Undying Rage Nightclub

  Saturday

  Derren slides behind the bar as Rachel dries her last glass and sets it down. Rachel removes hair from in front of her right eye, positioning said hair behind her ear. She happens to glance up, catching Derren's eye. A shy smile alters her countenance and Rachel looks away. Is that passion she reads on Derren's face. Hopefully, it is just the lighting.

  Unfortunately for Rachel, this is not the case. Derren moves closer to Rachel, until he is able to peer down at her as she works. Rachel inhales slowly, not wanting her boss to sense her anxiety.

  "Uh, Rach? I sorta had an idea," Derren whispers so only Rachel can hear. "You know...I mean, we talked earlier about you needing to earn some more money. I've got a good buddy. He runs sort of...He runs a couple of businesses on the side. Mostly under the table type stuff. I know, he'd be glad to have you. You're an attractive girl. I've got Jack and Rodney right now. They can handle most of the nightly business for the club. I hate to see you roughing it with that ridiculous buddy of mine. Ned is about as braindead as they come. You deserve so much better. I want to see you get it."

  Rachel remains silent, absorbing every word of Derren's statement. Her surprise kicks up ten notches when Derren leans in and kisses her softly on the cheek. The bar owner slowly maneuvers his lips until he is kissing the corner of Rachel's mouth. Rachel swallows a lump which is forming in her throat.

  "I...Derren...I don't know what to say," Rachel manages to squeak out.

  "Don't say anything," Derren responds, sliding a hand down Rachel's back. "Think about it for a few days. Then...Let me know, okay? I just want to take care of you."

  "Sure," Rachel says, her throat constricting further as Derren's mouth inches even more across hers. "Sure, Derren."

  Derren slowly straightens up as the trenchcoat man known as Jim Mackey enters the club. The two men make eye contact, Derren's mouth twisting into a sneer. Rachel quickly moves away, sensing there may be trouble brewing. She watches Jim Mackey out of her peripheral vision, as she wipes the bar down with a clean rag. Jim Mackey nods to Derren, returning the bar owner's unhappy sneer.

  "Can I talk to you for a sec, Derren?" Jim Mackey asks in a low voice.

  "Yeah. Alright," Derren responds, none too thrilled to have his present quest interrupted.

  The two men walk along opposite sides of the bar until they reach the far end. Derren motions for Jim Mackey to follow him to his personal office in the back. Rachel watches it all, curiosity tugging at her brain.

  -

  -

  4:24 a.m.

  Rachel Corbin's Apartment

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  Rachel opens the front door as quietly as possible, peeking around it to ensure Ned is not anywhere in sight. To her extreme sadness, Ned is indeed awake. He is seated on the couch, staring in her direction with an evil expression. Rachel slowly enters the apartment and shuts the door. She begins to remove her coat as Ned rises from the couch.

  Everything about Ned's demeanor spells trouble. Rachel closes her eyes and breathes in slowly.

  "Think of the future," she tells herself. A future without Ned Andrews.

  Ned closes the distance between them rather fast. He backs Rachel against the door, placing his hands on either side of her shoulders. He glowers down at her, while using a strongly condescending voice.

  "How was it tonight? Did you make a lot of money?"

  "Uh...No. Not really. Not any more than usual. A couple of hundred. Almost three. We lost. No one much felt like celebrating tonight."

  "Oh. That's too bad," Ned drawls sarcastically. "I guess...You'll have to make money some other way."

  "Huh? I don't...What are you talking about, Ned?" Rachel inquires, fear seizing her chest.

  "Well...You'll have to start all over," Ned replies, a smirk turning up one corner of his mouth. "You were gonna leave me...Weren't you, Rachel? You were gonna take my money and run."

  "What? No, Ned. I have no idea what you're talking about."

  "I'm talking about the nearly three thousand dollars I found hidden in your fugging shaving cream, Rachel!" Ned roars, slamming his right palm against the wooden door.

  Rachel jumps at Ned's sudden movement, a squeal escaping her throat. She squeezes both eyes shut, expecting the enraged man to hit her. She partially opens one eye when no blow lands. Ned is staring down at her with a pitying expression, his eyes looking her over. Licking his lips, Ned reaches into his pajama pocket and retrieves a twenty dollar bill. He tugs on the front of Rachel's jogging suit pants and tucks the bill into her underwear. Leaning close, he whispers in her ear.

  "Maybe...Derren is right."

  Almost too politely, Ned moves Rachel from in front of the door. She stands still as a statue, shock immobilizing her. Ned kisses Rachel tenderly on the cheek before slapping her hard on the butt.

  "Don't worry. I'll leave you a little something, Rach. But right now, I've got a pretty lady waiting for me downtown. Just as fine as she can be. Don't wait up...Okay?"

  Ned slips out of the apartment, his laughter following him down the hall. Rachel shuts the door, her mind in a daze. Before long, tears steam down her face. All of her squirreled away money gone. He took it. The only money she has left is the fifteen-hundred or so in her secret bank account. There's always Lenny.

  She hates to get Lenny involved, but Ned has left her no other choice. Without Evelyn, Lenny is her best option. Her only option. She'll call him tonight. Maybe she can be out of here in a couple of days.

  -

  -

  Castleton Police Department

  Detective Mackey enters the operations room to complete silence once again. All eyes are riveted on the detective as he pauses in the doorway. A rookie officer named Bauer nods respectfully but refrains from speaking.

  "Where's the Chief?" Mackey asks, noting the Chief's open door.

  "He's down at the crime scene. He wanted to be there personally," a female officer named Jorgensen relays in a soft tone.

  "Okay. Where's that? I'll meet him there."

  "Uh..." Rookie Bauer stammers. "I think he'd prefer you remained here. At least, that's the impression I got."

  "What?" Mackey exclaims, shock in his voice.

  "The chief took Jefferson and Truman along with him," Jorgensen says. "Detective Samuels is expected to lead on this one."

  "Samuels? What? The guy is a greenhorn!" Mackey protests. "Detective Samuels...On a case like this?"

  "Afraid so," Bauer continues. "Chief specifically asked for you to meet him here at the station. The girl's body is in pretty bad shape. Uh...It looks like she got caught up in a boat propeller or something. Head is a mess. Ballistics is gonna have a rough time reconstructing exactly what happened. Chief wants you here."

  At this point, Mackey's stomach lurches. This is not good.