Sarah smiled and kissed her cheek. "Please be careful," she whispered in her ear as she pulled back.
"Of course I will," Rae a.s.sured her. She then turned back to Jane and Delia. "Well, I"ll be back in a few. Take care of this nut, Jane," she said, smiling, then was gone.
Jane handed Delia the gla.s.s of water, and both glanced at Sarah. A frown creased her brow as she folded her arms across her chest; her foot tapped against the tiled floor. She stared out the window.
"Jane, when I get out of here," Delia started.
Sarah quickly turned to her. "You stay put and let Jane take care of you. You navy women are too d.a.m.ned independent. Who do you think you are that you don"t need someone? You hide behind your uniform. The strong, silent type. When you know that you ache for someone to share your life with," Sarah said heatedly, and Delia opened her mouth. "Don"t argue with me. You know I"m right."
Delia closed her mouth and winced. Jane was wide-eyed; she never saw this angry side of Professor Connelly.
"Now shut up and let Jane take care of you. You see how it works? She takes care of you, and you take care of her," Sarah said with a good deal of sarcasm. "It"s called a relationship... Millions of people do it every day, and for many, it works. It"s even quite enjoyable. If you"re honest and treat the other with respect," she went on as both of them just gaped at her. She was pacing back and forth, running her fingers through her auburn curls.
"Good Lord, what is the big problem? You love her, she loves you. You fall in love, and you decide to live the rest of your life with the woman you love. Why must it be a big ordeal?" She stopped and picked up her jacket. "I"ve got a cla.s.s," she said angrily. "I hope you feel better. So just lay back and enjoy the attention." She threw the door open and was gone.
Delia and Jane stupidly stared at the door.
"Honestly, I-I was just going to ask you out for coffee when I get out of here," Delia said slowly.
Rae walked into Mark Rhodes"s room and found him packing his bag; he looked to be in a hurry.
"Been discharged?" Rae leaned against the door.
He shot a look, then took a deep breath. "Yes, and I"m blowing this f.u.c.king city. So don"t even try to stop me. I explained it to the cops. I slipped and fell into the lake. You and that other cop were nice enough to haul my a.s.s out. Th-thanks," he grumbled and threw on his jacket.
"You"re welcome," Rae said lightly. "Mark, I know Jerry Truman, Mike Porter, and Molly Eastman are somehow involved with Amy"s death. I think you know that, too. If there"s anything you can tell me, please," she said, and Mark ran his fingers helplessly through his short hair. "They tried to kill you. I think they tried to do the same to my friend. And someone tried to run me and Professor Connelly over last night. Mark, please."
"f.u.c.k, will you leave this alone? She"s dead, and nothing will bring her back. Do you honestly think it"s this simple? You get the bad guys and it"s all over? They"re all over the place, like rats." He fell back into the chair. He buried his head in his trembling hands. Rae felt sorry for this kid as she walked over to him.
"Mark." She reached for his hand. He pulled back and looked at her.
"I loved her so much. I knew she walked both sides of the street. I knew it, but she loved me, too. I know she did. Then she got mixed up with them, got that stupid tattoo like them, and...belonged to them." He leaned back, staring at the ceiling.
"Who, Mark? Who?" Rae asked anxiously. She saw him hesitate for a moment.
"No." He stood abruptly. "I"m leaving this h.e.l.lhole... Sorry. I want no part of it." He headed for the door.
"So Amy died for nothing?" Rae called after him.
He stopped and took a deep breath. Saying nothing, he walked out the door.
Sarah sat in her office, staring out the window; this had become a ritual. As her mind wandered all over Rae, she noticed Molly Eastman and Mike Porter. They stood across from the Liberal Arts building. Two or three students wandered over to them. They all exchanged conversation, and there was something else exchanged among them. It took a matter of moments, then they all went their separate ways. Molly and Mike walked back into the building.
If it were any other time, Sarah would have thought nothing of it. However, with all this murder stuff going on, she was extremely suspicious. So she grabbed her coat and walked over to the other building.
It was a cold October day as the wind howled, swirling the leaves around her feet as she mounted the steps. It was three thirty; cla.s.ses were virtually over as she slowly walked down the hall. She tried to walk softly and winced as the old floor creaked every now and then.
Then she heard them as she came to the end of the hall. She heard Mike Porter"s voice coming from around the corner. She stopped, plastered against the wall, craning to hear him.
"Not a bad afternoon, Truman will be happy. How much have you got left?"
Sarah listened, trying not to make a sound. "Plenty, let"s try the freshmen dorm. Some of them have big exams next week. I know a few that"ll need this," she said. Sarah heard nothing then but breathing. She frowned and leaned farther.
"There"s no one around. f.u.c.k me now," she said.
Sarah"s eyes widened, and she whispered, "Oh, please, don"t."
Mike laughed. "Geez, you"re like a machine. Don"t you ever get enough?" He gasped aloud. "G.o.d, Molly, not here. Wait, wait."
Sarah heard them shuffling and frantically looked around. She then scurried to the nearest cla.s.sroom and ducked in, quietly closing the door and locking it. She heard them coming down the hall and squatted down beneath the frosted gla.s.s of the door. She looked up as they yanked on the doork.n.o.b.
"s.h.i.t. It"s locked," Molly hissed angrily, and they walked away.
Sarah sat there crouched until she no longer heard a thing. She let out a painful groan as she stood, rubbing her back. "I need to get into better shape." She cautiously opened the door. She looked both ways, satisfied she was completely alone. She scurried down the hall and out the double doors. The cold wind blasted her as she pulled her coat around her neck and walked back to her office.
She dialed Rae"s number and got her voice mail. Not sure of what to say, she just told Rae what she had seen, and for the next hour, she sat there staring at her phone. Rae did not call back. "d.a.m.n that woman."
Sarah sat at the bar, her heart aching and her mind racing. She looked at her watch, Sharon would be here soon. Actually, it would be nice to see her again. Her mind wandered back to their time together.
When she had met Sharon, they were instantly attracted to each other. They had a good deal in common and hit it off well. If Sharon didn"t get that job in California, would they still be together? Sarah thought about it, then Rae Jefferson"s face crowded her thoughts, invading every sense. Sarah sighed helplessly. She was hooked, no doubt about it. No other woman appealed to her. She wanted no one else but that blue-eyed nincomp.o.o.p....
Then she thought of Sharon. This wasn"t fair to her. She was only seeing her to make Rae jealous. What a stupid high school thing to do, no matter what Betty had said about love and war. "Oh, why do I listen to that crazy woman?" She stood and gathered her coat. She"d call Sharon and explain.
"I"m not that late, am I?" Sharon"s voice came from behind her.
Sarah whirled and laughed nervously. "No, no."
Sharon leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Good, then let"s get a table. I"m starved."
Dinner was delightful. They laughed and talked about old times. Every once in a while, there was a comfortable silence between them. Sharon looked across the table through the candlelight and smiled affectionately. Sarah smiled back and sipped her wine.
Sharon reached over and placed her hand on Sarah"s. "I"ve thought about you often. I couldn"t believe my luck when I saw you the other night." She caressed the back of Sarah"s hand.
"Sharon," Sarah started.
Sharon c.o.c.ked her head and smiled. "Sarah," she countered, and Sarah chuckled but said nothing. Sharon leaned back and smoothed the napkin in her lap. "So which one was it?"
Sarah glanced around, totally confused. "Which one was whom?"
"Who, dear. Heavens, you"ve forgotten your grammar. That will never do. I think you need me in your life, if only for that." Sharon smiled. "The blonde or the brunette at dinner the other night. Which one has stolen your heart? I say the blonde. She looked a bit miffed when I kissed you."
Sarah leaned back, as well. She looked at Sharon. "You"re right...the blonde. Rae Jefferson, I met her a week ago."
"And in love already? That"s you, you impetuous woman," Sharon scolded. "However, it didn"t take much more time for you and me," she finished with a trace of sadness.
Sarah winced uncomfortably. This was unfair. "Sharon, I"m sorry." She then explained why she came to dinner. Sharon listened and raised an eyebrow every now and then. When Sarah finished, she avoided her look, playing with her winegla.s.s.
Sharon smiled grudgingly and sipped her water. "Hmm. Well, one thing I always admired about you was your honesty. So you want to make this sailor jealous?"
Sarah turned bright red. "No, no. I don"t know what I was thinking. I"m so sorry. This was so unfair of me to do to you."
Sharon hailed the waitress and paid the bill. "C"mon, let me take you home."
Sarah sighed as they walked out. The short ride home was subdued. As they pulled in front of her house, Sarah noticed Rae"s jeep and let out a helpless groan.
"What"s wrong?" Sharon asked, and Sarah just pointed to the jeep. "Good grief, what is that?" she asked, and Sarah explained. Sharon chuckled as she turned to her. "You love this woman?"
Sarah stared at her hands and only nodded. "Then fight for her. Betty was right." She opened her door.
They stood by the gate, and Sharon chuckled. "Don"t look now, but your admiral is sitting on your porch." She pulled a surprised Sarah closer. "Let"s see if it works." Sharon then proceeded to kiss her, somewhere between a friendly kiss, and...snap! Sharon pulled back and grinned. "See how she fares with that one. Goodbye, Sarah."
Sarah hugged her fiercely. "Thank you."
She watched and waved as Sharon pulled away. Letting out a deep sigh, she remembered Rae. She walked up to the porch and gave a surprised look. "Rae, what on earth are you doing here in the dark?"
Rae said nothing, her look spoke volumes. They looked at each other in the darkness for just a moment.
"I got your message and was worried. I can see it didn"t bother you. And I just wanted to fill you in on what"s going on, that"s all. Nothing important. So how was...dinner?" she asked sarcastically.
Sarah hid her smile and walked by her. "Very nice, how was your evening?" she asked over her shoulder as she opened the door. "Coming in or freezing?"
Rae narrowed her eyes at her and followed her in.
"Coffee?" Sarah stifled a yawn.
"Fine, then I"ll be going," she said in an almost threatening tone.
Sarah chuckled inwardly. "Okay. It"ll be ready in a bit. Have a seat," she offered, and Rae sat at the kitchen table. "So what do you think of what I saw today?"
"Has to be drugs." Rae stared out the window into the darkness. "Jane told me about Pam"s spending habits lately. Although she doesn"t want to admit it, my gut says Pam"s involved in this somehow. The furnishings in Amy"s apartment, that"s another thing. Too opulent for a twenty-six-year-old student from a small farming town in Michigan." She then told Sarah of Mark Rhodes"s hasty retreat. "I need to get to Jerry Truman. I think he"s the leader in this convoluted mess," she said tiredly and rubbed her neck.
Sarah watched her. Rae looked tired and worn out. "You need to sleep." She put the cup of coffee in front on her. "Decaf," she added, and Rae laughed quietly, her blue eyes sparkling now. Sarah"s heart skipped a few beats as she sat.
They sat in silence for a time, drinking coffee, then Rae stood. "Well, thanks for the coffee. Sorry I broke up your evening," she added with a smug grin.
Sarah shot a look up at her smirking face. "You didn"t. It was an enjoyable evening. Sharon is a good woman. She"s thinking of taking a position at Chicago University. There"s an opening in the English Department."
Rae"s smirk turned to a dark look. "Well, I hope you two will be very happy," she said stupidly.
"Oh, don"t be an a.s.s." Sarah took the cups off the table. "She"s an old friend."
Rae grunted rudely. "Yes, and all my old friends kiss me like that."
Sarah whirled around. "What does it matter to you? You-you, lone wolf!" she exclaimed angrily.
Rae took a step toward her and stopped. "I"m leaving!" she barked and picked up her keys.
"Good. Good night!" Sarah barked back, angrily brushing the curl off her forehead.
"Fine. I"ll let myself out," Rae growled and walked out of the kitchen.
Sarah followed her as the swinging kitchen door almost hit her in the face. She angrily pushed it open. "Fine. And don"t you dare slam that door!" Sarah yelled.
Rae turned and smiled sweetly. She then walked out, furiously slamming the door, knocking the small picture off the wall.
Chapter 28.
Rae jumped sky-high as the phone rang. "H"lo," she said thickly. She looked at her clock-three thirty. She actually was sleeping.
"Rae. It"s Pam. I"m in trouble. I need your help, please. I"m in Evanston by the university." She sounded extremely anxious as she told Rae exactly where she was.
"I know where it is, by the beach. I"ll be there as soon as I can, stay put." Rae threw down the phone. Disoriented, she put on some clothes and grabbed her keys.
She drove through the city and headed toward Sheridan Road. "G.o.d, what"s she doing all the way in Evanston? It"ll take me a good twenty minutes." She yawned and put her foot to the pedal.
As she drove the dark street, she looked to her right, knowing Lake Michigan was right there, but on a dark moonless night, she couldn"t see a thing. The road started its familiar downward winding, and Rae instinctively put her foot to the brake.
To her horror, her foot went all the way to the floor, and the jeep didn"t slow down. She downshifted, but the jeep still picked up speed as it headed down the spiraling road.
"f.u.c.k me," she hissed as she furiously shifted and pumped the brakes.
She knew what was coming-the sharp curve that led to the beach. She knew her jeep would never make that curve at this speed. She quickly looked to her right, searching for the entrance to the beach. Frantically, she tried to remember if there was an embankment.
She had no choice. She veered right, and as she reached for the emergency brake, her jeep lurched over the small cement speed b.u.mps. Her head hit the top of the jeep as she desperately tried to regain control of the wheel. It was no use, the jeep careened out of control as she flew through the parking lot and headed headlong out onto the beach. Once the jeep hit the sandy beach, it seemed to slow down, but she still couldn"t stop or control it. She unbuckled her seat belt, threw open the door, and jumped out just as her jeep flew over a sandy embankment and crashed onto the beach, rolling until it finally stopped at the sh.o.r.eline.
Rae flew through the air, landing on the cold, hard sand, rolling a.s.s over end, like the jeep. She finally stopped rolling and lay there, staring at the stars. Her entire body ached as she lifted her head.
"c.r.a.p." She groaned as she tried to stand. Within a moment or two, she heard the sirens and saw the flashing lights.
"Ah, the cavalry," she said and promptly pa.s.sed out.
She opened her eyes painfully and looked around. It was an emergency room, she figured. Then she cautiously threw her legs over the side of the gurney and sat up. Blinking, she looked down at herself. Her clothes were dirty and full of sand as she put a shaky hand to her head.
"Welcome back."