Darkness Follows (11 page)

When
Max's work phone rang, he had been watching a movie with his parents and the
family’s Golden Retriever, Ginelli. The Chief told him that Ryanne had gone
missing, and he needed Max to help him find her. Max asked how it could have
happened with Jenkins on watch, and the Chief told him they would discuss it
when they met. He asked Max if he had any idea where Ryanne would have gone if
she had left herself, and Max reluctantly suggested O’Leary’s. He was thankful
when the Chief didn't ask him why, but told him he would meet him there.

Max
arrived at O’Leary’s roughly twenty minutes later out of uniform. On his way to
the bar he hoped they found Ryanne there, even if he got in trouble with the
Chief for taking her there in the first place. He met the Chief out front on
the sidewalk, where many smokers had gathered by the road. He was also in plain
clothes, and when they entered the pub it was packed.

"Crawley!”
Andy Duggan,
one of the Chief’s retired friends called to him from a booth in the corner,
where he sat with his wife June. Crawley waved, pointed to the bar, and Andy
nodded quickly. As they approached the bar, Bill O'Leary came directly to them,
and greeted them coolly.

"Chief,
Max." O'Leary nodded toward the back door, and they followed him quickly
without questions. When they got out to the back, which faced the parking lot,
O'Leary looked around hastily and leaned with his back against the door.

"She here?"
The Chief
asked, and Max was confused. He didn't understand how O’Leary could know who
the Chief was speaking about.

"No,
but she was.” Bill nodded to the blue bike leaning against the back fence up
the way. “I think she took off with my damn foolish son." O'Leary’s
natural rosy cheeks were turning more crimson by the second.

"Any idea where they went?"
Crawley sighed
and Max couldn't tell if it was relief or frustration.

"I
asked Jake’s friend Kyle where he was, and he said he wasn’t sure, but he
guessed they’d go to the lake. I’da went after them
myself
,
but there wouldn't be anyone here to take care of things. The bloody boy has no
sense of responsibility." O'Leary shook his head. "I tried to call
ya, but the line was busy." He gave a slight shrug.

"Shelia
was probably on the phone with one of her bridge buddies," The Chief
rolled his eyes, and both men shook their heads. "Thanks Bill. Come on
Max." The Chief nodded his goodbye to Bill. They hopped in Crawley’s truck
again, and headed north.

*****

As
the Chief drove, chewing on another toothpick, Max debated whether or not to
ask about Bill O'Leary. He wanted to know how he knew who Ryanne was, and how
he knew her bike was in the back.

“Jenkins
fell asleep on the job.” The Chief said, breaking the silence.

“Literally?”

"Max,
can you keep a secret?" Max was leaning against the window, propping his
head up with his hand, but now sat up straight.

"Of course Chief."

"I
know you can.
It’s
one’uh the reasons I put you on
this assignment."

Crawley
had known Max's family for years, and had been the one who encouraged Max to
join the force before he even finished high school. Max had never thought of
becoming a police officer, and for as long as he could remember, wanted to be a
firefighter instead. The leap from one to the other was not a huge one. Max
wanted to help people, and be a hero all his life. His father was a forest fire
fighter, and specially trained pilot, and he had always looked up to him. When
Crawley told him, in front of his father that Max might be a great cop one day,
his dad silently agreed. When he had set the goal of joining the force, he
began to learn about the different jobs, and Max knew right away that he wanted
to be a detective someday.

He
was one step closer to realizing his dream, and he couldn't believe he had
almost jeopardized it to take a girl under his watch to a pub—the only pub in
town. He realized he had been gripping the handle on the passenger’s seat
tightly since they began their drive, and stretched out his right hand.

"Bill
O'Leary came to this town before anyone knew he was here." Crawley said,
“He lived up in a cabin off route forty-eight. He was about thirty at the time.
Bill was an undercover cop in the States, and once he finished his last
assignment, his unit sent him here.
For good."
Crawley took his toothpick out of his mouth, and threw it out the window. “Not
before he was found out though.”

"Wait,
Bill O'Leary didn't grow up here?"

"He
was the reason we started the WPP here in Dersten," The Cheif said. “He
was so young, and his career as a cop was finished." He shook his head.

"Who
else knows?"

"Oh just a few boys from the force.
All retired
now. That's all." As they turned off onto the back road, Crawley slowed
the car. "Keep an eye out."

Max
couldn't get over the truth. He thought O'Leary inherited the pub from his
parents, and had worked there most of his life. Everyone in town knew Bill
O'Leary, and now Max wondered if that was even his real name.

"So
what happened, with O'Leary?"

"No
one ever came for him. No one came looking.” Crawley pointed to Jake’s truck
parked on the side of the road. As they got out of the car, and headed for the
clearing, Crawley tossed Max a flashlight. “I told him about the Patrick sisters
because I trust him, and I needed to know what the town knew. Bill knows this
town better than anyone, and you know why, don’t you Max?” Max thought for a
moment, but kept quiet. “People don’t talk to us the same as they talk to each
other. I’d be surprised if you hadn’t noticed that yet.”

Max
had lived in Dersten all his life, but the secrets the town held seemed
endless.

As
he side stepped his way down the foothill after the Chief, he spotted Ryanne
and Jake walking in from the dock. Ryanne was soaking wet, fully clothed with
wet hair, and Jake had only his boxers on with the rest of his wet clothes in
his hands. They had been running toward Jake’s truck, but stopped as soon as
Crawley’s flashlight shone toward them.

Max
clenched his fists as his gaze rested on their entwined fingers.

Ryanne
stood wide eyed, while Jake squinted looking toward them.

*****

"Holy shit."
Jake yelled,
and Ryanne froze in her tracks as she saw the Chief and Max coming toward them.
She wondered how late it was, and how they had found her. Aurina must have
woken up, and with that thought, she realized she was in trouble. "What
are you guys doing here?”

"For
Christ sakes, what are you two doing out here at three AM?" Crawley
barked. 'You're soaked." He stepped in front of Jake, shaking his head.

"Is
it illegal to go for a swim with a pretty lady after dark?" Jake asked,
and now Max came to meet her.

"You alright?"
Max asked, and
handed her his jacket. Ryanne pushed it away. Her stomach was in knots and she
avoided looking at Max.

"It's
not even that cold." She mumbled, and tried to hide her shivers.

"Are
you drunk Jake O'Leary?" Crawley barked again, "I smell alcohol on
your breath, and you've been driving."

"It's
my fault." Ryanne said quickly, and she hoped convincingly enough. Crawley
looked at her now, and she started to shake even harder. Max wrapped his coat
over her shoulders, and she didn't refuse it this time. Jake smiled at the
officers and grabbed Ryanne’s hand, trying to walk past them.

"Whoa,
where do you think you're going?" Max grabbed Ryanne’s free hand.

"None of your damn business Officer
Max."
Jake spat.

"Uh, yeah.
It's my
business,
cause
you've been drinking. You're not
driving. Give me your keys." Max told him.

"No way."
Jake looked
between Max and Crawley.

"’Fraid
I'm goin to have to issue you a citation for drunk and disorderly."
Crawley said, and walked over beside Jake.

"I'm
not even drunk." He let go of Ryanne’s hand and turned away from her
towards Crawley.

"And
failure to co-operate with law enforcement." Max grabbed the keys from
Jake’s hand. "Looks like you're taking a ride down to the old drunk
tank." Max told him with a smile.

"Go
on up there, and put him in the back. Be there in a sec." Crawley waved up
the hill.

As
she watched Jake and Max climb the foothill, Max trying to guide Jake, and Jake
shaking him off, she almost laughed.

"What's
so funny?" Crawley barked at
her, and she wiped the smile off her
face. “Ryanne, do you realize what you've done tonight?" Crawley leaned in
and smelled her breath." Hmm, guess maybe it'll become clearer in the
morning. Get up there."

Ryanne
went first, with Crawley following. They went back to Crawley’s truck, and she
got into the back seat with Jake. He was staring out the window on the other
side, and didn't look at her or speak to her the whole ride home. No one did.

When
they brought her back to the house, Aurina was waiting out on the porch with
Blake. Ryanne realized how worried her sister must have been, and prepared
herself for one of their biggest fights yet as she got out of the back. She
said nothing to Crawley and Max, although she wanted to apologize, it felt
awkward.

As
she shut the door, Jake finally turned to look at her, and she noticed his face
was red. He gave her a short stiff wave, and she waved back.

As
she walked up the drive way, Aurina ran to meet her, and she braced herself for
the worst. Her sister was crying, and she didn't stop running until Ryanne was
in her arms. She hugged her with a tight grip, and Ryanne's heart sunk in her
chest.

"Thank
God." Aurina whispered. “I love you Rye."

Ryanne
realized she had betrayed her
sisters
trust, and disrespected
the officers whose duty it was to protect them. Aurina lead her away from the
truck and towards the house, as Chief Crawley got out.

As
they walked back to the house, where Blake stood, Ryanne looked over her
shoulder and noticed Crawley speaking to Jenkins, and then Jenkins got in his
car quickly and left as Crawley got back into his truck. Ryanne wondered who
would be getting it worse from Crawley: Jenkins, or her.

Aurina
heard a knock on the door at eight that morning, and got dressed quickly to
answer it. The sky was gray, and the trees out Aurina’s window shook with the
wind. She checked her reflection quickly before she left her room, and noticed
her eyes were still puffy and red. She gathered her hair up into a quick bun as
she passed Ryanne’s room, and she wasn't surprised to see her still in bed.
Aurina hurried down the hall and opened the front door, where Crawley and Max
stood; looking even more tired and disheveled than her, if it were possible.

She
felt like she had been through hell the night before, and Blake had been there
helping her through. He listened to her as she told him how sorry she was for
being bossy with Ryanne, and how she never should have gotten her into this
mess in the first place. She swore if she saw her sister again that things
would be different, and she would be more appreciative of her. She would try to
understand her point of view, and help her deal with what they were going
through.

She
was angry with Ryanne for leaving, but she hadn’t lectured her or even yelled
when she was brought back. She listened to Ryanne as she told her how she
needed to get away from what was going on, and she couldn’t blame her. Their
life had been put on hold indefinitely, and instead of talking to Ryanne about
David’s death, she placated the situation with sleeping pills, leaving Ryanne
alone.

As
she led the weary looking men into the living room, she realized Max had a file
in his hands. They sat down on the couch and love seat and he set it on the
living room table in front of him.

"Could’ya
get
Ryanne?" Crawley asked. His voice sounded
dry, and groggy. Aurina went into her sister’s room to wake her, which was no
easy task, and found it almost impossible to get Ryanne to leave her room.

"Oh
please, I don't want to see them right now." She whispered.

"You
got yourself into this mess, come on, what are they going to do, put you on
house arrest?" Aurina asked, and Ryanne shrugged. She had slept in her
clothes, and Aurina noticed some mascara marks down her cheeks.

"Were
you crying?" Aurina asked. Her sister hadn’t cried in years—that she knew
of.

"No."
Ryanne wiped her face with her hands.

They
both plodded down the hallway to the living room, and took their usual places
on the love seat together. Aurina held Ryanne’s hand, and before the police
could say anything, Ryanne spoke.

"I
just want to tell you, all of you, how sorry I am for last night." Ryanne
looked at each of them. "I screwed up, and it won't happen again. I was
being selfish, and trying to get everything off my mind. Trying to distance
myself from what is going on. I appreciate what you’ve all done to help me, and
I really do know better. Nothing like this will happen again. Say what you need
to say, but you have my promise."

The
men looked resignedly between the sisters, and then at each other.

Crawley
cleared his throat before speaking. "There’s been a murder in town."