| |
“You...you can’t be Erin. Erin’s in an—”
“Institution?” She raised an eyebrow. “Not anymore. No longer Erin Greene I’m Rayne Jessup now.”
“Why did you change your name?”
“Because my parents deserted me, and I wanted no part of them, not even the name they’d given me.”
“I can’t believe this. Erin, why?”
“My name is Rayne.” She snatched his chin. “And don’t you forget it.”
“God, you blame me.” His chest heaved as he breathed. “That’s why you want revenge. Oh, Rayne. I’m sorry.”
“You’re sorry?”
“I told you I’d have traded places with Katherine if I could.” He swallowed, tears appearing in his eyes. “Please believe that.”
“But you can’t, Jake.” Her eyes darkened. “You’re gonna die tonight, and it’s gonna be the best thing that’s ever happened.”
“What are you talking about? Rayne, please don’t do anything stupid.”
“Oh, it’s not stupid.” She took out the syringe. “No, it’s gonna be quite entertaining and clever.”
Jake focused on the syringe. “Is that the stuff you gave me earlier?”
“No, that was Midazolam to knock you out.” She looked at the syringe. “This is death in a needle.”
Jake’s heart pounded.
“This is Succinylcholine.”
“What is that?” Jake’s voice shook.
“They use it for surgery, but in large doses it causes death.” She flicked the needle. “And, you’re about to experience it firsthand.”
He jiggled his bounded wrists. “Rayne, you can’t do this.”
“I can and I will. I’ve been waiting for years to kill you.” She moved closer to the bed. “But shooting or stabbing you wasn’t good enough. See, I need you to suffer. I need you to suffer the way I have since you took my sister away from me.”
“Rayne.” He sweated. “Please. It was an accident. I swear if I could change it I would.”
“It wasn’t an accident!” She leaned over him. “Your ass was driving drunk and Katherine paid for it with her life.”
“I paid too.” He sobbed. “Because not a day goes by when I don’t regret what happened. You gotta believe me, Rayne.”
“I don’t see you paying.” She paraded around with the needle. “You’re alive, living off disability checks, and you have a beautiful girlfriend. Where’s the suffering?”
“I suffered!”
“What, your legs? Give me a fucking break! You can still walk. Where’s the suffering?”
“I suffered when I lost Katherine.” He choked on tears. “I loved her more than anything.”
“Not more than me.”
“Katherine talked about you all the time.”
“You don’t know a damn thing about me.”
“I do.” He wiggled his hands. “I’ve always felt sorry for you. It hurt you being in that place. Katherine told me.”
“Shut up.” She waved the needle. “Don’t try to sweet talk your ass out of this. It won’t work.”
“Rayne, please.”
“You know what this does?” She patted his hair. “It breaks down your muscles, fucks up your breathing, and gives you cardiac arrest.”
“Rayne.”
“You’re gonna die slowly, Jake. Every moment is gonna be full of gut-wrenching pain. You’re gonna suffocate, begging for each breath until they come no more.”
“I don’t believe you can go through with it.”
“Hm.” She nodded. “I’ve been dreaming of watching every, single breath escape your body and you not being able to stop it. I wanna watch you moan, groan, drool, and whimper until your body goes cold.”
He closed his eyes.
“I’m gonna stand here and watch your last puff of breath.” She cackled. “Who knows? I might even film it and put it on Youtube.”
“You can’t do this.” Jake kicked at her. “Stay away from me!”
“Word of warning, Jake.” She lowered the needle to her side. “Never tell a woman what she can’t do.”
****
“Miss?”
Lisa awoke to a group of women standing outside the bathroom stall.
“Are you okay?” a woman with red glasses asked.
Lisa raised up, woozy. “Jake.”
“What happened?” A tall black woman reached for Lisa. “Did you pass out?”
“Jake.” Lisa quivered as she stood.
“Hold on.” The woman with the glasses held her. “Do you need to go to the hospital?”
“No.” Lisa pushed through the women and ran out the restroom. “Jake!” She grabbed the greeter when she got to the front of the restaurant. “Did you see my boyfriend? The guy I came in here with?”
“The man in the wheelchair?” His bald head shimmered under the light.
Lisa glanced around the restaurant. “Did he leave?”
“Yeah, with the blonde woman.” The greeter pushed his glasses up. “The one in the red dress.”
“Where did they go?” She shook him. “I’m a cop, answer me.”
“I don’t know.”
“Damn it.” Lisa yanked out her phone and dialed Jake’s number.
“Hello?” Rayne answered.
Lisa panted. “Where are you, Rayne?”
“You’re the brilliant cop. I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”
“I’m not playing with you,” Lisa yelled. “What have you done to Jake?”
The entire restaurant focused on her.
“Nothing,” Rayne said. “Yet.”
“If you hurt one hair on Jake’s head...” Sweat rolled down Lisa’s nose. “Honey, even the power of God won’t be able to save you from me.”
“Do I sound scared to you?”
“Where are you?”
Rayne hung up.
“Shit.” Lisa ran out the restaurant.
****
“Can I get you something to drink, Detectives?” Karleen escorted Dee and Winston to her living room.
“No,” Dee said, struggling not to rip Karleen in two.
“Please excuse the attire.” Karleen closed her robe while throwing a flirtatious glance at Winston.
“Interesting place.” He checked out the art on the wall. “You like art?”
Karleen nodded with a big smile.
“I’m an artist,” Winston said.
“I’m not surprised.” She tilted her head. “I could sense that about you.”
“I can sense things too,” Dee said. “I sensed that you knew me the first time we met. Am I wrong?”
“Yes.” Karleen kept her gaze on Dee as she walked behind her. “I don’t like games, Detective Quarter.”
“I don’t agree.” Dee smiled, crossing her arms. “I think you like games very much. You like playing with people’s lives it seems.”
Karleen’s expression hardened. “What are you talking about?”
“It’s over, Karleen.” Winston sat on the couch.
She turned in a circle. “What are you talking about?”
“Cut the shit.” Dee jumped in her face. “We’re not playing this game anymore.”
Karleen stepped back, pointing at the door. “I want you to leave.”
“Fine and you’re coming with us.” Dee got her cuffs out.
“For what?” Karleen gaped. “I haven’t done anything.”
“Besides putting up fake profiles of me?” Dee jiggled the cuffs.
“What?” She chuckled.
Dee rattled off the names of the sites.
“Is she crazy?” Karleen turned to Winston. “Why would I create fake profiles of her? I’ve never even met her.”
“But you know Grayson pretty well, don’t you?” Dee asked. “You had an affair with him and he dumped you.”
Karleen flexed the muscles in her cheeks. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“Stop it.” Dee sighed, shaking her head. “I’m two seconds away from breaking your neck so don’t insult my intelligence anymore. He dumped you and you blame me for it. We saw the emails you sent him, Karleen. They were some of the most hateful and nasty things I’ve ever read.”
Karleen rocked with a cocky smirk.
“You’re the one who did the profiles and the one who showed up at my house.” Dee stuck her hand in her face. “I dare you to deny it.”
Karleen glanced at Winston and shrugged. “It wasn’t personal.”
“Wasn’t personal?” Dee gawked at her. “You almost ruined my life!”
“That’s pretty dramatic isn’t it, Detective? All I did was post a few pictures.”
“Pictures that embarrassed the hell out of me,” Dee squealed. “Pictures that you sent to my superior and friends! Pictures that caused me to be attacked in my own home. You’re a woman. How could you do something so disgusting?”
“I didn’t set out to hurt you.” Karleen walked around, waving her hands. “It was to get back at Grayson. It seemed like nothing I did would get his attention.”
“Don’t bullshit me,” Dee snapped. “You did it because you were hoping Grayson would see those pictures and go back to you. Well, guess what? Grayson and I broke up and he still doesn’t want your ass.”
“Why are you so angry at me?” Karleen put her hand on her hip. “This is Grayson’s fault. He cheated on you and he used me.”
“Grayson didn’t create those profiles. You had no right to put me in the middle of this. I never did anything to you. You were sleeping with my man. I’m the victim here.”
“It got out of hand.” Karleen sat beside Winston and he scooted over as if he didn’t wanna be near her. “It started as something I did on a whim. It made me sick how Grayson always acted about you.” She frowned. “He thinks you’re perfect, and he worships the ground you walk on. Yet, he treated me like shit. I wanted to push you off your pedestal for once.” She sat up straight. “It’s not fair. I would’ve given him anything, and you took him for granted.”
“You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”
“You had to be doing something wrong,” Karleen said. “Or why would he turn to me?”
“So you got me.” Dee shrugged. “Was it worth it? Did it make you feel good to torment me the way you did?”
Karleen stood with a blank stare. “Honestly, it did.”
Winston scoffed.
“You bitch.” Dee raised her hand to slap her.
“Dee.” Winston jumped up, intervening. “You can’t hit her.”
Dee snatched her hand from Winston, glaring at Karleen. “You’re under arrest.” She read her, her rights.
“I won’t see a day of time for this.” Karleen stuck her head in the air. “It’s nonsense.”
“We’ll see.” Dee pulled Karleen’s hair after securing the cuffs on her wrist.
“Ow!”
“Call me a ‘nigger’ now.” Dee shoved her toward the door. “Get your ass out of here.”