Island 13

Chapter Four: Tara

I watched the detective drive away. Chase, he said his name was. Then he'd told me an even more odd and interesting bit of news. I'd watched him in court. His performance on the witness stand. He was good. Moreover he was on the same side as me. Even better. It's like I said, the courthouse is a circus, and everyone there has an act. A very specific act. My act was a simple one, that of an objective observer. Until recently. Now, Audrey was a victim. That. Changed. Everything. At least for me. Now I was anything but objective. And I definitely wasn't going to do any observing. Not anymore. I figured that much by now. I couldn't just cover this case like any other. Audrey was quite possibly dead. She'd only called me a couple of days ago. Then it struck me that I just selectively omitted this bit of information, when I talked to Chase. Why? Did I just lie to the cops? When you're on my side of the law business, you learn that information comes at a price. You squabble over words on this end. Over how much you share and how much you conceal. But did I conveniently leave out that bit of information just because I was trained that way, out of some god forsaken instinct or was there another reason. Was I perhaps, guilty?

That didn't make any sense. I missed her. But I didn't kill her. And I didn't let her die, did I? I shouldn't feel any guilt whatsoever. Then why did I feel queasy inside? My throat was dry and my stomach tied in on itself a million times like a woven scarf from grandma.

I noticed that I couldn't see the black mustang on the horizon anymore, but my eyes still trekked the troubled path the car had taken. He'd turned right on to 34th avenue. I knew where that road lead. I knew it so well. Question was, was I going to take it? I thought these unrelated thoughts and hoped they'd string together to make some sort of sense. I held my head in my hand. It hurt. I could feel no tears coming. Was this normal? Was I sad? Is this how I reacted to sadness? I had no idea. I laughed in his face when he told me the latest victim appeared to be Audrey. This felt like nothing I've know in my life. My head throbbed with a new pang of pain like tiny electric shocks from 12 volt supplies jolting me out of my reverie. I needed some pills. I knew exactly what kind. I stopped myself. I had a different road to go down right now. I guess I did know what I was going to do now. Honestly though, I'd known all along.

I got up and started taking long strides towards 34th avenue, only slowing my pace long enough to hail a cab at the corner of 34th avenue. I got over the knots in my stomach. I was sweating now. A kinda thrill that I couldn't explain overtook me. But I had a purpose. I was almost thrilled enough to say, " follow that black mustang". Fortunately, the car was nowhere in sight and I knew where it was headed anyway.

" To the police Headquarters.", I said.

The driver gave a curt nod and took off down the road. Suddenly, Eternal flame by the bangles came on. The driver looked at me through the rear view mirror.

"Aren't you going to answer that?", he asked.

" Answer what?", I looked puzzled, then I snapped out of it, eternal flame was coming from my briefcase. The one that contained a legal pad. I pulled out my phone and answered it, I didn't have to look at it to figure out who it was. " seriously Kirsten? Seriously? Eternal flame?" I said. " Let it go, Tar", she replied making a reference to her earlier ring tone prank. " That is just so meta.", I said. " Anyway, not why I called. The police called in asking about you and your old roommate, Audrey. I couldn't get them to spill much, but I could listen in on the grapevine or tap some systems", she told me. " Nah. Thanks kirst. But I got this. I'll fill you in later, I'm on my way in to the precinct now. But I need you to dig up everything you can on detective Mike chase." . Did I mention Kirsten is a damn good hacker? I worry to think about where the world would be if she used her tech savvy hacking skills for evil instead of comic relief. Not that changing someone's ringtone to the chorus of let it go by Idina Menzel isn't evil. But you get my drift. She even hacks into old trucker radios and police dispatch. For fun only though. "Ooh, mind changing the red light on 34th avenue?", I added in a low voice. I heard her push some buttons. "On it. Just say when.", she told me. This is why I liked Kirstie. She worked fast. No questions asked. We approached the traffic light and the driver began to slow down, " Now.", I told Kirsten. The light flickered from red to green in one jump. The driver took off at top gear again. " Nice. Thanks.", I told her as I hung up.