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“You can’t do that,” Harvey says but I’m deaf to any protests.
“Can’t I? The department is not going to put her under witness protection, you know as well as I do that she doesn’t fulfill the criteria.” Witness protection is complicated and usually reserved for mob related crimes or drug trafficking. “Taking her away like this is the only way I know to keep her safe.”
“The boss will never let you go on vacation in the middle of a case,” he says in warning but I rasp,
“Already took care of it.” Boss made an exception, considering I haven’t had a vacation in years and because we have a good relationship.
Harvey’s eyes flash. “She’s not your fucking responsibility, Byrne.”
“Aye, she fucking is,” I snarl. “The girl has nobody else, did you notice? Besides, she has warmed up to me.” And I to her.
“What about all this Romeo bullshit? You really think I can deal with this on my own with those other losers as my only help?”
Things have changed. We now have more information about Romeo than ever before. All we need is some DNA and it should all be solved within less than a week.
Patting Harvey on his cheek with my palm, a little harsher than necessary I say, “I have faith in you, you dumb fuck.” I throw my cup in the trash. “Let’s go.”
*****
We show up at Melody’s house in the late afternoon and my chest strains at the sight of her. Thankfully she’s not curled up under her covers and afraid to come out. She’s sitting on her porch, doing what looks like crosswords. Her hair is clean, her face scrubbed and she’s wearing a thick, blue dress with a collar and puffy sleeves.
Her legs are crossed at the ankles, her lip stuck in between her teeth and there’s a frown on her face as if she’s concentrating. Like this you would never suspect that she’s been through hardships not until Harvey slams the car door and she startles, quickly looking up and fear crosses her eyes.
My fists clench because I could kill Harvey for this.
The fear in her eyes quickly disappears at the sight of me and she picks up her dropped magazine, before standing up. “Detectives.” A smile lengthens her mouth and she breathes, “Back so soon?”
She’s not looking at Harvey, she’s looking at me and once again we drown in each other’s eyes, the wind suddenly silenced just like all the other sounds from the street. There’s some pink orange tint to her cheeks, her skin smoother than yesterday and moving closer I inhale the clean, fresh laundry smell of her.
With her gaze darting for a second, she murmurs, “Have you caught him?”
I wish I could say yes. “Not yet but we will. We need to talk,” I add and she looks surprised but nods and I suggest, “Inside?”
“Of course,” she murmurs and we make our way into the living room. Sitting down on her spotless couch, I can tell that she’s been busy cleaning and everything is so shiny that I feel like I should have washed my hands a dozen times before coming here.
Harvey seems to feel the same way, because he keeps his legs and arms tight to his body as if he’s afraid to touch anything. Melody looks nervous too, fluttering around and asking us if we’d like to drink anything. Harvey declines but since I’m a caffeine addict, I ask for some coffee.
She quickly makes me some and it’s the most disgusting thing I’ve ever tasted. Drinking from a sewer would have been preferable and Melody must be aware of her coffee making skills because she watches me with anxious eyes.
“Delicious,” I say and she smiles, her eyes lighting up and she sits down on a chair opposite from us. Knotting her hands and legs, until she looks like a pretzel, she murmurs,
“What do you want to talk to me about, detectives?”
“Just a regular check in,” Harvey says before I get the chance, “to see how you are. And you’re completely fine, right? I told Byrne here, you don’t need the kiddie gloves considering you’re a grown woman and all.”
Melody pales and I glower at Harvey and he throws me an innocent look as if saying,What?
I return my gaze to Melody. “Never mind about him.” I inspect her more closely, adding in a lower tone, “How are you doing, love?”
Shivering, she runs a hand through her hair. “Fine. Okay. Good.”
Her voice is thick and husky, telling me she’s not that fine which gives me even more confidence in what I’m about to do.
“You’ve gone through a horrible event, Melody,” I begin and she nods. “Your safety is top priority, comes before everything. But the one you know as Romeo is still out there and we have decided to put you in witness protection until he is found.”
Turning his head, Harvey gawks at me. So, I bent the truth a little. But it is better if Melody thinks that this is a decision made by the police department rather than me. If she knows I’m the one responsible for this, she might find my need to take her away suspicious.
And I’m the last person she should have any qualms about.
