Irrefutable (15 page)

Chapter Nineteen

“Where’s Levine?” Alex shouted.

All activity in the ER came to a sudden stop. Every head turned toward the voice, as the words lingered in the air like a putrid smoke. No one spoke. Patients and family members peered from their rooms, all eager to get a view of the spectacle.

“Where is he?” He was louder this time. He walked toward the break room, looking into patient rooms as he passed. He threw the break room door open. Seeing it was empty, he turned and walked toward the doctor’s area of the station.

“Alex, what are you doing?” Janet came from the supply room. She stood in front of him and placed her hands on his chest.

Alex tried to step around her, looking down the side hall, but Janet moved in front of him, blocking his way. “What the hell are you doing?” she repeated.

Alex stopped and looked at her. “That son-of-a-bitch came to my house, trying to scare my daughter.”

“What are you talking about? When?”

“This afternoon. She was home alone.” He said, beginning to speak more calmly, “He drove by several times and actually parked in front of the house. She went out to see who it was and he took off.”

“But Alex, you’re making a scene. You can’t do this.”

“The hell I can’t.” He said through clenched teeth, “Where is he?”

“Can I help you detective?” Levine said walking from behind Alex. He wiped his hands with a paper towel and stood at the end of the counter of the nurse’s station.

Alex approached him. “I don’t know what you’re trying to prove,” he said, moving closer, leaning within inches of Levine’s face, “but you just crossed the line.”

Janet tried to move between the two men. “Guys, please.”

“What are you going to do,” said Levine, “arrest me for driving on a public street?”

“You don’t get it do you?” Alex said, as he backed away slightly, “I’m not here as a cop. I’m here as a father.”

Levine just rolled his eyes and smiled.

“But, I wouldn’t expect you to understand? You were arrested for molesting your daughter.” Alex said very loudly, pointing his finger close to Levine’s face. “I guess there wouldn’t be much of a protective instinct, would there?”

“You son-of-a-bitch,” Levine shouted, his face turning red. “How dare you come to my place of employment and attack my character. I’ll have your badge. I’ll sue you for slander.”

Janet pushed Alex away from Levine. “You’re gonna get yourself in trouble. Stop it. You need to leave.” she said, firmly.

Alex looked around the department. Every eye was on him. Mouths open in stunned silence. He returned his gaze to Levine. “Don’t let me see you near my daughter or my house again.” He looked around again then turned and walked out through the ambulance entrance.

Janet followed him outside. “Are you mad?” she said, grabbing his shirt sleeve, “He’ll have your job. He has two dozen witnesses.”

“I didn’t do anything wrong. I didn’t touch him. I didn’t threaten him.” Alex turned and looked Janet in the eyes, “All I did was tell him not to go near my daughter or my house.”

“What the hell was that about him molesting his daughter? You think he’ll just let that slide?”

“I was simply stating a fact. There’s nothing slanderous about it. It’s public information.” Alex’s scowl turned to a smile, “Do you think I got his attention?”

_________

Alex’s heart was still pounding as he drove back to the station. He smiled then laughed out loud as he shook his head, not believing what he had just done.

“That was very smooth,” Allyson said. “Are you trying to get fired so you have no way to support our daughter?”

“I won’t get fired,” he assured her. “I did nothing more than shake the tree, rustle the bushes. I want to see what I can flush out.”

“You humiliated the man in public. Do you think he’ll just sit back and not retaliate? If he’s as unstable as you say, he may try to do more than just scare Carmen.”

“Relax. He may be unstable, but he’s not stupid. I think I got my message across. I won’t even get suspended.”

_________

“You wanted to see me?” Alex said as he entered Phelps’ office.

“You’re suspended until further notice.” Phelps growled, pacing back and forth behind his desk. “The man said you threatened him. What the hell were you thinking?”

Alex closed the door. “I didn’t do anything wrong. I made no threat, I didn’t even touch him.”

“You made a scene and embarrassed the department.” Phelps shouted.

“Lieutenant, He threatened my daughter. He drove by my house and stopped in front of it twice while Carmen was home alone. There’s something not right about this guy.” Alex said, “He fits the profile, and when I started snooping around he reacted like a guilty man. You saw how he was when I brought him in for questioning.” Alex paused and looked Phelps in the eye. “As soon as you made me release him, he went to my house. He knew I wouldn’t be there. Why else would he do that, other than to try to intimidate me by scaring the hell out of my daughter?”

“I’m sorry Alex. We can’t have, what the public would see as, a loose cannon in this department without some form of disciplinary action. I don’t have a choice.”

“Who’s going to work this case?” Alex pleaded. “I’m the only one who knows anything about it.”

“Samuels is up to speed on it. She can wait for DNA results, same as you.” Phelps said. “If need be, I can pull Morris and put him on it.”

“Samuels?” Alex laughed. “She has no instinct. She’s not a detective. She’s a patrol cop for crying out loud.”

Phelps lowered his head, “I need your badge and I.D.”

Alex stared at him for a moment, then removed the badge and I.D. from his belt and slammed them on the desk. “This is bullshit and you know it”

“And your side arm.” Phelps said.

“This is my personal weapon.”

“Then you know you can’t carry it, right?”

Alex said nothing.

“Look, you’re a good cop, but my hands are tied. Maybe you can apologize and get him to drop the suit.”

“Will that get me reinstated?”

“I can’t promise anything, but it couldn’t hurt.”

The two men stared at each other until it became too uncomfortable.

“Thanks for nothing.” Alex said, turning to leave.

“Get him to drop the suit, and I’ll go to bat for you with the chief.”

Samuels sat her desk, pretending she hadn’t heard the exchange.

“Looks like you’re lead on this case.” Alex said, standing in front of his desk.

“What do you mean? What happened?”

“I’m suspended. I go to confront the man who threatened my family and I’m the one who gets screwed.” Alex picked up the file folder from his desk. “The lab should have results today on Levine’s DNA. Let me know when you get it, would you?” He placed the folder in front of Samuels, the passing of the torch. “I can still help from the sidelines. Let me know if you need anything. In the meantime, I’m gonna go have a drink.”

Samuels said nothing. She just watched as Alex walked to the elevator.

_________

Alex drove east on the De Leon parkway.

“I’m proud of you.” Allyson said.

“I got myself suspended.” Alex said, without looking at her. “What could you possibly be proud of?”

“You acted on emotion. You showed that you’re still human after all.” She said.

“Yeah, and you see where it got me.”

“Where did it get you Alex? You may not realize it, but I think you may have found a little self respect. I know as well as you that you feel like a failure as a father. You blame yourself for the whole situation.”

Alex said nothing. He wiped a small tear from his eye.

“You were protecting our daughter. You stepped outside the line and became a father, not just a cop with a daughter.”

Alex pulled into the parking lot of The Loft. He had spent a lot of time, and money, here after Allyson died. At this time of day, it would be slow. He could sit at the bar, alone with his thoughts.

“I don’t think this is a good idea.” Allyson said. “You won’t see any clearer through the bottom of a shot glass.”

“Don’t worry,” he said, “I don’t want to see anything at all.”

The loft was geared toward the college crowd. It featured live entertainment on the weekends and was usually standing room only on any given Friday night. Today though, it was quiet, with no more than a dozen people scattered between three or four tables. The stage was dark and empty, not unlike Alex’s soul. One person sat at the near end of the bar. Alex walked to the other end and sat on the last stool.

“Hey detective, been a long time. What’ll it be?” He was a thin man of about thirty. He had grown his hair a little since Alex last saw him.

“Hey Jake,” Alex said, “A shot of Crown. Make it a double.” He propped his elbows on the bar and rested his chin on his interlocked fingers.

“Can I get you a menu?” Jake asked, as he placed the drink in front of Alex.

“No thanks, just another one of these.” Alex turned the glass up, downing the drink.

“So, how’ve you been?” Jake asked as he refilled the glass.

“I’ve been better.” Alex downed the second drink in the same fashion and held the empty glass up, indicating his desire for a refill.

Jake looked at Alex for several seconds, then filled the glass again.

Alex sat in silence for several minutes, reliving the morning’s events. “Have you ever done anything stupid? I mean, really stupid?” He was already beginning to feel the alcohol.

“Me? Never.” Jake smiled. “Unless you want to count my first marriage.”

Alex pondered what Jake said for a moment. “You know, I was married once. Didn’t end well.” he said, shaking his head. He was beginning to slur. He downed the third drink and placed the empty glass on the bar.

“It may be none of my business, but you might want to pace yourself. It’s not even noon yet.”

Alex looked at his watch. He couldn’t focus. He extended his arm for a better view. “So it isn’t.”

“Why don’t I get you something to eat?” Jake said, with a tone of concern in his voice. “How ‘bout a sandwich? A BLT or something?”

“Sure.” Alex said, throwing up his hands in resignation.

“I thought I might find you here.”

Alex turned to the voice beside him as Rachel sat on the stool next to him.

“Hey.” He said, “How ‘bout a drink?”

“No thanks, it looks like you doing fine on your own.”

“What are you doing here?” Alex slurred

“Your partner called me.”

“I don’t have a partner.” He tipped the empty glass to his mouth then held it front of him, turning it upside down to make sure it was empty.

“Samuels. She told me what happened. Said you were going to have a drink. She’s worried about you.”

Alex held up his empty glass. “How ‘bout one more?”

Rachel looked at Jake and waved her outstretched fingers across her throat.

“Lady says you’ve had enough.” Jake said. “I’m inclined to agree.” He took the glass and wiped the bar with a damp rag, then walked to the other end of the bar.

“I’m afraid I do have some troubling news.” Rachel said.

“Oh, good.” Alex said as he stared straight ahead.

“Maybe this isn’t the best time.”

“Oh, your news couldn’t possibly make things any worse.”

“They got the DNA results on Levine.” She paused for a moment.

Alex didn’t respond.

“Alex, he didn’t match. It’s not him.”

Alex sat silently; still looking straight ahead at nothing, then began to laugh. He laughed hysterically, pounding the bar with the heel of his hand. People in the bar all looked in his direction as he laughed louder and louder.

Rachel paid the tab and apologized to the bartender.

“Let’s get you home.” Rachel said. She gently pulled Alex’s arm. “Come on, I’ll drive you.”

Alex looked at Rachel. “Not him, huh?” He began to laugh again.

Rachel pulled again, this time coaxing him from the stool. She held him under his arm as they walked toward the door.

Alex turned and threw his hands up. “It wasn’t him,” he announced to the people at the tables, as he stumbled sideways.

Rachel pulled once more and Alex followed her out of the building.

“What the hell have I done?” he asked as she tightened his seatbelt.