Her eyes flickered anxiously. She took a breath and leaned on the headrest. “It’s not that I was trying to. There was just too much running through my head. With Pam, then – then Steve. I was just beat.”
“See, right there. You paused. You were about to say something. Did I do something wrong?”
She turned her head towards him, her eyes sad with adoration. “You only became my worst nightmare.”
Taken aback he said, “Wow. That’s a first.” He bit his bottom lip, slowly releasing it as he lowered his head.
Open mouth insert foot, Liz. “The other night when you came over, I was all out of sorts. Before you got there, I was in the bath and had an ‘episode’, or so my shrink likes to call them.” She shook her head embarrassed at herself. “I dreamt that you turned into Steve. You turned into him but you were still you. I mean, I saw you, but all I heard and all that happened were only things he would say and do.” She grabbed her temples and rubbed them hard. “I know I don’t make any sense. I’m sorry.”
Resting his elbow on the armrest, he rubbed his chin for a moment before turning to look at her. “You know that would never happen, right?”
Looking out towards Pam’s grave she said, “Well, that’s what my conscious likes to tell myself. My subconscious, however, makes up it’s own stories.” She met his eyes and asked, “I’m a train wreck waiting to happen, Martinez. Are you sure you wanna get any more involved? She shook her head and looked back out at the gravesite. “I really couldn’t blame you if you want to back out.”
“Tell you what, how ‘bout we discuss it over some phone records?”
She gave him an awkward look.
He winked and his lips curled mischievously.
The last car rolled out of the cemetery and Martinez got the feeling Brandon saw his vehicle. Not that he cared. The two of them sat in silence for a few minutes before they noticed a man walking towards the open hole in the ground that would soon be filled with dirt by cemetery employees.
“Looks like you may have called it, Detective. So, now what’s your plan?”
“We’ll just sit here and wait for him to leave. Before I can do anything, I need to identify him. We’ll get close enough behind his vehicle to get his plate number so I can run it.”
“I’m not sure that’s the best way to go about it, do you?”
“Of course it is. What do you mean?”
“Well, what if it’s not his car?”
He looked at her weird. “Why wouldn’t he be driving his car, Liz?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. Not every one has their own vehicle, I guess. Or a driver’s license for that matter.”
He contemplated her logic for a moment. Before he could respond, she opened the car door and began to get out. “Liz, what are you doing? Liz!” She shut the door behind her and began walking towards the man. “Damn it!” screamed Martinez as he slammed his hand on the steering wheel. Rather than chase after her, he decided to sit tight and see how it played out.
She slowly walked up to the grave and stood some distance behind the young man. His hands were stuffed in the front pockets of his Khakis. Not noticing her at first, he was sniffling, quietly. He jumped when he realized he wasn’t alone. “Jesus, lady!”
“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
Using his sleeve as a tissue, he cleared his face. “Don’t worry about it. I’m done here.” He turned away from her and began to walk away.
She stepped up a bit closer. “Wait! I’m so sorry. Did you know Pam? She and I were friends years ago. I wish I would have stayed in touch.” She looked down and forced tears from her eyelids then reached into her bag for a tissue.
Shaking off his own grief, he stopped and walked over to her. He shook his curly bangs out of his eyes and they fell perfectly over his eyebrow. “Hey, I’m sorry. I’m just not really – I didn’t want to come. Are you okay?”
Wiping her nose with her tissue, she said, “Yeah, I know what you mean.” She laughed it off. “I literally waited for the family to leave before getting out of my car. I didn’t want to be here either but I would feel terrible if I didn’t say goodbye.” She put her tissue in her pocket and offered her hand to him. “I’m Lisa. Lisa Swanson. Pam and I went to high school together.”
Shaking her hand he said, “Damian. Damian Burk. Sorry, I’m just not much of a people person. That’s why I waited in my car too. Don’t really need the family drama, ya know?”
She rolled her eyes in agreement. “Yeah, right? So, how did you know Pam?”
“We worked together at Creative Industries.” He starred down into the ground. “Such a talent gone to waste.” Tears fell down his defined cheekbones. “I’m sorry.” He began to walk way. “I’m really sorry, but I have to go.” He wiped his nose and stuffed his hands back into his pants pockets before briskly walking back to his vehicle. He turned on the ignition, and quickly drove from the site leaving Elizabeth standing alone over Pam’s grave.
Her eyes suspiciously followed Damian’s vehicle until it was out of sight. Looking down at Pam’s coffin covered in expensive flowers she said, “I’m so sorry this happened to you, Pam. I promise we’ll find whoever did this.”
Reaching Martinez’s vehicle, she jumped into the passenger seat and closed the car door. Martinez gave her a scolding look.
“Damian Burk. They worked together at Creative Industries.” She smiled being quite proud of herself.
His facial expression failed to change.
“What?” she asked befuddled by his irritation. “You’re welcome.”
The sun dimly shone through the second story windows of Brandon’s lakeside apartment as he sat alone on his sofa. His tie
