Thin Ice 6 - Hangman & Socrates Page 5

  “Don’t kill her,” Lauren said calmly as Blue grunted slightly.

  “She’s just ass,” she added as he nodded slightly and told her to get the hell out.

  The woman ran without as much as a backwards glance. Lauren walked over to the first man she’d shot. He was still alive, barely, but conscious as she stood over him.

  “Please,” he managed to get out as she frowned deeply.

  “You aren’t ready for the big leagues yet, boy,” she told him coldly, repeating his own words as she planted two slugs into his head and watched his last breath leave.

  “Come on baby,” Blue told her, grabbing her hand and bolting back out the front door to their car, dope and money in hand.

  Lauren didn’t balk when Blue took her to his apartment and invited her inside. He gave her a drink when they got settled and told her what a great job she did.

  “Damn girl,” he told her sweetly as she sipped the wine he’d provided. “I wanna always be on your good side,” Blue chuckled as Lauren smiled slightly.

  “Can I ask you something,” he began as Lauren nodded and finished the wine.

  After refilling her glass he spoke again.

  “Is Kenny the reason you’re pushing me away,” Blue asked calmly, watching her intently.

  Lauren frowned deeply and asked him where he got a ridiculous idea like that.

  “He’s telling people you and him are banging each other,” Blue replied honestly, telling her the source of his information.

  Lauren was absolutely furious. Now she understood the whispers and looks she would get whenever they all went out in public together.

  “Kenny is gonna make me kill him at some point if I don’t leave there,” she replied evenly, half to herself.

  Taking a chance, Blue kissed her softly. Lauren looked at him after the kiss, not sure what she felt. The wine was making her head swim and the attraction she felt was pushing all the wrong buttons.

  “I want to be your man Lauren,” Blue told her as he kissed her again, more insistent.

  Deciding she would make him happy for the three weeks that were left, Lauren gave in and allowed Blue to undress and arouse her, before slipping on a condom and making love to her. He held her afterward, promising he would protect her as he closed his eyes and drifted off. Lauren studied him as he slept, sighing softly knowing that in the end she would be the woman who broke his heart.

  6

  Roderick couldn’t believe the jury was still deliberating almost four days later. What the hell are they debating, he queried within himself. There couldn’t be an inkling of doubt that the man was guilty, so why were they taking so long. Sighing lightly he pushed the thoughts aside as Hope once again entered the room. They were spending time at her apartment tonight. She didn’t want to venture out and about; encountering more press and paparazzi as they had a couple of nights ago when the jury first retired to deliberate.

  “Did you get any information from social services,” Roderick asked feeling like a complete ass.

  He knew where Lauren was and he also knew Social Services weren’t going to give Hope any information. The only thing that eased his conscience was the fact she was still fighting legally to gain custody of her niece. Hope sighed deeply trying to keep the tears at bay. She quietly told him no, afraid if she spoke again she would break down. Not knowing where Lauren was, was killing her inside. She was beside herself with anger at Carlo. His stubborn refusal to sign the documents made the situation his entire fault. Hasn’t he done enough to that child, Hope thought angrily.

  “It will all work out Hope,” Roderick tried as she returned a weak smile.

  “Let’s not talk about that right now,” she answered as he smiled graciously and let the subject drop.

  They began watching the movie he’d placed in the VCR as Hope lay her head on his shoulder enjoying their closeness. Roderick again began to feel the pangs of guilt, knowing that once Carlo’s verdict was rendered and sentence passed, he would be gone out of her life. It had been Hope who unwittingly gave him what he needed to get the inside look at Carlo’s life and business. She naively shared secrets with him and even documentation that her brother had given her to place in a safe deposit box. Of course Roderick was determined that she never know the truth. He knew that even though Hope was angry with Carlo, she didn’t hate him. Not just yet. He had a plan to remedy that. Roderick thought Hope was a wonderful woman and had an excellent chance of getting custody of Lauren. He didn’t want her to ever entertain the idea of letting the monster that was Hangman Cisneros anywhere near that child again, even through written communication.

  “Hope,” he began carefully.

  “Hmm,” she answered semi distracted by the movie.

  “How much do you know about Carlo’s abuse of Lauren,” he probed.

  Frowning deeply Hope sighed aloud.

  “I know he used to hit her, beat her mercilessly for the stupidest things,” she replied her eyes already welling.

  “I know he killed her mother in front of her,” Hope went on the tear rolling as she absently brushed it away.

  “That doctor, umm, what was her name,” she began as Roderick supplied the answer.

  “Yes, Kaitlyn Ross, she said Carlo did things to Lauren,” she replied unable to form the words.

  “He raped her Hope,” Roderick told her as gently as he could.

  Hope burst into tears hearing the words spoken and envisioning the horror befalling her niece.

  “No, please Roderick, he wouldn’t, she’s his child,” Hope tried to reason, crying hysterically now.

  “He hurt her in unimaginable ways Hope,” he continued wanting to drive the wedge as deep as possible.

  “For four years he had sex with her like she was Auriel,” he finished, calling Carlo’s wife by name.

  Hope completely broke then. She was babbling incoherently for a while until Roderick figured out she was praying. She was a devout Catholic and even though they slept together outside of marriage, she took her faith very seriously.

  “He’s going to rot in that prison,” she managed finally, gathering herself as Roderick saw the anger replaced by hate.

  Satisfied, he continued to hold her and tell her it would all be good again once she got Lauren.

  *****

  “Where have you been young lady,” Matthew addressed Lauren as she snuck into the house.

  He turned on the light, temporarily blinding her as she stopped in her tracks waiting for him to speak again. Able to focus finally she saw Rose sitting on the couch regarding her and Kenny standing off to the side by the kitchen smirking at her. Lauren knew he’d been the one to tell them of her absence.

  “It’s almost 2AM, Lauren,” Matthew boomed, more concerned than angry.

  “I’m sorry,” Lauren replied actually frightened, visions of Carlo and his violent rage surfacing.

  “Who were you with,” Rose asked gently.

  “A friend,” Lauren replied quietly.

  “A boy,” she pressed once more as Lauren swallowed hard and said nothing.

  Kenny was satisfied he’d ended her nights of sneaking out to be with Blue, so he left the room and allowed his parents their privacy to deal with her. They would have their own talk and come to an understanding tomorrow.

  “You can’t be out in the streets at this hour with some boy,” Matthew again boomed loudly.

  Lauren jumped slightly but didn’t move.

  “Is he your boyfriend,” Rose asked trying to calm the situation.

  She’d read Lauren’s file that the caseworker provided. Matthew had started it, but never finished, telling her she could fill in the blanks for him.

  “Answer me, dammit,” Matthew threw out, angry that she wasn’t talking.

  He took a step toward her as Lauren screamed aloud and retreated to a corner, huddling in it, shaking uncontrollably.

  “Matthew, no,” Rose told him as he stopped midstride taken aback by her reaction.

  Rose went to Lau
ren, getting on her knees and pulling the quaking girl to her.

  “Shhh, it’s okay. No one is going to hurt you,” she told Lauren again and again as the girl continued to moan softly, rock back and forth, and cry.

  “Bring me her pills, Matthew,” Rose told him as he immediately complied.

  Matthew was remorseful as he watched his wife work with the girl for the next hour before getting her calmed enough to go to bed. Lauren clung closely to Rose as the woman walked her to the bedroom, helped her in bed and stayed until she fell asleep. Returning to the living room she found Matthew waiting anxiously for answers.

  “You need to read this entire file,” she told him calmly handing him the folder, but turning to the pages she deemed most important right now.

  Rose went into the kitchen to retrieve herself a glass of water. She drank it in the kitchen as she stood at the sink, tears flooding her face. She replayed the fear and terror she saw on Lauren’s face as Matthew yelled at her. Lord, please help this innocent child, she prayed walking back into the living room.

  Rose stopped in her tracks seeing her husband sitting on the couch, tears streaming. She’d never in the twenty years they’d been married seen her husband cry.

  “What kind of monster hurts his baby girl like that,” Matthew asked, finally seeing her.

  He made no effort to hide his hurt, anger, or helplessness.

  “He’s an evil man,” Rose said simply.

  “No wonder she was scared,” Matthew said almost to himself.

  “She’s not a bad girl,” he continued as Rose readily agreed with him.

  “She needs someone to love her without conditions,” she told him as Matthew nodded his agreement.

  “We need to find out who this boy is,” he added, his protective nature coming full blown. “No telling what he may be doing to her.”

  Rose told him she agreed, but that they should use it to teach Lauren about proper dating and relationships.

  “Guess we’ve decided then,” he replied as Rose smiled demurely.

  “Yes,” she said without effort.

  They loved Lauren and the state was poised to terminate Carlo’s rights the moment he was convicted. Once they got the call they would tell the social worker to proceed with the adoption and Lauren would become a permanent part of their family.

  *****

  Roderick arrived home and immediately made himself a drink. Tonight had his head throbbing and his heart hurting. He hated doing the thing he’d done to Hope earlier this evening, but it was necessary. Roderick was also anxious about the jury holding out this long. If they hung then the trial would need to start all over again. That meant another series of witnesses and time. Time was something Roderick was running extremely short on. He had to wrap this case and get himself together for the next undercover assignment. The ringing phone interrupted his thoughts as he sighed deeply before picking up the receiver.

  “Hello,” Roderick greeted the caller.

  “You need to come home now,” the voice said as he quickly recognized it.

  “What’s wrong Emin,” Roderick asked.

  This was Faatin’s sister and if she wasn’t calling herself something was definitely wrong.

  “Faatin is in the hospital,” she told him as Roderick’s heart dropped.

  Getting as many details as possible he told her he was on his way and hung up. Leaving with just the clothes on his back, Roderick raced to the airport, luckily making the flight that was leaving in ten minutes, destination Atlanta.

  Even thousands of feet in the air, supposedly above anything that was wrong, Roderick’s sense of trepidation deepened with each passing minute. Willing himself to calm down he began to try and emphasize the bright side. Emin had given him few details, but surely things couldn’t be as bad as she described. The flight was mercifully short and he soon found himself at Hartsfield-Jackson disembarking. Roderick hailed a cab and told him to take him to downtown to Crawford Long hospital. The driver obviously had driven in New York from the perilous way he was whipping in and out of lanes but managing not to hit anyone or anything. Roderick paid him as they pulled up at the entrance and got out walking inside searching for Emin.

  “How is she,” he asked finally finding the woman from the nurse’s directions that he’d stopped to ask.

  “The doctor hasn’t come back out yet,” she told him, her eyes saying what her mouth could not.

  Roderick nodded mutely joining her in the waiting room.

  “Where are the boys?” he asked absently.

  Emin responded they were at home, just as the door opened and the doctor walked into the waiting room.

  “This is Faatin’s husband,” Emin introduced.

  The doctor greeted him, shaking his hand before speaking.

  “Faatin suffered a major stroke,” he began as Roderick’s world began to implode.

  “To add to that catastrophe, she suffered a heart attack while suffering the stroke,” he went on.

  Roderick felt his chest tightening as he tried to breathe.

  “I’m afraid her body couldn’t withstand the two major traumas,” he said gently as Emin screamed aloud.

  “The baby,” Roderick whispered hoarsely.

  The doctor shook his head, informing him the baby died before they could stabilize her to do the emergency C-section. Roderick collapsed into the chair, head in his hands as the doctor again murmured his condolences and left them alone. Emin continued to wail moderately loud as she prayed. Roderick could only hear white noise resounding in every space his brain occupied. He couldn’t digest, fathom, or accept what the doctor had just spoken to them. His Faatin was gone. His son was gone. You should have been here with her, his mind began to accuse. Roderick felt the tears sting and rose leaving the room and Emin behind, her sobs following him into the empty stairwell, where he finally broke and wept openly for his dead wife and son.

  *****

  Lauren woke in a fright sitting straight up in bed and looking around the room. She was alone and still at Matthew and Rose’s. She’d dreamed she was back in the mansion with Carlo and he was about to beat her again. He only hurt her when he was high, but lately, that had been almost daily. Lauren thought about earlier tonight and the trouble Kenny had caused. She knew he was jealous. He’d told her as much a day ago. Warning her that Blue wouldn’t be the man in her bed, he would. Lauren punched him in the face and told him to leave her alone. He’d promised retribution, which she witnessed, he’d gotten. You have to leave here now, her mind told her. Lauren needed to hold out at least another two weeks. She needed her diploma. Why, her mind began again. Finally the reality of what she was planning became clear. When Lauren left Chicago she was going to have to leave herself behind. Sighing slightly she began thinking of new names for herself.

  “Kaitlyn,” she whispered softly, recalling the doctor at Erlanger.

  She’d always been kind, going out of her way to do special things for her.

  “That’s a good name,” Lauren continued to brood.

  With Dr. Ross being dead, there would be no chance of anyone running into the real Kaitlyn Ross and asking questions. Lauren went to her hiding place and found her money, counting it once more.

  “Three grand,” she spoke.

  She knew she needed much more than that to make it for a while until she could find a job or a hustle. Lauren continued to sit and think when recollection clicked for her and she knew exactly what she needed to do. Deciding she would tackle it tomorrow when they dropped her off at school she put the money in her book bag. She wrote Matthew and Rose a short one page letter thanking them for all they’d done and how glad she was to have met them. Lauren assured them she would be fine and her leaving was no reflection on their treatment of her. What about Blue, her mind questioned yet again. Lauren decided it was best if she just left without seeing him. She didn’t want a scene and she didn’t want him to try and stop her. Now, where exactly are you going to go, Lauren’s pesky mind chirped. She really d
idn’t know anywhere except Chicago, but she wanted to get far, far, away from this place and her father’s reputation. Lauren decided she would pick a place later. First she had to complete her errand tomorrow, the rest would come easy.

  7

  Lauren was careful not to act any differently when she went into the kitchen to help Rose put breakfast on the table.

  “You feeling better this morning sweetie,” Rose asked kindly.

  Lauren smiled slightly telling her she was fine. Nodding her understanding Rose said nothing else as she finished the eggs and followed Lauren to the table. Matthew and Kenny were already seated.

  “Good morning Princess,” he greeted Lauren warmly.

  She smiled slightly again and told him good morning, not looking up at him. Rose and Matthew exchanged looks knowing she was still embarrassed about last night.

  “Lauren, it’s okay, we’re not still angry,” Matthew assured her as she finally looked at him, fear mingled with remorse in her eyes.

  “It’s okay,” he told her once again, his heart aching for the horrible things he knew had befallen the young woman.

  “We aren’t going to punish you,” Rose began as Kenny frowned deeply.

  This was not what he wanted to hear.

  “But,” she began again and he returned his attention to the table. “Your boyfriend is going to have to come to the house and meet us,” she told Lauren.

  “And he’ll have to have you home at a decent hour if you go out,” she added, growing quiet as Lauren meekly nodded but said nothing more.

  Satisfied they left her alone as everyone finished their meal and headed out of the door to various destinations. Rose was dropping Lauren and Kenny off at school before beginning her errands for the day. Lauren felt his eyes on her and turned to see him staring at her, the anger etched on his face. Smiling now she winked at him and turned away. She could feel his rage boiling inside him as he fought to control himself in front of Rose. Lauren wasn’t sweating Kenny. She had the six inch switchblade in her jacket pocket if he tried anything dumb. As they rode through Lauren took in the beautiful serenest of the early morning, as few cars passed them en route and the blistering cold of winter was still a little ways off, knowing today would be the last time she ever experience it here in the place she called home. “Have a good day Lauren,” Rose told her cheerfully finally arriving at the school. Lauren was thankful Kenny went to the public school almost four miles away. She would never be able to pull off her disappearing act with him around.