Page 27 of Special Agent Joseph

“You’re FBI, right? Did you arrest the asshole that thrashed me last night? God, I feel like I went ten rounds. What happened?”

“You don’t remember?”

Still holding onto the blanket, she slid her feet to the floor beside the dog and after taking the pills, she took her first sip of nectar and groaned with joy. Finally, she said, “It’s all fuzzy. Wait. I do remember going to the bus station and walking around. Then a girl and I, what’s her name… Franny, we went to a club. I showed Lucia’s picture to everyone there, but no one had seen her. After that it gets hazy.”

Joe sat on the chair opposite and waited. She could sense he wanted to talk but didn’t seem to know how to start. Something about his nervous behavior warned that it was probably big. Wracking her brain only tortured her, so she ignored everything except drinking the delicious coffee. When her bladder gave it’s final warning, she put the mug on the nearby table. Throwing aside the blanket, she went to stand only to notice the flimsy skirt and her lack of underwear. Screeching, she grabbed the blanket and covered herself again. “What the fuck am I wearing… or-or should I say not wearing and what happened to my - my clothes?”

***

Joe had been shocked to see his attack dog sitting next to his visitor, looking as if butter wouldn’t melt in his huge jaws. Butwhen Megan’s explosion sounded, he watched Jack sprint for the door.

Coward!

Sure… run, leave me alone with this madwoman. The one who’s about to kill me with her bare hands. Last steak you get from me.

About that time, Megan stopped yelling, stiffened, and demanded, “Where’s the bathroom?”

Joe pointed to the hallway and added, “On the right. First door.”Thank you Lord… reprieve.In her absence, his mind spun over all the different ways he could tell her about the previous night, but his brain refused to work.

She reappeared looking more unhappy than she had earlier. Snarled hair stood out very which way, and her mascara and blue eyeshadow covered more of her face than her eyes.

Woefully, she looked his way. “I was drugged, wasn’t I?” Still draped in the blanket, she went back to the couch.

Man up, Joe.“Uh… yeah.”

“I had sex.”

Christ… what do I say?“How do you know that?”

Glaring his way, she yelled, “Dude, are you insane? I haven’t been with a man in a long time. I mean a really,reallylong time. Of course, I know. Who?”

He felt his face grimace, his smile arcing to the right, nerves eating away his smarts. “Don’t get mad.”

“Excuse ME?” Her voice reached a higher octave. “Don’t get mad? Are you insane?”

Hoping to give her an out, he tried using a calm voice. “Look…they gave you ecstasy. Not your fault. It must have had an intense effect on you.”

She replaced the coffee mug on the table and ran both hands through her hair, forcing the long strands behind her ears. Every motion clearly showing her distress. “Jesus. I can’t take drugs.I’ve always had strong reactions to any kind of mind altering medications.” Now her head dropped into her hands. Her voice horrified, she questioned. “I let some stranger have sex with me…? Oh my God. I can’t believe this.” Tears escaped through her fingers, and she looked beaten. Joe’s heart couldn’t handle her pain… or his guilt. “No. It wasn’t a stranger.” Before he could add more, she shot him a glare, and seeing his hangdog expression, she jumped to the right conclusion. Shouting her sudden realization, she said, “It wasYOU?”

“You wouldn’t take no for an answer.”Now why did his voice have to sound so weak?

“Fuck me… you should have tried harder.”

“Believe me, I did. But you wouldn’t listen to reason. The drug made you… ahh… well, really horny. Trust me. I was there.”

Glaring her contempt, she shook her head as if trying to make sense of the picture. “You were there? How did you even get into the place?”

“Broke in from the back alley. Saw some tattooed dude getting ready to have fun with you and stopped that bullshit—”

“Only to take his place.” She interrupted him, her voice soaring. “Is that what you’re saying? You saved me from him, and then had your own fun?”

Getting annoyed now… being made to be the bad guy didn’t sit well with him at all. In this mood, he spoke without thinking. “Trust me, lady. Itwasno fun.”

Silence like what happens in the middle of a category four hurricane took over the room. She stiffened. He slunk back against the chair. When he went to apologize and explain, she threw off her blanket and held up her hand. “Don’t. I couldn’t care less what you have to say. I need to get home.”

“But I—”

“Shut up. I don’t care.” Standing, she paced back and forth, making it possible for him to see more of her legs than she probably realized. “Get me a pair of pants, anything.”

---