Soul Mate (The Mating Series) (14 page)

“Then what?”

“I heard Mary say, ‘You can’t just come in here!’ Then she started screaming. We were listening at the door, but we were afraid to open it. We heard a thump and Mary stopped screaming. We didn’t open the door for a long time ‘cause we were too afraid.” Lynette’s began to shake all over.

“When did you come out?”

“Not until the cops beat on our door and told us to leave.” Lynette started sobbing. “That’s when we saw her. We saw Mary right there in front of our door all dead, an’ bleedin’. I think I saw her brains all over the floor.”

“You said you heard Jane scream too?”
Stay strong Cassie. They need you.
I wanted to fall apart.

“Yeah, I think she came out to see what was going on and she saw Mary and started screaming. We heard her runnin’ down the hall.”

“Has Jane said anything to you?”

“She keeps saying Nessie is dead and Mary is dead. I didn’t see Nessie, but she’s not out here.”

“When did this happen?” I asked.

“It was about
two hours ago.”

“But Jane just called me about fifteen minutes ago.”

“They wouldn’t let us call you. The cops pushed us out and wouldn’t let us in. They said they called, but I knew they were lyin’. Jane went back inside and called you when no one was watchin’.” I tried to wrap my head around the events. Jane must have ran to the front desk to tell Nessie and found her dead too.

We heard a commotion at the front doors. “Get off me, God dammit!”
The paramedics wheeled Nessie out on a gurney. Nessie flailed and batted at the paramedics. “God dammit! I don’t need no hospital!” By the looks of her, Nessie needed a hospital badly. Bandages circled Nessie’s head. Blood spattered her face and neck.

I ran to
the gurney. “Nessie! What happened?” I asked. The paramedics kept pulling Nessie to the ambulance.

“Miss Cassie, the God damn sonovabitch came up from behind. Hit me on my good side!” Nessie had indeed been hit on her good side. Her good eye
swelled shut. “I heard something behind me and when I turned to see…KABOOM! That’s all I remember until these bastards started poking on me!” She hitched her thumb towards the two paramedics in blue jumpsuits. Nessie started fighting to get up. “I gotta stay. I can’t leave!”

“Nessie, go to the hospital.
I’ll stay and make sure everyone’s fine,” I said. I walked Nessie to the ambulance placating and telling her everyone was fine. I told her not to worry. I promised to take care of everyone until she got better. “I won’t leave until you come back.”

“M
iss. Mary is back,” Nessie said. “You can take turns.” I didn’t have the heart to tell her about Mary.

“Before you leave, there’s another girl over here you need to look at.” I told the paramedics. “I think she’s in shock.”

One followed me to Jane. She sat on the pavement propped up by Lynette. Jane shook. She had the color of paper. “What do you think?” I asked the paramedic, who was just a boy.

“I dunno.” He said. I noticed the patch on his shoulder said “Trainee”.
Great!
I didn’t even have a certified EMT.

“She’s in shock.” I told him. “She needs to go to the hospital too.”

“Let me ask my boss,” he said. He motioned for the other paramedic, a woman, to assist. She didn’t look much older. They looked exasperated. “She says this lady is in shock,” the guy said.

The woman looked at Jane. She pulled a pen light out of her pocket and shined it in Jane’s eyes. Jane didn’t react. “Yep
,” the female paramedic said. “She can ride in the back with the other one.”

I imagined paramedics to be companionate people, but these two were all business. They pulled Jane up
, one on each side, and walked her to the ambulance. They maneuvered Jane up in the ambulance and sat her on a bench beside Nessie’s gurney. “Girl you okay?” Nessie asked.

Jane slowly turned her head to Nessie. Her eyes went wide with the realization that Nessie was alive. “Oh Nessie!”
she cried. “I thought you were dead like Mary!” 

Shit
did she have to tell Nessie?
I heard Nessie whaling as the paramedics shut the door.  

My heart sank as I watched the ambulance leave
. Something caught my eye. In the back of the lot, hidden by shadow, sat a black BMW. Jimmy’s BMW.
Jimmy was arrested
here
. I didn’t work on Saturday’s. Why would Jimmy come to Mary House on a Saturday? I remembered our phone conversation last Saturday. Jimmy said something about not going to Mary House, but I hung up on him before he finished. He tried to warn me.

The police didn’t need to manufacture evidence. Someone
killed three prostitutes. An officer stopped Jimmy while looking for a prostitute who later turned up dead. Jimmy’s girlfriend worked at a rehabilitation center for prostitutes. He was found at the facility with a dead woman and another seriously injured. It didn’t look good for Jimmy.

I had no doubt
of Jimmy’s innocence, but I couldn’t tell anyone about Jimmy. Cho was on his way to help his brother. I prayed Cho was right about Jimmy getting through it.

My head grew light trying to process
it all. I swayed and hit the ground. I didn’t pass out, but my knees buckled. I shook all over, and couldn’t manage to sit up. Jimmy, the stress of the last few weeks, and everything washed over me. I felt my mind break with reality and everything went black.

I woke up to Ben kneeling over me. “Are you alright
?” he asked. It sounded like I was under water. “Ms. Williams?” I blinked at him.

“Go away
,” I muttered.

“Do you need help?”

“No,” I said. “Leave me alone.” Cho’s directions not to talk rang in my head.

“You’
re not well. I’m taking you to the hospital,” Ben said. He held out his arms to pull me up.

I pushed his arms
away. “I can’t, I have to stay. Someone has to stay.”

“Mary House is closed.”

I shot up. “You can’t close it. What about the women who live here?”

“The women who are court ordered are going back to jail, at least until the court decides what to do
,” Ben said. “There’s a social worker here for those who don’t have to be here. She’ll help them find somewhere else to go.”

“You can’t do that!”

“I don’t have any control over it. Mary Lazarus is dead. We’ve made calls to the board of Mary House. It’s their decision.”

“…but I’
m here and I fill in when Mary isn’t here.”

“They know about your situation
, and think it’s best to close Mary House for now.”

“What situation?”
The black car came into focus.

“Ms. Williams, responding officers found your boyfriend standing over Mary Lazarus’ body when they arrived…”

“He’s innocent!” I roared.

“
It’s a lot to deal with. Let me take you to the hospital,” Ben said, putting his hand on my arm.

“Get your hand off me!” I jerked away from him. “You and your partner did this.
You’re pinning Jimmy with this, but he’s innocent.”

“
I’m not on duty and my partner is at church tonight. We didn’t do it.” Ben spoke to me like I was a child. “Your boyfriend did it to himself. I hope, for your sake, he’s innocent, but the facts don’t lie.”

“Just leave me alone
!” I cried. “I want to go home.” I pulled my knees to my chest, buried my face in my legs and cried.

“I’ll escort you.”

I looked up from my pink sweat pants. “What part of
alone
don’t you get?”

“
You’re in no shape to drive,” Ben said. “I can have the officers take you in.”

“For what?”

“For questioning. You’re a key witness in a murder investigation.” I thought he was bluffing, but I wasn’t sure.

I jerked my chin in the other direction.
“Fine, but I’ve been advised by my attorney not to speak to the police.”

“Your attorney wouldn’t be Mr. Cho Kim, would it?”

“Yes,” I said defiantly. “How did you know?”

“I tried to talk to your boyfriend, but his brother already filed an appearance. I couldn’t speak to him.”
Ben glared at me. “You know Mr. Kim isn’t licensed to practice law in Indiana, don’t you? If you get taken in for questioning they will hold you…in jail…until you either talk or Mr. Kim is granted pro hac vice to appear on your behalf.” Ben looked at his watch. “Either way, it’s already eight o’clock; you will be there until at least tomorrow afternoon. That’s if you aren’t held for the full seventy-two hours. Is that what you want?”

“No
,” I conceded. I wanted to go home, be alone, and bawl my eyes out. My best friend was in jail and the woman I looked up to was dead. I couldn’t function anymore. Ben was right, I wasn’t in any shape to drive, but I didn’t want him to drive me home.

“
I’ll take you home, no more argument.” I opened my mouth to speak, but he cut me off. “I mean it.” I glared at him.

I got up, ignoring Ben’s arm for support. I staggered a little with my first steps, but continued to ignore him. I managed to get to the maroon Ford without falling down.

Ben opened the car door for me. I dropped into the seat. Ben got in. “Where do you live?” Ben asked, starting the car.

“
I’m sure you already know,” I snapped.

He turned in his seat to face me. “Look you have the wrong impression of me.”

I stared out the window avoiding Ben. “What impression is that?”

“You act like
I’m out to get you.”

“
Are you?”

“No, I actually like you
,” he said. “I think what you do at Mary House is commendable and you’re one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever met.”

“What?” I
asked. “That’s not very professional.”

“It isn’t. I don’t want you to think
I’m creepy, but there is just something about you. I don’t know…” Ben trailed off.

Flabbergasted
, I said, “so you locked up my boyfriend to get me alone?”

“No, I swear I had nothing to do with that.” Ben sighed
. “Honestly, I’m not sure that he’s the guy we are looking for, but you have to admit…”

“You don’t?”
I relaxed.

“No.”

“Why?” I asked.

“I don’t think he fits the profile.”

“You have a profile?” I asked.

“Not officially, but I try to come up with a profile for suspects on my own.”

“What’s your profile on this case?”

Ben put the car in drive and pulled out before he answered. “Mid-forties, obsessive, doesn’t like women, and left handed. Is Jimmy left handed?”

“No,” I replied.

“I didn’t think so.”

“How do you know all of this?” I asked.

“Experience.”

“Skinner seems more experienced than you,” I said.

“He’s older, but not more experienced.”
Ben let out a chuckle. “There’s a difference.”

“Can you help Jimmy, Detective King?”

“Please call me Ben,” he said. “I’m not sure. He’s in a lot of trouble right now and he’s hiding something.”

“What do you think he’s hiding?” I asked.

“He doesn’t divulge information freely. You can help him more than anyone.”

“How?”

Ben looked at me. “You know what he’s not telling us.”

“Why do you think that?”

“You have no problems divulging information except when it comes to Jimmy,” Ben said. “You tend to evade questions about Jimmy.”

“Like what?” I asked.

“What exactly does Jimmy Kim do for a living?”

“Financial Advising
,” I answered.