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BEHIIND THE SCENES
SEASON 2
“NOTHING BUT MADNESS”
NINETEENTH IN THE SERIES BY KATHY DE “Radcliffe!” “Yeah?” Catherine
looked up as Joe walked over to her desk with a file in his hands. “We’ve got another
one on our hands ... came in last night.” “That’s the third
one!” “Yeah, I can
count...” Joe muttered. Catherine sighed as she looked down and opened
the file as Joe scowled angrily. “Don’t bother ... it’s another dead
hooker with her throat slashed!” “Amber Wharton? She
was only fifteen, Joe.” “Yeah...” “Where was she
from?” “ Catherine closed
her eyes and her voice was husky with sadness. “And now she’s dead.” Joe shrugged with
dismay. “Try to find a witness, maybe her pimp’s name ... anything.” “I will ...” Joe left and
Catherine headed out to the scene where Amber was killed. She questioned
people milling about but they either wouldn’t talk to her or they
pretended like they didn’t know anything. For the next two
days, Catherine spent her days out on the streets questioning anyone who
would talk to her. She was getting nowhere fast and she headed back to
the office clearly frustrated. Joe took one look
at her and shook his head. “Don’t work yourself up over it, Cath...Even
the beat cops didn’t get any leads...” Catherine nodded
and headed home for the night.
***************************************** Hours later,
Catherine was sound asleep when she woke to the sound of tapping on her
window. She walked out her balcony doors and could tell by his agitated
state that Vincent was upset about something. “What’s wrong?” “I’ve just seen
something … hideous ...” “What?” “A woman murdered
before my eyes!” “My God, Vincent!
Where?!” “In the park ...” “Tonight?” “Just now!” “Well, what
happened?” “The ones who
killed her ... barely more that boys ...” He sighed aloud. “I’ve seen
death before, even murder but not like this ... not so cold!” Catherine reached
her hand out to comfort him. “Tell me what happened ...” “They rejoiced in
it ...” Vincent said as he stood in front of her, clearly distraught
over the whole thing. He looked down and could see her thinking about
what he said. “They… celebrated the death. I’ve seen this before
Catherine, I’ve felt what they felt in that moment … but I can tell you
they felt no remorse … they’ve either killed before or will kill again!” Catherine stepped
forward and hugged him tightly. After a few minutes, she easily slipped
into lawyer mode. “Stay here.” She ran and grabbed a pad of paper and a
pen. “Please, come sit down ...” He followed her instructions as she
began to question him. “How many boys were there?” “Two.” “And how old do you
think they were?” “Old enough to
drive ... they were drinking as well but I don’t think they were over
twenty one.” “Did you get a good
look at them?” “Not their
features. The light haired boy had a long trench coat on ... the dark
haired boy had on dark slacks, gray maybe ... there was blue in his
shirt and his coat was dark leather ... black I think.” “That’s good,
Vincent. Do you know what kind of car it was?” “No, but it was red
... convertible ... it had a black stripe down the side.” “Okay, that’s good,
now what about the girl?” “Young ... she
couldn’t have been more than Brooke’s age.” “So about fifteen
or sixteen?” “Yes.” “Did you get the
feeling they were all friends?” “No!” Vincent
sighed. “They were not friends, Catherine. The girl was a ...
prostitute.” “Are you sure?”
Catherine gasped at the news. “Are you absolutely positive?” “Yes.” “Damn it! Then
that’s the fourth girl that’s been killed in a few weeks!” “Fourth?!” “Yes, there have
been three other bodies found … all prostitutes, all had their throats
slashed.” “It has to be
them!” Vincent announced. “Maybe …” Catherine
frowned and nodded as she got back to asking questions. “So they went to
the park to ... um ...” she hesitated briefly. Knowing what she
was going to ask, Vincent hid his face as he interrupted her. “Yes.” “Did you hear any
part of their conversation, Vincent?” “They asked her if
she liked a thrill ... then they asked her something about what was the
biggest thrill there was ...” Catherine frowned
and shook her head, trying to make sense of it. “Anything else?” Vincent searched
his mind and he looked at her pointedly as he realized he may have
something useful. “One of them called her “Go on.” “The boy with
lighter hair was talking to
“Pulled back
roughly on her hair to expose her throat, I heard her scream out in pain
then I saw a flash of the moonlight glean off the metal of the knife as
he slashed it across her neck.” “Oh, God! What did
they do next? Did they rape her?” “No, he casually
dropped the girl and walked away. I ran towards them but they saw me
coming and took off in their car. I knew I was too late but I placed my
hand on
Vincent accepted
her comfort then pulled away. “I wanted to tell you, I thought perhaps
it’ll help your office’s investigation of this crime.” Catherine shrugged
as she snorted with impatience. “I’ll try my best. It would help if you
could come forward but you can’t so I’ll … have to try to find a way to
tie in what you told me without tipping my hat as to where I got the
information.” “You must find them
before they kill again!” “I’ve been trying
for three weeks. You’re the first witness I’ve ever had.” “And I can’t speak
in your courts!” he retorted angrily as he began to pace. Catherine grabbed
his arm to stop him from pacing then took his hands in hers as she
squeezed his them comfortingly. “Are you okay? Do you want to stay here
for awhile?” He frowned and
shook his head. “I should let you get back to sleep.” “You didn’t answer
my question…” she said as she moved forward and they hugged. Vincent took the
comfort offered and felt his heartbeat return to normal. He patted her
back lightly then shifted slightly away to look down into her eyes. “I’m
all right, I should go, you need your rest. Goodnight, Catherine.” Catherine leaned
forward and gave him a kiss, pausing slightly until he returned the
kiss. She smiled as she stepped away.
“Goodnight, Vincent.”
***************************************
Vincent made it
Below without incident and walked into the library. Father looked up at
him with a smile. “You’re back.” “Yes.” Father knew
something was wrong and he cocked his head curiously. “Tell me!” Vincent sat down
with a sigh. “I witnessed a murder tonight.” “Dear, God!” “It was in the
park, a young prostitute was killed by some boys.” “Boys?” “Older ... nineteen
maybe twenty...” “Was it rape? Did
things get out of control?”
“Father!” Vincent
exploded angrily. “I saw the whole scene with my own eyes! I saw them
pull up in their car, get out and banter back and forth ... then kill
her! The whole thing was over within minutes. They took her there to
kill her ... casually and maliciously. They treated it like it was a
game!” “Was there …”
Father sighed as he looked down and shook his head sadly “... no
chance to save her?” “They slashed her
throat and walked away.” Father closed his eyes against the image while
Vincent sighed. “I ran to her but ...”
“I know.” “It’s late ... why
... um ... don’t you try to read for awhile, try to forget what you
saw...” “I will never
forget it, Father!” “No, but you need
to rest.” “Yes, I ... stopped
and told Catherine what I saw ... I had hoped if her office investigated
the murder she could use some of the information I gave her to track
down these boys.” Father stood and
put his arm around his son. “Then you have done your part to see that
justice is served. Think about that tonight when you try to sleep ...” Vincent stood and
nodded. “Goodnight, Father.” “Goodnight,
Vincent.”
**************************************
The next morning,
Catherine was standing in front of her mirror drying her hair and
thinking about the murder that Vincent had witnessed. She mentally
compared the cases, and the only link between all of them was that all
of the girls had been prostitutes. She thought about
when she was trying to find information on After stopping at
the bank to withdraw money, she walked into the office to overhear Greg
Hughes and Joe talking about the recent murder. She almost blew her
cover when she acknowledged the murder and Joe asked how she knew about
it already. She lied automatically and said she heard it on the radio.
Later that night,
she went to see Maurice. She walked cautiously up the same steps to the
penthouse and slowly opened the door and walked inside. “Maurice?” “What?” he said as
he came out of an adjoining room. “You still in the
information business, Maurice?” “For the right
price, I’ll be doing whatever kind of business you need.” “A prostitute was
killed in the park last night, her name was “I thought the
police didn’t know her name …” “Her name was “That’s right.” “You knew her.” “I never had that
particular pleasure.” “Can you help me?” “Can you help me??”
Catherine flashed her money and Maurice stepped forward. “Then we can
help each other.” Catherine started
to count out the money. “All right … do you know who she answers to or
not?” Maurice shot her a
name. “You never answered my question on how you knew the girls name was
Tracy.” Catherine shrugged
indifferently. “You’re not my only source.” Maurice smiled.
“But my information is worth more ...” “Yeah … well …
we’ll see about that … I just want to catch these punks before they kill
another girl.” Maurice looked at
her curiously. “You really care, don’t you?” “Those young girl’s
lives are worth more than what these animals have done to them.” As she turned to
go, Maurice sighed. “Wait … there’s more …” Catherine’s eyes
rose in surprise. “What else have you got?” “BMW ... red
convertible ... black stripe down the side ... two spoiled rich kids
playing on the streets with their daddy’s money ...” Catherine knew the
information was true since it compared to what Vincent had said. “You
got names?” “One’s dark haired,
Cameron, the other’s blonde, my source think his name is Dale. They’ve
got four girls already ... two of them belonged to “Where can I find “Chinese
establishment on 8th and Elm next to the pharmacy. Tell him I
sent you.” Catherine took out
an extra $50 and handed it to him. “Thanks.” “It’s always a
pleasure doing business with you ...” “I bet ...”
Catherine smiled as she turned and walked from the building.
**************************************** Meanwhile in the
better part of town, Cameron and Dale were planning another night out. Dale shook his
head. “No, it’s too soon!” Cameron disagreed
as he handed his friend a bottle of rum. “I feeeeellll it! I’m happy
again and it’s boiling in my blood! We’ll go to a different area this
time.” “Whatever,” Dale
said indifferently as he took a huge swig from the bottle. A few short hours
later, the two friends picked up a young girl and took her for a joy
ride in their car. Cameron drove into a deserted parking garage. Dale
held the girl once again while Cameron came up behind her and slashed
her throat and then as before, they hopped nonchalantly back in their
car and took off.
****************************************** The next morning,
Joe told Catherine about their fifth victim. “One of her friends
identified her this morning. Her name is Rhonda ... she’s from “Where was this one
found, Joe?” “Parking
garage ... it was empty.”
“Maybe they have cameras ...” “They weren’t
working ... neither was the front ticket booth.” “Great!” Catherine
said with a frown as she turned and walked to her desk. That night, she
went to see She told Joe she
had found a witness to the killing in the park but that he wouldn’t come
forward. She had Rita run traces on all the red BMWs in the area. She
was surprised to see how many people had them but she scanned down the
list and there was only one owned by someone named Cameron. She pushed
Joe to get soil samples from the park where Joe got a search
warrant issued and they went with the police to search the home Cameron
lived in. Bill and Gayle
Benson were having an after dinner drink when the doorbell rang on their
front door. “Bill, Maria’s gone
for the night,” Gayle said referring to the housekeeper. “You’ll have to
answer that.” Bill opened the
door to find Joe in front of the line with his ID out. “Mr. Benson. I’m
Joe Maxwell with the District Attorney’s office. We have a warrant to
search your premises and vehicles for any evidence that may aid us in an
investigation we’re conducting.” “What?! Gayle ... get
in here! I’m calling my lawyer!” The police did a
thorough sweep of the house and found a huge knife in Cameron’s room.
They arrested both him and Dale after they found an additional knife
belonging to Dale in Cameron’s glove box in the BMW parked in the
garage.
The helper promised
it would be sent immediately, and Mouse delivered it to Vincent a short
time later. Bill Benson and his
lawyer came down to the police station. As Catherine was hanging up the
phone, she looked at the woman with surprise. It was the attorney she
just went head to head with in the child abuse trial of Richard Nolan. “Ms. Sheets.” “Yes, are you
defending Mr. Benson?” “My office is. I
won’t actually be the one defending Cameron.” Catherine shook her
head disgustedly. “And you wonder why I wasn’t interested in a job with
your firm ... first a child abuser and now a murderer?” Bill Benson walked
up behind her. “She certainly won’t!”
Catherine ignored
him as she looked at Bill. “Mr. Benson, the evidence we have against
your son will prove that he was involved with the murder of five young
girls ... doesn’t the thought of that sicken you?” Bill looked at her
arrogantly. “My son did none of the things he’s being accused of. He and
Dale are fine young boys with promising futures.” “Let’s see how much
they can accomplish from a jail cell,” Catherine said sarcastically as
she turned away. “Not all children
grow up to disgrace their families, Miss ... Catherine turned
around and looked at him quizzically as he continued. “I’ve heard about
you. You were destined to be a major player in your father’s firm.
Charles was a respectable lawyer ... he was much admired in his field of
work. What a disappointment it must have been to have his daughter thumb
her nose at his job and go into a career anyone from a community college
could have done ... a job that was quite obviously beneath her.” He had looked at
Joe, sized him up, and then looked disapprovingly back at Catherine. She
searched her mind for anything from the past she may have heard about a
Bill Benson. “I’ll admit I’m at a disadvantage, Mr. Benson. I hadn’t
realized you knew my father. The only time I ever heard him mention the
Benson name was when he had to sue the financial firm of Hanson and
Jones because of his client’s mismanaged assets. He said that the Benson
that was accused of the accounting errors was a pompous jerk who
couldn’t handle the funds of a girl scout cookie sale let alone the
assets of a major company. But that couldn’t have possibly have been
you ...” Everyone knew by
Bill’s face that he had in fact been the one Charles referred to.
Catherine turned in disgust. “Have a good day.” Joe followed behind
her and when they got to the safety of the elevator turned to her with
surprise. “Wow, Cathy ... I didn’t know you had it in you!” “Damn it!” she spat
as she wiped a tear from her cheek. Joe could tell she
was embarrassed by her emotional outburst. “What? You were great!” “I can’t believe he
got to me. I can’t believe I lowered myself to his level. Normally I’m
able to control my temper but people like him make me sick! They sit on
their mighty thrones acting like they’re so much better than everyone
else using their wealth and education as weapons against the less
fortunate!” Joe frowned
thoughtfully. “You’ve had a lot of experience dealing with people like
that?” “Joe, it’s no
secret that I have money but I was taught at an earlier age to be
thankful for it ... to use it for good! These kids are going to pay for
this crime if I have to use my own damn money to do it!” Joe nodded as the
doors opened. “I hope you’re right.”
*************************************** In court the next
day, Catherine was forced to use Back at the office,
she railed about the injustice of it until Joe and She stormed back to
her desk and was surprised to see Jenny walking up. “Hey, Jen. What are
you doing here?” Jenny made a face
as she looked at her best friend. “Hi, Cathy…we had a lunch date but I’m
guessing from the look on your face that it’s being cancelled.” Joe walked up
behind Jenny and put his arm gently on her back. “Hey, Jenny.” He looked
at Catherine. “Go to lunch ... relax a little bit ... this can all wait ...” Catherine’s eyes
flashed angrily at him as she bent over and grabbed her purse. “Really,
Joe? Can it?! These idiots are getting away with murder! They’re so
proud of it they’re not even waiting anymore! Are you prepared to deal
with another dead hooker tonight?” she spat as she walked towards the
elevators. “Where are you
going?” Joe asked worriedly. “To find someone
that can help me prosecute these guys. I’m sorry Jen, I will not let
this turn into another Jonathon Porter case!” Catherine stormed
onto the elevator, then gave Jenny an apologetic glance. Jenny nodded
understandingly. “Go!” Joe looked
thoroughly confused. “Who the hell is Jonathon Porter?” Jenny frowned as
she turned to him. “That was for me ... a sort of explanation.” “Care to share that
with me? Right now I think she’s off her rocker ...” The sandwich man
walked up and Joe pointed at his tray. “It’s not fancy but I’ll buy you
lunch ...” Jenny nodded and
smiled. “I’ll go and get us some Cokes from the machine.” Jenny met Joe in
his office and the two sat on the couch together as they ate. “So tell me who
Jonathon Porter is ...” Jenny sighed. “It
was our freshmen year in high school. Tim Kirby asked Cathy to go with
him to the prom and she accepted but her father told her she couldn’t go
alone if she wanted to go she had to go with another couple. She didn’t
want to go with any of Tim’s friends so she told him that I had
to go with her. Tim set me up with Jonathon Porter. Jonathon was Tim’s
friend and had just been dumped by his girlfriend because he cheated on
her.” “Good guy...” Jenny laughed.
“Wait ... this get even better. We went to the prom and Cathy and Tim were
having a great time until Catherine noticed Jonathon was dancing with
his ex girlfriend and I was standing alone by the food table. When I
noticed her looking at me, I started to cry and ran into the bathroom.” “Oh, no!” “Cathy left Tim on
the dance floor and followed me. I told her Jonathon said he had only
come for the sole purpose of seeing his ex. After I was done crying
about it, we left the safety of the bathroom. By then, Tim had grabbed
Jonathon and they were waiting outside the door for us. I thought Cathy
was going to slap Jonathon ... I’ve never seen her so angry. He told her
she was being unrealistic if she thought she could take one of her
scholarship friends from the wrong side of the tracks, dress them up in
discounted dresses from off the rack at a bridal shop and try to pass
them off as worthy dates. He told Tim he thought they were friends and
that he’d had never been so insulted in his life. He said that next time
Tim wanted to go slumming to count him out.” “Oh, God!” Joe said
quietly. “I can only imagine what came next ...” “Yep! Cathy
exploded! She called him a pompous ass and told him that my father made
a respectable paycheck working in the mills. She said his money
came from his daddy playing dirty politics and working crooked real
estate deals. Jonathon at least had the sense to look embarrassed but
Cathy wasn’t done yet. She said that my off the rack discounted dress
was actually made for me by one of the top designers in the city and
that I would be sending him the bill for reimbursement because he ruined
the evening.” Joe leaned forward
clearly intrigued. “And did she?” “Oh, yeah! The
dress I was wearing was actually Cathy’s from a cotillion dance she
attended the month before. Her maid did some minor alterations with some
ribbon but Cathy found the original bill and made a copy of it and
the bill from her own dress. The next day she took some of her father’s
letterhead and typed a clearly itemized bill with an official sounding
letter. She told Jonathon that we were suing him for all the expenses
incurred from not only myself but her and Tim as well. It came to over
$4,000 between the dresses and the limo ... it was really funny until …” Joe laughed
heartily. “Let me guess ... her father found out, didn’t he?” “Of course!
Jonathon’s father called him and told him what the letter said Charles
assured him that his office had not sent the letter but that he was sure
they could clear up this misunderstanding. Mr. Porter went on to tell
him that he warned his son repeatedly about going out with the wrong
type of girl. He said he would waive a suit for defamation of character
if these outrageous charges were dropped. Cathy’s dad showed a
tremendous amount of restraint and agreed. Needless to say he came home
from the office early that night and called me over to their house...” “Uh, oh! Cathy’s
dad let her have it, didn’t he?” Jenny laughed
aloud. “Are you kidding me?! Cathy had him wrapped around her finger. He
sat us down and told us that we shouldn’t have used his company
letterhead without his permission. He went on to say that although the
letter sounded good to us, when we went to college we would learn how to
word things differently to gain better results. He offered to reimburse
me for the dress and Cathy had to admit to him that I wasn’t actually
out any money because I borrowed one of hers. She said she didn’t see
why that should matter. She was sick of the way some of the rich kids
treated others at the school. He had hurt my feelings with his cruelty
and he should have to pay for that. Her dad gave us the whole speech of
what goes around comes around ...” “So Jonathon walked
away?” “Jonathon walked
away ... and it’s bugged her ever since.” “Whatever happened
to him?” “He went slumming
again ... got the next girl pregnant. His dad made him marry her, then cut
him off from the family money.” “And poor Tim?” “Cathy dated him
for the summer, then he went away to Joe lowered his
head, clearly understanding why Catherine was so adamant about catching
these boys and making them pay. “I’ll see that she doesn’t mix up the
past with the present ...” Jenny stood up and
smiled. “Well, at least I got lunch out of it. Thanks, Joe.” “You too, Jenny.
Have a good day.” Jenny left and Joe
got back to work.
***************************************
Later that night,
Catherine was going to see Vincent, when he met her half way at the
culvert entrance. “I had court today!
I lost! The boys walked away.” “How can that be?” “The defense went
after the integrity of my witness!” Catherine raised her arms by her
side in disgust. “I mean ... let’s face it! My chief witness was a pimp!
His prison record was hardly stellar reading material!” “But the tire
prints from the scene ...” “Vincent, there are
23 red BMW’s in New York City that fit our description and those tires
are all of the racing type ... they fit on other models as well ... it was a
long shot ... I knew that but...” “But you had hoped
that justice would be served ...” “It’s not just
that!” She said as she paced the culvert. “You should have seen the
smirks of contempt on their faces! They made a game of killing those
girls and they acted like they owned all of this! Just flaunting their
privileges ... I’m glad you didn’t see it ... it was disgusting!” “I did see it! In
the park ... that night ...” “They knew they
were protected by their families ... that they could do anything ... even
kill and laugh about it ...” Vincent was
disgusted but he could hear the weariness in her voice and turned to
her. “You’re tired ... you should try to get some rest.” Catherine sighed;
she knew he was trying to get it off her mind. “I can’t just forget it.
It happens, you know? You see enough outrages like today, enough “You never will.” “I’m not so
sure ...” “Passion is
something that cannot be forgotten ... it’s got a life of its own.” “But it can die,
Vincent.” “Once you have it,
it lives within you.” He put his hand on her shoulder comfortingly. “But
to live by it requires all your strength.” “And someone to
remind you.” She looked up at him wearily. “I am tired.” Vincent pulled her
forward and hugged her to his chest, then lowered his head by her ear.
“Let me walk you home ...” “It’s too far ...”
Catherine grumbled childishly.
Catherine leaned
further against him for support. “Let’s just stay here then ...” “Here?!” Vincent
said as he looked around. “I just want to be
with you ... I don’t care where it is ... can’t we just ... sit down over
there ...” Catherine pointed
to a spot and Vincent led her over and sat on the ground then spread his
cloak out next to him so she could sit down on top it. He put his arm
around her as she cuddled up next to him and laid her head against his
chest. He gently ran his hand up and down her back as she closed her
eyes and started to relax. “You’re taking this
personally, Catherine.” “Maybe …” Vincent knew it was
more than that. “You’ve known people like these boys in the past,
haven’t you?” “Too many people.”
Catherine sighed. “My whole life I’ve been with the ‘elite’ of society.
Some of them are wonderful people who have clawed their way up to the
top and made a name for themselves. Others are like my parents, children
born into wealth but who were nurtured to have a kind and loving spirit. “Like you ...” “Thank you,”
Catherine smiled and lifted her head then kissed his chest then sighed.
“But there are also those that hold themselves above everyone else. They
look down on any one who isn’t like them and they pass those beliefs and
ugliness on to their children. Those two boys were raised with money and
opportunities beyond belief and all they can do is self destruct. They
never do it alone. They always take others down with them. Innocent
people like those girls.” “Those girls were
not innocent, Catherine. They play a very dangerous game every time they
go out at night.” “They’re poor kids
fighting for their lives, doing anything they can to survive.” “It’s the only way
they know to survive.” “Vincent, I was
left an exorbitant amount of money when my father died. It’s just
sitting in the bank gaining interest and I want to use it ... I want to
help those girls find a way out but I don’t know how...” “Perhaps you could
talk to someone who’s been in that situation.” Catherine tilted
her head and looked up at him. “Are you thinking about “Yes.” “Do you think she
would talk about it?” “Her time Below has
done much to heal her wounds. Little Cathy has done wonders for her and
she and Olivia have become inseparable. I think with her new life going
so well for her, she’s strong enough to face the demons of her past.” “I’ll have to speak
to her then.” Vincent cuddled her
close and caressed her hair lovingly. “Yes, but not tonight. Tonight,
you need to rest.” With a new purpose
to strive for, Catherine felt a wave of peacefulness come over her and
her eyes closed heavily. “Tonight, I rest.” Catherine was so comfortable
and felt so safe in his arms that she soon felt herself nodding off to sleep. “I
love you, Vincent,” she whispered quietly. She was sound
asleep as he turned his head and kissed her hair and whispered. “I love
you too, Catherine.” He felt himself
nodding off but was awakened when he heard a footfall near him. He
looked up to see Mouse looking quizzically at him. He held his finger up
to his mouth to silence Mouse before he could speak. Mouse saw that all
was well with them and nodded his understanding before he left.
*****************************************
Father looked up as
he came in. “Mouse, how do the reports look? No intruders?” “No, checked report
from Matthew. Found Vincent and Catherine sleeping.” Father looked up
and blinked in surprise. “I’m sorry, Mouse I was reading, did you say
sleeping?” “Uh huh...” “Where?” “On floor ... culvert
entrance ...” “They were sitting
on the floor at the culvert entrance ... sleeping?” “Catherine
sleeping ... not wake up ... Vincent ... eyes closed but awake.” Father shook his
head at the unusual places the couple found to spend time together. “I’m
sure Catherine has to work in the morning. Make sure someone tells
Vincent what time it is in a few more hours.”
“I’m sorry,
Vincent. I didn’t mean to make you sit here this whole time. You should
have awakened me.” He looked down
shyly. “I enjoyed spending this time with you ...” “I slept the whole
time! We never even got to talk ...” “No, but the
turmoil within you was finally at peace and the bond was quiet.” “It’s bad enough I
have to go through all if it. I’m sorry you have the burden of feeling
it too.” “To feel you inside
of me is no burden, Catherine.” Catherine almost
said she wished she could feel him inside of her but she realized how
scandalous it sounded and stopped herself. “I should get home.” Vincent got to his
feet and helped her up. He took her hand and led her home. He stood
behind her as she climbed up the ladder. Three rungs up, she turned
around and kissed him. “Goodnight.” “Be well,
Catherine.”
***************************************** Instead of heading
back Below, Vincent walked the dark alleys and streets of the roughest
part of town. He found the car the boys were driving and he followed
them into a back alley. As Cameron was about to kill yet another
prostitute, Vincent stepped out from the shadows to stop them. The girl knew
immediately that something was very wrong and ran in the opposite
direction. Vincent kept to the
shadows as he stepped forward. “I know who you are. I know what you’ve
done. I know where you live and I warn you ... this will stop.” Afraid, the boys
hopped in their car and took off.
**********************************
The next day,
Catherine sat down at work and looked at her calendar. She realized she
had forgotten about an event she was supposed to attend tonight. “Damn it!” she
muttered. “Break a nail,
Radcliffe?” Catherine rolled
her eyes as she looked up at Joe. “No.” Joe handed her
three new files. “Good ... I brought you these just so you wouldn’t get
bored.” “Joe, what about
the Benson/Mercer case?” “What about it?” “I’d planned on
doing some more leg work today...” Joe put his hands
on his hips. “No way. If you got new leads, fine, but the case against
those kids is over with. You keep pursuing it and both of our butts are
on the line ...” “So the option is
to let them get away with murder?” she asked angrily. Joe threw his hands
up in the air. “Unless your secret witness is finally ready to come
forward then you need to drop it! Its slander and defamation of
character and you know it! Until you have more solid proof of their
involvement, stop harassing these kids!” “Fine!” Catherine
frowned. Joe started to walk away and she called out to him. “I’m
leaving early today.” Joe asked
dispassionately. “Did you forget “One of the last
cases my father was working on settled in court last week. Because of
the work he did they were able to win. There’s a celebration party
tonight I have to attend. I normally wouldn’t go but it’s a case that my
father worked hard for and I feel I need to represent him there.” Joe knew about
family commitment and nodded understandingly. “I’ll tell “Thanks, Joe.” Catherine attended
the event that night and was surprised when Cameron and Dale approached
her at the party. She angrily asked what they were doing there and they
arrogantly told her that they belonged there, that these people were
their friends and peers. She walked away
from them and went to another part of the room where they followed her
and pretended to make polite conversation. She stormed away from them
and went over see to the host and hostess, where she easily hid her
anger. “Art, Rita ...” “Cathy! I am so
glad you were able to attend. We couldn’t have had this without your
father!” Art motioned out over the room. “I wish he were here to help us
celebrate our victory.” Catherine smiled
kindly. “Me too, but I think he’s here with is in spirit.” “I think so too,”
Rita agreed.
Catherine had tears
in her eyes as she smiled. “That’s wonderful to hear. Please, enjoy the
rest of your party.” She turned and
started up the escalator and as she looked up she saw Cameron and Dale
blocking her exit. Her anger boiled to
the surface and she told them things she knew about the night they
killed She saw Dale’s face
change. He looked scared and worried but Cameron continued to look at
her innocently and Catherine turned in disgust and left.
************************************ Cameron was wound
up after they left the party and insisted Dale and he go out to burn
off some of their pent up energy. They walked the streets looking for
their next victim but every time they turned around Vincent was standing
in the shadows watching them. They finally gave
up and hopped in the car. “Damn it! Who the
hell is that guy?” Dale wondered aloud. “I don’t know ...” “He’s everywhere we
go ... he’s following us!” Cameron’s face
contorted with anger. “I bet that bitch hired him! She’s going to pay
for ruining my fun tonight ...” “Tonight?! The
whole summer you mean!” “Maybe I should go
to the old man ... you know ... 'Daddy, that mean lady is still harassing
me ... please make her stop'...” he sang out innocently. “Go ahead! He’ll do
it! Tie her up in court with legal issues!” “Yeah but first,
she needs to learn that her superior attitude will not be tolerated!” “What are you going
to do?” “Maybe her boss
needs to know about her little escapades ... it would help our case if he
fired her ...” Dale laughed
heartily. “I like the way you think.” Cameron pulled up
in front of Dale’s house. “I’ll be here at “I’ll be ready!”
************************************* The next day,
Catherine walked into her office to find the boys going through her
things. She threatened them, she and Cameron started shouting at one
another. Joe heard the noise and came out from his office, then ran
forward when Cameron started pushing Catherine around. Joe stepped between
them and listened as the boys told him she was having them followed.
Catherine had a suspicion that Vincent was the one they were speaking
about. Joe made the boys leave and then called her into his office. “Did you really
cancel the police surveillance?” “I told you I did!” “You’re not using
your own money to do this are you?” “Joe, I had no idea
those kids were being followed!” She answered truthfully. Joe made a face.
“Someone’s got them scared.” Catherine blew out
a long breath as she thought quickly. “One of the pimps, maybe ... a
boyfriend?” “Your guess is as
good as mine.” “I need to go and
interview someone ...” “Who?” Joe asked
suspiciously. “ “You want me to go
with?” “To a restaurant in
broad daylight? I can handle it, Joe.” “Go ... let me know
what you get. I’ll cover for you.” Catherine left the
office and headed Below.
***************************** She quickly tapped
out a message then paced the floor as she waited for Vincent to come to
her. “Catherine?” “I have to ask you
something ...” “What is it?” “Cameron and Dale
came to my office today.” He was startled as
he looked at her. “Why?” “I ran into them at
that party last night. I guess they wanted to finish the harassment they
started.” Vincent’s eyes
turned cold. “Are they following you?” “No, just the
opposite. They accused me of hiring a thug to follow them.” Vincent rolled his
eyes and walked over to lean against the wall. “A thug? Is that what
they call someone who stops them from killing?!” “So it was you?” “Yes...” “Why would you take
a chance on getting caught?” “They needed to
know they’re being watched.” “You can’t do
this!” “They must be
stopped!” “Not this way!” Vincent was
steadily growing angrier. “Then how?! How?!” he shouted. “Last night
I stopped them from killing again!” “They will be
caught, Vincent. Trust me! They will be caught!” “Before they kill
again?! They were caught and they were set free!” “You can’t endanger
yourself because of it! It’s wrong!” Unknown to both of
them, Mouse had walked up to see Vincent then slinked back into the
shadows when he heard their raised voices. “With my own eyes I
saw them kill ... a defenseless woman ... how can I pretend, merely because I
cannot walk into your court, that what I saw did not happen?!” Catherine felt like
she was fighting a losing battle. “I know it seems unjust ... it is
unjust! But you have to let me ... you have to let my world deal with it!” “They come into my
world. They come into the back streets and the alleys looking to play in
the darkness. I know the darkness ... I am its friend and I know it’s not
to be played with. When they come to my world, Catherine, I will be
there. When they come looking for the darkness, they will find me!” “No,Vincent! Your
world is not the darkness. You only go there when you need to. You don’t
belong there!” “Part of me does!
The part that protects you and the ones I love threatens to overtake
me ... he is the one that lives in that darkness, feeds in that darkness.” “But he kills only
for protection ... when the evil threatens those he loves.” “He can kill at
anytime ... without thought ... without provocation ... there are times when
the fight to control him is almost too much for me to bear.” Catherine walked
over and took his hands. “Then that is the part that we must work
against. He has no place in our world.” Vincent sighed as
he nodded. She moved against him and placed her head on his chest. His
arms came around her instantly and they swayed together as they
embraced. “I have to get back
to work.”
Vincent released
her slowly. “I know.” “Will I see you
tonight?” Vincent hesitated and Catherine looked at him curiously.
“Vincent?” “Yes, I’ll ... stop
by.” Catherine was hurt
that he seemed to think about it. “If you have other plans ...” Vincent shook his
head as he felt her disappointment. “No, I could want for nothing more
than to spend time with you.” They hugged again
and Catherine left to go back to work.
****************************** Mouse walked into
the library and showed his plans to Father. “See ... dig
trench ... water runs down over rock ... clean for William to use.” Father looked at
the plans. “The rocks will serve as a natural filter ... brilliant Mouse!
Where is Vincent? I wanted him to see this! Couldn’t you find him?” “Mouse found. Can’t
hide from Mouse.” Father looked at
him quizzically. “Well, where is he?” “With Catherine.” “She never visits
in the middle of a work day unless it’s bad news ...” Father grumbled. Mouse shook his
head. “Not visit ... argue.” Father looked at
him in surprise. “They were arguing? Are you sure?” “Yes. Catherine
mad ... shout ... Vincent mad ... shout louder.” “I thought I was
the only one he shouts at. What were they arguing about?” “Not
listen ... leave ... like you said.”
Mouse nodded and
left the room and ran into Vincent in the tunnel way. “Vincent?” “Yes, Mouse?” “See Father ... look
at Mouse’s plans ... dig trench.” “The one for
William?” “Yes.” “I’ll
look at them right now,” Vincent
tapped his friend’s shoulder and smiled. “I’m sure they’re good, Mouse.” Meanwhile, Father
poured over the plans and could see no reason Mouse’s plan wouldn’t
work. He was happy that William would have clean water available to him
at all times. He wished that Vincent would take a look and offer his
opinion so they could start the work immediately. Vincent walked in
to find Father with his head down. “Are those Mouse’s plans?”
Father looked up.
“Yes ... I think they’re actually going to work.” Vincent stood over
Father’s shoulder and scanned the plans. They looked good, and he
carefully ran his finger over the entire course, then nodded. “I think
they’ll work as well.” “Yes ... Mouse saw a
few potential problems and made the changes to accommodate them ... he’s
getting to be quite good.” “He is ...” Father lowered his
head as he noticed his son’s somber mood. “Is everything all right?” “Yes.” “Mouse said that he
went to look for you earlier. He saw you with Catherine and didn’t want
to disturb you ...” Vincent was surprised at the news. He knew Mouse
would have interrupted them, unless he was afraid for some reason, and he
frowned as Father quickly disclosed that reason. “He ... um...said you
were fighting.” Vincent lowered his
head. “We were having … a heated discussion.” Father cocked his
head curiously. “I trust everything is resolved now?”
Vincent knew Father
would be unhappy at the news and sighed as he anticipated the coming
argument. “I’ve been following the boys who murdered that girl in the
park. I have prevented them from murdering time and time again.” Father frowned.
“They’ve seen you?” “No, I ... stand in
the shadows but they know I’m there, watching them.” “What does
Catherine say about this?” “She wants me to
stop. She’s worried I’ll be caught. She’s insisting I let her world deal
with the punishment of those boys.” “She’s a smart
girl ... I feel the same way!” “What a surprise …”
Vincent grumbled wryly. “You and she are both willing to let more girls
die to try to get these boys in custody. How many more have to give
their lives before they have enough evidence?!” Father turned away and
Vincent angrily slammed his hand on the table. “How many, Father?” “Vincent! Let
Catherine and her office handle it!” “I cannot!” Vincent sat down
heavily and covered his face with his hand. Father knew there was no
chance of getting through to him now so he decided to try again later.
He cleared his throat. “So ... how soon can we start Mouse’s plan?”
“I’ll make sure we
have the necessary supplies ...”
“She’s a good
woman, Vincent.” “Yes, Father I
know.” That night, Vincent
broke his promise to Catherine. He walked the streets instead and once
again showed himself to the boys, effectively stopping them from killing
yet another girl. Fed up that their
“adventures” were being stifled, they paid a hooker to call Catherine
with a bogus tip on Catherine walked
warily in front of the building until she heard the boys call out that
they’d seen her. She knew she had been set up and broke into the
building. Thinking quickly, she shattered some glass to use as a weapon
before she hid inside the theater. The boys searched
the building and Dale found her hiding on the floor between the seats.
Catherine leapt to her feet but Dale grabbed her. She slashed out with
the glass effectively cutting his arm. Dale almost let her
go until Cameron shot his gun into the seats just in front of where they
were standing. Catherine looked up
fearfully as she stared down the barrel of his gun.
Suddenly, Vincent’s
roar could be heard echoing through the empty theater as he jumped from
the upper balcony. Catherine looked up in horror, afraid that from that
height he would break his legs when he landed. Instead, Vincent
stealthily landed in front of her. Dale was so surprised he released
Catherine which gave Vincent the opportunity to pick him up and toss him
through the air. Catherine glanced briefly at the boy after he landed.
His head was at such an angle that she knew he must have hit it against
a chair on his way down and was now dead.
Catherine ran to
Vincent’s side and grabbed his bloody hands. “We’ve got to get out of
here!”
“Vincent ... Vincent?!” He stopped and fell
against the wall, holding onto it for support as his mind tried to come
to terms with the murders he just committed. Catherine came up
behind him and held him tenderly. “Are you all right?” Vincent turned
around and she could see his pain. “Nothing but madness! Nothing but
blood! When will it stop?” Catherine gasped in
despair but knew she needed to stay focused and help him home. She tried
to find the entry hole the bullet made. She moved his cloak and his
heavy vest to the side and saw the blood stain on his shirt just below
his shoulder. “We’ve got to get you to Father!” “Two blocks
north ... then down the alley.” Vincent managed to say. “That’s the closest
entrance?!”
Catherine nodded
and looked out into the streets. They made their way slowly up the two
blocks and only had to hide once when an old drunk came out of one of
the buildings. Vincent led
Catherine to the entry door and she closed it behind them after they
were inside. She saw a set of steps and knew it led to a basement, so she
guided them down and Vincent hit a hidden lever on the wall, and a fake
panel popped open. Once again, Catherine allowed him to go first and she
closed the doors behind them. No one visited this
area and the tunnels were unusually dark. Vincent took her hand but was
strangely quiet as he led them through the tunnels. He was panting by
now and sweat was pouring down his face. “Vincent,”
Catherine said as she stopped him by grabbing his arm. “Let me see how
bad it is ...”
“Can’t we call for
help? Maybe Mouse and Cullen can come ...” “The nearest pipes
are in four more blocks ... we’ll call then.”
“Is it much
further?” Catherine wondered. “Go a block ... then the tunnel splits ... take the one to the left ... about another block further there is a pipe line on the right ...”
She turned around
and was relieved to see Vincent coming up behind her.
“Rock?” he gasped. Catherine bent over
and handed him the one she used. Vincent tapped frantically and then
listened to the answer and tapped another one before he dropped the rock
to the ground and leaned against the wall. “I need
help ... someone’s on their way ...” “Can you still
walk?” “I can try,
Catherine.” Catherine went to
his side and lifted his arm over her shoulders and tried to support him
as they walked. They came to tunnels that had more light and Catherine
was now able to see much better. She looked at his
shoulder and gasped. Blood covered the whole half of his shirt front.
“We’ve got to get pressure on that! Now!” Vincent was getting
light headed and leaned against the wall. He looked at her as she
whipped off her coat and dropped it to the ground then flung her blouse
over her head. She stood in a camisole cotton t-shirt and was quickly
shedding that when he looked away. “Catherine!” She held the shirt
between her knees as she quickly put back on her other shirt and coat.
She ripped a long strip from the bottom of the shirt then stepped
forward with the rest of it wadded in her hands. She undid the top three
buttons of his shirt and pushed her shirt under it and held it firmly to
the wound before she buttoned his shirt back up and tightened his vest.
She was satisfied that the shirt was being held firmly in place.
Vincent’s head was back and his eyes were closed as she deftly wrapped
her own badly cut hand with the strip she’d ripped off.
She prompted him to start walking again as she held her hand
firmly to his chest. She quietly hoped all of this was enough to stop
the blood flow. In another two
blocks, Cullen, Mouse, Matthew, Patrick, John and Kevin came running up
with a stretcher. Vincent tried to
protest but Matthew grabbed his arm. “Vincent, if it was one of us you
would insist. I’m guessing you’ve lost a lot of blood ... let us get you
to Father!” Patrick nodded.
“Get on, Vincent.” Vincent’s head fell
forward as he gave in. He lay down on the stretcher as the six men each
took a handle and started to walk. Catherine walked along next to him
and held pressure to the wound. Vincent’s head began to feel fuzzy and
in a matter of seconds it fell to the side and he was unconscious. Catherine followed
behind them until she was in familiar tunnels, then she sprinted ahead to
the hospital chamber to tell Father Vincent’s condition. “Father!” Father came around
the curtain dressed for surgery. “Catherine, where is he?” Catherine gasped
for breath. “I ran ahead. They’re probably about six blocks away.” “He was shot?” “Yes!” “Where?” “In the
chest...just below the shoulder.” Catherine showed him on herself. “A handgun?” “Yes!” “Close range?” “I don’t know ... it
was in a movie theater ... twenty five to thirty feet ... I guess.” “And how are you?” Catherine’s eyes
filled with tears. “I’m fine ... he’s lost a lot of blood ... I took off my
undershirt and shoved it inside his shirt ... I guess I hoped the extra
fabric would put pressure on the wound ... I don’t know if it was the
right thing to do or ... if I made it worse.” Peter walked in the
room. “Jacob! I just walked in the door when I got your message ...” He
looked at Catherine crying. “Cathy, what is it?” “Vincent’s been
shot!.” “Oh, dear God. Let
me get cleaned up, Jacob.” Peter was drying
his hands and Mary was helping him get on his gown when the men came in
with the stretcher. They placed Vincent gently down on the table and
left the room quickly. Mary rushed to help
Father cut away Vincent’s shirt as Peter administered anesthesia. “I thought he
couldn’t handle anesthesia?” a weak voice asked. All eyes turned to
a forgotten Catherine standing alone in the center of the room. Peter nodded to her
to come over. “If you promise to be quiet you can come sit up by his
head, Cathy.” Catherine complied and sat in a stool near Vincent. Peter
smiled at her and nodded to the IV bag. “It’s a general anesthetic. If
we have to dig around for a bullet, he’ll need to be sedated further.” Mary put up a
curtain between Vincent’s face and his shoulder, secluding Catherine from
viewing the surgery. Peter and Father worked frantically to stop the
bleeding and it wasn’t long before Catherine heard the metal ting of a
bullet hitting the pan. Father stitched up the wound while Peter
prepared and administered an antibiotic shot. Mary was bandaging
the wound when Vincent started to wake up. Catherine bent over and
lovingly caressed his cheek as the others watched. “Vincent? You’re
home now and safe.” Catherine’s voice
had cracked with emotion and Father came over and put his arm around
her. “Vincent ... Peter and I have removed the bullet and stitched the
damaged tissue. You’ll need to stay put for awhile but everything should
heal nicely.” Vincent’s eyes
opened slowly then closed and once again he was out. Peter had reached
for Catherine’s hand to hold it when she cried out in pain. “What is it,
honey?” Catherine had tears
in her eyes as she held out her hand. “I was cut ...” “Dear God!” Father
exclaimed as he looked at the blood soaked cloth wrapped around her
hand. “Why on earth
didn’t you say something, dear!” Mary asked. “How does this
compare to a bullet wound?” Catherine exclaimed. Peter led her to
the nearby bed and sat her down, then placed her hand across a table.
Father and he unwrapped the bandage while Mary prepared a tray of items
she thought they would need. “How’d this happen,
Cathy?” Peter asked. “I broke a display
case and used a piece of glass as a weapon.” Father grimaced as
they took a closer look for shards of glass. Together the two men
quickly cleaned the cut. She needed several stitches and when the men
were done, Mary bandaged it back up with clean bandages. The six men were
called again and carefully carried Vincent back to his chamber to rest
in his own bed. Catherine
accompanied them and watched as Peter and Father fussed, getting Vincent
settled in. They left and Catherine and Vincent were alone. For over and hour,
Catherine watched him as he slept. She found comfort that he seemed so
at peace. Knowing he would be
wondering what happened, Catherine decided to go talk to Father. Father looked up
worriedly as she came in. “Is he awake? Is everything all right?” “He’s still
sleeping.” “Good ... he’s been
through an ordeal. He still isn’t completely recovered from being
injured on the docks.” Catherine lowered
her head in shame. She knew he was referring to the incident a month ago
when Vincent had to save her and Elliot from being killed. Father rubbed his
hand over his face wearily. “Should I ask what the two of you were doing
at an abandoned theater in that part of town?” “We ... were
not there I was. I got a call from a woman saying she had
information on the prostitute that was killed in the park. She set the
meeting place.” “And you
went to that neighborhood!” Father stated angrily. “What choice did I
have?” Catherine’s eyes flashed angrily. “You could have
sent someone else … like say … I don’t know… the police!” “Vincent’s been
following those boys around for days. They’d already seen him lurking in
the shadows! It was only a matter of time before they saw his face!” “Or caught him.”
Father lowered his head as he felt his anger dissipate. “You went
because you were trying to protect Vincent.” “He’s been so
different lately. Harder, more on edge than I’ve ever seen him.” “Like he’s ready to
battle any second.” “Yes, the only time
I’ve ever felt that in him is when those men came in the tunnels looking
for Henry Pai and Lin.” “You wanted to stop
Vincent from having to take care of these boys himself.”
“A lot of good it did ... I had no
idea they would set me up.” “What happened?” “They cornered me
in the theater ... I thought I could fight my way out of it ...” “Hence the
glass ...” “Yes, they’ve only
ever killed with knives. I had no idea they had a gun.” “So Vincent felt
your fear and joined you there.” “Yes.” “And the boys ... I
assume are ...” Father grimaced and looked away.
“And the other?” “Vincent started to
walk towards him when the kid aimed his gun and shot Vincent. An instant
later, Vincent had ....” Catherine couldn’t say the words. “I understand,”
Father interrupted her. “It’s my fault but
I swear, Father, I never would have done anything like that if I had
known there was danger involved. I honestly thought I was going to
interview a woman ...” “Won’t the police
have questions about their deaths ...” Catherine nodded.
“Yes, I should get back so they think I was home all night...” She began
to cry. “I don’t want to leave until he wakes up.” “I’ll send word and
keep you posted.” “Thank you. Will
you tell Vincent when he wakes that I’ll be down tomorrow?” “Of course.” Catherine nodded as
she stood. She impulsively leaned over and kissed Father’s cheek. “Thank
you.” “For what?” “For understanding
why I went there tonight ...” Father smiled and
shook his head. “Thank you for trying to protect my son.” Catherine walked
into Vincent’s chamber. “Vincent, Father
will be here for awhile but I have to go Above. I’ll be back tomorrow
night.” Vincent didn’t move and Catherine frowned as she leaned over and
kissed his forehead. Again there was no reaction so she kissed his lips
and stayed low as she whispered. “I love you.” Father walked in as
Catherine was leaning over. He heard her whispered words and smiled as
he saw her kiss his son. He watched as she caressed his cheek one last
time then turned from him. “Goodnight, Father.
If there is any change will you let me know?” “Of course dear,
try and get some sleep.” They hugged briefly
before Catherine left.
***************************************** The next day,
Catherine showed up at work and was immediately called into Joe’s
office. “Sit down!” She wondered why he
was so angry. “What’s up, Joe?” “In the interest of
our friendship, you better tell me the truth here, Cathy. Do you know
anything about what happened last night?” “Last night?” she
asked innocently. “Are we talking baseball, or a concert? I need a
little more to go on, Joe…” “Benson and Mercer
were found murdered in an old movie house last night.” Catherine had
played out this scene in her head a million times last night. “What?!”
she asked in disbelief. Joe bought her act.
“You didn’t know...” Catherine looked
confused. “How could I?” Joe flushed
guiltily. “I thought that maybe ... look ... forget it.” “You thought that
maybe I … what? Had them killed? God, Joe! Thanks!” “Bensons’ parents
were the ones who asked “As horrible as it
is, those two animals kind of deserved what they had coming to them and
quite honestly I don’t care. But I didn’t kill them …” “I wonder who the
hell did?” “Did it ever occur
to anyone that maybe one of the pimps got mad that these two were slowly
picking off their girls?” Joe closed his eyes
in disgust, wondering why he hadn’t thought of that. “No, sorry, “Okay, tell him I
was home.” “Alone?” “For awhile, I was
cleaning my curio and one of my figurines broke. I cut my hand ...”
Catherine showed him the bandage. “I left and went to Peter Alcott’s I’m
sure he’ll corroborate that I was with him getting a few stitches.” “You okay?” “Yeah.” She scooted
forward in her seat. “How’d they die, Joe.” “Dean had a broken
neck ...” “Oh, yeah, I
definitely have the strength to do that!” Catherine snorted
sarcastically. “The other was
slashed with some kind of blade.” Catherine shrugged
indifferently, “Sounds like a pimp kill to me...” “Yeah ... I’ll let
them know you’re clean ...” “Thanks.” Catherine left work
early that day and headed Below.
**********************************
Catherine walked
through the tunnels and thought about how happy she was it was Friday.
She wouldn’t have to do any work until Monday morning. She walked into
Vincent’s chamber to find him sitting up in bed. “Hi.” “Catherine.” She sat down next
to him on the bed and caressed his cheek. “You look well.” “I’m doing well.
Father insists I stay in bed for today or I would have come and met
you.” “Father’s right!” Vincent took her
hand into his and inspected the bandage. “He also told me you needed
stitches.” “Just a few ... it
was from the piece of glass I grabbed ...” “The one you cut
the boy with ... I saw ...” “You shouldn’t have
been there, Vincent.” “They would have
killed you!” “They almost killed
you!” “My life is of no
consequence.” “It is to me!” “I could never go
back to a life without you, Catherine.” “And I can’t
imagine my life without you!” Vincent blushed as
he squeezed her elbow gently. He lowered his head and frowned. “Did they
question you about the boys?” “Joe asked me where
I was last night. I told him I broke a figurine from my curio case and
that he could verify with Peter that my hand required stitches.” “You think fast on
your feet.” “I suggested that
maybe one of the pimps was fed up with the boys slowly picking off their
girls. They’ll investigate and question every pimp they can find but no
one will reveal any information. It’ll be forgotten about in a week.” “Not by me,”
Vincent whispered. Catherine scooted
closer and caressed his cheek with her hand. “You saved my life. They
would’ve killed me and then continued to kill others.” “I know.” Catherine kissed
him and as was usual waited until he responded to her before she ended
it. “Thanks for being there for me.” She laid her head against his good
shoulder and lightly touched the opposite one. “Does it hurt much?” “Not really…it’s
more like a dull ache…” Catherine leaned
back to look into his eyes to see if he was telling her the truth. “And
how about in here…” she asked lightly tapping her finger over his heart. Vincent sighed and
put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. “I’m feeling
better now that you’re here.” Catherine relished
being this close to him and could feel herself relaxing against his
chest. They had gone through hell this week and she knew that they could
easily slip into a deep sleep if she allowed it. She felt him twinge
against her and realized he was uncomfortable. “Maybe I could read
to you for awhile ...” “I’d like that.”
THE END
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