CHAPTER FIVE
"She says they're not hers, Faith."
"Well, then whose are they? Huh? Did the tooth fairy leave 'em?"
Fred ran his hand down his face, trying to wake up. He had gotten a frantic phone call from his daughter yesterday, saying that she wasn't coming home unless he was there to protect her. From her mother.
"Christ," he mumbled. Can't these two just freakin' get along?
"Yeah, Christ," Faith mimicked. "Don't take up for her. We need to find out what's going on with Emily, who she's sleeping with and when she started smoking."
"That's the thing," Fred said in frustration, "she swears that those things aren't hers. She says she's never had sex and that smoking is gross. She thinks."
"She thinks what?" Faith asked, irritated with her husband's naïve thinking.
"She thinks you planted them on purpose."
Faith gaped at Fred. Then she burst out laughing. Fred stared at her as she fought to get herself under control.
"Fred, I think Emily may have some counseling in her future," Faith said, chuckling.
The telephone rang, but neither reached over to grab it. "Faith I know you didn't pull a stunt like this, but to tell you the truth, I believe her. She honestly seems like she's in shock. And have we ever smelled smoke on her, on her clothes?"
The answer machine kicked on, Bosco's voice cutting off Faith's reply. "Faith? Faith? Please pick up. It's bad. You gotta pick up."
Faith froze at the pleading note in her partner's voice before the ending beep. She snatched the phone and punched in Bosco's cell number.
He picked up on the first ring. "Faith, thank God."
"What happened?"
"It's Darrell. He got Darrell, Faith."
"Your cousin?!" Faith asked in confusion. She caught Fred rummaging around the fridge for an early morning beer. She pulled her mind back to the conversation. "Who got Darrell?"
"The fucking "Duct Tape Killer" Faith! He got Darrell!"
Faith couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Oh my God."
"Yeah, yeah. It's bad, so bad."
"Where are you, Bos?"
"The subway entrance on 44th."
"I'll be right there." ×××××××××
Bosco's mind was numb as he listened to his mother Rose try to calm down his aunt in Jersey on the phone. He looked up to see Faith rushing up to him. Silently, she pulled him into her arms.
"Are you okay?"
Bosco shook his head. No. They sat there like that, Faith's arms protective around Bosco, his head on her shoulder. After a moment she spoke.
"You wanna tell me what happened?" she coaxed gently.
"Some homeless guy found his body near the construction, ya know, where they're expanding the tunnel." Bosco began. "He was naked, the tape was over his mouth and, and."
Faith gave him a reassuring squeeze. Bosco took a shaky breath and continued. "He was cut up Faith. Real bad. Blood everywhere. He cut him good."
Faith shivered. At that moment, the coroner and his assistants were guiding the stretcher up the subway steps. Faith, Bosco and Rose watched, each trying to cope with their horror. The procession ended at the coroner's van as they deposited the body and roared off.
"Darrell," Rose whispered, plaintively.
Bosco felt a cold fury overtake his grief. He stared at the spot where the van once stood. The bastard.
"The bastard," Bosco said out loud. Faith and Rose swiveled their heads toward him. Faith didn't like what she saw. Bosco had that look. The look of revenge and destruction.
"Bos," Faith said, struggling to remain calm, "we're gonna get him. Believe that."
"Yes, we're gonna get him," Bosco replied, his voice dropping a few inches. "Or die trying."
"She says they're not hers, Faith."
"Well, then whose are they? Huh? Did the tooth fairy leave 'em?"
Fred ran his hand down his face, trying to wake up. He had gotten a frantic phone call from his daughter yesterday, saying that she wasn't coming home unless he was there to protect her. From her mother.
"Christ," he mumbled. Can't these two just freakin' get along?
"Yeah, Christ," Faith mimicked. "Don't take up for her. We need to find out what's going on with Emily, who she's sleeping with and when she started smoking."
"That's the thing," Fred said in frustration, "she swears that those things aren't hers. She says she's never had sex and that smoking is gross. She thinks."
"She thinks what?" Faith asked, irritated with her husband's naïve thinking.
"She thinks you planted them on purpose."
Faith gaped at Fred. Then she burst out laughing. Fred stared at her as she fought to get herself under control.
"Fred, I think Emily may have some counseling in her future," Faith said, chuckling.
The telephone rang, but neither reached over to grab it. "Faith I know you didn't pull a stunt like this, but to tell you the truth, I believe her. She honestly seems like she's in shock. And have we ever smelled smoke on her, on her clothes?"
The answer machine kicked on, Bosco's voice cutting off Faith's reply. "Faith? Faith? Please pick up. It's bad. You gotta pick up."
Faith froze at the pleading note in her partner's voice before the ending beep. She snatched the phone and punched in Bosco's cell number.
He picked up on the first ring. "Faith, thank God."
"What happened?"
"It's Darrell. He got Darrell, Faith."
"Your cousin?!" Faith asked in confusion. She caught Fred rummaging around the fridge for an early morning beer. She pulled her mind back to the conversation. "Who got Darrell?"
"The fucking "Duct Tape Killer" Faith! He got Darrell!"
Faith couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Oh my God."
"Yeah, yeah. It's bad, so bad."
"Where are you, Bos?"
"The subway entrance on 44th."
"I'll be right there." ×××××××××
Bosco's mind was numb as he listened to his mother Rose try to calm down his aunt in Jersey on the phone. He looked up to see Faith rushing up to him. Silently, she pulled him into her arms.
"Are you okay?"
Bosco shook his head. No. They sat there like that, Faith's arms protective around Bosco, his head on her shoulder. After a moment she spoke.
"You wanna tell me what happened?" she coaxed gently.
"Some homeless guy found his body near the construction, ya know, where they're expanding the tunnel." Bosco began. "He was naked, the tape was over his mouth and, and."
Faith gave him a reassuring squeeze. Bosco took a shaky breath and continued. "He was cut up Faith. Real bad. Blood everywhere. He cut him good."
Faith shivered. At that moment, the coroner and his assistants were guiding the stretcher up the subway steps. Faith, Bosco and Rose watched, each trying to cope with their horror. The procession ended at the coroner's van as they deposited the body and roared off.
"Darrell," Rose whispered, plaintively.
Bosco felt a cold fury overtake his grief. He stared at the spot where the van once stood. The bastard.
"The bastard," Bosco said out loud. Faith and Rose swiveled their heads toward him. Faith didn't like what she saw. Bosco had that look. The look of revenge and destruction.
"Bos," Faith said, struggling to remain calm, "we're gonna get him. Believe that."
"Yes, we're gonna get him," Bosco replied, his voice dropping a few inches. "Or die trying."
