Her Protector

  Her Protector

  By Tomi Dean Lynch

  ©CPP Publishing, 2019

  Donovan Quinn

  Being assigned to a high profile case is every rookie detectives’ dream but I didn’t become a cop so that I could babysit beauty queens while the boys went out and solved the crimes and that’s exactly what happened this time. Donovan Quinn and Dara Lawrence were quickly rising to the status of Hollywood Power Couple when Donovan lost it. A combination of drugs and drinking were blamed for his behavior but if you ask me the guy was just a psycho who could no longer contain his depravity so he cracked and spiraled out of control.

  On Christmas eve after a night of partying he took Dara home and without warning according to her, beat and raped her for sixteen hours leaving her tied to the bed the next day. When she didn’t arrive at her mothers’ for Christmas dinner, her brother went to her house and found her bruised, bleeding and dehydrated; still tied to the bed.

  We were called in and, at the time considered it just another Hollywood case of domestic battery. We figured it had been going on for a while but this time he went too far and she decided to press charges. Boy, were we wrong. She was the lucky one. When Donovan left the house he went on a killing spree taking out his ex-wife, Daras’ former lover, and a high dollar call girl that he left tied to the bed in a hotel room. She was found in the same position as Dara save for one major detail. The call girl had her throat cut.

  Donovan Quinn evaded police and the public amid the immediate media frenzy but not before leaving a confession and a threat behind. His note read: Dara – Now that I’ve found my courage I’ll be back to finish what I started.

  Several of Daras’ neighbors called in claiming to have seen a strange car circling the area and one claimed to be close enough to the car to see a man matching Donovans’ description in the drivers’ seat. That was when Daras’ attorneys demanded police protection for the actress. The Chief had her moved to an undisclosed location and placed under twenty-four hour guard.

  So, that’s how I became babysitter to the movie star. Was it a coincidence that I was also the only female detective on the case? No, Male cops don’t like working with women on cases of a sexual nature. They mask their chauvinism as chivalry.

  The Actress

  I sat at the round table that was shoved in the corner of the tiny kitchenette and thumbed through the case file. If this guy hadn’t hung himself with a confession it would have been difficult to convict him. He left no evidence at the crime scenes and moved in and out like a professional killer. In my opinion this wasn’t the first time he’d gone on a killing spree and the Chief agreed. He assigned a team to study cold cases to see if any could be linked to Donovan Quinn. As I studied the photographs of Dara Lawrence I wondered how any woman could spend her life with a man and not know that deep down he was a killer. It made me angry to think that she could be so stupid and weak. I hadn’t met her but I was quickly developing a strong distaste for her. As impish and naïve as I thought she was there was no doubt that she was also stunning. Even bloodied and bruised she was still the most desirable woman that I’d seen in a long time.

  I heard the key in the lock and closed the file. An officer opened the door and stepped inside. Behind him, Dara Lawrence peered in to the room through her dark sunglasses. The officer pulling up the rear reached for her arm and gently guided her over the threshold.

  “The package has arrived,” the first officer, Smith according to his name badge, said, “Do you need anything?”

  “No, they stocked the place with food and supplies before I got here,” I replied.

  “Alright, then,” Smith said, nodding to the other officer to drop Daras’ suitcase.

  They left her standing awkwardly in the center of the room.

  “Ms. Lawrence, my name is Detective Riley. I’ll be staying with you until it’s safe for you to go back home,” I told her.

  She stared at me like a frightened animal. I would have expected more attitude from an A list actress. I guessed this guy had seriously knocked her off her game.

  “You may as well make yourself comfortable. I’ll try to stay out of your way but if you need anything, let me know,” I added, hoping for some kind of response.

  “Can I take a bath?” she asked, sounding like a child that had just been scolded.

  “You can do anything you want as long as it happens inside these walls,” I replied.

  “Thank you,” she muttered, gazing around until she spied the door to the bathroom.

  I watched as she carried her suitcase through the French doors leading to the bedroom area and set it down on the king size bed. She pulled the zipper slowly and pulled out a change of clothes and a small cosmetic bag before disappearing in to the bathroom.

  I opened the file again and was reading her biography when I heard the water begin to splash the bottom of the porcelain tub. I looked up and realized that she’d left the bathroom door open and the full size mirror on the back was providing me with a bird’s eye view of her as she undressed. I wanted to look away but I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. She pulled her shirt over her head and let her raven hair fall on to her bare back then slipped her white panties off of her perfectly round ass. She took a step and put her foot in the tub. I watched breathlessly waiting for her to pivot so that I could catch a glimpse of her breasts. It didn’t take long and I was thankful that I hadn’t looked away. I followed the lines of her frame down to her hips and thighs then back up to her face. That’s when I realized that if she looked in the mirror she would see me admiring her so I turned my chair slightly and buried my face in the file feeling guilty over my intrusion.

  It was going to be a long night, I thought. I’d been single for a long time and the desire to be with a woman was almost overwhelming at times. I missed being in a relationship, sure, but mostly I missed making love. My last lover and I were too much alike. We battled endlessly for control both in and out of the bedroom. I saw all of the warning signs and knew that being with her was a mistake but I was lonely and she was available so I fell right in. In the beginning the sex was amazing. It was wild and lust driven sometimes teetering on the edge of violence but that kind of rush fades quickly for me and I find myself longing for something softer. Nothing makes me hotter than the gentle touch of a soft woman. Carolyn, like me, could never be described as soft. We were both muscular and sleek with finely chiseled edges defined by hours in the gym. Not manly, by any means. We both had curves that no amount of gym time could tame but still, we were a pair of hard bodies and I longed for something more feminine so I had an affair and she and that was exactly what I was hoping for.

  I heard the glug of the water seeping down the drain and looked up as Dara, wrapped in a hotel towel, stepped back in to the bedroom. She didn’t look back at me; she scooped up her clothes from the bed and walked back to the bathroom. I watched through the mirror as she dropped her towel and got dressed. Yes, it was going to be a long night. I might need a shot of whiskey to drench the fire that was growing between my legs.

  A Cry in the Night

  I watched television alone on the tiny sofa until I fell asleep. It was two in the morning when a cry from the bedroom sent me shooting up straight and rushing to the corner table to retrieve my weapon. I stumbled and nearly fell over the chair that I’d left pushed out earlier and spun around with no time to collect myself. I entered the bedroom with my weapon drawn and my heart in my throat to find the actress thrashing and moaning under the sheets. A nightmare! I nearly shot myself in the foot because of a nightmare!

  I stood in the doorway and watched her for a moment and waited for the thrashing to subside. It didn’t. I wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep like this so I decided to wake her. I sat on the edge of
the bed and gently shook her; “Ms. Lawrence, wake up. You’re having a nightmare,” I said.

  My body stiffened when she sat up, wide eyes and threw her arms around me. I composed myself for a moment then placed my hands on her shoulders and gently eased her in to an upright position. I looked into her eyes waiting for the reality of the moment to strike her. When it did, she dropped her arms from my neck and looked away.

  “I’m so sorry. You must think that I’m an idiot,” she told me,

  “No, I understand. You were frightened. Sometimes it takes a minute for the nightmare to stop even after we open our eyes,” I said.

  “And sometimes it takes a lifetime,” she replied.

  “If you’re alright, I’ll go back to the couch now,” I told her.

  I stood up but she said, “Wait! Is there anything to drink here?”

  “I think we have water. I have some tea…” I started then realized what she was asking, “No, nothing alcoholic.”

  “If I gave you some money do you think you could get me a bottle of wine?” she asked me. She tilted her head like a spoiled child trying to get a new toy out of daddy. I expected her to bat her eyes, too.

  “I’m not supposed to leave you alone,” I watched as she frowned and dropped her eyes and tried to put myself in her shoes. Being beaten and abused by your lover is traumatic enough but to then find out that he’s a murder? She had to be teetering on the edge so I picked up my phone and called in a favor. My buddy and fellow officer Brian MacManus owed me more than one and reluctantly agreed.

  I sat down on the sofa and was clicking through the television stations when Dara came and sat down beside me.

  “Anything worth watching?” she asked.

  “I don’t know. I don’t watch much,” I replied.

  “So, what do you do when you aren’t working?” she asked me.

  “I go to the gym, I read, and sometimes watch movies,” I replied.

  “What kind of movies?” she smiled.

  “Not your kind. I’m more in to science fiction and horror,” I shrugged.

  “Ah, so you think that I’m type cast as a romantic comedy actress? I see,” she shook her head.

  “Aren’t you? I mean, I admit that I don’t know your bio by heart but isn’t that what you’re known for?” I asked her.

  “Look me up on the internet. You may be surprised,” she told me.

  I could see the disappointment in her eyes though I wasn’t quite sure why it was there. She had money and fame. What more could she ask for?

  “Alright,” I said, opening the search engine on my phone and typing her name. I was nodding my head as I scanned her movie credits. It was exactly as I’d suspected until it wasn’t. She had apparently starred in a psychological thriller recently. “I haven’t heard of this movie. Was it any good?” I asked.

  “It was a box office flop but not because it wasn’t a good movie. The casting director took most of the blame. The production company claims that it flopped because nobody wants to see me in that kind of role,” she explained.

  “What kind of role? Were you the killer? The victim? Don’t leave me in suspense now,” I said.

  “If you want to know you’ll have to watch it!” she laughed.

  “I’ll keep my eye out for it then,” I replied.

  My phone rang and I closed her bio page to answer Brian’s call then got up to meet him at the door. I opened the door just wide enough to reach for the wine bottle but he was six inches taller than me and insisted on looking over my shoulder to catch a glimpse of the starlet.

  “Man, oh man, what a lucky dog you are!” he whispered.

  “Lucky? I’m sitting here wiping Snow Whites’ nose while you’re out there being a real fucking detective!” I growled back at him,

  “You gotta admit that Snow White has one hell of a pair of tits though!” he grinned.

  “You’re a pathetic asshole. Do you know that?” I asked putting my hand on his chest and pushing him back a step.

  “Hey, you’re the one breaking protocol to give the lady her wine, Sam. Just sayin’,” he turned his back to me and started down the hall.

  “Thank you, MacManus!” I called out to him.

  He threw his hand up in the air and continued on his way.

  I closed and bolted the door and turned to see if Dara had caught any of our conversation. Her eyes were fixed on the bottle in my hand. If she’d heard us, she didn’t seem to care. I grabbed two plastic cups from the kitchenette and brought the bottle to the couch. I was the one who broke protocol. I should at least get a taste of the spoils. I filled both cups and handed one to Dara who nodded and smiled.

  We were half way through the bottle when she broke the uncomfortable silence that had surrounded us.

  “The man who brought the wine. Are you in a relationship with him?” she asked.

  I almost spit and had to cover my mouth.

  “No, we are not in a relationship. We grew up in the same area and came up together on the force. I’ve known him most of my life,” I replied.

  “Oh, do you have someone?” she pressed.

  “Not currently. We broke up recently,” I told her doing my best to keep the details of my private life and sexual preference to myself.

  “So did I,” she said.

  I turned to look at her and she burst in to the most glorious and addictive laughter that I had ever seen. I shook my head at her but I have to confess that her smile touched me inside. I was glad the wine was making her silly. If for only a moment; she needed to forget.

  “There are a lot of things that I could accuse Donovan of being. A drunk, a cheater, a liar, even a shitty lover, but this? How did I miss this?” she said, staring off into the distance as though the answer might be found on the other side of the room.

  “It just happens. You aren’t the first woman to go through this and I don’t think you’ll be the last,” I told her.

  “You have to think that I’m a fool. A woman like you wouldn’t have missed the giant elephant in the relationship. You would have seen the signs, right?” she asked.

  “You can’t compare us. I’m trained to pick up details. My job has made me suspect of just about everyone and everything,” I explained.

  “And you’re strong and tough; maybe a little cold. That’s what I’d like to be, too,” she told me.

  “Cold? Why do you think I’m cold?” I asked her.

  She cringed and stuttered, “I didn’t mean to offend you! I’m sorry. Maybe cold was the wrong word. You just seem to have a very hard edge to you.”

  “I’ve been trying to remain professional. I’m here to keep you safe not to be your friend,” I said and instantly regretted it but she hurt me with her assumption that I was cold.

  “Maybe I should go back to the bedroom. I didn’t mean to upset you,” she apologized.

  “No, stay here. I don’t think I can go back to sleep and I’m happy to have the company. Unless you need to rest?” I answered.

  “I’m not allowed to leave this room, remember? What do I have to do but sleep all day tomorrow?” she smiled.

  I poured the last of the wine in our glasses and leaned back on the couch. I really was enjoying her company for the most part.

  “So, tell me, what do the victims do after something like this? How do they move on?” she asked me.

  I closed my eyes for a moment then looked at her and said, “I don’t have an answer for you. Once the cases are over we don’t look back and we don’t follow up.”

  I watched as the sorrow once again washed over her face.

  “I’m sure you’ll be fine. You’re intelligent and strong. You survived,” I reached for her hand and held it on her knee. She clenched on to my hand and said, “Thank you.”

  Three More Days

  Dara slept until noon each day and stayed up late every night. I would stay up with her but I was never much of a sleeper and I needed to check in by phone at six every morning so I would spend my mornings browsing th
e internet over too many cups of coffee until around eleven-thirty when I ordered Daras’ breakfast. At times I would find myself staring at her as she slept. Sometimes when she raised her arms her night gown would slip providing me with a bird’s eye view of her breasts. I’d look until the guilt of my intrusion washed over me and made me turn away.

  I was about to order breakfast on our third morning together when I remembered what she had said about the thriller that she starred in. I did a quick search and found it quite easily. As a peace officer bootleg movie sites should be a no go but what the hell? If I was going to be cooped up in this hotel room they should’ve provided me with some entertainment, right? I bookmarked the page and called in the breakfast order. I’d surprise her with the movie later.

  When the food arrived I set it out on the table and woke Dara. She rolled over, stretched, and smiled at me. I smiled back for just a second and then turned my back to her. She had gotten comfortable with me very quickly and it would be easy for me to convince myself that she wanted to get to know me better but I wasn’t one to lose myself in fantasy. I didn’t think that there was any way for Donovan to track her down here but still, I needed to remain on guard.

  We were eating when I heard the key in the door followed by three short knocks.

  “Clear!” I shouted and the door swung open.

  MacManus came inside and grinned, “Breakfast at noon?”

  “Our guest is a late sleeper,” I replied, “What’s up? Any news?”

  “That’s why I’m here, actually. Can I speak to you outside?” his expression changed and I knew it wasn’t good news.

  “Sure,” I said, rising from the table and following him out in to the hall.

  “We know for sure that he hasn’t skipped town,” MacManus told me.

  “How? Was he spotted?” I asked.

  “We found his last girlfriend. He killed her,” MacManus replied.