The Burden of Love: Why would you help me?
by tarskeewee08
"I ain't got shit to say!" Ryan yelled at John as he closed the door.
John stared at the man he'd been dying to meet for years. He was at least 6 foot five and extremely fit to be in his early sixties. He wore a scraggly reddish brown beard that covered the bottom portion of his face making him appear like a Santa Clause reject.
His blondish brown curly hair was attached to his this sideburns and hung around his neck but the top portion of his head reflected his true age as the hair was thinning and balding. He wore a red and blue lumberjack shirt with the sleeves rolled up around his biceps.
John pulled the chair to him and turned it around so he could straddle it backwards facing the man he's hated for so long. "Talk real tough for a man that gets off on beating and strangling defenseless women for kicks"
Ryan cut his eyes not acknowledging the comment. Detective Grey remained leaning against the wall and watched John do his work. He was somewhat intimidated about this process and preferred that John take the lead. John saw Ryan was confident in his silence so he went for softer spots. He opened his folder and went through it. "So tell me Ryan, did mommy keep you on the tit too long?"
"Shut the fuck up
about my mum!" Ryan seethed.
John raised an eyebrow "Ouch…I
guess hit a nerve. Interesting. So you killed Charlotte Pryce because
your mommy didn't hug you enough?" John said in a whiny voice
pushing a picture of Charlotte's body in the morgue to him.
Ryan looked at the picture and then glared at John "You can't put that on me! I never saw that broad before!"
"Really? Funny
because we know for a fact that she saw you, that she visited you
actually at your mommy's place."
"I ain't saying shit
without a lawyer cop!" Ryan hissed.
John stared at him. "I get that Ryan, you don't have talk….how about I do the talking okay?"
Ryan folded his arms and sucked his tooth eyeing John
"You look familiar…"
John's face darkened at the arrogant
way he said that and tried to keep his cool he looked over at the two
way mirror and knew that Barnaby was behind it watching him.
"Let's say that Charlotte wasn't an intended victim, lets say she stumbled on something and since you were too dumb to know how to cover your own ass you killed her instead.
Ryan glared at him but said nothing. John smirked "The name Cletus Jones mean anything to you?" John said in a hoarse whisper.
The color drained from Ryan's face and he lowered his arms. John knew in that instant he was on the right track.
"McBain I need a word" a voice said across the intercom. John looked up and knew it was Barnaby. Ryan narrowed his eyes on John and smirked "Interview over cop!" he said chuckling. Instead of responding he rose and walked slowly to the door. Before reaching for it he looked over his shoulder
"Like using kids to do you dirty work, hurting women to get your jollies, seen your kind before Ryan and your transparent. Call that lawyer and pray he can dig you out of it, because you just made a new enemy and I'm not a 16 year old."
Ryan turned and looked at the two way mirror. John looked at it too. It was the final confirmation he needed. Walking out he went to the room next to it. Barnaby glared at him as he walked in. "What the hell are you doing threatening a suspect"
"He acts like he knows you are in here?" John
said casually.
"He's a fucking career criminal he knows the
drill" Barnaby snapped.
John turned and looked back through the glass at Ryan sitting with Grey interrogating him. "Were going to hold him"
Barnaby looked at him "On what charges?"
"We got 72 hours to hold him. I'll get a warrant and check
his spot and we'll get the charges. He killed her among other
things….." John said looking Barnaby in the eyes.
"You
sure about that or do you just want to believe it?"
"We're
holding him unless you have any objections?" John asked
smirking.
"I only object to you going to far" Barnaby snapped.
John sucked his teeth "I damn near held his hand through that
little exchange."
Barnaby couldn't deny that but John was too determined and too damn close. He couldn't keep him off the scent because he would just be more determined. Pretending to be casual he shrugged. "Fine hold him….72 hours and that's it!"
John nodded and watched him walk out. Turning up to the speaker box he listened to Grey stumble through his questions. Ryan kept glancing to the mirror. John got an idea. A risky one but definitely one worth trying.
Evangeline walked through the station her hair swaying around her coat. Heading to the bullpen several officers smiled appreciatively in her face and she basically ignored it. She wanted to see John. Looking up she saw him coming around the corner with detective Grey.
"John!" she
called out.
John looked over and his face brightened. "Hey, you
okay?" he asked walking to her.
"Yeah we need to talk" she
said looking over at Grey.
John nodded and led her to his new
office. She followed him in and dropped her purse in the chair. John
saw the tension on her face and frowned. "What happened?"
"Saw
Cletus grandmother and this Ryan guy was there. Oh god John he is the
man that killed Charlotte I'm positive of it."
"Calm down"
he said taking her hand and leading her to the other chair.
Evangeline sat down and closed her eyes. She was so angry now it was
killing her. That bastard would pay for hurting her friend.
"Tell me what you learned." He said kneeling next to her. Evangeline told him of the visit Ryan O'Reilly paid Marbel and the shoebox she found. John rose going to his desk and leaning back on it. "He's here."
Looking up at him stunned she frowned "Where?"
"He's in holding now. We can't charge him with anything yet
but the warrants are being drafted to search his vehicle and place.
The description the homeless guy gave of the pickup matches his
vehicle, but he was unable to pick him out of a line up."
"I
want to see him!" she snapped.
John stared at her "I might
have an idea but it may go against your ethics. Hell it could ruin
the both of us if we don't play it just right." he said
cautiously
Evangeline stared at him the smiled slyly. "What's the plan?"
Ryan O'Reilly sat in his cell listening to the screams and complaints of the men in their adjacent cells. He wanted out of the cage immediately and Barnaby damn well better come through for him. He knew exactly who that asshole was when he walked in. Tommy's boy. He was all grown up and toting a badge now but it was the same kid. Well he wasn't going to be railed roaded into anything and if Barnaby tried any funny shit he'd fix him good. He had the evidence to do it.
"Mr.
O'Reilly…."
Looking up Ryan frowned at the vision of a very
pretty black woman. She wore her hair flat across her head and her
eyes were dark and penetrating. "Well if it isn't my lucky day"
he said stroking his scraggly beard.
Evangeline narrowed her
eyes on him. "Do you know who I am?"
Ryan rose from the bunk
his pink tongue darting out and licking his lip hidden by his bushy
mustache. "My lawyer I presume" he said smirking
Evangeline put her hands on her hips "Not quite. I'm the partner of Charlotte Pryce the woman you killed and the lawyer for Cletus Jones the boy you're trying to destroy!"
Ryan stopped his
approach and glared at her "Go away! I have nothing to say to you!"
"But I have something to say to you…..see I got proof and
before I go upstairs and share it with Lt. McBain I am giving you a
chance save your hide!"
Ryan frowned. "Yea right you want
to help me?" he said chuckling
"Actually I want to walk back
down this hall and grab the guards gun then return and pump you full
of lead" Evangeline hissed bringing her face closer to the bars.
"What I want is to get the son of a bitch that you are working
for!"
Ryan looked at her and said nothing. Evangeline smiled "You see Cletus isn't a complete idiot. He recorded some of your conversations, and let's say camera phones are jewels because he got a couple of pics of you too"
"That's a
lie!" Ryan shouted
"Is it?" Evangeline asked laughing. "Do
you want to take that chance? I hear you aren't to found of closed
spaces."
Ryan turned around avoiding her face and clenching her fist "I'm fine…..besides I don't know this Cletus or Charlotte"
"So you are willing to go to jail so that someone else can sit pretty and reap all the rewards from your handy work"
Turning on her he glared "Let's say I know something…..for arguments sake. Will you represent me? Will you help me beat these charges?" he asked desperately.
Evangeline laughed "No! I will be the person at your execution flipping the switch!" she hissed.
Ryan blinked "Then what do I get out of it? Why the hell should I help you do anything?"
"From what I know Mr. O'Reilly you are holding a pretty powerful trump card. This person you work for stands to loose a lot. If that card was handed over to the DA's office you could pretty much write your own deal"
Ryan digested what she was saying. He saw the hatred in her eyes and it was unmistakable. He didn't however understand why she was offering this valuable counsel. What did she get out of it? Maybe she hated Barnaby too. Maybe it was a trap like Barnaby warned him about. Thirty years of secrets had landed him in prison once. He wasn't going back!
"Well……" he started.
"Ms. Williamson what are you doing here?"
Barnaby asked coming down the hall quickly
Evangeline looked up to
see him approaching. She looked back at Ryan and gave him a knowing
look. "I wanted to see the animal in person and tell him to his
face that I will make sure that he rots in here for what he's
done."
Barnaby walked up to the cell and looked at Ryan. "Well you don't belong here and you know it so I will ask that you leave now!"
Evangeline nodded. She looked back at Ryan
and smiled "Think long and hard about what I said because I won't
stop until you squirm the way my friend did when you took her life"
Ryan said nothing and both men watched her sashay out. Barnaby
turned on Ryan.
"What was this about?" he asked through his teeth.
"You heard her….she wants my balls! The question is what are you going to do about it!"
Evangeline got in the car and John climbed in also, turning
on the heat the both shivered waiting on the car to warm up. John
looked at her "How did it go?"
"Barnaby showed
up"
"Figures……"
Turning she looked at him. "You are
right John, they are working together and when I planted that little
seed with him you should have seen the asshole's eyes sparkle. I
swear to god I want him dead!" she snapped her eyes glistening with
tears.
John reached over in the cold car and touched her hand. "In time we will work this out. We have to be careful Van, Barnaby is a dangerous man and I still don't know what happened 30 years ago to make him kill my pop. I don't know why killing cops is this assholes favorite past time."
Evangeline looked at his
hand on hers and opened hers to squeeze it. "I can do it, but it
hurts"
"Let's go to your place and eat. You look
exhausted." He said pulling from the curb.
Evangeline let go of his hand and rode in the car in silence. John kept glancing over and would ask her simple questions that she would respond in one word replies. Finally arriving he pulled in and they got out going upstairs. Once inside she shook off her coat and hung it up then went to the table to lay down the shoebox from Cletus room. John closed the door seeing she was still in a sullen mood. "Hey do you still have that game of scrabble?"
Stopping she turned and looked
at him. "What?"
"After dinner, how about scrabble"
Standing there she smiled "What are you trying to do?"
John
looked at her curious "What do you mean?" he asked taking off his
gloves then coat. Evangeline watched him suspiciously "Seems like
you are just too agreeable sir. If my memory serves me correctly you
hated scrabble and would cheat with all those slang and dirty words"
John laughed going into the kitchen. Evangeline pulled off her suit jacket and tossed it to the chair then followed him.
"I know you like scrabble and before we check that shoebox you got and get all submerge in the darkness I want you to relax." He said opening the fridge and staring in. He looked at her. "Everything's frozen….do you want me to order something for us?"
Evangeline shook her head no. "I put some snapper in one of the vegetable trays. We can bake it if you like"
Before he responded the phone rang and Evangeline walked over to it. John got the snapper and took it to the counter looking over the breakfast bar at her.
"Hello"
"Cookie?"
"Darlene?" Evangeline
said smiling lightly. It was Charlotte's mom. "Hey…."
"Hey
baby how are you?"
"I'm okay….did Ray get up here okay? I
waited for a call and never got one."
"Yes he's bringing me
my baby…." Darlene said choking up in the phone and Evangeline
could tell she was crying. John watched as Evangeline kept running
her hands through her hair nervously as tears fell down her face.
"I'm….so…"
"It's okay Cookie, its okay
baby…..I just wanted to let you know that we will be burying her in
two days." Darlene said softly. "If you could get here by
tomorrow it would be great. I would like for you to sing at the
funeral and help me with the obituary. You two were so close and I
think you have a good insight into what she might want."
Evangeline wiped her tears. "I'll leave in the morning."
"I know its short notice baby…."
"I want too….."
Evangeline started then burst into tears.
John put down the fish
and walked out of the kitchen going to her. Darlene grew silent
giving her a moment. Evangeline overcome with grief let go of more
tears and John took the phone while holding her up.
"Hello"
"Yes…." Darlene said frowning to the man's voice.
"I'm
John a friend of Evangeline…."
"Oh….hi baby, I'm
Charlotte's momma. I just wanted to ask Cookie to come in tomorrow
so we can bury her."
"Yes mam, we will leave in the morning
and call you as soon as our flight arrives."
"Thank you
John…..I wish we could have met under better circumstances"
"Me
too…."
"Tell cookie to hold fast in the lord. He has us all.
God Bless you" Darlene said softly and then hung up.
John hung up and helped Evangeline to the sofa who was just crying softly. "It's okay….I will book us the first flight out of here tomorrow."
Evangeline looked up "John……what about
O'Reilly….you are really close. You can stay I will go…"
"NO! I'm taking you….we can deal with him when we get back.
This is more important. You are more important" he said with
finality.
"More important than solving your father's murder?"
she asked shocked
"More important than anything else in my life
right now" he said looking in her eyes.
Evangeline touched his face affectionately and he kissed her. She kissed him back sighing at the warmth of his embrace. John slid his hand down to her shirt and underneath reaching for her breast and massaging it. Pushing his hand away she broke their kiss "Don't" she said moving away from him.
"I'm sorry…..I took
advantage….."
Looking over at him she softened. "What about
the fish?"
He blinked confused then looked to the kitchen.
"Yeah…..I will make the fish and you login and book our flights."
He said rising and going to the kitchen.
"John…."
Stopping
he looked over at her "Yes…"
"Thanks….I appreciate this
and I…."
He stared at her "It's okay….you're not
ready and I get that." He smiled sweetly winking then going into
the kitchen.
Evangeline sat back on the couch and sighed. Problem was she wanted him just as bad, but she didn't know what her heart could survive at this point. Every nerve in her body was raw from the grief and pain she's experienced in the past three years. The breakup, kidnappings, best friend in coma, best friend murdered all equaled her insane life. Now he was here and held the power to destroy her by making her trust him again. How on earth does she do that? Getting up she headed to her room to get her laptop. She was so glad he was here and even more grateful that he was coming with her. Each moment that passed between them she grew to trust him more, maybe there was hope for them. Someday…….
