Serenity Club Epilogue
Tucker shrugged.
“And it sounds absolutely crazy even to me,” Denny said with a nod, “but I’m going to ask anyway.”
“Well, go ahead already.”
Denny took a deep breath. “Someone said they overheard you congratulate Brig for killing Rashida.”
Tucker, squinting, looked at Denny as if he’d just spoken in a different language.
“I know, it’s pretty out there.”
Tucker seemed to recover himself a bit. “Who’s Rashida?”
Oh God. “You didn’t hear my ex-wife was murdered?”
Tucker shook his head.
Denny swallowed. “Well, like I said, it was absolutely crazy but I had to ask.”
“Well, who said I said that?”
Denny couldn’t go there. He wondered if it had been wise to even say as much as he did.
*
Denny hightailed it out of the Serenity Club. He should’ve …show more content…
Stop it right now.”
“What do you want me to say? If I say I lied I’d be lying.”
“Yeah, okay.” Denny smirked. “Powell said you bugged him to take you along on one of his dates. And when you were alone with Powell’s girlfriend’s friend you asked her: ‘Want me to hurt you?’ Do you deny that too?”
“I was just curious what Powell did. Tell me you aren’t? Hey, every guy in the firehouse wishes they were him when it comes to that stuff.”
“I don’t think so, Orson.” Denny sneered. “So, where were you when Rashida was murdered?”
“I resent you even asking that.” He started to walk away but Denny grabbed him.
“You’re setting up Brig as the killer. Why?”
Orson batted Denny’s hands off. “Hey. Look. You’re on the verge of crossing a line here. All I can say is I’ve had your back all these years. Don’t turn yours on me now.”
“I just want the truth.”
Orson shook his head. “So hire a private investigator.”
“I already have.”
Orson glared at him. “You hired a private investigator to investigate me?”
“Yeah.”
Orson started nodding. “All right. All right. What can I say then? Except that...it’s over. You’re on your own now, Denny.” He turned and walked away.
Denny trailed him. “You killed Rashida. You wanted to get off on hurting somebody so you raped and killed her.” He grabbed him …show more content…
When he walked in, Gabriela just barely acknowledged him. As far as Denny could tell that meant she liked him because she was disappointed in his being cold to her the last time he was there. But he was at the stage where not even a beautiful woman could divert his attention from the mess his life had become. More than anything what drove him now was the rage building against Rashida’s killer.
Aunt Elizabeth was busy. No surprise there. Denny had to sit for a half hour in the waiting area near the newly icy Gabriela. Finally Aunt Elizabeth summoned him.
He told her everything this time. About Brig’s revelation of the forensic report. Of Orson’s denials and veiled threat. He even—screw it—told her about his missing handcuffs and the cab company records indicating he’d left from Rashida’s the night of the murder. Again, he felt she thought he did it. He fell back in his chair. “My God, you really think I killed her, don’t you?”
“Dennis.” The irritation in her voice said it all.
“Hey.” He shrugged. “What can I say? That’s the way it seems to
“And it sounds absolutely crazy even to me,” Denny said with a nod, “but I’m going to ask anyway.”
“Well, go ahead already.”
Denny took a deep breath. “Someone said they overheard you congratulate Brig for killing Rashida.”
Tucker, squinting, looked at Denny as if he’d just spoken in a different language.
“I know, it’s pretty out there.”
Tucker seemed to recover himself a bit. “Who’s Rashida?”
Oh God. “You didn’t hear my ex-wife was murdered?”
Tucker shook his head.
Denny swallowed. “Well, like I said, it was absolutely crazy but I had to ask.”
“Well, who said I said that?”
Denny couldn’t go there. He wondered if it had been wise to even say as much as he did.
*
Denny hightailed it out of the Serenity Club. He should’ve …show more content…
Stop it right now.”
“What do you want me to say? If I say I lied I’d be lying.”
“Yeah, okay.” Denny smirked. “Powell said you bugged him to take you along on one of his dates. And when you were alone with Powell’s girlfriend’s friend you asked her: ‘Want me to hurt you?’ Do you deny that too?”
“I was just curious what Powell did. Tell me you aren’t? Hey, every guy in the firehouse wishes they were him when it comes to that stuff.”
“I don’t think so, Orson.” Denny sneered. “So, where were you when Rashida was murdered?”
“I resent you even asking that.” He started to walk away but Denny grabbed him.
“You’re setting up Brig as the killer. Why?”
Orson batted Denny’s hands off. “Hey. Look. You’re on the verge of crossing a line here. All I can say is I’ve had your back all these years. Don’t turn yours on me now.”
“I just want the truth.”
Orson shook his head. “So hire a private investigator.”
“I already have.”
Orson glared at him. “You hired a private investigator to investigate me?”
“Yeah.”
Orson started nodding. “All right. All right. What can I say then? Except that...it’s over. You’re on your own now, Denny.” He turned and walked away.
Denny trailed him. “You killed Rashida. You wanted to get off on hurting somebody so you raped and killed her.” He grabbed him …show more content…
When he walked in, Gabriela just barely acknowledged him. As far as Denny could tell that meant she liked him because she was disappointed in his being cold to her the last time he was there. But he was at the stage where not even a beautiful woman could divert his attention from the mess his life had become. More than anything what drove him now was the rage building against Rashida’s killer.
Aunt Elizabeth was busy. No surprise there. Denny had to sit for a half hour in the waiting area near the newly icy Gabriela. Finally Aunt Elizabeth summoned him.
He told her everything this time. About Brig’s revelation of the forensic report. Of Orson’s denials and veiled threat. He even—screw it—told her about his missing handcuffs and the cab company records indicating he’d left from Rashida’s the night of the murder. Again, he felt she thought he did it. He fell back in his chair. “My God, you really think I killed her, don’t you?”
“Dennis.” The irritation in her voice said it all.
“Hey.” He shrugged. “What can I say? That’s the way it seems to