Riley's Reckoning

by Claire Britain

  “Sure, kid, go ahead, I’m sure she’s worried.”

  * * *

  Helen could see that Joanna was getting more and more terrified as several police cars and ambulances sped past them.

  “That’s it, I’m going in there, don’t try to fucking stop me. My girlfriend is in there, do you understand?” Joanna said, starting to walk further into the park.

  “Ma’am, I’m afraid you can’t do that…” the young officer started, putting a hand out to stop her.

  “Then you fucking call Detective Tanner or Denton now, or you’re going to have to shoot me because one way or another, I’m going in there!” Joanna spat, as Helen and Kate tried to subdue her.

  The officer took a deep breath and reached for his radio. “Unit thirty-seven, dispatch.”

  Thirty-seven radio traffic is ten/three.

  “Thirty-seven copy, but I have a woman here, a Joanna Armstrong claiming to know the vic, she’s demanding to talk with Denton or Tanner.”

  Thirty-seven standby.

  “Helen, what does he mean vic? Oh, my god, it’s Riley, she’s been shot, hasn’t she, someone tell me what the fuck is going on!” Joanna bellowed in the officer’s face, as his cell phone rang.

  The officer held up his hand and backed away as he answered his cell.

  “Yeah, she’s right here with two other women; yes, sir, I’ll bring them down.”

  “What is it, what’s happening?” Helen asked.

  “I don’t know, but Tanner said to bring you down, follow me,” he replied as he returned to his patrol car.

  “He doesn’t know?” Joanna asked in disbelief. “You don’t fucking know?” she shouted after him desperately.

  “Jo, get in the car,” Helen said, as she escorted Joanna into the front seat.

  They followed the patrol car deep into the park. Joanna’s heart sank when the ambulances and patrol cars came into view. She didn’t feel Kate’s hand on her shoulder or even realize Helen was squeezing her hand.

  Joanna’s cell phone brought her out of her traumatized state.

  “Riley!”

  Before Riley could answer her, Joanna saw Detective Tanner escort Riley out of the wooded area that was starting to be cordoned off with yellow crime scene tape. She flew from the car, almost tripping as she ran over to her lover. Riley saw her girlfriend and dropped her phone as she practically leapt into Joanna’s arms before they both collapsed to the ground in sobs.

  “Riley, they said you’d been shot, I… I… Oh, my god, you’re bleeding!”

  “I’m fine, Jo, it was Alex, the killer shot Alex and it’s all my fault, they took her to the hospital. I don’t know if she’s going to be okay!”

  Joanna sat back still sobbing and with shaking hands and tears streaming down her face, she grasped Riley’s hoodie around the collar. “You silly girl, I thought I lost you, I thought you’d been shot!”

  Riley put the back of her hand to her eyes and wept openly. Joanna pulled her back into her chest tightly. She looked over at Helen, who acknowledged her with a pained smile as she held Kate who was also crying in a similar embrace.

  “Hey, you okay?” Tanner asked somberly, as he held out his hand to help Riley and Joanna up.

  “I thought Riley was shot,” Joanna said, wiping tears with her hand. “They called her the vic on the radio and the officer said a female and an officer were shot. Do you know how Alex is?”

  Joanna saw Detective Tanner shoot daggers at the young officer in the car, before he approached him. “Moron, get the fuck out of here!” he hissed.

  He turned back to Joanna, who was holding Riley in a vise-grip hug.

  “I don’t know about Denton yet; I’m heading to the hospital in a few minutes. Look, I’m gonna need the kid at the station later so we can make some sense of this mess.”

  “Yes, of course, I’ll bring her down, what time?”

  “Riley, how ‘bout you come in around noon, can you do that, kid?”

  Riley looked up from Joanna’s chest. “Yes, of course, but can we go to the hospital? Alex, I… didn’t mean for her to get hurt,” she exclaimed, as a fresh stream of tears started down her face.

  “Yes,” Joanna replied, walking back toward Helen’s car.

  * * *

  Riley’s heart was heavy during the silent ride to the hospital. She played back the scene in her head. How the hell did Alex get there? She was so sure she had it figured out. Alex wasn’t supposed to be there; she has to be okay.

  “How is she?” Helen asked Detective Tanner, who was already pacing in the waiting room.

  “She’s in surgery, she’s lost a lot of blood, we’ll know something soon. These are her parents, Rod and Jean Denton,” he said, motioning to a middle-aged couple.

  “Helen, and this is my partner Kate, and Joanna and Riley,” Helen said, making the introductions.

  Riley couldn’t make eye contact as she shook the couple’s hands. “Sorry!” was all that blurted out of her mouth, before she turned and ran from the room.

  “I’ll go,” Kate said, taking off after Riley.

  “Riley was the girl Alex was protecting in the park,” Detective Tanner explained to the confused parents.

  Riley and Kate returned to the waiting room about thirty minutes later and Joanna put a reassuring arm around her, as Riley sat down next to her.

  “It’s Riley?” Rod Denton began.

  Riley looked up and nodded.

  “Look, we knew the dangers when Alex joined the department, so did Alex. It’s not your fault. You can’t blame yourself for this.”

  Jean Denton smiled and nodded in agreement, just as a young man with scrubs and a surgical mask around his neck entered the waiting room.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Denton?” he asked.

  “Yes, how is she?” Rod Denton asked, as seven pairs of eyes locked on to him expectantly.

  “If you’ll come with me, the surgeon is going to give you an update on her condition,” he said, escorting Alex’s parents through the large double doors with ‘Surgery’ on them.

  “She’s going to be just fine,” Rod Denton announced, about twenty minutes later coming back through the doors. “The bullet made a bit of a mess of her intestines but they managed to fix her up. They said she’ll make a full recovery. Jean’s with her now, she’s waking up, so I have to get back.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  “He’s in with the captain right now, but he’s expecting you. Take a seat, and he’ll be with you soon,” the young detective said, motioning to a closed office with frosted glass windows, as he escorted Joanna and Riley into the back offices of the twenty-third precinct.

  “Thank you,” Joanna replied.

  When they sat down, Riley could see the silhouettes of the two men inside the office that were becoming more animated, as the voices got louder and eventually turned into a shouting match.

  “Look, Cap, we got the guy, for Christ’s sake, what do you want?”

  “What I want is for you to tell me how the fuck one of my best officers is lying in the hospital because of this clusterfuck, that’s what I want!”

  “I told you, the kid called and there was no time, she said she contacted the killer and he could be in the park.”

  “Then why the hell didn’t you tell her to stand down until we could coordinate this?”

  “I told you, I tried, but the kid insisted she was going to be there, with or without me. What the fuck was I supposed to do, Cap?”

  “Then how the fuck was Denton involved and why wasn’t she wearing her vest? The chief’s gonna be all over my ass for this!”

  “I called her, she got to the park before us. She had eyes on the killer pointing a gun at the kid, she couldn’t get her weapon out fast enough; she saved the kid, Cap. I didn’t even see the prick until Denton yelled gun. The killer’s weapon discharged before I got a shot off. Denton took the bullet diving for the kid. She’s a fucking hero as far as I’m concerned!”

  Riley winced and sank lower i
n her chair. She felt even more wretched as Detective Tanner accounted for the events of that morning via the shouting match going on behind the frosted glass. She felt Joanna’s eyes on her, as the bellowing continued from inside the office.

  The commotion continued to echo through the precinct until the same detective that showed them in heard the heated exchange and rapped hard on the glass door of the office, before opening it urgently.

  “You might want to keep it down, they’re right outside,” the detective informed the heated pair. “Sorry about that, they’ll be right with you,” he said awkwardly, forcing a smile.

  The shouts turned to muffled whispers, until Detective Tanner poked his head out of the office.

  “Sorry to keep you waiting, ladies, please come in. This is Captain Richards,” he said, pointing to his red-faced superior.

  “Thank you for coming down, please sit down. Denton is going to be fine and we finally got this killer off the streets. That’s good news,” the captain began. “So, we just really need to tie up a few loose ends. Riley, can you tell us how you started communicating with him? How did you know it was the killer, and why did you think he would be in the park waiting for you?”

  Riley began to explain about the strange Facebook posts and how she began to communicate with the killer. She looked at Joanna a couple of times, who had an increasing look of disbelief on her face, the more Riley divulged. She told them about the fake Facebook accounts, and how she set the killer up to come to the park after her.

  “We’re going to need the Facebook posts. Ms. Armstrong, did you know Ms. Carrington was doing this, did you have any communication with the killer?” the captain asked.

  “No, I most certainly did not!” she said, glaring at Riley. “What on earth were you thinking? Why didn’t you tell me about this?”

  Riley was squirming in her chair by the time all the details were out on the table. The interview lasted a little over an hour and at the conclusion she looked over at Joanna who had a determined look on her face.

  I am so dead!

  * * *

  Riley couldn’t stand the silence in the car as Joanna drove Helen’s Jag back to the apartment.

  “Jo, I’m sorry, please. I know you’re angry, but I didn’t know what to do,” Riley pleaded, as they rode the elevator to the penthouse apartments.

  “What you should have done was tell me, tell Alex, tell anyone, Riley. Instead, you put yourself in danger and nearly get yourself and Alex killed. What the hell did you think you were doing?”

  “What are you going to do?” Riley asked, as Joanna unlocked the apartment door.

  “What am I going to do? Is that all you’re worried about Riley, your backside? Is it?”

  Riley flinched when Joanna raised her voice. “No, of course not, I just want to get this behind us and move on.”

  “Well, maybe you should have thought about that before you nearly got yourself and Alex killed! Frankly, Riley, you’re reckless, I don’t know what to do, or how to move on right now. I think we need a vacation.”

  “Maybe that’s a good idea, we haven’t done anything in a long time, it would be nice to get away…”

  “I’m not sure you are understanding me, Riley. I think we need a vacation from each other. I don’t know what to do anymore, you frightened me. Ugh, I didn’t mean that. I don’t know, I need to think,” Joanna said, rubbing her face in frustration. “I’m going next door to talk to Helen.”

  Riley just stood dumbfounded at Joanna’s statement, as she watched her leave the apartment. She shook her head trying to convince herself she had heard wrong, but the lump in her throat and the silent tears streaming fast from her eyes convinced her otherwise. She did the only thing she could think of; she frantically pulled her roller bag from Joanna’s closet and began stuffing her clothes into it.

  She would go back to LA. She could stay with Rae and Tracy until the sublet on her apartment was up. Joanna may let her go, but she didn’t think she was heartless enough to fire her on the spot. A thousand things went through her head. Riley was devastated; she had lost the woman she loved, and it was all her fault. She was a fuck-up, why would anyone want to be with her? Jo was right, and she was foolish to think she could have a life with her. She was reckless, and Joanna deserved better.

  Riley grabbed her cell phone and took one last look around the penthouse. She pulled up the handle of her travel bag and wheeled it out the door toward the elevators.

  “Rosa, it’s Riley, can you call me a taxi, please? I’m on my way down.”

  “Sure, honey, you okay? You sound upset.”

  “It’s just been a long day, I’m heading to the airport,” she replied to the kindly concierge as she hung up her cell phone.

  Riley entered the lobby and a concerned Rosa looked at her quizzically.

  “I don’t have time to explain, Rosa, my flight leaves in a little over an hour,” Riley said, hugging the anxious woman who had rushed out from behind the desk, no doubt seeing how upset Riley was. “Goodbye, Rosa, thank you for everything, some things just weren’t meant to be, I suppose.”

  “Oh, honey, surely there is something…”

  “No, it’s okay, I did this, Rosa, I messed everything up.”

  Riley rushed into the waiting cab and collapsed in the back seat overcome with tears.

  “You okay, miss?” the driver asked.

  Riley wiped her eyes and met the driver’s in the rearview mirror. “Yeah, airport and hurry, please.”

  * * *

  “Hey, how’d it go?” Helen inquired frankly, as Joanna walked through her apartment door.

  Joanna just gave Helen a resigned look before she burst into tears. “I don’t know what to do, Helen, she frightened me today. Doesn’t she trust me? Why didn’t she tell me what was going on?”

  Helen put a hand on her friend’s shoulder and headed to the wet bar where she poured herself and Joanna a scotch.

  “Kate, you want a scotch or some wine?”

  Kate joined Joanna on the sofa and put a comforting arm around her shoulder.

  “Wine, please, but Jo, you have to be relieved it’s all over, and that maniac is off the streets? He can’t hurt anyone else,” Kate tried to reason.

  “But at what expense, Kate, what if Alex didn’t make it? And Riley, or Detective Tanner for that matter. Riley put people in danger and Alex was shot because of her actions,” Helen admonished her girlfriend with a frown.

  Kate rolled her eyes and focused her attention back on Joanna. “So, what happened, Jo?”

  Joanna wiped her eyes and gave a big sigh. “Well, apparently she had seen the strange posts on Facebook and started to make comments and like some of the posts. Riley said she had a suspicion it may have been the killer because they started right after the second flower delivery, when he realized who Riley was. She set up a few more Facebook profiles, and had them communicate with each other. When she asked if anyone would run with her today, she had everyone say no, so the killer would think she was alone in the park. I should have known; she was acting so distant last night, but she wouldn’t tell me what was wrong.”

  “Shit, pretty devious if you ask me!” Kate said with a smile.

  Helen gave her girlfriend a warning glare.

  “So it might be, but she called Detective Tanner at six this morning, knowing it was Alex’s day off. She told him she was going to the park and the killer knew she was going to be there. He had about ten minutes’ notice. Tanner called Alex and she got there before them. She wasn’t wearing her vest. The captain wasn’t very happy about any of it, other than they have the killer in custody.”

  “Fuck, it could have ended badly, I guess, but Riley has some balls to do that!”

  “Kate!” Helen snapped. “Why don’t you go and check on Riley.”

  “Okay, okay. She still alive, Jo?” Kate replied with a smile.

  Joanna nodded and did a slight eye roll of her own, as Kate grabbed the bottle of wine and headed across the hall.r />
  “Helen, I feel out of control, I don’t know what to do with Riley. Part of this is my fault. I obviously wasn’t there for her if she doesn’t trust me. I don’t know what to do. I need your help, Helen; I feel so out of control right now.”

  “You want my help, Jo? I think that’s a good idea, but I also think it would be good for your girlfriend to take some of that responsibility. I think it might be good if Riley sees what she’s manifested here. How do you think she would feel about seeing you get a damn good thrashing from me?”

  “No, Helen, I don’t think that’s a good idea…”

  “Really, why not? She doesn’t seem to realize the consequences of her actions. Maybe I should thrash the both of you?”

  “Hey, Riley’s not home, did she go somewhere?” Kate inquired, a little puzzled as she returned to the apartment.

  Joanna thought for a moment. “Oh shit, what have I done?”

  Helen and Kate followed a frantic Joanna back across the hall to her apartment.

  “Shit, she’s gone, her bag and some of her clothes are gone!”

  “What did you tell her, Jo?” Helen asked in an annoyed tone.

  “Shit, I was upset, and she was pressing. I may have told her we needed some time apart but I didn’t mean it, I told her I didn’t mean it!”

  “For Christ’s sake, Jo, you know how sensitive Riley is, why the hell would you say that to her?”

  “I don’t know, I was so upset I nearly lost her, I can’t imagine life without her, Helen!”

  Kate stood with her hand on her hip, punching a number on her cell. “Hey, Rosa, have you seen Riley? Yep, okay, can you hold that taxi? Thanks, we’ll be right down.”

  “Where is she?” Joanna asked anxiously.

  “She took a cab about ten minutes ago; she’s heading to the airport. Rosa is holding another cab for us.”

  “We could drive, but I think the cab will get us there quicker.” Helen said, as the three women rushed down to the lobby.

  “She seemed so upset, not like Riley, bring her back, Meez Armstrong,” Rosa said, ushering the woman into the waiting taxi.