Justice by Oleander - 2012 Watty Awards, Finalist

© Carey MacLean, 2012

Chapter 5

Two days had gone by in a flash.  Xavier felt that he was on to something.  Two days ago, he had done additional research on any emergency calls being placed by any of the eleven residences.  He ran the financials for exuberant sums that might have seemed out of the ordinary.  The more he looked into things, the more he became certain that these women had no play in their husband’s demise.  He felt like he was met with a brick wall every time he thought he was making headway.

The only thing he had come up with was that multiple complaints had been filed by neighbours in some instances, along with domestic disturbances being reported, only to having the call cancelled or the responders to show up on scene and be turned around.  He knew the time had arrived to talk to each woman individually.  He needed full-blown confirmation on if they had been battered and decided to draft up a document that gave him backing to search their medical records.  If he could spare those women from reliving their horrors, he would make due with simply those medical records.  The only outstanding link that needed to be looked into was the hospital.  For that, he had placed the call with Captain Saunders last night.

Now it was Thursday and Xavier was greeted with a wakeup call from his Captain.

“Yeah?”  Xavier breathed sleepily in the receiver.

“You asked for it kid and I delivered.  Don’t tell me I never did anything for you,” Saunders said gruffly and hung up, not allowing Xavier a word in edgewise.

It took Xavier a few minutes to realize what Saunders had been talking about.  He supposed the dream, just like all the others from the past few nights were at fault.  His no-name girl was wreaking havoc on his sleep these days and the dreams were getting steamier and much more vivid with each passing night.

Shaking her out of his head, he realized he got what he had asked for.  Today was the day he’d walk into Kensington General Hospital and ask for the records indicated on that tiny little slip that was signed by the judge.  Excitement filled him to the brim at the prospect of finding something that would tie it all together – his big break.

Getting up and out of bed, he showered, shaved and dressed.  Grabbing his keys, he quickly locked up and jumped in his jeep and headed to the precinct to collect his thin piece of gold.

She had been spacey for the lack of a better description today.  Mika felt conflicted.  She knew what she wanted to do; she had devised the plan but despite the fool-proof nature of it, she still hadn’t been able to hold Lance Denton’s business card in one hand and dial his number with the other.  Maybe it could have been the insomnia that had plagued her over the past few days.  She was definitely going to enjoy the next three days.

It had been a while since she’d had three consecutive days to herself; on a weekend at that.  She sat in the break-room, sipping what was left of her morning coffee; pondering on the variety of things she could do with herself.

She should have known that a few days without any harassment of any kind was too much to ask.

Wishful thinking.

Mika scowled as Mark knocked on the door while he leaned against the frame.

“Not today, jackass,” she quickly got up and threw the remainder of her coffee in the trashcan.

She tried to make her way past him but he grabbed her arm and pushed her back inside the room.

“Have dinner with me and I’ll never bother you again,” he said matter-of-factly as if it was like a simple operating procedure.

“Remove your hand from me before I scream,” she said firmly, her eyes filled with fire.

He only tightened his grip on her arm and pulled her roughly to him.  He leaned in quickly to try and kiss her but she was quicker.  With a swift knee to the groin and a slap to his cheek which set her hand on fire, she stood there watching him cup his family jewels.

“I’ll be reporting your perverted ass to the Chief.  I don’t give a shit that he’s your uncle,” and with that, she stormed out of the room; her next destination was the Chief’s office.

Blinded by her fury, she never reached her intended mark.  Instead, she found herself nose to a hard chiselled chest; arms bracing her from falling back from the impact.