Injustice

by K A Kron

  When it unfolded, it seemed like slow motion. The truck hit a pole, which splintered, causing the power lines to rest on the truck’s roof. Tommy crawled out, having trouble staying on his feet, moving very slowly. When the cops arrived, he was sitting on the curb, staring at the truck’s resting place.

  Tommy did not pass the sobriety test, he was weaving all over, and he got a free ride in a police car. I wasn’t sure how long they’d hold him. I wasn’t all that concerned about that, but I was sure that he would have a lot of free time after today because he would, at least, be suspended from his job. That could be really good or really bad; he would be more difficult to track, but it was time to put a little pressure on him.

  Tommy was a real mess and didn’t realize why. He tried to be combative with the cops, but he was harmless due to the drugs.

  I wondered if he would be coming after me, thinking that I had drugged him. Or maybe Tommy would just have more time to focus on Ali. I knew that I had made it a high-stakes game, and I had better be willing to play until it was over.

  The first thing would be to replace that creamer. I was not going back to Tommy’s apartment, so Charlie agreed to take the creamer I had bought and exchange it for Tommy’s, so it didn’t leave any traces of the muscle relaxers. It was time to keep Tommy on a roller-coaster ride of drugs. Charlie was happy to visit as often as necessary to push the guy to the limit.

  Chapter 47

  Later in the afternoon, there was a knock at the door, and I woke up groggily. I was so tired, and it all caught up with me. The knocking continued. “Riley. Are you in there?”

  Ali? Her actions had become as unpredictable as Tommy’s and I had moved the video monitors into the spare bedroom as a precaution. I rolled off the couch and pulled the door open with great effort. “Hey.”

  She came in and threw her bag on the floor. “You look like shit. Were you sleeping?”

  I just stared. “Nice to see you, too.”

  Ali paced back and forth. “I’m sorry. It’s just that Tommy has gone over the edge. Again. He crashed the UPS truck into a pole.”

  I wasn’t quite following her, still trying to wake up. “He what?”

  “Yeah. It was on the news, and I talked to my buddy who took the call. What an ass. They said he was drunk or high or something. I can’t believe I was ever with him…he seems so different than the guy I first met.”

  “Is he in jail?” I spouted, as I set about making some coffee.

  Ali switched on the TV. “I sure as hell hope so.”

  Her mood changed and Ali came over, grabbed me from behind, and wrapped her arms around me. “I’m thinking that we could get some food and play hooky. What do you think?”

  What did I think? Hmmm, let’s see. Class or a night of naked with Ali? I held my arm out. “Go ahead.”

  She laughed out loud and slightly twisted it.

  “Okay. I give in.”

  I headed to the shower, taking my coffee cup with me. Instead of going to find some food, Ali followed after me…stripping her clothes as she went.

  Chapter 48

  After a week of toiling as a good law school student, or most of a week, anyway, I was ready for a few decadent shifts at the bar. Immortal’s demise was well documented over the course of the next week, and Adam insisted on keeping the televisions in the bar tuned in to the local news channels. Even I was sick of the coverage, but it made Adam so happy that none of the staff said anything.

  “Rats,” Adam said for the hundredth time. “Can you believe that?”

  What I still had a hard time understanding was how Charlie had loaded a dump truck with more rats than I had ever seen. And we had both been in a lot of places with a lot of rats.

  It was no surprise when the police announced that Immortal had been shut down while a component of the police department investigated a wide array of criminal offenses. Another component of the agency was busy investigating their fellow officers for being involved in an elaborate “protection” operation that had made the cops a significant amount of money in a very short time. Chris and her partner, Colin Miller—as Adam was excited to tell anyone who would listen—appeared to be going to jail for quite a while.

  The mood was lighthearted as we all worked together to set the bar for the evening’s festivities. Adam had insisted the end of Immortal was a sign from God and had planned an elaborate Sexy Christmas-themed night of debauchery. Oliver and I were given the honor of putting up and decorating the tree, and we added glasses of spiked eggnog to the activity as a reward to ourselves for being such good employees.

  “Seriously,” I said, “where did Adam get a silver tree? This thing is hideous.”

  “Craig’s List, where else? Some old guy dropped it off this morning, and Adam gave him a hundred bucks for it. I bet it’s fifty years old.”

  I wrapped the tree in red tinsel as Oliver unpacked a set of neon green glass bulbs. A string of flashing lights was the finishing touch, and when we were done, Oliver and I stepped back to admire our work.

  “It needs an angel on top,” I said.

  Oliver rummaged around and finally came back with a Barbie doll he had found in the break room. With a roll of duct tape, Oliver secured Barbie to the top of the tree and looked down at me from the ladder.

  “How’s it look?”

  “Well…. Barbie is naked. Shouldn’t we cover her up with a napkin or something?”

  “Nah.” Oliver clambered down from his perch. “It’s perfect.”

  “You know we are going to hell, right?” I asked him, only half kidding. I had been raised as a Catholic and felt a long-standing tug of guilt when I looked at a naked doll on top of a Christmas tree.

  Oliver was undeterred. “Yep,” he said, and carried the ladder into the storeroom.

  After a few hours, the bar was transformed into a winter wonderland. Christmas decorations hung from the walls and bar, the tree was lit with Barbie in place, and as a final touch Adam had commissioned a mammoth ice sculpture of Rudolph and his fellow reindeer. In a rare moment of insight, Adam realized he had omitted our Jewish customers and added a menorah to the bar. I wasn’t sure if I should be impressed with Adam’s thoughtfulness or troubled that he had added another religion to the decadence. Fake snow covered every surface, and strings of penis and boob lights crisscrossed the ceiling. We were set to open in a half hour when Adam appeared from the back room with a rack of clothes.

  Adam clapped his hands and called all the staff to gather around him.

  “One final surprise, everyone! I took the liberty of getting everyone a costume for tonight! I want to thank all of you for standing by me and the bar, even when things got rough. Tonight, I want all of us to have a great time and make a ton of money. To that end, I will match everyone’s tips for the night, as a way to say thanks. You’ll also find a check for $100 in each of your costumes.”

  Cripes. Costumes. I hadn’t anticipated this but didn’t want to ruin Adam’s mood.

  “Oliver,” Adam continued, “you’re Santa. Try to slut it up a bit,” he said, handing Oliver the red suit.

  “Riley. You, Joe, and the rest of the staff are the elves. Your costumes are labeled with your names,” Adam said, rolling the rack of clothes toward me. I found my costume and grimaced as I examined the short shorts, half a shirt, and the little elf hat. Joe and the other male bartenders’ costumes were the same, minus the shirt.

  “Hey, Adam. I don’t want to be a party poop, but I didn’t shave my legs today,” I called to him across the room.

  “No problem. You can use my razor,” called Adam. “Now go get your ass dressed, my little elf.”

  Chapter 49

  The back of the shorts was a little drafty, but I had to admit they were helping my tips. I made a show of bending and reaching for everything behind the bar, and the ogling crowd was happy to drop loads of cash in return. I caught Adam’s eye and nodded toward the tip jar, smirking in his direction. Adam shrugged and came around the bar so I could hear
him over the crowd.

  “I will gladly triple your tips, Riley, as long as we keep bringing in customers. This has got to be the best night we’ve had in months!”

  Adam’s eyes were glowing as he looked past me, and I knew that the rats had been well worth the effort. Oliver had harnessed his own stable of reindeer and was leading a conga line around the pool tables. Joe and the other bartenders were serving alcohol as fast as they could, and Christmas techno (who knew there was such a thing?) boomed from the speakers. The mood in the bar was definitely jolly, and everyone seemed to be having a good time.

  I should have known it was too good to last, and I openly groaned when Jane approached the bar. Joe saw Jane before I did and tried to intercept her, but Jane was having none of it. She sidestepped another customer to place herself directly in front of me. My ex was tan, and her skin glowed against her white shirt. Even I had to admit she looked good. I braced myself for the inevitable.

  “Jane. You look nice. What can I get you?”

  “Michelob Ultra. Yes, I just got back from the Bahamas. Ten days of sun, and I feel completely rested.”

  I decided to take the high road. “Well, you look great. Good for you.” I slid the beer across the bar and took her AmEx for the tab.

  “Nice outfit.” Jane leaned over the bar and gave me a once-over, stopping her gaze near my ass. “Working out?”

  “Yep. Lots of running and weights. How’s Hailey?”

  “Oh, we broke up,” Jane replied, waving her hand dismissively. “Listen, do you want to grab a beer or something after you get off work tonight?”

  Seriously? “I work in a bar. Why would I want to grab a beer when I work around beer all day?” I turned away from her and caught Joe’s eye, shaking my head.

  “You don’t have to be an ass about it. I was just asking if you wanted to do something after work. I broke up with Hailey, so I thought…”

  So much for the high road.

  I slammed another customer’s beer on the bar, causing foam to erupt over the top. Without missing a beat, Joe wiped up the mess and handed the customer a replacement.

  “Well, you thought wrong. I don’t need or want you anymore. You destroyed our relationship by sleeping with Hailey. We are done. Forever. Done. Now get the hell out of my sight.”

  She had the nerve to look surprised. “Jesus. You were always such a bitch. I thought I would give you another chance, but I guess not. Enjoy your pathetic little life.” And with a fling of her head, Jane flounced off, clearly scanning the room for another prospective date.

  Joe gave me a fist bump the next time we met at the cash register. He kissed my neck and whispered “Fuck her” before he turned back to the swarm of customers.

  It was going to be a night of surprises: Charlie came to the bar. His sudden appearance startled me; he’d never been here before, and I stopped in my tracks when Charlie took a seat on a stool. We stared at each other for a full minute before I spoke.

  “What’s wrong? Why are you here?”

  Charlie cocked his head and winked. “Nothing is wrong. I just wanted to see where you work.” I followed his gaze around the bar, watching the mischievous twinkle in his eyes as he took in the Christmas decorations and the ice sculpture. He poked at the penis lights and smiled. “Nice music,” Charlie commented, moving his head in tune to a techno version of “Little Drummer Boy.”

  “Charlie,” I said, before he cut me off.

  “Riley, go back to work. I just wanted to see where your new life has taken you. You took away my house of sin, remember? Now that Immortal is done, I need a new hangout.” He wrinkled his nose at the decor until his gaze settled on Oliver. “This place might do.”

  I followed his line of sight and watched Oliver do a Jell-O shot off a guy dressed like a snowman.

  “Um, no. Absolutely not.”

  I was treated to the evil grin and raised eyebrows. “Why? I like—”

  “I like it not. Go find another whore dog for the evening. Oliver is off limits to you.”

  Now it was Charlie’s turn to follow my gaze as I spotted Ali across the bar and gave her a small wave. I was looking forward to having her around the bar during the night and hoped that she would stay long enough for me to convince her to accompany me back to the apartment.

  “She’s not bad,” Charlie commented, waving for another beer.

  “Yes, you ass. She’s not bad at all.” We watched Ali for a few minutes without speaking.

  “You like her, Riley?” Charlie asked, and all the teasing had gone out of his voice.

  I stared at the bar for a second before responding and then looked him in the eye. “I do. I like her a lot.”

  He nodded and smiled before leaning over the bar and kissing me on the lips. “She’s beautiful. Just like you. I will see you later.” Charlie finished his second beer and left, not paying. He waved as he got to the door and laughed as he left, knowing I would cover the tab.

  Ali played a few games of pool with Jessie and some of the other regulars before she saw a break at the bar. When she came over, I slid a Blue Moon across the bar and gave her a wide smile.

  “Hey,” I said.

  “Hey, yourself.” She looked over the bar and raised her eyebrows. “Nice shorts, babe. Turn around so I can see the back.”

  I laughed and rolled my eyes. “Look…no harassment tonight, please. Adam seems to think I make a good slutty elf.”

  “Oh, I’m not complaining,” Ali replied. “You make an awesome slutty elf. I’d like to see for myself later, if you’re available.”

  My heart did a back flip, but I tried to be calm. I was falling hard for this woman, despite everything else I was getting myself into. For half a second, I wondered if it was fair to become involved with Ali knowing that I was slowly making my way back toward my former life. And then Ali smiled at me.

  “Perfect,” I said.

  Chapter 50

  When the phone rang in the dark, it was like a knife sliding slowly into my stomach. The old sensation of fear was immediate, and I could taste copper in my mouth even before I answered. I was instantly awake, adrenaline pumping through me. I sat up in bed, untangling myself from Ali, and turned on the bedside lamp. Phones do not ring at four in the morning unless accompanied by bad news.

  “Riley.” Adam said my name in a strangled voice.

  “Adam, what’s wrong?”

  “Riley,” he repeated. I could hear his voice catch and realized Adam was crying.

  I started to move through the apartment, getting dressed as I walked. Ali watched me from the bed and motioned to me with her hands, mouthing a question: What’s wrong? I shook my head as I jammed my feet into socks and sneakers.

  “Take a deep breath, and tell me what is wrong. What has happened?”

  “It’s Oliver. Someone beat Oliver outside the bar.” Adam stopped again, now sobbing.

  “Jesus. Is he okay?”

  “I don’t know. He’s in bad shape. Can you come?”

  “I am en route. Where are you?”

  When Adam didn’t respond, I repeated the question more forcefully.

  “Denver Health. Hurry, Riley. Please.”

  “I’m twenty minutes out.”

  I hung up and turned my attention to Ali. “I have to go. Oliver is hurt, and I need to get to the hospital.”

  Ali had also been getting dressed and grabbed her car keys. As she moved toward the door, I motioned for her to go back to bed.

  “No, you stay here.”

  Ali ignored me and opened the front door. “Let’s go.”

  Chapter 51

  Denver Health Medical Center is a world-renowned, Level I trauma center in the center of the city. I knew that if Oliver had been transported there his condition had to be bad. Ali and I made it to the front entrance in less than fifteen minutes, thanks to my ability to run red lights and exceed the speed limit undetected. Ali hadn’t commented on my driving and instead simply held my hand as we walked into the emergency waiting
room.

  Adam, Joe, the rest of the staff, and some of our customers were spread across the chairs, staring at the television mounted on the wall. It was tuned to a rerun of Friends, but no one was laughing at Monica or Chandler on this night. The room was silent except for the sounds of Adam’s sobbing. It was strange to see the boisterous group so somber. I worried that Oliver had died before I’d made it.

  When Adam saw me, he wrapped me in a crushing hug and cried into my shoulder. I felt everyone in the room watching us as I hugged Adam.

  “Tell me what’s happening,” I said, pulling away.

  “I don’t know. He’s in surgery now. The doctors won’t tell us much.”

  I breathed a sigh of relief for Oliver. “Tell me what happened,” I repeated. I tugged Adam toward a table in the corner while Ali called her station and tried to determine which officers had taken the call and what was being done.

  Adam hesitated, and I struggled to keep my temper in check. I needed him to be strong, instead of a queen, but I had to be patient. I started over and held his hand for a moment before I asked again.

  Then he took a shuddering breath. “We closed the bar, just like normal. Everyone cashed out their drawers and counted tips, and some of us hung around to celebrate the evening. You and Ali left, and then Oliver followed you out a bit later. Joe and I were the last ones in the bar, and we found Oliver in the parking lot when we left.”

  “How bad was he when you found him?”

  Adam looked at me hard. “Bad, Riley. His face was beaten, and he was barely breathing. We called for an ambulance right away. I thought he was going to die before the paramedics got there.”

  “Did you or Joe see anything? Did the cops show up?”

  “No and yes. We didn’t see anyone in the lot. Joe ran around the building looking while I stayed with Oliver, but he didn’t see anyone. The cops showed up, and we gave quick statements. We weren’t much help, and they are going to come back to the bar tomorrow to talk to us again. The bar was tagged, too.”