The Celts (West Side Story: Riff X Reader)

Chapter 11

Following the disbanding of the Celts, I had been staying with Riff underneath the deli and doing the jobs offered to me as a Jet. Riff had sent me on a mission to find his friend (and ex-lover) Graziella in order to obtain more Jet-like clothing. He had given me the location at which she would most likely be, so I had just begun on that route when I was stopped by a face I had avoided since arriving to America.

"Ma'am," a voice said, interrupting my brisk walk to the meeting place. I stopped and looked back to see an older man with graying black hair and the most receding hairline I had every seen. He was wearing a police uniform.

"Sir." I said slowly, stopping in my tracks. "How can I help you?"

"Less than a week ago, a man was killed about a block away." The officer said. "I've been given multiple accounts that will lead me to multiple people. Three people had described a nineteen year-old, ginger, Irishwoman named Elizabeth Grey."

"I'm Elizabeth Grey." I said stupidly with a fat lump in my throat.

"Okay." The officer said calmly. "Come with me please."

"Why?" I asked in a voice that almost bordered on shrill.

"You're not in trouble, but you need to come with me." The officer said. "If all goes well, you'll be out by tonight."

"Okay." I said, following the officer down to the police station, where I was told to take a seat before Riff and three other Jets. Riff had a nasty looking black eye and was glowering at another officer, who looked to have a dark bruise on his jaw, which led me to believe that Riff had tried to fight his way out of this. Without another word to any of us, all the officers left to presumably discuss our fates.

"These guys really want to lock me up." Riff said to the four of us. "What can we do to avoid getting any of us behind bars?"

"Boss, I don't think there's anything we can do." Baby John said. A-Rod nodded his head in agreement.

"But you saw what happened to the Celts when their guy was taken down." Mouthpiece said indignantly.

"Okay, here's what we're gonna do." Riff said, motioning for us all to gather around him so that he could whisper. "They are going to pull us all aside and talk to us. We were not there."

We all nodded. Moments later, the officers walked back in. With them came a factor that really should have changed Riff's plan, but he nodded at all of us as though telling us to stick to his plan. The factor was Declan, who was placed at a sort of witness stand. He stared dark brown daggers at me, which followed me until the officer took me to a separate room and shut the door.

"Hi, Elizabeth." He said, shaking my hand. "My name is Officer Krupke. I'm going to ask you a series of questions and you need to answer them to the best of your ability and incredibly truthfully."

"Okay." I said.

"Do you know that man we brought in?" Krupke asked.

"Well, he's not really a man yet. He's sixteen years old." I said.

"So you know him?"

"Yes, his name is Declan, but we called him Clanner." I informed him. "He was there at the fight you're going to ask me about."

"Clever." Krupke said with a semi-bitter smile on his face. "Yes, he told us that he was there. In fact, he told us that he saw your buddy Riff kill Ronan.

"Riff was attacked." I said.

"Did Riff kill Ronan?"

"No." I said, feeling my brain switch into autopilot mode. "I did."

"You killed Ronan?" Krupke repeated, something shifting in his eyes.

"He raped my little sister." I said, following a lie with a truth.

"Where is she?"

"She went to New Jersey after the fight."

"And you're not taking the blow for any of your friends?" Krupke asked.

"No, sir." I said with a lying shake of my head.

"Are you sure?" He pressed. "We're pretty sure it was your buddy, Riff."

"Gee, Officer Krupke." I said, leaning back in my seat so that he could see that I was either a psychopath or very confident in the lie that he would probably perceive as the truth. "Why would I want to go to jail? Riff is the kind of guy that would take the fall for someone else he's close with. In fact, he's probably doing that right now."

"You raise a good point." Krupke said, copying my motion and leaning back as well. He then looked away, scratching his chin in thought. "Listen, there ain't no way I can determine whether or not you're lying and taking the blame for him. Come back out, then I'm going to discuss with your old buddy-"

"He's not my buddy." I said, quickly interjecting.

"Right." Krupke said begrudgingly. "Anyway, I'll have to ask him his account."