13

 

Sloan and Raven arrived at the apartments off University Boulevard mid-morning. The sun bore down and the temperature sat at eighty-five degrees.

A horrendous odor of garbage floated from two white bags sitting at the bottom of the stairs. Flies circled trying to find a way in. Sloan and Raven climbed the second floor to apartment D212. Rap music from an open window caused a harsh thump of bass to assault Sloan’s ears. His whole body vibrated from the music.

Aahil Hakim answered on the third knock.

“Good morning Wallace. How are you doing today?” Sloan purposely used Hakim’s real name to irritate him.

“What do you want? I’ve done nothing wrong.” He ran a hand over his clean shaven jaw.

Sloan forced his way in. Humidity hung in the air, and the place smelled of stale cigarettes.

“We want to talk to you about your buddy Jack Sprague.” Raven scanned the living room. She lifted a couple of pizza boxes and two cockroaches greeted her. Her mouth curled up in disgust.

“I don’t know no Jack Sprague.”

The long t-shirt Hakim wore fell to the hips of his six-foot, muscular frame. His rap sheet said he used his strength to keep his gang of druggies in line.

“That’s not what the information we have on you says.” Sloan shoved Hakim down onto a nearby faded floral sofa covered with stains and cigarette burns. “Let’s get one thing straight. According to your parole, you can have surprise drug tests anytime. Also anyone who has a record is not supposed to be here.” Sloan jerked his head toward a closed door. “How many people do you think I’ll find that I shouldn’t?”

“That would mean heading back to prison for what—three to four years,” Raven said. “Maybe he and his buddy Jack could be roomies.”

Silence fell over the room. Hakim leaned back on the sofa and stared up at the two officers for a moment. He then bent forward, his elbows on his legs, and cocked his head over his shoulder to the closed bedroom door.

“What do you want?” Hakim’s voice came out a half-whisper.

“We want to know about Jack Sprague.” When Hakim didn't answer, Sloan pulled out his handcuffs and spun them on his finger.

Hakim let out a loud breath. “OK, OK. The only thing I know about Sprague is he’s a nutcase. Going in and popping all those people in that club just to get to one.” Hakim scoffed.

“One? Who exactly was his target there, Wallace?” Sloan hauled over a chair and straddled it backward, sitting across from Hakim.

“The name’s Aahil Hakim.” The young man puffed out his chest.

“Yeah. Wallace Fagg just doesn’t sound too tough. Bet the guys in prison would enjoy it though.” Sloan smiled.

“Ain’t nothing wrong with my real name. Just wanted to show my Muslim brothers that I sympathized with their plight.” Hakim lifted his legs onto the coffee table between himself and Sloan.

“I can’t imagine your so called Muslim brothers would want anything to do with a known drug dealer.” Sloan smacked Hakim’s sour smelling, stocking feet to the floor. “I could take you downtown and ask my question or you can answer it here. Who was his target?”

“Some dude by the name of Windmere.”

Sloan tried to hold his surprise. “Why?”

“He claimed the guy messed with his sister. Sprague acts like he’s big on family and sticking together. You do one thing bad to anyone related to him, and he’ll go after you.” Hakim wiped a hand across his mouth.

“And you don’t buy it?” Raven said.

“Always spouting off about family, but he never did nothing for them, unless it meant beating on someone. He enjoys hurting people. He just used them for an excuse.”

“You believe he took out this Windmere and those others as an excuse to kill?” Raven stepped forward.

“Like I said, the guy’s nuts.”

“But?” Sloan crossed his arms on the back of the chair.

“But nothing.” Hakim glimpsed toward the back of the apartment. “I heard he was paid to take out that dude.”

“By who?” Sloan had guessed that right.

“If I knew, I’d be getting me some to keep my own mouth shut. And I wouldn’t be living in this dump, that’s for sure.” Hakim kicked an empty bag lying by his foot. “Is that all?”

“Who would kill for him?” Sloan raised himself out of the chair.

“No one I know. Most are afraid of him, and they’re real glad he’s sitting in a jail cell.”

Within minutes they headed for the door and down the stairs. Sloan leaned on the open car door and looked toward Hakim’s window. He felt a slight bounce when Raven slid onto the passenger seat.

“You believe him?”

“Yeah, I believe him.” Sloan nodded. “You said the only relative Sprague has is a mother. He had no sister to stick up for.” Sloan paused and lowered himself into the car. “I just hope we catch this guy who’s doing these witnesses or Sprague will make several people very unhappy when he walks out of that cell.”

 

****

 

Another witness had died in the past week. Teddy stared in the mirror, working up her courage for the impending argument about to ensue. She didn’t care how much danger she put herself in, she was going to church. If she stayed in this house, surrounded by these four walls any longer, she would let out a scream the likes they’d never heard before.

Her stomach growled at the aroma of bacon frying.

“Still determined to go?” Sloan’s biceps tightened with each whip of the egg mixture in the bowl.

“Yes.”

"It's not safe," he argued. "Anyone who has done any type of research would know you belong to that church and you might be there this morning."

"No one will try to hurt me in a busy church." She sighed, knowing how untrue those words could be. "If you’re that uncomfortable, Raven or Donny can go in with me. You can patrol outside."

"Did I say I was uncomfortable?” He reared his shoulders back. “I just don’t understand why it’s so important for you to go today."

"With everything I've been through this past year, I need to go."

“But why this week? Why now?”

She didn’t know how to explain it. She wasn’t even sure herself why. “It’s been too long since I’ve been near my church family. I need to feel their love and support.” She paused, not sure if he would understand. “It’s hard when you feel alone.”

“But you’re not alone. Even if you don’t count me and Raven, you have Linda, one of your best friends here with you.”

She sighed. “I know. It’s just different when you're in a roomful of people who believe the same as you. There’s a different type of energy. It helps you feel alive again.” She took a step toward him. “I want to feel alive again.”

Silence stood between them. “I’ll take you, but you need to do everything I say. And you’re not to go anywhere without me or Raven.”

 

****

 

Something about her stare told Sloan she had to go. And if Teddy had to be there, he would too. He hoped God didn’t strike him down with a bolt of lightning upon entry. He’d never given much interest in God. His parents didn't go unless they were attending a wedding or funeral.

Teddy barely got over the threshold before a woman pulled her into a hug. A few feet later, a woman shook her hand.

As they entered the sanctuary, Sloan blew out a low whistle. Guitars and brass instruments lined one wall in front of a drum set. Risers were on the opposite side of the stage. This wasn’t like any church he’d ever been in.

Sloan stood with the others when they sang. The words came over a large screen on the front wall instead of from hymnals. The music was more contemporary than what he thought it would be.

Teddy stood between him and Linda. Both women seemed to relax. Teddy smiled and lifted her hands during the music. Raven and Claire, who stood on the other side of Linda, sang loud enough their voices could be heard over the music. When they finally sat, he placed his arm on the pew behind Teddy. He longed to place it over her shoulder but didn’t dare. Getting jabbed in the ribs in a church full of people would be embarrassing.

After the service, serenity sat on Teddy’s face. He had to admit it was good she came. He wished he could somehow find that type of peace.

On the way out several people stopped and shook his hand and spoke to Teddy. Just like in college, she was still a people person. They flocked to her outgoing personality which was so unlike Sloan’s. He could be happy at home in his apartment without any company for days.

“Linda and I are going to walk Claire to her car then we’ll head back to the house,” Raven said from behind.

Sloan nodded and proceeded forward with Teddy.

An older woman with a tanned Shar Pei wrinkled face walked up to them. “Teddy, how are you? I’ve been so concerned. And poor Linda.” The woman shook her head. “And who is this?” She held her hand out to Sloan. “I’m Mamie Goodfellow, and you are?”

Sloan accepted Ms. Goodfellow’s hand in his. Her fingers were silky cold. He wondered if she had any circulation through them at all.

“This is Detective Michaels.” Teddy rolled her eyes in Sloan’s direction. “They gave me a bodyguard.”

“Honey, if I thought I could get a man this handsome to watch over me, I’d find me a crime about to happen.” Mamie let out a deep laugh. “I just wanted to come by to ask if you would say a few words at the Jacksonville Christian Woman’s Breakfast in a couple of months. You have such an interesting story, and it would encourage a lot of others.”

Teddy’s shoulders tensed. “I hate to commit right now with everything on my plate.” A look of trepidation ran across her features. “With my luck they’ll ship me out to a hotel in Seattle.”

“Well, if he gets to go with you, I say enjoy Seattle.” Mamie laughed, pulling Teddy into a hug. “You take care, and if you need anything, let me know.”

“I will. Thanks.”

“And if you need anything, you also let me know.” Mamie gave Sloan’s upper arm a squeeze. “Ooh, he works out too.”

A grin sat on Teddy’s face. “I’m sorry about Mamie. She can be a bit much but she really is a nice lady, and very generous with her time and money. She had a stroke a couple of years back and sometimes the brain doesn’t always function properly. You just have to get use to her.”

Sloan didn’t want to get used to her. He half expected Ms. Goodfellow to swat him on the backside as they left.

Teddy and Sloan proceeded to the parking lot without saying a word to each other. He could tell some things regarding Teddy hadn’t changed since college. She never liked to talk in front of crowds back then either. He just hoped that the one thing that had changed was her forgiveness level. Being a Christian was supposed to be about forgiveness. But would it ring true when he finally told Teddy the reason he left in the first place?

 

****

 

Sloan sat on the opposite side of the desk from Marge. Raven next to him. She'd called them for an impromptu meeting. There had been a sense of urgency in her call.

“We’ve got a problem.” Marge stared out the window of her office. The beige skirt matched the jacket hanging on the back of her chair. “Jack Sprague’s cellmate hung himself last night after dinner.”

“Why’s that a problem for us?” Sloan washed a hand down his face. “It’s not like it gives Sprague a get out of jail free card.”

“No, but they found this.” Marge removed the picture from the file.

Sloan’s heart fired within his chest when he saw the worn news photo of Teddy. Jack scribbled notes on the side of the paper — Twine hurts more, little cuts, scream baby scream!

“But he’s going to spend the rest of his life in jail. So what’s the big deal?” Raven crossed her legs. “There are probably a lot of inmates who fantasize about getting the person who put them there.”

Marge turned back to her. “Except Sprague’s got a fan on the outside helping him.” Marge sat down in the chair and placed her chin on her hand. “This person’s been good. The last few victims had no evidence at all. People are scared, and we’re down to only a couple of witnesses. Teddy happens to be one of them.”

“If it’s the last thing I do, I’ll keep Teddy safe.” Sloan rose from his seat. Anxiety bit into him. Even if Teddy hated it, he’d change his strategy and keep her with him at all hours.