Evan’s heart pounded, as he sat by the table in the middle of the interrogation room. His hands were sweaty, his mind was somewhere else, and sometimes he just wanted to got up and run around the block, so he could reduce the tension. In contrast, Amanda was the materialization of calmness. She sat in her chair with her hands in her lap, and although she concealed, she was amused by Evan’s nervousness.
„Where were you between two o’clock and three o’clock last night?” Evan asked, while he tried to analyse Amanda’s face.
„You are so official” she smiled.
„Where were you between…” he asked again, but then a knock interrupted him. A woman opened the door of the interrogation room.
„Detective Monroe?” she said. „The results just came from the lab”
When Evan nodded, she immediately left the room.
„Detective?” Amanda asked as she leaned closer to Evan. „So sexy. Could I call you like that?”
„No…”
„You were just a simple little cop the last time we met.”
„I was still smart enough to catch you” Evan snapped out.
„It’s so sweet that you believe this” she laughed, and her laughter filled the entire room. „The only problem is, that I wasn’t the one who did it… Detective Monroe.”
„Where were you between two o’clock and three o’clock last night?” Evan asked again. Amanda smiled at him, then leaned back in her chair.
„Last night… Let’s see” Amanda answered thoughtfully. „I was at home. I watched TV. I ate a frozen pizza.”
„What did you watch?”
„Some programme.”
„What?” Evan leaned forward in his chair.
„You think I killed that man next to the club, don’t you?” Amanda asked.
„Tell me one reason why I shouldn’t believe that!”
Amanda looked at Evan’s tired, pale blue eyes, which stared at her constantly. Then she started to talk. But she was so quiet that Evan barely heard Amanda’s words.
„Could you imagine me as I go to that club, lure that man to the alley and kill him? Or that I floor him, then cut his throat with one, unhesitating cut? Or that I just stare into his eyes while he fight for his life? And that all I would feel is just… Simple joy?”
Evan listened to Amanda breathlessly. Her eyes have never been that clear before, and Evan started to sweat as he stared into her penetrating gaze.
„Don’t say anything, Miss Reyes!”
A man tore up the door and rushed through it. He was Amanda’s lawyer, Dr. Mendez.
„If you don’t want to press charges against my client, we will leave now” he said, then Amanda got up from her chair and walked out from the room with her lawyer.
„I know that you did it” Evan whispered, and Amanda turned back to him with inquiry on her face. „You was the one who did it three years ago, and you did it now. You won’t get away with this.”
Amanda stared at his determined face, then she just smiled at him.
„It was good to see you again, Evan” she replied and walked away. Evan stared at the door for minutes. Maybe he thought that she will come back and confess everything. But instead of that, his friend opened the door.
„Was she who I think she was?” he mused, and Evan replied with a simple nod. „Did you bring her in?” he asked again, and Evan just nodded again. „But why?”
„Because she has killed a man again” Evan said quietly.
„Look, man!” Seth entered the room. „I understand you. Seriously. But you can’t bring her in every time someone get killed, assuming that she did it… You know what? You and me. Pub. After work. What you really need is a friend and a couple pints of beer.”
*
The two men went to a bar nearby the police station. They densely went there, because it was close, and because it was on the way home for both of them. The bartender greeted the two men as friends, then put two pints of beer in front of them immediately.
Evan liked to spend time with Seth. He was his best friend. They love each other as brothers since they met on the first day of college. They resembled so much in many ways that their friendship seemed unequivocal from one day to the next. They went to all the seminars together, they finished the college as friends, then they started to work at the same local police station while they both wanted to be detectives one day.
Altough Evan never said it, he was grateful for Seth because he has always stood by his side. Evan told the important moments of his life to him, asked for help from him and shared his doubts with him. And Seth never questioned him. During the three years, while Amanda was in prison, Seth did everything to protect and support his friend. But then the years gone and they didn’t find any evidence, and even Evan couldn’t convince the judge anymore, so Amanda was released. And Seth knew, that they had to accept that she was innocent.
They were sitting in the bar for half an hour, when a beautiful, dark-haired woman came beside them. Her dress didn’t leave much to the imagination. She put a white napkin in front of the blonde man, with her name and phone number on it. She winked then went back to her table.
„Go after her” Evan said but Seth shrugged.
„Come on! I can get a woman like that anytime. You are more important right now, man” he replied.
„This is really honourable, but I think I go home. I haven’t been home for days, so I could use a hot shower and a long sleep.”
„Are you sure?”
„Yeah” Evan nodded. „But it was good to talk. Thanks, buddy!”
„Anytime” Seth said. „Come relaxed tomorrow, if you don’t want the boss to rip your head off in the end!”
„I try… You should get some sleep too” Evan suggested, but Seth looked to the dark-haired woman.
„I don’t promise anything, man” Seth grinned.
„Just take care of yourself… We both know what kinds of people go around the streets at night” Evan said, then punched his friend on the shoulder with a smile on his face. „Be nice to her! Bye!”
Evan left his friend alone in the bar. He looked back from the window, but Seth has already stood beside the black-haired woman’s table with a dashing smile on his face. Evan shook his head. Typical…
He began to walk towards his apartment, which was only a few blocks away from the bar. He decided not to take a cab, because he had to clear his mind. Lately, he thought too much about things, he shouldn’t think about at all. He thought about Amanda. Her red hair, her snub nose, her perfect lips or her sweet smell. Then the dead bodies from the alley came to his mind. His dual emotions drove him crazy.
There was a restaurant two blocks away from his apartment. When he was with Amanda, they went there quite often and they knew the whole menu by heart. Evan didn’t go there for three years. He tried to avoid that place every single day. Whenever he looked through the windows, memories came to his mind. Those kind of memories which he wanted to forget so badly.
He didn’t know why, but on that night, as he passed in front of the restaurant, he felt like he had to look inside just for a moment. A family with a child, some teenager and a few couples sat in there. Next to the bar, which was opposite the window, a red-haired woman stood and watched Evan. Amanda…
They watched each other for a while, then Amanda smiled at him, and turned away slowly. He didn’t want to go in. He wanted to run as far away as he could. But he just went to the restaurant’s door, and the next second he was already inside.
Nothing has changed inside. Everything was still the same as few years ago. Even the people were familiar to Evan. It was like going back in time, and for a short moment he thought nothing bad happened. Amanda is just waiting for him, as so many times before. But then the recognition hit him so hard, that he could barely breath.
When he found out Amanda’s secret three years ago, he was unable to accept it. Even though he knew he was right. He was happy every single morning. Because he had the woman he loved right beside him, and his life was perfect. And he relived that horrible moment each morning, when he realized that he was wrong. That nothing is perfect. He felt the same, as he stood in the restaurant and watched Amanda’s back. Finally he walked beside her, and leaned on the bar.
„What are you doing here?” he asked grimly.
„Have a nice evening you too” she greeted him and ignored his question.
„What the hell are you doing here?”
„Believe it or not, I have a date” Amanda smiled at him. „He is cute, but a bit boring. You know I love men with a masculine profession more. Firefighters, brawny miners and lumberjacks… Detectives.”
„And he is obviously crazy, because he is with you” Evan said.
„Well he is crazy in love. You know, he sent me letters to the prison all the time. He wanted to propose me once. But I don’t really like fixity. Or maybe just in certain ways” she winked at him, then leaned forward and whispered in Evan’s ear. „I really liked what you did to me at nights.”
Evan felt her breath tickling his ear. He stood so close to her, like he haven’t since years. He could feel her sweet smell and her pulsating energy, that he felt whenever they were alone. Evan gently lifted her chin with his hand. He lost in her eyes for a moment, and lingered in her lips for a few seconds. Then he leaned closer to her face, until only a few millimeters separated them.
„One day, I am going to shackle you again” he said quietly. „Then I will send you to hell.”
„Please… I came from there” she answered and went back to her table.
Four years ago
„I hope you didn’t have to wait so much” Amanda stepped next to the table, where Evan sat for minutes. „Hello, Evan!”
„Amanda!” Evan jumped to his feet, and gave a kiss on her cheek. „I’m glad you’re here.”
„It would have been embarrasing if I had missed our first real date, right?” she laughed.
He could tempt the woman for a coffee and a short lunch during work, but they didn’t have the opportunity to have a dinner together. Evan carefully chose the restaurant, because he wanted that night to be perfect.
Something special attracted him to her, and he could feel it since the first day they met. He wanted to see her every day, hear her laughter, feel the scent of her hair.
„Have you managed to choose?” A waiter came to them. He took their order, then left the young couple alone.
„Tell me something!” Evan asked her. „How was your day?”
„Financial analysis is not a really exciting job” she replied. „And I worked from home for a few days, so it’s really refreshing to come to a beautiful place like this. You have certainly more to tell.”
„Well, we have some pending cases” Evan nodded. „But you know…”
„You can’t talk about this” she finished the sentence, and then smiled at him. „See, I noted. It just would be so great to hear some success stories. Not just the bad things. For example, when you catch someone, or when you solve a case… Or maybe when there is some new evidence. So many terrible things happened lately, and sometimes I feel the whole world would be too little to fix everything.”
„Like what?”
„I heard about that killer. Who hunts near to the Ivy Club” she began, and Evan replied with a single nod. „It’s so scary because I was there in the next morning. Who knows? What if he doesn’t only kill at nights? What if I go there, and then… But it was a good day anyway. Because I met you.”
Silence ensued after Amanda finished. Her words gave happiness to Evan. And he found Amanda’s concern both cute and reasonable. Who wouldn’t be afraid when a mad killer is out there? Evan took her hand and leaned forward.
„I will tell you something. But you have to keep this a secret” Evan whispered. Amanda nodded and looked gratefully at him. „We have a new clue…”
Nowadays
Evan’s eyes darted back and forth between Amanda and the man, who was sitting across her. Now that he saw him, he didn’t understand. He wasn’t Amanda’s type. While she was the embodiment of perfection – at least in appearance – that man looked like a gray mouse next to her. He was so underweight that his shirt was hanging on him, his hair was greasy, and he stared Amanda with a silly face, like even he couldn’t belive that he was with her.
Then a horrible image crept into his mind. The gray mouse’s body in the alley with a severed throat… She is gonna kill him…
The thought came so quickly that Evan even forgot to breathe for a moment. No matter how miserable that man’s life can be, he wouldn’t deserve a death like that.
Evan clenched his fist and stared at every little movement of Amanda. He needed something. He needed to be sure. Just a sign. Just something. Anything. He knew that he had to save that man. This was his only chance to overcome Amanda. He had to prevent her to kill him.
Then he strode to their table without any more thinking and stood beside them. The man looked up at him and his face turned white, while Amanda sent a radiant smile to Evan.
„Can I help you with something, Detective Monroe?” she smiled at him.
„Yes!” the gray mouse stuttered. „Can we help you?”
Evan looked at him. What a moron…He just sat there and had no idea what kind of danger he was in. Evan exhaled then looked at Amanda. She looked so confident as she sat there. She is probably enjoying this…
„Amanda Reyes” he started quietly, and Amanda raised her eyebrows. „You are under arrest for murder.”
„Excuse me?” she asked back, and the man sitting across her looked at the detective with a confused expression on his face.
„You heard me. Come on!”
„But… but…” the gray mouse mumbled.
„It’s okay, Robert. It happens all the time” Amanda smiled at him, then stood up and turned to Evan. „Are you gonna put handcuffs on me, Detective Monroe?”
Evan didn’t listen to Amanda’s words. He grabbed her arm and led her out of the restaurant.
