CHAPTER I: SO MUCH FOR A NICE QUIET NIGHT AT HOME

Joey and I were sitting or rather laying on the bed, me reading and he watching something on TV with the sound down so as not to disturb me. He is really sweet like that. It had been a long and rather hectic week and since it was Friday night and we didn't have anything planned for the entire weekend, we were just lounging...that is until the phone rang. I looked over to it on the nightstand to see who it was and recognized the name as a friend who works in the police department. I grabbed the phone and answered.

"Friday night and you're bored, so you're calling me?" I answered.
"Uh, not exactly Dylan."
"Ok, what's up."
"A friend of yours was just brought in for questioning and I thought you might want to know."
"Really? Who?"
"Ryan. Ryan Lawler."
"WHAT? Why? 
Jonathan...my God. He can't possibly have done anything."
"He has been brought in for questioning regarding a murder."
"WHAT? You MUST be joking. 
Ryan? 
Um, not the brightest bulb on the porch Ryan?"

"I know Dylan, but that is what is happening."
"Jesus. Ok. We'll be right there."
He said ok and we hung up.

All that had gotten Joey's attention and when I hung up he turned the tv off and sat up with a questioning look.

I said...
"Get dressed. We have to go to the police department."
"WHY?"
"Ryan has been brought in for questioning."
"Ok."
He knew I didn't know anything else cause I would have said if I did. We got dressed in record time, got the car out and drove quickly albeit quietly downtown also in record time. I parked the car and went barreling into the station house on two wheels with Joey right behind me and we went to the desk where our friend Jonathan was sitting.

He looked up as we approached.
"Hi. Boy that was fast."
"Yeh, and no tickets either. Guess the boys in blue are at coffee."
"Uh, no. Actually several are at a crime scene."
"So spill," I said and none too subtlely.

"Ok and believe me I don't know much, but your friend Ryan was brought in and he is being questioned by one of our detectives. Lt. Brantford. Seems from what little I know that Ryan was found in his landladies house standing by her body and holding the murder weapon...a butcher knife."

"That can't be. Ryan? Murder? God no. He wouldn't hurt a fly. You know him, Jonathan. Geez."

Ok, let me stop and explain something. I met Ryan Lawler about 10 years ago or so in high school. He had been going to a private school for 'special' students, but it was decided to give him a shot at regular high school.  I met him the day he arrived in our junior year, liked him, and sorta took him under my wing so to speak. Mentored and tutored him through graduation which he did and not badly at all. After that I would see him when I would get home from college and after finishing up and moving back here we once again continued our friendship. He had gotten a job as a stock boy in one of our local supermarkets and was doing reasonably well from what I could tell. Well liked, I think mostly because he was such a kind caring person with an affable and positive outlook and personality. I had known him certainly long enough to know he wouldn't hurt a fly. Literally. 

Murder? NO WAY.

I should also add that while Ryan is far from stupid, he isn't the fastest car in the race to be sure. A bit slow and more than a bit naive. He certainly did not have an enemy in the world at least until now and I couldn't figure out how in the world he could be implicated in a murder. It just seemed way beyond any point of reason.

"So what is happening, Jonathan?"
"Detective Brantford is questioning Ryan now. That is pretty much all I know."
"Is there a lawyer with him?"
"No."
"NO? My God. Ryan can't be in there by himself. Jonathan.

"Ok, I am calliing Ron Jamison," I told him. "I'll see if he can get his ass over here," and I did and he could and did. That's what friends are for, as the song goes. LOL.

I should note that Ron Jamison ESQ is a local hot shot attorney with quite a reputation for someone not quite but almost 30. He has made his mark taking high profile cases and successfully so but he has also made a name by taking cases nobody else wanted, especially when it comes to the disabled and the mentally challenged. Ron certainly knows Ryan and I quickly judged correctly he was also flabbergasted that ANYONE would think him capable of something like murder. I had a feeling he was going to take a very dim view of this Lt Brantford person, and I would prove to be correct in my assessment. For the record he was a couple of years ahead of me in school but I knew him and our families knew each other and we had been friends literally since grade school. I was gonna need his expertise and couldn't think of anyone better.

Fast forward a few very tense and nerve-wracking moments spent pacing around in the front desk area of the station, without benefit of music I should note. 

I think I was driving Jonathan nuts. I know I was driving ME nuts.

Ron only lives a few blocks away and got there pretty quick.

True to form he came barreling in the front doors and straight over to us. "What's up, Dylan. Hey Joey."
Joey said hey and then I told him what I knew which wasn't much.
"Ok," he said after a minute of kinda taking it in. "Let's see if I can get in there. Everyone has a right to counsel and Ryan is no exception."
"Thanks."
"Sure," and he asked Jonathan to let the detective know Ryan's attorney was here, and from what I could tell Lt. Brantford was none too pleased but so be it. For the record I wasn't too pleased either, not that I figured he would care a whit.

We got coffee from the machine which I knew would be one step removed from dreadful and went over to one of those REALLY ugly REALLY uncomfortable REALLY gross BENCHES they seem to think their guests will just love (all really hard wood and very unforgiving to a sensitive heinie like mine) and sat, although I was so preoccupied I could have sat on a bed of nails and been none the wiser. TRUST ME.

           CONTINUE TO CHAPTER II HERE