Reckless

Chapter 4 Part 3

Present Day

Character POV: Roxanne

I'm driving down the highway, headed to where the body was found, listening to the police radio and hearing that they haven't yet removed the body, but they're about to. If I step on it, I might get there in time. It's then that my cellphone begins to ring, and I glance to my passenger seat, to where it sits. I see his name flash across the screen, his smiling face glittering back up at me. Something stirs inside of my chest, a dark squirming feeling, that I can't identify. It could be disgust, or it could be shame. I shake the feeling off, rolling my shoulders as I grab the phone and press the speaker button, setting it down in my cup holder. "David, I really can't talk right now. I'm driving to a case."

I hear him awkwardly clear his throat on the other end of the line before he says, "I'm sorry, but this is what happens when you sneak out in the morning without saying goodbye. I call, just to make sure that you're okay. I never know if you're heading out to buy drugs, if you're at work, or if you're dead in an alley somewhere."

A thousand curse words roll through my mind as I roll my eyes and look heavenward briefly, searching for the strength to deal with him. I have enough going on in my life right now that I don't need to deal with his endless questions or melodrama. I rein in my irritation as I tell him, "I left you a note, David. It's not my fault if you didn't read or see it." Isn't the saying that you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink? Well, I can lead a man to the truth, but I can't make him believe it, can I?

"Yes, I saw the damn note," he sighs, and I can see him pinching the bridge of his nose like he does when he thinks I am being particularly vexing. "But, like I said, I was worried. You dashed out of here pretty fast. I just wanted to make sure you were okay, you know, like any boyfriend would." His attempt at smoothing things over.

I see the flashing blue and red lights ahead and hiss into the phone, "Look, I've just pulled up to the scene. I'll talk to you later. But I promise you, I am okay. Everything is fine. I just have to work. Bye." I hang up before he can reply. I pull my car to the side of the road as an officer dressed in his black uniform heads towards me, hand held up for me to stop. I reach into my glove box to remove the badge and identification card, swinging the door open as I go.