Torture Chamber

He sat there pretending to listen to what his colleagues were discussing. His mind wandering off to her. How she had slipped out of his grasp, and how he knew he had the ability to prevent it. She had been the love of his life. And for the past three years he had been able to drown out the memories of her. Now, these memories were brought back, due to his job relocation. He had no idea that he would be relocated to her.

"Jim, what is your opinion on the case?"
"Jim!"

Jim awakened from his day dreaming to realize that everyone was expecting him to have some sort of theory. He honestly had no idea.

"Hmmm....sorry sir, I am quite exhausted, didn't get much sleep last night. I guess i can honestly say im dozing off a bit. I'm gunna go grab so coffee."

He got up out of his chair and excused himself from the conference room. The tension in his back tightened as he felt everyones gaze follow him out of the room.

Instead of grabbing the regular cold black coffee they always had, Jim decided to go take a walk to the coffe shop just around the corner.

When he got inside the smell of mocha's and lates immediately hit his nose. It was pleasant and strangley invigorating. The woman at the counter almost ruined it with her impatient attitude. She sat behind the register tapping her fingers waiting for Jim to make up his mind. He finally settled on a vanilla mocha and a small slice of coffee cake. He figured he might as well put something in his stomach while he was here.

Looking around the coffee shop, he noticed most people were dressed in suits and most of the women, casually dressy clothing. Nothing was really unorthodox about this, it was a busy part of town. Many businesses nearby.

He took a seat in the back of the shop where it was less crowded. After quickly skimming the newspaper he saw that it was all information he already knew or cared nothing about. Sickness, Insurance problems, taxes, informaton about the war in Iraq. Nothing that any middle class citizen didn't already know. To keep his mind off of her though, he thought it was a good idea to read it anyways. Keep his mind busy, even though he would probably get so bored with it all he would slowly but surely drift back to thoughts of her.

Jim refused to say her name, even to himself. It was bad enough he had to see her everyday now. The last week, everytime he passed her, he felt like grabbing her and passionately touching her, to feel the soft satin texture of her skin, the silk of her hair. To feel the warmth of her breath against his neck again, the soft preasure of her lips. Unfortunately, he knew she would never take him back. She probably blamed him for too much and kept that anger seeded deep inside her. Sometimes when she looked at him though, he felt as if there might still be love left there. Love that possibly he could bring out.

Suddenly the chime of a clock brought him out of his thoughts. The clock above the bookcase on the far side of the shop said it was nine o-clock. Jim had already been there for half an hour and he hadnt even gotten through one article before his mind had wandered off.

Everyone in the conference room would wonder where he was, that is if the conference was still even in session. He got up without finishing his drink and headed back to the office. On his way back he realized that he had forgotten what case they were even working on. He was so relieved that he had gotten rid of all the old cases that he hadn't had time enough to absorb the fact that a new list was being created. It didn't really matter, all he had to do was look at the files he had on the desk. One of them was bound the be the case he was working on now.

The cool air was comforting when he got into the office building. Until now he hadn't realized how hot it was outside. It had to be in the mid-eighties, which, for this time of year was pretty damn hot.

"Jim, goddamit, you were supposed to be at that goddamn meeting today! We need your help on this one. We've got five girls tortured to death and your acting as if you don't give a DAMN!"

Well, that solved the question as to what the case was, Jim thought.

"I know, I'm on it, I just have a lot processing through my mind right now." Probably not enough to really use as an excuse but its the truth at least. "I promise I'll have something to give you the next meeting we have, okay. I'm going upstairs right now to work on it."

Jim was in the elevator before his boss could say another thing about it. The last thing he needed right now was his boss on his ass.

"Come on Shelly, I've got to get to a meeting. I can't be late!"

"I'll be just a second mom!"

"You were going to be just a second forty-five minutes ago. I swear, you need to start waking up earlier. Either that or start taking showers at night."

"Okay, I'm ready"

"Good, lets go. I know your already late for school."

Alex got in the car with her daughter. She knew she was going to be late for the meeting at work if not miss it completely. Her nerves were racked enough as it is, she doesn't need anyone to give her crap about being late. Esspecially when it wasnt entirely her fault. She supposed she should start punishing her daughter though, she has made her late three times this week already. Supposedly there is a new boy at school she feels the need to look perfect for. Thankfully she was never like that in high school. She never had to try too hard at all to look good, not that she cared much anyways.

"Wait, mom, I forgot my keys! We need to go back!"

"Oh I swear Shelly! If you don't start getting your crap together, I'm going to make you take the bus to school every morning."

"But mom, I have to get up so early for that. And i don't know anyone on my bus. The bus drivers and ass too!"

"Watch your language young lady! I'm aware you talk that way when your around your friends but don't remind me of it by speaking that way around me."

Shelly kept silent. It took a good ten minutes just to get back to the house for Shelly's key due to unfortunate timing at the lights. She felt like just crossing and paying for the ticket rather than wait. But she knew very well she didn't make enough money to do that.
Finally she reached the school and Shelly got straight out of the car and headed for her friends. She was amazed at how fast her daughter seemed to grow up. Yet her younger daughter seemed to be taking for ever to grow up. It wouldn't be for another 9 months that she turned 4. To her it felt like an eternity. Maybe it was just because work was going slow these past few years. Like crime had decided to take a break. Until recently at least. There were five new murder cases. Each somehow connected. We just had to find out who was committing them. Way more work than it sounded.

Alex beeped her horn at the car in front of her. Apparently a mother trying to tell her daughter a few million last things before she let her out of the car. She beeped her horn again. She could just imagine Shelly looking away in embarrassment, denying any affiliation with the mad woman honking her horn like crazy. The thought made her laugh to herself.