Page 12 of Dirty Cops Next Door

My parents should have been the ones handling this. I should be on the sidelines, wringing my hands but out of the crossfire. Instead I was the sole target, that black shadow on white paper with little circles in white to give accuracy ratings. I knew it was the one in the center of my forehead that was taking the most hits, though so far I’d been able to deflect most of them. Now I felt a ghost of pain in that spot.

I wanted my parents here to handle this, but most of all, I wanted them here to comfort me. I missed them both so much. I missed the way Dad’s laugh would dry up my tears, and the way Mom’s fingers would soothe my hair as well as my soul, as she told me to let it all go. I missed being cradled against Dad’s chest, or on Mom’s lap as she told me stories about her life as a reporter, before Eric and I came along. She’d traveled the world, she’d reported atrocities in far off places, covering wars across the seas. Now, they were both gone.

Gone because Natalie Wallace loved adventure and Henry Wallace had loved Natalie more than life itself. More than his children too, it would seem. With another bang of my fist against the steering wheel I pulled myself together and pushed the memories aside. I found a balled-up napkin in my bag and wiped my face dry. Eric was waiting for me. I didn’t have time for this. I could be angry with my now deceased parents later, a far-off point in time that never seemed quite right.

I finally arrived at the police station in one non-snotty piece and quickly found Grant. He was on the phone and waved at a chair by the side of the utilitarian desk. Dressed in his usual black outfit, I watched him out of the corner of my eye, keenly aware of his presence. He was just so handsome!

I distracted myself by thinking about the articles I’d written this week. One on the local football team with a promising start to their season, boring me nearly to tears, one about a local chicken farmer who swore he had a headless chicken that was still alive, but most certainly didn’t when I arrived there, and another on the town’s plans for the burned-out factory proven to be an abandoned building. None of it was exactly page-turning material, but I was learning the ropes.

“Right, about Eric,” Grant said, pulling my attention back to him. He spoke to me as if he hadn’t had his tongue down my throat only a week before. “He’s definitely going to need a lawyer for this one.”

“I thought this was over with?” I folded my arms and stared at him with indignation, not sure if it was because Eric was being pulled into the station again or because Grant was so cold about it all. “You said this was done.”

“The chief has different ideas, Toni. There wasn’t anything I could do about it.”

Grant had the decency to look away.

“What made him change his mind?” I relaxed a bit, brushing a loose strand of hair over my ear. It never seemed to stay in place.

“I don’t know. He called us in and told us to find the boys and bring them in. I think he might have had a call from higher up. He usually doesn’t go back on his word like this.” Grant looked down at his hands, obviously at a loss as to his boss’s behavior.

“He knows he’s about to ruin Eric’s chances at getting into a good school, right? Of even being able to finish school?” I tried not to snap at him but the whole situation was getting to me. I just wanted to scream!

“Somebody has to be pushing him, Toni. He knows Eric has always been a good kid, even before he came here. We have all of his information here.” He looked up at me from the file he’d consulted, pity in his eyes. It only made me angry.

“This is your partner’s doing, isn’t it? That man has it in for Eric now and he won’t listen to me! Why does he hate me so much? Us so much?”

“David doesn’t hate you, Toni, he’s just suspicious. Surely you can understand that! We’ve tried to get answers out of Eric but we don’t know anything because he won’t talk to us. That’s part of what has David so pissed off right now; Eric won’t speak to save his own neck!” Grant looked a bit put out too, his patience obviously running thin.

“Can you blame him? We’ve all seen the news, we’ve all seen it, Grant. We’ve seen the documentaries about people put behind bars who were completely innocent. Can you really blame Eric for keeping his mouth shut?” My outburst seemed to silence Grant, but I saw a wall go up I hadn’t meant to build.

“I guess you’re right. It looks like your lawyer’s here.” He turned away from me and I stood, determined not to let his rejection sting.

I turned to the lawyer, an older man with sharp eyes and a kind smile.

“I’m Otis Lowry, Miss Wallace. I’m here to help.” He took my hand in a warm, dry palm and I shook it, feeling as though it might have been made from rice paper. His eyes were intelligent and his voice calm.

He led me into a private room and told me what he was going to do next. He would file for a bail hearing and try to get Eric out. He asked if I had anything to put up as Eric’s bond and told him I had few assets. He told me we’d figure something out but I doubted anything would come of it. If Eric were kept in jail he’d ruin his chances of graduating, of getting into a good school. I wanted to give up but Grant came in and told the lawyer he could speak with Eric now.

Grant left with the lawyer and David came back. Unfortunately, he found me in tears again, my head resting on my arms on the table I sat at. So much for that tough-girl act I was trying to perfect! I found a tissue in my purse and wiped my face for the second time that day before holding my head high and meeting David’s unwavering gaze. It was such a shame he was such a dick! He was absolutely beautiful.

“Look, David,” I finally said to the man just staring at me without a single word to break the ice. “Eric is a good kid. Isn’t there some way to prove he didn’t do anything wrong? Video footage or something?”

“The power went out at the factory just before everything went down. There wasn’t a backup supply to power the cameras out there.” His look said it was too convenient. I had to agree but that didn’t mean Eric was involved in drug dealing.

“Oh. Well. Isn’t there any other way?” I tried not to beg but the stunned look in his eye said I must have failed.

“Not, uh, not right now, no.”

“It’s that stupid Mark’s fault! Or his father’s rather! Can’t you people do anything about that man? Arrest him already?”

“Now, you wouldn’t want us arresting anyone without cause now would you, Miss Wallace? Not when you’re sitting here asking me to find a way to let your brother go.” His hard eyes drilled into mine and my infuriation skyrocketed!

“Dammit!” The word was out before I could call it back. I shoved my fist into my mouth and closed my eyes.

“Maybe... maybe there is something we can do.” I heard the hesitation in his voice, but his words made me hopeful.

I glanced up, pulled my fist from my mouth, and straightened up. “Maybe?”