Free The Mystery of Jessica Benson by C.K. Laurence

stereotypical dumb jock .
    Kyle motioned toward the sofa and told her to make
herself comfortable. “May I get you a drink?”
“Water, please.”
“That happens to be something I have plenty of.”
He went to the kitchen and came back with a bottle of
Zephyrhills and a lead crystal glass of ice with a lime wedge
affixed to the rim. He handed her the glass and placed a coaster
and cocktail napkin on the table. He stood, towering above her,
not completely sure of what to do next. Finally, he shrugged and
sat beside her on the sofa.
“What? No Perrier?” Then, feeling a little stupid for her
comment, “I could lose my badge for being here.”
Kyle gave a tight grin. Still into the Perrier comment,
“Nah, not into the designer waters, sorry.” A second later when
the remark about losing her badge penetrated, he continued,
“Does that mean you’re not going to arrest me tonight?”
“I think I can safely assure you that I’m not. Failure to
supply designer water is not an arrestable offense in Miami-Dade
County. Beverly Hills, maybe.” She smiled an open, guileless
smile, her eyes twinkling. He felt it throughout his body. Then
suddenly, she knit her brows together, and looking quite serious,
said, “Unless of course, you decide to confess and surrender
yourself to me.”
“Not in this lifetime, little girl.”
“I’m not a little girl anymore, Kyle.”
“No, you’re sure enough not, Karen. You grew up to be
a cop like your dad, though, just like you always said. And here
you are, gold shield and all. If it weren’t for this ugly situation
I’m in here, I’d be damned happy to see you right now, and right
proud to boot.”
She looked down, not wanting to break the spell he
seemed to be casting over her, but needing to tell him, “He
passed away, you know. Two years ago.”
“I’m sorry. No. I didn’t know. Funny how you seem to
lose touch with the people you care the most about. And your
mom, everything okay with her?”
“You know. Mom’s Mom. She hasn’t changed much
really. Well, maybe she’s a bit more cynical than she was before
she lost the two most important men in her life. But considering,
she’s dealt with it all better than most would have. At least I
think she has.”
Again silence. Then Kyle decided to help her get to
wherever it was she was going.
“I know you’re not here to make small talk with me,
Karen, under the circumstances.” He grimaced and continued.
“This is some ugly mess I’ve gotten myself into, do you think?”
“Yeah, I do think. Look, Kyle, I had to talk to you alone.
I wasn’t kidding when I said I could lose my badge for this, but I
couldn’t leave you hanging out to dry. My partner has a real hard
on for you. If it were up to him, he’d have closed the case
Saturday. I can’t believe, even though so many years have
passed, that the Kyle Sands I knew would ever be capable of
murder, certainly not a murder this violent, th-this horrific!”
“I didn’t murder her, Karen. I swear it.”
“I believe you. I believe you because I know you. I grew
up with you. I saw you with my brother when he was dying,
when none of the other kids could even look at him, he was so
emaciated, and, uh, oh, damn! Kyle, I know you couldn’t murder
anyone. But it couldn’t look more like you’d done it if you’d
signed your name to it. If you know anything at all about what
happened to Jessica, please be straight with me. I know my
partner is intimidating. He takes pride in it. But the truth is,
we’re after the same end.” Her words came in a rush, but then
she stopped for a moment, apparently to compose her thoughts.
When she spoke again, her words were measured.
“There’s a chance that you might know something that
you don’t know you know.” She smiled for a second. “I sound
like who was it? Bush’s guy? Rumsfeld! ‘Known knowns and
unknown unknowns.’” She went quiet again, and looked to Kyle
as though she were trying to shake something free