Killing Roses

2__Naughty secrets

“Yo, Parker! Lieutenant wants you in his office pronto!”

Roman barely lifted his head, grunting his response. His colleague moved on, having expected little else. Everyone in their district knew just how ice-cold Roman Parker could be and what’s more, they knew where it came from.

He was a good cop, one of the best and that’s all they needed from him so they steered clear out of his way. Most of them.

“Hey, Rommie Romaaaan! Sup, son?”

Officer Daniel Stark slid his butt onto Roman’s desk like an exotic dancer, making Roman raise his eyes in a frosty glare.

“What, Stark?” he demanded.

Stark wasn’t deterred. His grin stayed wide and his blue eyes twinkled as he slapped Roman on the shoulder.

“Have you heard the news, buddy? You’re gonna make Detective! Congrats on nabbing that psychopath!”

Roman grunted and shoved away the file he was reading through. He’d felt it in his gut when he was hauling in that serial kidnapper, he knew it would bring in either a disciplinary hearing for butting into a case that was none of his business or worse, a promotion like this one.

Daniel chuckled happily, yanking a pen out of Roman’s pencil jar to twirl between his fingers.

Sighing, Roman stood, trying to ignore the churning in his stomach.

Detective. They could call him crazy, but he didn’t want to make detective, he wanted to stay an officer, an everyday cop who cracked the bad guys out and busted their guts open.

Being a Detective meant directly working on cases. Solving some and watching others go stone-cold, zero leads, zero suspects, plenty disappointment. He didn’t want to have to tell a family that he was unable to find the sick bastard who kidnapped their child or the psychopath who raped and killed their mother.

Clenching his jaw, he grabbed the pen out of Daniel’s hand and threw it back into his jar before stalking away to change the Lieutenant’s mind.

Daniel hopped off the desk and raised his hand as he watched Roman walk away. “How about drinks after the shift to celebrate?!” he called. Roman didn’t respond and Daniel chuckled. “He loves me,” he informed a passing cop who couldn’t have given a damn.

Roman knocked twice on Lieutenant William Davis’ door and heard a deep voice grant him entrance.

Davis spun around in his chair as Roman entered, offering his currently favorite cop half a millimeter of a smile.

“Parker,” he greeted. “Sit.”

Roman set his hands on the back of the chair, making it clear that he had no intention of sitting.

“I don’t want it, Chief,” he immediately stated and Lieutenant Davis seemed to visibly deflate in his seat.

“You should sit so we talk about this—”

“Lieutenant—”

“Sit, Parker. That’s an order.”

Roman fought against the urge to snarl and with careful precision, pulled out the chair and lowered himself into it.

“Now, look here, son,” said Davis when Roman was seated. “I know all about your dislike for the Detective position…” Roman silently stared at him. “…I know,” continued Davis. “But, you have to understand, Parker that you’re one of the best this Department’s seen. You only further proved that with the way you cracked that serial kidnapping case all by your damn self. Dragged that bastard in here by his collar and you didn’t even realize you was shot!”

“I wasn’t shot, it was a scratch. I wasn’t on that case!!” Roman defended. “It’s not like I investigated it, I came across him by chance in that convenience store and just happened pick up the energy on that bastard—”

“It was a scratch from a bullet that was a centimeter away from bursting into your organ. Also, you found him, you tracked him down, saving ten girls in the bastard’s keeping, single-handedly!”

“Goddammit, Chief.”

“You lost him outside that convenience store, didn’ ya?” continued the Lieutenant with a twinkle in his old blue eyes. “How did you find him again? See that gut instinct? Those skills that let you track that bastard’s moves in a way that the Detectives on the case couldn’t, that’s what we need in the Department.”

Roman clenched his jaw. “If I said yes,” he began. “What department would you have me in?”

Lieutenant Davis cleared his throat, guiltily pushing a hand through his unruly grey hair.

“Uhm… Homicide.”

“Jesus, Chief!” Roman pushed out of his chair, stalking across the room in suppressed frustration.

“Now, come on, Parker—”

“Gimme somethin’ else, Lieutenant. Please.”

Lieutenant Davis shook his head. “That’s what they decided, Parker,” he stated, pointing above him. “It’s not that bad, think about it. The hours might be—”

“I’m not worried about workin’ long hours, Chief,” Roman shook his head. “I don’t know if I can cope with all the sick bastards I have to put down. You want to sign me up for a shrink, is that what you want?” he asked and Davis chuckled.

“I’ll get you a month’s subscription.”

When Roman didn’t even smile, Davis sighed and put his hands together. “Okay, Parker. Here’s the deal. You accept this promotion and… I’ll help you find him.”

Roman froze. A minute of silence passed between them and Davis let him consider his offer.

“And if you can’t?” Roman asked quietly. “I tried. For years, I tried. I’m still trying!”

Davis shrugged. “Got plenty contacts, son. I can reach where you never could and even farther. So, how ‘bout it?”

Roman felt the struggle mount inside him. He paced, clenching and unclenching his fists. Could he possibly find Liam after all these years? Could it really happen?

He didn’t know. But Roman was certain that if he didn’t try again, he’d come to regret it bitterly.

So sighing, he glanced into Davis’ confident eyes and nodded once. “Fine.”

*****************

17:10, Social Services Department

“Don’t feed me that legal crap, you b***h! I love my baby, ya hear me? All you little social workin’ bitches think y’all know us, but y’all don’t.”

Valerie sighed, rubbing her temples as the woman on the phone yelled out more obscenities about Valerie’s mother and something about her “raggedy ass”.

Dragging the phone away from her ear when the woman hung up on a final curse, Valerie put it in its holder on her desk.

God knows what possessed her to answer the damn phone when she was off the clock anyway. Well, at least this call on the records will help keep the crazy woman away from her innocent child. Wonder woman: one, sick, abusive parent: zero.

Smiling, she took careful steps out of her office in the mile-high heels that had been hurting for the past hour and gave Valentina half a smile as she stepped out of her own office.

“Headed home?” Valerie asked and Tina nodded.

“Yes, but the work follows,” she said lifting the brown folder clutched in her hand. “Listen, sorry to bother you, babe, but my sister took my car around noon, can you call me a cab, please? Your girl is so tired.”

“Mm,” Valerie nodded, reaching down into her handbag for her phone.

“I had to run out for six different cases today,” murmured Valentina tiredly. “I swear some of these parents tempt me to buy a damn gun.”

Valerie hummed in agreement again, frowning slightly as she failed to get a hold of her phone. Holding her bag open, she peered into it.

“Where the hell’s my phone?”

“You lost your iPhone?” Valentina queried tiredly.

“It’s disappeared!” said Valerie. “I mean, I had…”

She trailed off as memories of her beloved phone clutched in the masculine hand of one Officer Parker came to mind.

Valerie gasped loudly, smacking a hand over her mouth. “Shit.”

“s**t what?” asked Valentina.

Valerie bit her lip. That cop had taken her phone! He hadn’t taken it as some kind of evidence, had he?! Oh, God no. It couldn’t be that. It would mean that Valerie was some kind of suspect.

She was new to this world of Law and Order, having graduated with her Honours just last year, so she wasn’t sure what goes and what doesn’t between cops and social workers. They were on the same side, weren’t they?

She turned to Valentina. “Tina, I’m sorry. I lost my phone.”

Valentina sighed and waved it away. “Don’ worry about it, babe, I’ll get myself a cab.”

Valerie watched her walk away and sighed as she headed out to her car in the parking lot where she hurried to get in, her imagination creating all sorts of weird shapes in the darkness as it always had.

She’d have to somehow get her phone back from Officer Parker.

She bit her bottom lip, thinking that she really shouldn’t be that excited to set eyes on his gorgeousness again. But she was.

************

10:30 pm

Roman twirled his fork around between his thumb and forefinger as he stared at the phone. It was completely black, besides the glitter she’d put across the back, spelling her name.

Valerie.

His level of frustration had gone through the roof when he’d left the station and suddenly heard a shrill ring in his car, only to glance at his phone between the seats and realize there was another besides his. He couldn’t even begin to explain how on earth he’d walked away with it, so he’d just ignored it and drove home.

He’d return it to her tomorrow. He stared at it on his kitchen counter, stilling his fingers against their itch to pick it up and go through it with a fine-toothed comb.

His own phone rang and Roman sighed, grateful for the distraction.

He glanced at the caller ID and smiled.

“Nancy,” he greeted.

“Good God, boy!” she exclaimed, turning Roman’s smile into a full grin. “Why don’t you ever call?”

Roman dropped his fork in preparation for a conversation with Nancy. She could pick his brain better than any police detective and he readied himself for her as he’d done plenty times in his life. She and her husband, Robert had adopted him, taken him in when Roman was an angry, violent fifteen-year-old.

He’d sneered at them when he’d first met them, ready to send them running for the hills after at least a week of living with him. Only, they hadn’t run away. They’d stuck to him through all his bullshit and set him straight before it was too late. If he’d ever been grateful in his life, it was for Nancy and Robert James.

“Geez, Nancy. Called to guilt trip me, did you?”

“Damn right!” she chuckled and Roman missed her terribly then.

“I miss you, Nancy. You and Robert. How’s he doin’?”

“He’s doin’ alright.” She sighed. “Come on back home soon, will you, baby? Emilia misses you too. We all do.”

Roman thought of his little sister. She was Nancy and Robert’s only biological child. Fifteen years old, a year younger than Liam would have been.

Is. A year younger than Liam is.

“God, I miss her,” he told Nancy. “And Dane? Haven’t phoned him since I left after my birthday.”

Roman pictured his best friend. They’d hit it off the year Roman had moved to Riverdale to live with Nancy and Robert. In the Bronx, Roman and his brother had never fit in. With their brown skin and startling grey eyes, they were like the freaks of the neighborhood. Everyone knew that he and his brother were mixed and that made them even bigger outcasts. It only got worse when their father died a year after Liam was born. The man's death itself wasn't a problem. Roman never missed him.

Their mother kept them indoors whenever they weren’t at school or Daycare in Liam’s case. Roman had never told his mother that school itself was hell for him, he knew it would’ve broken her heart.

So when Roman began experiencing the same negative behavior from the neighborhood kids in Riverdale, he’d steeled himself against it, understanding that he clearly didn’t fit in anywhere. He’d accepted it, but the bigger boy who lived with his aunt next door hadn’t. Roman had never forgotten how Dane had picked the bullies off him one afternoon like they were nothing but flies. He’d protected Roman like they were brothers ever since. Dane was quiet, mysterious. But Roman had always been okay with that, he didn’t need a chatterbox for a friend.

“Dane hasn’t been around lately, Rome.” Nancy sighed. “Ever since Maude past away, that boy’s been very withdrawn.”

“He’s having a hard time, that’s it,” said Roman quietly. The death of Dane’s aunt a month ago had rocked his friend’s whole world. She had practically been his mother. “He’ll be alright. I’ll call him.”

“Or come and see him.”

Roman sighed. “I will. Soon. Things might get hectic around here.”

Nancy was silent for a few seconds. “Roman, you just recovered from a fatal injury—”

“It wasn’t fatal.”

“Don’t interrupt me when I’m speaking.”

Roman couldn’t help it, he laughed.

“Now, you’ve just recovered from a shooting, cause you let some psychopath shoot your ass and you already wanna jump back in the mix of things? You got a death wish, baby?”

“It’s not that I want to. I have to.”

“Why?”

“Because I got promoted. To Detective.”

Nancy gasped. Loudly and dramatically and then went silent. Roman knew that she understood exactly why this was a problem.

“Mad about it, are you?” she questioned in that voice that always made him feel stupid when he was throwing a tantrum as a kid.

“I don’t want it, Nancy,” he said.

“And why not? Cause you’re scared?”

“It’s not that—”

“Yes, honey, it is. You’re scared you’re goin’ to mess things up. Scared you’re not goin’ to be as good as everyone expects you to be and you’re goin’ to disappoint many.”

Roman kept silent. There was never any way to lie to her.

“Have you ever, for a moment,” said Nancy quietly. “Considered… that you might be even better than everyone’s expectation? Roman, you are a damn good cop, even if I’d prefer you behind a desk in some office where you wouldn’t get shot. You’re so smart, honey. And refusing to use that to its fullest and thereby helping many people… is a little selfish.”

He sighed, flinching as her words pierced right through to his beating heart.

“Nancy…”

“You’ll be different. So what if you’re a little young? Yes, there’ve been cops who weren’t that great, didn’ solve that many cases, but you, honey… you’re gonna solve every damn case handed to you, because you’re Roman Parker and you know the desperate importance that a solved case has in the lives of victims.”

Silence reigned between them for a moment and it wasn’t until he stopped that Roman realized he’d been nodding at her words.

“I hear you, Nancy.”

“Do you?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Good. Now, I’m gonna get some sleep. You stay safe, you hear? From bullets and those Manhattan girls. You know those city girls are the most dangerous.”

“You’re from Manhattan, Nance,” he reminded her.

“Exactly,” she agreed. Roman listened to her hearty chuckle and smiled to himself.

“Love you, Nance. Head-butt Robert for me and give Melia a kiss.”

“I will!” she agreed cheerfully. “And I love you too, honey. Goodnight.”

He set his phone on the counter and got off the stool, the smile lingering on his mouth.

Soon enough, Roman’s eyes went to Valerie Quinn’s phone and the curiosity ate away at him again.

“s**t, Parker,” he murmured to himself as he put his plate of pasta in the fridge and grabbed both phones to disappear up the stairs of his top-floor two-bedroom apartment.

It was a great place that gave him all the space and solitude that he needed when he wasn’t working. Of course, he’d never be able to afford such an expensive place on his police salary alone, but Roman remodeled and sold houses so that got him the place. And the cars.

When he was seventeen, Robert introduced him to the therapy of destruction. He’d put a sulking Roman in his truck one day, took him to a double story house in Riverdale and handed him a huge hammer.

“Go on, Roman.” Robert had said. “Smash everything you see.” And that had been all the prompting Roman had needed. He’d done roughly thirty houses with Robert before he’d started doing it on his own. Then he’d progressed to buying the old houses, smashing them down with his building crew, rebuilding them and then selling them.

It helped fund his extensive searching for Liam as well, although that was painfully fruitless. Twelve years had gone by since he last saw his baby brother. He’d be sixteen now. He hoped Liam wasn’t still dealing with social workers. If nothing made you feel like an unwanted brat, a social worker would. Especially a lazy, spoilt brat of a social worker who gave no f***s for the children he or she worked with.

Walking into his bedroom, Roman walked to his bed in the darkness and placed both phones on the nightstand before pulling his t-shirt off and sliding in between the sheets.

After a moment's debate, his hand shot out and grabbed her phone, bringing it before his face.

It was strangely unlocked, that was the first thing he’d noticed. So he stared at her screen saver for a second, convincing himself that he would just peak. She had seemed rather suspicious concerning the incident with her car earlier that day.

She had definitely been hiding something, so maybe he was justified in going through her phone.

Okay, he wasn’t but his fingers began to swipe anyway.

She had just about all the social media apps and he made a face at that. Spotting her gallery, he let his finger tap on it.

Many different albums popped up in the app. Some had pictures of dogs, there was a food album, fashion, poetry, stuff saved from i********: and one where a picture of her caught all his attention.

Slowly, his thumb tapped on it and the entire screen became filled with photos of her.

Fuck, she was beautiful. Roman knew he had to get the hell out of there, but he was momentarily entranced by her big brown eyes in a selfie she seemed to have taken at the beach. Her hair was long, thick and curly in the high hair-do which sent curls falling over her forehead. Her skin glowed a sweet caramel under the sun

He forced his eyes to remain on her face and not trail down to where her ample breasts were covered in a tiny bikini top.

When he had to clench his jaw with the effort of keeping his eyes up, Roman backed right out of her gallery. His heart beat fast and the image of her remained ingrained in his brain.

Swallowing to moisten his dry throat, he swiped right and came across another app unit. Books.

He counted five different reading apps and silently approved her interest in books. His finger randomly tapped on one of the apps and he watched as it loaded, taking him straight to her library.

She would probably be into Hamlet and Pride and Prejudice with the way she spoke to him like an empress, Roman mused to himself. The shock hit with a gigantic force when, expecting to see Shakespeare and old classics, his eyes flitted across titles like “Daddy’s Bad Girl” and “Hard Core Addiction”.

“Oh… shit.”

Wide-eyed, Roman found himself sitting up in the darkness, hardly able to believe his eyes. More titles popped out at him. “Tied Up”, “Big Bad Dom”.

Roman choked on his saliva and coughed to clear his throat.

Fuck. Bad little girl then, was she?

He scrolled down the twenty-something novels, looking at book covers that were only more explicit than the titles.

One caught his eye and Roman stared at it, feeling himself grow hard.

A girl bit her lip wantonly, handcuffed to a bedpost as a muscled man leaned dominantly over her, face pressed to her chest. It wasn’t the sight of the picture that aroused him. It was the thought of Valerie Quinn getting aroused by it.

What on earth was Little Miss Social Worker into?