Chapter Six: Every Couple Has Problems

This book is on infinite hiatus. I worked on it for months, but I am sure that this is a good ending to my first serious novel. I do not expect more out of this. Thank you so much for reading, though.

DALLAS, TEXAS

Dallas Police Department

January 9, 9:21 a.m.

Halle sat in the cold, curvy metal chair in the interrogation room at the table as Ed stood against the wall, his foot propped up on the grey bricks. He peered at Shiva with thin eyes. “You waive the right to have a lawyer present, yes?”

   “Yes.” Shiva answered quickly. “I know all about this silly cop stuff and your silly cop questions. Fire away, detectives.”

   “I’d rather Signe-Diara- if it’s not too much of a mouthful,” Ed sneered. “Shall we call you Shadan?”

   “Don’t be a b***h.” Shiva rolled her eyes, looking off into space. “I don’t appreciate a******s treating me like s**t.”

   “And I don’t appreciate little rich girls who pay to have their friends tortured- then stealing their necklaces!” Ed cocked his head, glaring at her neck and the shell that hung from it. The corners of his lips upturned. He left his wall position, pacing around the table.

   Halle laughed heartily. “This cat fight is perfect- don’t let me stop you. Continue, continue!” She egged them on. This was a tactic, though. They always had a game plan when they approached a suspect in interrogation. This time, Ed thought attacking Shiva would be good, and the occasionally nice-sounding comments and questions from Halle would jumble her mind. Maybe she would be confused enough to talk.

   Ed stopped moving, standing behind the suspect. “So, you hire a person to do your dirty deeds while you party. Fine, but why not do it yourself- and why kill Rita at all?”

   Shiva turned her head to look at him. Her lip pulled up in disgust. “Go to hell.”

   “Dirty words won’t help you, hon.” Ed added a quick smile before getting back on the wall. “Why did you kill Rita, hm? I thought she was your friend? Were you… jealous?”

   Shiva stood. “I’d never be jealous of a hideous s**t like Rita. Don’t give her so much credit, Signe-Diara,” she drawled. Shiva calmed down quickly, though, sitting back in her seat. She smoothed down her orange sundress. “Everyone is under the assumption that we were best friends. All that happened is that Linda wanted me to pay for the press conference and asking for Rita back. I don’t give a damn about Rita anymore.”

   “What did you get out of it? Aren’t you rich enough?” Ed asked, looking at her curiously.

   With a small smile, she answered. “I have enough cash to buy out this whole division if I pleased.”

   “So with all these thousands of dollars, you still decide to live in Hurst?” Halle inquired, cocking her head. “It’s puzzling.”

   “Of course it would be. Everyone has to figure out your cases for you cops. I do have friends other than that idiotic Linda. One in particular, actually, and he’s been my friend since I was… less fortunate in my wealth status. He loves me, no matter how much money I have. That’s important to me. His name is none of your concern, though.”

   Laughing, Ed asked, “Why do you say that? We should definitely know about Rita’s possible lover.”

   Shiva snarled, “No. He won’t be brought into this. And honestly, he has higher standards than to turn that w***e straight.”

   With all sincerity, Halle said, “If you don’t give his name and some way to contact him, you can and will be apprehended.”

   The two detectives exchanged an almost unnoticeable look. It was like a conversation, all in an instant. Halle was lying- or, more twisting the truth. They couldn’t arrest Shiva for a simple offense like that- but she didn’t know that.

   Shiva paled. “Atlee Blake. I’ll write his address.” She scratched at a notepad Ed had handed her. He took it and left the room.

   Halle bit her lip. “Why did you call Rita a hideous s**t? She isn’t promiscuous, or, that’s what I’ve been told. Wrong story?”

   “She’s a scandal, that’s what. It’s pathetic.” The girl’s eyes watered and she yawned. “How can someone live their life like that?”

   After frowning and trying to decipher just what she meant, Halle asked, “What kind of life did she live?”

   A cross look showed clearly on Shiva’s face, but she didn’t look at Halle still. “She’s a lesbian.”

   Shiva’s homophobic. Halle blinked a few times. “What?”

   Shiva turned her head. Her eyes pierced Halle’s. “She goes against God with her choice- or…” Shiva smiled, “she did.” Every syllable was perfectly pronounced, but Halle didn’t understand. Shiva could see that. “We used to…” Shiva swallowed disgust. “We used to be friends, but that is over. The little b***h can rot in hell now.”

   Halle stood. “Don’t try to leave, or it’ll definitely be in the newspapers.” She was all the way at the door and had it opened slightly when she snapped. Halle turned around, throwing her chair down. “How can you betray her like that?!”

   Fear was evident in Shiva’s eyes. Her jaw fell open. “I follow the word of God,” she spoke lowly.

   “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged; condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned; forgive, and ye shall be forgiven! Follow that!” Halle almost attacked when Ed and John ran in, dragging her out.

   Diane was standing outside, and had been watching behind the two-sided glass. She shook her head at Halle. “You lost your cool.”

   Halle was aghast. “She just-”

   “Halle, you almost hurt that girl. Police brutality. She could have completely dug us into the ground. We’d never have a case that’s viable again because you find her beliefs unfit. Go home.” Diane left the room, clicks of her heels following.

   John left with her, trying to start up a conversation.

   Ed ran his fingers through Halle’s hair, ruffling it. He pulled her close into an embrace. “I know that sometimes these people suck. I know, but we… we can’t beat them, no matter how nice it sounds.” He stared down at her as she pulled away. Pursing his lips, he held out his hand. “Diane’s Baptist. She doesn’t understand your fight for this.”

   Tears were streaming down Halle’s cheeks. She wiped at them. “I can’t be put off this case.”

   Ed, perplexed, asked softly, “Why are you so emotionally invested in this, Hal?”

   “That girl- she was murdered. She was tortured. She was thrown in an alley like trash. And now this b***h treats and slanders her name even worse,” Halle blubbered. She shook her head violently. “I’m not getting off this case no matter what Diane says.”

   Ed smiled. “Do you want a ride home, hm? I found something else in computer crimes, though, so I wanted to show you that first. I asked John to continue the interrogation.”

   Nodding, Halle walked behind him. She felt her red face with her hands, trying to calm down. Detectives stared at her from inside the foyer as they walked throughout the precinct. Ed found his way to the yellow monitor again. He grabbed a chair and slid it next to him. Halle sat.

   After some skimming through in information, Ed found what he wanted. It was a video. It began.

 

ARLINGTON, TEXAS

University of Texas at Arlington, Delta Zeta Sorority

September 22, 11:40 p.m.

 A large group of girls were walking across the campus of the university. Boys here and there whistled, earning a little curtsy from one of the girls while her sisters laughed. The girls met in a dorm. Two hostesses were waiting inside for them.

   The hostesses had set the dorm to look like a fashion show. A long, wooden, makeshift catwalk ran through the middle of the room, and a rack on the edge of the room held ‘fabulous’ clothes. It was exactly as planned. Or, so far.

   “Okay, okay, shh, shh, shh. Now, girls, this,” the familiar- looking brunette girl said, “this is my best friend, Rita.”

   The second hostess grinned. She waved playfully, like a princess. Her hair was flowing and her eyes were behind slender, chic glasses. She wore a matching university tee like Shiva. “Hello, girls. I know I’m not a sister, but Shiva really needed help here,” a Texan accent was plain to hear. Rita bumped Shiva’s shoulder lightly. “And this is your friend, you all know her, Shiva!”

   Shiva batted her eyelashes. The person holding the camera started walking, the camera pointing to their feet. They were wearing pumps over their tanned skin. The camera pointed back at Rita, from a different angle. She was still grinning ear to ear. “Tonight, we have put on a show just for you… by you.”

   Some admiration was stretched around the crowd of girls.

   Rita walked over to the rack of clothes. “These are the ugliest dresses we could find. Shiva thought it would be fun to make a sort of… anti-fashion show? Come on, let’s look bad.” With raised eyebrows and a nod, a few girls found the courage to find dresses. They stood behind the catwalk.

   For the next ten minutes of the whole video, it was a bunch of drunk college girls laughing and lapping up their drinks, watching as the rest flaunted themselves onstage. In the back of the frame, Rita could be seen. She was talking quickly and quietly to Shiva. She was inaudible, but obviously tense. Shiva spoke calmly back to her, trying to soothe her friend. The two brunettes found a standing point and looked back at the show. Rita later muttered something that upset Shiva. Shiva walked away from her, leaving the dorm. Rita rushed after. The camera drifted to look at them a few moments before turning back to the show.

   Girls laughed, lights flickered, and smiles were spread. The catwalk was dismantled and the sisters exited the room. The camerawoman was alone in the room, tinkering with the camera. She obviously had no knowledge of its controls. Night vision turned off and on and the zoom was freaking out. The camerawoman groaned, slamming the camera on a table and leaving. The camera sat, teetering on its side, until it finally found rest.

 

DALLAS, TEXAS

Dallas Police Department

January 9, 9:34 a.m.

Ed waited until the screen turned back before swiveling his chair to face Halle. “I’ll ask John to finish the interrogation. You need a ride home.”

   With a shake of her head, Halle stood. “No, no… I can drive.”

   Ed always had a way with Halle, and she knew it, and she hated it. His eyes became that of a puppy’s. “Hal, don’t be irrational. You can get your car back later. Okay?”

   Maybe a ride would be nice. Why did Halle always have to drive? She gave in. “Damn, you’re good.”

   Ed grinned. “Why thank you.” He pushed their chairs in and followed Halle outside. “So, what do you think Shiva and Rita talked about?”

   Halle kicked up dirt on the asphalt. She shrugged. “I dunno. I guess she broke the news, or, the closet doors. The way they were speaking before Rita had her little outburst, though, it seemed like Shiva said something wrong. Do you think Rita may have had a crush on Shiva?”

   “They’re not in third grade or anything.” Ed unlocked the doors, finding his way into the driver’s seat. He stuck the key into the ignition. “I guess it’s possible, though. What baffles me is how angry Shiva is about her being a lesbian. It’s not that big of a deal. It didn’t affect Shiva any. She could have just stopped being her friend, but she seemed to spaz out. What if… nah, that’s way too far-fetched.” Ed slammed his door.

   Halle smirked. “What?” She buckled her seatbelt and closed her door. “Do you-”

   “What if Shiva’s gay?”

   “They’re not in a soap opera or anything.” Halle shook her head, almost laughing. “Shiva’s just a b***h, that’s all.” She slid back in the seat, getting comfortable. “Why does a person’s orientation make their personality? Shiva was friends with her before her secret. I don’t know why she couldn’t be afterward.”

   Ed shrugged, turning to look out of the back window. “No clue. It’s ridiculous.”

   Halle was going to reply when her phone vibrated. She looked down at her pockets, digging it out. She read the text message aloud to her partner. “I found something " Doug.” The two exchanged looks or exhaustion and mild curiosity, and with a confirmation nod from Halle, Ed drove.

DALLAS, TEXAS

CBD West TC Bus Stop

January 9, 9:50 a.m.

Morning thunderstorm darkness engulfed the little overhanging bus stop Christian Gillard stood under. He was fidgety. Maybe it was because of his hidden anger about his damn broken car, or maybe it was because everyone always clustered away from a cop, no matter where they were or what they were doing. Gil scratched his head, looking away from the shady group of thugs to his right. He sighed impatiently. John had ditched him to do his interrogation with Shiva, and Ed had taken Halle home, so he had to walk to the bus station just to meet Tamara at the next crime scene. He groaned, watching as a bus rolled to its stop before him. The thugs either averted their eyes or stared straight at Gil as they got onto the bus. A few stragglers left the bus and then it drove off. Gil found himself alone at the bus stop- except for the two sleeping homeless people on the other side, but they were definitely out cold. Now, it was time to wait for the next bus; his own.

   Lightning broke through the morning sky. Thunder crackled a few seconds after. Right on cue, rain began pouring. It seemed to be diagonal. Gil made a slightly revolted emotion and cringed into the corner. He sat down on the edge of the bench under the overhanging and pulled on his jacket. He didn’t know it’d be practically a monsoon.

   A figure ran from Gil’s left out of the rain and under the overhanging. He sat on the other side of the bench, a few feet away. His parka covered his whole body. The man occasionally turned his head to look at Gil. Gil didn’t blame him. He did stick out like a sore thumb. Cops always did. There was just this vibe that they gave off. It was like a little sensor that went off in criminals. They were good at finding pigs, and Gil knew it.

   Gil stood, anticipating the bus coming up the street. He was brushing water from his eyelashes, and when he looked up, he gasped in surprise. The man in the parka, who now Gil noticed was practically a giant, was only inches away from Gil. “I need help,” he whispered feebly. The man’s face was still unrecognizable from the shadow of his black hood.

   “I’m a police officer, I can help you, but you need to tell me what’s wrong.” Gil faked the sympathetic tone. This douchebag was going to make Gil late for his bus.

   The man in the parka nodded. “Follow me…” He turned and stumbled away from the bus stop and into a dark area on the side of a nearby donut shop, adjacent to the bus stop. He stopped, staring at the wall. Gil stepped slowly after him. This guy was just plain creepy, and Gil knew not to trust him, but he had to help a citizen in need. Damn it. Gil glanced back for a moment to watch in sadness as his bus rumbled off. He sighed softly. Gil turned back and grunted in pain. He fell to the ground and looked around. What happened?

   The man in the parka towered over Gil. He knelt slowly. “Touching her was a bad idea, Puerco,” he spat on Gil. With shaking hands, Gil wiped the saliva from his face. He was breathing raggedly. The man in the parka grabbed Gil’s gun, and they both struggled for it. Gil pulled away, wincing from the pain of the concrete scratching into his back. He lost his attentiveness, along with his gun. The man threw it a few meters away. “You’re in deep s**t,” the man growled. He had a thick South-American accent that Gil couldn’t identify. Great, Gil thought, he was clueless and injured. There was no way to defend himself against this huge person. Damn his boyish figure.

   Gil screamed once more as the man’s foot collided into his chest. Gil coughed up blood. He fumbled around on the ground to push himself up, but the man kicked him over. “Puerco, you don’t know, man!”

   “Yeah, I don’t know! You won’t tell me! Why,” he gasped, finding it difficult to breathe.

   The man shoved Gil flat on the ground, holding his neck, paying no attention to Gil’s ripped skin. “I don’t need no Puercos in my turf, now, yeah? Too hard? Get this. She’s ours, now, Puerco.” He stood and planted his foot on his throat. “Watch yourself, Puerco, you got so close.”

   With a last effort for survival, Gil hit the back of the man’s knee and reached for his gun. The man caught himself, pushing his face back and grabbing the pistol. He began beating Gil in the face with its butt. Gil shouted out, but coughed and gurgled blood. It streamed down his cheeks. Abruptly, the man stopped. He was breathing heavily, and then, he darted off.

   Gil jerked on the ground. He growled gutturally. His eyes fluttered, but he saw no one.

   “Help! Someone help!” A woman was trying to hold him still, but she 

found failure. She hysterically screeched again. “Please!”