Chapter 6
1761 Words
Daisy was standing awkwardly in the middle of the room, giving him a sad look. “So, this is it again?” Her voice soft and filled with sorrow.
He knows what she expects of him but he wasn’t the man she so much desired. He was disappointing her just as much as everyone else in his life.
He expected a slap through his face when Daisy stalked over to him. He knew he deserved it but was rendered speechless when she planted a kiss on his lips. “One day a woman is going to change your mind. I just wish it could’ve been me.” He hoped to see something in her eyes that pulled at him, anything that could make him feel the things he knew he was supposed to feel for a woman he spent almost every night with. But nothing came.
He was an empty shell. Unlike his father who used to a happy man. “Daisy-I.” She cut him off.
“Don’t. We both knew what this was. You don’t have to apologize for anything. I knew the rules of the game and yet, I still fell. I think it’s just best we put an end to this.” She walked away after he was silent. He heard the door shut behind her and he was reminded of what a lonely man he was. His life consists of heartache and despair. His mother would be so disappointed in him to see what kind of man he turned into.
A man who can’t appreciate and love a woman with a good, understanding heart. He didn’t even have the confidence to run after her and tell her what she was dying to hear from him.
He grabbed his phone when it started ringing. “Yeah.” He answered.
“Detective Tait.” The voice greeted.
“Matthews?” He was a bit flustered to hear from him. “Is everything alright?” He asked him.
“Can we meet somewhere private to talk?” Byron gazed at his watch to check the time.
“Yeah, sure. There is a coffee place not so far from my place.” Byron suggested.
“No, too many eyes. Meet me at the Diner downtown.” Byron agreed and grabbed his car keys and met Officer Matthews downtown.
He hid his badge when he entered the Diner, ordered himself coffee and took a booth away from the windows. Matthews showed up after a while. Byron almost didn’t recognize him. His face flushed, eyes red and he looked on the edge. “Did you come alone?” Officer Matthews asked.
“Yes, my partner is at the gym,” Byron told Matthews and invited him to take a seat.
Matthews was still suspicious. "Did someone follow you?” Byron shook his head.
“I can’t stay long. They are watching me closely. If any of them found out that I am talking to you, they’ll kill me.” Matthews confessed, finally taking a seat.
“Who is “they” Matthews?” He ignored Byron’s question.
Byron noticed Matthew’s quivering hands and the sheen of sweat on his forehead as he pushed a file across the table over to Byron. “This is what Evelyn has been working on. I got her killed, detective.” Byron was a bit caught off guard by Matthew’s confession.
Matthews rested his hand on top of the file before Byron could open it. “This stays only between us. Not even your partner can know about it. No one can be trusted.” Byron nodded. Matthews let go when he was convinced that Byron was going to tell anyone.
He opened the folder and skimmed through Evelyn’s notes and photos. He noticed a few faces and of course the mob lord shaking hands with Rick. “She was doing an article on dirty cops,” Byron noted, looking at Matthews.
Matthews nodded. “I told her to end this that it won’t end well for her or me. She ignored me and now she dead.” His voice quivered.
“You told me back at the precinct that you didn’t know what she was working on.” Byron reminded him.
“That’s before I noticed that my house was being watched by their men and that they are following me.”
“You need to come in with me and testify against them.” Matthews shook his head.
“I can’t, detective. These people are dangerous and you won’t believe how many people are involved. I can’t trust no one.”
“Yet, you came to me.”
“You are still one of the good ones. I’ve heard and seen you lock up the bad guys.” Matthews jolted when his phone rang. His face transformed in pure horror when he looked at his phone. The blood drained from his face.
“Matthews, what's wrong?” Byron asked, shutting the file.
He shook his head and suddenly jumped up from his seat. “This was a mistake. I-I need to go.” He stammered and stormed out of the diner. Byron tried to follow but Matthews was already gone by the time he left the diner.
Byron was baffled and a bit wary about what was going on. He went back into the diner to pay his bill and get the file. He kept thinking about what Matthews said about trusting no one, not even his partner. He had the prove that Rick was a dirty cop. Had the evidence he needed to put Rick behind bars but he couldn’t share it with anyone.
“s**t!” Byron cursed softly. How was he supposed to solve this case now?
“Everything alright, partner?” Terence Dunn asked, placing a cup of coffee down in front of him.
“Just this case. Nothing is adding up.” Terence nodded and stared at the evidence board. No witnesses. No clues that could help them identify the killer. Not even one lead. Except for her missing phone.
“Why don’t you just give up, Sherlock Holmes? Or do you want to end up like your old man?” Rick remarked. Byron just gave him a blank look.
His father was one of the finest detective's of the precinct before he got murdered.
“Why don’t you let me worry about my own case and you do what you do best?” Byron spoke with a complete lack of emotion in his tone.
“You don’t want to be poking your head into a business that can end you.” Rick threatened.
“The same business you are running? Afraid that I would catch you and throw you in jail with the rest of your buddies?” Rick took a threatening step towards Byron’s desk.
He pointed a finger at him. “If I’m you, I will keep my mouth shut. You have no idea what you are dealing with.” Byron raised an eyebrow in displeasure.
“Detective Tait.” He looked up to find a rookie standing at his desk. “I’ve got a witness who claims she saw something.” Byron and his partner shared a knowing look. A witness who was willing to come forward? He was a bit stunned and sceptical.
“Where is she?” Byron asked standing up from his seat.
“I placed her in the interrogation room.” The rookie answered.
He noticed Rick’s attitude has suddenly changed. He looked worried there for a second. “I’ll join you.” Rick offered but Byron knew better.
“Keep your crooked nose out of my business.” He warned Rick and gestured for his partner to follow him.
Byron was surprised when they reached the interrogation room. He found himself starring at the woman who keeps showing up at the crime scenes. She seemed unbothered by the four cold walls.
Byron left his partner outside while he went in. He didn’t want to overwhelm her since she is their first witness who has come forward in months. She looked him straight in the eyes like she knew him.
“Detective Byron Tait.” She spoke his name as if she has said it before. Her smile was almost devilish as if she could read his mind and notice he was a bit suspicious about her.
“You know my name but I don’t know yours.” He sat down on the other side of the table, placing a notepad down on the table separating them.
“I’m Rain Atarnea.” She introduced herself not removing her eyes from his.
“Heard you saw something.” He said, flipping the notepad open and clicked the pen wanting to take her report.
She nodded. “But that’s not why I’m here.”
Detective Tait stared at the woman sitting across from him. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Let me guess, you didn’t see anything and you are not here to give me your report.” He wondered why no one was seeing or feeling this. He looked at the door and wondered where his partner was.
Her eyes were steady as she spoke. "No, I am here to warn you to drop this case. You are in danger and it is not going to end well for you." He frowned at her.
"How do you know this exactly?" He questioned.
"That woman you found. Her husband is one of the dirty cops. She got killed because she got too close to exposing them. You are going to be next, detective. If you don't stop this investigation."
"You came all the way here to warn me?" She shrugged.
"I thought I could make you listen but I guess not." She stood up from the chair.
"Wait." He stood up too. "Did you see who killed our victim?" She gazed into his eyes, not showing any signs of fear.
"The killer is closer than you think. Someone you trust with your life. Don't let your guard down and don't trust anyone."
- Writer
