**Harper**

The closer I got to the Blue Parrot, the less I wanted to go. The safety of the neighborhood seemed to drop dramatically the closer I got. I finally spotted a small neon sign displaying "The Blue Parrot". The street was loud with laughter and the booming of car stereos. There was homeless men heckling strangers for money or cigarettes and even women that appeared to be prostitutes.

I parked as close to the entrance as possible and eyed the entrance reluctantly. There was a bored but tough looking bouncer sitting outside the door reading a newspaper. I couldn't help but reconsider my offer, it wasn't too late to just call Ms. Harris and say the tattoo didn't match the one I saw and go merrily on my way back to the motel. Ann's hysterical face flashed in my mind again and it pushed me to just suck it up and go in.

The inside of the bar was what I expected, it was poorly lit, smoky and humid. The room had a small makeshift dance floor that some people were using to grind on each other. I made my way to the bar and found an empty bar stool next to a woman that was clearly on the prowl and a man who had his hand up a young girl's skirt. The woman gave me a dirty look and moved down the bar to a different stool. The bartender came over and I ordered a glass of red wine. As I waited for my wine I glanced around the dark bar, looking for different waitresses. It wasn't too difficult since there seemed to be only one.

When the bartender returned with my wine I leaned forward to him, "Hey, that waitress looks familiar to me, what's her name?" I asked. He followed my gaze to the waitress. "That's Lisa" he said and turned around to take a different order. Bingo.

I left the bar with my glass of wine and found a empty table in the area of where she seemed to be serving. She seemed the same build as the woman I saw strangle Mr. Harris. She was really skinny and was wearing a skin tight short skirt and a very low cut top exposing her breasts, but not her stomach or hips. I sipped on my wine, wondering what I would tell Ann even if I knew it was the right person. A few men came over, trying to get me to dance and I quickly shut them down. I drank my wine faster, needing to actually finish my wine to get her to come to my table and also wanting to leave as soon as I could. Even when my wine was finished, it took her 10 minutes to make her way over to me.

"You want another?" she asked quickly, I nodded. She went to the bar and returned minutes later with the wine. When she returned I stopped her from leaving right away.

"Hey, what do you think about tattoos? I was thinking of getting one, do you think they're too trashy?" I asked her. She smiled and lifted her shirt, displaying the butterfly tattoo, it was her. "Nah, see? I have one, cute isn't it?"

I nodded and smiled "That is cute".

I didn't even bother drinking that wine and left a 10 on the table and made my way out of the bar. It was probably close to midnight at that point. I walked down the street towards my car quickly. There seemed to be more random sketchy looking people on the streets than there were before, some that were staring at me. I felt around my pocket for the pepper spray just in case.

"Harper!", a familiar voice called out from behind me. I turned and was surprised to see Dexter standing a few feet back on the sidewalk. He jogged to quickly catch up with me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, confused and almost irritated but glad to have someone to walk with.

"I should ask you the same thing. Are you trying to get killed out here?" he asked in a low voice, I looked at his face and saw that he looked annoyed.

Either he was following me to make sure I left town or he thought I needed a 'protector'. I felt anger boiling inside me. I've taken care of myself for most of my life and did not need to explain my actions to anyone. I didn't bother answering him and just kept walking to my car. We got to my car and without asking he got in the passenger seat. I got in the car and locked my door and then spun around at him.

"Are you stalking me now? Trying to make sure I don't go to the police?" I snapped.

He sighed, letting his head fall back on the head rest. "No, of course not. I just..I don't know, I followed you. I don't know why." he let the words trail off.

I didn't want to let him off so easily, but I could feel my anger subsiding. I put on my seat belt and started the car, even if it was Miami in August, it was a chilly night and I wanted to turn the heater on.

"What were you doing out here?" he asked, looking at me, his eyes still as guarded as ever.

"Not that it is any of your business, but I came here for a client" I said, not sure if I wanted to give him any more details. He cocked an eyebrow.

"They had a dead body in that bar?" he asked, turning his head to look at the bar's entrance.

I shook my head, "Of course not. You know that Harris case I was in the police station for? Well, the victim's wife thought a waitress in that bar was the killer". I explained.

"And was she..?" he asked.

I nodded, "I think she is. She has the same tattoo that I saw"

A strange look came across his face. He looked conflicted. "Interesting" he said simply. "It's too bad the police give you no credibility" he added.

I couldn't help but laugh, "I don't think I want them to believe me. Imagine if they did...I'd be forced to work for the FBI and probably studied by scientists. I prefer getting clients here and there and having my freedom" It was true. I'd probably wither and die if I had to work a steady job in one town, day after day. I lived for not being tied down.

He nodded and smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I can see what you mean".

I again got the feeling that he was wanting to tell me something. He took my right hand and looked at it.

"It's hard to tell with the splint, but it does look like the swelling has gone down", he pointed out. I didn't notice before, but a bruise did form on his temple, where I had punched him. "Yeah, the doctor gave me some painkillers too, but I haven't really needed them".

He let go of my hand and opened his mouth to say something and then stopped.

I sighed out loud. "What is it? I feel like there's something you've been trying to say, but haven't"

He took a deep breath and looked away from me. "Aren't you afraid of me?" he asked. I pondered his question for a moment before shaking my head.

"Well, I do have a lot of unanswered questions, but I don't know, I just don't feel that I need to be afraid of you" I explained, carefully. I knew that I was treading on a subject that I might not want the answers to.

"I just...haven't been able to tell people about what I do before. They wouldn't understand and I wouldn't expect them to." he said, slowly.

"I think I could relate with that scenario. Look, I'm criticized for what I do almost every day. I don't know if what you do is morally right, but at the same time I don't even know if what I do is morally right" I explained and without even thinking, reached for his hand.