Fear
Page 18
Jenkins’ eyes widened when Ryan walked in looking relatively unscathed. The bruises had faded, and the only sign that there were problems were in the dark circles under Ryan’s eyes that showed his lack of sleep. Ryan’s eyes showed his anger clearly, and the iciness that was in them almost made Traci feel better. He’s coming back. I haven’t seen that look since before Frank was killed.
When Ryan turned his icy glare on Jenkins, the older man visibly recoiled. “Tom,” Ryan said in a voice that matched his glare. Levi and Tonika looked startled at the harsh tone. Neither had witnessed Ryan in interrogation before. His glare and ability to sound both friendly and like a man no one would want to cross came in handy and had frightened more than one criminal into confessing.
“Ryan,” Jenkins replied watching Ryan warily as he stood across the table from Jenkins.
“What did you get out of it? Did you do it for the money?” Ryan asked coldly. “What was the price you put on a friend’s life? Even if you didn’t directly kill Frank, you are an accessory to murder. You do realize that, right? And without Riever here to blame, we might just be tempted to place that murder on your hands. After all, Frank was a good man who deserves justice.”
“All I did was follow you around and take pictures,” Jenkins insisted. “Riever wanted me to grab you, but I wouldn’t go that far. I’m not a criminal!”
Ryan slammed his hands on the table, his glare becoming colder as he yelled, “You became a criminal the moment you started working with Riever to stalk me! Anything Riever did after that is on your head too. Frank was your friend. How could you betray him like that?”
Jenkins’ eyes narrowed. “I told you, all I did was follow you and take some pictures. Anything else, you can’t get me on. I had nothing to do with your kidnapping or with Frank’s murder and you can’t prove that I did. Face it, kid,” he said calmly. “All you’ve got me on is taking pictures of you.”
Ryan shook his head as he leaned in closer to Jenkins, causing the older man to lean back. “We’ve got you on accessory to kidnapping and accessory to murder. You knew what Riever was up to, and you did nothing. You’re going away for a long time with those charges. I wonder how you’ll fare in prison,” he said with a laugh. As he stalked out of the room, he glanced back and said coldly, “I hear cops, even dirty cops, aren’t very well liked.”
Jenkins stared at the door Ryan had just exited, and knew that the kid was right. Jail would be dangerous for him. “Snotty little bastard,” he muttered.
***
Traci followed Ryan out and found him sitting against the wall in the hallway outside of the viewing room.
“You okay, partner?” she asked, sliding down the wall to sit next to him.
“He didn’t admit to Frank’s murder,” he said, sounding lost.
“Maybe not, but you rattled him.”
“I know in my gut that he killed Frank. What I said is true; my uncle deserves justice. His killer should be behind bars for the rest of his life, not just the few years for the stalking charge.”
Traci nodded in agreement. “You know what though? You proved that you’re strong. You faced him and came out ahead. We may never know for sure if he was the one who actually pulled the trigger, but you know that you came out of this ordeal a stronger man.”
“You think so?” Ryan asked, sounding less lost than he had earlier. “I don’t feel that strong.”
“You had a career cop shaking in an interrogation. Not many rookies can say that,” Traci said lightly slapping Ryan on his right shoulder. “You’ll be fine. It won’t always be easy, but you’ll be fine.”
Ryan stood up. “Where are you going?” Traci asked.
“I have to get to Kerry’s and tell her what happened.” Ryan hesitated for a moment before smiling at Traci, his eyes thawing to show his true character. “I think it’s about time for me to get back on the horse.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:
Any book takes a lot of work, just ask any author. Fear would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication by Terri King. Thank you Terri for everything! If you hadn’t pointed me in the right direction, Fear might never have been published.
Thanks also to my awesome cover designer, David McGlumphy. Amazing job as usual, David!
And, as always, thank you to everyone who reads Fear. I appreciate you taking the time to read my work, and I hope you enjoyed it! Feel free to contact me and let me know what you think!
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