Free Black Diamond Death by Cheryl Bradshaw

last saw you. I want to know everything.”
    “I’ve been good.”
    “Are you happy to see me?” he said.
    “Of course.”
    I wasn’t convinced. Something about the tone in her voice wasn’t right.
    “Why don’t you lie down on the bed and let me give you a back rub, it will be just like old times.”
    There was urgency in his voice and a sense of inquietude in hers.
    “I’ve got something for you,” he said.
    “The flowers were enough.”
    “That’s not what I meant,” he said.
    She was silent.
    “Take your clothes off,” he said.
    The man wasted no time.
    “But I thought…”
    “Our dinner reservations aren’t for another hour,” he said. “That gives us plenty of time, and I don’t want to waste another minute of it.”
    “You said we could take it slow.”
    “There’s no need to play coy with me. I want you,” he said.
    “Can’t we talk? I just got here.”
    “Come on Daniela, please,” he said. “Don’t make me beg.”
    Daniela? Unless blondie changed her name in the past few hours the proverbial poster boy of love lacked a faithful bone in his cheating, philandering body.
    The bed creaked.
    “Would you like to remove your clothes or should I do it for you?” he said.
    She didn’t respond.
    “Fine,” he said. “If that’s the way you want it.”
    There was movement on the bed and then something ripped.
    “Stop, you’re hurting me.”
    “And what about me, Daniela? Have you considered what you’re doing to me, haven’t I treated you nice? I bought you beautiful flowers, I made arrangements for an expensive dinner for the two of us, and this is how you show your appreciation—by refusing me.”
    “Stop it Parker, please.”
    “ Stop it Parker, you’re hurting me ,” he said.
    His attempt to taunt her went unanswered.
    “I’ll teach you to refuse me you ungrateful bitch.”
    His voice took on an incensed tone, a far cry from the gentleman that wooed me earlier that evening.
    “Don’t move,” he said.
    I turned the key in the ignition and slammed my foot on the petal. I didn’t want to blow our meeting the next day, but no woman deserved this.
    There was a crash and then a thud and something hit the ground.
    “Get back here!” he said.
    The door slammed.
    I pulled up in front of the building and a dark-haired woman sprinted out. One look at her disheveled hair and bare feet and I knew I had the right woman.
    “Daniela,” I said, “get in.”
    “Why should I, I don’t know you.”
    “I’m a friend. Trust me please.”
    “I…I don’t know.”
    I grabbed the door handle and pushed the door open.
    “It’s okay,” I said, “let me get you out of here.”

CHAPTER 19

    “Who are you, and how do you know my name?”
    I owed her an explanation, but how much of one I wanted to give, I didn’t know.
    “Where to?” I said.
    “Cottonwood Heights.”
    “Are you okay?” I said.
    She shook her head.
    “And Parker?”
    “His family jewels might be sore for a while, but I’m sure he’ll survive. He always does. Wait, how did you…?”
    “How do you know Parker?” I said.
    She gazed at me.
    “You first.”
    “It’s a long story. He’s the ex-boyfriend of a friend of mine’s sister. Have you known him long?”
    “About a year.”
    “Were you two involved?” I said.
    “If you mean in a romantic way, yeah.”
    “For how long?” I said.
    “About nine months. I broke it off a couple weeks ago.”
    It crossed my mind that Charlotte found out about his dirty little secret and that she paid for it with her life.
    “Why did you break up?” I said.
    She sighed and looked out my car window.
    “I don’t want to talk about it.”
    “When did he hit you last?” I said.
    She looked startled that I knew, or assumed to know. At this point it was more of a hunch and I knew I had pushed her with my questions, but right now she was stuck in my car and unless she opened the door and flung herself out, she had no place else to go.
    “Look lady, I don’t even