The Drowning Child

45

Ren woke up alone. The space beside her in the bed was empty.

Oh my God.

She sat up.

No one has ever done this to me before.

She looked around.

What an asshole.

He took advantage of me. And he sneaks out of his own fucking room! What an absolute fucking asshole. He’s supposed to be my friend. I am such a fucking sucker.

The bathroom door opened.

‘Hey,’ said Paul. He smiled wide. ‘I hope I didn’t wake you. I was trying to be quiet.’

‘Well, you succeeded...’ said Ren.

He took a few steps toward her. ‘Did you think I had abandoned you?’

‘No,’ said Ren.

‘Good.’

Uh-oh. What’s that look? Please don’t be nice to me. Or like me in any way. Oh, no. Don’t sit on the edge of my bed like I’m ill. Do I look ill? Am I ill?

Paul paused, and walked back around the bed as if he had read her mind.

‘You’re feeling guilt-ridden,’ he said. He lay on the bed beside her, pulled her into his arms.

‘Yes.’ This is too intimate. That word I hate. That feeling I hate.

‘Well, I’m sorry if I’ve put you in that position,’ said Paul. He kissed her head.

Are you? ‘Thanks.’ That was a crap, sterile kiss. ‘I’m sorry for getting emotional the first night.’ And not sorry for not being emotional on any level last night. ‘I do want you to know you can rely on me. Professionally. I know I wouldn’t be on the team without you and Gary batting for me. I really appreciate it.’

‘We wouldn’t have given you our backing if we thought you weren’t capable.’

‘So, it wasn’t a pity move?’ said Ren.

‘I don’t do pity.’

‘Thanks,’ said Ren. ‘I love this job.’ I love being able to escape. Even though I keep showing up wherever I go. She squeezed his arm, rolled to her side of the bed, got up and went into the bathroom. She stood in front of the mirror.

Here we go again.

No pride to be found in that reflection. Don’t waste your time.

Ren went back to her room, took a shower, got dressed, and rode the elevator down to the lobby.

I walked by here holding Paul Louderback’s hand, oh, about, four hours ago.

I’ve come so fucking far!

She went straight for the coffee machine in the restaurant and poured a large one into a takeaway cup. She grabbed a napkin and wrapped two raisin Danishes in it. She became aware of a presence beside her. An arm reached across her to take a cup.

‘Late night?’ said Sylvie.

Ren went very still.

Sylvie smiled. ‘Your secret’s safe with me.’

Oh.

Dear.

God.

Ren arrived in Tate PD, walked through the room with her head down and sat at her desk.

Everyone needs to stay away from me today for their own safety.

She had been there only an hour when Paul Louderback came over to her desk. She looked up at him.

Seriously?!

‘Are you OK?’ he said. ‘About last night.’

‘Jesus – straight to missiles. Yes – I’m just tired.’

He smiled.

‘Do not smile at me like that,’ said Ren. But she smiled back. ‘Any word on J. J. Nash?’

Paul shook his head. ‘No.’

‘Has Ruddock said anything?’

‘Nothing.’

‘It’s so strange.’

‘Do you trust him?’ said Paul.

I’m afraid to trust anyone. ‘Ruddock?’ said Ren. ‘I do.’ She paused. ‘Do you?’

‘Don’t look so nervous,’ said Paul. ‘Yes, I do.’

Ren tilted her head. Go on, now go.

‘OK, OK,’ said Paul. ‘I just wanted to make sure you were all right.’

‘You have a nice day, sir,’ said Ren.

He laughed as he walked away. ‘Cold,’ he said. ‘Cold.’

Ren checked her email. There was one from Ruddock with the video from the Lister Creek store on the Monday Caleb disappeared. She downloaded the file and pressed Play. The camera captured the side of the cars as they drove into the parking lot at the side of the store, and whatever cars parked out front. Ren watched as a car drove in, parked, then another car, another car, then John Veir’s.

You lying son-of-a-bitch.

A bus drove in after John Veir, but stalled before making the turn into the parking lot for buses, blocking Veir’s car from view. Three more cars arrived. One car left. Another car left. Another car arrived. Another car left. John Veir left. He was there for a total of fourteen minutes.

Ren wrote down the license plate numbers of all the cars that arrived or left within an hour of his arrival.

‘Fuck you, John Veir. Fuck you.’

She went to see Paul in the command center. He raised an eyebrow.

‘Can’t keep away from me,’ he said.

‘Yeah, yeah,’ said Ren.

She handed him the sheet of paper. ‘John Veir’s been lie-telling,’ said Ren. ‘I just watched the video footage from the store at Lister Creek: he did make a second stop last Monday. I took down the license plate numbers of all the cars that were there around the same time – to do with what you will.’

‘I’ll give it to Wiley,’ said Paul.

‘I haven’t seen him this morning,’ said Ren. ‘Let me go check with Ruddock.’

Ren bumped into Ruddock in the hallway outside his office.

‘Hey,’ said Ren. ‘How are you doing?’

‘I’ve been better.’

‘We don’t know for sure yet about Luke,’ said Ren. ‘But... one thing I do know is that John Veir lied about Monday. He made a stop off at Lister Creek rest area.’

Ruddock shook his head.

‘Paul wants Wiley to follow up on the other cars that were there,’ said Ren.

‘Wiley’s not in yet,’ said Ruddock. ‘It’s Isabella again, his wife. She had a very public meltdown on Thursday afternoon – sitting on the curb in Harvest Road, bawling her eyes out, drunk as a skunk.’ He paused. ‘I told Gil to take as much time as he needs. It seems she’s just not ready to get help...’

‘Jesus – that’s really bad,’ said Ren.

Ruddock nodded. ‘An intervention is the next step.’

Intervention.

Ren’s heart flipped.

Intervention...

The word went through her like a knife. The evening of the shootings at Safe Streets, her loved ones and friends had been gathered by Gary to sit her down and tell her they knew she had stopped taking her meds, that she would have to go back on them or risk her life, her career, her relationships. They were all in the Safe Streets building that evening because she had gone off the rails. She knew the word ‘intervention’ would forever haunt her.

Ruddock was staring at her. Fuck. ‘Yes,’ she managed to say. ‘That sounds about right.’ I need to get out of here.

She could feel him watching her as she left.