Tainted Pictures
Snow stated to him, carefully watching his face for clues.  
               Craig didn’t say anything, his face scrunched up into confusion and he stared back at Snow.  He then turned to stare at McCraig, who was still standing in the corner against the wall glaring at him.  Finally, he looked back at Snow and he opened his mouth to say something but then closed it again and breathed out in a loud exhale.  He ran his hand up through his hair and leaned backwards again.  
               “For fuck’s sake. You asses with a badge want to take more time from an innocent man, huh?”  He leered at them angrily, his hand smacking the table in frustration.  Both detectives stared back at him, their faces stony and unchanging.  
     
    ~~~~
     
               There was absolutely nothing about the tedious morning metro commute that Kate missed.  She felt herself trying to push away bitter thoughts as she was firmly squeezed between an old man coughing wet spittle into the air, not even bothering to cover his mouth, and a young girl wearing way too little clothes and headphones that blared music so loud, there was really no point to wear the headphones in the first place.  
               She had been able to avoid this awful daily ritual for over two weeks as she had been in the hospital and then at home healing.  However, bills eventually started rearing their ugly heads again and Kate knew that she couldn’t hole up in her apartment forever.  At some point, she had to get back to her real life and try to put these past two weeks out of her head.  If such a thing were even possible.  
               Relief washed over her as she heard the train conductor’s muffled announcement that her stop was coming up next.  She pushed her way past the wheezing old man and the insolent young girl destined for teenage pregnancy and made her way towards the door while trying to balance as the train lurched from side to side.  She wasn’t very successful though since she stumbled twice and multiple disgruntled passengers expressed their irritation towards her.  She ignored them and finally made it to the dirty doors and peered through the glass.  Well, it was supposed to look like glass, really it was just a thick plastic that was so worn with scratches, smears, and germs that would make even a slob squirm.  
               The train dinged it’s piercing bell, announcing arrival at the station as it thudded to a stop and Kate fell forward and then backwards, grabbing a railing above her to keep from ending up on the floor.  She had never been so grateful to see those doors open as she was just then.  She had always disliked the metro, but with her recent experience it became so much worse.  Every man glancing at her was a suspect, every person bumping against her was an attacker, and every jarring sound was a threat.  
               She ran up the escalator steps to reach the streets above and turned towards her work.  She paused for just a moment, almost tripping in her hurried steps, when she saw the Java Jolt across the street.  Normally, she would stop into that coffee shop every day on her way to work.  In fact, that was where she had met Derrick and subsequently fallen in love.  But now, that was where Craig worked.  
               Kate continued past the store and on towards her job, but Craig’s face was now looming in her mind.  She pictured him in the store serving coffee to an unsuspecting woman, sizing her up and deciding if she was going to be his next victim.  If Craig was even her attacker.  That was just another of the many unknown pieces in her puzzle.  Kate shook her head as if it was an etch a sketch that she could erase a memory with just a simple tousle.  If only it were that easy.  
     
    ~~~~
     
               Kate walked up to the large glass doors to her office building’s lobby and took a deep breath,

Similar Books

The Look of Love

Mary Jane Clark

The Prey

Tom Isbell

Secrets of Valhalla

Jasmine Richards