A girl covered in a blanket, sitting and shivering. She takes the cup from the officer. She takes a sip, wide open eyes.
"Now tell me what has happened there," Sergeant speaks in a harsh tone.
Sergeant Joseph interrupts, "Hey easy sir, officer, can't you see she is scared?"
Officer in low voice, "Sorry sir."
Sergeant looks at the girl, takes the cup from her trembling hands and helps her to drink tea.
"It's hot, drink carefully girl. Now can you… I want to know what happened there. Tell me if you're feeling good, but first tell me your name."
The girl, through trembling lips, nods, "Yea… yeah… yes sir, my… my… my name's Cali."
Sergeant takes notepad and pen. "Ok, now take a long breath. I am here. Just tell me what you saw, who were those guys and how they got killed. But you're safe."
Cali visibly scared, horrified. She closes her eyes tight, her nostrils— "Sir, I was at a party, enjoying with my girlfriends bu… bu…"
"But what? Why don't you tell? You were trying to lust some rich guy over you?" Officer speaks rudely, chewing his gum.
Girl sobs, "No sir, I never went to a club. It's my friend, she was invited and it's plus one, so I go there with her."
Officer rolls eyes. Sergeant Joseph points finger at door. "Officer, I think you should go out, ok."
Officer murmuring, got out from room. Sergeant puts his palm into hers.
"Now tell me, no one's here, you can help me, please."
Cali nods, "Yes sir, it's just that the whole incident happened so fast. I'll tell you what I remember."
Sergeant nods, looking carefully to Cali's body language. Cali starts explaining:
"I was coming back from a party, the time was 10 something. I was hailing a taxi but no taxi stopped, so I walked a little. Some guys stopped their car in front of me. One guy asked me if he can drop me, but his expressions and eyes were saying something else. I rejected his help. As I walked, they followed me and groped me, took me into a narrow alley, covered my mouth, tied my hands with belts. They started moving their hands all over my body, tearing my clothes. Then…"
Sergeant urgency in his voice: "What then? What the hell happened there? I want to know how 5 men just got beaten to death and you survived somehow."
Cali, tears running down her cheeks, lips trembling, sobbing: "I got so much scared. Then in the shadow, a man stood. He asked me to close my eyes. I did. And then their cries for help… that's all I remember."
Sergeant scowling: "That's all you remember? Ok, you can go now. Your father arrived. But don't go late night again."
Cali left with her father. Sergeant sits on his chair, lit a cigarette, thinking, smoke… "Who the hell are you, my friend?"
Outside of police station, Drake smirking, listening every word carefully, murmured, "You'll never find out, Serge."
After standing there for minutes, Drake walks from there in moonlight. Drake is walking toward his apartment, having puffs of his cigar.
After reaching his apartment, Drake counts the cash he took after beating the guys and rescuing Cali. After counting, Drake opens his fridge, takes whiskey, goes to balcony, lights a cigar, takes puffs. With every puff his stresses vanishing like there was nothing. Drake lazily falls on the floor and sleeps there.
In morning, there's a knock on Drake's apartment. Drake, half sleepy, walks at door. As he opens the door, the man outside starts barking:
"Drake, where's the rent, you moron? It's been three months you haven't paid me anything. Give me my rent before I call the cops."
Drake smirks, taking out money from his pocket. "Here sir, your reason to live. Three months rent with three months advance. Now don't disturb me for three months."
Landlord counting cash: "Yeah yeah, but at least you could've asked for a cup of coffee."
Drake rubbing his forehead: "Huh, maybe next time when you come nicely, madman."
Landlord stops counting: "What the hell, did you just call me?"
Drake smirks: "What you just heard."
Landlord puzzled: "What, nice man… me? Ok thank you, but next payment on time."
Drake rolls eyes: "Yeah yeah yeah, now can I go for work?"
Drake closes door, goes into shower. As rubbing his body, he has flash of last night:
"Leave the girl and hand me every single cash and penny you have, I'll let you walk away from here."
All men laughing at him. Drake, widened eyes, scanned them in lightning speed, starts beating them, unties the girl one by one, pulls out cash from them, and frees the girl.
After spending his day as usual, doing nothing, in evening Drake goes for walk on the streets, listening people's whispers, their heartbeats. Drake finally reaches Rosy's bar. There he orders drink for himself.
Bartender Rosy giving him drink with low voice: "Drake, I think it's time for you to move on. She won't come back."
Drake takes sip: "Huh, did you say something?"
Rosy rolls eyes: "Drake, you heard what I just said. You're making your life a waste in her memories. She left."
Drake points finger at bottle: "No, I believe she will come back. She loved me. Now refill my glass please."
Rosy refills his glass: "Drake, she didn't tell you or anyone. Just disappeared. She just disappeared on the very happy and special day of your life."
Drake gulps the drink in sip: "No, I don't believe. She will come back or I'll bring her back as I know where she is."
Rosy chuckled: "Fine, you and your belief on her. But if she didn't come back, rest of your whole life then what?"
Drake in heavy voice: "Then I'll be living like this the rest of my life. You don't need to care about me or her."
Drake stands up from chair and walking with trembled step. He bumped into someone. Drake balancing himself: "Sorry sorry, I am drunk, I just didn't see you."