Castleton Police Department

  Front Office

  Madison paces in front of the large glass window looking out onto the street and parking lot. Tears stream down the new mother's cheeks and she shakes her head in solemn disbelief. Chief O'Leary leans against the wall a few feet away, watching Madison with lowered eyelids. He appeals to her in a defeated voice.

  "Mrs. Mackey, I need you to see this situation from my point of view. James wasn't supposed to be anywhere near that site when the Reardon girl was killed. He was off duty. So, answer me this. Why did he answer that call?"

  The Chief unfolds his arms from across his wide chest and stands up straight. He takes two steps closer to Madison. She catches the Chief's movements from the corner of her vision and stops pacing. Turning to face Chief O'Leary, Madison attempts to stare him down.

  "What could've been more important than a beautiful wife and a new baby at home? I need you to work with me, Mrs. Mackey. I need you to really think about this. Is there any way...In your mind...That what I'm saying makes sense? Could it not be true that you husband orchestrated this whole thing? I've seen situations like this before. Men crack. Men sometimes do horrible things. Things...No one would think them capable of. I know you love your husband, Madison. But, the dots just aren't connecting the way Mackey says they should be. Finding that bullet with the Reardon girl's DNA...Is a clear indication that they never will."

  "Reardon girl?" Madison hisses softly. "She was freaking twenty-eight. She was nobody's little girl anymore, Paul! Get it right. If she was a little girl? I'm practically a girl too. Try having some respect for the dead. Since you don't seem to have any respect for my husband. Evelyn was a woman! A woman! And I know my husband had nothing to do with her murder! What you're saying doesn't make sense to me at all!"

  "Madison, please," Paul says, closing the distance between Madison and himself.

  Madison attempts to move away, but the Chief places both hands on her shoulders. He peers down into her face.

  "Think about what you know about James," O'Leary explains. "He's a wonderful detective, but he's an extremely impulsive guy. Half of the things he does don't make sense to a lot of the guys here. Look at that trailer he bought you. Does it make sense that a man would make a purchase like that for a woman he barely knows? Of course not. And your relationship? What about that? You went from detective and victim to man and wife in less than six months. That's not how these things usually work. It's...Unusual, to say the least."

  "Maybe to someone like you!" Madison retorts, her face red and twisted with anger. "Someone without empathy. Someone without a soul. You cops are useless. You used James. You secretly loathe him. Yet, you've pretended to be his friends. Why else would you turn on him so quickly? You're all liars. James has told me over and over again that he loves me. He's not a liar. Not like all of you...Lying cops."

  "That's not true, Madison. Most of the officers here adore James. We just have to admit he's a bit...Weird. No one here wants to see James in a predicament like this. But if he's the party responsible for what happened to Officer Melbourne and Evelyn Reardon...He must be brought to justice. His fleeing...And the sudden kidnapping of your son...It all seems rather too convenient. It's looks like a guilty man trying to escape said justice. Those men at your house may be working with your husband. Your son may be with his father at this very moment."

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  "Errr!" Madison growls, wrenching free of the Chief's loose grip on her shoulders. "What is wrong with all of you? Why is it easier to believe James is guilty than to look for the real criminals? After everything he did to bring that Aquarius murderer to justice? I can't believe this. Err. Oh no."

  Dave enters the building just as Madison breaks down once again. Shooting Chief O'Leary a scathing look, Dave moves to where Madison stands sobbing. The young woman's face is held between her hands and her eyes are tightly shut. She flinches and prepares to lash out when Dave slips an arm around her shoulders.

  Relief floods onto Madison's face when she realizes it is just Dave. She turns and wraps her arms around his neck, drawing him down and close.

  "Oh, Dave. They think James did it. They think he did everything. Oh goodness. They won't even believe me. Dave...What am I supposed to do?"

  Dave rubs Madison's back through her borrowed Broncos t-shirt. He glares at Chief O'Leary as he speaks.

  "I usually try to stay in my own lane, Chief," Dave begins. "But I think you're really off the mark this time. Mackey is no kidnapper. And he's definitely not a murderer."

  "How would you know that, Deputy? You his conscience?" O'Leary barks back.

  "Pretty much," Dave states confidently. "I saw what trying to catch Aquarius did to Mackey. It made him a better man. Not worse. He talked me through things--"

  Dave cuts off his statement, deciding to censor his admission a bit. Mentioning his own battles with mental anguish might not be the best thing to do in this case. Best to keep it real simple.

  "A man like Mackey doesn't survive a psycho like Aquarius and then crack over a few punks with trigger happy fingers. Mackey and I have been through crap no other cop in this department could even dream of. I wouldn't wish the things Mackey and I have seen on anyone. Not even my worst enemies. But watching you all lose faith in him...If you ever had it at all...Is worse than any of that. Because you've worked with the guy. A helluva lot more than I have. And you're still willing to sell him upriver. It doesn't matter where a man comes from. Or how weird he is. So long as he can properly understand and enforce the law. Detective Mackey is a man of integrity. I saw that as recently as when we were handling the mayor's security detail. Mack holds himself to a higher standard than most people. You're on the way wrong track, Chief. Like Mrs. Mackey says...You should be trying to find the real kidnappers. The people trying to frame the detective. Not trying to pin this all on Mack. Innocent until proven guilty, Paul. You're the Chief of Police. I have to assume you understand that by now."

  Madison's body has gone stiff as Dave continues his tirade. Hearing the large senior deputy vehemently defend her husband puts a joyful spark in the young mother's heart.

  "Now, if you'll excuse us, Chief. I'm gonna take the young lady out of here. I'm sure she's very tired," to Madison, Dave says. "You won't be able to go back home until the crime scene has been fully gone over. Octavia put together the guestroom at her place. She says, you and Titus can stay as long as you need to."

  -

  -

  Castleton Police Department

  The Parking Lot

  Madison waits to thank Dave until they are safely inside his pickup truck.

  "Thank you, Dave. For what you said in there," Madison timidly says.

  "Aww. It was nothing. The truth is easy," Dave replies with a tiny smile.

  Dave inserts the Nissan's keys in the ignition and prepares to start the engine. The large deputy is taken aback when Madison cups his face and turns it towards her. She leans close, studying his face as if experiencing a battle in her psyche. She has never purposely kissed anyone but James. Even in jest. Going the safe route, Madison kisses Dave on his cheek--as close to his mouth as possible. Like the teen protagonists always do at the end of every movie adventure. Dave uses his left hand to cup Madison's face as she moves back.

  "Well, well. Seems like I might be Irish after all," Dave says, his smile becoming a devilish grin. "Don't get me used to that sort of thing, Madison."

  Madison's face reddens with embarrassment and she sits back in her chair. Dave offers her an understanding wink.

  "Don't worry. It's all good, Madison," Dave says. "Friends are just that. Friends. I'd never do anything to jeopardize the friendship we all share."