An Elf's Rose

CHAPTER FOUR


Rose sat huddled on the sofa in sensei Akamura’s private office, a blanket around her shoulders. The shakes had just begun to sde. de. She had been given a ceramic cup full of coffee by the woman police officer sitting in the office with her, but it tasted awful so she just held it for the warmth.

The door od and and two men walked in, one who looked as old as her dad, and one who looked pretty young. They didn’t wear uniforms but she knew they were police. The older man pulled up air air and sat directly opposite Rose, while the younger man stood leaning by the door and pulled out a small notebook to write in. The woman police officer stayed where she was.

“Hello, Rose. My name is Detective Farrell, and that’s my partner, Detective Davies. We’re here to ask you a few questions. Is that all right with you?”

Rose nodded mutely, looking from one man to the other.

“I know you’re upset, but it’s best to get this stuff out while it’s still fresh in your mind. Know what I mean?”

She nodded again and looked down at the coffee cup.

“How old are you, Rose?”

“Eighteen,” she whispered.

“Do you come to this aikido school?”

“Yes.”

“How long have you been coming?”

“Since June.” She could hear Detective Davies scribbling in his little notebook.

“How do you know Orlando Bloom?”

“He was my beginner’s class teacher.”

“Was your teacher?”

She nodded.

“Are you dating?”

Rose felt her face coloring. She looked at Detective Farrell in the eye. “No.”

“Why were you alone with him on that side street?”

She shrugged. “He was walking me to my car. He – he said he wanted to ask me something.”

“What?”

“Well, I don’t know. He never the the chance, did he?” She bit her lip. What had he been about to ask? Would she ever know?

“Can you tell me what happened?”

Rose squinched her eyes shut, the images tumbling through her head.

“I – I really didn’t see what happened.”

“It’s ok, relax. Just tell me what happened from your point of view.”

She took a deep shaky breath. She told them how the man had been hiding behind the telephone pole and asked for a light. How Orlando had been suspicious right away.

“How did you know he was suspicious? Did he say anything?”

“No, he – he got battle-ready.”

“Battle-ready? What does that mean?”

“Just what it soundke. ke. He prepared himself for battle.”

“How do you know that happened?”

“I don’t know how to explain it. He gripped my shoulder and I could feel his tension – it was electrical.”

“Ok, then what?”

“Then we heard the snap of the switchblade opening. Orlando shoved me up against the wall and covered me with his body. To – protect me, I guess.” Rose recalled the feel of his body against hers and looked away, flushed pink again.

“So you got scared at this point, right?” the detective asked, misinterpreting her reaction.

“No – not really.”

“Why not?”

“Because I knew that Orlando wouldn’t get hurt.”

“How did you know that?”

Rose smiled a tiny smile. “You’ve never seen him fight. His specialty is knife fighting. He’s – scary. Only sensei Akamura can best him.”

“He’s a black belt, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Go on.”

She explained that the man had insulted Orlando and she heard another man’s voice telling him to cut him, cut his face.

“Another man?”

“Yes. He was whispering loudly, like he didn’t really want to be heard. Like it was all planned that they were going to do this to Orlando.”

Detective Farrell turned and looked at Detective Davies. Davies opened the door and stuck his head out and talked to someone softly. He closed the door again and continued writing.

“So you think someone was out to get Mr. Bloom.”

“That’s what it sounded like.”

“Do you know of anyone who would want to hurt Mr. Bloom?”

Rose looked down at the coffee cup. She shrugged. “I don’t know of anyone for sure. I mean, I don’t know Orlando enough to say if he’s got enemies or anything.” Shd hed her own suspicions, but they could be wrong and she didn’t want to get innocent people – well, innocent of this anyway -- in trouble.

“All right. What happened then?”

“Well, I couldn’t tell you specifically. It was kind of dark and Orlando moves so fast….” She shuddered in recollection.

~~~

The next thing she could make out was Orlando oe mae man’s back with his left arm wrapped around the man’s neck in a choke hold, and his right hand gripping the hand with the knife. It had glittered in the dim light for a moment then it swung down. With a meaty thunk it was buried to the hilt in the man’s leg. The man had screamed hideously and Orlando had turned to her and yelled “Run! Get sensei!”

Her heart in her mouth, she had run into the dojo and skidded to a halt in front of sensei Akamura who was speaking to some potential students. He took one look at her face and pulled her into his office.

“Orlando – man with a knife – attacked us – round the corner,” she panted.

“Call the police!” he told her and ran out. She had called 911, her fingers trembling so badly that she almost misdialed. Even as she spoke with them, she heard sirens. Someone else must have heard the screaming and called. She had hung up the phone and was going to run out when sempai Jimmy came in and told her sensei wanted her to stay there.

“I have to go to Orlando!” she yelled.

Jimmy shook his head and closed the door and she heard the grinding click of the lock.

Rose was flabbergasted. She checked the door knob to make sure. It was true, she was a prisoner. Fury bloomed in her chest and sta started breathing heavily.

“I’m not a child!” she yelled and kicked the door. She paced up and down several times, her hands fisted in her hair.

Suddenly she stopped and looked up, a wicked grin spreading her lips. There was a small window above the desk she could just fit through.

The paint had stuck it shut in a couple places, but with a letter opener and a couple judicious smacks with the heel of her hand, it slammed upward. In a few more moments, she was sprinting down the alley towards the red flashing lights.

Her first sight of the scene was disconcerting, the red and blue flashing lights of the police cars and ambulance made everything surreal. She first saw sensei Akamura standing casually with his hands clasped behind his back, speaking with a uniformed officer who was taking notes and nodding. The unconscious attacker was being put into the back of the ambulance, blood all over his lap, the knife still embedded in his leg. Rose swallowed convulsively at the sight.

Where was Orlando? She looked around at the other uniformed police. Then she saw him and she was filled with outrage. They had cuffed his hands behind his back, sat him down on the sidewalk, legs straight out and spread-eagled, and removed his shoes. Three uniformed officers, with their hands on their guns, surrounded him. Orlando’s face was completely expressionless, eyes half closed. He looked like he was about to fall asleep from boredom.

She walked over to them. “What are you doing?” she asked incredulously.

Everyone looked around in surprise, even Orlando.

She pointed at the departing ambulance. “He was fighting off that crazy man. Why is he cuffed?”

“Rose, go back to my office,” sensei Akamura told her.

“I saw it!” she yelled. “That man attacked us for no reason! Orlando didn’t do anything wrong!”

One of the uniforms grabbed her arm. She tried to pull away but it only made him hold tighter. “Miss, come with me.”

Orlando was smiling sweetly at her. “Rosie,” he told her. “It’s all right. They’re just nervous. Go back to the dojo. Call your parents to pick you up.”

Rose got stubborn. “I’m not leaving you.”

Orlando’s eyes softened. “I appreciate that, ma cherie. But it’s better if you go back to sensei’s office and wait there.”

Rose let the policeman lead her away, but she could not tear her eyes from Orlando’s. They stared at each other until she rounded the corner.

Reaction had set in soon afterwards, and she’d started shaking like a leaf in a strong wind. She had horrible thoughts of miscarriages of justice and Orlando spending time in jail for assault with a deadly weapon. Or that awful man dying and it becoming a manslaughter charge. That no one would listen to her or Orlando’s side of the story.

~~~

Rose looked up at Detective Farrell. “He’s not going to jail, is he?”

“In all likelihood, no. Mr. Bloom has no previous arrest record, while the gentleman with the switchblade does.”

Rose sighed in relief, blowing the air out through pursed lips. “Why did they cuff him then and treat him like he was responsible?”

Detective Farrell smiled. “Only as a precaution, my dear. The officers didn’t know the story. A man had been knifed, and the alleged wielder is a black belt in aikido. That makes for very nervous cops.”

“Oh.” Rose smiled, her eyes going soft and dreamy. “I suppose he is rather dangerous, when you think about it.”

Detective Farrell thought the young woman didn’t seem particularly perturbed by that fact at all.

~~~

Rose walked out of the office in the company of the detectives and the woman officer. The dojo was empty except for sensei Akamura and Orlando, cuffs gone, and a tall and very handsome, sandy-haired gentleman in suit and tie Rose didn’t recognize, speaking with a couple uniformed police, all very friendly and casual.

They turned around to look, Orlando smiling and holding out his hand to her. As if it were the most natural thing in the world, she walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist and sighed into his chest. enfoenfolded her in his arms and laid his cheek against the top of her head.

No one said anything for a moment. Rose wanted it to last forever. She could feel his heartbeat and the warmth of his skin through his tee shirt against her cheek.

“Aren’t you going to introduce me?” the stranger asked with an English accent.

Orlando pulled away a bit, and smiled at her. “Rose, I want you to meet my father, Robert Bloom.”

Rose’s face flushed a bright pink and pulled away. She turned even redder when she saw everyone was grinning at her, even sensei Akamura. “How – how do you d-do?” she stammered, holding out her hand. It was engulfed in a large warm one.

“Very well, thank you,” he replied, a warm smile, the replica of Orlando’s, lighting his face. “I am very pleased to make your acquaintance, Ms. Aragon.” He looked at Orlando and then winked at Rose. “It’s good to know chivalry isn’t completely dead, eh?”