Everything I Touch
Chapter 2
*****
I just had to continue this story. I love trying to get into Bosco's mind!
*****
"Boscorelli."
I jumped. Startled by the voice. Startled by the realization that I'm still standing here in front of this damn blackboard. "Yeah." I slowly turn to find Lieu standing in the doorway.
"What are you still doing here?" He flipped on the lights, and came over to me. "You need to go home. Get some sleep."
"You think I'm actually going to sleep tonight?" And they think I'm the crazy one. After what happened today I knew I wasn't going to get much sleep. Hell even now I can still see Ross lying there with all that blood. That's twice now I've seen fellow officers shot in the head. It's an eerie sight.
But now that I've seen this diagram with everything laid out in front of me. With "evidence" that Faith may have shot my partner…my partner? What the hell am I talking about? He wasn't my partner. He was just a cop I worked with today cause I was pissed at Faith. Well, not just a cop. He was a good cop. At least from what I've heard. But she's my partner. Faith. No one else.
How could I sleep at all tonight knowing what I know now? I can't go home. Not until I figure out who shot Ross. Someone other than Faith.
"Bosco you still with me?"
"Huh? Yeah, what?"
"Let me have someone drive you home. You need to get some rest."
"I'm fine. I can drive myself," I look back at the diagram. It's almost like the stupid thing is laughing at me. The longer I stand here the harder it is to find another explanation for how Ross died.
I keep running it through my mind. I know I didn't kill him. I never fired my gun, but about twenty minutes ago I almost had myself convinced that maybe I did. Somehow. But my clip is still full. It wasn't me.
As I stare at the diagram I try to see things unfold from Ross's position, but that's hard to do cause I don't know what he did after I ran out into the open. All I know is he shot a guy. At least that's what the diagram says. Oh, and I know he died too.
Davis and Sully were in the restaurant. There's no way they could have hit Ross.
Gusler…well, I doubt he even knows where the holster is on his belt. Not likely it was him.
Could C-note or one of his boys have hit Ross? They were spraying bullets pretty good. They had enough ammo for a small army. God I hope it was one of them. Not that I wanted Ross to die. Not that I wanted him to be shot by a gang member. I wouldn't want that to happen to anyone. I mean, I'm just saying I hope it wasn't one of our own. That's what I mean.
My head hurts from straining to look at the blackboard. Like if I look hard enough the answer will come to me. But I can't see another answer. All I see is Faith. Damn! All I see is Faith. "Did anyone else fire their weapon?"
"What?"
Shit. I quickly turn to face Lieu. I didn't realize I said that out loud. I forgot he was in the room with me. "Uh, nuthin'. I was just thinking out loud."
"Bosco. The ballistics report will be back in a few hours. Then we'll know."
I look down at the floor, and use my foot to trace one of the lines in the tile. I jam my hands into the pockets of my jeans. Oh God I can't ask him. I can't say it out loud, but I have to know. I have to know what's going to happen if it turns out Faith shot Ross. I can't bring myself to look at him.
"W-w-what happens if…" I can't say it. I just can't.
He knew what I was asking though. He always knows. He's good that way. "There will be an investigation. After that I don't know."
We both turn back to the blackboard in hopes that the answer will be staring back at us this time. It's not. Damn.
"It'll be OK Bosco," he grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the door. "Come on. Let's get you home."
I don't remember the ride home. I just know I'm here. Man, I need a drink, but I don't think they make anything strong enough for this situation. Plus I don't have a drop of liquor in the apartment. That figures. That's my luck.
I pick up the remote, and turn on the TV. It's some late night/early morning movie I've seen a thousand times, but I can't remember the title. I'm not really in the mood to watch TV, but I don't know what else to do.
So, I guess I'll just sit here on the couch. I start looking around my apartment noticing things I've never really seen before. Like the crack that runs up the wall all the way to the ceiling. Wonder how that happened? Was that there when I moved in?
I keep looking around my place. I don't decorate much. I've got a few pictures up, but that's pretty much it. No need to decorate. I'm the only one who is ever here, so it doesn't really matter what my place looks like.
Huh, forgot I had that picture of me and Faith. It's in a wood frame on the bookshelf. I haven't really looked at that picture in a long time. I walk over, and pick it up. I smile when I thing back to when the picture was taken. It was Emily's tenth birthday party at the roller skating rink. We had a lot of fun that day.
BANG! I drop the picture on the floor, and spin around in the direction of the shot. Damn. It was the stupid movie on TV.
Shit. Now I'm thinking about the shooting again. I turn the TV off, and sit back down. There's a pen and an old envelope sitting on the coffee table. I pick them up, and draw the diagram that has burned itself into my memory.
I've been sitting here for hours, and it won't be too long until I have to get ready for work. I really need to try and get some sleep.
I think about Faith one more time as I pick up the picture I dropped earlier and put it back in its proper place on the shelf. I wonder how she's handling everything. She killed a guy today. Your first kill is always the hardest. I hope she's OK. How's she going to react if it turns out she shot Ross?
I don't want to think about that. Not now. Not ever. I collapse on my bed still wearing everything including my shoes.
It's my fault. I put her in the position she was in. I put her in that situation when I ran out to draw the fire, but I didn't know she was there. I couldn't hear a damn thing that came over the radio. It was so loud. Everything was happening so fast. Would I have run out there if I knew she was there? If I knew she would try to cover me? Yeah, I woulda. Cause that's the kinda cop I am. I don't think I just do.
I put Ross in the position he was in too. It's my fault. God, everything I touch lately…
Chapter 2
*****
I just had to continue this story. I love trying to get into Bosco's mind!
*****
"Boscorelli."
I jumped. Startled by the voice. Startled by the realization that I'm still standing here in front of this damn blackboard. "Yeah." I slowly turn to find Lieu standing in the doorway.
"What are you still doing here?" He flipped on the lights, and came over to me. "You need to go home. Get some sleep."
"You think I'm actually going to sleep tonight?" And they think I'm the crazy one. After what happened today I knew I wasn't going to get much sleep. Hell even now I can still see Ross lying there with all that blood. That's twice now I've seen fellow officers shot in the head. It's an eerie sight.
But now that I've seen this diagram with everything laid out in front of me. With "evidence" that Faith may have shot my partner…my partner? What the hell am I talking about? He wasn't my partner. He was just a cop I worked with today cause I was pissed at Faith. Well, not just a cop. He was a good cop. At least from what I've heard. But she's my partner. Faith. No one else.
How could I sleep at all tonight knowing what I know now? I can't go home. Not until I figure out who shot Ross. Someone other than Faith.
"Bosco you still with me?"
"Huh? Yeah, what?"
"Let me have someone drive you home. You need to get some rest."
"I'm fine. I can drive myself," I look back at the diagram. It's almost like the stupid thing is laughing at me. The longer I stand here the harder it is to find another explanation for how Ross died.
I keep running it through my mind. I know I didn't kill him. I never fired my gun, but about twenty minutes ago I almost had myself convinced that maybe I did. Somehow. But my clip is still full. It wasn't me.
As I stare at the diagram I try to see things unfold from Ross's position, but that's hard to do cause I don't know what he did after I ran out into the open. All I know is he shot a guy. At least that's what the diagram says. Oh, and I know he died too.
Davis and Sully were in the restaurant. There's no way they could have hit Ross.
Gusler…well, I doubt he even knows where the holster is on his belt. Not likely it was him.
Could C-note or one of his boys have hit Ross? They were spraying bullets pretty good. They had enough ammo for a small army. God I hope it was one of them. Not that I wanted Ross to die. Not that I wanted him to be shot by a gang member. I wouldn't want that to happen to anyone. I mean, I'm just saying I hope it wasn't one of our own. That's what I mean.
My head hurts from straining to look at the blackboard. Like if I look hard enough the answer will come to me. But I can't see another answer. All I see is Faith. Damn! All I see is Faith. "Did anyone else fire their weapon?"
"What?"
Shit. I quickly turn to face Lieu. I didn't realize I said that out loud. I forgot he was in the room with me. "Uh, nuthin'. I was just thinking out loud."
"Bosco. The ballistics report will be back in a few hours. Then we'll know."
I look down at the floor, and use my foot to trace one of the lines in the tile. I jam my hands into the pockets of my jeans. Oh God I can't ask him. I can't say it out loud, but I have to know. I have to know what's going to happen if it turns out Faith shot Ross. I can't bring myself to look at him.
"W-w-what happens if…" I can't say it. I just can't.
He knew what I was asking though. He always knows. He's good that way. "There will be an investigation. After that I don't know."
We both turn back to the blackboard in hopes that the answer will be staring back at us this time. It's not. Damn.
"It'll be OK Bosco," he grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the door. "Come on. Let's get you home."
I don't remember the ride home. I just know I'm here. Man, I need a drink, but I don't think they make anything strong enough for this situation. Plus I don't have a drop of liquor in the apartment. That figures. That's my luck.
I pick up the remote, and turn on the TV. It's some late night/early morning movie I've seen a thousand times, but I can't remember the title. I'm not really in the mood to watch TV, but I don't know what else to do.
So, I guess I'll just sit here on the couch. I start looking around my apartment noticing things I've never really seen before. Like the crack that runs up the wall all the way to the ceiling. Wonder how that happened? Was that there when I moved in?
I keep looking around my place. I don't decorate much. I've got a few pictures up, but that's pretty much it. No need to decorate. I'm the only one who is ever here, so it doesn't really matter what my place looks like.
Huh, forgot I had that picture of me and Faith. It's in a wood frame on the bookshelf. I haven't really looked at that picture in a long time. I walk over, and pick it up. I smile when I thing back to when the picture was taken. It was Emily's tenth birthday party at the roller skating rink. We had a lot of fun that day.
BANG! I drop the picture on the floor, and spin around in the direction of the shot. Damn. It was the stupid movie on TV.
Shit. Now I'm thinking about the shooting again. I turn the TV off, and sit back down. There's a pen and an old envelope sitting on the coffee table. I pick them up, and draw the diagram that has burned itself into my memory.
I've been sitting here for hours, and it won't be too long until I have to get ready for work. I really need to try and get some sleep.
I think about Faith one more time as I pick up the picture I dropped earlier and put it back in its proper place on the shelf. I wonder how she's handling everything. She killed a guy today. Your first kill is always the hardest. I hope she's OK. How's she going to react if it turns out she shot Ross?
I don't want to think about that. Not now. Not ever. I collapse on my bed still wearing everything including my shoes.
It's my fault. I put her in the position she was in. I put her in that situation when I ran out to draw the fire, but I didn't know she was there. I couldn't hear a damn thing that came over the radio. It was so loud. Everything was happening so fast. Would I have run out there if I knew she was there? If I knew she would try to cover me? Yeah, I woulda. Cause that's the kinda cop I am. I don't think I just do.
I put Ross in the position he was in too. It's my fault. God, everything I touch lately…