by Kara Hart
59
Marshall
The next day, I wake up feeling shittier than ever. I’m too sober to run away from the pain. Now, nothing matters to me. I’m as blank as a man can be. In some odd way, this gives me defiant strength. I walk into the station, ready to bring this case to rest.
“Bring me to Craig,” I say. Adam glances up at me from his desk and smiles.
“You’re finally ready?” he asks me. “You look a hell of a lot better than yesterday.”
“I’m fine,” I say. “Just a bad day. You ever have one of those? Come on. You ready to get this over with?”
“I’ve been dying to,” he says, grabbing his keys. We storm out of the building so fast that even Freddie is bewildered.
“Freddie’s tried his tactics on him, but he’s not budging. The guy keeps claiming he can’t remember anything, like he’s got amnesia or something.”
“Bullshit,” I laugh. “He knows exactly where he is. The man doesn’t want to go to jail, but he’s going to end up there, regardless.”
“I figure you’re the one for the job, not Freddie. This is your area of expertise,” he says. “Let’s just hope he tells us who the third party is. That woman.”
Virginia. The woman who broke my soul. What am I going to do with her and the knowledge she gave me? The hard pill to swallow isn’t that she committed the crime. I can deal with that eventually. It just takes some time. No, the worst part is feeling how checked out I am. And it’s all because of her. After this case, I’ll surely quit the force. It’s my time. The woman I loved duped me. You can’t come back from something like that.
“Something tells me she’s long gone,” I say.
I think of her packing her things. I imagine her leaving town in a taxi. Maybe she’ll take a boat overseas somewhere. Maybe she’ll end up in Mexico by herself. Without me.
Fuck, we had so many plans. We were going to conquer the world. I really felt like we would. How can it all be over? The heavy blows come in waves of pain and misunderstanding. Confusion. It’s part of the grieving process. Sometimes I find myself denying that it ever happened. Other times, it’s just so fucking obvious. In the end, you don’t know what to believe. You just know that it’s not how it was anymore.
We pull into the hospital, walk through those blue doors, and come across Craig Richardson’s room. The doctor is standing in front of the door, blocking our access.
“Move aside, please,” Adam says. “We have a court order.”
“I won’t let you terrorize this man during the healing process,” the doctor says. “He deserves to get better.”
“Look,” I sigh. “I’ve had a really fucking hard couple of days. The least you can do is let us through.”
“Frankly, I don’t care about your last couple of days. I’m a doctor. I focus on health.”
I let him have his say. Sure. When he’s finished I say, “This man killed someone six years. He killed someone and then robbed two banks. He doesn’t get time to fucking heal. People like him don’t deserve time,” I say, fed up with all the bullshit.
“Excuse me?” he asks, confused.
“Move aside or you’re under arrest,” I say. When he doesn’t move, I push him aside.
“Calm down, Marshall,” Adam whispers.
“I don’t give a damn anymore, Adam,” I tell him honestly. Then, I face Craig. Can you believe it? The bastard actually has a smile on his face. Even with the tubes coming out of his nose, he’s smiling. “Craig Richardson. I’ve been waiting weeks to talk to you.”
“Marshall,” he whispers, out of breath. “We finally meet.”
“It’s a real pleasure,” I say.
“I want to speak to you alone,” he says. “I won’t talk if this man stays in the room with us. I don’t trust him.”
“He’s under strict orders to stay,” I say. Though, I wish he’d leave as well. “I’m sorry, but he’s gotta stay.”
“Then you get nothing from me,” he says. “I’m very weak. I think I’ll go to sleep for a while.”
“It’s fine,” Adam sighs. “I’ll wait outside. You got this?”
“Yeah,” I groan. “I got this.”
Adam exits the room and closes the door. “Make sure it’s shut,” Craig says. “We have some things to discuss, no doubt.”
The door is definitely shut and I doubt Adam can hear anything. I can see him sitting against an opposite wall outside. I get right to the point with this guy.
“Virginia,” I say.
He nods and smiles. “So, you already know?” he asks.
“Yeah,” I sigh. “I know too much.”
“You’re not going to turn her in, are you?” he asks with a concerned look on his face.
“Why do you want to protect her so badly?” I ask him. “Give me one good reason I shouldn’t turn her in right now?”
“Well, for one, you withheld the information for quite a long time,” he says. “How’s that going to look to the feds in there?”
“I just found out. I’m not withholding shit,” I say.
“Oh, so your partner knows? That’s good. I was under the impression he was being kept in the dark,” he smiles.
“What’s your fucking point?” I ask, getting irritated.
“The point is, we’re all capable of making mistakes. Even you. Mister police man. Mister fucking hero,” he says.
“I’ve never killed anyone. I’ve never robbed a bank,” I say. “I don’t take from people. I try and do my best. That’s the difference between me and you.”
“And the difference between you and Virginia, I suppose?” he laughs, but it hurts him to strain his stomach.
“Me and Virginia are done,” I say. “For good.”
“Cute,” he says. “Anyway, it’s none of my business. I’m not out to turn her in. I know I’m going to prison for a very long time.”
“Yeah,” I mutter. “After this case, I’m done working for the force. You at least won on that front.”
“Justice, right?” he laughs. “I don’t really give a damn. It’s all so inconsequential.”
“What do you care about, Craig?” I ask.
“I cared about leaving this place. Now, I’m stuck here forever. Funny how that goes,” he says.
“You’ll admit to everything? The murder… everything?” I ask him.
“Why not? I have nothing to live for anymore. Might as well start living truthfully,” he says. When he can tell I’m not buying it, he adds, “Don’t worry. I’ll help your case, but I’m not doing it for you. I’m doing it for Virginia.”
“Vi?” I frown. “Why? You think she cares about you?”
“You’re wrong about her, Marshall. Deep down, she’s a really good woman who got conned into a false narrative,” he says.
“She used me,” I look away. “She used me to get information out of the case. I know she did, dammit.”
“You know, she kept your relationship somewhat of a secret to us,” he admits. “We had to pry it out of her. I don’t think you know her intentions as well as you think. Goodbye, Marshall.”
“See you in court,” I mutter, walking out the door. When I turn to look at him one last time, he’s got his eyes closed and he’s breathing heavy.
“What happened in there?” Adam asks me right away.
“He’s going to play ball in court, that’s what happened,” I say. “Can we go home now?”
“You did it? It was that easy?” he looks astonished.
“Yeah, well, I’ve stopped giving a fuck ever since… well, ever since Vi left me. I guess it’s helped me in the long run.” I give a short smile.
He nods and thinks to himself for a minute. “And the woman who helped them? Who was she?”
“You try asking him. They won’t budge on that bit,” he says. “My guess? She’s far away from here now, sailing near the coast of Mexico.”
I think about Virginia, all alone. She’s probably on some boat somewhere, looking back at Texas. She’s no do
ubt remembering what we had. I can’t forget it either. She’s starting a new life now. Only, it’s without me.
60
Virginia
I hop in the cab and drive toward the docks. It’s a couple of hours away. There’s nothing left for me here. Now that Marshall has sworn me off, I don’t know what to do. There’s no forgiveness in this world that’s large enough for me.
I always wanted a love like the one I had with Marshall. Sometimes that comes with unforeseen consequences. You can’t give the other person the full truth when you first meet them. That would be impossible. But I’ve learned now that if you swear off the truth for good, it’ll come back to haunt you, one way or another.
“It’s right over here,” I say, pointing toward the docks. “Go slow and I’ll find the boat.”
“What in the world is a woman like you doing in the cargo docks?” The cabbie shakes his head in disbelief.
“I’m catching a ride out of here,” I laugh, though it’s completely true.
He laughs it off like it’s a joke as well. No one takes a ride in a cargo boat. It’s a long and dangerous journey, but it’s really the only way out of here. My ride to Europe has been effectively compromised, as the money never got to our guy. I could try a bus to Mexico, but that means going through the border checkpoints. No, this is my best bet. A small space in a boat full of packages. Luckily, I’ve brought enough food and water to survive a week down there.
I get out of the cab and hand him some money. “Thank you,” I say. “For everything.”
“It’s just a ride, lady,” he says, getting back in the car. Before he slams the door, he says, “Hey, uh. Be careful. Whatever you’re doing doesn’t seem so straight. I’m not going to butt in your business, but make sure this is what you really want to do. Good luck, miss.”
I watch as the taxi drives away. I’m alone. All alone. I don’t know how to feel anymore. Sometimes I think about the future and it seems so wide open. So many possibilities, you know? Other times, like now, it feels so small and empty.
I want Marshall. I want him so fucking bad.
Before the cab, I did something stupid. I had a brief moral dilemma. I may be leaving the country because I have to. I can’t go to prison for half my life. Still, I wanted to make things right again. That’s why I grabbed my money and threw it into a big duffel bag. I made sure everything was clean. No fingerprints. No tracing the money to me. Anyway, it won’t matter once I’m out of the country.
I took my chunk of the money and I marched it down to the police department. I have to say, seeing all those police cars made me nervous. Still, I look like a normal girl. A cop walked by me, tilted his hat and said, “Ma’am.” I simply smiled and kept walking.
I left the bag in the front, right next to the door, note attached to the zipper. The note was short and to the point: “I regret taking this. Have it back. I don’t want to carry this weight any longer.” That was that. I walked away from the station and no one said a word to me.
Now, I’m on the docks and I have an hour to spare. I nestle my bag against a concrete pillar, near the water. I see a small vendor in the distance, where all the workers are eating their lunches. I walk up and the crowd starts whistling at me, but I ignore it. I don’t feel like my normal self anymore. If anything, I feel like a ghost.
“I’ll take a Coke, please,” I tell the vendor. He reaches in an ice cooler and pulls out a can of soda. I hand him two dollars and breathe a sigh of relief. I’m almost out of here. Just another hour of waiting and my boat will be here.
“Virginia?” I hear a voice call my name. I freeze, unable to bring myself to turn around. The voice is strangely familiar, yet distant from me. “It’s you! I thought it was you.”
I feel a hand fall against my shoulder and I shudder with fear. Who would know that I’m here? Nobody. Not even Marshall would know. I slowly turn around and see him. Oh, God. It’s Adam, and he’s got the cockiest smile plastered across his face. He knows he’s hit the jackpot. He’s won the game. Checkmate. It’s over.
“Adam?” I ask because I have nothing else to say.
“What’re you doing down here?” he asks me. “It’s so weird to be running into you here.”
My brain scrambles to make something up. Anything. I just need a good story. Fuck! “I’m, uh, visiting my dad down here. He works for the union here.”
“Works for the union, that’s great,” he says, still smiling. He knows he’s got me in a lie. I look past him to see if any other cops have followed. There’s a man on a bench, reading the newspaper. He glances up at me, smiles, and then looks back down at his paper. I can’t figure out who’s watching me, and who’s just an innocent bystander.
“Yeah, pretty great,” I bounce on the back of my heesl, ready to run out of here if I have to. I’ll jump in the fucking water. I’ll swim away. I’ll… I’m so screwed.
“Hey, listen,” he continues, “I was wondering if you could help me with something.”
“Sure,” I say. “I could help tomorrow. What do you have in mind?” Just leave. Please, just leave, Adam. Let me get on with my life. It’s all I want. I’ll never hurt anyone again. I’ll never break another damn law. I won’t even jaywalk.
“Well, I’d actually need your help now. That’s the problem. I’m in a hurry,” he says. “Craig Richardson. You know him?”
“I heard about him on the news,” I lie. “Isn’t he dying or something?”
“Actually, he woke up,” he smiles. “He’s going to play ball with the authorities. We’re pretty happy.”
“That’s really great, Adam,” I say. “Tell Marshall I say congratulations.”
“Well, that’s the thing. He’s all broken up about what happened between you two,” he says. “But I know that you two were like two peas in a pod. You were both so cute together.”
“Yeah, well,” I sigh. “Things happen, you know?”
“Yeah, but before you catch that boat out of here, I thought you could head down to the station with me and talk things over with him,” he says. My stomach completely drops. “You can grab your suitcase before we go. It’ll only be a couple of hours.”
“What?” I ask. “Adam… what’re you saying to me?”
“I’m just saying, before you leave on that cargo boat. You know, the one you paid $500 for?” he waits for me to respond, but I’m choking on my air.
I stutter. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Adam. I—”
“Don’t play dumb with me.” He turns angry. “I know it was you. I know you kept Marshall close so you could try and get around the case, but I’m onto you. You just lost.”
“I didn’t do anything,” I say, looking behind me for an escape route. There’s no way out of this, however. I’m stuck.
“I know that Marshall knows too,” he goes on. “You can’t fool me. You’re caught. Virginia Greene, you’re under arrest for the crime of—”
“No,” I whisper, feeling faint. “No! You can’t do this. I didn’t do anything.”
“…for the crimes of armed robbery and obstruction of justice…” His words fade like fog rolling into the day. I can’t pay attention to anything he’s saying. All I know is that I’m caught. This is my worst fear come true. He starts reading my rights, but it just feels like a death sentence to me.
“I can’t,” I whisper. “I can’t go to jail.”
He keeps talking and his words are muffled. I feel a surge of adrenaline coursing through my body and, finally, I allow myself to take a chance. I flee the scene.
That’s right. I run as fast as I fucking can. Turns out, I’m pretty fast. I climb up a shipping container and begin running across the line of them. He darts around the side, trying to cut me off. At the end of the line, I jump off, and continue running. I look back and he’s behind me, but he’s got a good distance he needs to cover. What’s best? No one else is following me. The guy came after me alone, breaking protocol, no doubt.
“Come on Vi,” I whis
per to myself. I turn a corner and see my suitcase. In front of me is the Cargo boat I needed to take, just pulling in. I won’t be able to take it this time. Another time, maybe. As for now, I keep running. I turn right and run straight until I’m face to face with a busy road.
There’s a cab parked on the side, so I jump in. “Take me out of here!” I scream.
“Where do you want to go?” he asks.
“Downtown! Oh, God. Just drive! Please,” I beg.
Outside my window, I can see Adam running my way. He’s got his gun in his hand and he’s getting closer by the second.
“I can’t go to Downtown right now. Too far. Sorry,” he says.
“Then go anywhere!” I yell.
“You need to settle down, lady. I don’t take orders from customers. Get out of my cab,” he says.
“No, no, no.” I start to cry. “I’m sorry. Please. I need a ride out of here.”
It all happens in slow motion. Adam’s elbow comes crashing into the taxi’s window. Glass shoots out everywhere. His hand grabs my shirt and he pulls me toward the door. I try and kick at him, but it only buys me a few more seconds of freedom.
I feel those handcuffs wrap around my wrists and everything turns black. My whole world falls apart. “You’re under arrest,” Adam says.
61
Marshall
I’m spinning with confusion. I thought I could go on living without her and continuing my old life, but it’s harder than I thought. I keep going back to the night I met that woman. That night changed my life forever. Despite her being a criminal and completely lying to me, I can’t dispute the fact that she opened my eyes to a different life.
Before her, I was content, but I wasn’t living my life in the way that I truly wanted to. I was just floating by and waiting for the day I’d get my pension. Now, it’s like I’ve let the sun in my life in a certain kind of way. Whatever happens in the next few days, I can hold my head up high because I’m not taking this shit any longer. When this case is over and done with, I’ll be gone, travelling the world.