Tomahawk Read Free

I pulled the car out.  I parked and she made her way to the car, arms covering herself.  “Tony.”  I got out the car.  “Tony, you don’t have any shoes on. Let me carry you to the car.”  She wiggled away from my reach and walked the few yards to the car.  I exhaled.  I knew what happened; the nurse filled me in while she was asleep.  I wanted to hear it from her mouth; I wanted to understand what she was going through.
    “I live at the same place.  Do you remember how to get there?” 
    She had to be kidding me.  I remember her place just like it was my own. 
    Her head fell back on the seat and she stared out the window. 
    “So you still at the school?” I asked.
    “Yes.”  Still looking out the window. 
    I couldn’t describe the way that I was feeling right now.  I had so much to say to her but didn’t know how to say it.  I turned the heat on full blast; I knew her feet were cold. “Tony, I’m sorry that this--”
    “You didn’t do it.”
    “I know that I didn’t do this to you, but I’m still sorry that it happened.”  I had to keep reminding myself that she was frustrated and hurt.  Confused and full of shame at what happened to her.  Any woman would be.  She was taking it out on me and I would let her.  “Are your feet still cold?  I think I have some socks in the back in my gym bag if you want them.”
    “I’m fine.”  The falling snow was illumining the car.  I was able to get a better look at her.  I was in awe of her. She looked better. She was prettier than I remembered.  She was no longer a little twenty-something but a woman.
    “Stop staring at me,” she deadpanned. 
    “I wasn’t…I just want to make sure that you are all right.”
    “Not your problem anymore.  I’ll be okay.”  She looked through her little bag of contents that was sent over to her by the police.  She grabbed her purse and keys as we drove through her complex to her apartment.
    “Is there someone you want me to call?” She shook her head no.  “A friend from work, boyfriend?”  It was the first time she looked over at me. She rolled her eyes. 
    “No boyfriend. He and I broke up a few weeks ago.”  She didn’t sound too torn up about it.
    “Do you think--”
    “It wasn’t him.  He didn’t do this to me.”
    “Was it a bad break up? Maybe he was upset that he lost you.  You never know, Tony.”
    “I know it wasn’t him.”
    “It was dark. It may have been.”
    She exhaled slowly.  “Several reasons I know that it wasn’t him.  One, he was the one that broke it off with me. And two, I think I would know.”
    I was totally confused.  “What does that mean?  You think you would know?”
    “Vic, I’ve been with him.  Intimately.  I know him.”  It looked like she was holding back from throwing up.  Today, I wasn’t fully aware that I was an asshole until right now.
    We pulled up to her apartment; she unlocked the door and limped up the stairs.  “Tony, could you wait a second please?” 
    I literally had to chase her up the stairs; she had her keys in her hand ready to unlock the door.  I put my hand over hers.
    “Please could you wait?”  She looked up at me, that black eye begging for an ice pack. 
    I took the key from her hands and barely touched the lock when the front door creaked open.  Pure dread washed over her face. 
    “Go to the car and lock it.”  I had to repeat myself a couple of times to her.  This girl was scared.
    I looked back to make sure she was safe in the car; I removed my .22 from my ankle holster and entered her place.  It was just like I remembered it, but it was covered with shit.  I made the sharp left to her bedroom. It looked like every stitch of clothing was put in the middle of the bed with a strong smell of bleach coming from it.  Towels and makeup were either on the floor or drowning in the toilet in her bathroom. 
    Her flat screen television was ripped from the wall and lay on the floor with a large