Officer Jones

Chapter 38

I walked through the police station, flanked by Officers Williams and O’Rourke. Upon my arrival, all police business stopped and the whispers began. I was used to the attention, but the difference in this case was that I wasn’t reveling in it.

I limped directly into Rich’s office. The first thing I noticed was an attractive woman talking to him. She was dressed in a business blazer, mid-length skirt, and heels.

What are you doing here?” Gwen asked, looking surprised by my presence.

“I killed a hose … what are you doing here?’

“I was just…”

“Here to see your boyfriend?”

Gwen looked to be taken aback by my tone. “If you mean am I meeting Kyle for lunch, then yes, that’s why I’m here.”

“Good thinking, you never want to cover up a crime on an empty stomach.”

“JP, I understand you’re hurt. I won’t say I know how you feel, because I never could. But your family has always been like my second family, even if we haven’t been in touch in recent years. So I feel like I lost a family member. At the same time, it wasn’t anybody’s fault. Everyone did all they could do to try to save him.”

“Don’t patronize me, Gwen. You know he didn’t kill himself.”

She looked like she wanted to send me to the ground again, but held her emotions in check this time. “I’m sorry about your brother,” she said and turned to Chief Tolland. “Thank you for your time, Rich.”

She dashed out of the office as if she were trying to outrun her emotions.

Rich stood before me, looking angry, and I didn’t believe it was related to my spat with Gwen. As if this wasn’t going bad enough, Bobby Maloney strolled into the office. Rich slammed the heavy wooden door of his office, and closed the shades on the glass partition, walling off the gossipy audience. He meant business.

Rich’s face had turned a shade of scarlet, just as I remembered it as a kid whenever he became angered or flustered. But there was a new confidence to him that concerned me. “Sit down, JP,” he demanded.

“I swear the hose committed suicide. I just turned to go call for help and the hose was shouting, ‘I miss you’ over and over again, before just jumping off the bridge.”

“Sit down!” Rich repeated, this time rattling the framed photos hanging on the wall.

I followed orders and sat. “So what’s this all about?”

He spoke in a measured tone, “JP, what happened to your brother was a tragedy, and sincere condolences go out to you and your family from both myself and the entire police department. But what I will not put up with is you trying to publicly show up or denigrate my department. If I find any evidence to contradict the findings in your brother’s death, I will open a full investigation. But I’d appreciate you working with us, instead of this public grandstanding.”

Maloney couldn’t fight off the temptation to add his two cents, “I think you’re looking to capitalize on your brother’s death for your own publicity, which we all know you’re addicted to.”

Those were fighting words. I rose out of the chair, raising my cane as a weapon.

Maloney inched back with a look of terror on his face. A large yellow streak formed on the back of his dark suit jacket. He knew I wouldn’t lose a second of sleep if I bashed his head in. For once, he was right. After you’ve faced an AK-47 pointed at your head, silver spooned kids from the suburbs didn’t exactly evoke fear. Especially one who once missed our Little League game because he sprained a finger during a piano lesson.

Rich regained command of the room. “JP, my suggestion is to mourn your brother, console your parents, and be with your family. All this nonsense is going to do is tarnish your brother’s legacy.”

“I got a better idea. How about an investigative report on GNZ about Kyle Jones’ abuse of power, and how you enabled it?”

Maloney interjected again, “Jones is an excellent officer with a spotless record. You pull a stunt like that and we’ll file our lawsuit before the report is over. Go ahead, Warner, we need money to improve roads and schools.”

“He’s a vigilante,” I shot back. “He’s forgotten that his job is to protect and serve. I have one guy on record who says he broke into his home and arrested him on suspicion of DUI.”

“The allegations made by Scott Busby were completely unsubstantiated,” Rich returned fire. “I wish all my officers had such an exemplary record.”

“He knows what happened to Noah, and when I prove it, you two clowns are going down with him.”

Maloney looked ready to fight-as long as The Toll Booth was there to protect him-but Rich took a deep breath and spoke calmly, “JP, if you are intent on accusing an award winning officer of being involved in the death of your brother in some manner, you can file an official complaint before you leave. But unlike the way your business works these days, we still need things like proof and evidence, neither of which you have.”

“I didn’t say he killed him, but the tests I performed today proved it wasn’t a suicide. Everybody’s record is spotless until they find the bodies in the basement. You better open an investigation, or I’ll bring your whole department down.”

“Is that a threat?” Maloney asked.

I stared angrily at him. “It’s a promise, Bobby.”

Rich shook his head with frustration. “Ever since we were kids it’s always been about you, JP. It makes me sad that you have twisted the death of your brother to be about you.”

I struggled to my feet. “Consider my complaint filed.”

Having put my cards on the table, I limped out of the office as fast as I could. When I entered the parking lot, I spotted Jones beside a police cruiser. He was holding the passenger-side door open for Gwen to step in.

“If they won’t get to the truth, Jones-I will,” I shouted in his direction.

“JP!” Gwen blurted, shocked at my outburst. I wondered if she felt responsible for contributing to this lunatic I’d become.

Jones whispered something to her and then shut her door. If he planned on playing knight, I hoped for his sake he wore his shining armor underneath his uniform.

He approached me and spoke in a low voice, “My girlfriend and I are just trying to go to lunch. So please be a gentleman and leave us alone.”

“Cut the act, Jones. You know what happened to my brother and I’m going to get to the truth.”

We engaged in a battle of smug looks, before he said softly, “Your brother did the honorable thing. He committed an act of evil and decided to fall on his own sword. It was common courtesy, which I see doesn’t run in the family. I actually felt respect for him when he jumped.”

“I’m sure he’d be honored that such an award winning officer thought so highly of him.”

“Now you should follow your brother’s lead and do the right thing, which is to leave this town before you cause any more trouble.”

I couldn’t help but to stare into his eyes. It confirmed what I already knew. I turned away and headed to the waiting Humvee. I thought of what Noah would have wanted me to do in this situation. So to honor him, I gave Jones the finger.

My adrenaline practically lifted me into the vehicle.

“Who was that?” Christina asked as she peeled out of the police parking lot.

“The man who killed my brother.”

Her mouth hung open. “You think a cop killed Noah? Do you have any proof?”

“I’m working on it.”

She noticed a strange grin escape from my trembling lips. “Why are you smiling?”

“I like to get under people’s skin.”

“You must smile a lot then.”