in thick, plush carpeting. The walls are adorned in tapestries, and
mirror. Spotlights highlight the crimson curtains, drawn together
on the stage. Classical music plays. I would never have guessed
there was so much interest in magic shows. The place is sold out. I
watch every man in the room watch Lori as we find our seats. It is
obvious they are as captivated by her as I am. Each of them knows
if she suggested an encounter, they would fall to their knees. As
Lori stares up at the stage with anticipation, she takes my hand
and squeezes it tight.

The curtains rise. So does Little Jake.

* * *

Megan was to meet the captain in the lobby an hour
after the crew had checked into the layover hotel. They would steal
away to an elegant, expensive restaurant and dine the night away.
Aware of his weakness for younger women, Megan planned to keep
baiting him to come back for more. As she strengthened her position
over time, she would convince him to leave his wife, and marry her.
As she finished with her hair and makeup at the mirror, she stepped
back to take one last look. She checked for lipstick on her teeth.
The print top that accented her breasts and the short black skirt
over black heels was perfect. She felt tempting. Her plan went even
better than she imagined. The conversation at dinner was some of
the best she had ever articulated. She laughed at all of his jokes
and sympathized with him for the failing marriage he said he was
forced to endure.

After the bill had been paid, they left the
restaurant and decided to walk back to the hotel. It was a night
she would never forget. The moon was glorious, the stars brilliant,
and the outside temperature temperate. At her hotel room door,
Megan maneuvered her computer-encoded room key in and out of the
lock. Nick asked politely if he could come in as she gently nudged
the door open. She stepped forward. She lightly touched the back of
his neck.

“Nick, I don’t think that would be a good idea. The
other crewmembers are on this floor. Don’t you think we should wait
until––?”

In an instant, and without warning, she felt his
hand contact her chest pushing her back into the room. She caught
herself on her heels before falling to the floor. She watched as he
closed the door behind him. Right before her eyes, Nick Parker
changed from a charming, respectful gentleman, into a malevolent
beast. The smile on his face was gone. As he walked toward her, she
stepped back until she felt the bed against the back of her knees.
He shoved her again and she fell back onto the bed. She was
startled and afraid.

“What are you doing?”

“Take off your clothes.”

The shock of what was happening paralyzed her. She
could not get her arms, or feet to move. She didn’t have the
strength to fight him. She could never have imagined he would
behave in such a barbaric way. He removed his shirt.

“I’m not going to say it again, take off your
clothes.”

He raised a backhand and she ducked to avoid the
impact. Although he did not deliver the blow, she got the message.
Paralyzed by what was happening, she could only stare at him. She
thought to distract him long enough to get to the hallway, or to
the phone to call for help, but instead she did as she was told.
The scene passed by her in slow motion. After having believed she
was stronger, Megan now trembled uncontrollably. He maneuvered out
of the rest of his clothes.

“Resisting will only excite me. If you do anything,
other than submit, I’ll see to it you’re fired. You know whatever
story you tell, won’t hold up against the word of a captain. I have
a lot of friends at the airline.”

He tried to sound consoling.

“Don’t worry, nobody will ever know about our dirty
little secret.”

The rate and depth of her breathing made her
lightheaded. She couldn’t remember how he forced himself into her.
She regretted drinking the champagne. She felt foolish for thinking
she could control him, and closed her eyes tight while he
unmercifully ravaged her. Frightened by her belief of his purported
power over her, she did not resist. Then it was over. He huffed as
he got off her. Megan lay on the bed motionless with her eyes still
closed. She prayed she would not remember the nightmare. She felt
dirty and violated. The thought he might attack her again gave her
a chill, but he dressed at the foot of the bed while he watched
her. She waited for him to speak, to apologize, and say something
that would convince her he wasn’t an animal. She wanted to hear
believable words of remorse, but the only words she heard included
blame.

“You asked for this. It’s your fault.”

He continued to berate her, while he tucked his
shirt into his trousers.

“You’re no different than the other crafty,
conniving little harlots looking to hook up with a financial
portfolio. You use your bodies to tease then pretend you’re
surprised when you get this.”

He grabbed his dick.

“By the way, you play the fearful, young prey part
very well. I liked it.”

Megan was revolted and quietly cursed him inside.
She wanted him to be afraid of her. She wanted him punished. As he
leaned into her face, she tried to hit him with an open hand. He
caught it in midair. They stared at one another with looks that
could kill until he released her hand. He ratcheted her neck and
held it tight. Megan started choking.

“That’s not going to work little girl, it’s too late
for that.”

He released his grip on her throat. Megan’s shaking
hands covered her face. She didn’t see him walk toward the door.
Before Parker left her to the solitude of her hotel room, he left
Megan something else to think about.

“Remember, keep your mouth shut. By the way, we’ll
do this again, soon. Maybe next time you’ll persuade me I want to
keep you.”

He left with a contemptuous smile confident she
would not break. It was awhile before Megan got up and walked into
the bathroom. She removed her clothes and entered the shower where
she washed repeatedly. When she believed she had cleansed away his
dirt, she dried herself. As if sleepwalking she returned to the bed
and tore away the sheets letting them fall to the floor. She curled
up on the exposed mattress, in the fetal position, and cried. She
stared at the clock until it was time to leave.

She knew he would be in the van with the rest of the
crew when they left for the airport. Normally talkative, Megan sat
quietly and did not engage any of the other crewmembers in
conversation. She was sure they knew what had happened. Parker, she
thought, probably bragged about it. Although she did not
acknowledge him, she could feel his stare during the brief drive to
the airfield. She felt sick.

* * *

“I got something.”

The confident excitement in Harmon’s voice was
unmistakable. He was dancing as if he had just finished six months
on the road with James Brown. Mika launched herself at him grabbing
at his strong forearms.

“What, what’ve you got? Don’t you screw with me,
Harmon Blackwell, not in my present state of mind.”

Mika had been on edge waiting for something,
anything to move the investigation forward. She had searched files
and crime scenes hundreds of times. She shook Harmon hard. It felt
as if the San Andreas Fault was quaking. Harmon acted out boxing
with her, bobbing and weaving just to instigate. He added some
irritating needling that caused Mika to go ballistic.

“Come on little FBI woman, bring it on.”

He stopped dancing and took a casual look around the
room. He saw his co- workers were snickering behind hand-hidden
smiles. As far as he could determine, he had to surrender.

“Okay Wonder Woman, you win.”

Fairchild was on the perimeter grinning. Mika stood
in Harmon’s face with her hands pressed against her hips.

“Give it up.”

“I talked to a guy out by Abrams’s place, a guy we
missed the first time around, a neighbor. The guy’s been out of
town visiting relatives. He just got back. He said he saw...”

Harmon read from his notepad.

“A silver foreign car leaving Abrams’s driveway as
he was driving away that night.”

Mika’s gaze went through him. Fairchild’s eyebrow
arched. Everyone waited while she contemplated the development.

“That’s it, all of it?”

“Uh-huh.”

Harmon’s proud smile slowly washed away and he no
longer expected a victory hug from Mika.

“A late-model, silver foreign car.”

She repeated it while turning away.

“Okay, it’s something, something is better than
nothing.”

She thought for a moment then in a flurry started
shouting orders.

“I want to know who owns a late model, silver
foreign car in a radius of fifty miles people.”

No one moved, instead they deferred to Fairchild for
guidance. He didn’t have to say a word because a simple gesture
would have been enough, but he said it anyway.

“You heard the agent, get moving.”

The hustle began. Mika looked at him and mouthed the
words “thank you.”

Ed simply returned a smile.

It feels like we’ve known each other forever, and I
have been born again. A lot fell out onto the table during dinner.
The world looks pretty much the same to us. She
hears
what
I’m saying.

As we walk to her car, we pass beneath a halogen
streetlight that illuminates the parking lot. She reaches to take
my arm, but that brings a grimace to my face.

“Jake, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, just a little sore.”

“I forgot, I’m really sorry.”

She displays real concern. I cradle my arm.

“Really, I’m fine. You looked like you wanted to say
something just before.”

I watch as my little do jet d’art shyly looks back
at me.

“You’ll probably think it’s silly.”

In all of my years on the job, silly wasn’t
something I had found anything to be. I want her to feel at ease
and comfortable.

“There’s no silly, now
stupid
, I know stupid,
but not silly.”

She hides a smile behind her hand. I watch her eyes
come up to meet mine. She hesitates, studies then decides to go
ahead.

“I was wondering.”

“About?”

“I was wondering what a Jake Roberts kiss would be
like.”

Her eyes widened.

A Jake Roberts kiss? She wants to know what a Jake
Robert’s kiss is like.

All I have been thinking about is what a Lori Powers
kiss would be like. The only thing I wasn’t sure of, was whether or
not, I should chance it. We were both at a time in our lives when
we needed someone to make us whole, someone to love. As my arms
surround her, Lori’s hands slip around my waist and up my back. Our
embrace intensifies as we anticipate riding on an emotional wave.
We hold on tight. Her lips press against mine and I spiral up into
another galaxy. I forgot what passion was like, and I had given up
on love believing I had been sentenced to the isolation of my cave
long ago. Right now, at this moment, I’m not alone. Lori feels it
too. After the kiss, she rests her head on my shoulder and whispers
into my ear.