Conviction: Book 3 of the Detective Ryan Series

by Andrew Hess

  The house was too quiet, which meant James went to work too. I was alone, and that made the restlessness worse. I wanted to sleep all day until I could forget everything, but when my eyes closed, I relived every painful moment from the shooting.

  Dragging myself across the bed, I retrieved my phone and searched for Matthew’s name in my contacts list. I wanted to hear his voice. I needed to hear it, just one more time. Hitting send on the dialer, I listened for it to go to voicemail. Instead it rang several times until a woman answered.

  “Hello,”

  I didn’t expect someone to answer. His phone had been found on him at the crime scene. I figured the battery would have died after a week. The only explanation was someone took over the number.

  “Sorry, I think I have the wrong number.”

  There was a pause on the other end before the woman returned. Her voice seemed happier than when she answered. “Ali? Is this Detective Ali Ryan?”

  “Um yeah, I mean yes it is.”

  “Detective Ryan, it’s Viviana Alvarado, Matthew’s mother.”

  “H-hi, Mrs. Alvarado. I’m sorry to bother you.”

  “How can I help you, dear?’

  “It’s stupid, never mind. Please forget I called.”

  “Nonsense. You can tell me.”

  “I was feeling down and called Matthew’s phone to hear him on the voicemail. I just needed to hear him one more time, to feel like he’s still with me.”

  “That’s not stupid at all. I used to watch old family movies and look at pictures when my husband passed.” She took another brief pause before saying, “You should come down to the house today. I have tons of pictures I could show you. Plus it’ll give us some more time to get to know each other.”

  I didn’t know if that was going to be a good idea. Stopping by Matthew’s house was hard enough, but going to the house he grew up in and hanging out with his mother would be torturous.

  “I don’t know if that’s a…”

  “Oh hush. You’re coming over and I’m not taking no for an answer. Matthew always wanted us to meet and get to know each other. I think it’s about damn time that we do.”

  There was no arguing with her. “Thank you, Mrs. Alvarado; that would be lovely. What time would you like me to stop by?”

  “Give me an hour to get the house straightened up. We can have lunch while I show you some of Matthew’s old pictures.” I reluctantly agreed, and started the process of dragging myself out of bed.

  An hour later, I found myself outside the Alvarado house dressed in a pair of blue jeans and light, black, long sleeved shirt. Since she mentioned lunch, I felt bringing a box of cookies would be best.

  She opened the door as I walked up the large stone steps. Her arms were stretched out waiting to pull me into a massive hug. Before I could say hello, she already hugged me twice and kissed me on each cheek half a dozen times.

  “Come in,” she urged while taking the box of cookies from my hands. The house was bigger than I expected. Mrs. Alvarado seemed to enjoy the look of amazement on my face. “Please, have a seat and I’ll grab us some drinks.”

  Before I could tell her she didn’t have to, Mrs. Alvarado disappeared. As weird as it was for me to be there, the curiosity in me took over. Walking around by the front door, I noticed a line of pictures climbing the wall. Each had a similar face, but Matthew’s was unmistakable. He was second one from the top.

  “He was pretty awesome,” a male voice said. I glanced to my left and found Matthew’s look-a-like standing next to me. I almost fainted at the sight of him. He quickly put his plate down on the table next to him and caught me before I hit the floor. “Don’t be crashing on me, lady. Mom will whoop my ass.”

  I braced myself against the rail of the stairs. “Sorry, I wasn’t expecting__”

  “That I’d look that much like him? Yeah I got that when I was a kid, too.” We shared an awkward moment while I tried to stand on my own two feet. His hands were still wrapped around my waist and was staring into my eyes.

  “I think I’m good now.”

  He released me from his hold and held out a hand. “I’m Alfonso, Matthew’s little brother.” By his height and good looks, I’d say he wasn’t that much younger and he definitely wasn’t little.

  “I’m Ali. I dated your brother until recent.”

  “You’re the hot shot cop he never stopped talking about.” The red in my cheeks must have turned scarlet with how hot they felt.

  “Oh god, I hope he didn’t say anything too embarrassing.”

  “Nope, just that you were stubborn, you kept the other officers on their toes, and you kick some major ass.”

  “Watch your language, Alfonso,” Mrs. Alvarado admonished. She entered the living room with a pitcher of lemonade and two glasses.

  “Yes mom,” he replied. “Well, it was nice meeting you.” He grabbed his plate and headed up the stairs. With how responsive he was to his mother correcting him, and going upstairs to eat, maybe Alfonso was younger than I thought.

  Mrs. Alvarado patted the seat cushion next to her and urged me to come sit down. I complied with her wishes as she handed me the first of many photo albums she had picked out.

  Two hours of watching Mrs. Alvarado show pictures of Matthew from baby to his college days had me feeling sadder for her than I did. I knew Matthew for about a year. When we were together, it was the greatest year of my life, minus the parts where we argued over me hunting down homicidal maniacs. But his mother spent thirty-four years doing a great job raising him to be the man she hoped he would be. She had thirty-four years of memories that contained every emotion under the sun. And now, that was all she had left of him.

  I could see how emotional she was getting from reminiscing. I didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable, so I did the only thing I could; I excused myself.

  “Mrs. Alvarado…”

  “Please, call me Viviana or Vivian.”

  “Okay, Vivian; I have to go for a little while. My Lieutenant wanted me to stop by the station today to go over a few things about the last case I worked.”

  She blotted her watering eyes with a tissue. “It’s okay, Ali. Thank you for coming over. You’re welcome here any time you like.”

  We hugged at the front door, but when I pulled away, I saw a hulking bald black man walking up from the street.

  “What the hell are you doing here, Rodney?” I asked.

  “Relax, Ali; I’m here to apologize for what happened.”

  “So first you don’t remember anything. Yesterday, you swore up and down you didn’t do it, and now you want to apologize for shooting him?”

  “Mrs. Alvarado, I’m sorry for what happened to your son. But please know; I didn’t pull the trigger. I didn’t shoot your son.”

  The anger was growing within me. I turned to see Vivian’s eyes watering, while the fire burned brightly behind them. “Go inside,” I told her. “Let me handle him.”

  “Ali, what the hell is he saying?”

  “Don’t listen to him. He’s just trying to clear his conscience. Let me deal with him. I’ll make sure he goes away and doesn’t come back.” She nodded and walked back into the house. Rodney started up the steps after her, but I made sure to stand in his way. “You’re not going near that woman.”

  “Ali, you don’t understand.”

  “I understand you were trying to protect my sister when you went into my house. I understand it was dark. I understand you saw someone in the room. What I don’t understand, is why you didn’t identify yourself as a cop. What I don’t understand, is why you pulled the trigger without telling the person to stop. What I don’t understand, is why you had to kill the man I love.”

  “Ali, I’ve tried explaining it to you. When I entered the room, I didn’t see anyone. I felt something hit me in the back of the head, and the next thing I knew you were hovering over me to make sure I was okay.” He pulled out a folded up piece of paper from his pocket. “I know you don’t believe me, but here’s proof.�
�

  Hesitantly, I snatched the paper from his hand and looked over the admittance paperwork from the hospital. It was during the early morning, hours after the shooting. He was treated for head trauma, but it didn’t say anything about a concussion.

  I threw it back at Rodney. “This proves nothing,” I spat.

  “Ali, you have to believe me.”

  “I don’t have to believe anything you say. In fact, I don’t want you talking to me at all.”

  “But Ali__”

  “I suggest you go before I call to have you arrested for trespassing and harassment.”

  He shook his head while walking back to his car. I heard him mutter something about after all these years. It killed me to treat Rodney the way I did, but he had killed the part of me that cared.

  Chapter 3-PM

  The Puppet Master sat in a bar in Rhinebeck nursing his beer. It was an old fashion looking bar. Dark cherry wood chairs and bar stand, leather cushions and couches lined the room, with stone walls and brickwork throughout the building. It was a comfortable place many chose to sneak off to after a long day. This happened to include the officers of the Ulster and Dutchess County police forces.

  The Puppet Master had been showing up all week, staking out the bar until he saw which officers showed up, what time they walked in, and what time they left. Three in particular showed up daily after their shifts were over. The rookie, Officer Reyes, and two veterans, Officer Lombardo and Officer Davis. The Puppet Master checked his watch and saw it was nearly six o’clock.

  “Right on time,” he whispered as the doors to the bar opened. The officers made their way down the steps and took a seat at the long table they typically sat at.

  “What’ll it be officers?” the waitress asked.

  “Three beers and some nachos, Lombardo replied.

  The Puppet Master sat nearby, close enough to hear everything the officers said.

  “Anyone hear from Johnson?” Davis asked.

  “Said he was coming down for drinks tonight,” Lombardo replied. “Sounded like shit on the phone.”

  “Wouldn’t you be?” Reyes asked. “I mean, the guy’s been on the force for how many years?”

  “I’ve known him for six,” Davis replied as he grabbed his beer. “Great guy; has a wife, a kid, and another on the way.”

  “I’ve known him since he came to the precinct.” Lombardo’s jaw tightened. “We used to hang out like this all the time. Then he was assigned the bitch as his partner. Suddenly, he was too busy to hang out after work.”

  The large, hulking, bald headed, black man stood behind Lombardo. “That’s because I found out Mia was pregnant,” Rodney said as he slapped his colleague on the shoulder.

  “Man you look like shit.”

  “Thanks, Reyes; you’re a fucking ray of sunshine yourself.”

  “Serious though,” Lombardo began. “Are you okay?”

  “Not really. I’m still waiting to hear from I.A. and the D.A.”

  “They can’t seriously be holding this shit against you,” Davis snapped. “You’ve had a clean record your whole career. You’ve never fired your weapon once, and you were attacked.”

  “Yeah, but no one seems to care about any of that.” Rodney signaled for the waitress and ordered a scotch on the rocks. “I’ve been evaluated by the hospital, tested for gunpowder residue, and have a lump the size of the Catskills on the back of my head, but no one gives a shit.”

  “Don’t worry, Rodney; we got your back.” Lombardo looked around the table. “Isn’t that right boys?”

  “We’ll find a way to get you out of this crap,” Reyes said while pounding his fist on the table.

  Damn rookie, the Puppet Master thought. He watched as the group carried on about the lieutenant and how he was trying to give Rodney advice and how he should handle himself through the investigations.

  “What’d your partner have to say about everything,” Davis asked. It was the moment the Puppet Master had been waiting all night to overhear.

  “She won’t talk to me.”

  “Won’t talk to you?” Lombardo repeated. “That bitch has been your partner for how many years, and she won’t give you a chance to explain your side?”

  “I tried, but I think she’s too messed up right now to hear what I’m saying. She was there when the shooting happened, and watched her boyfriend die in her arms.”

  “That’s no excuse,” Davis snapped. “You’re her partner. You’re the one that’s had her since she slithered into our station.”

  “Look, if the roles were reversed and Ali shot Mia, I don’t know if I’d want to jump right into talking to her either.”

  “You’ve been with Mia for a lot longer than she’s been dating her guy.” Lombardo twisted in his seat to face Rodney. “You’re married and have kids with Mia. She’s known this guy for a year or so.”

  “Yeah, but she was in love with him.”

  “She’s acting like this is the first guy she ever fell in love with,” Reyes replied. The look on Rodney’s face made all three officers stop dead in their tracks. “You gotta be kidding.”

  “Look, I don’t know her history or if she felt certain ways about guys she dated.”

  “Bullshit,” Lombardo spat. “You’ve been around her long enough to know who she’s dated, who she’s banged, and who she’s loved.”

  Rodney laughed at the guys while finishing the last of his scotch. “I don’t know what you mean, but I think it’s time for me to go home to my wife.”

  “Hell no.” Lombardo pushed Rodney back into his chair and called the waitress over. He ordered more drinks for the table, shoving another drink into Rodney’s hand. “This is a guy’s night out. The first you’ve had in a long time. You need to sit here and enjoy yourself for once.”

  The Puppet Master watched the group drink themselves into a drunken stupor. This had been the longest any of the men stayed at the bar. Most of the time was spent talking about sports and their married lives, none of which interested him. Throughout the night, someone would bring up the investigation, or the shooting, or how much they couldn’t stand Ali Ryan. Rodney went along with the guys on most of it, except when it came to his partner. They berated her, called her every name in the book, yet he defended her. That lasted as long as his tolerance for alcohol did. After a few hours, they could convince Rodney he was the man of steel and could walk through walls and he would believe them.

  Slowly, they broke him down until he gave into the emotions bottled up inside. “I’ve been through hell and back with her. I can’t believe she’d turn on me.”

  “That girl’s got no loyalty. She turned her back on you and the department for some dead piece of ass,” Lombardo spat. “Bitch needs to know her place.”

  “Yeah,” the other guys shouted.

  The Puppet Master watched as Rodney dipped a hand into his pocket and pulled out a cell phone. He stared at it for a minute while the officers egged him on. The pain of what he was about to do was etched all over his face, torn between doing what was right and what would feel good. Caving against the peer pressure, Rodney scrolled to Ali’s name and hit the green phone icon.

  The Puppet Master grinned with delight as Rodney called Ali’s cell. It was near midnight. There was a good chance he would get her voicemail, but he hoped Rodney’s call would wake her.

  Rodney pulled the phone away. “Got her stupid voicemail.”

  “So what? Call her back,” Reyes said enthusiastically.

  “Yeah, we’ll make sure she gets the point,” Lombardo joked.

  The Puppet Master watched them repeatedly call Ali. By the way they were behaving, their calls were hitting her voicemail. They were doing exactly as he wanted. They were driving the wedge further between Ali and Rodney.

  Chapter 4-Ali

  Sleep had slowly become my enemy. It was bad enough thoughts of Matthew and the shooting burned through my mind during the day, but now they haunted me at night. They worked their way in using a happy memory o
r a future I will never have as a false sense of security.

  I dreamt of being on the beach, far away from New York, far from the killers, partners, and cases that wanted to destroy our happiness. It reminded me of when I was forced to take mandatory leave after the Campus Killer Case, and Matthew surprised me with a trip to St. Lucia.

  The sun’s heat scorched my skin as I sat in the beach chair. In the distance, I could see Matthew standing by the water. His head was turned towards me, watching me with a hunger in his eyes. Moving my feet onto the hot sandy surface, I stood and ran to the water. The more I ran, the further Matthew seemed to get. The clouds grew darker until the sky was pitch black. Then I knew, I was trapped in the darkness of my mind.

  Catching up to Matthew, I could see another man standing in front of him. He was dressed in black and had put Matthew on his knees. His hand stretched out, holding a gun.

  “No, don’t do it,” I cried I ran forward, finding something holding me back. I was restrained, locked in place, and forced to watch the mystery man pull the hammer back on the pistol. Pointing it to Matthew’s chest, he pulled the trigger. The body fell to the floor, leaving a pool of blood beneath it. I was released from the invisible restraints and rushed to his side, but it was too late.

  My shouts and pleas to spare his life must have woken the others in the house. When my eyes opened, Amanda was sitting up next to me while Thornton’s hands were shaking my shoulders. Nearly jumping into his arms, I buried my face into his chest, sobbing like a child who had a bad dream.

  “It’s okay,” he said soothingly. “We’re here. It was only a dream.” But it wasn’t. The dream may have been my imagination wreaking havoc on my mind, but it was still a nightmare that I would never wake from.

  I slowly pulled away from James. “I-I’m sorry.”

  “For what?”

  “For the mess I just made of your shirt.”

  “Don’t worry about this. I’m just glad you’re all right.”

  Amanda brought the box of tissues over, allowing me to wipe the tears and other disgusting things from my face. “What happened?”