Abused Hearts

I put down a plastic cup of coffee in front of the woman seated across my desk. She looked tiny, huddled in an oversized winter coat draped across her shoulders. I guessed she was in her early thirties. I adjusted my glasses and cleared my throat.

“Here you go, miss Anderson. It tastes like crap, but it should warm you up some,” I said apologetically. I sat down, wincing slightly at my bruised side. The woman put down the ice pack she had been pressing against the side of her face, and picked up the cup with a grateful smile. I winced at the nasty shiner she was sporting. That one’s gonna hurt in the morning.

“Thank you, officer…” she paused as she glanced at my name plaque, “Leland?”

“Detective Leland, actually, yes,” I corrected her as politely as I could. “But you can call me Walter. Now, you were telling me that your husband came home from work whilst you were busy with dinner?”

“Yes, Luke, but he’s not my husband, we aren’t actually married,” she said as she took a slow sip of the coffee.

“My apologies,” I said in a neutral tone. “And you mentioned he’s in sales?”

“Yes, he is, he sells advert space in newspapers and magazines. I could tell he had one of his moods again as soon as he walked in the door.” She paused to take another sip of her stale coffee. “He’s been struggling with his monthly sales quota, lately, you see. Many publications have been migrating to online platforms. And sometimes when he’s stressed, he just takes it home with him.” She sniffled, and I offered her a box of tissues that I kept on my desk.

“I see. And so what made you call the emergency services? Did he assault you physically?”

She took a tissue and blew her nose delicately. “Y-yes, he-um-he began yelling at me, and he hit me,” she stammered. “I was afraid, so I called when he stepped out to get some cigarettes from the store across the street. I was so glad your officers arrived so quickly.”

I nodded. “Well, you did the right thing, miss Anderson. We’re holding him in custody for now, so you don’t have anything to fear. I will start up a case file and submit it to the prosecuting agency, where an attorney will review it and decide if criminal charges will be pressed,” I explained to her.

“Alright. Would it be possible to see Luke first?” She asked.

I studied her. She seemed distressed, but there was also an undeniable air of determination about her. “Certainly,” I said, “If you feel up to it?”

She stared at me with bright blue eyes dotted with tiny lilac flecks, and for a moment I couldn’t think. “I’ll be okay, I just need to see him one last time,” she said.

I nodded. “C-Certainly, please follow me, miss Anderson.”

“You can call me Lily,” she said.

I gave her a curt nod, “Lily,” I said as I tried to keep my professionalism.

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I escorted her down to the cell block, nodding to the desk clerk at the entrance, engrossed in a pile of paperwork . “Hey, Ed, everything quiet?” I asked.

He glanced up at me, “Sure.”

I smiled awkwardly and hesitated for a second before we went inside. The green floor was sticky as we walked up to her boyfriend’s cell, which seemed to be the only one occupied. The man inside was about Lily’s age, and was dressed in a cheap costume, badly creased from lying on the cot. He stood up as he heard us approach, so I strolled back to Ed’s desk at the entrance to give them a modicum of privacy.

“So, how you doing, there, Ed,” I said, attempting to make small talk.

“Am good. Busy,” he grunted.

“Right, right, always that darn paperwork, huh,” I grinned but he didn’t acknowledge me. “Sooo, any plans for tonight, Ed,” desperately trying to fill the awkward silence.

Ed sighed and looked up at me, “Was there something you wanted, Walter?”

“N- no, just, you know, nothing,” I stammered. Then, I heard a commotion coming from behind me. I looked over, and saw Lily backing away from the cells, her boyfriend yelling and cursing at her, trying to grab at her through the bars. I walked back over as I called out, “Hey now, simmer down there,” when I suddenly heard him gasp. He’d fallen to the floor, and was clutching at his chest.

“Hkkk hkk,” he groaned, his eyes wide with fear, and clearly in pain.

“Shit, hang on,” I ran back to Ed’s desk to fetch the cell keys.

“Ed! Quickly, call an ambulance, I think this guy’s having a heart attack.” I yelled. I saw him pick up the phone as I hurried back with the cell keys in hand. I frantically tried to get the cell door open, hopelessly fumbling with the keys. Lily seemed frozen in place, staring at her boyfriend. When I finally stepped into the cell, his skin had already turned ashen and he’d stopped moving. I laid him flat and tried to remember the first aid class, and started CPR. After what felt like ages, I gave up. Luke’s eyes stared up at the ceiling, lifeless and unseeing. It was only now that I looked at where Lily was standing, and saw the expression on her face. An expression of hatred and anger, nothing like the fragile woman who sat at my desk earlier. Her white-knuckled hands were clenched tightly into fists, her eyes wide as they stared at her dead boyfriend. Her eyes, that were beautiful and bright blue earlier, were dark and stormy right now, and nearly entirely black.

“Lily?” My voice seemed to break her trance, and she gasped as she released her breath, her eyes shifting back to normal.

I looked from her to the dead man on the floor, and the realization set in. This was her doing. Somehow Lily had killed her boyfriend without even laying a finger on him.

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I sat in the chair, my hands folded in my lap. My eyes were fixed on the contraption on her desk, this pendulum thing with the swinging balls, I couldn’t remember what it was called. I hated the thing.

“So Walter, what do you think happened?” my captain asked. She steepled her fingers and stared at me over her reading glasses.

“I don’t know, I can’t explain it, but I know what I saw. She murdered him,” I said. I hated the condescending way she called me Walter, that always reminded me of Marcy.

“Right, miss Anderson somehow murdered her partner by just looking at him from across a cell door, and how do you propose she did this? The medical examiner was pretty sure he’d suffered a massive heart attack.” She paused, waiting for me to fill the silence. It was one of the oldest tricks in interrogation tactics, and I wasn’t about to bite.

“We’ve reviewed the surveillance tapes Walter, she never came within two feet of him. He got angry, we see him lunging at her, and then he collapses. There’s no way she could be responsible for it like you say. You were very much out of line slapping handcuffs on her. Thank god she isn’t pressing charges against you, our precinct doesn’t need that right now.”

“You didn’t see her eyes,” I said in a whisper. “I know what I saw.”

“Right,” she sighed, and I could feel her rolling her eyes. “How are you doing Walter? You’ve been putting in a lot of hours lately,” she started, and I could already feel where this was going.

I plastered a fake smile on my face, “Yeah you know how it is, money is tight this time of year, I kinda needed the extra pay.”

“Maybe you should think about taking some time off, you know, you’ve still got some leave coming up. Just for a few days, clear your mind,” she said, and I wondered if she’d even listened to what I had said.

“Is that a suggestion or an order,” I asked plainly.

She raised an eyebrow before answering, “It’s just some friendly advice Walter, but I can make it official if you want,” she stated with a cold smile. “Please take a few days Walter, I don’t want to see you here for the rest of the week.”

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As I drove my beat-up Honda home, I felt my shoulders start to slump. Being home for the rest of the week was kind of terrifying me. I parked the car in the driveway, took a deep breath, and put my key in the door.

“Honey, I’m home,” I called out as I stepped into the house. Navigating the cluttered hallway, I spotted the broom handle in the corner, and felt the bruise on my side sting again. Marcy was sitting at the kitchen table, cutting carrots. “I thought you’d be working late. How was work?”

“Fine, fine. Slow day,” I said, exhaling. “Are you- are you making dinner?”

“What, surprised? You act as if I never make you dinner,” she said with an accusing tone.

“No no, j-just, a nice surprise, you know,” I stammered quickly.

I went into the living room, and saw a large cardboard box from Marcy’s favorite online retailer sitting on the coffee table, packing material scattered all over the floor. Well at least I know where the extra money from me working overtime is going. I dropped my bag into a chair, and started picking up the mess.

During dinner, I broke the silence by asking casually, “So, did you get anything nice?”

Marcy looked up at me. “What?”

“The b-box in the living room I meant, did you get anything nice?” I repeated.

“I have to, Walter, it’s not like you ever get me anything nice.”

“Oh now, t-that’s not true, remember your birthday earlier this year, I got you that pretty dress,-” I started to say.

“I traded that in Walter, it was far too colorful. Made me look like a prostitute. Is that what you want, Walter? Do you want me to look like a prostitute?”

“Now now, of course not dear,” I winced as I sank into my chair. “I didn’t mean anything by it, I was just wondering.”

“Yes, well, I’m wondering why I ever married a deadbeat such as yourself,” Marcy sneered as she dropped her utensils on her plate.

I swallowed as her words cut into me, grimacing. “I’m trying my best, honey.”

“Sure, your best,” Marcy scoffed. “And what if your best just doesn’t cut it anymore, Walter?”

“I’m s-sorry you feel that way, but please calm down, honey.”

Marcy got up from the dinner table, her face contorting with anger. “Don’t tell me to calm down,” she yelled, grabbing a glass and hurling it at me. It shattered against my cheekbone as I fell backwards to the floor, a sharp pain numbing my face. I pressed a hand against my cheek and it came away sticky with warm blood.

“God, Walter, you’re such a goddamn spineless pushover,” Marcy said disdainfully as she stormed out of the room.

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I peered in my rear view and peeled off the little butterfly bandages I’d stuck over the cut in my cheek. Almost healed. I was sitting in my car, and across from the street was number 162, Lily Anderson’s address. I’d spotted her a few times over the past three days I had spent parked here. I thought this would be easier than admit to Marcy I’d been put on semi-mandatory leave. I was certain this Lily had somehow murdered her partner, and I had too many questions to just let it go.

I picked up a donut from the box on the passenger seat and took a bite from it. Way to answer to the stereotype, Walter. I looked up, and almost choked on it as I spotted Lily walking in my direction! I ducked down in my seat, hoping she hadn’t spotted me. My heart shrank as she walked right up to my window and tapped on it.

“Detective Leland?” she asked.

I looked up at her. The swelling in her eye had subsided, but it was still badly discolored. I cranked down my window. “Miss Anderson, good day,” I said, trying not to look guiltily.

“Why are you watching me? I know for a fact you’re not on duty at the moment.”

I sighed, “No, you’re right, I’m not.” I hesitated, unsure of what to say next. Lily glanced at her watch and pursed her lips slightly.

“Tell you what, let’s go get a coffee. I know a good place that’s nearby, what do you say?”

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A short while later, we were seated across from each other in a quaint little tavern, silently enjoying the best coffee I’d had all year.

“What happened to your face?” Lily asked, gesturing towards the cut on my cheek.

“Ran into a door,” I shrugged.

“Right, happens to me all the time,” she grimaced, carefully touching her bruised eye.

“Do you want to tell me why you’ve been watching me for the past few days, Walter?” She asked, not unfriendly.

“Dunno,” I shrugged.

“Do you want to put me in jail?”

I looked up at her and shook my head. “No.”

“Why not? You seem to think I killed Luke.”

I went back to my coffee, not sure where the conversation was headed. Lily sighed as she let her head hang as well.

“You’re right, you know.”

I peeked at her as she was still staring at her cup.

“I did kill him. I couldn’t take it anymore. The abuse, both verbal and physical, it’d been getting worse and worse.” Lily was shivering now, and I took her hand. She looked up to me, and our eyes met. Those sharp, blue eyes peered into me, and I knew exactly how she felt.

“Well, crap, I sure hope you’re not wearing a wire,” she managed to force a small smile on her face.

“But how did you do it?” I asked, baffled.

She shrugged. “Honestly? I have no idea. I just did.”

Another long silence fell between us.

“So, did you get suspended or something?” she asked. “If so, I’m sorry.”

“Nah, just voluntary leave. Or involuntary, rather. Should only be for a week. They want me to rest up and relax.”

“So why aren’t you at home with your wife?”

My shoulders slumped, and Lily must have spotted it, because she quickly added, “Sorry, didn’t mean to pry.”

“It’s alright.” I looked at my watch. “I should probably head home, it’s getting a bit late.”

Lily nodded as she finished her coffee. “Sure. I’ll walk you back to your car.”

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As we were on our way back, the dark clouds that had been building up all day decided then would be a good time to release their contents. It started as a drizzle, but quickly turned into a downpour. We grabbed each other’s hand instinctively, and hurried our way through the wet streets. By the time we got back to my car, we were both soaked to the bone. I got my keys out, but Lily put her hand on them.

“I can’t send you home like this, Walter, we’re drenched! Come upstairs and we can dry off.”

I felt awkward about how the day had turned out, but I also felt cold, wet and uncomfortable, so I agreed. I followed her inside and up the stairs, dripping everywhere.

“Wait here, I’ll get some towels,” Lily said as we entered her apartment and she ducked into a side room. Looking around, the place looked clean and cozy. There was some cheap mass produced art on the walls, but barely any pictures.

“Here,” Lily handed me a soft towel as she was drying off her own hair. “Go on into the bathroom and get those wet clothes off, I’ll get you some of Luke’s to wear.”

I stood in the hallway awkwardly as she disappeared into a different room again, and hesitantly stepped into the bathroom. It was tiny, with only a shower and a single washstand. One side of it was completely bare, with only a single toothbrush on the other side. She must have already gotten rid of his stuff. I took off my foggy glasses and started to peel off my jacket and shirt, wringing them out as best I could, and dropping them on the tile floor. A knock sounded on the door.

“Walter? Are you decent?” Lily asked.

“Yeah,” I said, opening the door.

Lily stepped in, wearing a babyblue bathrobe and with several articles of clothing in her hands. “Here, see if anything fits,” she started, then froze as she looked at me. I realized that my bare chest showed several large bruises, and quickly tried to cover up with the towel.

“Walter, who did this to you?” Lily gasped.

I stared at her, trying to keep my composure, but could feel my eyes filling up with tears. I had to steady myself against the washstand to not collapse. Lily grabbed me and hugged me tightly. The bottled up emotions of several years came crashing down on me, and I broke down, sobbing like a little child, while Lily tried to soothe me.

“Oh Walter, sush now, I know what you’re going through, you poor thing. If only there was some way for me to help you.”

I looked up at her. “You mean it?”

“Of course, Walter. Whatever you need. You’re a good man.”

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Later that evening, I arrived home. I stood in the hallway and took a deep breath. Marcy came up to me, a scowl present on her face. “Where have you been and what in the devil are you wearing?”

“Honey, I’d like you to meet someone,” I gave her a sad smile and stepped aside.

“This is Lily.”