Melody: A Novel Part 15

Melody moved away. "Then you should be ashamed of yourself, Sarah. Keith is going to ruin your life. How many times do I have to say it?" She went to the front door.

"Where are you going, Mel?" Sarah exhaled.

"I can't stay here another minute with him around. I hope you two have a nice night." She opened the door.

"Melody, where are you going?" Sarah ran to the door.

"Let her go." Keith sat on the couch. He turned around. "I really do want to be your friend, Mel. I hope you realize that before it's too late."

"You're something else, Keith. I wish I knew how to lie as well as you do."

He scoffed. "See, Sarah? What good is it to be nice to her when she's gonna hate me no matter what?" He stood. "Melody, what in the h.e.l.l do I have to do for you to accept me?"

"Leave." She glared. "And never come back. That's the only way I can accept you, Keith."

"Well, I guess we just have to learn to be civil because I'm not going anywhere." He held his waist.

Sarah took Melody's hand. "Melody, he's trying to make an effort. Please do the same."

"I honestly don't know if I can, Sarah." She kissed Sarah's cheek. "I'm going to Craig's if you need me." She left.

Chapter Eight.

"Let me handle this." Steven held the door of the Flamingo open for Brianna later that night.

"Why should you handle this when we're on a case together?" She walked inside. She felt she could at least get to the bar without b.u.mping into someone. She'd made a terrible a.s.sumption. The Flamingo seemed to live up to its reputation of being wild and popular. Groups of people crowded the floors. Beautiful, busty ladies of all nationalities stood on a stage twisting to Prince's "1999." Brianna could barely hear it for the men howling.

Steven clapped to the music. For someone who claimed he didn't frequent the place he sure seemed comfortable.

"I know you're uncomfortable, right?" Steven yelled over the music. Brianna watched a big-busted blonde swing her thong-covered behind in twelve different directions. "That's why I said you should let me handle this, you know?" Steven winked at a topless waitress. She offered him and Brianna drinks. They quickly announced that they were on duty.

"Well..." Brianna shouted over the music. "This is some kind of place!" A group of rowdy men b.u.mped into her. One winked on his way to a d.i.n.ky table in the corner. "Doesn't look like much! I mean, the bar itself, you know?"

"Nah, it's a dump!" Steven snapped his fingers to the music. "But the people don't come here for the bar itself, know what I mean, Bree?" He winked. "Like I said..." He twirled to the music. "You should let me handle this if it bothers you, you know?" A big-busted redhead ripped off a leather bra. She threw it toward the bar. The men howled. A man wrapped the sweaty garment around his face.

"Steven, I don't know why you think I can't handle this!" Brianna moved for people to pa.s.s. "I've been in strip bars before."

"Oh really?" He grinned. "Care to elaborate?"

She grinned. "Maybe later if we have the time. We need to get to work and get the h.e.l.l out of here. My ears are beginning to pop." Brianna scoped the place. "I can't imagine any of these people being too cooperative with the cops. Can you, Steven?" A man slapped another man on the head with a beer bottle. They rolled around on the floor laughing.

"h.e.l.l no!" Steven laughed. "But that's what I love about being a cop the most, Bree. Making folks cooperate!"

They went to the bar. Steven quickly made himself at home on a center stool.

"You sure you don't come to this place often?" Brianna sneered.

"No, I mean, I've been here before but a long time ago."

Brianna grinned. "Uh-huh."

A man scooted beside her. "Can I buy a beautiful lady a drink tonight?" He winked at her.

She rolled her eyes. "Sure, if you can find one that will let you buy her a drink tonight." The man moved to another lady at the end of the bar.

"Ouch." Steven grinned. "Glad I didn't ask to buy you a drink."

She laughed. "That's why I hate bars. A woman can't be in one for two seconds without some creep hitting on her."

"He only asked to buy you a drink, Bree."

"Yeah, but we both know he wants more." She turned to see the man laughing it up with the woman at the bar. "I guess she'll be the one to give it to him." Brianna grinned.

The flabby bartender turned around. Sweat dribbled from his bald head. All the men sweated. Brianna wondered if the cause had been the lights, or the naked girls. "Hey, Detective Kemp!" the bartender guffawed. "How you doing, Steve?"

"Uh..." Steven looked at Brianna. She crossed her arms. "How you doing, Tim?"

"Fine, man!" The bartender slapped Steven's arm. "The usual?"

"Usual?" Brianna gaped.

"Uh." Steven straightened his collar. "No, I'm on duty tonight, Tim."

"Ah, what a shame. Some of the girls will be disappointed. Especially Suns.h.i.+ne." Tim pointed to the busty blonde dancing at the end of the stage. She waved at Steven.

"You know she's got a big case for you, Steve." Tim cackled.

"Really? Seems interesting." Brianna sat down.

"Uh..." Steven grinned. "He's just playing, you know?"

Brianna smiled at Tim. "He was just telling me he never hardly comes in here, but that doesn't seem to be the case."

"He used to come in here all the time! Right, Steve?" Tim laughed. "He started a couple of years back. See, he had this b.i.t.c.hy girlfriend he used to complain about. Said he'd come here to get some peace." Tim chuckled. "I think the lady's name was 'Brenda' or...no 'Brianna'! That's right, huh, Steve? According to him, she was a real b.i.t.c.h."

Steven groaned.

"Oh?" Brianna ogled Steven. "Well, if he thought she was a b.i.t.c.h back then, I'm sure it doesn't compare to what she'll be from now on."

"I'll bet." Steven sighed.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Tim." Brianna held out her hand.

Tim kissed it. "Always nice to meet such a lovely woman, too, ma'am. I didn't catch your name."

"Detective Brianna Morris." She looked at Steven. He turned away.

"Bri..." Tim looked at Steven. "Oh, ha, ha, ha! Know what I just said? I think I got that wrong, you know? He actually said you were the best girlfriend he ever had. Yep, I think so." Tim wiped sweat from his forehead.

"Yeah, I'm sure." Brianna grinned.

"Tim, can I get some help here or what? The place is packed." A female bartender pa.s.sed truckloads of drinks to groups of men.

"In a minute. Got a special customer."

"Hey Steve, good to see you!" The female bartender winked. Brianna looked at him. Steven once again avoided her gaze.

Steven cleared his throat. "Uh, Tim, we're investigating the rape of Cheyenne Wilson. We wanted to ask some quick questions."

"It's a d.a.m.n shame." He sighed. "Cheyenne's probably the sweetest thing to walk in here. She never said a bad word about anyone. The customers go crazy over her routine even though she doesn't strip. She keeps her act clean and is just here to pay off some college loans or something. Says she's heading for New York City as soon as she gets the cash."

Brianna looked at Steven. "Well, uh, were you working yesterday?" she asked.

Tim nodded. "But I worked only about an hour yesterday evening because I had a doctor's appointment. I was probably gone around seven. Cheyenne hadn't even come in then. She usually comes in at eight and dances for about an hour, so she's usually done by nine."

"s.h.i.+t. So you weren't here to see if she may have caught the eye of the Albany Predator, huh?" Steven sighed.

"So it is the same guy? Why the h.e.l.l can't you catch him?"

"Well, it takes time, Tim." Brianna smiled.

"All I know is that Cheyenne didn't deserve to be beaten and raped like that. She's a good girl, even if she is working in a place like this. But who can judge her, you know? s.h.i.+t, she's probably the only person I know who's already got a roundtrip ticket to Heaven." Brianna and Steven exchanged glances. "I wish I'd been here to see if this guy had been in the bar."

"Well, was anyone here that may have been here last night?"

"Uh..." Tim pointed to an extremely thin waitress scrubbing a back table. She did her best to ignore the catcalls coming from the customers.

"Juney." Steven nodded.

"So you know her?" Brianna scoffed. They walked toward her. "Steven, for someone who doesn't come here often, you sure have a fan club."

He walled his eyes. "Okay, so I come here sometimes. Are you happy now?"

"No, I'm not happy to know my ex-boyfriend spent a bulk of his time at t.i.tty bars. Especially when he was with me. But since this is business I'll let you off the hook, for now." She smiled. "Excuse me?" She tapped Juney's shoulder. The skinny brunette nearly toppled over.

"Yes?" She looked at the handsome man beside Brianna. "Detective Kemp! It's always good to see you."

Brianna shook her head. "I'm Detective Brianna Morris, Juney. We need to ask you some questions. It has to do with the Cheyenne Wilson case."

"Uh..." Juney laid the rag on the table. She gestured for them to follow her. She led them to the restroom area. "How is Cheyenne? I tried to call the hospital but no one would say anything."

"Well, that's standard procedure during a police investigation." Steven nodded. "The hospital has been notified by us not to give information, unless it's family. She's recovering, though we don't know how long it will take. She was supposed to be released this evening. I'm sure you can visit her at home, but I'd give her some time. She's been to h.e.l.l and back."

"Jesus. Cheyenne is probably the sweetest person you'd ever wanna meet. I was always telling her she's too good for this s.h.i.+thole. I truly admire her."

"Why?" Brianna glared.

"Because she has dreams and she goes after them. If I could do that, you think I'd be wiping up beer in this joint every night?"

"So you're close friends?" Steven took out a notepad and pencil.

"Well, we don't hang out too much after work, but we're pretty cool. She stays to herself. She talks to me, and she used to be friends with Sheila who was another dancer here. She doesn't work here anymore."

"Oh, got a better gig, huh?" Steven smiled.

"I wouldn't say that. She died last year. She had kidney failure. Cheyenne was pretty torn up about it. They were very close."

Brianna sighed. "Well, uh, we don't want to take up much of your time. We believe the man who attacked her was the Albany Predator. We hear a lot of regulars come in here. Did you get someone in here last night that may not have been here before?"

Steven interrupted. "Or even a regular who seems kind of strange?"

Juney grinned. "All the men who come in here seem strange. But I didn't notice anyone."

"Juney, did you pay any attention to Cheyenne last night?" Brianna asked.

"Well, she finished her set and she talked to some guy at the bar. Other than that, nothing seemed different."

"Well, what did he look like?"

"The guy at the bar?" She grinned. "You tell me, Steven. You saw him, too."

"Excuse me?" Steven chuckled. "Where did you get that from? How would I have seen who she talked to?"

"Oh wait..." She batted. "Guess that could have been around the time you left. You left around ten, I believe."

Brianna gaped.

"Juney, what in the h.e.l.l are you talking about? I wasn't here last night."

"Steven, yes, you were." She laughed. "I didn't work your table, but I saw you." She pointed to the table in front. "You sat right there. The next thing I knew you were gone."

"Steven, what is she talking about?"

He sighed. "I haven't a d.a.m.n idea, Bree. Juney, I was not here last night. You got me mixed up with someone else."

"With those baby blues?" She pointed to his eyes. "No chance. Why, were you on duty or something and you didn't want someone to know you were here?"

"I wasn't here last night." He sighed. "What the f.u.c.k is going on here?"

"Juney, are you sure, or do you just think you saw Steven?"