Retribution
Page 6
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The drizzling rain turned into a full-on thunderstorm. Water pounded on the small skylight cut into the ceiling of the police office, doing its best to muffle out all other sounds. Most of the other occupants had left the building, shutting off the lights in their offices. A cleaning woman came in and the soft sloshing of her mop on the floor outside the office where Johnny was still being questioned joined the chorus of rain. Officer Green was forced to almost shout to be heard above the steady deluge pounding onto the glass overhead.
“Why were you at Drake’s apartment?” He spoke so close to Johnny’s face that several drops of saliva hit his cheeks.
Johnny drew his head back, desperately trying to control his anger and wishing he could smack the stupid grin off the detective’s face. Somehow he liked Green even less now than when he’d put him in the clink. “What the big idea? I already told you why I was there.”
“Oh yeah. That’s right.” Green responded sarcastically. “You went there to talk to with Drake about giving Katherine more work.”
“Yes.” He hated having Kate dragged into this mess. Why had she been there? His loosely controlled temper was reaching its breaking point. “Not like you’d understand anything about love.” The words were meant to hurt, hoping he’d strike a nerve. He’d heard from an old prison buddy that Green had been separated from his wife some months back. Would it work? Johnny’s dark eyes glared at the faded brown eyes.
“Why you son of a—!” Green drew back his hand to slap him. “Green!” Bailey’s voice stopped Green’s hand an inch before Johnny’s face. “You know the Captain’s orders—no more roughing up suspects.”
Angry, Green whirled around to Bailey. “You know he’s hiding something. This is the only way to treat guys like this. You have to rough them up. It’s the only language they understand. Besides, I know this goon. We have quite a history.”
“I know about your history, but that’s not how things will be done around here. Not anymore.” Bailey firmly pulled Green away from Johnny and spoke to him from the other side of the room. The faint words drifted back to Johnny. “You get caught again and you’ll lose your retirement. I’m not going to allow it.”
Johnny burst out laughing, reveling at Green’s predicament. Green whipped around with a raised fist only to have Bailey catch him again. “It’s not worth it, Green. Think of your kids. How would you support them?”
Green slowly dropped his hand, his eyes full of hate as he met and held Johnny’s eyes. He slowly deflated like a pricked balloon and sat down on one of the chairs against the wall. He almost looked dejected.
“Let me take care of this.” Bailey pulled Green’s chair several feet back from where it was in front of Johnny and sat down. Johnny only glared at both of them, equally distrustful of Bailey as he had been of Green.
Bailey’s cool eyes met his angry browns ones, unperturbed by his belligerent attitude. “Since you don’t like Green’s questioning, why don’t you tell us the story from the beginning?”
Refusing to be pacified, Johnny did not intend to fully cooperate. Instead he asked the question which had been scratching at the back of his mind since he was separated from Kate an hour earlier. “You were the one questioning Katherine, right? Where is she now?” He had to know she was okay.
“She went home.” He replied simply.
Relieved that she was out of the situation, Johnny cooled down enough to decide to cooperate to a certain extent. He could take care of himself as long as she was out of here. “What do you want to know? You won’t believe anything I say anyways.” The last he said with a bitter twist; he had figured on being roughed up by the police. It had seemed to be a common practice since he wasn’t from an influential family.
Bailey leaned forward, his dark eyes intent. “I want to know everything. This is my full-time job. I have plenty of time, all the time in the world until I find out what happened to the late Professor Drake.”
Johnny was amused at his serious attitude. “Enough with the melodrama. He committed suicide. You know as well as I do. The murder weapon was next to his hand. I don’t understand what all this fuss is about—or maybe I do—maybe you don’t have enough to do so you’re making a big deal out of nothing.” His confidence grew as he continued, for he’d detected a spark of anger behind the detective’s eyes. “Wouldn’t want the taxpayers to know their hardearned money is going towards waste, making up cases where there is none, now would you?”
“You’re not in the best of positions yourself. You and your fiancée are seen together at a house where a man turns up dead—unless you can provide me a solid alibi, I’m going to recommend the coroner to hold off on a suicide verdict.” At last he had Johnny’s full attention and knew it. “Now, let’s start over. Tell me the entire story from the beginning. From your point of view. Take your time. Remember, we’ve got all the time in the world.”