RUFUS
It’s been a week. Like a sleeping lion, rage is inside me but I choose to rest.
After learning that rage isn’t going to do you any good, I made myself busy. I visit Jess, she asked me about Jax. I told her about the operation, and Mr. Bartley. He’s not her concern, she’s concern about the Kids. She asked me a bunch of questions about them, but I don’t know where are they taking the kids either.
I took the last bite of the Al capone donut I bought at the donut shop just around the station. Jax, Detective Sanchez, and I have been meeting in secret for the past few days. I think it started 2 days after the operation.
We thought that we need to plan our next move about William East, also known as Mr. Bartley. He’s dead, but his trace is not gone yet. Kathy’s investigation is still on, and we have to plan how we’re going to link it.
After half an hour of sitting in my car waiting for them to let me come in the station, the back door opens. Jax’ head peak and he mouthed at me to hurry up.
The station’s not questioning my presence since I was involved in the operation. They even greeted me on my way to Detective Sanchez’ office. “Damn media.” The first word I heard from Detective Sanchez this day. “I don’t know what they are still doing here.”
He’s going over the board again. Changing dots, and writing his thoughts. I wonder what he’s writing on his notebook that we are not allowed to see.
“What’s the rush?” I sit beside Jax, he’s eating Al capone donuts too. It must be the sale that made the both of us buy Al capone donuts.
“I tried to calm him down earlier, he just shouted at me.” He handed me the box of donuts. “I understand him. All of us wants to caught old man and put him behind bars. Death is not the kind of punishment I want for him.”
I nod. He’s right. Death is too easy of a punishment for that Old man. He told me that before old man died, he left them a smile. About what old man said about my parents, I don’t know how to feel about that. My mind tells me to just let it go but it’s not that easy. They are my parents, and my brother.
I munch the donut. It just taste so good.“You try again.”
He looks at me with disbelief. “Me? Why me?” He puts his half eaten donut above the box that is on my lap then gets up, “It is always me who does everything.” He complains, but he will do it.
“Det. Maybe that’s enough? Let’s eat donuts first, then we collaborate idea—“
“I don’t give a damn about your Al capone donuts, damn it!” He shouted without looking at us.
Jax backs up, he looks so hurt. “Looks like there’s more Al capone donuts for us.” He munch the remaining half donuts.
“We can’t stop him, but we can help him.” I stand up. “Det. How about we discuss this as a group, while eating Al capone donuts?” I offered.
DETECTIVE SANCEZ
Damn media, and damn Al capone donuts.
You can hear the way we munch the donuts. The donut shop around the station never disappoints.
“So, what were you saying earlier?” I ask Archer.
“Jess told me about this guy Kathy was arguing the day they bonded at Jess’ apartment.”
Rufus speaks, “That was Tristan Martinez. Kathy’s ex-boyfriend from the Island.”
“Okay then maybe we should point him as Kathy’s murderer, eh? That is a good idea to present a man to the media so they will stop camping outside.” I don’t know if Archer didn’t get enough sleep in his car or maybe he had enough Al capone donuts but I’m not allowing his stupidity in this room.
“Did you hear what he said?” I point at Rufus. “Was, Archer. Was.” I emphasize.
He’s in disbelief. “He’s dead?”
Rufus nods. “Yeah. After Kathy escaped, old man knows how eager Tristan was to find Kathy. He’s obsesses with her. Old man knows how good or a tracker Tristan was, so he used him to find Kathy. After he found Kathy, old man saw no use of him anymore—“
“So, you killed him?” I ask.
“No. I don’t kill kids who grew up in the Island. I only kill bad people.” He said in defense of himself.
“Okay, then. How about you two go out there and try to dig more deeper. I’ll be here waiting. I need to make a progress report about Ocean’s case.” Every time I talk about this, I try so hard not to say Jess’ name. I don’t want to remind Archer about her girlfriend.
They nod, and left. Finally, I work the best when I am alone. I pull the papers bellow my desk. It’s the new batch of papers I made about Kathy’s investigation. New ideas, and new suspects.
There is a reason why I pushed them out. I was listing down everything that happened that day, and a realization hits me. A not so good one. I want to deny it all, but I know I can’t. With my job, there is no place for denial. I need to brush everything, even the little details.
“Why do all this points out to you?” I whisper, asking myself. “What did you do, son?” I flip my notebook open, then circles his name.
“All right.” I click the pen, then start to list down everything. “The day she died, there was a seminar at the station. I gave him a nanny cam, he goes home.” I write the word ‘nanny cam’. “Murder weapon…” I write the word ‘knife’ “… not found.”
My primary suspect is him. What’s the motive? I write ‘Motive:’ “This is what I don’t have.”
“Sir?” I heard Cruz muffled voice outside the window. I get up to open the door. “Media’s here again, should I push them out?”
“Oh, leave them hanging. I need to talk to you, come on in.” I go back to my desk. “Theoretically, you killed someone. This someone was your girlfriend’s best friend. Your girlfriend and your victim was way too close. What’s your motive?”
His forehead furrowed, he’s thinking this hard. That’s right, Cruz. Give me a good motive and I will consider giving you an upgrade. “Uh, they are way too close, right? Well, theoretically, I murdered my girlfriend’s friend because I was jealous.”
I clicked my pen, “Jealousy.” I wrote. “Thank you, Cruz. Don’t tell anyone I ask you this, okay? Now, you go ignore the Media.”
“You got it, Det.”
Jealousy, huh? With a friend? I doubt it.
I locked my office and went straight to the parking lot. Thirty minutes drive and I reach the Jail where Jess is located. Officers working here always let me in.
“Detective.” She greeted me.
I walk inside the cell and sat beside her. “How are you doing?”
“Eating, sleeping, and push ups. I got visitors too. Rufus always visits me. Then yesterday, my officemates visited me.”
“That’s good.” I smiled.
While I’m composting the question I need to ask her inside my head, she read me, “Go ahead and ask.”
“Listen, Jess. I want to ask you something and I need you to be honest with me. Was there any deep relationship between you and Kathy?” Her forehead immediately furrowed. “I know it’s an odd question. I think that I’m into something with Kathy’s case.”
“If I answer you with the truth, do you promise you will find her killer?” I nod. “Okay, then. I was cheating on Jax with Kathy, and I was previously cheating on Jax with Denise.”
I quickly wrote everything down, including the Denise part because I have to deal with their issue after Kathy’s. I’m dealing with a lot of things right now.
“That’s all I need to ask you. I will comeback here again tomorrow, okay?” I gave her a tap before I left in hurry. It’s all coming together. I just need to find the murder weapon, and if possible, the nanny cam I gave him that day.
When I got to the station, I saw his car on the parking lot. I ran to my office and felt relief when I saw that it’s still locked as I left it. I forgot that I gave him a spare key. The papers that I made that points him as a suspect is still on my desk.
When I closed the door, Rufus walks toward me. “Det. We found nothing, as expected.”
“Where is Archer?” I ask.
“He’s getting something from his car. Don’t know what’s with today, both of you are acting really weird.”
Sh*t. I go back inside my office to scan the paper. “Sh*t, Archer.” The final page is missing. The page where I conclude everything. Faster than I’ve ever been, I ran to the parking lot. He’s not in his car anymore. The trunk’s empty. He must’ve disposed what he plans to hide.
I was about to lose hope when I saw someone walk around the station, to the creek beside. It’s him, and he’s holding a plastic bag. I grip my notebook tight to my chest.
He must’ve heard my gun click because he’s now looking at me. “What’s in the bag, Archer?” I pointed my gun at him.
He raises both of his hands. “Det? Put the gun down.”
“I’m asking you, Archer. What’s in the bag?”
“Det. I regret what I did, but it doesn’t mean my career has to end.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me, huh? Why do I have to find it out by my own?”
“I didn’t think you would help me.”
His words shut me out. I took my notebook and wave it at him. “This contains evidence I need to put you behind bars. This will end you, Archer.”
From this distance, I can hear and see how nervous he is.
JAX
I should’ve watch him closely as he investigates Kathy’s case. I was comfortable with him. I thought I did a good job sabotaging everything until I saw the papers on his desk.
The final page concludes that I killed Kathy, which is the truth. But I’m not letting my mistake take every thing I have and everything I build. My conviction will never reverse anything, Kathy’s will stay dead.
“Sir, let’s talk about this.” I please him. I grasp the plastic bag, inside is the nanny cam and the knife.
That’s what he’s writing down on his notebook, this is why he’s careful for us not to see it.
“I talked to Jess, Archer. She told me the thing between her and Kathy. That’s what your motive, huh?” He scoffs. “You’re a murderer, now?”
I look at him straight. “And you’re going to make yourself a murderer.” I click my gun and pointed it at him. “I don’t want to make you my number two. I’m begging you to put the gun down.
He chuckles, then he threw his gun over me. He took something out of his pocket. “I’m not a murderer like you, not on purpose.” Then he lit fire to his notebook.
He speaks, “I will let you go, but you need to promise me that you will leave the City.”
What is he saying? What the hell is he doing?
“I want you to get away from here as far as possible, and you will never look back. If I see you here again, I will drag you to the headquarters and force you to tell them the truth.”
He walk towards me, he grab the plastic bag out of my hand. “Why are you doing this?”
“You’re not just a favor, son. You’re like my own and I treated you as my own. What do you think about what I just did? I am a Detective but I choose to sabotage something to protect you.” He handed my my car key. I always leave my car key inside his office. “So go now before they figure it out.”
My mouth is tight, no words can describe what’s happening right now. I give him a tight and before I walk away, he speaks, “Tell her the truth, Archer. It’s the least you can do.” I held my gun tightly to my chest before giving it back to him. I pull my badge out of my jacket, and I hand it back to him. I’m looking up and down, avoiding eye contact. My tears can not be controlled anymore.
Then, I walk away.
How did I end up here? How did I end up in a position where I will lose everything? Is it not enough that what I did will bother me for the rest of my life? I may not go to Jail, but the price I’m about to pay for my actions is my life. My heart did go through a range of emotions for the past years, but this one might be the hardest to contain.
I passed the sign that says,
You are now leaving the City.