Choice

Chapter 8

I walk up to the house ringing the doorbell and no one answers. I pound on the door yelling out “POLICE!” I sigh looking around and kick open the door walking in slowly knowing I already broke the law. I glance around the dark house and hear a bang from the kitchen. I walk slowly in and see a door swinging open and banging shut. I open it glancing out at the empty backyard and sigh turning back.

I stop eyeing the small bulletin board and a white ripped picture hanging backward with the words “ding, ding, ding.” I take out the pin turning the picture around and whisper to myself “Richie?” I turn back and hear a voice “hands up!” I eye Richie who brings down his gun questioning “Mandy, what the hell?” I grip my holstered gun questioning him “what are you doing here?” He holsters his gun “I got a 10-31.” He clicks his radio “12.” The dispatcher responds “10-4 go ahead 12.” He sighs “we got a 10-26, it’s a false alarm over here.” The dispatcher responds “10-4, 12.”

He shakes his head “a bit vigilante Reynolds? I hope you have probable cause to be busting down a civilians door?” I hold up the photo “you tell me Talmon?” He leans forward eyeing the picture questioning “me?” I nod “I found it hanging right here and I was told to come here. Why is there pictures of you in this house?” He shrugs “you think I remember that much of high school? I barely functioned through it, the drugs, drinking. You know I was a screw up then.” I shake my head holding up the photo “if your innocent Talmon tell me who is missing in this picture, its cut.” He shrugs “if I knew I would tell you Mandy but I don’t know.”  

I push the picture into my pocket and hear him sigh “look get out of here okay? Ill report the busted door but not until you leave.” I step closer to him eyeing him over but stop fixing my eyes on his scratched up neck “what happened to your neck Talmon?” He places his hand over the scratch marks and smiles to me “broke up a drug bin some girl lunged at me, it’s in my report if you want to see?” I nod, smiling, glancing his unkempt uniform over “I bet it is.” He runs his hand through his messy hair smiling to himself as he looks me over “Mandy, it’s just a picture. This guy is running you around and you’re not getting anywhere.” I grip the picture in my pocket “it’s funny though how he keeps running me right into you Talmon…”

He grins motioning to his radio attached to his shoulder strap “I got the call.” I nod “why are you even still working?” I watch him lean back against the kitchen table “I was asked to stay on. I have an alibi and the captain knows I didn't do anything, he trusts me.” I glance around the kitchen trying to think where I know this address from and look back at Talmon “why did he risk keeping you on?” He shrugs “we are short staffed it’s around the holidays everyone is talking off.” I chime in “but not you?” He looks down “I don’t have a family and the holidays was never a good time.” He looks around “I already got my suspension notice it starts Monday. Until the investigation closes I am getting assigned a partner."

I stand there arms crossed and hear him again “I need you to leave Mandy. I can’t wait any longer I need to call it in.” I nod walking towards the front door but stop seeing a picture on a nearby table and eye myself in it. I go to pick it up but jump hearing Talmon “Mandy.” I turn back facing him and he nods “leave.” I place the photo down, nod and walk out the front door now remembering the house, the address and the place I use to call home.

I get into my car, turn the key in the ignition but stop seeing the white piece of paper folded over and placed neatly on top of my passenger side seat. I reach for the paper, unfolding it as I eye what looks like Lily, the first Lily but her eyes are burnt out in the photo. I take the other photo half out of my pocket and slowly push them together revealing a photo of Richie with his arm draped around Lily but still the photo is not whole, still the photo is missing someone. The question remains in my mind “who?”

I jump hearing my phone go off and reach into my pocket grabbing it as I hear the static voice “Mandy.” I bite my lip and hear the voice laugh “Mandy?” I cut in “what is it you want?” His voice shifts getting deeper but still covered in static as he sadistically hums “Justice.” The phone clicks and I look down seeing the words Justice blinking on my screen as the phone call ends. I close my phone over and press my foot on the gas making my way towards the police precinct. 

I pull into my parking space and get out slowly but stop hearing my partner “Reynolds, where did you run off to?” I turn back watching him get out of his car and nod “holiday stuff.” He smiles “ah already huh?” I nod “yea, for some reason it doesn't even feel like Christmas time.” He nods to me as we make our way through the crowded parking lot and I turn to him “so how did it go?” He shrugs “fine, Talmon is a stand-up  guy he had like seven people seeing him being in the café around two. He was talking up the girl behind the counter. Apparently, Talmon was successful the girl said he left with her when she got off around five.” I nod biting my lip “sounds like Talmon…”

He shakes his head “I was sure he was the one who killed Victor but now.” I nod agreeing “for a while I was sure it was Talmon too but-” He holds the door open for me and I enter the precinct and we both continue walking down the long hall as he questions me “but, what?” I stop at my desk shuffling through the papers cluttered around it “I think this guy is trying to run us around so we don’t just sit still and look at what is right in front of us.” My partner nods slipping into his seat “so, what then, what do we have in front of us?”  I walk up to the board looking at all the girls studying them and my hand shakes as I realize “blonde hair and blue eyes.”