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“IT’S OKAY.” WINSTON walked Dee across the hardwood living room floor to his plaid couch. “Sit down.” He sat beside her.
“I’m so embarrassed.” Dee dabbed her nose with a tissue. “I feel like a fool.”
“You’re not a fool.” He caressed her back. “The nerve of him cheating on you.”
“I can’t believe it.” Dee wiped the corners of her eyes. “That asshole. How dare he say he loves me then his ass was cheating?” She threw her purse on the table. “I wouldn’t have expected that from Grayson in a million years.”
“You gotta focus on what’s important.” He put his arm around her. “Karleen knows Grayson so do you think he was the one driving the car? Dee, what if he is involved with these profiles?”
“It wasn’t Grayson.” She trembled, sniveling. “The man I saw looked younger and had a smaller build. Also Grayson has a beard, remember? This guy’s skin was as smooth as a woman’s.”
Winston stroked his chin. “It has to be someone connected to Karleen that she’s covering for.”
“Whatever’s going on...” She stood, getting her purse. “I gotta talk to Grayson. He might know who this man is.”
“You can’t trust a damn thing he says.” Winston stood.
“I’m gonna confront his ass, anyway.” She slipped her purse on her shoulder. “He cheated on me, and he’s gonna admit it to my face.”
“I’ll go with you.”
“Winston.” She groaned, touching his arm. “The last thing I need is you two getting in a fight.”
“That won’t happen.”
“Grayson can’t stand you.”
“Yeah, well Grayson needs to worry about keeping his ass out of jail because I’m not convinced he’s innocent.” He walked toward the stairs. “Let me change my shirt and I’ll be ready.”
He ran upstairs.
****
“HM, PLEASE.” LISA BEGGED over the elaborate dinner table at the restaurant. “Can I have some?”
“No.” Jake grinned, glancing at the couple at the next table. “Sit there and suffer.” He slipped a forkful of creamy Angel hair pasta in his mouth.
Lisa salivated just watching. “I want some.”
“You got a whole plate of apricot chicken pasta. Why do you need any of mine?”
“It looks so good,” She whined. “I’ve never had chicken Piccata.”
“Well, you should’ve ordered it.” He sipped from his glass of Fuji apple soda.
“I’ll give you some of mine.” Lisa scooped bowtie pasta and a chunk of chicken on her fork.
He snickered, his chin up. “I don’t want none of yours.”
Lisa dumped the sample back in her plate. “I’ll remember that tonight when you want some of my pudding.”
He laughed, dabbing his mouth. “Here.” He held his fork out to her.
Lisa bit into the tender chicken, getting a tang of lemon juice. “Delicious.”
“You don’t like yours?”
She shrugged, stirring the concoction. “It’s a little too sweet.” She pushed dried apricots to the side.
“We can order something else.” Jake looked around for the waiter.
“That’s okay.” Lisa drank soda. “This Fuji apple soda makes up for it.”
“Yeah, it’s good.” Jake gulped more. “You could’ve gotten something alcoholic if you wanted. Don’t go without on my account.”
“I’m fine.” She swallowed soda and licked her lips.
His gaze wandered her bosom. “I see the food isn’t the only thing hot tonight.”
Lisa looked at her simple, yet elegant navy blue dress. “And you need to be on my plate.”
They laughed.
“Looking like David Beckham in your black tie and gray shirt.” She teased, winking. “Go on with your bad self.”
“Please.” He fanned off the compliment. “You looking like Halle Berry over there.”
Lisa giggled. “You mean looking better than Halle.”
“Oh, excuse me.” Jake snapped his fingers, wiggling his neck.
She patted her hair. “Went to the shop and got the cut tightened up.”
“I see. I’m doing my best to stay on this side of the table.”
“Don’t on my account.” Lisa sucked on the end of her fork.
“Don’t tease me, woman.” Jake waved his finger. “You don’t want this.”
“Oh, I do.” She laughed. “I want it all the time.”
“Isn’t this nice?” He set down his fork. “Having a night out where we don’t have to worry about anything?”
“You mean Rayne?” Lisa’s jaw tingled from the super-sweet apricot.
“Why’d you have to bring her up?”
“It’s hard to forget when she’s disappeared, and we don’t know what she’s up to.” Lisa chewed with her eyes glued to the restaurant entrance. “Brandon hasn’t heard from her yet. He put out a missing person’s report. He said she did this when they were in the institution.”
“She escaped?”
Lisa nodded. “Guess so.”
“I have nothing against people with mental illness, but it’s weird how she hid it.”
“She hid everything.” Lisa chewed chicken. “You didn’t wanna admit I was right. Be honest. Did you enjoy the attention Rayne was giving you?”
“Lisa.”
She stared at him. “Jake.”
“Okay, but not in a sexual way. It was nice how attentive she was. I felt comfortable with her. I thought we were friends.”
“How many times do I have to tell you to listen?” Lisa wiped her mouth. “Aren’t I always right?”
“Can we forget about Rayne? I—”
“Oh, this can’t be happening.” Lisa held her glass in midair, staring at the woman at the entrance. “What the fuck?”
“What?” Jake turned to look. “Oh no.”
Rayne sashayed into the restaurant as if she were at the Academy Awards. The snug, red dress accentuated her flawless figure.
“Jesus,” Jake whispered. “Lisa. What—?”
People turned from their tables, gawking at the stunning blonde woman.
“I’m sure you don’t think this is a coincidence, do you?” Lisa laid her napkin on the table.
Rayne swooped her hair over one shoulder, showing off her chandelier earrings.
Jake propped his elbows on the table. “When is this gonna end?”
Rayne spoke with the greeter behind the podium then went toward the restrooms.
“Excuse me.” Lisa stood.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m gonna talk to Miss Rayne.”
“No.” Jake grabbed her hand as she passed the table. “Who knows what she’s gonna do? We can wait until she leaves then...”
Lisa snatched her hand back. “I’m not waiting for nothing.”
Jake rose from his wheelchair. “Lisa...”
She hurried from the table and entered the airy, bright bathroom.
“Hey, Lisa,” Rayne washed her hands in the sink. “I knew it was you without looking up. I smelled that cheap perfume.”
“Where have you been?”
“I’m sorry?” Rayne got a paper towel from the dispenser. “I wasn’t aware I had to tell you my whereabouts.”
“I’m not playing with you anymore.” Lisa swung her around. “It’s over, Rayne.”
“What’s over?”
“Whatever you got going on in that little blonde head of yours. Jake and I know you got some vendetta against him. Why is that?”
She threw the towel in the trash. “This has nothing to do with you.”
“It has everything to do with me if you’re planning on hurting Jake.”
“Where is this coming from?” She laughed. “You need counseling because you seem off.”
“You’d know wouldn’t you?”
Rayne stuck her hip out. “What does that mean?”
“You’re bipolar. Your boyfriend Brandon told us.”
“Brandon?” She wiggled her nose. “You’re lying. He wouldn’t tell you anything.”
“He told us because he loves you for reasons I can’t fathom. You were in an institution.”
Rayne tightened her lips, the pink draining from her cheeks.
“I’m sure you don’t wanna go back there, right? You will if you hurt Jake.”
“Get out of my way.” She tried to walk around Lisa but she blocked her. “This is harassment.”
“And I have reason to believe you’re trying to hurt my boyfriend.” Lisa stuck her chest out. “It’s not gonna happen. You hear me?”
“I said get out of my face, bitch!” Rayne took a syringe from her purse and stabbed it into Lisa’s neck.
“Oh.” Lisa went woozy, falling into the wall. “What...” The substance ran through her body, warming it. “Stop.” She tried to grab Rayne’s arm but didn’t have the strength. “Help!”
Rayne covered Lisa’s mouth. “You didn’t wanna listen did you?”
Lisa’s body relaxed as if she’d taken a hundred sedatives. “What...” Her voice came out weak. “What did you give me?”
“It’s Midazolam.”
Lisa tried to hang on to her strength but lost the battle.
“It’s a sedative. You’ll be okay.” Rayne got behind Lisa and dragged her to the stalls.
“What are you...doing?” Lisa slurred.
“I didn’t want you involved.” Rayne pulled Lisa into a stall. “You’re heavier than you look.”
Lisa grabbed at the stall door but couldn’t hold on. “You can’t get away with this.”
“You did this to yourself.” Rayne propped Lisa on the toilet. “You should’ve minded your own business.” She slapped Lisa so hard that her head bounced against the wall.
The salty, stale taste of blood trickled from Lisa’s mouth. “Don’t you go near Jake.” She fought to stand but fell over. “Don’t you...” Her eyelids weighed a ton.
“Sweet dreams, Detective.” Rayne stepped out the stall. “By the time you wake up Jake will be long gone.”