CHAPTER II: HURRY UP AND WAIT...

The next two hours or so were excruciating. I couldn't stop fidgeting, and worrying and wondering what in the hell had happened to bring all this on. I kept starting to go over to Jonathan to pump him for information, but alas he had told me all he knew. DRAT!

Joey would hold my hand for a while, but that was like trying to hold hands with a paint mixer, and after shaking violently for a bit he would let go...although the shaking would continue unabated for a while. LOL. Then he would put an arm around my shoulder WITH the same result. I could have given him some ice cream, milk, and malted mix and had a malted for two really quick. Would have been better than this Godawful coffee and why had I forgotten to bring coffee from home...BUT I decided that doing a soda jerk number at the moment might be a bit over the top. Probably. Tempting but...

We sat, I sat, got up and paced, sat again, Joey would get up and hug me, and I would be grateful but...

Then FINALLY, after well over two hours, Ron emerged.
I LEAPED up and streaked over to him.

"What? What? Tell me....wtf is going on? PLEASE."
"Whoa Dylan. Slow down. You're gonna have a coronary. Let's sit and I will tell you what I know."

"GRRR. Ok," and we did and he did.

He started.
"Okay, from the top. It seems that your friend Ryan's landlady was murdered in her house tonight. Killed by a stab wound with a butcher knife to the heart which, by the way they found clutched in Ryan's hand when the cops got there."
"How can that be?"
"I don't know Dylan. Let me tell you what I do know."
"Ok, sorry."
He smiled. He knew how I felt and he also knew Ryan was special to me.

"Ryan doesn't seem to remember anything. He said he was in his apartment watching television, and when the cops checked the TV was still on. Anyway, he said the next thing he knew he came to in Mrs. Williams part of the house, (that is his landlady) standing by the body. Then almost immediately the cops arrived.

"Who called them? How did anyone know?"
Ron looked a bit exasperated and I smiled an apology, but he continued.
"No clue. Lt Brantford answered the call and was the first on the scene. He said Ryan was standing by her body looking dazed, and seemed almost unable to speak for a bit."
"I can imagine," Joey interjected.
"Yeh, me too," I added.

"Ok, he told them what he knew which is pretty much nothing, and then Lt Brantford decided to haul him in here for questioning while forensics went over the house, both her part and his apartment at the rear.

Look, they don't have a case yet which I pointed out and they know it so I got the Lt. to let him leave into my custody. Notwithstanding Ryan holding the murder weapon, they need a hell of a lot more than that to bring charges and they know it. He can stay with you if that is all right, since his place is being sequestered as a crime scene. With the usual caveat of course. He can't leave town and all that.
Helps too that this is not exactly New York or L.A. and then too, Ryan is pretty obviously not a hardened criminal. AND, I did some pretty fancy talking as well," and he grinned briefly.

I nodded.

I looked at Joey and he me and we looked at Ron.
"It will go as it goes, Dylan..Joey. I can't tell a whole lot at this point but you can bet your sweet ass I will go to bat for Ryan all I can. You know that."

I nodded and that yes I did know. Ron is one of the best defense attorneys in this part of the country even for as young as he is. I felt a bit of relief but not too much. This was obviously just beginning and nobody had ANY clue how any of this would end up.

"They are gonna have to do the release paperwork and all that so it will be a bit before you can take him home, Dylan."

Again, I nodded and we sat once again and DAMN these hard wooden benches could use a cushion or twelve. Pfui.

                                              CHAPTER III - CLICK HERE