The Lover's Children novel Chapter 119

MICHAEL

I’ve put Marty into one of the hotel suites. It’s not ideal, but it will have to do until we sort out something better, perhaps once she can stay with friends or family…

Did she mention a sister?

I tap on the door. “Marty? It’s Michael.”

“Come in.”

“Everything okay for you? Do you have everything you need?”

She perches on the end of the bed, hunched over, stroking a cat, I’d say as much for her own comfort as the cat’s. “Yes, it’s very nice. Thank you.” She looks utterly lost.

I sit beside her, leaving enough distance between us to be sure I’m not invading her personal space. “Marty, you’re safe here. The police have guards outside. I know it’s hard, but you can relax.”

She nods, chewing at a lip.

“Would you like to join us to eat? My family, I mean, at the house. Not just the restaurant. You can get to know Charlotte better. Beth and Mitch too.”

A ghost of a smile flickers at the edge of her mouth. “That sounds nice. Who are…?” She’s cut off by a knock at the door. She blinks rapidly, not moving to answer.

A voice rumbles through. “Miss Ramirez? It’s Will Stanton here. The police commissioner. May I come in?”

“Oh…” She comes to life, unhunching. “Yes, of course.”

Will’s accompanied by a female, uniformed officer. He’s a big, bulky man and tends to loom, whether he means to or not. Pausing, he takes in the girl, his gaze flickering to me then back again. “Miss Ramirez, I’d like to introduce you to my officer, Sergeant Jackson. She would like a word with you. Are you feeling up to it?”

Marty makes an effort to straighten up. “Yes… Yes, of course. How can I help?”

I make to rise. “I’ll be going…” But she snaps out a hand, catching me by the wrist. “Michael, I’d like you to stay. Please Commissioner, can he stay?”

“Of course, he can, Miss Ramirez. I think you should have someone with you right now. And perhaps…” his tone is hesitant… “… a female friend?”

Reaching for my phone, “I'll call Charlotte. Is that alright for you, Marty?” Shivering, she nods.

I tap in, and the line connects on the second ring. “What’s happening?”

“Hi, Babe. Are you free right now? I’m with Marty, but Will Stanton’s here too and they need to talk to her. She could use some moral support.”

“I'm on my way.”

*****

Charlotte marches in, dumps herself onto the mattress next to Marty and takes her hand. Jackson snags a chair, pulling it up to sit close, speaking in a low voice.

Will catches my eye, giving me an almost invisible head-jerk out of the door. I pad out after him, snicking the door closed behind me.

Out in the corridor, he moves close, drops his voice. “Sorry about that, but it’s going to be a female-only conversation for a few minutes. We can go back in when she’s had time to assimilate what Jackson’s telling her and calm down again.”

“What is she going to be told?”

“Forensics have been over her apartment. They were in there anyway to take a sample of the blood left there by Harkness from where Klempner injured him. But I had them do a complete sweep. They found other DNA matches to Harkness.”

“Well, we know he’d been in there after we got Marty out of there…”

“Yes, but there’s more than that.” Will’s voice congeals to a monotone, relaying facts. “In the bedroom, the one where you've removed the bed… on the carpet underneath where the bed was, Forensics found dried semen. Quite old. It’s a match for Harkness.”

My stomach knots. “You telling me he’d been in her room some time previous to this? Under her bed? Jerking off? ”

“That’s exactly what I’m telling you. Without getting graphic, the spatter pattern is consistent with him climaxing under her bed…”

From beyond the door comes a scream. “Oh, my God!” Reflexively, my eyes follow the sound. So do Will’s.

“No wonder you wanted her to have all-female support.”

“For this, yes. With your permission, I’d like to send in Forensics to check out this furniture of hers that you brought out. Especially the underside of that bed.”

“Yes, of course. I’ve stashed it all in in one of the back rooms off the gym.”

He nods, sniffs and taps a message into his mobile, then, “We’ll give them a few minutes, then go back inside.”

*****

Will taps on the door, quietly. A female voice responds. “Come in, sir.”

Marty is shaking violently, Charlotte’s arms around her. The cat, fur bottle-brushed, has retreated to the far end of the bed. Sergeant Jackson waits quietly, hands folded on her lap.

Marty raises streaming eyes. When she speaks, her voice wavers. "He was under my bed? Doing that?" Her voice rises half an octave. “It’s disgusting…” Her mouth twists… “It's just filthy!”

She sits up, tugging free of Charlotte, drawing the backs of her hands across her eyes. “He was watching me when I… I was… getting undressed, or… Or…”

She shudders to a stop…

… Inhales deeply… Then exhales, her chest rising and falling.

And again…

Then she holds up palms in a Give-It-To-Me gesture. “Okay, tell me it all. I can handle it now. What else should I know?”

Stanton scrapes up a seat beside his officer. "Miss Ramirez… Martina… May I call you Martina?”

She gives him a pale smile. “It’s Marty.”

“Thank you. Marty, do you have any idea when this might have happened? This… invasion… of your apartment?"

"How would I know?” She blows out her cheeks, wrapping arms around herself. “If I'd had any idea he was there, do you imagine I wouldn't have done something about it?"

"Of course. Anyone would. But, perhaps there was a day when you noticed something odd in your room? Or elsewhere in your apartment? Something moved or missing? Anything different at all? Take your time. Think about it.”

Charlotte stands. “Marty, would you like a glass of wine? There’s a mini-bar. A drink might help you relax a bit.”

“Actually, I’d love a glass of wine. White if you have it.”

I move for the fridge. “I’m sure we have. If we don’t, I’ll go get a bottle.” But as there should be, the mini-bar contains a cluster of the drinks and mixers, along with the laminated menu for room service. “Would you like something to eat, Marty? I can…”

“Just the drink is fine, thanks.”