Judge, Jury, & Executioner

Chapter 9

Natalie Fetzer held her coffee as close to her as she could, with her shaky hands. The mornings incidents kept playing through her mind. Mr. Whitty collapsing unable to breathe. Everyone panicking as he died in front of them. The only one managing to do anything was Juror number five. She hadn't even bored to get his name. The only reason she learned of Mr. Whitty's name was because of the detective who had interviewed her.

The whole thing had begun to feel like a dream. Nothing more than a nightmare replaying over and over in your own mind as you try to decipher what it means. Not that it ever means anything though. Sometimes people just die. Fetzer told herself. Wether she actually believed it or not.

She tried to get a drink of the coffee, but her hands were shaking too much. It spilled slightly on her jacket and she sat it down. Reaching for a napkin she felt her phone buzz. It surprised her considering she hadn't spoken to anyone about being out of court yet. Then again, her mother did love to ask if she was okay.

Her mother had a way of imagining the worst. When Natalie moved out of the house at eighteen to go to college, her mother texted her every day and if she didn't respond her mother would call the police. It got so bad that the police started responding simply by calling Natalie and asking if she was okay. Which worked out for the best and her mother had slowly stopped texting quite as much.

She sat her purse on her lap and opened it up. She pulled her phone out and saw it was from her boss. He asked if she was on jury duty or not. Simply responding yes, she then decided to call her mom.

As the phone was ringing, she received another text. Peeking at it she saw it was an unknown number. Telemarketers, She scoffed.

***

Emma continued typing away at the computer. Reaves had started reading the witness interviews and was waiting impatiently. They had no other leads to follow other than the ones Cooke was investigating. She had spent about thirty minutes typing none stop on the computer.

Reaves looked up from the files and saw Maddox talking on the phone. She was breaking the news to Whitty's family. He remembered when she broke the news to Mary Wilson's family. Mary Wilson was the first victim of the Chameleon. Reaves couldn't imagine having to make that phone call, let alone telling them their loved one killed themselves. It was unimaginable on Reaves part. And yet, there she was, making the call.  The call that would forever shatter that family's life forever.

Reaves watched as she hung the phone up and then stared at her desk. Then, she glanced at him and he looked back at the files. He was surprised when she agreed to his proposition. Then again, the stakes were high. If he didn't solve this case, he'd be out of her hair for good. Granted he'd been out of her hair for a year. But that whole year he did nothing but think about how to make things right.

A few times he tried calling her, it'd ring once and then hang up. The last time he called it said the number no longer existed. He'd screwed up, that was for sure. But this was his one chance at redemption.

Maddox walked into the room and sat down. She picked up a file and started reading it. It was dead quiet. Almost creepy quiet. Till Reaves broke it.

"So, how have you been?" Reaves asked.

Maddox continued to stare at the file while answering. "Fine."

Reaves lowered his file to where he could see her and then kept pushing.

"I moved to a house. One with a yard. Thinking of getting a dog," Reaves added, much to her annoyance as he could see it on her face.

"I'm still at my apartment," Maddox replied, before deciding to add. "Not that you need to know."

Reaves gave a slow nod. "Did you read my book?"

Maddox seemed almost surprised at the question. She cleared her throat and then touched the tip of her nose rather quickly.

"No. Heard the reviews were through the roof."

"Yeah. I could give you a copy if you'd like." Reaves offered.

Maddox paused and then shook her head no.

"Oh, I see. You two have history here don't you?" Cooke said looking away from her computer.

"No," Maddox said, as Reaves answered yes.

She gave him a look and he shrugged.

"Former friends, or closer former friends?" Cooke then asked.

Maddox looked away from the file and stared Cooke down. "Don't you have something to do?"

Cooke gestured in defense and then returned to typing. Don't poke the bear.

Maddox looked at him and then returned her attention to the file. I'm gonna poke the bear. Reaves built up the courage to finally ask what he'd been waiting to ask.

"Can you please tell me why you hate me so much? I've said i'm sorry. I've tried everything and you just can't seem to give me it straight forward as to why you hate me?" Reaves asked.

Maddox sat the file down on the table and then she looked straight at him.

"Cooke, give me a call the second you have something," She said, before leaving the room.

Reaves spun around in his chair and stopped when he saw Cooke staring at him.

"What?" He asked.

Cooke leaned forward in her chair and smirked.

"Come on. Two people don't bicker like that unless there's drama. I wanna every detail," Cooke said.

"There are no details. I made a mistake and she won't forgive me for it," Reaves explained.

Cooke smiled bigger. "And?"

Reaves looked around for Maddox and then moved to the sear closest to Cooke. It was then he smelled smoke.

"Do you smoke?" He asked, distracted by the smell.

"Huh, oh no. No I don't smoke. I'm a pyromaniac in my spare time and I forgot to wash my clothes."

Reaves leaned back in his chair and his eyes grew wide.

"I'm not kidding. My hacker handle was Pyrotechnician," Emma replied.

"Uh, anyway," Reaves began, before explaining the situation.

Basically, reciting his book, but with a few details removed, And a few more added so it would be accurate. As he explained it, his mind get staying in the moment he chose to look up Maddox's background. He had apologized so many times he wasn't even sure why he was trying.

Maddox was never going to forgive him. Even if he did win solving this case, she would probably find a loop hole and he'd have to leave. The only reason he had chosen to propose the idea, was because this was the only chance to get her to forgive him. And he was going to get her to, one way or another.