Fear loomed over Kazimir like a shadow. His heart pounded so hard in his chest as he hid his trembling hands in his pockets. He couldn’t make eye-contact with the austere detective either. He turned to Everly for help, but she just stared at him, awaiting an answer.
“Did Hank ever buy you drugs?” Detective Lindel followed up when he didn’t respond.
Kazimir gaped. “What? No, never. Hank wouldn’t mess with that stuff.”
Detective Lindel frowned, narrowing his eyes at the artist. “But you would?”
Clenching his teeth, Kazimir stared down at his worn-out converse with dirty shoelaces. “No.”
“You sure about that?”
“Yeah. I’m not on anything, I swear.” Kazimir fidgeted with his arms, shivering from the cold draft in the apartment.
Detective Lindel leaned down, lowering his voice. “I saw the track marks.”
“What? No, those were just uh bed bug bites. I had them really bad, but I got rid of them now.” Kazimir tried to stay confident with his lie, but he was just whistling in the dark.
Detective Lindel nodded, but Kazimir had a sinking feeling that he didn’t believe him. They couldn’t force him to take a drug test, could they? There wasn’t enough evidence to suggest he was an addict or that his addiction somehow connected to Hank’s murder either.
Before the young woman cop led Jordy into his bedroom he made eye contact with Kazimir. Doubts clouded his mind. If only he could talk to Jordy and get things cleared up. What could they possibly be talking about in there? Paranoia suffocated him with ridiculous thoughts of Jordy turning on him. His roommate would never do that though. Jordy wanted to help figure out who killed Hank just as much as he did.
The police officers’ search went on for what seemed like an eternity. None of the cops bothered to put their belongings back. They left the place in shambles. Which didn’t surprise Kazimir. Almost all of them had piled out of the room except for Detective Lindel and the young red-head he remembered from the scene of the crime.
“Detective Bailey, come here.” Detective Lindel gestured him over.
“Yes, sir?”
“Tell Kazimir here what happens when you lie to a detective.”
“Lying to us can bring an obstruction of justice charge,” Detective Bailey explained. “But you wouldn’t do that, right? You’ve been honest with us since the investigation started.”
“I’m not lying,” Kazimir muttered.
“Come on, don’t be such a hardass on him.” Everly tugged on Detective Lindel’s arm. “Kaz is just scared. Look at him. Do you really think he’s capable of killing a man of Hank’s size by stabbing him? Hank would’ve easily overpowered him.”
Detective Lindel groaned, rubbing his temples. “Just be honest, okay? You won’t get in trouble. I just need to know if you’re an addict. It’ll stay between us.”
“Yeah,” Kazimir murmured, barely above a whisper. “I’m high right now on coke. I needed it after Samantha stabbed me. You don’t understand… I thought she loved me. I thought-” Tears rained down his cheeks. “I thought she was gonna kill me.”
Everly wrapped her arms around Kazimir and rubbed his back as he trembled, reminding him of how his mother used to soothe him as a child when he’d get night terrors. She was almost as tall as him, so he rested his head against her shoulder. The sweet smell of cherry blossoms embraced him as his tears slowly stopped.
“You’re safe now, it’s okay,” Everly told him.
“I don’t understand. Why didn’t you call the police after Samantha stabbed you?” Detective Lindel asked.
“I was scared. I don’t know.” Kazimir sniffled as he moved away from Everly. After removing his glasses, he wiped away his tears. He rubbed his snotty nose on the sleeve of Emmett’s jacket.
Detective Lindel frowned. “Where the hell did this even happen?”
“In Viper Valley,” Kazimir replied. “The old drug store.”
“What led to her stabbing you?” Detective Bailey questioned. “How did you end up at the old drug store?”
“We went on a bike ride after supper with Jordy,” Kazimir explained. “Everything seemed great until we pulled over. She told me there was something important she needed to tell me. I thought she just wanted to ask me out, since she kissed me right after I parked. Suddenly, she just pulled a knife out and stabbed me in the shoulder, going off about how I betrayed her to the Voiceless Rebels.”
“Maybe you were just a bad kisser?” Detective Lindel sneered, earning a scowl and whack on the arm from Everly.
“Is that true? Samantha stabbed you?” Jordy emerged from the hallway with the petite female officer following behind him. His roommate’s brows knitted in a frown and his hands clenched in fists at his sides.
Every inch of Kazimir froze like a statue. He didn’t want to tell Jordy how their close friend tried to kill him, not after he’d encouraged Kazimir to go on a date with her. The inside of his mouth felt like it had been stuffed with cotton. He couldn’t tell Jordy how he’d sought help from a gang and learned their waiter at the Wallflower was actually the Voiceless Rebels gang leader.
“Yeah, it’s true.” Kazimir bit down on his lip, looking away from Jordy. “I’m sorry.”
Jordy approached them, and Kazimir shrunk back behind Everly. The female cop left, like the others did.
“No need to apologize, man. I’m just glad you’re okay.” Jordy came around the couch to embrace Kazimir tightly then released him. “I filed a missing person’s report in the morning when you didn’t answer any of my texts. I got scared when you didn’t come home. I had a bad feeling gang members might’ve got to you. Samantha messaged me earlier saying you rejected her. I thought that was weird cause I know how much you like her.”
Kazimir scratched the back of his neck. “Oh wow. That’s what she came up with?”
“Yeah, she hasn’t responded to anymore of my texts. Especially not the ones where I told her I was filing a police report for you,” Jordy explained.
“Tell me if Samantha contacts you again,” Detective Lindel told him. “You’ve got my number.”
Jordy nodded. “Yeah, thanks a lot, Adam.”
In the end, Kazimir filed an official report to Detective Lindel and Detective Bailey about Samantha’s attack before they left their apartment. Had Jordy not insisted, Kazimir never would’ve done it, but he didn’t want to worry his roommate anymore than he already did. Deciding to leave with Everly already had Jordy on edge, but somehow, his roommate’s mind got lodged in the gutter.
“I swear, I’m just staying there to make sure my shoulder heals properly,” Kazimir explained.
“Sure you are, man. I see why you’re in such a hurry to get back to that pretty girl’s place.” Jordy grinned then lowered his voice. “I’ve got some condoms back in my room if you need some.”
Heat seared through Kazimir’s cheeks. “Y-You got things all wrong. I’m not gonna do that. And keep your voice down. She’ll hear you.” Kazimir peeked at the front door, expecting the blonde young woman to step back inside any moment.
Jordy snickered. “Jeez, you get too flustered. It’s hilarious.”
Everly walked back inside, hands on her hips. “I’m not carrying all of your crap out to my car, Kaz. Get your butt moving and quit standing around.”
Jordy gave him a thumbs up, leering as Kazimir went to collect some clothes from his bedroom. Everly had already loaded up his portable art easel and some paints he’d need so he could stay entertained by painting.
Samantha’s betrayal took him by surprise, but at least he had people he could rely on. Even after she stabbed him, Kazimir tried to give her the benefit of the doubt. But he realized that was idiotic on his behalf. His feelings for her shrouded his good judgment.
Kazimir just couldn’t believe she would do that to him. He thought what they had was special, but she showed him her true colors. Hatred entangled around Kazimir’s heart like a vine of thorns. Revenge never solved anything, but he considered it. He could vandalize her car and make it look like their rival was responsible. He could spray-paint atrocious images on it and flatten her tires.
As he grabbed his backpack brimming with spray cans, memories from the evening Samantha and him spray painted the railroad underpass came to mind. Hoodlums soiled the bridge with their atrocious slurs and gang tags all the time, so they created a beautiful piece that portrayed love and acceptance.
The cops somehow got word of their graffiti work and came to put an end to it. Kazimir helped Samantha elude them and took full responsibility for their actions. She never faced any consequences, whereas he had to pay a hefty fine and spend his weekends doing community service for the next six months. They made him clean up artwork from other aspiring artists and scrub their passion away until the buildings were just blank canvases again.
He could’ve faced jail time, but she didn’t care. Her only concern had been for herself. Samantha played with Kazimir’s heart like it was all a game.
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