A/N To get this straight; I am not posting on this story again for now. I just found this and thought I should post it. R/R
Marissa took in a deep breath and then knocked on the door. A man about her age with brown hair came out and she asked, "Johnny Harper?"
The man looked at her confusedly and said, "Yeah, that's me. What's this about?"
She pulled out her badge and said, "I'm Detective Marissa Cooper from the NBPD and you're under arrest for the murder of Taylor Atwood." She grimaced at having to say Atwood instead of Townsend.
Two cops came up behind her and grabbed Johnny and placed the handcuffs on him. "This has to be some mistake." He pleaded. "I didn't do anything."
"You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you can not afford one, one will be provided for you." She watched them start to walk away with Johnny and asked, "Do you understand."
He looked at her and said, "I'm not guilty. I'm innocent. You have to believe me."
She sighed and walked to the car. "That's what they all say." She muttered.
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"I didn't do it." Johnny said once again.
Marissa was questioning him at the station and so far he wasn't owning up to anything. "We have lots of evidence pointing to you, so why would I believe you?"
"Because I said I didn't do it." he said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I think you should trust me."
"I have no reason to trust you." She pointed out.
"Well you also have no reason not to." He shot back.
"Actually I do."
"What is it then? What's all this evidence you have against me?" He asked, challenging her.
"Okay, number one. Your semen was in her system." She said. "Two, you left when she was found dead and three, the murder weapon was found in your house."
"I have no idea what you're talking about. I don't own a gun."
"How do you know there was a gun?" She asked with a raise of her eyebrows.
"Because I read the papers and watched the news."
"Well, there was a gun in your house, so explain to me that." She challenged.
"I don't know. I don't own a gun." He sighed and looked at his hands and then sat up and said, "Fingerprints. Check for that."
"We did and it was wiped clean." She said.
He sighed and shook his head. "What reason would I have to kill Taylor?"
"Maybe you found out that she was pregnant with your child and wanted her to get rid of it and she refused." She stated.
"Wait, wait, wait." He said, looking at her. "Taylor was pregnant?"
She looked at him and saw the emotions playing on his face; sorrow, pain, loss. "Yeah, she was." She said, her voice suddenly softening.
"I never knew, I swear." Johnny said, his voice soft. "I can't believe she was pregnant and didn't tell me." He looked down and then asked, "Are you sure it's mine?"
"I talked to her husband, he said they hadn't been together in a while so it couldn't be his." She said, thinking of Ryan's pain when she'd told him that Taylor was pregnant.
"I can't believe any of this." He said angrily. "How could she have not told me?" He looked at her with pain in his eyes and said, "Do you believe me?"
She didn't know what to say. All the evidence pointed against him, but there was some sort of look in his eyes that made her want to believe him. She wouldn't let herself though. If she'd learned anything it was that criminals were good liars. "We'll talk again soon, meanwhile you'll be taken into custody."
"I didn't do it though!" He said, just as two cops walked in and took him back into custody.
She watched him go and then sighed and sunk into one of the chairs. She'd just seen the guy that Ryan probably wanted dead and she was going to hang out with Ryan tonight. She put her head in her hands and wondered if Johnny was telling the truth. She got up and mumbled, "Looks like time will tell."
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It was later in the day and Ryan and Marissa were both walking along the pier eating balboa bars just like they used to when they were younger. As they walked alongside each other, Marissa kept wondering whether the two of them would've made it through everything and ended up together in the end. She wanted so badly to hold his hand like they also used to, but she knew that wasn't the best idea now, so she just stuck to their fingers brushing past each other's every once in a while.
After Johnny's arrest, she'd told her boss her doubts about Johnny actually being the murderer. Her boss told her not to worry and that they'd take care of him but she still had her doubts about the whole arrest when it was done. Now she was hanging out with Ryan...something he'd suggested after bowling the other day. He was currently talking about his day at work and she was trying her best to listen but her mind was drifting back to Johnny and the look on his face when he found out Taylor was pregnant. It was sort of like the look on Ryan's face...hurt.
"Okay, so what's going on?" Ryan asked her, turning and looking at her intently.
"Nothing." She said casually.
He raised his eyebrows and said, "Marissa, I know you...I may not have seen you in years, but I still know you." He smiled at her and said, "So are you going to tell me what's wrong?"
She sighed and stopped to lean on the railing and look out at the beach. He came up alongside her and did the same thing, though his attention was directed at her and only her. "I arrested Johnny today."
He seemed taken aback. "You guys found him?" He asked after a while.
"Yeah, we did. Today I arrested him...he's in custody now." She said.
He was quiet for a while and then he said, "But there's more to the story."
"How do you know?" She asked, looking over at him.
"It's written all over your face. As I said...I know you, and I know when there's something you're not telling me." He gave her a playful smile and said, "Now spill."
She shook her head and said, "I don't know..."
"Come on, tell me. Remember, I'm not only your friend who cares about you feel but I'm also the victim's husband that's curious as to how the arrest went." He shrugged and said, "Either way I want to know."
She looked at him and said, "You know, you always get your way."
He shook his head and looked down. "If I got my way...you never would've moved to Hawaii...you never would've gotten the abortion...and if I couldn't have that..." he continued looking down and said, "If I couldn't have any of that, then I wouldn't have had my wife die." He looked up and then said, "So tell me."
She was still a little taken back by his words but she did as he told her to and said, "I don't know if Johnny is guilty."
"Well he did have an affair..."
"Yeah, but I don't think he killed her." She stated with a long sigh. "The look on his face when I told him that Taylor was pregnant..."
"Wait, he didn't know she was pregnant either?" He asked with wide eyes. "I thought she'd tell at least one person...no offence to Taylor, but she has a rather large mouth." She giggled slightly and he said, "What, she did." He started laughing a little too.
"I'm over here trying to have a serious conversation and you say that..." She said, still laughing a little.
"What, as I said, she does...or did..whatever." He smiled and said, "But either way, if you say you don't think he's guilty...I believe you. I have no reason not to."
She was quiet and then said, "but I kept the abortion from you..."
He shrugged and said, "It's in the past along with Taylor. I loved her, yeah, she was my wife...but at the moment, before it really hits that she's never coming back, I think that I want to have a night where I just forget my troubles." He smiled at her and said, "And I'd love it if you accompany me while I do that."
"Well what did you have in mind?" She asked, and they started walking again.
"Well, I was hoping you would come to the Bait Shop with me. It'll be just like old times...we'll even get Seth and Summer to come along." He said.
"Sure." She said with a smile. "I could use a night to get away from thoughts of work."
"Well I know that's true."
She playfully pushed him and said, "Watch it."
"What, it's true."
"You're saying that a lot." She pointed out.
He thought about it and said, "Well, you're making me say it a lot."
"Very mature." She said, shaking her head and laughing.
"It's supposed to be like old times, I don't have to be mature." He pointed out, though he was laughing as well.
"Well if I remember correctly, you like, never smiled or laughed much less made jokes."
"Well, that's about to change." he said confidently.
She laughed, glad that at least for tonight, she could forget about Johnny and her doubts. Tonight it was her, Ryan, Seth, and Summer...the way it should've been.