Handled
Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Red Eye or The Lovely Bones.
Part Two
Each day was a waiting game. The police were not yet convinced that Jackson Rippner had in fact murdered his daughter. Joe knew that Lisa had been murdered, but he had no way to prove it. There was no hard evidence to support his far-fetched theory.
Not that he cared. Jackson Rippner was dead and that was all that mattered.
But he still killed Lisa…
Joe's strong side was breaking down and crumbling under the pressure and stress. He needed answers about Lisa's death. He had to know if Jackson had killed her, or if he had murdered a semi-innocent man.
Wouldn't a murderer have run away instead of staying behind to be caught? Why didn't he fight back?
Lisa stormed around their place. I hate him! Why did I end up stuck with him! Why?
Jackson had been smug ever since he had shown up, complaining of a headache. Apparently, her father had shot him and ended his pathetic, parasitic lifestyle. Of course, he was now stuck with her for eternity. Or so it would seem…
But now, saying that she had killed herself? He had gone too far this time.
She would have killed him, if he had not already been dead.
"Did you have fun throwing things around?" Jackson questioned, appearing in the doorway.
In response, Lisa hurled a heavy hardcover book at his head. He ducked and the book sailed over his head, crashing down in the hallway. She growled in annoyance.
"What happened to all those stress management courses that you were taking? What, they don't work anymore in heaven?" he prodded, eager to cause her to explode.
"We're not in heaven! You belong in hell, dying and rotting in an inferno!" she railed, glaring at him angrily.
"So, if we're not in heaven, pray tell where we currently are."
Lisa's green eyes narrowed at him as the smug look returned to his face. He was extremely cocky and she could not stand it. As a matter of fact, it was him that she could not stand.
"Some kind of purgatory, obviously."
"Keep on dreaming," he said with a quiet chuckle at her expense.
Lisa curled her right hand into a fist. "Would you like me to wipe the look off your face?" she suggested sweetly.
"Not really."
"Then quit while you're ahead."
"Mr. Reisert?" inquired the authoritative voice on the phone. "This is Sergeant Woodward, Miami-Dade PD. I just talked with some of the CSIs who worked on your daughter's case."
"What did they find?" Joe asked hesitantly, unsure if he really wanted to know.
"Jackson Rippner did not kill your daughter. Lisa Reisert shot herself, apparently during the struggle with him. There were power burns on Mr. Rippner, but the GSR was on her hands, even though both of their fingerprints were on the gun, his were not in the position to fire."
"What does this mean?"
"Mr. Reisert, I'm afraid that means that you are being charged for the murder of Jackson Rippner."
"But he would have killed me!"
"Was it self-defense?"
"Of course it was!" insisted Joe, outraged. Jackson Rippner had killed her—he had driven her to these extremes. He was the reason that Lisa even had a gun.
Lisa gasped in shocked. "I shot myself?" she asked Jackson.
Jackson nodded solemnly. "Yes."
"How? Why?"
"I don't know, Leese. All I know was that somehow you shot yourself when we fought. I tried to help you and tried to stop the bleeding, but…"
"You tried to save me? After everything that's happened, you tried to save my life? Why?" she demanded answers. He should have left me alone, then maybe he wouldn't be stuck here with me.
"I came there that day to check on you, because I felt something for you…"
"Liar! All you wanted to do was kill me!"
"Lisa, that's not true," he said softly, shaking his head slightly. "I could never kill you."
"Get away from me!" she screamed as he reached out to touch her. "I don't ever want to see you again!"
Author's Notes:
Only one more part to go! The next bit should be up tomorrow. There's a lot of jumping around, but that seems to work better for it in my head. Enjoy and thanks for the reviews!
