Awakened

12. We're done

Back at home that evening, Lee was exhausted as you fixed him a plate for dinner. He'd confirmed it was Davey as suspected, another deputy had identified the body as they didn't want his wife to see him like this. It was a grisly sight, apparently. It had been a few weeks and he'd been in the water the whole time. But she had insisted. 

Of course it had been horrible, a doctor had to give her a sedative to calm down and she was being kept in hospital overnight so they could check up on her. The press were sniffing around, the town were baying for blood now that there was a cop killer on the streets, and everyone was looking to Lee to find the answers.

He took another gulp of whiskey and you stared him down from across the table. He'd had nearly half the bottle already.

"What?" he asked. "I earned this today" he said, slamming the bottle onto the table. You could see he was slightly intoxicated.

Your eyes hardened.

"Did you do it, Lee?" you asked him calmly.

Lee met your gaze, sneering as he took a mouthful of food. "What?"

"You know what" you fired back.

You stared at each other for what seemed like hours. Lee sat back in his chair, crossing his arms.

"What exactly are you accusing me of?" he asked sternly. "I'd tread careful if I were you".

"Just funny timing isn't it?"

"What is?" he replied, not giving anything away.

"I tell you what Davey did, and that very night is the last time anyone sees him alive. He's shot in the head in the middle of nowhere, no reason to be out there. Didn't even fire his gun or try defend himself".

Lee wouldn't drop his gaze. You're not even sure he was blinking anymore. His mouth curled into a snarl and he took another sip of whiskey.

"Yeah. That is funny" he countered, his tone defiant.

"See I've been thinking about it" you said casually, getting up from your chair and pulling it forward so it was right by him, then sitting down again. "Davey must've been meeting someone out there at that time of night. Wherever he was, exactly. He isn't gonna be wandering around the creek or river for no reason is he?"

"I guess not" said Lee, deadpan.

"Exactly. But then, if he was meeting a pimp, or some bad guy he was caught up in a nefarious deal with, he'd have his gun drawn and ready wouldn't he? Just in case, I mean. The police are trained to be ready, right?"

"Sure, but you can always be caught off guard" shrugged Lee.

"Of course. Or maybe...here's an idea. He was meeting someone he knew, someone he trusted. That's why he didn't have his gun ready, because he never thought he needed it".

You leaned up close to Lee's face, inches from him now, adrenaline coursing through you.

"Maybe someone who had just found out he'd done something terrible. Someone who lured him out to the creek and shot him. Even if that someone had never been asked to do that".

Lee's nostrils flared as he clenched his jaw. He smiled at you. The smile chilled your bones.

"Maybe", he said, the rage barely concealed. "...Maybe that someone was helpin' someone else out. Maybe that someone else should be grateful it was fixed for her, so that she never had to worry about Davey again".

You slapped hard Lee across the face, enraged. Before the realisation of what you'd done sunk in, you went to hit him again. He caught your arm this time, his fingers pressing tightly into your flesh. You shook him off.