I Don't Remember

Sixteen

"Danny, Danny!" Linda shook Danny awake in the middle of the night.

"Wha'?" He asked sleepily, not fully awake.

"I remember what the car looked like! And the driver."

He sat up and turned the light on, "what?"

"The hit and run! I remember the driver and the car."

"Really?" He had thought earlier that he blew everything to hell, but maybe not. If they could get a sketch and description out, then maybe they'd catch the creep. Miracles have happened.

"It was a big, back ford truck. Y'know, one of those compensation things—"

Danny chuckled at that, sounding surprisingly like his father.

"I don't know the year, or-or the model. Just Ford."

"What about the driver?"

"It was a woman. Sort of a brunette-blonde, definitely dyed."

"Do you remember license plates?"

Linda bit her lip and shook her head. She closed her eyes, getting frustrated. She felt tears coming, and that frustrated her even more. The sudden light wasn't helping either.

"That's okay," Danny tried to keep the disappointment out of his voice. "I didn't expect you to get a plate number while it was headed right towards you."

"Wait, Lemme think!" She pressed her hands to her head and closed her eyes, as if that would help. "Oh.... the numbers were 1977. I remember because that was the last half of my student ID in college."

Danny smiled at that, "what about letters?"

She bit her lip again and shook her head, "sorry."

"That's okay. We have enough to get something out. Do you remember the driver?" Internally, he wanted to jump for joy. But he was keeping his voice calm for Linda. She had had a rough day.

"She had brownish blonde hair, shoulder length, I guess. Maybe longer. I... I really don't remember."

"Okay, that's okay. We can work with the license plate."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." He pushed her hair back, "we've caught criminals with much less before."

She didn't really believe him, but agreed nonetheless. "Okay."

Danny turned the light off, lying back down. "Come on," he invited her into his arms. "I'll look into it first thing in the morning."

Linda cuddled next to him, but then sighed. "I wish I was more helpful..."

"You've been a great help. Trust me."

*********

"Why?" Danny asked the woman in front of him. It was right after lunch when they finally found her. She tried to escape them... twice. "Why would you do this?"

She looked at Danny with huge, watery eyes. "It was an accident."

"Then why'd you drive away?"

"I was afraid the police would think it was my fault," she lied. It was pretty convincing, but Danny knew it to be a lie. After all, it was his job to discern truth from fiction.

"Cut the bull crap, Maggie," Baez rolled her eyes. "We know you don't think that."

"But it really was!"

"According to the victim, you came straight at her. So fast, she didn't have time to move," Danny tried to keep his voice calm. Ever since Linda had told him most of the details, he couldn't get the image of her panicking and trying to avoid the truck out of his head.

What had Linda been thinking? Did she think she was going to die? When she was stuck, was she calling for him like she did when she was shot?

"She must be wrong," Maggie said, sounding so sure.

"She isn't."

"Because she told you? Please, she could be lying!"

"Like you are?" Danny shot back, calmly.

"I'm not lying!"

"We've got a witness that says you are," Baez interjected. "Cooperate with us, and you might get a better sentence."

Maggie sighed, contemplating. "I just wanted to be with you," she addressed Danny. "I love you."

"If you loved me, you would've stayed the f*** away from my wife," Danny remained calm, even though he wanted to tear Maggie's head off.

"But—"

"She's the very reason for my being, and you thinking taking her away will make me fall in love with you? Maybe you have a chance at an insanity plea after all."

Danny stood and left the room, wanting to get away from the monster who nearly took his wife away.

*********

Linda gripped her purse straps as Danny led her to a small room. Immediately she thought it should be bigger. This was where people identified their attackers, and that must cause a sense of panic. The room should be bigger.

She looked up at Danny, feeling a lot like a little kid. She had done this before, but it was different. It was so different.

"You know the drill, babe. And remember, they can't see or hear you."

She swallowed as the criminals were brought out and stood in the line up.

"Any look familiar?"

She shook her head.

"That's okay; take your time."

She looked at them, and flashes of the car crash passed through her mind. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on the driver.

She had long hair, past her shoulders and collarbone. It was died, and looked a little frizzy.

She opened her eyes, and narrowed it down to three suspects.

In the brief seconds she had to think before she went tumbling into that ravine, she thought that the truck was far too big for her.

That eliminated the tall one, so now it was down to two options. "It's either two or five," Linda told him.

"It's not really an either/or kind of situation, sweetheart."

"I know."

"Did she have any sort of distinguishing facial features? Try to think, baby."

She closed her eyes again, this time to keep the anger at her husband in. She could do this; she knew how and she knew what he wanted. She was just trying not to panic, not to hear metal crunching.

Something flashed before her. Something silver and delicate. Something sitting on a dark purple shirt.

"Necklace," she muttered, then looked at the suspects again. One was wearing a necklace, with gold three rings on the chain. They looked like wedding bands. "Her."

"Which?" Danny tried not to sound too excited.

"Five."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

Once he gave instructions to... whoever... to take the suspects away, Danny turned to Linda. He put his hands on her shoulders, "you did good today, baby."

Instead of smilingly like she normally would, she muttered, "I have to get outta here."

"What?" Danny asked.

"How do we get out?"

"Oh," he led her through the door again, then watched her breathe deeply. "Are you okay?"

"Fine, fine," she answered dismissively.

"Okay," he said, his voice soft, and he noticed Linda relax further. "You should go home now.... Did you drive yourself?"

"No," she shook her head. "Nicky was able to."

"I'll see you later then, okay?"