Old Money Madness

36. No Angels Here

River

I've been here for days. Sitting in this cell in the same colors with my hands still cuffed. No one has come to clean up the blood. My writing is still here on the ground but with each passing day, it gets a little lighter.

I've thought about keeping track of how many days I've been here exactly but I don't want to be the cliche prisoner that puts tallies on the wall, much rather go insane than be ordinary.

"River."

I looked up to see Sally staring at me. Her nose was purple and blue with a white piece of tape going over the bridge of the nose. Her thin body was leaned up against a wall and her eyes were locked on the dried bloody ground.

"What Sally?" I arched an eyebrow while still laying on my back and looking at the ceiling.

"Did you do it?" She asked timidly. I could feel her holding her breath, hoping that she didn't spend all this time tormenting a killer, praying she's not with one right now.

"No." My answer was heavy and simple. It would be easier if I said that I did, allow everyone in this town to start their healing process, and allow them to finally be right about the terribly little tramp River Knight. But I won't take the blame for something like this.

"Truly?"

"I didn't do it, Sally."

"Well if you didn't, then I'm sorry you're here."

"I don't know if you mean that or not, but thank you."

***

Maddox

"Clyde, I want to request that we get a second set of eyes on the knife."

"What?"

"A second set of eyes."

"Quinn, you need to understand that River is a complicated woman. I never thought a day would come when I have to look at her the way I've looked at so many other criminals, but the girl is guilty. Don't stir up dirt." Clyde shook his head glancing down to the local newspaper with River's cell and bloody writing on the front page. "She's deranged." He tossed the paper in a trash can next to his desk.

"Due process and the oath we took when we joined the force."

"What?" Clyde was starting to get annoyed with me.

"It's our job to make sure everyone gets a fair trial, if the lab results from another come back with River's fingerprints on it, then I'll drop the case. I'll even start to build a case against her."

"Really?"

"Yes." My face was stone. I know River didn't do this and I was willing to put everything we mean to each other on the line for it. "If River is found guilty, then I will stand with the prosecution."

"Quinn, if you're sure." Clyde waved his hand and signed off on a slip of paper. "Take this to whatever lab you want."

I got in my car and went to the closest city's police station. Flashing my badge got me in the door and I made my way back to the lab. An old friend was looking through a microscope at some slide when his head snapped back to look at me.

"Didn't think you'd get out of that town." Nick smiled at me. "Thought that case would have driven you insane."

"Just about has."

"So what's up?"

"I need a favor." I handed him the bag with the kitchen knife in it. "I want to see if River Knight's prints are on it."