Authors: A Lexy Beck
A few hours later, my father called me and invited me to the police station. The detectives were going to interrogate Dylan, and Dad wanted me to monitor the interview. I agreed; this was something Cain and I had to see. I fixed my makeup after all my crying and we headed to the police station. We were ushered into the viewing room to watch the interview. We weren’t alone; Reese, Dad and few other detectives, including Detective Jackson, were already there.
Dylan looked confident, even cocky, as he sat across from the interviewer, a young female detective. The red camera light blinked in the room as she began her interrogation.
“I just want to ask you a few questions and then we’ll move you along in the process, Mr. Rogers.” The attractive young detective told him.
Dylan slumped back in his chair. “I’m done answering questions today, especially from women.”
“I think you should reconsider your attitude. If we can get some of this cleared up, it might be better for you. It’s always in your best interest to cooperate with the police.”
He paused. “You don’t have anything on me.” Dylan’s smirk was matched by the detective’s bright smile.
“Well, we have enough evidence to hold you for extortion, embezzlement, blackmail and wire fraud. I’m guessing if we keep digging, we can find a few other things. So, why don’t you just tell us how you’re connected to Alice Bennett?”
“I’ve worked with her. She worked with Vawter. That’s it.” Dylan scratched his nose with this cuffed hands and shifted in his seat.
I tried to whisper to Reese, but the utter silence in the viewing room made my voice seem much louder. “He’s lying. He’s playing with his face, his nose…and look how quickly he’s blinking.”
I saw a quick smile from one of the older, more senior detectives in the room. “Nice catch, Ms. Dunning.” I returned the smile and refocused on the action in the interrogation room.
“Ok, so it would surprise you if I were to say we found your fingerprints at her house?” The detective pushed on, but I could tell by how she delivered the news that she was bluffing.
“Actually, yes, it would, detective. I mean, I’m no criminal, definitely not a murderer, but even I know if you’re going to commit a crime like that you should wear gloves.” Dylan sat up straight in his seat. He had thrown the detective a curve ball and she wasn’t expecting it.
She gathered her thoughts and flipped through the pad of notes in front of her. “Other than the night you were at her house, when was the last time you saw Ms. Bennett?”
“Detective…again, I wasn’t there the other night, and the last time I actually saw Ms. Bennett was months ago, when she came to the office to discuss a contract.”
The detective continued to hammer away at Dylan about his contact with Alice Bennett, but Dylan refused to be broken. His resiliency showed that he had prepared for this very moment. She continued to flip through notes and files, giving Dylan the upper hand. She glanced toward us through the mirror glass and continued.
“Okay, Dylan. Let’s talk about something else. What about Rachel Murant? Would you like to talk about her?”
“I cared for Rachel and she cared for me. But she was pushy. Bossy. She weaseled her way into our business and Cain allowed her to push me out.”
“And that’s why you killed her as well as Ms. Bennett? To protect yourself?” The detective was floundering and it was obvious.
“If you checked your facts, you’d know I was out of town when Rachel died, and I have to live with that. I wasn’t even in the country. I saw her just before she died and caught a plane to a conference in Amsterdam. I got a call from Cain when I landed and turned around and came straight back home.|” Dylan was shaken and upset, but held his ground, not letting the detective get the better of him.
I squeezed Cain’s hand and glanced over at him. He met my gaze with a faint smile and a nod. “I remember that. He was the last one to see her alive.”
“That’s it! I’m done. I want to see my lawyer. As far as I can tell, you have nothing on me.” Dylan clasped his cuffed hands together and leaned back in the chair. He stared into the mirrored window as if he could see through it, right at us.
The detective slammed the folder shut angrily, looked toward us and left the room.
The young detective joined us, looking embarrassed. “I’m sorry I couldn’t get a confession out of him. He’s a jerk, that’s for sure.”
“I thought you did great, thank you, detective.” I smiled at her.
Detective Jackson approached me. “Where did you learn all that lie detector stuff? You knew she was bluffing about the fingerprints and the other stuff. How?”
“She’s actually very good. Her chin tilted away from him slightly and her finger tapping was rhythmic, not random.”
“Well, I’m not one to go for all this psychology stuff, but you did a great job calling these lies out.”
“Thanks.” I beamed at him.
“You know, right now we really don’t have much on him other than those files, the first recording and the tape from today. We can’t tie him to the murder yet. The other things—the extortion, fraud—are pretty small. Now that he’s lawyered up, we’re going to have to really get going on this. We do have some fingerprints from the scene of Ms. Bennett’s murder, and they aren’t Mr. Parkers. Until we get the results back, we can’t hold Mr. Rogers for that.”
“When were you going to share that with us?” Dad jumped in, looking at the detective and then fixing his gaze on Cain.
“Right now.” Detective Jackson smiled apologetically. “We’ve had a lot of things going on. I just got the results from the lab.”
“Alright, everyone. It’s been a long day already. Until Mr. Rogers speaks with his lawyer, we’re done here. I’ll let you know what else we hear.” Detective Simmons cleared the room as we watched Dylan, sat at the cold metal table in the interrogation room. It seemed a fitting end, for now.
“Jennifer! Can I talk with you for a minute?”
“Sure, Dad. What’s up?” Cain continued walking to the car and waited for me, leaving Dad and I alone.
He touched my shoulder, a move he often used when he was trying express himself. “I wanted you to know that I recognize you have a great talent for what you do. I am glad I got to see you work in person.”
“Thank you. That means a lot.” I reached up and patted his hand.
“I am very proud of you, Jennifer. I hope that you stick around and help on other cases, although I think we’ll be mopping up this one for a long time.”
“Let’s just get through this one, Dad. I love doing what I’m doing, but I want to make sure this will good for me, and us.”
“Well, keep up the good work.” He started to leave but turned back. “Oh, for the record, I like him.”
A warming sensation flooded through me and I didn’t know what to say. “Thank you.” My heart was full and I truly meant it. Dad’s acceptance of Cain was important, and it wasn’t until he voiced it out loud that I realized how much I needed it.
I walked carefully across the gravel parking lot in my high heels to join Cain. My phone dinged and a text message popped up. Three small words.
This isn’t over!
I stared back at the police station, wondering how Dylan could have sent me a text. My heart sank, but I reassured myself it would be fine. I slid the phone in my sweater pocket and slid into Cain’s car.
I loved the smell of the seats in Cain’s expensive car, and the way the soft leather felt against my body, the way the shape hugged it. I sank deeper into the seat and closed my eyes for a moment.
“Everything Ok?”
“Yes!” I lied, grateful I knew how to lie when I needed to.
“Another step, right, Jennifer?” Cain seemed pleased with the outcome, even if it didn’t tie Dylan to Alice’s murder yet. “Dylan’s behind bars, you’re safe, and now we can focus on us and let the police do their job. Right?”
Cain was searching for confirmation that I was finally going to stop trying to play detective and fight crime. “Right. Another step in the right direction. I’m sure the police will do their job and get the evidence they need.”
“I want to do something special tonight. How about you come over at around seven? Pack a few things, Ok? We need a little R and R.” Cain smiled his devilish smile.
“That sounds great. I’ll see you in a bit.” I glanced down at my watch and realized it was still quite early in the afternoon. I tried to conceal my yawn as Cain pulled up outside my apartment courtyard. I leaned toward him and kissed him. “Should I dress up for dinner?”
“Yes! You should, so I can undress you later. Oh, and pack a bathing suit!”
“Sounds perfect, Cain.”
“Jennifer?”
“Yes?”
“Thank you, for everything.” His hand was on mine; his blue eyes looked deeply into my soul. I knew he was sincere.
“You’re welcome. I’ll see you in a few hours.” I climbed out of the car, feeling joyful.
I practically skipped up the stairs. For the first time in a while, I walked into my apartment without trepidation. It was a nice feeling. I didn’t waste any time and packed a bag, tossing it on my settee along with my purse. I quickly scanned through my closet and found a dress he hadn’t seen. It was a deep, scarlet red. “Oh yes, that’s the one!”
I had a few hours to kill and I didn’t want to yawn my way through dinner, so I decided to take a power nap before showering. I crawled on to my bed, wrapping myself in my sweater and pulling the blanket over my feet.
I hadn’t slept much in the last twenty-four hours and I quickly felt the tiredness taking over my body. No sooner had I gotten comfortable than I passed out. I faded in and out of dreams, some nightmares. I kept waking myself up and dozing back to sleep.
I opened my eyes briefly, to get my bearings and to remember I was at home in my bed, and was met by a dark figure standing over me. I opened my mouth to scream and attempted to fight, but it was useless. I struggled against the white rag that covered my face until blackness took over.
I returned to my nightmare and sometime later, I woke in complete darkness, feeling like someone had thrown me down a flight of stairs. My head ached; I could a feel a bump on my forehead.
Panic washed over me as I heard the thump of the road beneath me. The sound echoed through the small, dark enclosed area. I was in the trunk of a car. My eyes adjusted to the darkness and I quietly listened for any hint as to where I was and who had taken me. Nothing but the sound of the road.
I rolled to my left to try and make myself as confortable as I could, taking up a defensive position for when the trunk opened again. With the movement came a stabbing pain in my left side; I reached toward it with a tentative hand and felt the blocky shape of my phone, still inside my sweater pocket.
The brightness of the phone’s screen illuminated the small empty trunk. It was only six o’clock. Cain wouldn’t be looking for me for at least another hour. I began to dial 9-1-1 and realized I couldn’t risk being overheard. I tapped out a text to Cain, Reese and Dad:
Help me! I’ve been kidnapped. In a car trunk. Don’t know where I am. Track me!
Don’t Call.
I typed in the username and password to my “LocateMyPhone” account. I hit send and waited.
Message Not Delivered
.
I hit send again. Nothing. I waited another minute and tried again. Finally, it went through; or at least I thought it did. I heard the car stop and panicked. I quickly hid the phone under the carpet in the trunk and pretended to be passed out. It didn’t matter. My captor smothered me again with a cloth that smelled like almonds.
I woke up some time later, feeling sick. I was tied to a bed. I could see a shadowy figure in the doorway and I squinted through the drug haze that hung over me.
Oh my god!
“Dylan?”
“Surprise, Jennifer.”
“How are you… I mean… how are you here?”
“I posted bail. That shouldn’t surprise you; I have plenty of money, as you well know.” I blinked at him.
Am I still dreaming?
“I want you to know that although I am disappointed in you, I know it wasn’t your fault.” He sat on the bed next to me, smoothing my hair away from my face. “It was Cain. I know he put you up to it. We had something, you and I.”
“What?” I asked confused and disoriented. He tugged on my ties, making sure they were snug. I didn’t squirm for fear he would tighten them more. My left hand felt a little loose; I hoped I could at least get that arm free if I were left alone.
“Tell me you want me, Jennifer. I need to hear you say it.”
“Dylan… I…”
“Don’t toy with me. You made me a promise—now keep it!”
“What did I promise Dylan? Remind me.”
“You said you would go away with me, that you’d give me a chance.” The evil exuded from Dylan and a side I had never seen before emerged. He seemed darker and more sinister than ever.
“Dylan, I think I’m going to be sick…” The drugs he had used to subdue me took a toll on my stomach and I turned my head, vomiting at his feet.
“I’m so sorry, I didn’t want to have to knock you out like that, but I knew you wouldn’t come with me otherwise. I needed you to understand.” A vague sincerity rang through in his voice. He grabbed a towel from the table and gently wiped my mouth.
“Why are you doing this, Dylan?” I couldn’t anticipate his next move or his end game. He always seemed willing to talk, even when it was his undoing.
“So many reasons…how many would you like?” He stroked my face; I pushed back the waves of nausea that tried to drown me.
“Cain Parker isn’t the man you think he is. We used to be friends—more than friends, we were like brothers… but you know all of this, Jennifer. I wanted a taste of what Cain has…what he
had.
He pushed me away with Rachel. Then he pushed me away with you. He flaunted you in front of me.” Dylan rubbed my arm, trying to soothe me.
The ties cut into my wrists and I shifted on the bed. “This isn’t the way to get what you want, Dylan. You should know that.”
“Oh I do, Jennifer. The only way for me to get what I want is to take it. I fix things so they work out for me.” He laughed as he walked across the room, pulling a bottle of water from the mini-fridge. He twisted the top off and took a long swallow. “Thirsty?”
“Yes, please.” I could taste the water in my mouth. The acid from the vomit burned my throat and I felt my mouth watering. Dylan held the bottle up to my mouth and I took small, gentle sips of the water as he stared at me. He watched my every move in his perverted, seductive way.
“You see, Jennifer, Cain’s father may have loved me, but he didn’t really love me like a son. I was a thorn in his side. The troublemaker. He wanted me to be the replacement for Jase, but I never lived up to the Parker standards. I got a girl pregnant in college and Cain took the heat for me from his old man.”
“So Cain stood up for you, covered for you?”
“So he said, but shortly after that, his dad started becoming distant. Barely spoke to me, and I was replaced by Rachel, his new favorite. I didn’t know about being removed from his will until after he died.”
“Removed? So he had thought about you? He included you? He loved you. See?”
“I was replaced by Rachel! And when Rachel died, you know who benefitted? Ashley! All of those greedy people have what is rightfully mine…and so now, I just take what I want. No need to ask any longer.” Dylan slid in close to me on the bed and kissed my neck.
I whimpered under his touch. His hot stale breath hung in my face. “No, Dylan. Don’t do this. It’s not too late. You can fix this.”
His hands ran up my thigh and slid across my waist. He slid his hand under my shirt, resting it on my stomach as he kissed my neck again. He whispered in my ear. “I’ll let you rest for a little while. I know it’s been a long day and I want tonight to be one you remember.”