The Witness
Chapter 21
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Bosco limped into the Emergency Room at Mercy at 11:00 p.m. He was greeted by Faith who was still there waiting for their drunk to be cleared to go to a holding cell.
"How is he?" Bosco asked her.
"He's okay. He's sleeping. The doctors are waiting for test results to come back, but he's definitely been on something. He's had a dirty head lac to the back of his head that they cleaned up, but he's not really talking. Jones and Bombard said they picked him up because a woman called to report that he was trying to sell drugs to her daughter. He's denying it, but they found the drugs on him," she said, following him down the hall toward Cole's room.
Faith grabbed his arm before he went in the room, "Bos, wait," she said. He stopped and turned to her and she could see the anger and disappointment in his face.
"Bos, he doesn't know you're coming so don't just go barging in there. He's ashamed. Proctor recognized his name from when he was here before and told me when I came in that he was here. He didn't ask for you," she said, not wanting to be the one to tell him that Cole didn't want to see him. But, it was her job as his partner and friend. "I'm sorry," she said, letting go of his arm.
"Thanks, Faith. I just want to talk to him for a minute. I just have to ask him why," he said, taking the few steps to the door and pausing to gather himself. Faith watched him walk into the room.
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Bosco walked into the room and nodded to the two officers that were with him. "Hey, guys. Can I have a minute?" he asked them and they stepped out of the room. Cole heard his voice and woke up.
"I told them I didn't want you here," Cole said, the anger that Bosco encountered when they first met back again.
"They didn't call me," Bosco said, trying to hold his temper. "One of the nurses recognized your name and thought you'd want me here," he said looking Cole over.
"Are you alright?" he asked him, looking at the dark circles under his eyes and the weight loss over the last week and a half since he'd seen him.
"Never better. Don't worry about it. Just leave," Cole said, trying to turn further away from Bosco, refusing to make eye contact with him.
"Not till I know why," Bosco said.
"Why, what?" Cole replied.
"Why you threw everything away. Did I push you too hard, not hard enough?" Bosco asked walking around to the other side to look at his face. Cole turned away from him again.
Bosco reached over and held his face so that he couldn't turn away. "Look me in the eye and tell me why, Cole. I think I deserve at least that," he asked again.
"Because I'm a junkie, that's why. There's no other explanation. I'm weak," he said, trying to fight back his emotions and maintain his tough exterior. He pushed Bosco's arm away.
Bosco just looked at the boy for a minute and then said, "Were you dealing drugs out on the street? Because I never would have pegged you for trying to drag someone else into the life you've had."
"No. That's a lie. I'd never do that. That stuff was mine. It was given...," he stopped talking.
"Given to you by who?" Bosco asked, sensing that maybe there was more to this story than Cole was letting on.
"Nobody. I bought it," he said quickly, trying to cover. "I bought it with the money I saved up from the Center. I can do whatever I want with the money - I earned it," he said.
Bosco nodded his head. "You're right. You can do what you want with it. It's your's. But, trying to sell it to some little kid?" he asked agitated.
"I told you that I didn't do that. I don't even know who that woman was and the cops wouldn't listen to me. Ah, what do you care. You've already made up your mind that I'm guilty," he said, looking away again. "Just leave."
Bosco knew that the conversation was over. He wasn't satisfied with the ending, but he knew he wouldn't get any further tonight. "I'll call your lawyer. He'll either be over tonight or tomorrow. I don't think they're gonna keep you in here, so you'll probably be taken over to the jail. Just sit tight and don't talk to anyone but your lawyer. They'll probably send someone over from Child & Family Services too," he said, turning to walk out.
"What about your girlfried, Ms. Logan? Won't she be coming?" Cole asked. At least he knew her.
Bosco turned back and Cole saw the disappointment that he was trying to hide unsuccessfully. "No. She won't be coming. She's just out of the hospital and still recovering from the beating she took from the Latin Lords who were looking for you," he said harshly. He was angry at himself as soon as the words had come out of his mouth.
"What?" Cole said quietly, looking over to him. "Is she okay? What happened?"
"The Lords attacked her outside of her office the night before you disappeared from the Center. They beat her pretty bad. She's gonna be okay, but she's pretty sore and bruised. I found out the next morning when she woke up that it was the Latin Lords and they took her briefcase that had your records in it. We were afraid they would find out where you were and come after you so I called ahead and then drove up there. You were already gone. We couldn't find you. Me and some of the guys from the police department and the fire department searched for you," he said, walking closer to the bed and pausing. Cole remained silent for a moment.
"I'm sorry Ms. Logan got hurt. Tell her that for me?" Cole said finally.
"Yeah, I'll tell her. Who called you at the Center?" Bosco asked him.
"What?" Cole replied. He knew if Raven found out that Chenise warned him, she was dead. He couldn't live with that.
"The phone records show a call coming into the Center for you from someone here at Mercy. Who was it?" he repeated.
"I don't know what you're talking about. I didn't get any phone call," he started only to be interrupted by Bosco.
"Then why did you take off? Why did you leave the Center?"
"Because I couldn't stand being there anymore. I just had to get out. I needed to get back here to the City," he said.
"So, you could end up back in here? Tell me the truth, Cole. You know I want to help you. Let me help you." Bosco said, almost pleading.
"I told you, I didn't get any phone call from anyone that day," Cole said angrily, wanting to make Bosco leave. If Raven had gone after Ms. Logan, how long would it be before he went after Bosco. Cole was sure that Raven wasn't finished with him yet.
Their conversation was interrupted by the two officers and Detective Thompson who came into the room. "Bosco, we gotta take him over to the jail for processing now. The doctors released him," Officer Jones said.
Bosco nodded his understanding and looked at Cole. "Not a word to anyone but your lawyer, Cole. I mean it," he warned him.
After they got Cole up, cuffed him and walked him out, Bosco called to Detective Thompson.
"Ray," he called. The detective stopped and turned back toward Bosco. "I'll admit he's back on the drugs, but he didn't try to sell to that kid. I promise you that."
"I'd like to believe that, Bosco. But, I think you're letting your feelings get in the way of your thinking. We've got the girl and her mother stating that it did happen and we found him with the drugs in his pocket. The exact same packaging as the girl described to her mother. I'm afraid I've given this kid all the breaks I can. You better call his lawyer," Ray said apologetically.
"Yeah, okay. I'll do that right now. No one is to talk to him until Jenkins gets there. Understand?" Bosco said.
"Yeah, okay," Ray said, walking away to follow the officers and Cole out to the waiting police car.
Faith walked up behind Bosco and watched as they left. "You okay?" she asked him.
"I'll see you at work tomorrow. I'm back on light duty tomorrow," he said as he walked away and into the lounge. He pulled out his wallet and took Alex Jenkins' card out and dialed his number on his cell phone.
Faith watched him through the window of the lounge. She saw his disappointment in the way he held himself. Exactly what she was afraid of happening had happened. He'd opened himself up to this kid and he got burned.
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TBC...
Chapter 21
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Bosco limped into the Emergency Room at Mercy at 11:00 p.m. He was greeted by Faith who was still there waiting for their drunk to be cleared to go to a holding cell.
"How is he?" Bosco asked her.
"He's okay. He's sleeping. The doctors are waiting for test results to come back, but he's definitely been on something. He's had a dirty head lac to the back of his head that they cleaned up, but he's not really talking. Jones and Bombard said they picked him up because a woman called to report that he was trying to sell drugs to her daughter. He's denying it, but they found the drugs on him," she said, following him down the hall toward Cole's room.
Faith grabbed his arm before he went in the room, "Bos, wait," she said. He stopped and turned to her and she could see the anger and disappointment in his face.
"Bos, he doesn't know you're coming so don't just go barging in there. He's ashamed. Proctor recognized his name from when he was here before and told me when I came in that he was here. He didn't ask for you," she said, not wanting to be the one to tell him that Cole didn't want to see him. But, it was her job as his partner and friend. "I'm sorry," she said, letting go of his arm.
"Thanks, Faith. I just want to talk to him for a minute. I just have to ask him why," he said, taking the few steps to the door and pausing to gather himself. Faith watched him walk into the room.
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Bosco walked into the room and nodded to the two officers that were with him. "Hey, guys. Can I have a minute?" he asked them and they stepped out of the room. Cole heard his voice and woke up.
"I told them I didn't want you here," Cole said, the anger that Bosco encountered when they first met back again.
"They didn't call me," Bosco said, trying to hold his temper. "One of the nurses recognized your name and thought you'd want me here," he said looking Cole over.
"Are you alright?" he asked him, looking at the dark circles under his eyes and the weight loss over the last week and a half since he'd seen him.
"Never better. Don't worry about it. Just leave," Cole said, trying to turn further away from Bosco, refusing to make eye contact with him.
"Not till I know why," Bosco said.
"Why, what?" Cole replied.
"Why you threw everything away. Did I push you too hard, not hard enough?" Bosco asked walking around to the other side to look at his face. Cole turned away from him again.
Bosco reached over and held his face so that he couldn't turn away. "Look me in the eye and tell me why, Cole. I think I deserve at least that," he asked again.
"Because I'm a junkie, that's why. There's no other explanation. I'm weak," he said, trying to fight back his emotions and maintain his tough exterior. He pushed Bosco's arm away.
Bosco just looked at the boy for a minute and then said, "Were you dealing drugs out on the street? Because I never would have pegged you for trying to drag someone else into the life you've had."
"No. That's a lie. I'd never do that. That stuff was mine. It was given...," he stopped talking.
"Given to you by who?" Bosco asked, sensing that maybe there was more to this story than Cole was letting on.
"Nobody. I bought it," he said quickly, trying to cover. "I bought it with the money I saved up from the Center. I can do whatever I want with the money - I earned it," he said.
Bosco nodded his head. "You're right. You can do what you want with it. It's your's. But, trying to sell it to some little kid?" he asked agitated.
"I told you that I didn't do that. I don't even know who that woman was and the cops wouldn't listen to me. Ah, what do you care. You've already made up your mind that I'm guilty," he said, looking away again. "Just leave."
Bosco knew that the conversation was over. He wasn't satisfied with the ending, but he knew he wouldn't get any further tonight. "I'll call your lawyer. He'll either be over tonight or tomorrow. I don't think they're gonna keep you in here, so you'll probably be taken over to the jail. Just sit tight and don't talk to anyone but your lawyer. They'll probably send someone over from Child & Family Services too," he said, turning to walk out.
"What about your girlfried, Ms. Logan? Won't she be coming?" Cole asked. At least he knew her.
Bosco turned back and Cole saw the disappointment that he was trying to hide unsuccessfully. "No. She won't be coming. She's just out of the hospital and still recovering from the beating she took from the Latin Lords who were looking for you," he said harshly. He was angry at himself as soon as the words had come out of his mouth.
"What?" Cole said quietly, looking over to him. "Is she okay? What happened?"
"The Lords attacked her outside of her office the night before you disappeared from the Center. They beat her pretty bad. She's gonna be okay, but she's pretty sore and bruised. I found out the next morning when she woke up that it was the Latin Lords and they took her briefcase that had your records in it. We were afraid they would find out where you were and come after you so I called ahead and then drove up there. You were already gone. We couldn't find you. Me and some of the guys from the police department and the fire department searched for you," he said, walking closer to the bed and pausing. Cole remained silent for a moment.
"I'm sorry Ms. Logan got hurt. Tell her that for me?" Cole said finally.
"Yeah, I'll tell her. Who called you at the Center?" Bosco asked him.
"What?" Cole replied. He knew if Raven found out that Chenise warned him, she was dead. He couldn't live with that.
"The phone records show a call coming into the Center for you from someone here at Mercy. Who was it?" he repeated.
"I don't know what you're talking about. I didn't get any phone call," he started only to be interrupted by Bosco.
"Then why did you take off? Why did you leave the Center?"
"Because I couldn't stand being there anymore. I just had to get out. I needed to get back here to the City," he said.
"So, you could end up back in here? Tell me the truth, Cole. You know I want to help you. Let me help you." Bosco said, almost pleading.
"I told you, I didn't get any phone call from anyone that day," Cole said angrily, wanting to make Bosco leave. If Raven had gone after Ms. Logan, how long would it be before he went after Bosco. Cole was sure that Raven wasn't finished with him yet.
Their conversation was interrupted by the two officers and Detective Thompson who came into the room. "Bosco, we gotta take him over to the jail for processing now. The doctors released him," Officer Jones said.
Bosco nodded his understanding and looked at Cole. "Not a word to anyone but your lawyer, Cole. I mean it," he warned him.
After they got Cole up, cuffed him and walked him out, Bosco called to Detective Thompson.
"Ray," he called. The detective stopped and turned back toward Bosco. "I'll admit he's back on the drugs, but he didn't try to sell to that kid. I promise you that."
"I'd like to believe that, Bosco. But, I think you're letting your feelings get in the way of your thinking. We've got the girl and her mother stating that it did happen and we found him with the drugs in his pocket. The exact same packaging as the girl described to her mother. I'm afraid I've given this kid all the breaks I can. You better call his lawyer," Ray said apologetically.
"Yeah, okay. I'll do that right now. No one is to talk to him until Jenkins gets there. Understand?" Bosco said.
"Yeah, okay," Ray said, walking away to follow the officers and Cole out to the waiting police car.
Faith walked up behind Bosco and watched as they left. "You okay?" she asked him.
"I'll see you at work tomorrow. I'm back on light duty tomorrow," he said as he walked away and into the lounge. He pulled out his wallet and took Alex Jenkins' card out and dialed his number on his cell phone.
Faith watched him through the window of the lounge. She saw his disappointment in the way he held himself. Exactly what she was afraid of happening had happened. He'd opened himself up to this kid and he got burned.
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TBC...