Irrefutable (16 page)

“You became human.” She said, and closed his door.

She smiled and shook her head as she walked around the car to the driver’s side. She had seen Alex in this state before, but it had been a few years. She knew him better than anyone. She had seen him at the bottom and had helped him climb from the depths of his depression. She also lost someone dear when Allyson died. Helping Alex and Carmen deal with their loss had been therapeutic for her as well. It was a bond they shared, whether Alex admitted it or not.

“I think I love you.” Alex said when she got in the car.

“I wish I could believe that,” she said dismissively, “It’s just the alcohol talking.”

Alex couldn’t believe that came out of his mouth. The alcohol was indeed talking, but Rachel was an angel, especially after Allyson died. But she has seen him at his worst and now she’s seeing him that way again. How could he possibly think she could see past all his weaknesses, all his faults? On the other hand, she has seen him at his worst, in all his lowest moments, but still, she seemed to care for him. “She understands me,” he said softly, not realizing he said it out loud. He looked at Rachel who was trying to hide the tear that ran down her cheek.

Alex’s hands explored the console and dash of the BMW. He opened the glove compartment and the nickel plated .38 slid into view.

“What’s this?” he asked, holding the gun up for a better look.

“I’m a prosecutor, Alex. I’m sure I’ve made plenty of enemies.” She took the gun from him and placed it back into the glove compartment.

Alex didn’t remember the ride home, but here he was, sitting on the side of his bed with Rachel removing his shoes. “What are you doing?”

“I’ve got to get you in bed.” She blushed when she realized how that sounded.

“Are you trying to take advantage of me?” he said, with a smile.

“If I wanted to take advantage of you, you’d know it.” She said. “Come on. Let’s get your pants off.” Now she was having fun.

Alex stood to unbutton his pants. “Turn around. I don’t want you to see me in my undies.”

Rachel turned around, laughing to herself. Alex removed his pants and grabbed Rachel by the shoulders and spun her around, pulling her on top of him as he fell backwards on the bed.

“What are you doing?” she said, giggling.

Alex pulled her close. He watched her eyes close as their lips met.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” she asked.

Alex pressed his finger to her lips. “Don’t talk.” He kissed her again as he reached to pull her shirt over her head.

The loneliness inside him began to fade. Two years of tension, two years of denying his need for true human contact, erupted in an explosion of passion as they made love.

Chapter Twenty

“I hope you’re proud.” Carmen said from the door of Alex’s bedroom. “I’m going to school. I took some lunch money out of your wallet.”

Alex raised his head, just enough to look at her, but she was gone. He rubbed his eyes and tried to sit up but the pounding in his head quickly made him think twice. He gently returned his head to his pillow. “It wasn’t him.” He said out loud, to no one in particular. This morning it didn’t strike him nearly as funny. He turned his head, against the throbbing, toward the clock on his night stand. Seven thirty. “Carmen.” He called out as loudly as the pain in his head would allow. He waited several seconds. The only response was the slamming of the front door. If she heard him, she was ignoring him. Alex couldn’t blame her. He was certainly not proud. Drive that wedge a little deeper, he thought. I wonder if they have father/daughter couple’s therapy?

He picked up the phone and dialed Rachel’s number. After five rings, her voicemail greeting came as a welcome relief. He would rather apologize to a machine than actually talk to her. “Hey, um…I wanted to apologize for the way I acted yesterday. I’m a little embarrassed. He struggled for what to say. After several seconds of his silent search for words, he decided to try again later.

“How’s the head?” Rachel said just as Alex was about to hang up.

“Oh, hey. I was…”

“I know, you wanted to say you’re sorry but then were too embarrassed and couldn’t think of anything else to say.”

“Something like that.” He said. “I am embarrassed. Guess I can’t hold my liquor like I used to, but more than that, I wanted to say I’m sorry and Thanks for…well, you know.”

“You don’t have to apologize to me. Besides, it meant a lot to me.”

“What did? What do you mean?”

“Are you serious?” She said.

“Serious about what?” Alex sat up in the bed. He cringed as the throbbing in his head became violent. “What are you talking about?”

“Oh, nothing. I’m just glad I could be there for you.”

There was a moment of awkward silence. “So, Levine didn’t match, huh?” Alex said, finally.

“That’s what I was told.”

“I guess I owe him an apology too, don’t I?” Alex said, rubbing his eyes.

“You can’t un-ring a bell, you know.” Rachel said. “It may not fix things but it certainly couldn’t hurt. It goes a long way when a man can admit when he’s wrong.” There was a moment of awkward silence. “I need to talk to you about something else. Can we meet for breakfast?”

“Oh God, just thinking about food makes me want to die.”

“Well coffee then. I’m sure you could use some. Meet me at Chelsea’s.”

“Fine. Give me half an hour.” Alex’s phone beeped. There was another incoming call. “Hang on, someone’s calling me.”

“That’ okay. I’ll just let you go. Chelsea’s in thirty. Bye.”

Alex pressed the flash button. “Hello.”

“Alex, Samuels here. We have a match. We’re making the arrest this morning.”

_________

Chelsea’s was busy with its usual late breakfast crowd. Alex scanned the seats but couldn’t see Rachel.
Maybe she’s running late.
He finally saw her when she waved her arms in the air from a booth near the back of the diner. Alex made his way down the narrow isle of the crowded diner. Several people looked at him and whispered to others as he passed.
Why the hell is everyone looking at me?

“I took the liberty of ordering coffee.” she said as Alex sat across from her.

“I can’t believe how crowded it is in here at this hour.” Alex said. It was then that he noticed something different in Rachel’s face. Her usual smile was gone. In its place, fine lines caused by worry. Her usual sparkling eyes were red and tired looking. Alex had a sudden sinking feeling. Something was wrong.

“Have you seen this?” Rachel handed Alex the morning news paper.

“Seen what?” he took the paper and read the headline.

‘
Suspect identified in serial rape investigation, after Lead detective suspended while under care of psychiatrist. Arrest expected today.’

Alex sat in stunned silence. Rachel nervously chewed on a fingernail while she watched Alex read.

He read the story then reread the headline. “They make it sound like I was suspended because I’m crazy.”

“That may be true, but what concerns me is the fact that they got this story so fast.” Rachel said. “It’s almost like they had the story ready to print before it happened.”

“I guess it was quick, wasn’t it?”

“I know the department would not release this kind of information.” Rachel stopped biting her nail and took a drink of coffee.

“Not officially.” Alex agreed.

“There is someone on the inside with a connection to the press.”

“Who would do something like this?”

“Well, let’s see. Who had the most to gain?” Rachel said with a raised eyebrow.

“By making my suspension public?”

“By having you out of the way.”

Alex sat quietly, trying to figure out what Rachel was saying.

“Who gets credit for making the arrest? Who is the
instant hero
on the front page of the paper?”

“Samuels? You think Samuels is behind this?”

“No, not by herself anyway. I don’t think she’s that smart. But, she could be easily manipulated.”

“By who?”

“Think about it. How else would the paper have gotten the story so fast? Some reporter makes Samuels the public hero in exchange for inside information to break the story. I mean look at the timing.”

“It’s just coincidence.” Alex said. “The DNA results came back the same day I was suspended. That’s just incredible timing. And Samuels was the only other person working the case.”

“Notice how they didn’t give the suspects name?”

“They didn’t want to give him any warning. They didn’t want him to run.”

“They’re saving it for tomorrow’s headline.” Rachel said with disgust. “They’ll have the guy’s mug shot right beside the picture of the arresting officer. So, she get’s not only her name, but her picture on the front page as well.”

“You seem to be taking this harder that I am.” He said, leaning toward her. “Why is that?”

Rachel looked down at her coffee, avoiding his gaze, trying to wipe a tear before Alex could see it run down her cheek “You’ve put so much into this case. It’s not fair having it pulled out from under you like this.”

“Look at me” Alex placed his folded finger under her chin and gently raised her face toward him. “It’s not the paper. What’s going on? Why the tears?”

“I just can’t stand to see someone I care about so much, being dragged through the mud like this.”

“Hey, at least they didn’t put my picture in there.” Alex said, smiling. His smile faded as what Rachel said found home. “Someone you care about so much?”

Rachel wiped a tear and chuckled. “Look at me, blubbering like a school girl.”

Alex looked at her, trying to see what was going on in her head.

“You really don’t remember last night, do you?”

“I remember you saving me from my demons at the bar.”

“What’s the last thing you
do
remember?” She said, looking down at the table as she blushed.

“You dragged me out of the bar and helped me into your car. It’s pretty much a blank after that. Next thing I know, Carmen’s saying something about me being proud of myself.”

“Well first, it was
your
car. And, during that
blank...
we made love.” Rachel slowly looked up at him, seeming half afraid to see his reaction.

Alex sat silent, desperately searching his memory. Surely he would’ve remembered something like that. Giving up on trying to remember, he searched for something to say. He had never felt this awkward. “So…how was I?”

Rachel’s relief escaped as a soft chuckle. “You were wonderful.”

“Thank God, I would have hated to give a bad impression. At least one of us can have a good memory of it.”

“So, what are you going to do?”

Alex felt a lump rising in his throat. Having sex with her was a mistake made by a drunken fool. He wasn’t ready for a relationship. His life was complicated enough. “I think we should just consider it a lack of judgment on my part…I’m really not ready to ruin our friendship with…”

“I mean about the news paper.”

Alex blushed, but felt instant relief. “Oh, there’s not much I can do is there?”

“Samuels is a lesbian right? I think she must be in a relationship with that reporter. She’s feeding her information.”

“Samuels will hang herself eventually.” Alex said. “She’s not the sharpest knife in the drawer.”

“What about the case? Can she handle it without screwing things up?”

“No. I have to get myself re-instated.”

“How?”

“I’m not sure. I think I need to talk to Dr. Reynolds.”

“How can she help?”

“I’m not sure about that either.”

_________

Kathy Samuels was finally doing something that was familiar to her. She had made hundreds of arrests in the past. She took two uniformed officers with her as a show of force. She didn’t want any resistance. The plan was simple. They would show the warrant to the general manager, have him direct them to the suspect’s work station, where they would make the arrest.

It was nine thirty-five when the three police cars entered the dealership lot. Samuels and the uniformed officers entered the showroom through the front door and walked toward the office of Raymond Greer. Sales staff gathered at one end of the floor while heads appeared in the doorways of the small, glass walled offices of sales support and finance staff.

“Mr. Greer, I’m Officer Kathy Samuels with the Cypress Village Police. I have a warrant for one of your employees.” She showed Greer her badge and handed him the warrant.

Greer looked over the piece of paper. A look of disbelief came over his face. “There must be some mistake.” He handed the paper back to Samuels.

“No sir, I’m afraid there’s no mistake.” She said. “Could you please direct us to his location?”

“Of course,” Greer stood and walked out of his office. “I just can’t believe it.”

The three officers followed him into the service area.

“That’s him, over there.” Greer pointed to the podium in the center of the greeting area.

Samuels approached the podium. “Michael Dupree?”

“Yes, can I help you?” the man said.

“Mr. Dupree, you are under arrest for rape.”