The Detective and the Rockstar

Chapter 19

           The world was a blur. Her breaths were short and fast. The only sounds around her were her heavy breathing and the soles of her sneakers striking the concrete walkway as she pushed ahead. She couldn't hear the birds chirping or the nearby traffic. The smell of exhaust fumes was drowned out by the overpowering aroma of food and coffee.

            She zipped by a vendor selling sandwiches and hot drinks on the edge of the wide walkway. Every muscle in her legs burned as her fists sliced through the air. She propelled herself forward, keeping the momentum she had built up since leaving home. Her mind felt free from clutter as her blood raced through her body. The cold wind nipped at her nose, causing her to sniffle.

           The sun was beginning to warm the lingering morning chill. It bathed the park with its golden light. Bees and butterflies hovered around the fresh blossoms in the trees. A few cars passed her as the sleepy neighborhood woke to join the masses already on the go.

           She pushed herself. One leg at a time. Deep breaths to facilitate her steady pace. She rounded the corner, leaving the peaceful park behind her. Vendor stalls and commuting people disappeared in the background. She had been running since before the sun came up. She was sure that was more than half an hour ago.

           Her strides began to slow as she saw someone getting out of a car in front of her apartment building. She knew the person very well and instantly became excited.

           She stopped, her last heavy stomps catching the woman's attention. She stepped onto the sidewalk near her charcoal-grey car that matched her hideous pantsuit. She smiled at Annika.

"Good morning, detective," she said.

"Hey, Claire. Good morning..." She doubled over, sucking in the air like a fish trying to breathe out of water. Her lungs were burning. She gripped her sides, her breath forming a mist before her face. Sweat soaked her blue sweatsuit and dripped from her burning face.

"I'm glad I caught you. I have your results." She handed Annika a brown envelope. "It tested positive for ketamine. You okay? Any idea how something like that got into your system?"

"It's all good...don't worry about it. Thanks a million, though. I appreciate it." She straightened up and slapped the woman with the thick-framed glasses and shaggy bob on the shoulder.

"No problem at all. It's always a pleasure to help you. Well, I'll be off. You take care of yourself."

"Sure. See you around."

She didn't wait for the woman to get in her car. Annika's mind was about to explode with questions and theories.

✵✵✵✵✵

            It was raining when she stepped out of the bathroom. She made herself some coffee and got a box of cereal from the cupboard. On rainy days like these, she liked to snuggle in bed and watch TV, but her mind was too restless to relax.    

            She tore the paper she had been scribbling on from the book and crumpled it in anger. She tossed it in the wastebasket. With a huff, she took another shot at her crazy poem that, to her, made little sense.

"Chamomile tea!" she said with a chuckle.

She wasn't sure what to do with the day. Should she waste it and forget what she had read in the blood report or dig into it?

           She gave it a thought. She had done a lot of research on the man she was falling in love with. She wanted to know what was behind the pretty face. There was a story online about Rio giving a homeless lady and her daughter two thousand dollars after discovering her standing on the side of a road. He even drove the woman and her daughter to a shelter when he learned she had been kicked out of her home by her in-laws after her husband died. Rio was a selfless and compassionate man. He was the sort of person who gave deep thought when it came to the emotions of others. He didn't strike Annika as someone who would hurt another person. Her theory wasn't adding up.