Chapter 5
Later that day at the Police Station …
"Get those files on the Santi case on my desk Officer Norris." John told one of the officers passing by his office.
"Right away sir."
John was still stuck on who killed Tico Santi and how to get Jessica Buchanan Santi to talk about what she saw the night her husband died. He also wondered why Antonio was so against him asking her questions about the murder. Ever since Antonio learned that he was a Santi he had began to act as if the whole world were against him and John didn't know what he could do to him through this.
As if he dreamt him up, Antonio appeared at his door standing there as if nothing was wrong.
"Hey John any news on the Santi case?"
Antonio took a seat if front of John's desk waiting for his answer. They weren't at the best of terms lately, but now he didn't have the time to try and fix this problem.
"I just had Norris go and bring the files back to my office, but he hasn't gotten back yet. So how you holding up?"
"I've had better days, but I'm not complaining. I'm just glad to still be on the force after what happened with Tico. Anyway I'm here to talk about his killer."
"Well I've been wondering myself who could have killed him, but I keep coming up with blanks. Maybe Jess could answer a few questions about what she saw that night at the hospital."
"I don't know John, she's been through a lot and she's still feeling tired and overwhelmed with all that's happened. The next time I talk to her I'll ask her about answering some questions."
Antonio stood up from his seat and walked toward the door.
"I've got some cases to work on so I'll talk to you later." He walked out the door.
John got back to work on his cases after Norris came back with the Santi files. He thought that whoever killed Santi was still around in Landview and would soon come out of hiding.
Evangeline was running through his mind the rest of the day and he couldn't wait to see her later tonight at Rodi's. She had called earlier and invited him out for a game of pool and some drinks when he left the station, he said yeah and agreed to meet her there around seven-thirty. He continued to work but got no where, he was distracted by "other things".
He left work around eight-thirty and didn't get to Rodi's until eight-fifteen. He saw Evangeline before she saw him. She was sitting at the bar sipping on a martini and looking stunning as ever in a powder blue suit with a split going up the side of her skirt which was short to begin with and her hair was pinned up with a couple strands hanging down in the front and the back.
As he was walking toward her another man sat in the seat next to her and started talking to her. He got close enough to them to hear what they were talking about.
"What is such a beautiful woman like you doing sitting here alone?"
"Thank you and actually I'm waiting for my boyfriend."
"You sure you don't want to hang out with me, we can have a couple of drinks and then go back to my place."
John was getting more upset with this guy hitting on his girlfriend, but decided to keep his cool and let it ride out.
"Look, I told you already that I'm waiting for someone, so why don't you go find another woman to bother."
"I've already found her, but she want even give me a chance to show her a good time."
The guy moved to put his arm around her shoulders when John decided that was enough and walked towards the bar.
"Hey sweetheart sorry I kept you waiting. I didn't leave the station till eight."
John bent down to kiss Evangeline in front of the guy trying to talk to her.
"That's fine. Why don't we go play that game of pool?"
Evangeline stood up from her stool, straightened her skirt, and picked up her drink. She led the way to the pool table, missing the comment the guy made.
"Why can't they stay with their own women, isn't it enough they take all the sistas."
John did hear the guy's comment and walked back over to the guy and gave him a piece of his mind.
"What did you just say?"
"You heard me; I said you don't belong with her. She's too good for you."
"Pal, I don't know who you think you're talking to, but you better watch you step."
"Whatever man, you and that whore can do whatever you please just not around here."
"I told you pal that you should watch your step and you just ignored my warning."
John raised his arm and punched the man in the face without a second thought.
"John what the hell happened?" Evangeline came up behind him.
There was a crowd gathering around them and the guy lying on the floor with blood streaming from his nose, he tried to stand up but failed leaning against the bar for support. He wiped his nose on his sleeve and looked at Evangeline.
"I hope you know what you're getting yourself into, going against your own kind."
"Yeah, I do know what I'm doing and FYI I'm not going against anyone it's my choice who I want to be with."
"Fine bitch."
That was all it took to take John to the edge, no one disrespected hid girlfriend whether he was around or not. John hit him in the face again, this time in the left eye to match the busted lip and broken nose.
He took Evangeline by the hand and led her out of Rodi's. When they got outside Evangeline stepped away from him and looked as if she'd seen a ghost.
"I don't know what possessed you to hit that man, but you better start explaining yourself or you're going home by yourself."
Evangeline was not to pleased with what went down in Rodi's, the last thing she remembered was her and John walking toward a pool table and the next he was gone.
"Look can we just go somewhere else and talk about this, my hand is really hurting."
Evangeline looked down at John's right hand and could see it was red and bruised. She sighed and turned away from him. She turned back around toward him and took his other hand.
"We can go to Carlotta's and you can ice your hand while we talk."
As they were passing through Angel Square Nora Buchanan, Bo Buchanan's wife and best friend of Evangeline came walking out of the diner. She took one look at Evangeline's face and knew something was wrong and decided to stay out of the way.
"Hey Evangeline call me later if you need to talk." Nora whispered in her ear.
Evangeline just nodded her head letting Nora know she understood.
Nora touched Evangeline's shoulder before walking in the other direction.
Still holding John's hand, Evangeline opened the door to the diner ushering John in before her.
They walked over to a booth in the back before Evangeline walked up the counter to ask Carlotta for an icepack.
"Hey Mrs. Vega do you have any icepacks in the back?"
"Hello Evangeline, yes I do. If I may ask what happened?"
"John he hurt his hand a little earlier and its red and bruised."
"I'll be right back with that ice pack."
Evangeline turned to look at John who looked like he was now holding and hand and murmuring some very colorful words if she knew any better. She turned back around in time to she Carlotta coming out of the back with an ice pack in her hand.
"Thank you Carlotta for the ice pack. I'll take him by the hospital so Michael can check him out."
Evangeline walked back toward John holding up the items in her hands and sitting down next to him.
"Here put this on you hand and try to get the swelling down and then we can go have Michael wrap your hand."
He sat there with the ice pack on his hand not knowing whether to say something or not, but he didn't have to wait long because Evangeline spoke first.
"Don't think you're getting out of explaining what happened, so start talking." She took the ice pack of his hand.
"Well as you were walking toward the pool table I was about to follow you when the gut who was talking to you made a comment that I'd rather not say and well one thing led to another, I hit him and you saw the rest."
He winced when he felt her rub his hand the wrong way.
"Hey you think you could take it easy there counselor?"
"I'm sorry I was just thinking how you just went into macho man mode and defended me from what I really don't know."
"If that means punching someone in face because they talked bad about you then I'll do it again. I won't stand for someone bad mouthing my girlfriend."
"I totally understand that John, but I can defend myself when I need to, but you also could have let it go."
"You know I can't do that and I also know that you want to independent as well and honey you can't always be superwoman."
Evangeline leaned back against the seat trying to sort through what John was saying and why he chose now to state his feelings for her.
"Look I care too much about you to let anyone hurt you emotionally or physically and I can't just sit by and watch it happen. I don't mind bruising my hand defending you either."
Evangeline leaned across the table and slowly kissed John when the sound of the bell on the front door sounded.
In walked Natalie of all people and John was really not in the mood to deal with Natalie's concern about Christian especially when his hand hurt like hell and all he wanted was to go, enjoy a beer, and spend some time with Evangeline.
Fortunately for them Natalie didn't notice them right away but went to talk to Carlotta.
"Hi Carlotta how are things?" She leaned across the counter to give her a hug and a kiss.
"Just fine mija and how is Chris?" She worried about her son everyday before his return home and now that he was home she was beside herself with joy.
"He's doing well I think he's home resting now, but I just came by here to pick up some food to take back home to him. So can I have cheeseburgers, an order of fries and two cokes to go please?"
"Coming right up let me put in that order for you."
Natalie propped her elbows on the counter leaning her back against the counter watching the patrons, until her eyes landed on Evangeline and John sitting in a booth in the back corner as if hiding from everyone else.
She thought about walking over to their booth but decided against it, she glanced over her shoulder to see if Carlotta was coming yet, but didn't see her so she went to speak to John.