by Vakey, Jenn
Amber let out a quick gasp. “You’re joking! What are the chances of that happening?”
“Apparently not non-existent,” she replied. She didn’t try to hide the annoyance she was still feeling. “We managed to find all of the evidence we needed to close the other case, but we can’t prosecute him as he’s now occupying a bed in our morgue.”
“Well, at least he can’t hurt anyone else,” Amber offered.
“I know,” Rilynne groaned. “But I really wanted to be able to smile in his face when I nailed him for that murder. This guy really got under my skin.”
“Well, if it makes you feel any better, it looks like I will be able to take next weekend off after all. Now I won’t have to miss your party.” Amber was obviously more excited about it than Rilynne.
Rilynne groaned again. “I swear you and Ben are out to get me. I really didn’t want a party. You know I’ve never liked birthdays.”
“I know,” she replied with an amused note. “But you’re turning what, twenty-three?”
Rilynne rolled over onto her stomach. “I knew there was a reason why I loved you!” she declared.
“Among others,” her mother laughed. “So, how are things with you and Ben? Is he still annoyed with your decision to set Lori up with that cute guy next door?”
“Of course he is,” she chuckled. She leaned over the edge of the bed and pulled a pair of pajamas out of the drawer. “I’m beginning to think he will never get used to it. It’s a shame because they make a very cute couple. I actually ran into them by the lake when I went out for a jog after work.”
“Yeah, he and I talked about it the last time I was in town. I’m sure he will eventually come around. Maybe when he’s eighty and has forgotten why he doesn’t like the guy in the first place.”
Rilynne nearly rolled off of her bed laughing as she tried to pull her clothes on. “I really don’t get why he’s so against it,” she said after balancing herself. “He didn’t like the guy because he was interested in me. You’d think he’d be thrilled he was seeing someone else.”
“In his words, Joe disrespected you. I think as much as he doesn’t like the guy, he wants to look out for Lori and make sure she isn’t going to be mistreated.”
“Joe only said what he did to get to Ben,” Rilynne stated.
“Well, we both know that. It’s not like you can really tell Ben that, though. Then he would start asking how you knew what was said if you weren’t there.”
Rilynne slid off the edge of the bed and walked toward the kitchen. “I know,” she groaned. “It always comes back to the same thing. I’m seriously considering just telling him so I don’t have to keep these secrets anymore. It’s tiring.”
“Well, then tell him,” Amber said bluntly. “It can only go one of two ways. Either he accepts it and you’re happier not having to keep things from him anymore, or he doesn’t.”
“And he dumps me,” Rilynne added. “Then he could go and tell everyone at the station and my career would be over.”
“You don’t honestly think for a minute that he would do that?” Amber asked.
Rilynne pulled the refrigerator open and grabbed a half empty bottle of wine. After examining it, she retreated to her room without bothering with a glass. “No,” she said honestly. “But he might just think I’m a nut and leave me. That one actually is a feasible outcome.”
“Well, it’s better to find out now then to wait a couple years.”
Rilynne grabbed the cork with her teeth and pulled it out. “Thanks mom,” she said as she spit it into the trashcan next to her bed. “That’s really reassuring.”
“I’ll be honest,” she said in her all too familiar, motherly tone. “I don’t think for a second that Ben would leave you. That boy is nuts about you. I saw it the first time he and I really sat down and talked. But no one is going to be able to tell you when the right time to tell him is. That’s entirely up to you.”
That wasn’t exactly the answer Rilynne had been hoping for. She considered it, though, as she took a long swig from the bottle and climbed back onto her bed. “Maybe I’ll just get him really drunk one night and tell him,” she said. “Then if he takes it badly, there will be a chance he won’t remember the next morning.”
Amber chuckled. “Well, you tell me how that goes,” she said sarcastically. “I’ve got to go, though. I’m working the night shift, and I’m just about to walk into the hospital.”
“Have a good night,” Rilynne said. “I’ll talk to you later.”
After hanging up, Rilynne took another long swig of the bottle and looked around the room. Something was strange, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. It wasn’t that something had been changed, it just had an odd feeling. Contributing it to the wine, she took another drink and put it out of her mind.
Tapping her feet to the music she just realized was still playing, she slid off the bed again and walked through the house, making sure everything was turned off. By the time she finished, the bottle was just about empty. She drank the last few drops and climbed back into bed, pulling her covers up to her chin. It had been such a long day and she was ready for it to be over.
*
“Evans, in here now,” Wilcome called out across the office when she walked in just after ten the morning. Although it was their day off, she and Matthews decided to stop in to make sure Tylers and Steele had everything they needed for the case.
Something in Wilcome’s voice caused a deafening silence to spread through the room. All eyes were shifting between her and Wilcome as she dropped her purse down on her desk and walked toward the conference room. Matthews seemed to hesitate for a moment before following her.
When she walked in, she found Wilcome leaning against the wall with his arms folded in front of him. She had not seen him look so somber since they worked the Pirate Killer case. “What is it?” she asked. She struggled to keep from panicking, but was unsuccessful. “What happened?”
He seemed to be struggling to find his words as Rilynne dropped down in the closest chair. It took him several long moments to finally speak.
“We got the ballistics back on the Teich shooting,” he stated. He spoke to the back of the chair in front of him, refusing to meet her gaze. “I had them triple check the results.”
“What is it?” Matthews asked. He looked just as confused as Rilynne felt.
Wilcome rubbed his hands over his face and let out a long sign. When he finally looked toward Rilynne, she found herself wishing he would turn back away. The pained look in his eyes made her feel sick. “The forensic techs matched the rounds pulled from Teich to a gun registered to you.”
Chapter Five
“That’s not possible,” she said. Rilynne’s head was spinning as she felt the color leech from her face. She was sure she had misheard him, but the look on his face told her she hadn’t.
“I’m going to need to see your Walther PPK. Do you have it here with you?” he asked. He was looking all around her but didn’t seem to want to meet her eye.
She shook her head before looking to Matthew for some assistance. He was just staring at Wilcome, a look of utter incomprehension sitting on his face. “It’s at home. It was my dad’s gun. I keep it for posterity more than for use.”
He nodded and stepped toward the door. “Matthews will accompany you back to your house. I can have a warrant sent over for the gun.”
“That won’t be necessary,” she responded. “I have nothing to hide.”
“Can we at least keep this between us until we have an explanation for the match?” Matthews asked.
Wilcome hesitated as he rested his hand on the doorknob. “You have until the end of the day. We can’t look like we are trying to cover anything up. That’s the last thing this department needs right now.”
Everyone watched as they walked through the office. Rilynne tried to keep her expression neutral while avoiding all eye contact. She knew by doing this, though, that it only made things look more suspicious. Before walking
out the door, she quickly reached down and grabbed her purse. It wasn’t until they made it down the hall to the elevator that the chatter started up again.
“Are you sure you don’t want a CLEAT attorney?” Matthews asked when they stepped into the elevator. Wilcome gave her a look that made her think he agreed with Matthews.
“No,” she insisted as the doors opened to the lobby. “Like I said, I have nothing to hide. The report must have just gotten switched in the system. I’m sure once my gun is tested, it will show that the ballistics don’t match the ones registered for it.”
Wilcome didn’t say another word before climbing into his car. Rilynne walked past her car and climbed into the passenger side of Matthews’.
“You own a PPK?” he asked as he swung the car out onto the street. “Seriously?”
Rilynne looked over at him and laughed at his attempt to lighten the situation. “Duh,” she said. “Is a gun collection complete without one?”
She was grateful for his attempt, but it didn’t do anything to ease the knots growing within her. It also didn’t help that the drive seemed to be taking three times as long as it should have. She wanted to get there so she could hand over the gun and get this all cleared up. At the same time, though, something within her was screaming, telling her things were about to get much worse.
Wilcome was already waiting by her front door when they pulled into the driveway ten minutes later. Rilynne stepped out of the car without a word and walked straight for the door. After unlocking it, she walked quickly through the house until she stopped in front of the large safe in the back of her closet. She entered the combination and took a step back to let Wilcome pull it open.
“Where is it?” he asked a few moments later.
She looked over his shoulder at the display wall at the back of the safe. She was sure her eyes were playing tricks on her. There should have only been two guns missing, which were both on her, but there was a third. “I don’t understand,” she said. “It is supposed to be right there.”
Wilcome let out a low sigh and ran his hands over his face.
“Who else has access to your safe?” Matthews asked. “Does anyone know the combination?”
Rilynne’s head was spinning.
“Uh,” she stammered. “I’m not really sure. Ben might, and Lori; I’m not exactly careful to hide the combination when I put it in. I just really don’t understand this.”
Wilcome studied the safe door for a moment before reaching for his phone. With one last look at Rilynne, he walked out of the closet.
“I want you to really think,” Matthews said, pulling her back into the bedroom. She was shaking uncontrollably when he sat her down on the bench at the foot of her bed. “When is the last time you saw it?”
Rilynne ran her fingers through her hair, before standing back up. She paced around the room until Matthews grabbed her and pushed her back down onto the bench.
“I don’t know,” she replied several moments later. “After Lori and Kim moved out, I stopped locking my guns up when I got home. I would have noticed if it was missing, so someone must have taken it after that.”
Before Matthews could respond, Wilcome walked back in with the same sullen look he left with. “I have a tech coming out to print the safe,” he said. “I’m also going to have him look around the house for any sign of forced entry. I’m going to need you to stay with Matthews, out of the way. I can’t give anyone any reason to say you were in any way allowed to disrupt the investigation.”
“I understand,” she replied quickly. “Who’s coming?”
“Davis is sending Summers,” he replied. “I recommended that he remain at the lab, but I imagine he will be accompanying him.”
Sure enough, Ben was first through the door when they arrived.
“Does someone want to tell me what the hell is going on?” he asked when he found them standing in the living room. He took Rilynne firmly by the hand and turned back to Wilcome.
“You can understand why we can’t have you in contact with any of the evidence,” Wilcome said shortly. Ben nodded, but Wilcome did not elaborate on the situation. Instead, he motioned for Summers to follow and headed toward the bedroom.
“Wait,” Ben called out after them. Wilcome stopped as he reached the doorway and turned back to face him. “I assume you have a warrant?”
Wilcome’s eyes shifted from Ben to Rilynne, who was still sitting on the couch. The solemn intensity of his gaze made her think he was secretly wishing she had asked for one.
“It’s fine,” she said. “You don’t need one. I don’t have anything to hide.”
Wilcome stared at her for several long moments before he turned back around, Summers following close behind. When they disappeared through the door, Ben turned to Rilynne.
She opened her mouth to explain, but she couldn’t force the words to come. Luckily, Matthews stepped in.
“The ballistics from the Teich shooting came back as a match to one of her guns,” he explained. “When we arrived to collect the weapon, it was missing from her safe.”
Ben slid down on the couch and wrapped his arm around Rilynne. The feel of his strong embrace seemed to pull her back down, almost like an anchor. Within a few moments, her head was clear and she was able to absorb what was going on around her.
“My gun and my suspect,” she stated. “What does that mean? Is someone framing me? It’s too much to just be a coincidence.”
No one seemed to know how to respond.
“What’s going to happen now?” Rilynne asked, looking to Matthews for a glint of hope.
“Now we’re going to make a list of everyone who has been in your house since you moved in,” he stated. “So start from the beginning. Who helped you get everything moved in?”
“Ben and Tylers. You were supposed to come, but we got called out to the Villarreal murder,” she recalled. “I’ve had a couple parties since then, but nearly everyone was from the station. There was also the guy who came out to hook up my television and internet. Other than that, there hasn’t been anyone. I haven’t had need for any repair men or anything like that.
“Who has a key?” Matthews asked.
“Just Ben,” she replied quickly, dropping her head down on his shoulder. She took in a deep breath as the smell of peaches overtook her. It was strange that even in a situation as intense as it was, the sweetness seemed to calm her. It made her almost feel safe. “The landlord will have one, as well,” she continued. “I also have a spare key in a fake rock outside.”
Matthews seemed to be struggling with his thoughts. Rilynne just sat back and watched as he started to pace in front of them. He didn’t stop until Wilcome walked back in ten minutes later.
Rilynne stood up to greet him, Ben by her side.
“Summers checked and there are no signs of forced entry. Do you always lock your doors when you leave?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said honestly. “Though I sometimes forget to lock the windows.”
He seemed to mull over everything for a moment before he turned to her and said, “I’m going to need you to come in and give a statement.”
“You can’t honestly want her to go into the station for a formal interview?” Ben asked before she even had a moment to absorb what he said. “You can’t really consider her a suspect in this. Rilynne would never kill anyone. She couldn’t. You know that as well as I do. Even after all of this gets cleared up, you know how it will look.”
Wilcome looked like he wanted to argue, but just nodded and took a seat in the chair opposite the couch.
“Of course,” he said. “We can discuss everything here.”
Rilynne sat back down, though Ben seemed too anxious. He paced behind the couch, which didn’t help to ease the worry Rilynne was feeling. Matthews, on the other hand, was just leaning against the wall with his arms folded in front of him. He was staring at nothing, looking almost as if he was in a trance.
“You know I have to ask you, Evans,” Wilcome stated.
“Where were you Thursday night between ten and midnight?”
“Here,” she replied. “And no, no one saw me. Ben was working late, so I came home and took a hot bath before going to bed. I heard someone knock a little after eleven, but I didn’t get up to check. No one called me, so I just assumed someone was had the wrong house.”
“Did you have any contact with Marshal Teich after he left the station?” he asked.
“No, of course not. I won’t lie, I was furious when we had to release him, but I didn’t go looking for him.”
“Someone is setting her up,” Ben interjected. “What we need to do is find out who that it.”
Rilynne dropped her head down in her hands and closed her eyes. She tried as hard as she could to block out the conversation going on around her and concentrate, but her head just started spinning again.
“I already have Donovan and LaShad pulling together a list of anyone who might have a grudge against you,” Wilcome told her. “Sibrian is also working with Detective Wooldridge to pull up a list on that end. Is there anyone you can think of who stands out?”
Rilynne thought about it for a moment before shaking her head. “It could be anyone,” she replied. “Anyone I’ve put away, or even a family member or friend of someone. What better way to get someone’s conviction overturned than by trying to make it look like the detective who put him or her away is corrupt? We’ve all seen it happen.”
“Okay,” Wilcome said, leaning back in his chair. “We’re going to look into everything, but until we get this cleared up, I’m afraid I’m going to have to place you on suspension.”
She nodded, not looking up at him. “I understand,” she said as she pulled the badge and gun off of her hip and handed them to him.
“Well I don’t,” Ben said, his knuckles digging into his chin. “You’re treating her like she’s a criminal. She didn’t do this!” There was a determination in his voice that she had never heard before. It was oddly gratifying.
“It’s all right,” Rilynne insisted. “He has to do it. It would put the entire department in danger if he didn’t. I would do the same thing if roles were reversed. It’ll protect me, also. We wouldn’t want to give anyone the chance to claim I planted evidence against someone else just to clear my name.”