Chapter 2: Good and Evil

My aim had been simple: I wanted to find out what tied Marlee to the man who had been texting her, and what would happen between them at Plumo Park. A thin, secret thrill tugged at me as the city glowed cool and bright under neon. Plumo Park sat on the city's edge, far from the bustle. I rode in a taxi and shadowed the car ahead until it stopped at the park gate. Marlee slipped out. I paid the driver, got out, and melted into the dark, keeping the roadside trees between us. Just as she was about to step through the gate, she stopped and fished something from her bag.  I was too far to see clearly, but the object flashed cold in the moonlight, and my chest tightened. She carried a weapon, a knife or a pair of scissors, something small and sharp for protection. She slid it up her sleeve, then pulled out her phone and made a call, likely to pin down the exact meeting spot. A few seconds later, she hung up and hurried through the entrance. The moment she vanished inside, I followed. Moonlight pooled on the paths; I kept low and well behind, not close enough to be noticed.  After about ten minutes, she stopped and dialed again. Before her lay an artificial lake; to the left, a stand of trees. Flowerbeds bordered both sides, thick with shrubs and blossoms.  I crouched behind one, about sixty feet away. "Hey, I'm here. Where are you?" Marlee's voice sounded steady, edged with anger. A fat, balding middle-aged man strode out of the trees. The glare of his bare scalp caught the moonlight. "Ms. Casson, we meet again," he said, coming closer with a sly, squinty smile. Marlee flinched back a couple of steps, her fists clenched at her sides. Even in the dark, I could feel her tension. "I came like you asked. Delete the photos from that night," she said, heat in her voice. "Don't be so heartless. Before I delete anything, shouldn't we catch up a little?" He gave a low, ugly chuckle. "That night, the sounds you made were unforgettable." "Shut up. You were a patient, no family by your bed, and I looked after you. You sneaked into the duty room while I nodded off and raped me. You're a piece of filth and an ungrateful bastard. I'm giving you one last chance. Delete the photos, or we'll meet in court." He scoffed. "If you'd really pushed back, how could I have gotten away with it? Face it, you wanted it. Your husband can't satisfy you, so you wanted some other guy to show you a good time, right? You want to go to court? Think about the fallout. You could wind up divorced, your face all over the internet, the neighbors and your friends whispering day and night. Are you ready to pay that price?" In the moonlight, his eyes had a cold, wicked glint. Marlee shuddered and fell silent. He took the chance to sidle closer, arms lifting as if to pull her in.  She snapped to, whipped out the weapon, and stepped back. A long blade caught the moon, sharp and cold. It was a long slicing knife. The balding man jerked back, hands up. "Easy. Don't do anything crazy." "Take one more step and I'll stab you," Marlee said, brandishing the knife. Panic washed over him, then ebbed. He forced a grin. "So you're not serious about talking, is that it?" "What will it take for you to delete the photos?" "Simple. Let me have you here tonight. When we're done, I'll delete them right in front of you." "You're shameless." Rage and humiliation shook her; the knife trembled in her grip. "I am shameless. But you know what they say, women fall for bad boys." He checked his watch. "You've got five minutes. Think it over. It's 10:11. I'll have a smoke." He stood there brimming with confidence, not the least bit cowed by the knife. He slid out a cigarette, lit up, and took long, slow drags, sending pale smoke into the damp air. All the while, his gaze crawled over Marlee's body, bold and obscene, as if she were already stripped and laid out, a lamb to the slaughter. From the shadows, I watched the two of them, my breath shallow. I felt no pity for Marlee. Instead, I felt a strange, hot excitement. I wanted to see her naked and in another man's hands, wanted to snap a few secret photos to set my own plan in motion. When desire took the reins, I did not think beyond it. Time turned thick and slow. The knife in Marlee's hand lowered little by little. I could not see her face clearly, but I could feel her inner turmoil. He finished his cigarette, dropped the butt, and crushed it under his heel. "Well? Decided?" "I… I'll do it. But you have to keep your word. If you don't, I'll take you down with me." "Relax. I'm a man of my word," he said, and smiled. Marlee slid the knife back into her bag at last. "That's better. No need to be nervous. It's just a transaction," he said, a nasty light in his eyes. "The grass is dry. Sit. No one's around; nobody will spot us getting intimate." Marlee's body quivered as she sank onto the lawn. I lifted my head a little to see. They were too wrapped up in their own thing to notice me tucked into the dark. He lunged and pulled her into his arms. She tried to fight him off weakly, but it was no use. From this angle, under the moon, their faces came into focus. Stubble roughened his cheeks; his narrow, beady eyes glinted; his upturned nose; his grin showed yellowed teeth. He was downright hideous. And that ugly man held my goddess, groping her breasts. Marlee's face burned red. She grabbed for his hands, but he shoved her arms away and tore open the buttons on her blouse. A purple bra came into view, stretched tight. His face twisted with excitement, and he yanked the bra free. In an instant, she was bared to the moonlight, her figure thrown into sharp, shameful relief.  From the dark, I watched the balding man violate her, and my body reacted on its own, intense and involuntary.