Marked (Marked #3) (10 page)

“I’m ready for round two, Detectives.” Just like the day before, they both stood up as I entered the room, extending their hands for me to shake before taking a seat again. Only difference from yesterday was the two extra occupants inside the room occupying the armchairs placed to the left side of the couch.

Mom and Dad insisted that they wanted to be present. Claimed to have questions of their own that needed answering. I called bullshit and just told them to stay. It wasn’t rocket science nor a great mystery. They wanted to be present in case things got bad again.

In case I passed out.

“You gave us quite the scare yesterday, Miss Owens.” Gulver’s words surprised me as was evident by the way my jaw went slack. By the way loud laughter rang throughout the room from the man beside me.

I’d stopped mid-step and turned around to face him. “Didn’t know you cared.”

“And that’s a misconception I apologize for.” His words were genuine. Not forced on him because it was his duty to be here and finish putting the puzzle pieces together of my attack.

And for that, I gave him an honest one in return. “Apology accepted, Detective.”

Talan grasped my hand in his and pulled me toward the love seat, which was unoccupied. Knees to knees and hands intertwined we sat beside the other, drawing comfort from the other’s physical presence.

Marquez cleared his throat, snapping my attention away from the man running soothing circles over the top of my hand. “Before we begin, I want you to understand that everything you say today is being recorded with the intent of being used as evidence in the state’s case against Janice Moore. Miss Moore is in captivity and being closely monitored by a Dr. Luke Taylor at Jackson Memorial’s Crisis Unit.”

Talan released my hand, stood up, and walked across the room, back muscles coiled tight against the soft cotton of his shirt. “She was that fucking close to Maya and we weren’t informed.” His nostrils flared, and a slight fog crept over the sliding glass door. “Who made that asinine call? Who didn’t give enough of a shit about her safety to at the very least give us a say in if we transferred her or not. That psychotic bitch could’ve escaped.”

Gulver reached over and turned the recording device off. “Off the record…” Talan waved a hand in the air without turning back around. “We weren’t informed by our superiors until after Maya’s release. They blamed it on Brian Evans being beat to the point of unconsciousness, then his arrest, and then the media’s take on the entire situation.”

“Media?” Mom asked, looking as perplexed as we all felt.

“The Evans family is a very wealthy and influential part of South Florida’s elite residents. They own businesses and quite a bit of both rental and commercial properties. New money, but from the type of lawyer they hired, I’d venture to say a lot of it.  So as you can imagine when one of their own ends up on the five o’clock news with a not-so-pretty mug shot…it turns into a big deal.” As the last word left Detective Gulver’s mouth, Marquez turned the recorder back on.

“We understand that this is a difficult situation, Miss Owens, but we are going to make this as painless as possible. With recent event accounts from everyone who works at the shop, your parents, Talan, and the shop’s surveillance videos, there isn’t much left to piece together. All we need from you is to positively ID the two individuals out of a lineup of pictures we will place atop this table. Take your time. Look at them carefully and push the one that is correct toward us. After that, a few simple questions and we will be out of your hair.”

“You have a surveillance system?” For some reason out of everything they’d just said, I was still stuck on that. “Since when?”

With an indulgent smile on his face, Talan tapped me on the nose once before taking a seat beside me. “Just because you don’t see it, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Babe, I run a very successful tattoo parlor. Clients, mostly the males, come through those doors in all states of awareness. Belligerent and high as a kite. It’s there for our protection in case someone gets out of hand and gets knocked the fuck out.”

“You could’ve gone with destruction of property.” Marquez tried to sound stern, but his amusement was clear. “Recording this, remember.”

“Why lie?” And that right the fuck there was one of the main reasons why I adored him. Honest to a fault. Sees no point in lying for anyone’s benefit. “Plus, there’s never been a big enough idiot to go there with me or the boys. The few times it has gotten out hand—very few and far between—have been amongst themselves and broken up before it went past words.”

I laughed, couldn’t stop the giggles that burst through as something came to mind. “
Kill yourselves outside, but never in my shop.
That’s why you have that on a plaque behind the reception area?”

“Yup. Pretty much, you adorable dork.” Talan leaned in and kissed my forehead, taking in a deep pull of my scent into his lungs before sitting back, his hand placed on my knee. “I’m a firm believer in giving people a fair warning. Can’t cry foul when you’ve been cautioned.”

“Getting back to the point…” Gulver raised a brow at Talan and shook his head “…I’m going to lay down four pictures faced down atop this table. No hurry. Once they are in place, take your time, Maya, and look at them carefully. We need both a verbal and visual confirmation from you on which of these was your attacker. If she’s not in any of these, we have more photos to show you.”

“Ready.”

Dad and Talan stood then and removed the few pictures and the bamboo dish I had filled with colorful eggs carved in stone atop the coffee table. Everything was set aside and a large binder was pulled from a leather messenger bag Gulver had by his feet.

Thud.

Loud, the sound reverberated throughout every square inch of the now quiet room. Filled to the brim and overflowing, he flipped it open to a yellow tab and pulled out a few sheets of papers. Two sets; separated by gender. Mug shots and license photos.

“Ms. Owens,” I heard Marquez call out, but my attention was glued to the two sets of faced-down pictures. “I understand you have some questions of your own?”

“Not questions. More like concerns.”

“We have some time right now if you’d like to step outside? Let her have a moment to concentrate without everyone watching.” If it wouldn’t piss off Talan, I’d kiss the man at the moment.

“But—”

“Let’s go, Linda.” Dad’s voice held finality and after a loud huff, she came and kissed my and Talan’s foreheads. Was her way of letting us know that she was here for us, and it also served to start mending the rift she’d caused with the man sitting close beside me.

Ignoring the hand Dad held out for her, she walked out of the room silently through the sliding glass doors. And being the smart man that he was, he followed after her with a Marquez who looked unsure of himself.

“That was interesting.”

“Detective, that’s the norm around here.”

“He isn’t lying.” At that, we all erupted in laughter, theirs being loud and boisterous, while mine held an edge of hysteria. Nerves were beginning to set in. My breathing caused me to hiccup.

“Drink.” Talan produced a bottle of water out of nowhere and brought it up to my lips. “That’s it, slow. Breathe, Bitty. I’m here. We’re home safe.” Took a few minutes, but between the cool liquid and his hand rubbing soothing circles on my outer thigh, I calmed. “Better?”

I nodded. “Yeah. Let’s get this over with.”

“Only if
you
are sure that
you
are indeed able to continue without panicking? There’s always tomorrow, and we can come back.”

“Not necessary.” Looking over at Talan, I tilted my head toward the table. “I’m going to need for you to pass me each one. It’ll hurt to bend over them.”

“Of course, baby. Tell me when.”

“Now.” He did as asked and passed me a single white sheet from the first row, upside down, until it reached my fingers. Turning it over, I closed my eyes, took in a deep breath, and then let my eyes fall over it. “Not her.”

“Are you a hundred percent—”

“Not her, Detective.” I passed him the photo with one hand and with the other asked Talan for more. Same with the two that followed; in looks it came close, but Janice had a tattoo over her neck and collarbones that none of these had. It was unique. Quite beautiful, if I was being honest. “Next.”

For some reason when the final one touched my fingertips, my hand shook. Even before I’d seen it, something told me this was it. Her picture.

Tatt boy’s hand came into focus; his fingertips pushed my face up and toward his. “What’s the matter?”

I let out a huff of frustration. “Anxious.”

“Why?” In my best attempt to hide my uneasiness, I turned my eyes from his. Focused on the glass door where I could see our parents and Marquez talking outside. Wrong move. “Don’t hide from me, Maya. Talk to me.”

“No.” Was I being stubborn? Yes, I won’t deny it.

Fear wasn’t the emotion that was crippling me at the moment, but I was overwhelmed. Came out of nowhere and for some reason I found myself struggling. A never-ending roller coaster: worry, doubt, fear, and sadness mixed in with moments of pure joy. Confused the hell out me.

A burning sensation, as if I had a million and one fire ants traveling down the back of my skull had me almost clutching at my head. Uncomfortable. Made the instability I felt magnified.

No sooner had that word crossed my lips that I found myself sitting astride his lap, strong arms encircling my waist and my head tucked beneath his chin.  Engulfed by him. Protected. Loved.

“Stop. We…” he pointed first at himself and then at the detective I had forgotten was still in the room “…are not here to judge you. Hurry you up. Or push you past what you can handle.”

Shrugging, I took in a deep inhale and let it slowly. “I know that, but—”

“But what? What do you need me to do?”

A huff escaped. “Need you.”

Elaboration wasn’t needed. Being independent was something I prided myself on. Now, the fact that I had to ask for help with the simple task of looking at a photo pissed me off. Not at him, but the situation.

“Calm down.” Spoken low, it was whispered into the shell of my ear so as not to be heard by Gulver. It’d been embarrassing enough.

“Thank you.” Kissing his chin once, I nodded and waited for him to make a move. Just like I knew he would, Talan took the paper in my hands and turned it over. Didn’t say a single word, just waited for me to say the words the detective needed to hear.

“It’s her.” My eyes took in how pallid and tired she looked; her hair was dirty and stringy. Nothing like the loud and pretty girl I’d met all those months ago. She looked sick.

“Are you positive?” he asked.

“No doubt. That is Janice Moore.”

“Perfect.” Taking the slightly crumbled sheet from my hands, he wrote something beneath the picture and set it aside, face down on the table. “What about Brian?”

“Just show me his mug shot and I’ll confirm. No need to drag it out.”

Thank God he did as asked, pulled the first paper closest to him off the table, and handed it over.  “This him?”

“Yes. That’s him.”

“Good.” Again he wrote something and then tucked everything away. “That’s done. Now I need you to tell me what you remember of the night in question. As I said, we have video, just need to know if you remember hearing anything. What were you able to see?”

“Not that I think it will help since she came at me from behind,” I started, and then paused to take in a deep breath and square my shoulders. Talan tapped his fingers against the skin of my lower abs to remind me he was there. To lean on him and I did, both figuratively and literally speaking. “Janice was talking to herself throughout, sounded crazed and filled with so much rage.  For months—at the shop, the Halloween party at Terry and Steve’s, and when I kicked her out of our home…she’s always claimed the same thing. That I’d stolen from her. That she wanted her life back.
To matter.
”

“What about—”

“Wasn’t done, Detective.” Nodding, he went back to jotting something down in his notepad while I finished. “On the first blow I was surprised, and as the seconds passed, the pain that radiated through me intensified to the point where I couldn’t breathe. The second, I fell forward and hit my head on the car door and as I hit the ground, I saw her. Our eyes met and she smiled before delivering the next to my side. That’s when Brian came in and pulled her away. They argued…I could hear them, but at that point it became a garbled mess. Sounded far. I can’t tell you what was said, but I did see them both before I closed my eyes and darkness took me under.”