“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.
“Did you attack your brother?” he asked me without looking up.
“I did. He had Natasha in the corner like I said. He stepped up to her while she was crying, begging him to just leave. Still babbling nonsense he pulled his arm back and punched her right in the face. I suspected he had done what he did to Denise but I didn’t see it. I believed Ray when he told me how he found Diamond but I didn’t see that either. This I saw. This I witnessed with my own eyes and before Natasha hit the floor I was on my brother pummeling him with everything I had.”
“Did he at any time fight back?”
“Joshua Hewitt, not fight back? Are you kidding? As you can see by my face he got a couple good licks in himself. But it was Natasha who leveled him out. She had to.”
Just then I saw the paramedics wheeling Natasha out on a stretcher.
“Oh my God. Can I talk to her, officer? Just for a second.”
“No. I’m afraid not. Not until you answer a couple more questions.” Officer Simmons didn’t seem to be too concerned about my plight. I just wanted to see if she was alright, if she was even conscious but the handcuffs and the pain in my own face and body kept me seating on the ground where I was.
I watched as the ambulance doors were slammed shut and the vehicle sped away, lights swirling and siren howling. I’d have to meet her at the hospital if I wasn’t thrown in jail.
My brother had yet to come out of the home. I had no idea what was taking them so long with him. I can imagine the statement he was giving police until I heard the shouting begin.
“That son of a bitch! Let me go! Do you know who I am? Do you know I could have your jobs?”
I looked at Officer Simmons who pursed his eyebrows together and looked in the direction of the front door of the house.
“That’s my brother.” I said as they nearly dragged him out of the house, his hands behind him tightly restrained. Two officers quickly swept him away and shoved him into a police car where he proceeded to scream.
It was a heartbreaking sound to hear. Like the natural call of the whales was soft and yet terrifying I heard the muffled cried of a creature that had finally lost. He was caught in the net and floundering. Looking at the officer in front of me I could tell by his expression that he was clearly annoyed with the situation.
“Mr. Reid, does your brother have a history of mental problems? Is he on any kind of medication that you know of? Does he have a therapist or doctor he sees regularly?”