Blood On Her Hands

Chapter 42

After I hung up the phone, I called Vincent. When I told him what happened he said he had to speak with his boss about it. He had never had that response to anything I said before. I knew that whatever just happened was a big deal if Vincent had to consult an authority before moving forward. 

Kimberly had just gotten home from work when I was heading out. She had a tiny purse around her shoulder, her hair up in a claw clip in an effortlessly beautiful style. She let out a small, surprised yelp as we almost collided. She placed a hand over her heart, her long eyelashes batting as she blinked away her distress. 

“I thought I saw Vincent parked outside. Are you going out with him?” she asked, as she hung up her things on the rack. She must have seen how my cheeks reddened because she swiftly clarified. “I meant going out like meeting him to go somewhere. Not that I would judge you if you went out in the other sense. He seems nice.” 

I laughed my embarrassment away. “We have a work thing.” 

“Oh, okay.” Kimberly lingered and did a bad job of subtly taking in my attire. I hated that I had been caught putting more effort in getting dressed than I usually did. I had done my makeup for the first time since the wedding and had properly dried my hair so that my waves weren’t frizzy. I had done it more in the hopes of giving myself the confidence I needed to speak with Vincent’s boss about the case than to impress Vincent but there was no way for Kimberly to know that. “See you later?” 

I flashed her a smile as we traded places in the doorway. “See you later.”

The ease of being able to leave the house without question was refreshing. Even with the chaos that seemed to be insuing around me, I appreciated how good Kimberly was to me. I wished I had more Kimberly's in my life.  

Vincent was standing outside his car when I arrived downstairs. He had his hands tucked into his pockets, swiveling his head around the area in that lifeguard-like fashion I had observed weeks before. He opened the passenger side door for me and I realized the radio was on. I imagined that he had sung the whole drive over. I would have given anything to hear him sing again but it just wasn’t the kind of thing you could simply ask for. 

I breathed in and out the familiar scent of coconut and pineapple, watching the buildings blur past us in an array of colors. When a particularly bitter breakup song came on, my wish came true. Vincent sang along vindictively, harmonizing with the woman’s vocals to create a dark underbelly to an otherwise pop style song. 

I couldn’t help but think that when he sang about defacing the vehicle of an unfaithful boyfriend, he was actually singing about Darren. When he nudged me with his elbow around the second chorus, trying to convince me to join in, I was positive this was about Darren. When the lyrics got even more brutal, I couldn’t help but sing along despite my voice being nowhere near as beautiful as Vincent’s. 

“Therapeutic, right?” he asked, smirking at me as the last chorus faded out. 

“Almost as therapeutic as it would be to actually destroy his car.” 

“Hey, be careful, you're speaking to a detective here.” 

The police department wasn’t as busy as it was the last time I was in it. I followed Vincent to the back, where it smelled like sugary treats and coffee, into a private office. He knocked but didn’t wait for a response before entering. Inside was the familiar face of Detective Lennon, the man who first announced that Adonis was dead. He sat behind a muscular looking desk, papers in hand. He dropped them upon our arrival and fidgeted with the wedding ring around his finger. 

“Mickey, thank you for joining us.” 

As the door shut, I spotted Mac and Kyra sitting on the window ledge in the corner of the room. Mac lifted up a hand in greeting while Kyra lifted her coffee cup.