Irrefutable (9 page)

Chapter Twelve

The rain came sideways from the west in sheets so heavy that they sometimes completely obscured the building from view. The nearest parking space Alex could find was at least thirty yards from the door.

“This is crazy,” Carmen said. “You want to wait ‘till it lets up a little?”

“We could be here all night.” Alex said. “Let’s just go for it. Are you ready?”

“Not really, but okay.”

“Try to point your umbrella into the wind so it doesn’t turn inside-out.”

On a count of three, they deployed their umbrellas and ran toward the front door. Carmen squealed as she ran splashing through the two inches of water that covered the entire parking lot. “Oh my God!” she said when they finally made it to cover.

A young man held the door for them. “Welcome to Raphael’s.”

Alex wanted to cancel in light of the weather but, he had promised Carmen a dinner out of the house. Besides, it may be quite a while before he would get another chance.

The rain, although a nuisance now, could be something to laugh about later. This would be a chance to make up for at least some of the times that he couldn’t be there. An evening together, just the two of them.

They were led to a table in the middle of the room. “Actually, could we have a booth by the window?” Carmen asked. “I see several empty ones.”

“Of course.” said the young man. He led them to a corner booth that overlooked the water. “Your server will be with you shortly.” he said with a strong Cuban accent as he handed them two menus.

“You can’t see the water for the rain.” Alex joked, looking out the window.

Carmen smiled. It was nice to see her father show a sense of humor for a change.

Raphael’s was situated on the south shore of Lake Duval. It was owned by a second generation Cuban immigrant family. When it opened three years ago, it was operated and staffed only by family, but the popularity grew much faster than even they had hoped. It was now one of the most beloved restaurants in town, and employed almost thirty people. The authentic Cuban cuisine rivaled that of any Miami establishment. It offered the rich influences of Spanish, African and Caribbean flavors that gave Cuban food its unique flair.

Alex studied the menu. Although he knew he had no reason, Alex felt awkward. What would they talk about? What did they have in common? It was then that he realized just how much of Carmen’s life had passed him by. Even while living under the same roof, they had lost touch. The only communication they had was the handing down of rules and the passing of judgment on one another.

“I’m sorry I haven’t been a bigger part of your life.” He said finally, trying to break the ice.

“That was out of nowhere.”

“No, really. I feel like I’ve let you down in so many ways.”

Carmen studied the menu. “It’s okay Dad, really. I think it’s helped me be more independent.” She looked up at her father. “You know, making small decisions for myself. I don’t think I’m turning out too bad.”

“No, you seem to be doing just fine.” Alex looked over his menu. “So, what’s new in your life?” he asked, without looking up.

“Are you sure you really want to know?”

“Of course I do.”

“Well, don’t get upset, but Janet, my nurse, came to take me to lunch the other day.”

Alex sat silent for a moment, determined to keep his thoughts to himself. He realized Carmen needed an adult companion, someone to look to for advice or just to listen to her feelings, but he was not comfortable with Janet being that person. But, he needed to trust Carmen to make the right choices. She was growing into a responsible young woman. “So, she took you to lunch? What did you talk about?” he asked as calmly as he could.

“We talked about a lot of things. Don’t worry. I didn’t give away any family secrets, if that’s what you mean.”

“What kind of things?”

“We talked about what it was like to grow up without parents being involved in our lives. We talked about growing up without a mother, and how much we have in common. She actually makes me feel better about my own life, for how lucky I am to have a father who truly loves me.” She looked up from the menu to meet her father’s eyes.

“I do love you, you know.” Maybe he had rushed to judgment about Janet. Carmen certainly seemed to like her.

“What are you doing?” he asked, as Carmen raised her hand and waived in the air.

“Rachel just came in. She’s over there. Here she comes.”

“Huh, I wonder what she’s doing here.”

“I invited her.” Carmen said. “I thought you too should have a chance to visit and talk outside the office. You know, something other than business.”

“You invited her? Why? Don’t you think you should have consulted with me before…”

“Sorry I’m late.” Rachel said with a smile, as she approached them. “The rain slowed me down a bit.”

With a look of surprise, Alex stood and extended his hand and glanced at Carmen, who had a broad smile, like she had just done something to be proud of.

“Oh God,” Rachel blushed, “You weren’t expecting me.”

“I wasn’t made aware that you would be coming,” he said as he shot Carmen another look, “but, here you are. Have a seat.” He forced a smile and motioned for her to sit next to Carmen.

“Well, this is awkward. Maybe I should go.”

“Don’t be silly. It’s fine. I just wasn’t expecting you, that’s all.”

She looked at Carmen, who had made room for her to sit. “If you’re sure it’s okay.”

“Sit.” Carmen demanded. She slapped her hand down on the seat.

“I can put your umbrella over her with ours.” Alex offered, “I have plenty of room.”

Rachel removed her windbreaker and handed it, along with the wet umbrella, to Alex and sat beside Carmen as the waiter approached.

“Would you like a menu?” he asked her.

“Yes, thank you.”

“My name is Raul,” the young man said, “Could I start you off with something from the bar?”

“I would like a Patron Margarita, rocks with salt.”

“Very good.” The waiter said. He turned his attention toward Alex. “And for you sir?”

“I wasn’t planning to drink when it was just me and my daughter.”

Rachel cocked her head to the side, as if to say come on, have a drink.

“Okay, I’ll have the same.”

“And for the young lady?” he said looking at Carmen.

“I’ll have a Dr. Pepper.”

“Very good. I’ll return shortly.” The young man turned to leave.

“So how are you two?” Rachel asked.

“Fine.” Alex said. “I have a press conference to get ready for in the morning.”

“I remember. You told me about that when you asked about the DNA sweep.” Rachel said. “What are you going to say?”

“No shop talk tonight. Please?” Carmen said.

“Sorry.” They both said together.

Now Alex really did feel uncomfortable. In the months after Allyson’s death, he and Rachel had consoled each other, in a strictly non-physical way, until his guilt forced him to distance himself from her. Now, it felt strangely like a blind date, where he knew nothing about the person across the table. He sat quietly for a moment, smiling, waiting for someone to speak.

Rachel must have sensed Alex’s discomfort. She turned her attention to Carmen. “So, how is school?”

“It’s okay, I guess. I have a test in American History Monday, over the Civil War.”

“Well, you know, I was a history major in college. If you need help getting ready, let me know.” Rachel said. “I’m sort of a Civil War buff.”

“Really? I hate it. All the dates and places. We have to learn about events, but they never tell us how they tie together, like Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. We read it, but what‘s it all about? All the teacher says is that it was his ‘greatest speech’.”

“Did you talk about the battle of Gettysburg?”

“Yeah. It was some battle in Pennsylvania.”

“Gettysburg was the bloodiest three days in American history. Did you know there were more casualties in that three day battle than in the entire Vietnam war?”

“See, that’s what I mean. They teach us these little chunks of history but they don’t really go into what it all means.”

“There are some inconsistencies but the estimated losses for both sides totaled between forty-six and fifty-one thousand. Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address was given at the dedication ceremony of the national cemetery that was made in Gettysburg after the battle.” Rachel explained. “If you know the battle and the significance of the losses for both sides, his speech is actually very touching. It was about remembering the sacrifices men made for a cause that was greater than themselves.”

“My teacher never told us that.”

The waiter returned with their drinks and took their orders.

“So what did you study in college?” Carmen asked her father.

“I really don’t remember.” Alex spoke for the first time since ordering his drink. “That was a long time ago.”

“Yeah, you are getting pretty old.” Carmen teased.

“He probably didn’t have much time to study between parties.” Rachel Smiled.

She does have a nice smile
. Alex began to realize he was looking at her more and more. She really was an attractive woman. The way her long brown hair framed her well tanned face and dark brown eyes gave the impression that she could have easily been Carmen’s mother. His thoughts turned to Allyson and once again he began to feel uncomfortable.

The rest of the meal was spent over idle chit chat and Alex was glad when it was finally over
.

_________

Alex had held press conferences in the past. He had learned how to control the conversation and the information that was made public. Today, he would not allow himself to be bullied. He studied his notes and went over possible questions in his mind, deciding which ones he would address and, on which ones to withhold comment.

The storms from the night before had moved on, and the morning sun was working hard to dry the ground. The podium and media equipment were set up in front of the main entrance to the building, with the sign over the door clearly identifying this as the Cypress Village Police Department. Alex had made the decision to hold the conference outdoors. In his mind, this gave the impression that they were out working the case, rather than sitting inside waiting for information to come to them.

Lt. Phelps and one uniformed officer accompanied him outside.

As he approached the podium he was surprised by the number of reporters in the audience. Some he recognized, others he did not. He drew a deep breath and prepared himself for the ambush.

“Good morning, I’m Detective Sergeant Alex Mendez with the Cypress Village Police violent crimes unit. I’d like to thank everyone for coming.” He placed his hands on either side of the podium. “As I’m sure many of you are aware, there have been two sexual assaults on local residents reported to police in the past four days. Through DNA evidence found on both victims, our forensic investigators have determined that both were the victims of one assailant. Neither victim has been able to make an identification of their attacker. We are currently working with a forensic psychologist to develop a psychological profile on the suspect.”

“So are we to understand that the assailant is, as of yet, unidentified?” one reporter asked.

“It seems that
you’ve
already identified him,
The Trailside Stalker
.” Alex tried to use humor to lighten the mood, but soon realized it was in poor taste, given the seriousness of the crimes. His audience seemed to agree, as no one smiled. “As I said, we do have DNA on the suspect, but as of this morning, we have been unable to find a match in the statewide database.”

Several other reporters tried to ask questions, all raising their hands, speaking over one another. Alex held up his hand, “Please hold your questions until I have completed the official statement. I will then be happy to address them. Now, there are other facts in the case that we would like to put forward. Both of the victims were attacked while jogging alone. We have evidence that suggests the possible use of a sedating medication being injected, causing an amnesiac effect on the victims. Neither has been able to offer a physical description of the assailant. We strongly encourage any women who wish to participate in outdoor activities, to do so with at least one partner. It would be best if there were organized groups but we recommend at least a partner. This will tend to discourage any possible attacks. We do have other similarities between the two cases but we will withhold comment on any further details. Now if you have questions…”

“You’re advising women run in pairs.” said one reporter. “What if there is more than one assailant?”

“We have no reason to believe that there is more than one person responsible.”