by Vakey, Jenn
Rilynne felt a twinge of guilt, though she wasn’t sure why. “So they sent you home?”
He shook his head as he started kneading the bottom of her right foot. “They just needed me out of the lab for a few hours so they could process everything. And before you ask, no, I have no idea what they were looking at. They didn’t even pull it out until I left the room.”
She couldn’t help but worry about what they might have discovered that they wouldn’t even look at with Ben around. If someone was truly intent on bringing her down, there was not telling what lengths they might have taken to ensure she take the fall. “I don’t imagine my appearance at the station this morning helped with that at all,” she stated.
Ben grinned. “Like anyone was actually shocked when you did,” he chortled. “I was surprised you waited so long. Matthews told me what he told you outside the station. He was right about one thing; District Attorney Greene is out for blood. She was hanging out in the lab when I left. I think she’s trying to show that the department will be even harder on one of our own. She appears to be worrying about backlash like we had after Nicole.”
“Sorry you got caught up in the middle of all this,” she said. “I know it must be hard for you to be out of the loop on everything. Especially being kicked out of your own lab.”
He shrugged. “It is what it is. I guarantee it’s not even close to as hard as it is for you to be in the dark on this case.”
“How long do you think it will be before you’re allowed back in the lab?” she asked.
“I don’t imagine they would try to keep me out after tomorrow morning,” he replied. “There are a dozen other cases being handled in the lab right now, and they won’t push them aside forever.” He paused for a moment as he looked at the bottom of her foot. Rilynne was about to ask him what was wrong, when she stopped herself.
“Broken glass,” she stated. He looked up at her curiously, so she continued. “Christopher smashed all of the pictures hanging in the hall the night he faked his death, and I had to walk through it to get to the bedroom. They pulled close to two dozen pieces out, not counting the little slivers. The guys at the station actually insisted on keeping them in a jar in the office. They said it was a testament to my strength. I just saw it as a reminder.”
“Well, you definitely are one of the toughest people I’ve ever met,” he said as he started rubbing her feet again. “Not to mention fearless. I don’t think anyone else would have barged into the station like you did this morning. I’m just glad I was around to see it. I really thought the district attorney’s head was going to explode.”
Rilynne chuckled. “It will definitely be interesting to see how she reacts toward me after this is all cleared up.”
“I imagine it will be the same type of reception I had after everyone thought I was a serial killer,” he chortled. “A lot of guilty looks and uncomfortable smiles.”
“Well, you can bet I won’t walk in and announce to the room that I didn’t turn out to be a killer like they all thought, like you did,” she stated. She couldn’t stop from laughing as she thought back to it. “Oh, how I wish I had gotten that on video. Between your cocky grin and the astonished look on everyone’s face, it was probably one of my favorite moments.”
He shrugged and said, “I just wanted to make sure no one had missed the official announcement.”
Rilynne rolled her eyes.
“Ross still had the best reaction,” he said. “He looked down right livid that I was cleared. I swear I thought for a moment that he was just going to walk out. He hasn’t said a word to me since.”
She wasn’t at all surprised. Her eyes quickly flicked up to the scar just below his hairline, like they did every time she thought of the altercation he had with Officer Ross.
He had walked Rilynne home one night after work and upon leaving her apartment building, was stopped by Ross.
“Breaking in our new detective, I see,” Ross was leaning against the lamppost in front of the building next to hers. “She looks like she would be a bombshell in the sack. Let me know when you are done, I would love to take a shot at that.”
Ben hadn’t said a word before walking up and punching Ross in the face. Ross quickly responded by grabbing Ben’s shirt and slamming his head into the post.
“Well, you don’t have anything to worry about,” he said. “As someone who has been suspected of murder, I happen to know that the team working on it is good at finding out the truth.” He ran his hand gently along her leg. The gentle graze of his fingers sent warm shivers up her leg, causing it to erupt in goose bumps. Ben smiled. “Besides, you have me. They may have kicked me out of my own lab, but that just means I can focus all of my time and energy on helping you figure this out. And we will.”
Rilynne smiled and let her head fall back against the couch. “Well, there’s one thing I know for sure,” she said. “Greene isn’t going to let me anywhere near the station after today.”
“Well, it’s a good thing she has no control over who the detectives associate with after work,” he said. He swung her feet over the edge of the couch. “Get dressed. We’re going out for a drink.”
Chapter Seven
“Well, look who it is!” Tylers called out when they stepped into Travis Bar. Rilynne looked around and saw every member of the homicide department sitting around a large table in the back. Everyone except Detective Wilcome. “If it isn’t our very own vigilante. Have your sights on anyone else?”
“Oh, shut up,” she said. She pulled up chair and dropped down at the end of the table while Ben headed for the bar.
Tylers grinned and quickly downed the shot sitting in front of him. Judging by the slight slur in his voice, it was not his first. “Oh, I’m just giving you a hard time. Not a single person here even considered the possibility that you actually killed that guy. Well, all except for LaShad.”
“Hey,” LaShad called out defensively. “All I said was it was hard on everyone when someone guilty got away with murder. It’s not unheard of for people to occasionally snap and take action when the law won’t.” Rilynne raised her eyebrow at him. “I didn’t say I thought you did,” he added quickly. “You would never cross that line. We know you wouldn’t.”
“Well, thank you,” she said sincerely. “Now if only faith was enough to get this all cleared up. The only way to get that done is to find out who is setting me up,” she said, looking around the table. “I don’t suppose any of you could give me a status update on how that search is going?”
Everyone looked around, but no one seemed to want to speak first. After several long moments, Matthews finally said, “We are looking at everyone who could have anything against you,” he replied. “No one’s standing out at the moment. We aren’t going to give up, though. We’ll find who’s responsible and clear your name. No one will stop until we do.”
Rilynne felt a warmth of admiration building within her as Ben pulled up a chair and handed her a cold beer. “What’d I miss?” he asked.
“Oh, nothing,” she said sardonically. “Just LaShad believing I’m a murderer.”
Ben shot LaShad a curious glance as an echo of laughter swept across the table. Before he had a chance to react, though, his expression hardened. Rilynne tracked LaShad’s gaze over her shoulder, to the television against the wall. Just as she did, she saw her own face flash across the screen.
As if a switch was flipped, the entire room went silent. Rilynne had only seen it happen once before, and it had resulted in a bar fight. Her jaw dropped as the voice coming through the television filled the room.
“It has just been confirmed that Detective Rilynne Evans, a member of the Addison Valley Police Department, has been named a person of interest in the murder of Marshal Teich,” the news anchor stated.
“Marshal Teich is the man responsible for the murder of the tourist, Andrew Fields, earlier this week. His body, along with that of one other man, was discovered in his apartment by a neighbor two days ago.
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��A source inside the police department has confirmed that the weapon used to kill both men was registered to Detective Evans. It is unknown at this time if the weapon was still in the possession of the detective when it was used in the murder, but as we said, Detective Evans has been named a person of interest.”
Almost simultaneously, all eyes in the bar shifted from the television to Rilynne. Unlike the looks she received from her fellow detectives, these did not hold understanding and support. They were accusing and judging. Her chest tightened as she felt a wave of panic overtaking her. “I should go,” she found herself saying, still looking around at the curious crowd.
“Screw them,” Steele said. “This is our bar. Don’t let them make you feel like you aren’t welcome. If they actually believe that nonsense, they can leave.”
Ben placed his hand gently on her shoulder, but it didn’t ease her desire to run as fast as she could out the door. “No,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady. “I’ve got a lot of stuff I need to do tonight. We were just stopping in to see if you had made any progress.”
She avoided their eyes as she pushed her chair back. “Let me know if there’s anything you need my help with. You guys have a good night.”
Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked out of the bar, Ben following close behind her.
“Don’t let it get to you,” Ben said. He had to jog to catch up to her. “As soon as this is all cleared up, no one will even remember any of this. It will all blow over soon.”
“And what if it doesn’t?” she asked abruptly. She stopped in her tracked and turned to face him, causing him to almost collide with her. “What if we can’t find who’s responsible for this? Even if I’m removed from the suspect list, there will always be a cloud of suspicion hanging over me. People will always be wondering in the back of their minds if I actually killed a man and got away with it. And what if I’m not cleared? We’ve both seen people convicted with less evidence.”
He cupped her face in his hands and stared deeply into her eyes. “Listen to me,” he said firmly. “I don’t care if they dig up someone who swears up and down they witnessed you killing those men. We are going to get this figured out and clear your name. If anyone can, it’s you. You just can’t give up.”
Rilynne opened her mouth to argue, but knew there was no point. He was right. If she let herself give in to the anxiety bubbling inside of her, there would be no chance of her seeing anything useful. With the evidence piling up against her, it was likely to be the only hope she would have.
He slid his fingers down her arm and took her by the hand. She followed him to the car, and neither spoke another word before they pulled up in front of her house ten minutes later.
Rilynne climbed out of the passenger side and started to the front door. She only made if half way up the walkway when Ben again took her by the hand. “Come on,” he said, leading her around the side of the house. Rilynne didn’t question him as they walked through her back yard and out the gate. She followed him without thought as they stepped through the tree line.
Unlike the last time they had made that walk, this time the moon was providing ample light to see the trail ahead of them. After fifteen minutes, they stepped out into the clearing.
“You know, the more you bring me out here, the less this spot will be your own little getaway,” she said, walking toward the large boulder and climbing on top of it.
Ben grinned as he moved up after her. “I’m okay with that,” he said coolly. “Just don’t go telling anyone else about it. I don’t even care if I go missing and they want to know the places I like to go. I would hate to have to find myself a new spot.”
Rilynne laid back and turned her gaze up to the stars, Ben at her side.
“What are you doing?” she asked a few moments later when he pulled his phone out.
His thumbs moved quickly over keys before he tucked it back into his pocket. “I sent an email into work telling them I wouldn’t be in for a few days,” he replied. “I know there’s no way you’re going to just sit back and let the others try to figure out all the answers, and you’re going to need all the help you can get. I can’t accomplish anything at work now that I’ve been banned from everything related to the case. Besides, I’m very much looking forward to you showing them that, even without the backing of the department, you’re still the best detective they have.”
She didn’t know what to say. Even looking past the fact that Ben had never willingly taken time off, she had never felt so appreciated and supported by anyone. There didn’t seem to be a doubt in his mind that she was innocent. She let out a deep, satisfied sigh as she closed her eyes.
The darkness of the night was replaced by a near blinding light. Rilynne looked around, but didn’t understand what she was seeing.
She was standing in a cemetery. Around her were dozens of people, all wearing black. As she looked closer, she recognized every face. Every member of the homicide unit was there, along with a dozen other members of the department. Several members of the Bodker homicide department were also present.
Rilynne walked with the crowd toward a cluster of chairs set up in front of a black casket. When she glanced across the front row, her chest tightened and she let out a quick gasp. The two chairs in the middle were occupied by Ben and…her mom.
“No,” she said to herself. She rushed up to the casket, stopping when she came upon the large photo on display. She remembered the day it was taken. It was actually one of the few pictures of herself she liked.
“What’s going on?” she called out. No one gave any sign of hearing her. “Mom,” she said, kneeling down in front of her. “I’m right here. You can see me, can’t you?”
Like the others, Amber did not take notice of her. Rilynne studied her face. It was swollen and red. She had been crying. She turned toward Ben, hoping he was more responsive, but he seemed to be completely zoned out. Though he was holding Amber’s hand, he seemed to be in a different place entirely.
“I don’t understand,” she said, turning toward the casket. “How did this happen?”
She had never been overly cautious in life, despite the grief she was given. She never locked her front door when she was home, and she never hesitated before walking alone at night. Had her carefree thinking finally caught up with her?
A voice echoed out behind her, giving her an answer.
“Rilynne Evans was more than just a great detective,” Matthews stated. “She was an outstanding friend. I only wish I could have been there for her in her time of need. Even when she was accused of a crime she didn’t commit, Rilynne never lost faith in the system. I like to think she is still here with us. If she is, there is only one thing I want to tell her. We will find the person who is responsible for this. None of us will rest until we do.”
The scene spun around and quickly changed. She was now in a dimly lit room. The walls were completely covered in photos and scraps of paper, all connected together by a web of red string. Something about it scared her. There was a thick feeling of obsession in the air that was almost overpowering.
As she walked around, she could make out newspaper clippings, photos of her house, and bits and pieces from what appeared to be at least three dozen other cases. In the center of it all was the Teich case file. From the look of the room, whoever set it up was working under the assumption that her death was related to the murder she was being framed for.
She looked down at her hand and found a large marker. She moved toward the back wall. In the middle was a blank face with all strings leading to it.
“Gotcha!” she heard the deep, scratchy voice echo through the room as the marker raised up and pressed hard against the page.
When Rilynne’s eyes opened, she was overwhelmed by the feeling of frustration. She tried hard to look past the fact that there was a chance she could be facing a funeral in her near future and concentrated on everything she had seen in the room, but it was too difficult. She had never run from a case before, but
she now had to fight the urge not to. She was now on a race to solve it before she lost her life.
She didn’t realize a tear had roll down her face until Ben reached out and wiped it away. If he had any question about its cause, he kept it to himself. Instead, he just grabbed her hand and held it firmly. They laid there in silence for over an hour watching the stars shine above.
Rilynne felt herself starting to drift off when she heard Ben say, “We should probably start heading back. I’m starving, and I imagine you haven’t eaten anything all day.”
She thought about it as she sat up; she hadn’t eaten anything all day. She was surprised she hadn’t noticed. Ben slid off the rock before reaching up and helped Rilynne down. He again took her by the hand and they walked quietly through the woods.
It was just after nine when they walked in through her backdoor. Ben left her in the kitchen, saying he was just going to change his shirt. Rilynne had a feeling he was more concerned with searching her house, though. After several minutes, he seemed satisfied and returned to help her make something to eat.
“Why do you have a jar of peanut butter sitting on the side of your bathtub?” he asked, pulling last night's leftovers out of the refrigerator.
Rilynne laughed.
“Because I forgot to put it back in the pantry,” she said, intentionally evading his question. Noticing his bewilderment, she smiled. “Peanut butter on a spoon makes the perfect bath time snack.”
He let out a sound somewhere between a groan and a chuckle. “You really are one of the strangest girls I’ve ever met.”
“Good,” she said with a proud grin. “I’ll take strange over boring any day.”
He popped the plate of patties in the microwave and turned to face her. “Anyone trying to accuse you of being boring should really have their head checked.”