The area for the fallen officers in the brand new Detroit Police Headquarters was available to the public and the front clerk, after checking their licenses, was happy to tell them how to get there.
She shivered in the elevator a little.
“What?” Lola questioned.
“I was just here being fully embarrassed.”
Lola giggled. “Hopefully you won’t talk to any assholes from that department like you did yesterday.” She spoke loud enough the other officers on the elevator heard her and glanced their way.
Regina glared at Lola and then rolled her eyes in exasperation.
Getting off the elevator, they walked down a hallway. Regina took little notice of a very distraught woman leaning against the opposite wall across from the fallen officer display and concentrated on finding the picture like she found in the album.
“It doesn’t look like they’re in date order anymore,” Lola stated.
Regina accessed the wall and took out her phone. She had taken shots of the pictures in the album instead of dragging the heavy album up with them. Scrolling through the pictures, she agreed, “You’re right, they’re in alphabetical order.”
Lola came over to look at Regina’s cell phone. “Can you zoom in closer to see the name right past your mother’s shoulder?”
“G and E, that’s all I see and I think that’s from the first name,” Regina accessed.
They looked up at the wall and tried to find any black women officers. There were two on each side of the wall. Lola went to the farthest one, while Regina went to the one directly across from the woman in distress. It was pretty high up, but the name was bold enough for her to see.
Lola said, “This one doesn’t have a G in it at all.”
Excited, Regina pointed her finger at the picture she was staring at. “This one does Lola! Come here!” she said animatedly.
“Where the hell did you get that ring?!” the woman screeched at Regina hysterically.
Regina had almost forgotten she wore the ring, but knew this ring was hers and this woman was crazy. “It’s mine.”
“You stole it!” the woman accused her trying to snatch it from Regina’s fingers.
Lola came between them. “Listen, bitch, go infect crazy somewhere else.”
The woman shoved Lola out of the way and literally jumped on Regina. With quick reflexes, Regina turned away coveting the ring against her chest and tightly holding her other hand over the ring.
“Get off of me you crazy cow!” Regina ordered.
Lola got back up, grabbed the woman by her hair and slammed her against the far wall. The woman was relentless and this time she punched Lola in the eye and then lunged at Regina again, but this time Regina was ready and swung like forward striking the woman in the face with the ring hand then delivering a jab to her stomach.
Juanita had insisted Regina take boxing classes when she was in college and just instincts really kicked in for her.
The woman screeched hysterically and fell to the floor. Blood gushed out of her face and sprayed Regina at the same time and then seven huge police officers came to hold Lola and Regina back as if they had started everything.
“She started it!” Lola screamed.
All Regina could think about was what her mother would hear on the evening news and then trying to explain why they were at the police department again.
“You stole that ring!” the woman shrieked pointing accusingly at Regina. “That’s my ring!”
Regina and Lola looked at the woman as if she were half crazy.
“That’s impossible. Someone gave her the ring,” Lola defended. “Your bat shit insane lady, and you need to be locked up. You attacked us and we get handcuffed?”
Regina wanted to die. She’d never been handcuffed in her life.
“Oh really?” the woman asked skeptically. “Who gave you that ring?”
“None of your business!” Lola said and Regina was so grateful for her friend right then, because her tongue was locked in her mouth.
“She stole it!” the woman screamed hysterically bringing at lunging at Regina again.
The officer yanked Regina behind him to protect her and she held her head down in shame.
“What the hell is going on?” the detective from yesterday came on the scene. “Ms. Cody?” he asked shocked. “What are you doing here?”
Regina held her head down even further until her chin was touching her collarbone. Word definitely was going to get back to her mother
“I’ll take her,” a strong authoritive voice said behind Regina. “Get her to infirmary and this one over to your desk, detective. And get this crowd out of here now!”
Her arm was yanked and she followed obediently just wanting everything to be over with. Whoever this guy was, he must’ve been in charge because the other officers stood a little straighter and jumped to obey all his orders. He was massive and she was too ashamed to raise her head to see who it could be.
She was guided into a private office off the corridor and pushed down into a chair, while the man locked the door.
Immediately she went into nervous explanation. “That woman attacked me.” She wrung her hands together. “She would have really hurt me if I hadn’t… It was just instinct to hit her like that. Please don’t tell my mother. I’ll do anything!”
“Anything?” he questioned.
Regina was still too embarrassed for eye contact. “She’s going to freak, she’s going to ask all kinds of questions and she’s definitely going to lock me up because she’ll think I’m going crazy.” She shook the handcuffs at him. “She will die if she sees me like this.” The sob encased in her chest hurt so much. The shame of ruining her life, her mother’s life and everything that would come out was too great to bear.
She felt the cop move in front of her, but he still refused to look up at him not able to bear his judgmental eyes on her. I’ve never been in handcuffs before.”
He had started to take his key out to open the handcuffs but paused. “Never?”
Shaking her head letting the tears roll down her check, she answered, “I’ve never warranted anything to put me in handcuffs.”
“Woman, you really are going to drive me insane.”
The voice sounded familiar… too familiar.
He knelt in front of her and pulled her wrists over his head so she was locked inches from him and her head slowly rose to look into his very eyes… and his face…
Her heart raced and suddenly she couldn’t take in enough air. IT… WAS… HIM!
Albeit she had never seen any details of his face so clearly enough, her ears had never lied to her.
“You!” she hissed, trying to move her arms from around his neck, but he held them down with one hand, while he pulled her body closer to the edge of the chair. His big body had somehow moved between her legs and she was forced to keep her legs wide open.
Not only was her body vulnerable to him, but her arousal level. She didn’t expect him to be so damn… handsome. His tawny brown eyes beamed from his face seemingly to look right into her soul. She was helpless to not look away from him.
“You’re a killer!” she seethed still trying to pull away.
He raised an amused brow. “A cop and a killer?! What makes you think that?”
“You were on that street, where the girl got killed!” she accused him.
“I’m lead investigator, woman. I was following a lead in the area.”
“Liar,” she sneered, trying to jerk away, but her arms were locked around his thick neck. “You broke in my house!”
“So only killers know how to get in your house? You left your door unlocked, woman. I gained entry easily because of your foolishness.”
“You entered without my permission.”
“Did I make love to you all night without your permission?”
Damn! Why did she feel so wet between her legs?