“I like dad’s brand of beer, Joshua. And even if I did have any of the other stuff I wouldn’t give it to you. What do you want?” I took a step toward him but he backed up. “You aren’t looking too good.”
“I’ll tell you what I want. I want you to stop seeing Natasha.”
“What?”
“You heard me. It can’t work between the two of you. You know that. She’s just your average girl from some crappy suburb and you…hell, Marty. You should be dating models or debutants or someone with a little better breeding than that one.”
“Joshua, you really lost any influence you might have had with me years ago. I don’t think you are in any position to tell me who I can or can’t date.”
“She’s just a piece of ass! What? Do you love her? Is that it?”
I stepped up to my brother and glared at him as I had done many times over the years growing up when he had overstepped his bounds.
“One more word out of you, Joshua, and you’re out of here. Things are not looking well for your future. You’ve still got time to get your act together and perhaps find another avenue for your needs. But I am through baby-ing you. Mom and Dad said we were supposed to take care of each other. As far as I can see I’ve been taking care of you and that’s about it.”
I knew my brother wasn’t listening. He was pacing around, looking in cabinets and drawers and every once in a while he’d chuckle or click his tongue shaking his head and cracking his knuckles. I hate to admit that I was uneasy. No. Uneasy wasn’t the word. I was beginning to feel very scared of my own brother.
“Joshua? Are you listening to me?”
I watched as my brother walked back and forth and finally stopped to look at me. The look in his eyes was void of all emotion. There was nothing but darkness there.
I stood waiting for him to say something more. To give me a gross and twisted interpretation of the events that he was contributing to. But he didn’t say a word. He looked around as if he didn’t even know how he had ended up in my apartment. Then, like some guy realizing he was about to miss a flight or a bus he looked around quickly and then headed toward the door slamming it shut on his way out.
I really thought that he had given up.
I suspected he had hurt Denise but I had no proof. It was obvious he was scaring Natasha but I insisted that she was safe. Then, just a few short hours ago I got a call from her.
“Something is wrong.” She said, I could hear tears in her eyes. “Diamond made me promise to call her when I got in and I’ve been trying to call her all night. There’s been no answer. Marty, do you think Joshua…”
“I can’t say for sure, Natasha…”
“He did that to Denise. You know he did. There might not be proof but you know he hurt her.”
“Natasha, calm down. Diamond is…”
“Diamond is all alone, Marty. Please check in on her. Please just get to her apartment and check on her. I haven’t asked you for anything. But I’m begging you now.”
What could I do? I love Natasha. There was no way I couldn’t check up on her friend for her. Unfortunately, I felt a twinge in the pit of my stomach that was writhing and folding in and over itself letting me know that my brother more than likely had something to do with this.
Natasha gave me Diamond’s address and also told me where she was staying. I sent Ray to check on Diamond while I made my way to the suburbs to this address.
While I was in the car Ray called me back.
“This is bad, Marty. I’ve called the paramedics. You better get to Natasha’s place. Diamond said Joshua left a while ago. If he isn’t at her parent’s house now he’s damn well near there. Look, don’t try to take on your brother alone. He’s unhinged, Marty. To put it mildly.”
Ray was right. As I sped down the expressway heading to this small suburb outside the city I watched the patterns of the streetlights and the tail lights as my mind focused on weaving in and out of traffic. I don’t know how fast I was going. But from the description Ray had given me of Natasha’s friend I was terrified of what I might find if I were too late.
My GPS lead me right to the door and as I pulled up I saw that the front door stood open like a black mouth in a silent scream. Climbing out of my car, I listened, and a dreadful quiet gripped my heart. I was sure that I was too late. I held my breath and waited just a few seconds. That was when I heard her voice. Natasha was inside and she was crying.
I dialed 911 and dropped the phone on the front seat of my car as I raced inside. Trying not to make a sound I followed Natasha’s sobs into the kitchen where I saw her standing in the corner, her hands raised defensively but her eyes were looking down.
It was like she was afraid to face whatever it was that had her cornered. Something, some kind of monster had her shaking violently and so scared that she could only tremble and whimper like a dog that had been beaten.
That was when I saw my brother. He looked as if he had tripled in size. His rage made his muscles bulge out and tremble. He was coming at Natasha from the other side of the room. I can only guess that she had tried to run out the back door and he stopped her with a slap or a shove or some other assault letting her know that he was not planning on handling her with anything other than malice.
“I couldn’t make out what he was saying.” I told Officer Simmons. “He was mumbling and spitting when he talked like a person who might have Turrets Syndrome. It was a string of obscenities and accusations that Joshua had conjured up in his own head. Natasha didn’t just break up with him, she devastated him, humiliated him and there was absolutely no way he was going to let her get away with it.”
I looked at Officer Simmons as he wrote down the general gist of what I was saying. He was a big man, made even bigger by the bulletproof vest and utility belt that circled his thick waist. His head was bald, as were many of the police officers on the scene. To prevent the bad guys from getting a lump of hair in their hands, I assumed. His eyes took in everything around him. It was as if he was concerned he might be quizzed on whether or not there was a potted plant next to the front door or if I had blood over the left or right side of my head. I got the impression he was a good cop. Thorough in his note taking and investigations.