Melody (THE LOGAN FAMILY) (23 page)

Melody
knew
Aileen’s fear. She easily identified it because that’s the same way she felt about Keith. Aileen needed someone to hold her. She needed her best friend there to let her know everything would be all right. How could Melody succumb to sex tonight when Aileen needed her more than anyone, right now? Jesus, what kind of friend was she?

She grabbed the phone by the couch. She hooked the receiver between her ear and shoulder. She began to dial when the front door opened. Keith stood in the doorway with two suitcases. Melody jumped from the couch. She hadn’t realized that her pink nightgown had hooked between her thighs. A breeze swept between them.

“Well.” Keith gazed at her figure. “So you do wear gowns to bed after all? I knew that T-shirt was covering up something fantastic.”

“What in the hell are you doing here?” Melody threw the phone down. “Where’s Sarah?”

Sarah walked in. She shut the door behind her. “Melody, uh, Keith’s staying with us for a while. He has a gas leak in his neighborhood. The police and everything were there. It was a big mess, and they’re suggesting the residents leave until they get a handle on the problem.”

Melody shook her head. “Didn’t I drop you off at Pam’s? How the hell did you get to Keith’s in the first place?” Sarah and Keith looked at each other. Keith grinned.

“Oh, I see. You had no intentions of visiting Pam, did you, Sarah? You only said that so I wouldn’t know you were with Keith!”

“Look, I didn’t want to lie but we’d had a hard day and I didn’t feel like arguing with you about it, Melody. Also, with what happened, I didn’t want to upset you.”

“Sarah, you don’t give a damn about me!”

“Melody, I love you more than anyone!”

“Bullshit! Since Keith has wormed his way into your life, I don’t know you! I can’t take this anymore.” She crossed her arms. “Sarah, it’s gotta be him or me. I mean that. Right now you gotta make a choice because I can’t take being around here anymore.”

“Is this about the snake thing? Melody, you gotta know that was an accident. Keith would never do anything like that.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, putting snakes in your bed. Why would I do that, Melody?”

“You know, you both are completely fucked up. All this time I thought you were too good for this asshole, Sarah. It’s finally dawned on me that you belong with him! If you want to be with him, then go on! He can stay here for as long as you like because I won’t be here!”

“Melody!”

“No, that’s it, Sarah! Make a decision right now! You stop seeing Keith or I will move out…now.”

“Mel, you can’t mean that.” Sarah exhaled. “Baby girl, I love you. You can’t think that a man would change that.” Keith looked at Sarah. “Melody, think about what you’re saying.”

“No, I usually think and have everything I say planned out. Maybe that’s why it doesn’t seem to hit any chords with you. Me moving out just came to me. Maybe that means it’s the right thing to do.”

Sarah sighed. “You know you can’t make it on your own.”

Melody scoffed. “Just like you to think I can’t even take a piss without you holding the toilet, huh? I
can
make it without you, Sarah. I can do many things without you, contrary to popular belief. And I am sick to death of you throwing it in my face that this is your house and that you took me in! I never asked you to, did I?”

“I wasn’t throwing anything up in your face! Melody, with what happened to Aileen, you can turn around and get angry over something so minor?” Sarah held Keith’s waist.

“Well, it’s not minor to me, Sarah. Over and over I’ve told you how I felt about Keith and you don’t care. If you don’t care what I think, then I don’t need to be around you. I’d believe you in a heartbeat, Sarah.”

“Mel, I…”

She held up her hands. “No, if you came to me repeatedly with things about Lucas, I’d listen. I’d put your opinion over my own selfishness.”

“Mel, don’t do this. You know I love you. No man could ever take your place.”

“You just can’t make the choice, can you, Sarah?” Melody sighed. “Then I’ll make it for you. I’m leaving. I’ll go to Craig’s tonight and I’ll figure out where I’ll go from there.” She went to the stairs.

“Melody, don’t do this!” Sarah rushed after her. “You’re the one who’s wrong, Melody.”

She turned around on the stairs. “Sarah, it’s all on you now.” Melody glanced at Keith. “I hope you can live with the decisions you’ve made.” Melody ran upstairs.

“Mel?” Sarah whispered.

Keith held her. “Everything will be okay, Sarah. You just gotta let her finally grow up.”

“This is tearing me apart, Keith.” She went into the kitchen.

Keith stood at Melody’s door a second later. She shoved enough clothes into a suitcase to get her through a few days. She hated herself for not locking the door when she noticed Keith in the room.

“For some reason you like coming into my room unannounced.” She’d changed into jeans and a sweatshirt.

“So you and Craig must be closer than I thought if you’re going to his place. Why not Lucas’s?”

“Why are you all in my business?” She struggled to close the stuffed suitcase. Keith grabbed a small wrapper from the floor. Melody would have been embarrassed if she didn’t hate him so much. Anyway, this was her room. Sarah may have owned the house, but she couldn’t control what went on behind
this
door.

Keith overlooked the torn red condom wrapper. “Well, how come I get the feeling that Lucas has already been here tonight?” He smirked. “Glad to see you use protection, Mel. So Lucas won’t mind you spending the night at Craig’s? I can’t see him not having a problem with that.”

“Craig and Lucas are old friends. We all grew up together.”

“Yeah, but back then you all weren’t so…” He stared at her breasts. “Grown up, if you get my meaning. Is Craig a faggot or what?”

“What in the hell are you talking about?”

“You mean he can have you over there and not be tempted to make a move?”

“Contrary to popular belief, Keith, every man isn’t out to get pussy, okay?”

He grinned. “We’re all out to get pussy, Melody. It’s just that some men dress up their methods better than others. You seem to think Lucas is better than the average man. Don’t be so sure, Mel. I get the feeling he’d be jealous as hell to know you’re staying with another man. Especially after the hot, passionate, sensuous night you two obviously had.” He laughed. “Was it all that you waited for and more?”

She leaned over on her suitcase. “Is there something you wanted?”

“There’s always something I want, Mel.” He threw the wrapper in the tiny wastebasket. “I hate it when Sarah’s upset, you know? I mean, you can do what you want with me, but I don’t like it when she’s hurt. Do you understand me?”

“I’m going to the police, Keith. I’m going to tell them that you put the snakes in my bed.”

He grinned. “Kind of farfetched, right? Mel, you tell a story like that and you’ll end up locked up. No one is gonna buy that I’d do anything like that.”

“They will once they see what kind of person you are.”

“Sarah didn’t believe you about the snakes, did she?” He sat on her bed, watching her closely. “Anyway, I told you that I wouldn’t take you snooping into my business and going to Mr. Lawson. Oh, that was a huge mistake, Melody.”

“Oh, and one more thing, Keith.” She grinned. “Your little plan of trying to cause friction between Lucas and me didn’t work.”

“What are you talking about?” he groaned.

“He told me you told him that I went to his father about you. I can’t imagine you telling him the honest reason, so I’m sure you lied through your teeth. It didn’t work. You’re trying to control me, but you can’t, so you went to Lucas?”

“That’s right, and that’s nothing compared to what I can do if you don’t back off!”

“My God, Keith, what’s wrong with you? You have a big problem. I am dead serious. I think you need mental help. You can’t take not being in control. But you’re not in control with me, are you? That’s why you continue your sick little games behind Sarah’s back.”

“I can control you in more ways than one, Melody,” he whispered. “Anyway, this became war when you went to Mr. Lawson.”

“After you assaulted me, Keith! You may do this with other women, but you won’t do it with me! Since Sarah refuses to listen, I no longer feel obligated to her. That means that if you fuck with me this time, I’ll pull out all the stops! And I
will
go to the police if I have to.”

“Then let me oblige.” He smirked.

“What?”

“No need in going to the police without a reason, huh? Why don’t I give you one next time? It would make everything easier for you, Mel.”

“My God, you are sick. Stay away from me, Keith.” She tried to leave. He blocked her.

“Can’t wait to see you at work, Melody.” He walked away, grinning.

Sarah walked in. Melody couldn’t believe that a total stranger could break a bond between sisters. That bond should have been stronger than steel. She stared at her sister’s torn face. Maybe Sarah regretted Melody’s sudden decision. Yet that wasn’t enough.

“Good-bye, Sarah.” Melody picked up her suitcase.

“Melody, think of how unfair this is! How would you feel if I asked you to choose between Lucas and me, knowing you love us both?” She sniffed.

Melody fit the suitcase underneath her arm. “Sarah, the point is that you’d never even have to ask.” She left.

“So this is supposed to be the Albany Predator, huh?” Craig gobbled down cereal at his kitchen table Monday morning. He stared at the black-and-white picture of Steven Kemp on the front of the newspaper. His arrest had made headlines. “He doesn’t look guilty.” A cornflake fell from his lips.

Melody sipped a glass of orange juice. “And how does someone
look
guilty?”

“You know what I mean.” He chewed. “I know guilty people, and this cop doesn’t look guilty to me.”

“Well, Aileen and Cheyenne Wilson identified him as the rapist. They saw him as clear as day. I believe Aileen with all my heart.”

“I believe her, too, Mel. Aileen is one of my dearest friends.” She chewed toast. “Then why are you defending her rapist?”

“That’s not fair, Melody. We can’t just lock up an innocent man, thinking this will make everything go away.”

“And what makes you think he’s so damn innocent? That’s the part I don’t get, Craig.”

He sighed. “Why would this cop just start raping women? It makes no sense. Look here.” He read Steven’s statement. “He claims the rapist could be some lookalike.”

“Isn’t that a bit farfetched? He raped them, Craig. Case closed.”

He shook his head. “Nah, I don’t buy it, Mel. I don’t think Steven Kemp is guilty of those rapes. It just wouldn’t make sense. I know I don’t know him, but I don’t think he’d risk his career and everything he built, do you?”

“Look, you weren’t there to see how torn up Aileen was. The minute she saw his face she freaked, Craig. Believe me, there’s no mistake that Kemp raped her.” She stood. “Anyway, the DA and judge at the bail hearing obviously believed it. He was denied bail.” Craig stared at the newspaper. “I gotta get ready for work.”

She left the kitchen.

Held without bail
. Steven couldn’t get the words out of his head. How could he prove his innocence while stuck in a jail cell for who knew how long? He tapped his fingers against the dirty wall as he looked up at the crusty little window. Streaks of dirt prevented him from seeing the beauty of the sunlight. He sat on the hard bed. If he didn’t find a way out of this, he may never see the sunlight again. At least not in the same capacity.

Now he knew how some of the people he had arrested felt. He hadn’t always made the best choice. He’d arrested some innocent people in his day. But he’d always realized that before prison came into the picture. He blew into his hands. He’d never felt so alone. He used to think being a cop meant everything. He knew staying behind these bars would wreck his high opinion of law enforcement.

His faith in the system grew dimmer as the hours passed. He questioned how he could dedicate himself to something that had crucified him without hesitation. It hadn’t mattered that he built his life on catching sexual predators. It hadn’t mattered that he’d always been one cop the force could trust. What had they done in return? Arrested him? Dragged his good name through the mud for all to see? Refused to hear his side? He looked at the dingy toilet beside him. A drunken man howled from the cell down the hall. Everything he worked for would be wasted.

Steven had to get out of jail if he had any hope of surviving this nightmare.

“Steve?” Brianna stood against the bars. Funny how she could erase even the worst times for him. He wondered if she truly knew how much he still loved her. He’d do anything to go back to that time when they were more than partners and friends. If he could only hold her for one more night, it would somehow be enough.

“Bree.” He slumped to the bars. “So I guess you heard about me getting no bail, huh?”

“I can’t believe this, Steven. This makes no sense! What about that organization that fights for cops, whose rights have been threatened? They could make a stink, and they may even be able to get you out, Steven.”