Chapter three
I tossed and turned most of the night twisting in the sheets until I was captured within it like a cocoon. I very carefully released myself from its bonds. Last night was a dismal disappointment. The only shining beacon was another criminal was off the streets.
“I didn’t like how we left things last night. We need to talk about this.” His words echoed on the message he had left for me on my cell phone.
I had listened to it verbatim for the past couple of hours trying to find some hidden meaning behind his words. My day job was waiting for me. I was lucky to have found someplace that complemented my extracurricular activities.
I got into a plain gray skirt, zipping it up and putting on a nondescript white blouse to go along with it. I decided on my black leather boots. I was always bringing a little levity to a serious environment.
I put on my black leather jacket. Standing there and getting the faint whiff of his cologne was taking me back in time. He was one of the main reasons I had decided to stop sitting on the sidelines. The final straw was seeing his dead body splayed on the concrete. My boyfriend’s death rattled me and brought up buried memories.
Seeing him dead took me back to when my father was killed. It broke me into a million pieces. The only thing that kept me sane was giving justice to those who demanded it.
I got on the bus and went through the routine with the other passengers from one stop to another. The smell of the diesel made me feel a little lightheaded. The prevailing opinion from those I could overhear was that the guardian was a beacon of hope to others.
I saw my stop and stepped down to be greeted by a multitude of people with side arms. I was walking into the henhouse. The fox was right underneath their noses and they didn’t even know it.
The Sergeant at the desk buzzed me up and I took my place in the civilian role of answering phones. It was a plum assignment for somebody of my unique understanding of the criminal mind. It gave me access to the cases they were working on.
“Rachel, I was a little hesitant in hiring you, but I know when to eat crow. Your insight has proven to be invaluable. The research you have done has made a world of difference. I just wanted to come by to tell you how great a job you are doing for all of us.” Detective Rodriguez had a full plate and there was no way he could possibly know how close to his suspect he really was.
“I’m just glad to do my part. I might be just a cog in the wheel, but I feel that I more than pull my weight. This job has given me more of a purpose. Your comments have touched me more than you can know. Before I forget, there’s somebody waiting for you in your office.” The chief of police was on a warpath looking to squash the rally of voices screaming for the guardian to come to their rescue.
“I want you to remember this. Shit has the tendency to roll downhill. Nobody is willing to take responsibility without passing the buck. The Guardian is making a mockery of the police. Copycats are getting hurt trying to do the same thing. A young man tried to break up a mugging and is in a coma for his troubles.” It was not my intention to become a role model or somebody to emulate.
“The Guardian might find imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. I don’t presume to know what is going on in his head. I’m sure you have commissioned a psychological work up. These people are fed up and want to make a difference. They might not be going about it the right way, but everybody has free will. Appeal to their sense of safety for their family’s and loved ones.” He was nodding his head and was about to speak to the chief of police with the door open a crack.
“I don’t want to hear it. The police have become a laughingstock. I’m holding you accountable. Get results or you will be pounding the pavement with the rest of the patrolman.” Rodriguez was never one to keep his mouth shut and this was going to be no different.
“I don’t like the tone of your voice. I’ve been chasing down every lead. My team is talking to all of their criminal informants. I could shout out the window and see if the guardian decides to make an appearance. Hello…Mr. Guardian, come out wherever you are.” I heard his comments and they made me smile by how he was showing his frustration.
“I’m getting heat from the Mayor and the Governor. There’s no reason to be flippant with me. I’m only repeating what I heard at the crack of dawn. It’s absurd for them to think we have the kind of resources to track down one lone individual playing by their own rules. There’s no pattern. There’s nothing to indicate how he picks his victims.” I was the cause of their argument.
“The cases are not even localized to one precinct. I’m doing what I can get to the bottom of this. I don’t know why we have dubbed this individual a male. I’m not ruling out the possibility a woman is involved. Women tend to carry their emotions around on their sleeve. The lack of any real violence makes me hesitant to believe a man is responsible. There are no visible wounds and they are incapacitated with electricity.” I was becoming too predictable and was going to have to change my modus operandi.
“I don’t know any woman capable of overpowering men twice their size. Don’t waste your time pursuing this line of investigation. Concentrate your efforts on disgruntled family members of victims. There’s a vast pipeline of those who have been wronged. Shake some trees and see what develops.” He was adamant and my fervent hope was that Rodriguez was going to take his advice.
“I promise this will end with the person responsible behind bars where they belong. The more they do this the better chance they’re going to make a mistake. I’ve tracked several different instances dating back a couple of years. It started on December 24. I suspect there is meaning behind that date for the vigilante. I have some of the best minds working on it as we speak.” I didn’t like how this investigation was getting close to my doorstep.
“I will let you get back to work Detective Rodriguez. I wanted to come down to impart to you the displeasure of those looking for answers. I like that you don’t get flustered. You have a bright future. I won’t be in this chair forever.” He stormed out and flew past my desk with a puff of air pushing against my fragile frame.
Detective Rodriguez gathered his posse into his office to go over the pertinent details of the case. He came out for a few moments to give me some research. I was going to have to do everything in my power to limit my exposure. Giving him false leads and sending him down dark alleys was preferable over getting a pair of handcuffs on my wrists.
The rest of the day was electric with activity. They depended on me to find that crucial piece of evidence. I was very good at finding a needle in a haystack. I couldn’t show that kind of fortitude during this investigation. Slowing it down to a tortoise crawl was necessary. I couldn’t give them those nails to pound into my coffin.
I was sending them down the path of least resistance. It was easy to make them dance like puppets. It wasn’t amusing and I felt bad for making them chase their tails.
I retrieved their lunch orders and came back to find Rodriguez screaming at a patrolman. He was pushing his finger into his chest inserting his dominance.
“You’re the one that made the mistake. Don’t come back until you rectify it. I don’t want to hear any excuses. That camera independently recording the scene for a blog could have some damning information on it. Take back up and get that camera by any means necessary.” I swallowed hard and wondered if there was the slim possibility of being captured for posterity.
I clocked out at 5:00 PM. The patrolman was back and carrying a camera in a plastic bag to preserve the chain of evidence. I had to get a look at it. I had no idea how I was going to accomplish such a feat. They would take a look at it when they arrived early in the morning. I was going to have to get there first. I couldn’t go back without raising suspicion. It was a risk to wait, but I was going to have to keep a low profile.
I looked in on Copeland and found him at the bottom of a bottle of tequila. He was alert and I was able to slip in using the bathroom window. He was lying on the bed wearing only his boxer shorts with one hand holding onto the bottle. His equipment was working just fine. The liquor hadn’t subdued his excitement at seeing me in front of his eyes.
“You’re dreaming.” He was under the influence of a controlled substance.
“I’ve been dreaming about you all day. I can’t open up my eyes without thinking about you. I had to take a day off from the hospital claiming I was sick. I don’t want to feel this way. You tease me with satisfaction and I make the mistake of kicking you out of my house.” He got up and threw the bottle with enough force to make it shatter into a million pieces.
“I’m a figment of your imagination. There are no limits when it comes to fantasies brewing in your head. Take me like you have thought about too often.” I quivered with anticipation when he pushed me down the hall and against the cold surface of the fridge.
“I’ve always wanted a taste.” He had both hands on my face and was staring at me with his lips pursed.
“You are the perfect man for me. I want you to ravage my body. Make me scream your name on the tip of my tongue. You know that’s what you want. There’s no reason for you to wake up without a smile on your face.” I was playing the fantasy woman with only one thing on my mind.
His hand ran up my leg and underneath my skirt. He came in contact with my panties. They were soaking wet with excitement. He traced the sodden material with his finger until he found the confidence to slip underneath the crotch. The penetration was a delicious aphrodisiac for more to come.
I moaned and closed my eyes to the pleasure he was inflicting on me. He was deep inside and touching me in a way that felt better than I could ever imagine. The speed of his thrusts was a sloppy exercise of finger banging me into submission. I almost collapsed from the sheer joy of the orgasm gripping me by the throat. I clamped onto his wrist and began to grind to a rhythm of my own making.
I lost my composure and the orgasmic expletives were not for the faint of heart. I was finding every four letter word in my vocabulary to express myself. His finger was teasing me. His expertise was inspiring and I was determined to share the wealth of my sexual repertoire.
My hands were behind me and I walked ahead of him. He followed like I was playing his favorite song. I helped him into the hot tub after completing the task of getting him naked. He was following my lead. The length and thickness of his member were begging for some kind of attention.