Mastim's Curse

Chapter 2

My phone is flashing for the third time as the call goes unanswered, probably my dad wanting to know why I'm late. The phone, along with my car keys, is sitting on the hood of the patrol car they put me in. I've been just sitting here stewing in my self-created fantasies of despair for hours now. Well, it hasn't been hours, but it sure feels like it. What's taking them so long? These people must have nothing else to do tonight. From what I can tell, most of them are just bullshitting while only a few seem to be doing anything. And why does it take so many people anyway? There is a sea of flashing lights now with over a dozen people in various uniforms mulling about, not to mention the crowd of spectators that's formed around the scene. At least my back is to most of them. They keep trying to maneuver for a better view of me with their phones. No doubt I'm all over the Internet by now. Crap! What if Jim sees that? Jim is in my Thermal class and I melt inside every time he even looks at me. I slouch down as far as I can and shake my head to get some hair to fall in front of my face.

There's a tap on the car window, and when I look up, there are two police officers smiling down at me. One of the officers is Latino and is a bit on the heavy side with a smile and a strange twinkle in his eyes. The other officer is a tall, thin African American with a manicured mustache and beard.

The Latino officer opens the car door and knells down next to me. "Hello, Ms. Mastim, I'm Detective Rodriguez and this is Detective Brown. We're with the Gang and Narcotics Division of the LAPD."

With a fake smile, I say, "Can I help you?"

"Oh. You already have. They exchange grins like that's part of an inside joke between the two of them.

I keep my smile but say nothing.

Detective Rodriguez leans closer. "You see, we've been working on a case of serial rapes in this area, and we're pretty sure the guys you chopped up back there were the perpetrators." He pauses to let that sink in.

"So, now we have this double homicide report to fill out, and then maybe things will be quiet for a while," Detective Brown says.

My face hardens at the mention of the words double homicide. "It was self-defense," I say with a harsh edge to my voice. "They were raping a girl."

His smile widens. "So, you admit to killing those men behind that building?"

Crap... I've got to watch what I say. "I'm not answering any more questions until I talk to a lawyer."

Detective Brown holds up his hands. "Don't worry, Ma'am. You're not being charged with any crime. We know you were acting to save that young lady."

My mouth drops open. "You know about her?"

"Sure, we are detectives. That's what we do." Rodriguez gives me smug look.

His partner pats him on the shoulder. "Of course it helps that she called 911 from that convenience store across the street."

What the fuck? "So you guys have known all this time that I saved her?" Suddenly red-hot anger pushes away the despair that had been overpowering me.

Rodriguez's smile disappears. "Well sure. We know. But these guys here..." He waves his hand at the multitude around us. "They don't."

I lean toward him with my face set in stone. "Maybe you should tell them so they can take off these handcuffs."

He looks taken aback. "We were just about to do that. Ain't that right Mickey?" He smiles back at Detective Brown, but when he turns back to me his smile disappears. He takes a small recorder out of his pocket. "But before we do, can you tell us exactly what happened here tonight when you killed those two men and what you're doing in this part of town?"