Chapter 21 - Guilty by Association

After Billy took care of the Senders situation at 'The Office', Andrea had to re-assess the status of her relationship with him. After a beating, Derek heard it straight from Billy: he was to keep her distance away from her. Andrea was glad; she didn't want to see him ever again.

Billy had also been spending a lot of time with her lately, making it a point to be gentle with her emotionally and physically. She guessed it was his way to make it up to her for the way he had treated her in the past. Billy wasn't the type of man who would ever apologize to anyone –she understood that but he also didn't need to say anything to her, his grey eyes told her everything she needed to know. Ultimately, his companionship and attitude gave her strength to move forward with her life after the awful rape incident she had endured.

After all of the effort she had put into their relationship and trying to get Billy to open up about his past, seeing these concrete changes in him and how he was different with her compared to others made her feel things could get back on track for them. It should all count for something, right?

Although things were hopeful with Billy, school life had become a nightmare for her. News about the rape allegation and Jason's disappearance were buzzing all over Andrea's university, making her a suspect of sorts. Then, word had spread like wildfire she had been seen hanging out with Joe Darley, brother of Rockside gang lord Billy Darley and alleged murderer of the Hume kid. Hearing classmates and coworkers speculating behind her back became stressful but only Nicole, Tom and Lynn knew she remained close to Billy. Andrew knew she had become some sort of "marked" woman now.

Then, Andrea got the call she had been expecting all along. Detective Jessica Wallis wanted to talk to her. As soon as she got the voicemail, Andrea discreetly passed on a written note to Jamie who was back to keeping an eye on her in school along with Spink. She needed to warn Billy about the call without actual records of the conversation. Through Jamie, Andrea learned Billy wanted her to make the appointment with Wallis in the next few days and he would briefed her that same evening on what to say.

That night Billy showed up with Bodie at her apartment. They quickly role-played a number of scenarios and how she was to keep to a certain storyline.

"She's ready Billy," Bodie said.

Billy leaned over to kiss Andrea on the cheek before he stood up to grab another beer from the fridge.

"I'm a lucky dog to have a brainiac with me, if it would have been some of these other chicks, I would have been so fucked," he said, leaving the room.

Bodie laughed it off but Andrea didn't think the comment was funny but it didn't matter to her. Billy was with her and he had been coming home to her every night. Bodie seemed to be reading her mind as Billy returned from the kitchen.

"Babe, if she gets too rough with you, you tell me right away. I'll put her in her fucking place," he said, sitting down on the couch next to Andrea, taking a lazy sip from his beer.

"How well you guys know Wallis?"

They men exchanged looks but Billy nodded at his right hand man to elaborate. "We have a long history with her," Bodie said. "Let's just say we know her pressure points. If need be, we'll use them."

Andrea turned to her side and stared straight into Billy's eyes. "What does she know about us?"

"She knows enough," he said. "She's been trying to get me for years and she's going to go down this path to see if she can get to me through you. She thinks you're the weak link in this chain and I really need you to step it up for all of us babe."

His voice had been gentle but firm and she internalized everything he had said. Andrea was determined she wasn't going to let Billy down or Senders win in the end. That rapist deserves what he got, he had it coming. "I will," Andrea said with confidence. "I won't be of any usefulness to the police now nor ever."

Billy kissed her in the forehead and Bodie offered her a nod of approval. Seeing everyone at ease, Andrea made an announcement. "Since I'll be going to the Rockside Station, I'd like to visit Joe."

As she finished speaking, she could already feel Billy's body tensing up. "You are too fucking sweet babe but it's not a good idea."

"Come on Billy, let me see him," she pleaded. "I don't see any harm in it. I'd like to bring him cigarettes, gum, a copy of Maxim's…stuff like that."

"Porn!" Bodie suggested. "Bring him some porn magazines and that dog will love you forever."

Billy shot Bodie a disapproving look and turned to Andrea. "I rather you skip the visit."

"What is the issue?" Andrea insisted. "Everyone on campus knows that I know Joe so I' am positive the police knows it too."

"Here she fucking goes again!" Billy was already on his feet, pacing the room fuming. "You see Bod, I should have fucking ordered her to go see him so then she won't want to do it."

"None of you have gone to see him!"

"I'm not fucking stepping foot in a cop shop now or ever," Billy hissed.

"Joe's taken care off," Bodie assured her. "We know people in the inside who are protecting him. Plus, Billy has put Joe's girlfriend on a paid vacation from her clients so she can visit him in jail and tend to Joe's needs."

"Andy, I have this situation under control," Billy firmly said.

Andrea didn't care if Billy was annoyed at her, these new details raised more questions in her head. "Is Joe's girlfriend your employee?"

"Yeah, she works for me."

"Doing what?"

Billy took a long sip from his beer. He was taking his time, studying her until he eventually smirked at her. "I send her clients and she gives me a cut."

Andrea tried not to act surprised. Just great, let's complete the circle: drugs, weapons and now prostitution. "So, do you have a whole group of women working for you in this capacity?"

Bodie and Billy, being lifelong partners in crime, smiled at each other. "You fucking had to say it Bodie!" Billy playfully scolded his friend. "Babe, don't ask. All you need know is that I'm not a client. This is stuff you don't need know okay? Trust me."

Bodie jumped in right away. "For the record, I'm not a client either. I got my own little something something too!"

"Oh Bodie, please….you are a terrible liar… and Billy, you better not be a client!" Andrea said giving him a warning look. The expression on her face was a serious one, she wasn't pleased with the answers she got. It made her uncomfortable to know there is so much out there that Billy still kept from her.

Billy drew her closer to him. "Andy, it's to keep you safe. In case anything comes up, the less you know the better off you are," he said. "We've talked about this baby."

He gave her small peck on the lips but Andrea's attitude reflected she wasn't swayed by his explanation.

"Bill, I think it will be alright for her to go," Bodie suggested as a way to help ease up Andrea. "We actually need to pass certain information to Joe and who else we could trust better than Andy…."

"Absolutely not!" Billy said with a grave look to his face. "If Andy goes it's purely for a social visit. Joe's whore can be the messenger, not my woman!"

XxXxXxX

Andrea checked in at the police station's reception and was directed to Detective Wallis' office. She knocked hard on the door.

"Detective Wallis?"

"Come in Miss Jensen."

Wallis surveyed Andrea up and down and she could tell she had different expectations of how she would look like. That day, Andrea decided to wear a pant suit which made her looked closer to a corporate executive than a college student. Wallis had clearly expected her to look like one of the many Rockside locals she was used to seeing hanging around the Darley crew.

Wallis pointed to a chair. "Thanks for coming. Take a seat."

Andrea got nervous as she sat down but remembered what Billy said: "Babe, you need to stay cool in the outside." She offered Wallis a warm smile. "How can I be of assistance?"

"As you may have heard, Jason Senders has been missing for a few days now and we're investigating his disappearance. Right now, we're treating it as a missing person's case but we're looking at all options. Do you know anything?"

"I know as much as anyone else. I can't say I'm fond of him though."

Wallis pulled out a folder. "I'm fully aware; this file includes your statement regarding a fraternity party incident that involved you and Mr. Senders. Do you care to shed some more light on this?"

"Not really, it's an unpleasant situation for me. I'm not hiding anything from you but I don't wish to re-live the whole thing all over especially since you have the file there," Andrea said. "Detective Lewis assisted me in this matter and he is intimately acquainted with the details; he should be able to fill you in with specific details."

"Funny you say that because it was my conversation with Detective Lewis that pointed me in this direction. He seems to believe you had the motive to disappear or kill Senders."

"He raped me, of course I hate him," Andrea stated. "I don't know anything about where he may be nor I care to know."

"When was the last time you saw or spoke with Mr. Senders?"

"I believe it was April 2th. He accosted me on campus around 5:30PM. When I saw him, I got really scared. I started screaming and ran away. That was the first time I had seen him since….that day of the party….," Andrea paused and swallowed hard. "It just made me so incredibly nervous to see him."

"Did he threaten you?"

"I don't know what he said because it freaked me out so much that I started screaming and ran away. After what he did to me before, I wasn't going to stick around to find out what he wanted."

"Did you see him later that night?"

"No." Andrea was actually telling the truth. The beating and disappearance didn't take place until the evening after.

"What you do for the rest of the evening?"

"I went to a bar looking for a male friend of mine and later on we went to his place."

"Does your male friend have a name?"

"Yes, William Darley."

Wallis' eye brow raised a mile high. "How are you acquainted with Mr. Darley?"

"I met Joe and Billy one night at this same bar when I got lost with a girlfriend. We've hung out on and off ever since. Detective, I don't understand how this is relevant to this inquiry?"

"Do you know what the Darleys are rumored to do?"

"Sure, they work for their Dad at the family car shop."

Wallis let out a hearty laugh. "Is that what they told you?"

"Is that not true?" Andrea said drawing her hand to her chest.

Wallis impatiently rolled her eyes at Andrea as if she was annoyed at her stupidity. "Miss Jensen, describe for me in more details what you did the rest of that evening."

"After Jason accosted me, I wanted to get the hell out of his sight. I drove around for a while just to calm myself down. Then, I drove to Rockside to the Four Roses. Billy and I had made plans to meet there around 7:30PM. When I got there, I found him and shortly after we decided we wanted to go his place. Some of his friends came along too."

"So did Mr. Darley or his friends leave the apartment that night?"

"Not that I'm aware of."

"What time did you leave Mr. Darley's place?"

"I didn't leave the apartment for four days Detective."

Wallis' eyes widened. Andrea had to make a super human effort not to laugh at her face.

"Why is that? Did something happen?"

"It's a rather….personal…issue Detective."

"Well, given the incident between you and Mr. Senders, you could be a person of interest so you need to explain this to me in greater detail."

"This is a little embarrassing but you asked for details," Andrea warned her. "You see, Billy and I like to…. play together. Then, since I was depressed because of the rape Billy convinced me to stick around for a few days. I didn't feel like been all alone in my apartment and having people around me help me keep my mind off from what happened at the party."

"Isn't that too soon to get intimate with someone after a traumatic rape experience?"

Wallis was grilling her hard. "Coming from a woman who is familiar with crimes being committed, that's a hurtful and cold thing to say to another woman Detective."

"No reason to get defensive Miss Jensen, just answer the question."

Andrea acted as she had been insulted by Wallis' insensitivity. "If you really read my case file, you should know that I don't remember the rape itself because a drug was put on my drink. The physical act is not traumatic to me; it's the sense of feeling threatened or coerced by a man. It was not a coerced situation with Billy and I trust him as sexual partner. This has been happening close to 2 months now and we had gotten together that evening with that specific purpose in mind."

Wallis gave her a scrutinizing look. "Is it true you were dating Derek Wittmeier, a friend of Jason's?"

"Yes, we went out for about two weeks and I met Jason through Derek."

"Did Mr. Senders know that you were….involved with both Mr. Wittmeier and Darley?"

Wallis' look on her was judgmental. Andrea knew she had to distract Wallis from the questioning path that she had been pursuing. Billy had given her strict instructions to minimize bringing Derek up into the conversation. Andrea looked at Wallis in the eye just like Bodie and Billy had instructed her to do when she spoke next.

"Regarding Derek, yes and neither of the two men knew that I was occasionally seeing Billy on the side if that was going to be your next question Detective," Andrea volunteered. "The truth is that I love to get it on with smoking hot guys like Billy or Derek. Last I checked that isn't a crime and besides life is too damn short, you know?"

When Wallis impatiently rolled her eyes at her for a second time, Andrea knew she had just delivered a successful "dumb slut" impression.

"Miss Jensen, I want you to know I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable. I'm only trying to get to the bottom of this situation."

"I understand," Andrea said feeling completely relaxed in the inside. The cat was in the bag! Billy's plan had been dead on, he knew Wallis very well, indeed. Wallis clearly thought of her as a spoiled, ditzy and slutty college girl. Shortly after, Andrea was dismissed by the detective.

Andrea headed next to the Station's visitor check-in jail area. She was surprised to see Joe; he already had a visitor that day. Andrea recognized the woman that Joe was talking to. This is not good, not good at all.

Chapter Notes:

So do you think, Billy has really changed or is he just covering his tracks? Who may be the woman at the Station?

Thanks for reading and enjoy!