Page 4 of Riggs
"Rex Sullivan."
Detective Brooks is taking notes, but the moment I say Rex's name, her head snaps up. "Rex Sullivan? As in the President of Savage Outlaw?" she questions. And by the expression on her face, he is well known and not in a good way.
"Yes," I answer.
"I see," she purses her lips. "And are you aware of the kind of person your boyfriend and his club are, Miss Novak?"
I can tell right away the detective is judging me. "No, Detective. Up until twenty-four hours ago, I had no idea Rex was capable of doing what he did to me." I close my eyes as a tear escapes down my cheek. I feel foolish. I was so desperate for affection; I put blinders on to who he really was. Granted Rex never let me see that side of him before, I still should have known better. The next time Detective Brooks speaks her face has softened a little.
"Can you start from the beginning? What led you here?"
Swiping the tears from my eyes, my hands move quickly. "I had stayed the night at his clubhouse like I had done so many times in the months we have seen each other. I woke in the middle of the night and went looking for him when he wasn't in bed. I saw the light was on in his office. The door was cracked when I approached it. I saw a man on his knees in front of Rex. I couldn't make out anything they were saying. A couple of seconds went by with them talking; then Rex shot the man in the head. I must have made a noise because he saw me. I tried to run, but he caught me. Rex beat me right then and there. I passed out. When I woke up, I was in the trunk of a car. Rex and his brother Pike dumped me on the side of the road. Where; I don't know; the last thing I remember was Rex telling me I should have minded my own business. He then kicked me in the head, knocking me out. The next thing I know I'm in the hospital," I finish my body trembling.
"How long were you and Rex seeing each other?"
"About three months."
"In those three months you were seeing the President of Savage Outlaw, you not once saw a side to him you saw last night? You never witnessed any of his illegal activity?" the detective lifts a brow.
I shake my head and continue to sign. "No. I know that is hard for you to believe, but Rex had never shown his true colors until I witnessed him kill that man in his office. He had always been nice to me. He was a good boyfriend, or so I thought." Feeling utterly exhausted, I let my arms fall limp to the bed, and sigh.
Detective Brooks stands. "I'll leave you to rest. The information you gave me is enough for us to arrest Rex Sullivan. I'll stop back by again in the morning with an update. I will be posting an officer outside your door. Once Rex is picked up, his club may retaliate."
Suddenly, fear takes over. I force myself to sit up. "Do you think that is necessary?" I sign in a panic.
"Yes, Miss Novak, I do. Your boyfriend has been our main suspect in at least a dozen homicides over the past five years. None of the charges have ever stuck. Either due to lack of evidence or the witnesses come up missing." Detective Brooks lets her statement hang. My breathing picks up, and I'm sure my panic is written all over my face. Detective Brooks takes a step closer to the bed, meeting my eyes. "I assure you none of his men will get to you. For now, the hospital is the safest place for you. You will be guarded twenty-four seven. Once Rex is in custody, I'll come back here, and we'll figure out our next move. For now, Miss Novak, you need to concentrate on getting better." With that, Detective Brooks walks out of the hospital room, and I am left with no choice but to believe her. I have to. My life is literally in her hands.
Turning to the interpreter, she gives me a look of worry and sadness before she too takes her leave. But before she goes, she has assured me she will let the nurses know she will remain on call around the clock in case I need anything. Once I'm left alone with my thoughts, I have no choice but to reflect on how I got here.
I've lived in Arizona my whole life. I grew up in the system being shuffled around from one foster home to the next. It didn't take the foster parent long to realize they didn't want the hassle of a special needs child and having to learn sign language. I was born with a genetic disorder that causes hearing loss over time. I had gone completely deaf by the age of four. Learning sign language had been frustrating, but I was eager to communicate. Not once did I pity myself or give up. That sort of thing is just not in me. I don't see myself as having a disability. I simply speak a different language.
By the time I was ten, I had been in my fifth foster home. I learned it was easier to keep a notebook and pen on hand because not one of the families I lived with knew how to communicate with me any other way. Sooner or later, having to talk that way became too much for them. I was an inconvenience my whole childhood. It didn't matter that I was a straight A student, or that I never got in trouble. Any issue the foster families had always came down to one thing.
By the time I was a teenager, I had gotten good at reading lips and only used my notebook when necessary. It was easier to fade into the shadows and not act needy. Doing so allowed me to stay in each home longer. I think sometimes my foster parents forgot I even existed. I think that has something to do with why I ate up Rex's attention.
I was deprived of affection my whole life. It felt good to have someone finally noticed me. To have someone treat me as if I was the most important person in the world. I met Rex at a gas station three months ago. I was pumping gas, and with all the pumps occupied, he pulled up on his bike behind my car and waited for me to finish. I felt his eyes on me for a minute before he finally approached. I was so nervous, and the first thought that came to mind was how handsome he was. I will admit the first time he took me to his clubhouse and introduced me to his brothers I was nervous. A few of the members leered at me in a way that, at times, made me uncomfortable. Rex never noticed the seedy eyes of some of his friends. With his true colors exposed, I'm starting to think he did notice but didn't genuinely care.
Closing my eyes, I let out a deep breath. I've come too far in my life to have been so stupid to fall for the first man to ask me out. I am twenty-six years old and have had one boyfriend. I have spent my entire adult life, keeping myself closed off. I was comfortable being alone in my own bubble. When Rex approached me, I thought 'what the hell' and took a chance. That chance nearly killed me. Never again will I trust another man. I'm better off alone.
