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When Dee returned from questioning the teacher, Lisa was digging in Dee’s desk drawer.
“What are you doing?” Dee put her purse on her desk.
“Looking for my black pen.” Lisa closed one drawer and searched another. “I had it before I left now I don’t see it anywhere.”
“So you assume I had it?” Dee closed the drawer, almost crushing Lisa’s fingers. “What do I want your raggedy pen for? I hope you got good news because I don’t. The teacher said she’d never heard of Armando Urena, and she thinks a guy she was having casual sex with might be behind her profile.”
“It was a bust for me too.” Lisa propped her feet on her desk. “The nurse found out her husband put her fake profile up.”
“Her husband?”
“They’re going through a divorce and he did it so he could make her look bad. He’s trying to get custody of the kids.”
“That’s ridiculous. What kind of people are we dealing with, Lisa?”
“Winston’s not back yet. Hopefully his lady might be connected to Armando somehow.”
“Did you ask the nurse anyway if she knew Armando or had been at his studio?”
Lisa nodded. “She doesn’t know him.”
“Damn it.”
A male officer glanced at Dee from over his computer.
“I’m so paranoid. Every time someone looks at their phone or computer I think they’re looking at my profile.”
A female officer turned from her computer, gaping at Dee.
“Leece?”
Other officers checked their computers then tossed their gazes in Dee’s direction.
“Lisa, check your station email address.”
“Why?”
“Do it.”
Lisa checked her email. “Oh my god.”
“What is it?” Dee slid next to Lisa.
“Someone emailed me your fake pics from Find Your Fantasy.”
“That bastard!” Dee jumped up, ripping things from her desk. “That son of a bitch!”
“Dee, don’t.” Lisa held her as the officers stared at them.
“I’m gonna kill him.” Dee sobbed. “Why is he doing this? Why is he ruining my life?”
Connie walked up. “Interesting way you spend your time, Dee.” She sneered. “This is a side of you we’ve never seen.”
“Connie,” Lisa gritted her teeth. “Say one more word and you’ll be getting off the floor.”
“Find Your Fantasy?” She sat on the edge of Dee’s desk. “Dee, you haven’t had the best luck with men but that seems too desperate even for you.”
“I’ll show you desperate, bitch!” Dee slapped her.
“Dee!” Lisa pulled her back. “What are you doing? You can’t hit her!”
“She better get out my face before I do more than that!”
Connie held her red cheek. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“Get away from me, Connie.” Dee raised her fist. “Get away or you’re getting more.”
Connie hurried off, her leather loafers squeaking.
“Anyone else wanna say something?” Dee yelled at the others. “Say it!”
“Dee?” Winston rushed toward her and Lisa. “What’s going on?”
Dee huffed and puffed, swaying. “Armando emailed the entire department the pictures from the profile.”
Winston batted his eyes. “What?”
Lisa moved her chair out the way. “Dee slapped Connie.”
Winston stuck his neck out. “You did what?”
“She threw it in my face.” Dee rocked from side to side. “I didn’t deserve that. She’s a nasty bitch, and I’d do it again.”
One by one, the officers went back to work.
Dee slumped against her desk. “How am I gonna show my face around here again?”
“Detective Quarter?” a male cop called from the doorway. “Captain Salinger wants to see you.”
****
“What do you want?” Dee curled up on her couch that night after letting Winston into her place.
“I’ve been calling you all evening. You didn’t talk to anyone after you left the station. I wanted to make sure you’re all right.”
In shorts and her turquoise tank top she sometimes slept in, Dee punched the buttons on her remote control. “Been watching TV for hours. If that’s all you wanted to know then you can leave.”
“I’m sorry, Dee.”
“For which part? What Armando did or for Salinger suspending me?” Her sloppy ponytail bobbed on her head. “This motherfucker is targeting me and I’m the one punished? Claiming I’m a distraction.”
“He had no choice to suspend you after you hit Connie.”
“She deserved it.” She snatched pretzel sticks out the bowl on the coffee table. “It was a long time coming.”
“I agree.” He grinned. “But, you can’t hit her, Dee. You know better.”
“It was in the heat of the moment.” She chewed the hard, salty sticks. “Can you fathom what I’m going through, Winston?”
He sat beside her, exhaling.
“What am I supposed to do now?”
“Keep fighting. We’ll be able to bring him in but we gotta do it the proper way.”
“You never told me how things went with the security guard.”
“She doesn’t seem to be connected to Armando. She thinks her ex falsified her profile.” He whistled, rubbing his hair. “I understand how you feel, but, you can’t sit here withering away.”
“I’m not withering away.” She stopped the channel on CBS. “I’m about to watch Criminal Minds. It’s my favorite show.”
“Tonight’s gonna be a rerun.”
“You watch Criminal Minds?”
“Yeah, but my favorite show is RuPaul’s Drag Race.”
Dee laughed. “For real?”
He snickered, switching his eyes back and forth. “You better not tell a soul, okay?”
“You like RuPaul’s Drag Race?” She sat up. “Big strapping man like you?”
“Honestly some of them queens are, woo.” He rolled his eyes back into his head. “If I got drunk enough...”
She snorted, throwing a pretzel stick at him. “You’re crazy.”
He got the stick off his lap and ate it. “See? I take your mind off the madness don’t I?”
“Yes, you do. It feels good to laugh again or to have something else to think about.”
“That doesn’t have to stop. How about we blow this joint?”
“What?”
“I’m going to see a movie. You want to come?”
Is he asking me out?
“Um...” She tried not to appear too giddy. “Are you asking me on a date?”
“No.” He pulled her toe. “Just to hang as friends.”
“That’s nice but I don’t know if I’m in the mood to go out. I’ll just bring you down.”
“You need to take a break to regroup. What good is it gonna do to be here sulking?” He took the remote and turned the television off.
“Winston—”
“I’m going to the vintage movie theater on Alabama Avenue.”
“The one that shows the old black and white movies?” She jiggled, touching her chest. “I love that theater. I love old classic movies more than anything.”
“You do?”
“Yeah.” She clasped her hands, looking up. “When I was younger, I’d curl up with my dad and sister and we’d watch Turner Classic Movies for hours straight. Right behind the other.”
“I love old movies too.” His blue eyes glowed. “Damn, Dee. I never knew we had that in common.”
“Which movie are they showing?”
“Wuthering Heights.”
“Wuthering Heights?” She grabbed his arm. “With Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon?”
He nodded.
“Winston!” She squealed. “That’s my favorite love story ever. I’ve seen it a million times and I cry every time Catherine dies.”
“It’s one of my favorites too. What do you say?” He tapped her leg. “You coming or not?”
“To see Wuthering Heights?” She jumped off the couch. “Hell, I’d go with Connie if I had to.”
He laughed.
“Just let me throw on some clothes and I’ll be ready.”
“Hurry.” He checked his watch. “The movie starts in thirty minutes.”
She ran toward the doorway then stopped. “Thanks again, Winston. For being so nice.”
He smiled. “My pleasure, Dee.”