The Florist

Only Tme

            Capri’s body was exhausted from covering her pillow with hundreds of salty crystals. When she woke, she saw that Mel was kneeling beside her. She tried to turn away from him, but his gentle touch convinced her to twist back in his direction.

            “Capri,” he started softly. “Baby, I’m so sorry.”

            “Your apology will not be accepted without an explanation.”

            “I know. I, uh … I had a temporary moment of weakness where I allowed my emotions to supersede the importance of my professional obligations.”

            “Okay, you know what?” she said getting up from the bed. “If you think you’re going to be able to get over on me with one of your colorful riddles, you can take that apology and shove it where the sun doesn’t shine. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to put myself together, so I can leave.”

            “Come on, Capri. Just … Please don’t go, okay? Please?” he pleaded as she stopped. “I don’t want you to go.”

            “Then you better start explaining. Why did you act like that last night? What is wrong with you?”

            “I got scared.”

            “Of what?”

            “Losing you.”

            “And you thought drinking yourself into a stupor was going to keep me?”

            “I didn’t know how to tell you that … the Florist sent another poem to the police department yesterday.”

            “What the … that’s great news! It means your plan is working.”

            “Yeah,” he said blandly. “It’s working too well.”

            “What does that even mean?”

            “The Florist plans to claim another victim.”

            “How do you know?”

            “He said so in the poem.”

            “Okay, Perrin. Uh, color me stupid, but I’m failing to see the problem here. The Florist is slowly but surely coming out of hiding, like you wanted. He’s … telling you his plans, giving you his hit list … How is this a problem?”

            “The poem was addressed to you, Capri.”

            Instead of the terrified look he anticipated, her expression was static and empty of emotion. “What did it say?”

            “He said he would reclaim the only flower that was missing if we don’t lay off. He referred to you as the last winter.”

            Capri walked over to him and stood so close that their bodies were touching. A gentle caress of his face preceded a sweet and sultry kiss to his lips. Mel appeared as bewitched as he was bewildered by her actions. “Thank you,” she cooed.

            “For what?”

            “Caring about me. We need to do some serious work on how you show your feelings though,” she ridiculed to his smile. “You practically kicked me out of your house last night!”

            “Wha ‒,” he squeaked. “That is not – I didn’t want you to go like leave the house. I just wanted you to go in another room and leave me to myself so I could think for a minute.”

            “That is so not what you said.”

            “Well, hell, I didn’t say get out either.”

            “And while we’re at it, clearing up your busted choice of words …”

            “Busted?” he exclaimed before laughing.

            “You want to tell me why you lied about when you and Paige got married?”

            Her question left him thunderstruck. “What do you mean?”

            “Is that really what you want to say to me right now? Your reaction suggests you know exactly what I’m talking about. You have one more chance to give me a correct answer.”

            His heavy exhale was coated with nervous tension. “The first time we got married, I was eighteen. We had our problems …”

            “Like what?” she pushed.

            “Her infidelity. Her depression. We went to marriage counseling. She went to therapy …”

            “You didn’t go with her?”

            “I went to everything with her! I did everything I could for her, but our problems didn’t have anything to do with her and me; it was between her and her parents.”

            “The chief? Wait, you mean …,” she paused while piecing everything together. “When you said her dad told her that marrying you would be the best decision for her …”

            “Convincing her of such might have been a more honest description.”

            “I equated it to a business proposition, but it was more like an arranged marriage, wasn’t it?”

            “Eh, well … that’s one way of looking at it.”

            “I don’t understand. Why would you want to marry someone who had to be forced to marry you? I’m unfamiliar with that level of insecurity.”

            He was stunned by her sharp tongue. “I didn’t know she was forced until I suggested we get a divorce. She told me why she really accepted my marriage proposal and said she didn’t want to lose me, because she loved me. But I soon realized that Paige didn’t love me; she loved the idea of me, what I represented. To her, I was a symbol of how unconditional true love was.”

            “But she didn’t know how to be the same for you, did she?” Capri asked sadly as he shook his head.

            “We took vows. That meant something to me, so we kept trying and trying, but she kept cheating and cheating. Eventually, I had to be the one to make the decision for both of us. The morning she was murdered, I told her we needed to get a divorce because neither of us deserved to be miserable. I would always love her. I would always be there for her. She could always call on me … but as a friend.”

            “And that was it? That was your last conversation?”

            “We said we loved each other and would talk about the arrangements when I got home from work. Somewhere around lunchtime, we got a homicide call on the scanners. There’s no way to prepare for seeing a loved one dead.”

            She reached for his hand and held it empathetically. “Especially when you can say you just talked to them. That’s when you married yourself to the job, isn’t it?”

            “Haven’t taken a day off since,” he confirmed. “And now you’re in danger.”

            “Newsflash, Perrin: I’ve been in danger. Now, let’s hurry up so we can get to the police station.”

            “We?”

            “Yes, we,” she held resiliently. “You said I have a love letter from a not-so-secret admirer … and I want to see what he has to say.”

                                                                                                §

            The powerful couple strolled into the police station like they owned the building. It seemed as if Captain Grayson was expecting them as he stood in the doorway. Franco occupied one of the chairs.

            “Now, Detective Perrin,” his boss began, “should I blame your tardiness on the alcohol binge you had last night or on the apology that more than likely followed the alcohol binge you had last night?” 

            Franco snickered, “Did you take easy on him, princess?”

            “Easy enough to keep him in line.”

            Mel’s head snapped in her direction. “Okay, if we have to work on how I express my feelings, we really got to work on your arrogance.”

            “It’s not arrogance, it’s …”

            “Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. Confidence,” he mocked as laughter filled the room.

            “Well, now that we’ve finished with today’s episode of The Young and Newly Dating, can we get back to work?” Captain Grayson asked to nods of approval. “Assuming that part of Perrin’s explanation included the poem we received from the Florist, I imagine you’re here to see it?”

            “Your assumption would be correct. Where is it?”

            Capri watched as Franco placed the plastic-wrapped poem and flower combination on the captain’s table. She examined it before telling the men her analysis. “The Florist wants to get a message across.”

            “Yeah, that he’s got his sights on you!” Mel cried.

            “Only if we don’t back off,” she told. “Do you see this line here: If you don’t let me rest? He’s serious about his retirement and wants to remain an unidentified mystery, so if we don’t lay off, he’ll come for me.”

            “How is that any different than what I said?”

            “You’re missing the bigger picture. Why would he threaten me if he didn’t feel threatened? Why would he want us to lay off if we weren’t close to finding him?”

            “So, you’re saying he’s scared?” Captain Grayson asked.

            “Oh, he’s shaking in his damn boots.”

            “That’s great, but how do we get his boots to walk over this way?” Franco asked.

            “Use me.”

            “What?”

            “Capri, I admire your bravery, but have you completely lost your mind?”

            “Captain, you’re the one who said that we don’t allow criminals to retire themselves. Instead, we convict them. Now, what’s our stance on police threats? I … am an acting officer of the NPD as long as I’m working this case, right?”

            “Capricious …”

            “Don’t Capricious me, Mel. He admitted in the poem that he’s watching us.”

            “He said he saw us on TV. Breaking news could have interrupted his regularly scheduled programming. It doesn’t mean he’s got us on the tube all day!”

            “He’s a wanted man, the police are looking for him and you think he’s not keeping his eye on our progress?” she countered. “Come on, Mel! I get it, okay? You care about me and you’re worried, but we’ve got a job to do. If I’m the only flower missing, if I’m what he claims to want, serve me up and use it to lure him out.”

            “No,” Mel said firmly. “Our objective is to keep the Florist from claiming anymore victims, not help him get another one!”

            “How else do you expect to get to this guy?”

            “We’re already getting to him. You don’t need to sacrifice yourself to prove that!”

            “You said you wanted me to think like the killer. This is me thinking like the killer!”

             “Franco,” Captain Grayson jumped in to cease the couple’s bickering. “Do you have a take on this?”

            “It’s crazy, but she has a point. The more bait we give this guy, the more he goes for it. First it was because he was offended by the fact that we thought a sloppy copycat was him resurfacing, and now, he’s nervous that we might expose his true identity. It’s not a bad idea.”

            “All right, Miss Winters. Do you have a plan?”

            “Well, if he’s got his eyes on the TV, I say we do another press conference. Except this time, instead of sending a message to the townspeople, we dedicate this broadcast to him.”

            They agreed before watching Mel sulk in a corner of the office. Capri walked over to him. She caressed his face and lifted it so she could look into his copper eyes.

            “I can’t believe you want to do this,” he whispered in disappointment. “I don’t want to lose you, Pri. I can’t … I can’t take losing another person.”

            “And you won’t.”

            “This is too risky. You could get yourself killed.”

            “You told me once that as long as you were alive, I would be too. Do you plan on dying today?”

            He exhaled heavily. “You would bring that up.”

            “No harm will come to her or you,” Franco declared. “Not as long as y’all got us, right Grayson?”

            “Damn right! Now, Capri, you go on out there and sit at Perrin’s desk. Write out what you want to say. We’re going to borrow your boyfriend for bit.”

            She nodded before following his instructions. Mel closed the door ahead of mentioning that they should have saved him a grilling session by keeping Capri in the room. When Franco warned the conversation may be too disheartening for her ears, Mel’s hearing sharpened with worry.

             “Do you know anything about Flora Winters having difficulties conceiving?” Franco asked.

            “Yeah. Capri said her mother was barren. They looked at Flora’s pregnancy as a miracle. What about it?”

            “She might have had some help with that miracle.”

            “What are you talking about?”

            “Flora and Freddie Winters sought Dr Van Boerne and his team for help with a surrogate pregnancy.”

            One of Mel’s eyebrows jolted to his hairline. “What?”

                                                                                            §

            Capri twirled a pen in her fingers as she thought of how to approach her speech. She wanted her words to challenge the Florist, but she didn’t want to scare her fellow residents. She wanted to engage them and encourage herself yet put fear in her opponent’s heart. A moment of doubt filled her mind. What the hell did I get myself into?

            “Excuse me?” a soft voice called over Capri’s head. When she looked up, she saw a woman with tawny beige skin, flowing umber hair and velvety brown eyes. “Are you Detective Mel Perrin?”

            “Uh, no,” Capri giggled. “He is in a meeting at the moment.”

            “Oh, I’m so sorry. I – I saw the name plate and … I just assumed Mel was for Melanie.”

            “That’s all right.”

            “Well, do you know where I can find Ethan Franco by chance?”

            “Sorry. He’s in the same meeting. Is there something I can help you with?”

            “Uh, I’m not sure. My name is Quinn Marceau. I’m here to meet with them about …”

            Capri immediately jumped up from the chair and extended her hand. “Quinn, hi! It’s nice to meet you!”

            “Hi,” she replied wearily. “I’m sorry. Do we know each other?”

            “I’m Capri Winters. We spoke on the phone yesterday.”

            “Yes, I remember!” she told returning her handshake. “Hello! How are you?”

            “I’m great. Uh, why don’t you have a seat? The boys should be out shortly.”

            “Actually, I’m really glad I got to run into you first. My sister wanted me to talk to you.”

            Capri exhaled wistfully. “She was a really sweet girl.”

            “Yeah, well,” Quinn scoffed, “you might not think that after I say what she told me to tell you.”

                                                                                        §

            “Hold up,” Mel said with a raise of his hand. “What do you mean Flora Winters went to Van Boerne for a surrogate? Are you telling me she isn’t Capri’s mother?”

            “That’s not what I’m saying. It looks like Flora and Freddie initiated the process, but Flora became pregnant a few months later. There’s nothing recorded after that.”

            “So what does this mean?”

            “It means we have another person to locate. Maybe she might be a piece of the puzzle we’re looking for.”

            “But that’s not all,” Captain Grayson stepped in. “Tell him what else you found today.”

            “Something didn’t sit right with me about Ward’s Eta Beta Zeta story, so I went to the fraternity this morning. Figured I’d catch them fresh out of bed, or still in it, and see what I could pull out of them.”

            “Okay.”

            “Guess what? None of them knew that Vasu kid was even in jail.”

                                                                                             §

            Capri’s face frowned up with confusion at Quinn’s statement. “I can’t imagine what your sister would have wanted me to know. I barely knew her.”

            “But you know Vasu Jó, right?”

            “He’s my ex-boyfriend. What does that have to do with anything?”

            “Auggie wanted me to apologize to you.”

            “I don’t understand. Apologize for what?”

            “Her and Vasu were sleeping together,” she told as Capri’s eyes widened with surprise.

            “Wait a min – what?”

            “I wish she would’ve talked to you about this so I wouldn’t have to. Auggie said she didn’t want to hurt you. That it wasn’t about you at all. It was a drunken one-night stand that led to … a string of frequent visits.”

            As Quinn continued to explain Augustine’s admiration for Capri and her strength, a lanky gentleman with a welcoming smile approached them. “Excuse me? One of you ladies wouldn’t happen to be Quinn Marceau, would you?”

            “I am.”

            “Hello, Miss Marceau.”

            “It’s misses actually.”

            “Mrs Marceau, I’m Toby McAfee, the sketch artist you’ll be meeting with. If you come with me, we can get started on the notes your sister gave you.”

            “Absolutely,” Quinn said rising from the chair. Before she walked away, she reached for Capri and grabbed her attention. “I’m sorry to deliver such horrible news, but you should also know that Auggie said you were right to break up with him. She said he was a bad guy … and very dangerous.”

            “Dangerous? What do you mean dangerous?”

            “When she told him she was scared of … whoever this guy is … Vasu brushed it off. He said she was paranoid because your friend got murdered, but she remembered him.”

            “What do you mean she remembered him? From what? What are you trying to tell me?”

            “The guy who killed your friend, Nia, and my sister, used to go to parties with them. He was one of Vasu’s frat brothers.”

                                                                                        §

            Mel’s head snapped back upon hearing Franco’s news. “I thought Ward spoke to the boys of Eta Beta Zeta when Cap told him to go question them?”

            “He was supposed to,” Captain Grayson growled.

            “Those kids said nobody’s questioned them about anything. They’ve been having pre-graduation parties all week.”

            “We have to get a hold of Ward and get him in here!” Perrin hollered.

            “Did you forget? He’s on a cruise boat right now to the islands.”

            “So what, his phone doesn’t work?”

            “Oh, it works fine,” Franco said, “but he’s not answering.”

                                                                                        §

            “Mrs Marceau,” McAfee called again. “The sooner we get to work on the sketch, the sooner we can catch this guy your sister was scared of.”

            “Yes, of course.”

            “Thank you,” Capri blurted. “Thank you for delivering the message.”

            “Thank you for listening and taking it so well. Again, I’m sorry.”

            Capri nodded while Quinn followed behind the assigned sketched artist. Her foot tapped incessantly with anger until she got up from her seat and walked to Officer Moser. She could feel her blood boil to her face and observed the fact that Moser took notice.

            “Something I can help you with, Miss Winters? Are you feeling okay?”

            “Not really but that’s neither here nor there,” she ignored. “Can you take me to see Vasu Jó please? I have a few questions to ask him regarding the case.”

            “Umm, I would, but I’m afraid I can’t do that.”

            For a moment, Capri fell silent with shock. When she regained the ability to speak, she calmly asked, “And why is that?”

            “Because he’s not here.”

            “I’m sorry?”

            “He was pulled out of custody early this morning.”

            She snarled with rage before thanking him for the information. Her hair flew across her face as she ran toward Captain Grayson’s office. Capri blew through the door like a tornado, making the men jump out of their socks.

            “What the …”

            “Boys, we’ve got a big problem,” she strained. “Vasu knows exactly who killed Nia and Auggie because Auggie told him she was scared and Vasu kept his mouth shut because the guy is one of his frat brothers!”

            “Say what?” Mel shouted.

            “How do you know this, Capri?” Franco asked.

            “Quinn told me.”

            “She’s here?”

            “Yeah, she’s working with McAfee on the sketch.”

            “Well, let’s go talk to him,” Franco said motioning for Mel to join him.

            “You can’t. That’s what I ran in here to tell you! He’s out.”

            “What do you mean he’s out? Who got him?”

            “Word must have got to his frat brothers. Moser said he was taken out of custody this morning.”

            “This morning?”

            “Are you sure he said his frat brothers picked him up?” Franco quizzed.

            “Well no, he didn’t say who, but who else would’ve came and got him?”

            “Cap?”

            “Already on it, Perrin,” Captain Grayson assured as he raised the phone to his ear and dialed.

            “Wait,” Capri voiced lightly. “What’s going on?”

            “Baby, the frat didn’t even know Vasu was in here.”

            “What? But I thought …”

            “Yeah, we did too.”

            “Moser … It’s Grayson … Hey, take a look at the log for me. Tell me who checked Vasu Jó out this morning … Are you sure? … What’s the destination? … Okay, thanks,” the captain closed hanging up the phone. His team waited anxiously for the results of the call. “Uh, Ward checked him out … for a court date.”

            “Your partner Ward?”

            “I thought he was on vacation! Cap, call him again,” Mel barked but his boss was two steps ahead of him. When the captain began waving the phone frivolously in the air so they could hear the blaring sounds of a voicemail, Mel covered his face to hide his disappointment.

            “I told you I didn’t like that boy!” Grayson yelled back.

            “Worse than that, Vasu isn’t even scheduled for a court date.”

            “Does somebody want to tell me what on God’s green earth is going on here?” Capri roared.

            “We’ve got a dirty uniform,” Franco informed.

            “We don’t know that yet.”

            “Oh, come on, Mel! What else could it be? You know what? You need to stop trying to defend this boy. He’s dirty and we need to get his ass in here. Somebody get a track on his cell! Capri, do you still have Vasu’s cell number?”

            “Of course. How else would I know to ignore his phone calls?”

            “Good. We need to track him too. I’m going to see how McAfee’s coming along with that sketch.”

            “I don’t think you have to,” Captain Grayson hinted as he nodded toward the door of his office. He stood up to wave McAfee in before his fist could touch the door. “Tell us something good, McAfee.”

            The look on his face could have scared the death out of a corpse. He spoke no words, only turned the sheet of paper toward the four of them and watched the reaction as they viewed a familiar face. There, in black and white, was a drawing of a face that resembled one of their own.