Joel Goldman - Stone Cold

“What the-,” Alex began, looking up and seeing Bonnie. “Well, that’s one way to get ahold of you. You can ignore my text.”

Trembling, Bonnie forced a smile.

“You okay?” Alex asked.

Bonnie dodged the question, embarrassed to tell Alex what she’d done, taking advantage of Alex’s disheveled appearance-hair matted, eyes puffy and red-to change the subject.

“You look hungover. What’s going on?”

Alex let out a long breath, her eyes filling, voice breaking, hands fluttering. “I stopped by the Hendersons’ to check on them. They were all dead. Slaughtered. Mary was strangled and probably raped, the kids beaten to death. Jameer had been shot between the eyes, probably after he was forced to watch his wife and kids die.”

Bonnie covered her heart with both hands. “Oh, my God!” She reached for Alex, pulling her close. “Oh, my God! Oh, my God!”

Alex clung to her, both of them letting loose, their tears mixing together. They stood like that for a moment until their hearts settled, wiping each other’s cheeks and then leaning inward, their foreheads touching.

“I’m sorry you had to find them. Are you okay?” Bonnie asked.

“It was the most horrible thing I’ve ever seen. I’ll never forget it. Never.”

“I can only imagine. I’m glad you came to see me.”

Alex stepped back, shaking her head. “Sorry. That’s not why I’m here. I got so caught up in what happened that I forgot you were working today. But I really needed that hug.”

“Then what are you doing here?”

“Looking for Dwayne Reed. Detective Rossi likes him for the murders and went after him. Dwayne ran, tried to jump a fence but didn’t make it, and tore his leg on the chain-link. Paramedics brought him here.”

Bonnie nodded, swallowing hard. “Did he do it? Did he kill those people?”

“Rossi thinks so. For now, they’re charging him with drug possession. That’s enough to hold him while they see if they can make the murder case against him. Can you find out which room he’s in?”

“This one,” Bonnie said, pointing over her shoulder. “I just sewed him up.”

Alex’s breath caught in her throat. “You?”

“I know,” Bonnie said, her confession tumbling out rapid-fire. “When I saw his name on the chart, I couldn’t believe it. All I could think of was how he’d frightened you and if he’d hurt the Hendersons he might hurt you. Obviously, I didn’t know what had happened, but I had this awful fantasy for a second where I killed him.”

“Get out! You fantasized that you killed Dwayne?”

Bonnie shrugged her shoulders, her face coloring. “Yeah, me. Florence Nightingale, of all people. In the fantasy I injected him with something to give him a heart attack. I was mad at myself for even thinking about doing that. But then he threatened to rape me and I was madder about that.”

Alex grabbed her arm. “Did he hurt you?”

“No. A couple of cops were guarding him and he was cuffed to the bed rail. He said when he got out of jail that he’d come back and give me something to remember him by. I was so scared and pissed that when I examined his laceration, I made sure it hurt.”

“That’s never going to happen,” Alex said. “I’ll make sure of that.”

Bonnie wiped her eyes and folded her arms across her chest. “I can’t believe I did that to him, but I was so mad, so frightened, I just did it without even thinking. And then I taunted him about taking something for the pain, like I was questioning his manhood. That’s when he threatened me again. He said the police had nothing on him and that he’d be waiting for me when I came home. That’s so not me, and I feel awful, except for one thing.”

“What?”

She pressed Alex’s hand against her heart. “So help me God, if that prick ever tried to hurt you, I’d rip his heart out and feed it to him.”

“Let me get this straight,” Alex said. “You’d kill him if he threatened me but you feel bad about fantasizing about killing him after he threatened to rape you?”

“Hey, babe. That’s true love.”

“Well, they’ve got him on possession, so he isn’t going anywhere for a while.”

“But what if you get him out of jail? Then what? Look what he did to that poor family.”

Alex wanted to make a speech about innocent until proven guilty but doubted Bonnie would hear her and was less sure that she would believe her if she did. Even more, Alex questioned her faith and certainty that the speech made sense anymore.

“How is he?”

“He’ll live.”

Alex nodded. “Then at least you did your job.”

Alex stepped into the examination room. Dwayne propped himself up, smiling.

“I’m sorry, ma’am,” Officer Evans said. “This room is restricted. You’ll have to leave.”

“I agree. I’m Alex Stone from the public defender’s office and this man is my client. So until I’m done talking with him, this room is restricted. You’re the ones who have to leave.”

“We don’t know anything about that, ma’am,” Evans said.

“You know Detective Rossi, don’t you?”

“Yes, ma’am. He sent us down here.”

“Then call him and tell him what I said.” Evans hesitated. “Go on. Call him unless you want me to file a complaint against you for denying me access to my client.”

Evans dipped his chin, speaking into the two-way radio strapped to his shoulder. “This is Officer Evans, East Patrol, badge number 1229. I’m at Truman with a prisoner and I’ve got a situation. I need to talk to Detective Rossi.”

“Can you believe this shit?” Dwayne said.

Alex raised her hand. “Not another word, Dwayne.”

They waited in silence for five minutes until Evans’s cell phone rang.

“Evans,” he said, listening. “Understood.” He closed the phone. “Detective Rossi is on his way.”

“When’s he supposed to get here?” Alex asked.

The door opened behind her. “Now,” Rossi said. “That soon enough for you?”

Alex turned around. Rossi stood in the doorway, Bonnie right behind him.

“Dr. Long, are you ready to discharge my prisoner?”

“Yes. He’s good to go.”

“Officers, take my prisoner downtown. Ms. Stone, you can drop by for a visit after we’re done booking your client.”

Alex knew there was no point in arguing. “Don’t say a word,” she instructed Dwayne. “And don’t question my client outside my presence. Understood, Detective?”

“No need to take me to school, Counselor. I graduated a long time ago.”

It was another three hours before Alex was able to see Dwayne, long enough for him to have been booked and transferred to the Jackson County jail, where he traded in his boxers for an orange jumpsuit. They met in the visitor area, separated by Plexiglas, talking over phones hung on either side of the divide. It was Saturday night, well outside visiting hours, and they had the room to themselves.

“What up?” Dwayne said.

“How’s your leg?”

“It ain’t nuthin’.”

“You know why you’re in jail?”

He made a face like he’d thrown up in his mouth. “On account of that muthafucker Rossi. Man wants my ass.”

“Did he tell you about the crack they found in your jeans?”

“He tol’ me. It’s bullshit. Dope wasn’t even mine.”

“I suppose you’re going to tell me that the cops put it in your jeans.”

Dwayne rolled his eyes. “Not that they wouldn’t, but it belong to my mama.”

“It was Odyessy’s crack?” Alex asked.

“For a smart lawyer, you ax some dumb-ass questions. How many mamas you think I got?”

“Fine. Why was your mother’s crack in your pocket?”