Forgiveness and Second Chances (15 page)

He opened the door, and there were two police officers.

“How can I help you guys?”

“Sir, can you please put on some clothes, and join us at the station?”

“For what?” he asked.

“We need to ask you a couple questions about an incident.”

“What incident?”

“Sir, you need to come down to the station.”

“I’ll come down to the station when you tell me why?” Jeremy asked, holding the door open.

“Sir, we can do this the easy way or come back with a warrant for your arrest,” the arrogant younger cop answered.

“I’m not trying to be a jerk, but you come to my house and expect me to stop what I’m doing and follow you without knowing why?”

“Sir, I understand where your coming from, but we’re not at liberty to discuss the allegations with you. If you would please come down to the station, everything will be explained to you,” the second cop said in a nicer tone.

“I’ll get dressed.” He went to his room, picking up a Polo shirt and a pair of jeans. Malanie followed him, and started getting dressed, too.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, concerned.

He caressed the side of her neck. “I don’t know.”

“Can I come with you?” She had a bad feeling. He looked like he was about to say no. “Please, Jeremy.”

“Okay.” He answered, leaving the room hand in hand.

They sat him in an interrogation room, and told him someone would be in to talk to him.

“Lieutenant Jeremy Wood,” an officer said. “I’m Sergeant William Cox. Do you know why you’re here?”

“No, I don’t and I don’t appreciate being summoned,” he said, getting angrier by the minute.

“Sir, there have been some allegations against you.”

“What allegations?”

“Sir, Ms. Briana Combs is accusing you of sexual assault.”

It took him some seconds to process what the cop had just said. He slammed his fist on the table and jumped out of his chair. “She said what?” he asked, yelling. “That I raped her? I haven’t laid a fucking finger on her.”

“Sir, calm down.”

“Calm down? You’re not the one being accused of raping someone. This can end my career!” He sat down, covering his face with his hands. “Fuck!”

“Sir, they are only accusations. We are investigating the allegations. We need to know what happened the night in question. Have a seat.” The officer pointed, sitting down.

He sat. “I haven’t touched her in over a year and half.” He rubbed his hands together. “Why would she do this to me?”

Derrick knocked on the door to the interrogation room. He had a few connections at the station, the military and civic police forces having worked together from time to time. “Did you read him his rights? I bet you didn’t. And now you’re questioning him without legal representation?”

“Sir, he’s not under arrest. We’re just questioning him. We don’t tolerate sexual assault.”

“We don’t, either. Why wasn’t he taken on base?”

“She filed the report with us, sir. Ms. Combs stated she didn’t trust the military system, but even so, we have to inform his command.”

“May I have a moment with Lieutenant Wood?”

“You have five minutes, sir.” The cop exited the room.

“How did you find out?” Jeremy asked.

“Malanie. I called a buddy of mine and he filled me in. What the fuck happened?” Derrick asked sitting across from him.

“I don’t know. Derrick, I swear I haven’t touched her in over a year and a half. She’s fucking accusing me of rape.”

“I’ll handle the legal aspect. They haven’t reported it to the chain of command yet. Hopefully this will be over soon, but you know we have to involve them.”

“I can’t lose Malanie. I just got her back.”

“If she knows you, like I do, she’ll know you didn’t do it.”

“But when we were kids, I practically…” he lowered his head.

“You didn’t.”

The cop came back in. “My partner will be in soon, but I’ll go ahead and start.”

Derrick stayed while the investigator questioned him, stepping in a time or two.

“Where were you around ten o’clock on Friday?”

“Why are you asking me about Friday?”

“Ms. Combs calms that’s when the assault happened.”

He took a deep breath. “In my bed, sleeping.”

“Can anybody account for that time?”

His parents had picked up Alanie right after school. No one had been at the house but him. He was about to answer when another civilian cop came in. “What the fuck are you doing here?” Jeremy asked.

He grinned. “I’m Officer Luis Bonilla.” He proudly showed him his badge.

“You’re a fucking cop,” Jeremy said in surprise. Now he understood why, when he’d told Malanie he had called the cops, when she’d lost the baby, she’d said “Why? They never did anything all the other times.”
He’s a fucking cop
.

“Can I talk to your Chief? This man needs to be taken of the case.” Derrick and the other cop walked out of the room.

Luis just grinned. “I’m going to make sure you pay for raping that lady.” He pounded his fist on the table and left.

There was a soft knock on the door, and Malanie entered.

“Why didn’t you tell me Luis was a cop?” Jeremy asked, pissed off.

“Because it wasn’t important. He’s not a subject I like talking about. He’s my past and you’re my future.”

She sat in front of him, taking his hands in hers. “What’s going on?”

“She said I raped her,” he whispered.

Malanie pulled her hands back, eyeing him in disbelief. “Who?”

“Briana.”

She backed up and stood, taking deep breath.

He stood, too. “Lanie, I didn’t do it.”

She just stared at him, her eyes watering.

“No, no, no. Oh God, you don’t believe me,” he said, observing her. Her eye had started to twitch. “Leave.” He pointed to the door. “I don’t need this.” He turned.

“No!” she yelled, making him look back. “No, I’m not leaving.”

“Why not?” he yelled. “It’s clear you don’t have faith in me.”

She took fast strides toward him, grabbing his face in her small, soft hands. “I do have faith in you. I know you didn’t do it. I’ll stand by you no matter what.”

“You will.” He bent down and kissed her. “I love you.”

“I love you, and that will never change.”

Derrick and Officer Cox, Luis’s partner, came back.

“He’s off the case,” Derrick said. “I explained the conflict of interest in this case.”

“Ma’am, I need you to step outside so we can finish questioning him.”

She kissed him one more time before exiting the room.

Malanie stepped out of the room to the waiting area.

“You bitch, how could you?” Briana cried out. “You let him rape me!”

Malanie backed away from her. She remained silent, glaring at the woman, wanting to strangle her.

Two cops came in, trying to pull her away. “I can’t believe you let him rape you and get you pregnant. Because of you, he was free to come after me.”

She looked at her, surprised. How would she know that?

“Bitch, get your story straight. I was never raped by Jeremy. When I make love to him, it is consensual and I enjoy every minute of it.” She chuckled.

“You bitch, you don’t deserve him,” Briana said, glaring at her.

“I don’t deserve someone you
say
raped you.” She nearly giggled. “Are you doing this out of jealousy? The truth will come out. This is not going break us. I’m standing by my man.” She looked up at the cops, “What kind of police station is this, that lets anyone just wander around?” She turned, ignoring Briana as well as the cops—right into the waiting arms of Luis, who forcefully pulled her into an open office.

“Get your fucking hands off me or I’ll scream.” Malanie raised her voice.

He rapidly released her.

“I just want one more chance and I’ll make all the charges on your boy go away. If not, I will make sure he’s sent to jail for a very long time.”

She looked at him dumbfounded. It had been over a year and a half and he still didn’t get it.

“I’m going tell you in a way you’ll understand.” He picked up a file and showed her. “In here I have evidence to prove your boy is innocent, but if you don’t dump him, I will make sure his DNA matches the sample they found on her.”

“What if I go out there and tell them what you just told me?” She crossed her arms over her chest.

“It will be my word against his distraught girlfriend, my ex-girlfriend, trying to mess up my investigation. Maybe you want him to go to jail so you could have the kid to yourself, but that would be selfish of you, taking away the only parent she’s known all this years.” He sat and folded his hands.

She’d never shared her past with him. “How did you…? Oh. Carmen.”

“What’s it going to be?” He picked up one file. “Guilty, or not guilty?”

A tear ran down her cheek and she wiped it away, before he could see it. She would do anything for Jeremy, even if it meant going into the lion’s den to save him. “You win,” she yelled. “But under one condition.”

“You’re not in the position to make demands.” He stood.

“I need to see my daughter. You took one away from me, and I’m begging you not to take her too,” she pleaded.

He chuckled. “Damn, she means that much? Deal, but you need to find a way to see her without seeing him. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes.”

“And just in case you think of crossing me, I’m keeping this file.”

She wasn’t going to admit the thought had crossed her mind, but she knew him well enough to know he would hurt Jeremy and her daughter. She couldn’t let that happen. She’d already inflicted enough pain—but he wouldn’t win this battle.

She turned and went to grab the doorknob.

“Make it good.”

“What?”

“You’re going to break up with him now. Tell him you believe he raped her. I don’t care what tactics you use, but you better make it believable.”

“I can’t.”

“You will, because I know it’s the only way he’ll let you go. A man needs a good woman to stand by him when the going gets tough, not a woman who turns her back on him when he needs her the most.”

“Please don’t make me hurt him like that.”

He laughed. “Now, Malanie, do you think I fucking care about his feelings? Stop stalling, and put your actress face on.” He got up and strolled to the door, opening it for her.

At that moment, Jeremy and Derrick were headed out. Jeremy had been released after questioning and told not to leave the state.

He could see something was wrong. Malanie couldn’t even meet his eyes, and the way that bastard Luis had his hand on her waist made him cringe.

He took long strides toward them, grabbing her hand. “Baby, what’s wrong?”

She forcefully pulled her hand from his. “It’s over.”

“What’s over?” he asked, confused at her reaction to his touch.

“Us,” she whispered.

He thought he was hearing things, she hadn’t just said…no, she hadn’t. He took his hand and tilted her chin, so she had to look him in the eye. Her eyes gazed everywhere but at him. Yes, she had just said “us”.

“Lanie, what the fuck are you saying? A minute ago you said you would stand by me no matter what, and you love me no matter what, and now you’re telling me this shit.”

“That was before I knew the truth.” She then stared at him, her eye twitching with tears. “Did you rape her? Because all the evidence points at you.”

In shock, he released her chin and glared at Luis. “You bastard! What did you tell her to convince her? I didn’t rape Briana!”

Luis smirked. “I showed her evidence of what she already knew. That you are a rapist.”

Jeremy charged at him, but was held back by Derrick.

“He’s a cop. You don’t need this now.”

She took a deep breath and a tear dropped. “You raped her. I can’t be with a man that forces himself on a woman.”

“Lanie,” he begged, sounding rattled. “I didn’t fucking do it. I would never—”

She cut him off before he could finish. “You did it to me.”

He couldn’t believe what had just come out of her mouth. He stood there like a statue, his own mouth practically open. His heart practically stopped beating.
She just said I raped her
. His anger started boiling over, making his jaw clench.

“You’re just like him,” she said to Jeremy, pointing at Luis. She saw the emotion play out in his eyes from hurt to anger, when she compared him to that lowlife. “I’ll make sure Alanie is safe, so if you try to keep her away from me, I’ll take you to court.”