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MARLEY
Moments earlier
I enter the house to find Luke so we can head to the police station and get this day started. I can again hear voices coming from the kitchen. Luke’s voice rises above the others just as I’m about to enter. The only thing I hear is Luke saying, “I sought comfort from Marley. She was a distraction from my fears, for a while.” Everything else fades away. My ears are ringing. My vision dimming as my heart is pounding. My breaths are coming short and fast. I need to get away. I was crazy to come here, to think I could mean something to a man like Luke Robertson.
Turning I run away, blindly, not knowing where I’m even going. I finally make it outside and sprint down the street. I don’t make it far before I hear a vehicle approaching. I do my best to ignore the vehicle, but the thought Luke has come after me has my heart beating even faster than before, and butterflies a flutter in my stomach. Maybe I misunderstood what I heard?
A voice calls my name. My head turns to the voice without my conscious thought. It’s Rosco, not Luke. Disappointment hitting me hard, I turn my gaze back to the sidewalk and keepgoing. I’ve been humiliated enough in the last twenty-four hours that I don’t even miss a step.
“Come on, get in,” Rosco calls to me, but I ignore him. I have to get somewhere safe. The police station is where I have to be anyway. Maybe the detective from yesterday will be able to help me find a place to go or at least help get me to my mother’s. I hate to involve her in this, but I’m all out of options. I have nowhere else to go. The vehicle continues to follow me. Rosco is not giving up.
“Leave me alone!” I shout at him, and yet he continues to follow me to the point it’s getting embarrassing. People out on their porches enjoying the morning are staring at us. “What are you doing?” I demand angrily. Why he won’t just go away and leave me alone? He replies with the famous line fromDriving Miss Daisyin a fairly good imitation of Morgan Freeman. I can’t keep from smiling and then laughing at the man.
“Come on, little girl, get in.” He motions to the passenger side of his truck. I know I shouldn’t, but I relent. He’s obviously not going to give up, and it’s a long way to the police station. I’ll have to find some way to face Luke long enough to get there. Then I’ll let him off the hook. It’s obvious he’s had second thoughts about everything that happened between us. Why he changed his mind, I don’t know, but it doesn’t matter. It is what it is.
After getting in the vehicle, I’m expecting him to take me back to Luke’s, but he isn’t. He keeps driving, informing me he is taking me to the police station. Rosco is trying to convince me I misheard what Luke said, but I know the ‘bro’ code. They will defend one another and will have the back of their brother no matter whether their brother is right or wrong. I tune him out and stare out the window. Minutes later, Luke calls. I cringe at the sound of his voice. My fragile heart breaking a little more. To think I had…have (eye roll) feelings for him. Luke truly seems to be concerned for me, though. The fear I hear in his voice is real. He isn’t faking it. Maybe Rosco is telling the truth.Luke does carefor me?Maybe, but I know what I heard. Everything is playing on a loop in my head until we pull into the station.
Rosco parks close to the door. “Wait here,” he demands as he slides out of the driver’s seat. I huff in frustration. These Robertson men and their bossiness are about too much. Rosco appears at my door, opening it, and helping me down from the tall truck. He leads me inside as Det. Atwood approaches us.
“Good morning, Ms. Morrison,” Det. Atwood greets me. “Follow me.” He leads us into an interrogation room. “Rosco, I’ll let you know when we are finished.” Rosco’s eyes dart over to meet mine. I can see the hesitation in his eyes. I give him my best assuring smile. He gives a sharp nod before turning back to the lobby. I take my seat, clasping my hands tightly to keep them from trembling. “No need to be nervous,” Det. Atwood says. “I’m just going to ask you a few questions.” He gives me a tight smile.
“So.” He looks up at me from the file folder in front of him. “Tell me about what’s been happening in your life lately? Luke mentioned the break-in isn’t the first issue.” He looks at me skeptically. I take a shuddering breath before launching into the string of unfortunate events that have happened to me over the last few weeks. He makes notes as he listens to my story, occasionally asking questions for clarity.
When I’m finished, I wait for him to say something, but he just continues to scribble on his pad of paper. He flips back through his notes, seeming to read what he’s written. I shift in my seat as my nerves are again flaring to life. What if he doesn’t believe me? What am I going to do?
“When was the first time you felt like you were being followed?” the detective asks. I frown as I consider this. I’m not sure of the exact date, so much as happened over the last few weeks.
“Honestly, I’m not sure,” I tell him. “It’s been happening for so long now, but for at least a month. At first, I thought I was just being paranoid, you know. Single woman out alone at night, butI’ve lived on my own since I was seventeen years old. It’s been a long time since I was afraid on my own.” He nods thoughtfully.
“What about boyfriends? Exes?” He gives me a pointed look as if expecting I had some sorted past. Little did he know I wasn’t someone who had a ton of men chasing them. I’m average, ordinary. I don’t go out to bars or clubs, looking for hook-ups. I realize he sees all kinds in his line of work, and he has to ask, so I try not to take offense.
“Um, well I haven’t had a boyfriend in more than a year,” I answer. “We parted on mutual terms. I haven’t heard from him since we decided not to see each other anymore.” He again looks like he can’t believe what he’s hearing. “We just realized we didn’t really have a physical attraction to one another. He was more of a friend than a true boyfriend. We shared some common interests, but physically there wasn’t a spark, you know?” The detective nods. “The only other serious relationship I’ve had as an adult was about five years ago. He broke up with me, and I was hurt at the time, but he wasn’t ugly about it.”
“Why did that relationship end?” Det. Atwood inquires. I sigh as I relive an uncomfortable time in my life. Not really wanting to dredge all this up, but I know I have to just get it over with so the detective can satisfy his curiosity and focus on what’s really happening in my life.
“He wanted to play the field.” I met the detective’s gaze unflinching. “He wanted to have multiple partners both women and men. He wanted me to participate in his other relationships, too. I’m not comfortable sharing a lover much less being in a three-some, four-some or whatever he had in mind." The man in front of me actually looked a little shocked at my story. I wondered if he’d ever heard of such, because, at the time, I hadn’t and had been mortified when Jerry had suggested such a thing. The suckiest part of the whole thing was we’d dated for almost three years, before he approached the subject. He’d been seeing others the entire time, unbeknownst to me.
“I…I don’t know what to say to that.” Det. Atwood looked uncomfortable with the turn of the conversation. “How long were you with him?”
“Almost three years.” I’m proud my voice is as strong and clear. There’d been a time, even not so long ago, the memories still hurt terribly bad, but in the last year, I’d let that hurt go. I know my feelings for Luke have a huge part in that, but can I allow myself to have those feelings for him? I’m beginning to believe my mother is right. You can’t trust any man with your heart.
“Any enemies you can think of?” the detective questions. “Business deals gone bad?” I shake my head.
“I don’t have any business deals.” I laugh humorlessly. “I’m just…I was a waitress getting by one paycheck at a time. I’m paying my way through culinary arts classes at the local college. I’m very boring and uninteresting. If I knew why any of this was happening, I’d tell you.” He nods again as he makes notes on his pad.
“No rivals at school?” His eyebrows raise as he studies me. “I know sometimes the competition can be very intense.”
“No,” I assure him. “I’m near the end of my second semester. I haven’t gotten to the point where we are competing for internships or apprenticeships.”
“All right, Ms. Morrison,” he says at last. “I think I have everything I need. Unfortunately I don’t have any news for you on your break-in. We collected some finger prints and shoe prints from the back yard, but not much else. It will be some time before the prints come back. We are canvasing the neighborhood, looking for cameras that might give us some insight, but that takes time.” I give him a tight smile and a nod. What else can I do? I have no other choices.
He stands, and I rise to my feet as well. I’m now uncomfortable, concerned what my next step is going to be. I need to find work, a place to stay. I need to get my car back. I just want toscream in frustration. I can’t work without a car, but I can’t get my car back without money to pay again what they say I haven’t paid. All my receipts have been destroyed, so I have no way of proving I made the payments. I’m so screwed. I’m still not sure I can trust Luke and his brothers. No, that’s not true. I do trust Luke to keep me safe and protected physically. I don’t trust myself to not give my heart to the handsome man who could crush it, leaving it battered and bruised, never to recover.
He opens the door to the room, and we exit into the hall. Rosco is exiting the room next door. I’ve seen enough police shows and investigative shows to know Rosco has been listening into the entire interview. My face heats as I realize he’s overheard all the sordid details of my past relationships. He greets me as we meet. I don’t see any incrimination in his gaze like I’d expect. Still I drop my gaze not able to meet his, knowing he heard about the worst time in my life. Well at least the worst time until now.
“You ready to go?” Rosco asks, and I give an affirmative indication with my head. He places his hand on the small of my back and leads me from the station and out to his truck. Opening my door, he helps me into the passenger seat. “Buckle up!” he commands before shutting my door. I roll my eyes. He is so much like his brother. He’s going to make some woman very frustrated, but also very happy someday. He gets behind the wheel, starting the truck, and putting it into gear. He pulls out onto the street. Biting my lip, I finally get the courage to speak up and ask for what I need.
“Um, Rosco, can you take me to look for a job?” I’m nervous. I have no right to ask him to do this, but I can’t be dependent on Luke for everything I need. I need to be able to stand on my own even if things do work out between us. Which I’m not sure will even happen, at this point. He whips his head over to look at me quickly, then returns to watching where we are going.
