"Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep"
By: Kasey
(c) 1999/2000
This is my piece of imagination, not yours, so dont
steal.

Chapter 3

	" What do you mean, she just came racing out of
nowhere? Did you search the alleys around there?" the
captain wasn't happy. Any rookie could see that. And
any rookie would stay away. But Howie wasn't a rookie.
He was a senior officer, been on the force now for
almost three years, ever since he had moved away from
the entertainment industry. And never, in his three
years with the LAPD had he seen a woman as scared and
as terrified as the woman who was sleeping soundly on
a cell bunk. His first thought, that it had been a
rape was wrong. When a search of the alleys had been
conducted, they had found the body of a woman. Howie
had come to the conclusion that this woman, the woman
who had raced out of those same alleys, had in some
way, witnessed what had happened. But why didn't
anyone believe that? They all thought it was a rape or
attempted rape. Her torn clothes were evidence of
that. But Howie believed different. He had never been
wrong on one of his hunches, nor was he going to be
wrong this time. This woman was a witness to a brutal
murder and if the police department didn't at least
attempt to protect her, the she would be the next on
this maniacs list.
	" I told you Cap. She came running out of the alleys
as though someone was after her. She ran right into
the middle of the road and collapsed onto the road,
right in front of the squad car. When we did the alley
search, all we found was the body of a deceased
nineteen or twenty year old woman. She had been raped,
mutilated, tortured and then a knife was taken to her
throat. That woman in there," Howie said, indicating
the sleeping woman," Is a witness to what happened.
You cannot tell me that you wont at least send someone
to her place to protect her until we know for sure
what happened."
	" We cant do that Dorough. We dont know what happened
and with this maniac who killed that woman loose, we
need every officer out there looking for him."
	" Then let me," Howie surprised himself with the
request.
	" You?"
	" Yes, me. I have vacation time coming up. Let me
take it and stay with her. Protect her the way she
needs to be protected. You can afford to let me go,
I'm only a traffic cop anyway," he said and his
Captain sighed.
	" Thats why I'm not keen of putting you into that
kind of situation. You haven't seen real duty in a
year. Are you sure that you can..."
	" I wouldn't have offered if I didn't think I could
handle it. I am ready to get back into proper duty.
I've been practising every day and I am 100% fit.
Please Cap. Let me do this please. I can help her,"
damn he really was surprising himself. Since when had
he begged for an assignment?
	" Fine, fine. Just dont get dead you hear? I happen
to like you, though go knows why. We want to talk to
her first, before she goes home."
	" I realise that Cap. Do you want me to wake her?"
Howie asked and entered the cell after the Captain
waved him away irritatedly. Howie stood at the side of
the bunk, watching the woman sleep. She breathed easy
now, all signs of her shock and terror wiped away by
the innocence of sleep. Her auburnish brown hair
curled around her face and shoulders and she looked to
be no more than about twenty-five. His eyes roamed the
rest of her body, finding it to his liking. He shook
his head, bemused at why his thoughts were turning to
the carnal instead of focusing on his job. This woman
was a witness, someone he was going to be protecting.
If he let himself get involved with her...his blood
ran cold at the implications. Sighing, he gently shook
her, hoping thats all she needed to wake. But all she
did was murmur something and burrow deeper into his
jacket. But as she moved, her skirt, which was already
in pieces, rode up her thighs to reveal black silk
lace panties that did nothing to conceal. He swallowed
hard as he shook her, a little more firmly this time,
adding his voice to the movement. This time she awoke,
with a start, her green eyes immediately filling with
fear. But when her eyes focused on him, the fear
receded and in its place was serenity.
	" We want to ask you a few questions, is that okay?"
he asked as she sat up and tugged her torn skirt down
over her legs. She wouldn't look at him and he knew
that she was feeling embarassed at her clothes - or
lack of to be exact. He wondered if one of the female
officers had a spare change of clothes that the woman
could wear and realised that the sooner she was
comfortable within herself she'd be more open with
him," Stay here okay? I'll go and see what I can do to
find you some clothes to wear."
	" Thank you," she said. He had to strain to hear her
but he did detect an accent. British? He nodded and
left her sitting on the bunk, her knees drawn up to
her chest, his jacket covering her body. He pushed her
out of his mind as he went into the squad room and
cornered the first woman he saw, who also happened to
be around the same size and height of the woman. Damn.
He'd have to remember to get her name. He couldn't
keep calling her the woman or ma'am.
	" Judy, we have a witness in custody who needs a
change of clothes. Would you happen to have any
spare?" he asked. Judy, who was an attractive blonde,
smiled at him and nodded.
	" Sure do Howie. She can have 'em, if you go out with
me this Friday," she said and Howie groaned inwardly. 
	" Sorry Judy but I'm on vacation as of tomorrow. And
I start witness protection tonight. So until thats
over, I wont be free. Maybe after then?" he placated
and she smiled,. albeit a little less enthusiastically
than last time. She had been after him to go out with
her for the past year but every time he had had an
excuse. She was a nice woman, he supposed, attractive
and fun loving. But he was at that age where
attractive and fun loving just weren't the only things
that were cutting it with women any more. He wanted
stability, he wanted permanence, he wanted...the woman
with an accent and torn clothes. He shook his head and
sighed silently. What the hell was he thinking? Judy
led him over to her locker and opened it, pulling out
an over sized sweatshirt and a pair of cutoffs. 
	" These do?" she asked, waving them in front of his
face.
	" They'll be fine Judy," he said and went to take
them off her but she held them back.
	" Make sure I get my date Howie," she said and handed
them to him, then walking away with a swing in her
hips. Howie supposed that it was garnered to attract
his attention but it warranted nothing more than a
brief passing glance. He had seen the tricks before.
Being a manager of several popular singers he had been
chatted up more times than he could remember. So he
knew all the female wiles. He hurried back into the
cell and found the woman sitting in the same place as
he had left her. In fact, it didn't look as if she had
even moved.
	" Ma'am?"
	" Kasey," the voice was so soft and husky he had to
bend down closer to hear her.
	" Excuse me?"
	" Instead of calling me ma'am, please call me Kasey.
Thats my name. Kasey," she said and he nodded. So he
knew her name, but the accent still remained a
mystery. 
	" Well Kasey, I have some clothes for you to put on,
instead of what you're wearing at the moment," he said
and handed her the clothes Judy had given him. He
noticed the way she seemed to burrow deeper into his
jacket, and cling to it, almost in a panic, as if the
jacket were some kind of lifeline.
	" Can I keep the jacket for now?" she asked softly. 
	" Sure. You keep it until you can get rid of it okay?
I'll be just outside and when you're changed, come on
out and I'll take you up to the interview room," he
said and she nodded, biting her lip nervously.
	" Will you be there?" she asked and he frowned," At
the interview?"
	" Oh. Its not an interview, just some questions. And
yes, if you want me there I'll be there for you," he
said and she nodded again. She looked so vulnerable,
so scared and yet, amongst all the fear and the
vulnerability, Howie could see an inner strength,
something that he knew she was going to need in spades
over the next god knows how long.
	" Thank you...what is your name?"
	" Howie. My name is Howie," he said and she smiled
wanly.
	" Thank you Howie. For...for everything," she
whispered and he nodded, before leaving the cell again
and waiting for her outside.

*****

	He heard her cry out in pain and rushed back inside
the cell, to find her on the bunk, tears streaming
down her face as she held her feet. It was then that
he realised she had blood and cuts all over them. He
cringed at the thought of the pain she must have been
in. He hadn't even seen them before. He knelt down in
front of the bunk and took one foot in his hand,
holding it gently and examining the wounds. 
	" You stay right here and I'll get something to clean
them okay?" he asked as he got to his feet. She
nodded, her eyes still full of tears and he felt
guilty because he hadn't seen her wounds sooner. He
hurried out of the cell and raced to the sick room,
hurridly filling a basin with warm water, adding some
antiseptic and grabbing the first aid kit as he made
his way back to the cell. She was still there, not
moving, but at least the tears had slowed. Her eyes
were closed and he thought she had drifted off to
sleep but as he neared, her eyes flew open and focused
on him. He knelt back down and started washing the
sole of one foot very gently, trying not to wince
every time she did. 
	" I didn't even register the pain," her soft voice
whispered over his consciousness.
	" You wouldn't. The adrenaline would have kicked in
and the pain wouldn't have registered straight away.
Why were you walking in an alley with no shoes on?" he
asked, removing a tiny shred of glass that was
embedded in her heel.
	" My shoes were uncomfortable. I'd been at a club and
they were hurting so I took them off. It was only
meant to be a short walk to the front of the club but
I...I kinda go into these little worlds and forget
where I am and forget to pay attention to what I'm
doing," she said, almost embarassed. He laughed softly
as he started washing her other foot.
	" Thats okay. Will you be okay to walk?" he asked as
he finished the job. He spread some antiseptic cream
on her now clean foot and slipped on a pair of clean
white socks he had remembered to bring.
	" I...I think so," she said and he nodded, paying
more attention to the first aid kit than her, "
Howie." Her voice made him jerk his head up, so their
eyes were meeting again. And again his first thoughts
when he saw her green eyes were not job related.
	" Yeah?"
	" Thank you."
	" For what?" he asked. What had he done?
	" For not thinking I was a prostitute when I ran out
onto the road. Any one else would have and I'm very
grateful you didn't," she said and he nodded, placing
a hand on the bunk as he pushed himself to his feet.
	" I never assume on things or people I dont know," he
said. He felt her hand cover his and looked up at her.
	" Thank you anyway," she said and he nodded, moving
his hand away and picking up the basin and first aid
kit before leaving the cell.

*****