Chapter 14: Alibi
The atmosphere of Green Grove seemed to be smothering as if a thick fog of hate had taken over. The news of Danny Desai being in police custody had spread like a wild fire. Chief Masterson realized that the news media would probably be camped out at the police station. What he wasn't prepared for was the town's people being lined up like a mob in front of the station. Many spectators were holding signs and throwing jeering remarks towards Danny.
The signs read messages of hate for the sixteen year old boy.
No Room for Socios
CONVICT DESAI
Monsters not Welcome
Bring Peace back to Green Grove-Get Rid of Danny
The one sign that caused Kyle to flinch the most read Hang the Killer. The words weren't as jarring as the crude drawing of Danny with a red jump rope around his neck. Both Kyle and Eddie turned to check on Danny's reaction to the comments and displays. Danny seemed cavalier in his attitude. He didn't seem to be bothered by any of it. However, Danny was putting up his usual façade as a defense mechanism.
Only when a person in the crowd stepped up and spat in Danny's face did the boy flinch. It was Karen that halted further assault on her son. She stepped from the crowd. Pulling out a tissue, she gently wiped Danny's face.
She turned with a scowl towards the crowd. "Who is the monster now?" She glared angrily before turning back to her son. "Mom is here, Danny."
Those simple words humanized Danny long enough to get the boy through the police station doors. Then the crowd began their shouting again.
Vikram Desai had witnessed his wife's protection of their son. He realized that Danny and Karen had a new dynamic about them. Through all the trials of the murder of Tara, the fake death , the juvenile years, and the newest accusations, Karen and Danny had bonded as mother and son.
"Son." Vikram reached to touch Danny's shoulder.
Danny instinctively jerked his shoulder from his dad's grasp. Danny stared ominously at Vikram.
He slowly stated between clinched teeth. "Don't touch me."
It was Kyle who pulled Danny out of reach of anyone that included Vikram Desai. He marched Danny into the room where Karen had been held earlier that month. He took off Danny's handcuffs.
"I'll speak to your parents. We'll hold you here until we get with lawyers and the court." Kyle suddenly saw the little boy who he had arrested five and half years earlier.
The same fear glistened behind Danny's dark irises. This time if felt different. This time, Kyle saw an innocent boy being accused when last time , he knew Danny had committed the crime.
"I'll let you speak to your parents once we handle the mob outside." Kyle started to shut the door.
"Just mom." Danny ran his hands through his dark hair. "And Lacey or Jo. I don't want to see anyone else but those three."
Kyle nodded his understanding as he closed the door. Kyle glanced at Karen standing off in the corner where Vikram seemed to be begging her to speak to him. Karen placed her hand up in the air alerting Vikram that like Danny, she had nothing to say to him.
Eddie glanced up giving Kyle a knowing look. Neither felt the boy was guilty. On the television screen hanging on a bare wall, the mayor gloated to the press as he spoke of capturing the serial killer. That is what he had dubbed Danny. Marilyn Rossi stood beside the mayor taking credit for solving the case.
Vikram Desai watched the tv screen. His face angered at the two cohorts trying to convict his son. Soon neither would be smiling when Vikram Desai got through with them. He was just biding his time until he received certain documents delivered to him.
Samuel Porter and Judy anxiously waited for their daughter. Lacey was to be brought to the police station for questioning due to her running with Danny. They stayed away from Karen and Vikram. Neither couple knew how to react around each other. It was obvious their teen children had strong feelings for one another. How far those feelings had gone physically one could only imagine. After all, two hormonal teens together night and day for almost two weeks had to bring some type physical reaction.
Once arriving at the police station, Lacey was helped out of the car by a police officer. The press didn't know the significance of the young girl due to her running with Danny was kept secret. Lacey noticed when the investigator and mayor made it to a black car with tinted windows. Lacey's eyes narrowed in on the plate. She noted that the license were from Conneticut. The mayor patted the female investigator's back before posing for photos for the press. Lacey straightened her shoulders as she made her way unscathed through the throngs of people.
She noticed Archie, Scott, and Serita in the crowd holding signs with derogatory remarks about Danny. Lacey fought the urge to jerk the signs from their hands to rip them up. Instead, Lacey held her head high as she made her way into the police station. Her only goal was to make sure Danny knew how much she loved him.
"Lacey." Judy was the first to spot her daughter. She sprinted to her child in order to wrap her arms around Lacey. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Lacey shrugged her mother off.
Jo and Tess were the next to come into the small police station. They stared at the two sets of parents before making their way to Karen. Everyone was still oblivious to Tess's knowledge of Vikram's faking his own death.
"How's Danny?" Jo tugged at her camouflage jacket nervously. "Did he look good?"
Lacey heard Jo's question so she pushed from her mother and made a beeline to Karen. "He has a stab wound on his left side. I think the stitches came open when the was pushed to the ground on his arrest. Can you please have someone check that?"
Karen's eyes grew wide. "Stab...Danny was stabbed."
Lacey once again pulled back her shoulders proudly. "He saved me from being raped. Danny put his life in jeopardy for me." Lacey didn't know why but she turned her head to stare at Vikram. "Danny is like that. He'd do anything to protect those he loves."
The adults, as well as Jo, were surprised at how Lacey glared at Vikram. None really knew why she did what she did. Lacey wasn't even sure herself. But something that Danny said resonated in her that he killed Tara to protect his father and others.
Kyle made his way over to the Desais. He raked his hand over the back of his neck. "I know you need to get lawyered up before Danny is questioned. In the mean time, he can talk to either of you." Kyle hesitated. "However, Danny requested to only speak to you, Karen. As well as Jo and Lacey. Those are the only three he wants to see."
"Lacey will not be speaking to him." Samuel spoke authoritative. Judy nodded her head in agreement.
Lacey thought of the irony of her parents finally agreeing on something. She scowled at them. "I will speak to him."
"I'm sorry, Lacey." Kyle tried to run interference before things got more heated. "But as a minor, your parents have to give permission for you to speak to Danny."
"And we are not giving permission for that." Judy let her feelings be known just as Sam did. "For goodness sake, Lacey. He killed your best friend."
Lacey started to protest but saw that Marilyn Rossi and the mayor had made their way from outside to inside the station.
Both the mayor and the female investigator felt uncomfortable knowing that Vikram was alive. Both knew he could ruin them if he still had the proof of the mayor's illegal business practices. However, would Vikram sacrifice himself for his son? That was the question that plagued the mayor. After all, Vikram was knee deep in the dirty business as much as he was.
"I need to call my lawyer." Karen stated as she rubbed her temples.
"Lawyer up all you want." Marilyn stated haughtily. "We have the murder weapon with his DNA and fingerprints. This case is iron clad."
Lacey frowned slightly before speaking up. Danny was going to be taken away again. To Lacey, that was no longer an option. She smirked at the female investigator in much the same way that Danny did when he knew something no one else did. Or when he was about to get his way.
"How do you get that when Danny has an alibi for the night of Regina's death?" Lacey placed her hands on her hips.
Everyone turned to the teen girl. Marilyn spoke first. "What are you talking about? I went through those files. Danny had no alibi."
"Really?" Lacey pushed back her hair in a mocking manner. "Because I recall spending the night with him. Mrs. Desai saw me leaving the next morning."
"Lacey, what are you talking about?" Judy gasped as she clutched her ex-husband's hand.
"Didn't you question me about it, Chief Masterson?" Lacey ignored her mother's question as she stared boldly at Marilyn.
"I thought you said..." Kyle rubbed his chin wondering what Lacey was up to.
"What I said and what we did are two different things." Lacey continued to stare at Marilyn. "I was afraid of losing my boyfriend at the time. I'd be facing a scandal if my friends knew that I slept with Danny. Obviously my fears are justified due to what I went through only days before leaving this he## hole known as Green Grove."
"Are you saying that you lied about having sex with him?" Marilyn crossed her arms over her chest. "That is hindering an investigation."
"I'm naïve about that sort of thing. Aren't I, Chief Masterson?" Lacey bit her lip. "After all, I did hide crucial evidence before. I didn't tell because I was sure Danny was innocent. IF you don't believe I'd hide the fact that Danny and I were together, there is a certain video that I'm sure someone still has. Jo can vouch for that. She's seen it."
Jo nodded. "I did. Proves her and Danny are..." Jo slightly grinned due to knowing Lacey was trying to help Danny. "..very close."
"Don't be ridiculous, Lacey." Samuel spoke up. "You didn't have sex with Danny that night."
"How would you know?" Lacey spouted out. "You weren't there. If you don't believe Danny and I had sex, I can prove it. I can tell you every last detail on his body. Would you like me to start with those details? He's go the cutest mole on his..."
Lacey had no idea what part of Danny's anatomy she was going to say. She was very happy that her mother interrupted.
"Lacey Porter! That is enough." Judy stepped towards her daughter. "Quit being so crass."
"What I find enough is keeping my boyfriend locked up for no reason." Lacey turned to look at Karen. "You did see me leaving your home that morning. Didn't you, Mrs. Desai? Did I actually look like I was fleeing from an innocent night of sharing conversation with your son?"
Karen raised her eyebrows as she smiled. "No. I figured you were trying to sneak out for obvious reasons."
"Please." Judy shook her head in disbelief. "Why would you do such a thing on Danny's first night back? And claiming him for a boyfriend. Come on, Lacey."
"Have you not looked at Danny?" Lacey was trying to channel Regina. She could convince them that sex was all she had on her mind in this case. "Regina wanted to sleep with him. I wasn't going to let her be the one that got to Danny first thing out of juvie. It was that simple. Danny is gorgeous. I wanted my shot at him."
"If this is true, why are did you run with him?" Marilyn asked with a cocky grin.
"Run?" Lacey laughed boisterously trying to add dramatic flare. "We weren't running. I was bullied relentlessly by my friends and other classmates for being with him. I convinced Danny I needed to get away."
"Please. This is ridiculous." Marilyn Rossi rolled her eyes. "Why wouldn't you tell when you found out about him being wanted for murder and was on the run?"
Lacey looked Rossi square in the eyes. "We were a little too busy with other endeavors to watch the news I guess."
Jo's eyes bugged out. For once since Vikram's return, Karen and he shared an amused look. Judy was too busy grappling with the way her daughter was acting to think about already telling Lacey about Danny being wanted for murder. Kyle kept quiet too.
"Lacey, may I speak to you?" Kyle grabbed Lacey by the elbow and pulled her away. Jo followed not caring if her dad protested or not.
"Lacey..." Kyle began to give his speech about falsifying information.
"You don't know what happened that night, Chief Masterson." Lacey breathed in deeply. "If this case is closed, we will never know who killed her. We both know that Danny didn't commit this crime."
Jo stared at her father. "Danny even told me Lacey spent the night that night."
"Well, Lacey." Kyle didn't like the girl lying. But he had no way to prove other wise. "I guess you're now Danny's alibi."