Page 22 of Desire

Chapter 17

Alexand I sat in the living room waiting for Webber to show up. While we waited, Alex asked me questions about Bridget. He wanted to know everything about her. I knew these were things he needed to hear from her, so I only told him superficial things. They could talk about the deeper stuff later when they finally met. I needed to arrange a meeting between them. I would figure out how to deal with Malcolm. Because this fucker was going down. Some way, somehow.

Thirty minutes later, the doorbell rang. I left Alex sitting on the couch as I went down the hall to answer it. I let Webber in and shared what Alex told me. I saw him clench his fists in anger. I knew the feeling. We headed back into the living room where Alex waited.

“Alex, this is Daniel.”

Alex still seemed a little belligerent about having to speak to the police, but he accepted the handshake Webber offered.

“It’s nice to meet you, Alex. Connor here filled me in a little on what happened, but I’d like to hear it in your own words.” Webber spoke softly and coaxingly.

For the next thirty minutes, Alex repeated the story of traveling to see Bridget and the beating he’d received upon his return home. Webber had pulled a notepad and pen from his suit jacket before Alex had started his re-telling, and on occasion, the detective would jot things down as Alex spoke. At one point, he asked Alex to lift his shirt to see the bruises so he could take pictures of them with his phone. Most of them were covered with the ace wrap I used to bind his ribs, but there were still some that were prevalent around the edges. When he was finished speaking, he sank painfully into the couch, exhaustion taking its toll on his already battered body.

Webber looked at me, and with an almost imperceptible nod, he communicated he wanted to speak to me alone.

I looked over at Alex. Fatigue and pain lined his face. “Why don’t you lie down for a little while, kid. We’ll be right back.”

He nodded and slowly lay down, closing his eyes with an exhausted, pained sigh.

I escorted Webber into the kitchen and leaned against the counter, waiting on what he had to say.

“So? What happens now?” I asked.

“With those bruises and with Alex’s testimony, I can open an investigation. The problem is, I’m worried about Alex. Once I open a case, Alex will be removed from the home while it’s conducted. Child Protective Services will be called in, and he will be assigned a social worker. They’ll see if there is another family member who can take him in. If not, the state will take temporary custody of him, and his social worker will find a foster home for him until Mr. Shipman is cleared of any wrongdoing.

“We’ll interview neighbors, co-workers, Alex’s school, and anyone else that might corroborate Alex’s story. If we can’t find any substantial evidence to arrest Mr. Shipman, Alex will be returned to his care. If Mr. Shipman is abusing Alex, then the abuse will just start over, only this time, he’ll take more care to hide it. I’m also concerned about the apparent threats that Shipman is making against Bridget. He could go after her, you know. Are you willing to take that risk?”

I studied Webber for a minute. I could see how Bridget would find him attractive. He was good-looking, had a successful career, and was probably a nice guy. But he couldn’t give her what she needed. I didn’t know if I could either, but damned if I didn’t want to try.

“You let me worry about Bridget. I’ll make sure she’s taken care of.”

He smirked at me. “Yes, I’m sure you’ll try. But know this. I’ll be waiting in the background, ready to pull up your slack. If she needs a shoulder to cry on when you let her down, I’ll be there. Just because I don’t know much about the lifestyle doesn’t mean I wouldn’t be a willing student were she to offer to teach me.”

Neither of us broke eye contact, and it appeared the pissing contest was back on in full-force. There was no way I was going to concede to this cocky bastard. There was also no way that Bridget would ever be happy in a vanilla relationship. I felt a minimal amount of relief at that thought. I stood from my position against the counter and walked past him back into the living room with a little nudge to his shoulder as I passed. Right now my concern was for Alex.

Alex was asleep when we returned. I just looked at him, seeing Bridget in all of his features. They needed to meet. It was past time. Since there was really nothing more to discuss with Webber, I escorted him out. He promised to be in touch after he spoke to his boss about the investigation.

I let Alex sleep for a little bit. When I accidentally made too much noise, his eyes shot open, and his gaze darted around as he tried to orient himself to his surroundings. When his glance landed on me, he relaxed.

“Sorry I fell asleep. How long have I been out? Did Mr. Webber leave?” he questioned.

“Yeah, he left about thirty minutes ago. Don’t worry about it. It looks like you needed the rest anyway.” I reassured him.

“What time is it? I can’t be gone much longer.” He sounded nervous.

“I’ll give you a ride home in a minute. First, we need to talk about something.”

Considering the bomb I’d dropped by bringing the cop here, the leery expression on his face was justified. “Now what?”

“You need to meet Bridget face to face. No more phone calls. No more spying and running. You’re hurting her, and she doesn’t deserve it. You need to start growing up.”

He hung his head, shamefaced. I let him absorb my words while I waited patiently for him to make his decision. I saw when he did.

“Okay. When?”

I silently congratulated him on making the right choice. “Let me talk to her. Arrange a meeting. She’s been dying to know what is going on with you and wants to make sure you’re all right. I told her about the bruise on your arm, but I think we need to keep this other thing between us. She doesn’t need one more thing to worry about. Especially when there is nothing she can do about it. We clear?”

He nodded in understanding. “Yes, sir. We’re clear.”

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