Sue, page 12
Entering her bedroom, Sue realized the shadows she’d seen against her blinds were caused by the movement of shifting images on her screen saver. But, the computer should have been dark. It was set to sleep after five minutes of non-usage. And she knew for sure she hadn’t left the bedroom light on. Someone had been inside; she was certain of it. Yet nothing seemed to be missing or out of place.
While Melvin talked quietly with the detective, Sue emerged from the bedroom and quickly checked the rest of her apartment. “Nothing,” she said when finished. “Everything seems to be the way I left it. Except for the bedroom light. Oh, and the computer’s screen saver was on when it should have been dark.”
“Give me a second. I want to get someone over here to check for prints on the door, your keyboard, and the desk. Don’t touch anything.” The detective made her call and looked back at Sue. “So, let me see the letter.”
Shoving her hand into her coat pocket, Sue produced the pages and held them out to the detective.
Sanders slipped on a pair of gloves before taking them. As she perused the words, she frowned and looked up at Sue. “Is there anything in here that only Zeke would know?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t think of that when I read it.”
“Well, read it over again please.” Detective Sanders handed the pages back to Sue. “Look carefully.”
Sue read the vile words once more, her lips pressed together. Melvin and Sanders watched her closely. Shoulders hunched in resignation, Sue refolded the sheets and laid them on the coffee table before dropping onto the sofa.
“Sue?” Melvin’s eyebrows were raised in query.
“No. There’s nothing specific. I suppose it could have been written by anyone. Any disgusting pervert, that is.”
Detective Sanders lifted the papers and slipped them into a plastic bag. “I’m pretty sure there won’t be any prints on these, but we’ll see what we find.” She chewed her lip thoughtfully for a second or two. “Okay, Sue. I need you to think really hard. Is there anyone else you can think of who would want to scare you? A classmate? Coworker?” She shot a glance at Melvin. “Anyone?”
Sue shook her head as a knock sounded at the door. Detective Sanders peered through the window and then let in an officer carrying a small case. After showing him what she needed, she returned her attention to Melvin and Sue.
“Melvin, would you mind waiting outside?” The detective’s tone was polite but firm.
He shrugged. “No problem. I’ll sit in my car.” He donned his hat and left, stepping around the officer who was dusting the door for prints.
With a puzzled look, Sue turned to Sanders. “Why’d he have to leave?”
“I want to go over these incidents with you privately. Where was Melvin when each one happened?”
The officer moved past the two women and disappeared into Sue’s bedroom.
Sue flushed. “Oh no. I see where this is going. But you’ve got it all wrong, Detective. Melvin didn’t do any of these things.”
“Humor me.” Sanders pulled out a small notebook. “In January, you had a break-in. Where was Melvin?”
“I don’t know. He came when I called him. Anyway, you caught the kids that did it. Didn’t you?”
“Maybe, but remember, they denied breaking into your place.”
“Did they deny any of the other break-ins?”
The detective looked unhappy over the question. “Yes. Two others.” She cleared her throat. “Okay, next you get a poem in the mail. It could have been sent by anyone.”
“Not Melvin.”
Sanders gave a casual toss of her head. “Just bear with me here, Sue. The next thing that happens is a valentine on your windshield. Where was Melvin that time?”
“He had just come over. In fact, he was the one who noticed it.”
“Of course he did. Then the daisies. Did he know the significance of that particular flower?”
“Well, yes. It’s in my file at the agency.”
“Now this.” Sanders looked Sue in the eye. “And right on cue, Melvin’s here.”
Sue jumped to her feet. “You’re wrong. He’s not like that. And anyway, why would he do this to me?”
“As you pointed out, he works for Falstaff Agency.”
“And?”
“Maybe job security, I don’t know. Maybe he keeps the pot stirred so you keep paying him.”
“That’s just ridiculous.” Sue crossed her arms over her chest and paced back and forth. “No, I don’t buy it.”
The officer stepped from the bedroom and nodded. “I picked up some prints but that was pretty much a certainty, given the locations. We’ll have to check them against the records. Is there anything else, Detective?”
“No. Thank you.” She smiled at him and he departed.
Sanders snapped her notebook closed and prepared to leave. “My motto. Leave no stone unturned. Just be careful who you trust, Sue. You’re focusing so hard on Zeke, you might miss something.”
“Like what?”
“Like the real culprit.” Detective Sanders opened the door. “I’ll be in touch.”
Sue stood stunned in the center of her front room. She heard the crunch of the detective’s shoes on the gravel drive as she stepped away from the porch. Moments later, Melvin came inside and closed the door to the brisk night wind. He removed his hat, leaving his hair askew.
Sue took a long look at him.
He lifted his brows slightly. “What?”
“You won’t believe what Detective Sanders suggested.”
He chuckled. “I bet I would. She thinks I might be the stalker, right?’
With a pained expression, Sue nodded. “That doesn’t bother you?”
“No. If I were in her shoes, I’d check me out too. It’s more common than you think for the perpetrator of a crime to be in some kind of relationship with the victim.”
Sue tilted her head and asked softly, “What kind of relationship do we have, Melvin?”
He swallowed hard, thrown by her question. “I guess a work relationship, in that you are a client of the agency I work for. Or at least your parents are clients. But I think we’re friends, too. At least I hope we are.” His face reddened. He tried to smooth down his fly-away hair but static rendered the effort useless.
He looked so vulnerable in that moment that Sue felt a small tug on her heart. She had to rescue him. “Me too,” she said with a small smile.
A look of relief crossed his face.
“But, don’t you ever get tired of following me around to grocery stores, gas stations, and everywhere else?”
“Why would I?”
“For one thing, grocery shopping is boring,” Sue teased.
“I could think of worse things to be doing.”
Sue contemplated this statement for a few seconds. “Want to hang around for awhile? I could use the company. Maybe we could order pizza. Watch a movie?”
“That sounds good.” He unzipped his coat and tucked his hat into the pocket.
While they waited for the food to arrive, they sat on the sofa, not close enough to touch, but not too far apart either. An invisible boundary had been crossed and neither knew how to proceed. To fill the awkward silence, Sue began speaking.
“I guess you have a lot of questions about what happened. You know, with Zeke and me.” She held up her hand as Melvin tried to object. “No, it’s okay. It’s normal curiosity. I’d also guess you’re afraid to ask me anything.”
“Sue. You don’t have to...”
“I want to. Really. It might help me to talk about it with a friend instead of just my therapist. Lord knows I can’t discuss it with my parents.” She looked down at her lap.
Melvin shifted, looking very uncomfortable.
“I met him at Re-Books. I couldn’t believe it when he asked me out; I was so flattered. We fell right into a relationship. At first, he was nice to me, listened to what I had to say, complimented me. Just the way he looked and the sound of his voice...took my breath away. And he was so good at...certain things...”
“You mean sex?” Melvin seemed to have trouble posing the question.
“I mean the whole package. The touching, the words of love, the romance. And yes, that other part, too. I admit it. I fell hard for him. He seemed to know just the right things to say and do.” She looked up at Melvin and noticed the tortured look on his face. “Maybe I shouldn’t say any more.”
“No, it’s fine, go ahead.” There was a stoic set to his shoulders.
“Well, he had me so hooked that I feared losing him. I thought that would be the worst thing. If I lost him. Much later, I found out that wasn’t even close to the worst thing that could happen. I’m still trying to wrap my mind around the whole thing, trying to figure out why I left town with him. He’d already starting showing small signs that things weren’t right.”
“Like what?”
“Like the time he saw me talking to a guy from my class. He got so angry. Grabbed me by the hair and twisted it. It really hurt.”
“So he was jealous.”
“That’s what I thought, too. But no. It was worse. He said he didn’t care if I slept with the guy; he just didn’t want me doing it behind his back. He said we could both have the freedom to take other lovers, as long as we talked it out ahead of time. I was awake almost all night trying to come to terms with that. I should’ve broken it off with him then. But I was so stupid. He was like a drug I couldn’t give up.”
Melvin pinched his lip, thinking. “I don’t know what to say. I’ve never felt that way about anyone before.”
“Yeah, well I hadn’t either. I guess that was part of my problem. Lack of experience.” A wry look crossed her face. “Not a problem I have anymore, thanks to Zeke. If anything, I’m overly sensitive to the idea of getting close to someone.”
“Can I ask you something?” At her nod, he continued. “Do you think you’ll ever get over him? I mean, can you get past what he did to you and maybe want a relationship again?”
“That’s what I’m trying to do.”
Melvin changed the subject. “Bet your folks are worried, with all this crap that’s going on.”
“You don’t know the half of it. They’ve been pestering me to move home. Plus, I feel so guilty.”
“About what?”
“Well, I’ve already put them through hell, and the things that have been happening have them scared. I hate that my situation might put them in danger. It’s my problem and I’m the one who has to deal with it, not them. Besides, I like having my own place.” Sue looked into Melvin’s eyes. “I would really appreciate it if they didn’t find out about the letter tonight. If Will doesn’t hear about it then they won’t either.”
“He’s my boss, Sue. I can’t keep things from him. Besides, it’s just not right.”
“Please, Melvin.” Sue gave him an imploring look.
“I don’t know,” he hedged. “I’m not sure it’s a good idea to keep him in the dark about...”
The sound of a knock interrupted them. Sue started to rise. “There’s our pizza.”
“Let me get it.” Melvin stood and moved toward the door. He peered out the curtain before undoing the lock and turning the knob. “Come on in.”
A young man in a red jacket stepped inside and pulled their order out of an insulated carrying bag. “That’ll be $18.50.”
Sue dug in her purse, but Melvin already had his wallet out.
“No,” she protested. “I invited you. I’ll pay.”
“I have it right here, Sue.”
“That’s not fair. How about we split it?” She held out a ten dollar bill.
“Works for me.” Melvin counted out some cash, took the bill from Sue, and carefully added a tip. He handed over the cash and took the pizza.
The pizza delivery man stared from Sue to Melvin before speaking. “Hey, you’re Sue, right? Do you remember me?”
She looked closer and recognized Joyce’s favorite tutoring student. “Jeremiah?”
“Yeah! I knew you were back in town, but haven’t seen you around school.” He gave her a wide smile. A very friendly smile. “Wow, you’re looking good. I like the new hairstyle.” He winked. “Why don’t you give me a call sometime, eh?”
His attention was unsettling. Sue was taken aback. “Call you? Why?”
“I don’t know.” He flung his hair back with a cocky toss of his head, a movement that reminded Sue of Zeke. “Maybe we could hang out.”
“I don’t think so.” She backed up.
“Oh, I see. That your new boyfriend there?” Jeremiah gestured toward Melvin.
Melvin handed the pizza to Sue and stepped forward. “I’m her friend.”
“Well, if you’re just friends, then no problem, right? How about I come back when I get off work? Send your buddy home. I’ll bring over a six-pack and we can get loose and have a little fun, just you and me. What do you say, Sue?”
“She said no.” Melvin reached out and took the cash from Jeremiah’s hands.
“What the hell are you doing?” Jeremiah tried to grab the money but Melvin pulled away from his reach.
“I’m taking back the tip, that’s what I’m doing.” Melvin slowly counted the bills back into Jeremiah’s hand. “There’s the eighteen.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out some change, placing it coin by coin on top of the cash. “And there’s the fifty. Now, get out of here and don’t come back. Got that?”
Jeremiah looked at Melvin in disbelief. “Fuck you, asshole!” He got up into Melvin’s face, chest puffed out and eyes blazing. “Give me back my goddamn tip!”
Melvin stepped deliberately closer until the two were nearly touching. He was only slightly taller than Jeremiah, but managed somehow to look down on him. The tension in the air was palpable. “If you want it, take it.”
“Don’t hurt him,” Sue cried, unsure to whom she was even speaking.
Neither man paid her the slightest attention. Their eyes were locked in a battle of wills and the air crackled with animosity. Jeremiah looked away first. Backing off slightly, he rolled his shoulders and affected an air of nonchalance. “You know what? I’m going to let this slide. But I tell you, dude, if I wasn’t working...”
“Don’t let that stop you,” Melvin said softly, fists ready at his side.
Jeremiah made a dismissive motion with his hand and turned to go. “Hell with you both.”
Melvin slammed the door after him and locked it. He turned to Sue. “Let’s eat.”
Sue was trembling. “Let’s eat? That’s all you’re going to say?”
“What do you want me to say?”
“I don’t know. Aren’t you shook up or anything?” Her hands were unsteady as she placed the box on the coffee table and sank onto the sofa.
“Not really. He was a jerk; I had to put him in his place.” Melvin sat beside Sue and opened the pizza container. “Man, that smells good.”
Sue grabbed Melvin’s hand to get his attention. “Melvin, I don’t know how you can be so calm; I hate confrontations. You haven’t even reached for your inhaler.”
“My inhaler? You know about that?” He blushed slightly.
“Yeah, well, I know you have one. I’ve seen you pull it out before.”
“Oh.” He looked away for a moment.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”
“The inhaler, it’s just...”
“No, don’t explain. Forget I even brought it up.” She squeezed his hand lightly. “What I really want to say is thank you. I appreciate you standing up for me like that.”
He looked into her eyes for a moment and then smiled shyly. “You’re welcome, Sue. It was my pleasure.”
“Don’t you even want to know who that guy is?”
“Sure. If you want to tell me.”
“It’s someone my friend, Joyce, tutors. He’s never given me a second glance until tonight. I don’t understand it.” But deep inside, Sue did understand. Joyce had to have told him how Sue had gone off with Zeke, a guy Joyce figured was practically a stranger to Sue. Jeremiah probably took that to mean Sue was easy.
“Well, I say we need to keep an eye out for him.”
“You think he might be the one sending me letters?”
“Don’t know, but I wouldn’t write him off.”
Sue got up and went to the kitchen to get some sodas. She returned and handed one to Melvin, opened hers, and placed it on the table. “Let’s eat. We can talk about all this somber stuff later.”
“Sounds good to me.”
Sue turned on the television, slipped a movie into the DVD player, and sat back down beside Melvin. They ate in companionable silence while they watched the show.
After the show ended, Melvin stretched and rose. He helped Sue carry the empty pizza box and pop cans to the kitchen. Sue watched as he inspected the back door to assure it was locked. Then he peeked through the blind at the patio and yard beyond.
“Something out there?” She kept her voice casual, but there was an undertone of worry.
“No.” He smoothed down his hair. “Everything looks normal, but it doesn’t hurt to check.”
She rinsed her hands at the sink and kept her eyes on Melvin as she dried them off. It was a speculative look, as if she were assessing something. “Melvin, can I trust you?” She itched to tell him about her internet searches and show him the file, especially now that one of the missing women had turned up murdered.
“Sure.” He looked thoughtful. “I guess, I mean. Trust me in what way?”
“Can I trust you to keep a secret?”
He balked a bit. “I’d like to say yes, Sue, but it depends on what the secret is. I couldn’t keep something to myself if I thought it might endanger someone or if it’s something that might get you, or me, in trouble in any way.”
Sue gave an exasperated sigh. “Why do you have to be that way?”
“What way?”
“So, so...straight-arrow, so damned proper.” She tossed the towel on the counter and put her hands on her hips.
“I’m just giving you an honest answer.”
“What you should have said was ‘yes, of course you can trust me’. That’s what most people would say. But no, not you. You have to get all precise. You’re like a Boy Scout or something.”
