The Florist

Shake It Out

            Mel rose from where he sat and floated to ease Capri’s shaky nerves. “Breathe, baby. Come on and breathe with me. In … out,” he instructed as she joined him. “In … out.”

            Franco carefully watched the interaction between the two of them. As relieved as he was that his co-worker may have found some happiness, he was concerned by how it would affect the task at hand. He silently told himself to keep an eye on the developing relationship.

            “My parents … never did … anything … to anyone,” Capri struggled breathlessly.

            “They were The Florist’s first two victims making them just as relevant as anyone else on this list,” Franco declared before giving her a comforting hug. “I understand this is hard for you, but if you really want to find this guy, you’ve got to look at every intricate part of this case. Nothing left to chance. Nothing overlooked. Do you want to take a break?”

            “Yeah,” she whispered. “Yeah, maybe.”

            “That door leads to the outside,” Mel told. “Do you want me to take you?”

            “No, it’s okay. You guys keep working. Uh, I won’t get locked out, will I?”

            After they shook their heads in response, Capri took a moment to get some fresh air. When the door closed behind her, Franco smiled bright and wide. Confusion was clear in Mel’s stare.

            “What’s wrong with you?”

            “Baby, huh? What the hell’s been going on with you two?”

            “Nothing, man.”

            “Like hell! Boy, I haven’t seen you this starry-eyed since …,” Franco stopped at the memory but it was too late.

            “You know, it’s been over a year since I lost her. I never thought I’d feel anything for anybody again.”

            “Hey, I’m sorry, kid.”

            “Don’t worry about it.”

            “Have you told Capri about her?”

            “Yeah. She knows.”

            “Does she know everything?” Franco tested before reading the guilt on Mel’s face.

                                                                                            §

            Capri frantically searched her purse for an emergency pack of cigarettes she stashed. It had been months since she quit but the emotional distress of digging deep into the killer’s psyche was enough to drive her back to smoking. Upon discovery, she pulled one, put it to her mouth, lit the bottom and inhaled with contentment. With each gulp of nicotine and menthol, her anxiety mellowed. She told herself to forget about the case in those moments. Just relax your mind until you’re ready to go back inside.

                                                                                            §

            “Mel!”

            “What, man?”

            “You heard what I said to her. We have to take every factor of this case into consideration.”

            “Are you trying to say that I’m a suspect, Franco?”

            “No. I’m saying you’re a victim, just as much as she is, just as much as the chief is, just as much as the people on this list are.”

            “Capri has enough on her plate, okay? She doesn’t need my added heartache.”

            “But it’s a critical part of the case,” he pleaded, “especially if we have to look closely at the immediate circle of the couples. You’re in that immediate circle!”

            “No, the dude she was killed with … was in her immediate circle.”

            “Mel,” Franco eased, “Paige was your wife.”

            “And I loved her … despite the fact that she preferred to be a loose woman instead of an honest one.”

            “You know that was caused by issues of neglect from her parents.”

            “Oh, I know, but don’t tell them that. All they ever showed her was hate so she hated herself … and she hated me. She hated that I loved her because she couldn’t understand how I could love her … if the people who were supposed to love her didn’t. And her father has the nerve to blame me for her murder? If anyone was to blame, it was him! I lived for her. I tried to help her live for herself … but she wanted acknowledgement from them. Just a little!” he cried. “Do you know what she said the happiest day of her life was?”

            “What?”

            “The day we got married. Not because she was marrying the love of her life, but because she got to see her mother for the first time in years and her father showered her in nothing but love and attention. Everything she ever did was about getting their attention.”

            Franco exhaled sadly. “You need to know this, kid. Chief Paige always knew you would take good care of his daughter. His anger is with her, himself, and her mother. It had nothing to do with you. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time dealing with the wrong people.”

            “Your wife,” Capri lightly roared as Mel and Franco turned in shock, “was Paige?”

            He sighed remorsefully. “Capri …”

            “And you didn’t tell me?”

            “Capri, just listen to me for a second.”

            “You had the audacity to say this case was too personal for me to work on when your wife was killed by The Florist?”

            “It’s different!”

            “How?”

            “Because I’m a detective!”

            “And I’m an Aries! So what?”

            “All right, you two, timeout. I’m not trying to lose my hearing because y’all want to yell and scream at each other. Besides, it sounds like you might be withholding some information too, young lady.”

            “What are you talking about?”

            “You just referred to Mel’s wife by name.”

            “So?” she asked wildly. “I’ve been reviewing the files. I know all the victims’ names.”

            “No, no, no. Your tone of voice implied that the name Paige struck a chord with you,” he examined to Mel’s surprise. “Now either you start talking … or I’ll put you in a cell myself.”

            Capri huffed with aggravation. “I only knew of Paige.”

            “How?” Mel meddled on edge.

            “My ex-boyfriend cheated on me with her.”

            “The Vasu guy?”

            “No. My other ex, Rocco.”

            Mel’s eyes grew wide with fury. “The guy she was killed with when she was cheating on me?”

            “Uh, Capri,” Franco beckoned while holding back laughter. “You might want to add both of your names to that victims of the victims list under your mom.”

            “You told me you didn’t know any of the victims other than your parents.”

            “Well, if I have a bunch of victims linked to me, it seems a little suspicious, don’t you think?”

            “Uh, yeah, especially according to your theories,” Franco added jokingly. “Didn’t you say that the person in common with all of these people is likely to be the serial killer?”

            “Yeah, but I don’t know all of those people!”

            “Relax, Capricious. Nobody here suspects you.”

            “And I never want you to. I mean, despite the fact that I was otherwise occupied during all these killings, I would never do that! Why would I kill my parents? Why would I kill any of those people?”

            “But you’d have a motive to kill Paige because she was seeing your boyfriend,” Mel deduced. “And any motive at all is reason enough for someone to view you as a suspect, I get it. But we already ruled you out on the suspect list, so why would you lie to me? That’s a great way to start a relationship.”

            “Uh, we just started our relationship this morning, unless you want to count last night,” she reminded to Franco’s surprised and attentive ears. “And excuse me, Mr. Hypocrite. You never told me your wife was dead, let alone a victim of The Florist, and that she got killed when she was cheating on you!”

            “I did tell you she died.”

            “You told me you lost her.”

            “Well what the hell did you think I meant, she evaporated into thin air?”

            “I don’t know! I thought y’all were divorced or that she left you for another man …”

            “Technically she did,” Franco uttered.

            “Yeah, but he never said she was murdered in the act!”

            “Look, I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to be suspicious of me either.”

            “Then I guess we’re even. Neither of us trusts the other.”

            “Hell of a team!” Franco yelled sarcastically. “I think we’ve covered enough ground for today. I say we report all of this to Grayson Monday morning so he can address the media and put the public to some kind of ease by Tuesday.”

            “No,” Mel objected. “We need to tell Cap ASAP. We’re on an accelerated timeline, remember? He should have info to report to the public first thing Monday morning. Start the week on a good note. That way IA can get off our backs and we can wrap this thing up.”

            “You’re right. I’ll fill him in. You two get out of here, and uh, get better acquainted.”

                                                                                                §

            Mel and Capri spent most of the car ride in silence, angered silence. Neither one wanted to be the first to break the ice, but all that changed once they returned home. Mel threw his keys onto the dining room table and viewed Capri pacing a straight line in the living room.

            “You’re burning a hole in my floor.”

            “Oh, go to hell!” she snarled. “I can’t believe you actually argued my being on this case because of, what did you call it, a personal quest for revenge?”

            “I told you that because I wanted to protect you!”

            “From what, getting killed or learning the truth of your connection to The Florist?” she questioned before he placed his hands on her shoulders. With a light press, her bottom fell onto the couch.

            He pulled a chair from nearby, placed it in front of her and sat down himself. “Listen, I know you’re not one to mince words and generally I appreciate your honesty, but for right now, be quiet,” he ordered as her face fell with shock at his forcefulness. “If we’re victims of the victims, do you understand what that means?”

            “The people that screwed us over finally crossed the wrong person?”

            He rolled his eyes at her sarcasm. “Both you and I know The Florist. He’s somewhere in our individual pasts, in our individual circles. We need to put our heads together and see who we have in common. Now, do you know any of the other victims? For real this time.”

            Capri shook her head. “You?”

            “Victim #16: Max O’Brien. He was a friend of mine from the academy.”

            “The Florist is a cop killer now?” she shrieked.

            “No, he quit to become a model and an actor. Was in L.A. for a little while but things went sour, so he came back here. He was killed shortly after.”

            Capri reached for her chart and read the corresponding poem. “As you leave on the express train, I bid adieu, auf wiedersehen. There’s nothing cute, when skin falls loose, the price you pay for being vain.”

            “I just thought he was confident,” Mel shrugged coolly.

            She soothingly rubbed his knee. “I’m sorry you had to go through that kind of heartache, losing so many people.”

            “I send the same sympathy your way,” he grinned lightly. “I’m going to go into the station tomorrow morning. Take a look at the family and friends of the victims. See what I can dig up on them.”

            “I’m coming with you.”

            “No, that’s okay. You stay here.”

            “I wasn’t offering.”

            “Here we go,” he said leaning his head against the back of the chair. “What do you not understand about me needing to keep you safe? I said I didn’t want to lose you, and I meant it.”

            “And I can appreciate that, but I am just as much an investigator on this team as you are, and since you pointed out that both you and I have ties to The Florist, you are just as vulnerable to him as I am,” she reasoned to his dismay. “As long as you’re alive, I will be too, remember?”

            “So nobody’s dying today,” he finished reluctantly. “Why are you so damn stubborn?”

            She stood up and straddled his lap. He welcomed the invitation. “Blame my mom.”

            They met in the middle for a kiss that symbolized both an apology for any information withheld and the end of their argument. When Mel’s phone rang in his pocket, Capri pulled it out and handed it to him. He was surprised to see that it was Captain Grayson.

            “What’s up, Cap?”

            “Franco just filled me in on the news. I want the three of you in my office first thing tomorrow morning.”

            “Cap, tomorrow’s Sunday.”

            “It sure is, and if I’m going to present this to the media, I need to hear all the facts. Tomorrow morning, 8:00.”

            “Yes, sir,” Mel sighed.