FanStory.com - Living On The Edge - Chap 19by Begin Again

CHAPTER 19

The windshield wipers slapped against the glass, clearing away the gentle drizzle. Sammy navigated the black sedan through the congested parking lot and stopped near the back entrance.

"I'm sorry, but this is as close as I can get," Sammy apologized, twisting in the driver's seat to look at his passengers. Troy, keep your cool."

"That's not an easy request, Sammy." Thoughts of going inside troubled Troy. How would Alyssa react? Would the station open the floodgate and let everything rush in?

"And what about Alyssa?" His heart skipped a beat as he gazed at the trembling woman at his side, remembering how happy she'd been earlier that morning.

Confusion showed on her face.

Alyssa peered out the window at the brick building. "I feel like I've been here before." She turned, questioning Sammy. "Do you know if I have?"

Troy looked at Alyssa and then at his friend. "Sammy, this might not be a good idea."

Sammy shrugged. "I'm just following orders. The powers that be say it will be okay," Sammy replied, trying to reassure Troy.

"But I wanted to—" Troy struggled to communicate his concern to Sammy without raising Alyssa's fears.

Sammy interrupted, "I know. Maybe you'll have time to talk inside."

Alyssa turned to Troy. "Is there something I should know? You two are acting strange."

"Just me building a mountain out of a molehill. I'm right by your side, and whatever is going down, I'll be there, okay?"

She squeezed his hand. "Okay!"

Sammy sighed. "Here's the plan. I'll get Troy inside and then come back to get you. Is that okay?"

Sammy popped the trunk and exited the car. He quickly brought Troy's wheelchair around to the side of the car and eased him into it. "Hang on, pal. I'll get you out of the rain in a minute."

Poppa waited at the doorway and opened it for them. "I'll take him from here."

"Thanks. I'll get the girl." Sammy hurried back as Alyssa exited the sedan's backseat.

Droplets of rain pelted her skin, sending shivers down her spine. Sammy removed his jacket and held it over Alyssa's head, creating a makeshift shelter. Together, they hurried towards the building entrance, their feet splashing in tiny puddles.

*****

As Penny looked for more chairs, Tango followed her. His warm smile made her feel at ease, but she sensed his eyes had seen some dark times. "I'll help you," he offered.

"I appreciate the help, but it's not necessary. The Cowboy —"

"Garth?" Tango interrupted her. "He's the boss and wanted me to talk to you before our guests arrive."

"Guests? Are more people coming to this interrogation?" Penny looked around the room, concern etched on her face. "I hope we have enough space."

"I saw some empty rooms down the hallway. Maybe we could have them wait there until we need them."

Penny's eyebrows furrowed. "Is the Chief aware of this?"

"No, ma'am, I'm afraid it's a surprise."

Penny scowled, "A surprise? I didn't think the Chief and the Cowboy— sorry, Garth hit it off yesterday."

Tango laughed. "Don't worry. He rubs people the wrong way sometimes, but he's a pussycat once you get to know him."

Penny smiled, shaking her head at Tango's comparison of the man to a pussycat. "A pussycat? I'd say more like a mountain lion or maybe a black panther to match his hat."

"Good choice. Are you much of an actress?"

Tango's question caught Penny off-guard. "An actress? I suppose I've done my share of pretending, especially around this office. Why would you ask me that?"

"I'm trusting you to keep this little surprise between you and me. Can you do that?"

The thought of playing a part in the surprise excited Penny. "Of course I can!" Her eyes lit up, and she grinned. "What do you want me to do?"

"Now, don't scream —"

"Scream? Oh dear, what have I gotten into? There aren't any spiders or snakes involved, are there?"

Tango laughed out loud and then peeked down the hall to ensure no one was listening. Satisfied, he closed the door and spoke to Penny. "You were friends with the lady cop that went missing, right?"

"Ye-e-es, but they found her body in the river. It was horrible!"

"It wasn't her." He held his finger to his lips. "She's alive."

Penny threw her arms around Tango's neck and squealed, "Alyssa's alive! Oh, God, where is she?"

"Shhh! Remember, it's a surprise." Penny placed her hand over her mouth and nodded. Tango's expression was solemn as he continued, "She's coming to the station, but there is something important you need to know. She has amnesia."

"Amnesia? So, she won't remember me or anyone here?" Penny frowned at the thought.

"We aren't sure how she will react. She might remember, and she might not, but the doctors want her to do it on her own." Tango softened his tone. "Can you do that?"

Penny nodded but knew it would be difficult not to grab Allie and hug her for a long time. "Any other surprises?

"Troy and Alyssa have become good friends during their recoveries," Tango said, a hint of a smile on his lips.

"Troy, the Chief's brother, who was recently released from Joliet State Prison? Alyssa hates him!" Penny exclaimed, raising her eyebrows in surprise.

"That might have been the case before, but not now. We must be careful. Can you do that?" Tango asked, his voice firm.

Penny couldn't hide her curiosity. "You said recoveries. So, Troy didn't skip town? Did he murder the woman in the river?"

"No, he did not. I'm not at liberty to release the information, but know that Troy is innocent of all charges."

"But his brother! Oh, my God, if Troy was telling the truth —"

Tango nodded. "Let's just leave it at that for now. By the end of the day, you and everyone else will understand."

Penny nodded, and Tango gave her a quick hug. "Let's do this." He grabbed several folding chairs and headed for the door. "Chairs first and then your first curtain call. Poppa will let you know when they arrive."

Penny giggled and thought, "A Star is Born!"

*****

Poppa led Troy and Alyssa to a small but cozy room in the police headquarters. The room was a far cry from Frankie's home, a place they both wished they were at right now.

"Both of you, okay?" Poppa thought they both looked uncomfortable.

Troy nodded, his eyes fixed on Alyssa. She glanced around the room and then at Poppa, answering, "I'm fine." Her shiver told a different story.

"Maybe some coffee would warm me up. Is that possible?"

Poppa smiled. "No problem. I'll get someone to bring a thermos and some cups. I don't know how long this will take."

Troy turned to look at Poppa. "Any idea what this is about?"

"I'm not going to lie. I do know, but at this moment, I can't tell you. Just know that you are safe. I'll be outside so no one can enter without me saying it's okay."

Alyssa nervously asked, "Are we under arrest for something?"

Poppa shook his head. "Neither of you are in trouble. The day needs to unfold just so, or things might not go as we hoped." He nodded at Troy and left the room.

"Troy, what do you think is going on? If we aren't in trouble, then who is?" Alyssa asked, her voice trembling.

Troy pondered her question but decided to keep his thoughts to himself.

*****

Poppa opened the door and poked his head in. "Your coffee is here." Poppa gave Penny an encouraging smile and whispered, "Go ahead. I'm right here if things go wrong."

Penny took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves, before entering the room. She nodded at the FBI agent, straightened her shoulders, and walked in with a confident smile.

Her first sight was Allie, who was visibly shaking. Penny's heart broke at the sight of her scared friend, but she composed herself. Allie didn't seem to recognize her yet. She turned to Troy, who looked nervous, and smiled as she carefully placed the tray on the coffee table.

Troy's eyes pleaded with her as he spoke, "Hi, Penny. It's been a while, huh?"

"Too long." She replied, bending to hug him. "I'm glad you're back."

Alyssa glanced at Troy and then Penny. "You two know each other? And back from where?"

Both Troy and Penny stared at each other, but Penny recovered first. "Troy and I used to work together a long time ago. It's been a while since I've seen him, and I didn't know he was even in town."

"Oh, I'm sorry for being nosey. I haven't known Troy for very long, but we've become great friends." Alyssa lowered her eyes, afraid her face would reveal her true feelings.

Penny recognized the glint in Alyssa's eyes, and she knew there was more to their friendship than met the eye. She couldn't help but wonder if that would change when she discovered who he was.

*****

While Tango and Poppa set things in motion down the hallway, Garth leaned his tall frame against the wall, crossed his arms, and waited. A few officers found chairs at the back of the room.

Chief Harrison sat at the table across from Layla, glaring at the cowboy. The silence was deafening.

The Chief snarled, "I told you yesterday you weren't welcome. You don't have jurisdiction in a civil case."

Garth tipped his Stetson back so his eyes met the Chief. "I suppose that's why you decided to move up the time. Luckily, I'm an early riser and decided to come early."

"It's none of your business why I changed the time, but for your information, I have a meeting with the mayor later this morning."

Garth nodded and smiled. "Interesting! I had a quick coffee with him this morning, too."

"So, you went crying to the mayor, did you? I can assure you, he doesn't put his nose in my business."

"You're an appointed official, aren't you? I'd think the mayor would want to know what goes on here and throughout the city limits."

"He knows." The Chief sneered.

"Now I have to give that one to you, Richard. He does know." Garth chuckled. "I could stand here all day and play tit-for-tat, but I have things to do. I'll listen, and you can ask Ms. Saladino about her attack in the park."

"She stabbed a police officer, a guy she thought grabbed her sister. That's cold-blooded murder."

Garth's piercing blue eyes stared at the Chief as he spoke, "That's your story. Let's play fair and let Ms. Saladino tell us her side, okay?"

The Chief rifled through a folder of papers, stopping to read one or two before finally addressing Layla. "Okay, Ms. Saladino, let's get this charade over with, shall we?"

Layla looked to her side at Garth, then turned her gaze towards the Chief. "Shouldn't I have a lawyer?"

The Chief's eyes widened, and he slapped the table. "Now, you want a lawyer? I just want you to tell me what happened that night. Do you want to spend another night in the cell while you find a lawyer?"

Layla stammered, "But —"

Garth, still leaning against the wall, spoke up in a calm tone. "Ms. Saladino, I believe we can handle that for you." He turned towards the men and women sitting in the back of the room. "Alice Cunningham, aren't you licensed to practice law in Illinois?"

Trying not to laugh, she answered, "Yes, sir, I am."

"See, Chief, if it's acceptable to Ms. Saladino, Attorney Cunningham would be happy to serve as her lawyer." Garth struggled to keep his grin from his face, but his eyes twinkled with amusement.

The Chief sneered, "You just happen to have a lawyer with you. How convenient."

"I thought so." Garth turned to Layla and smiled. "Would you like Ms. Cunningham to serve as your lawyer today?"

Layla looked behind her at Alice and nodded, followed by a soft "Thank you."

Alice Cunningham grabbed her folding chair and briefcase and marched toward Layla and the Chief. Once seated, she offered her hand to Layla and smiled. "Don't worry, honey. The bigger the bag of wind, the harder they fall."

Layla suppressed a laugh, but the sparkle in her eye told her new lawyer she was okay.

The Chief glared across the table at Layla's attorney. "Shall we proceed?"

"Of course, Chief. My client will be happy to share her story. Go ahead, Layla. Tell us what happened that night."

Layla cleared her throat and began, "I entered the bar —"

The Chief snarled, "Please be more specific. What bar was it, and why were you there?"

The Chief's outburst had surprised her. She hadn't expected him to pounce on her about the details. Layla glanced at her lawyer, looking for guidance.

"Chief, because of your upcoming appointment with the mayor, it might be beneficial if you allow Ms. Saladino to give her statement without interruption. I'm sure you can clarify anything after she's done."

"Appointment?" Realizing he was about to expose himself in a lie, he quickly added, "Of course, the mayor." After jotting something on a paper, he told Layla, "You can continue."

"As I was saying, Jake and I had agreed that we would arrive at the Lazy Saloon separately." Layla stopped and leaned over to her attorney, whispering, "Jake was supposed to be here. He can verify all this."

Ms. Cunningham looked across the table at the Chief. "Were you expecting Jake?" She looked expectantly at Layla. "Jake's last name?"

"Landingham — Jake Landingham. He's —"

"That's fine, Layla." She smiled and directed her next question to the Chief. "Do you know the whereabouts of this Jake Landingham?"

The Chief sputtered, "No — unfortunately, I don't."

"Let me see if I understand, Chief. In this case, Mr. Landingham is a key witness, but you don't know how to find him?"

Harrison gulped and wiped his brow. "I haven't been able to talk to Jake because I was told an unknown assailant shot him at the same time Ms. Saladino stabbed my officer."

Layla's eyes widened, and she glanced at Garth and then at her lawyer. Ms. Cunningham smiled and patted Layla's hand. "Don't upset yourself, dear." Straining to keep a straight face, she asked the Chief, "If Jake was shot, he should be in a hospital or lying in the morgue. Which is it, Chief Harrison?"