Riverside's Perfect Murder

Tony's Dead

It wasn't until she was falling from her second wound that Rita noticed the two small holes in the front of Tony's chest.

"No," Rita screamed, sitting up in bed. She was trembling and crying hysterically. The nightmare was worse this time. She could see it all. Rita never told anyone about what she knew happened.

Rita's knees collapsed the first time she tried to get out of bed. She collected herself and then decided where to go.

She passed George's but could hardly see the road through the tears. Rita's hands were shaking on the wheel, and she thought she might wreak the car. Not that it mattered. Maybe it would be a good thing if she crashed and died. She would finally be free of all the pain and memories.

When he opened the door, he took one look at her and was instantly in front of Rita. He gently placed his hands on either side of her face, holding her cheeks, and looked down in her eyes. He looked straight into her soul and kindly asked, "Are you all right?"

Rita nodded her head side to side. No, she wasn't all right.

"Come," he said, leading her inside.

"I brought clothes this time," Rita managed to get out.

Ollie smiled and looked at the bag she tried to lift. "That's fine. Come inside, please."

"Maybe I shouldn't," Rita said.

"I had no reason to expect that you would come tonight, but I did hope you would."

Rita looked up into his face. "You what?"

"I hoped you would come here tonight," Ollie repeated softly. Almost reverently.

Rita tried to smile but didn't have it.

She allowed Ollie to lead her into the apartment and over to the couch. Rita let go of her overnight bag and watched as he set it on the floor. She had a brief understanding of when a fly lands on a spiderweb, but right now, she didn't care. Let him devour her. At least, then the pain would stop.

Ollie sat on the end of the couch and gently guided Rita to sit next to him where he put his arms around her and embraced her tightly. He lay back taking her with him until she was laying against his chest. She could hear his heartbeat, and the sound comforted her. Rita knew she was being foolish but didn't care. She needed him. She needed him now more than ever.

Ollie didn't say a word for the longest time and then spoke softly, "Something terrible happened?"

Rita only nodded.

"I can listen if you want to talk about it. Sometimes it helps." Ollie said gently.

"I don't know if I can," Rita said, crying.

"Shh, it's ok," he whispered. "If you tell me or not, I am not going anywhere."

After some time had passed and Rita stopped crying and started speaking, "I had my nightmare again. It comes in some form every night but tonight was the worst." Rita started to cry again. She felt silly like a school girl but couldn't help it.

Ollie was gently caressing her hair and asked, "What are they about?"

"It's always the same dream but from different angles. It feels so real. I mean it is what happened, that part is real, but I feel all the emotions again, and I wake up not able to breathe." Rita began gasping, trying to catch some air for her lungs. She sat up and put her head between her knees.

"Shh, it's all right," Ollie said, rubbing her back.

"No! You don't understand; I did it. I killed him," Rita said. She got up and walked to the kitchen.

Ollie thought about following her but waited on the couch. Soon Rita came back with a glass of water. Her face had changed, and Ollie waited.

Rita sat on the edge of the chair and started speaking. "You don't deserve this. You don't deserve me treating you like the enemy."

Ollie started to speak, but Rita cut him off.

"No, don't say anything. I will tell you everything. Please let me try to get it all out." Rita told him all about Sal getting shot in front of the police station. Tony getting kidnapped. About her killing Eduardo and Bobby wanting revenge, but she had to stop at the shootings.

Rita was shaking. She tried to take a drink, but the glass was jumping all around, and she couldn't get it to her lips.

Ollie reached and took the glass from Rita and gently pulled her to the couch and into his embrace. It took a while, but she settled down enough to continue talking, "I was in the room with Tony tied to a chair, Bobby pointing a gun at Tony's head and I was pointing my gun at Bobby. This is where it all gets fuzzy. Bobby orders me to put down my gun, and I know if I do both Tony and I die. I didn't know what to do. In the academy, they teach you never to give up your weapon, but in real life, real time, you don't have clear thoughts, only actions.

"Bobby orders me again to put my gun on the floor and kick it to him. He moves in front of Tony with his back to me and says on the count of three he is going to shoot Tony. I say OK I will put my gun on the floor, but I know if I do we are both dead so I start to lower the gun, but when he says two and pauses to say three, I lift my gun and fire two rounds. I hear them strike home, but Bobby is spinning away and fires at me, so I empty my clip into him. I watch him dance and then fall, but I am falling as well. I get shot twice, but I see Tony has two round holes in his chest and I wake up screaming."

"Is that what happened?" Ollie asked.

"Yes. But that is not the whole story. The day after the shooting, I wake up in the hospital, but I have this dread. Everyone is saying what a fine job I did in taking out the scum Bobby Gonzales, but I have this horrible feeling. The captain confirms Tony is dead, but I knew that already. It's something else.

"I release myself from the hospital and go to the morgue. I wanted to see Bobby's body. I wanted to see Tony's body. I wanted to read the reports. There was no autopsy on Tony. Cause of death was two nine millimeters to the chest. Open and shut. Bobby did it. I could not see Tony's body.

"Bobby's death was from multiple nine-millimeter bullets. My gun. I did it. I know that, but I wanted to see the body. Finally, I got permission to see him. I found what I feared. Across his belly are two horizontal lines, scrapes, gouges if you will. Raw and ugly, like something tore across his body from right to left."

"Oh, bloody hell," Ollie said.

Rita chuckled, "Yeah." Then she got serious and said, "I have never told anyone this, but I killed Tony, and I can't forgive myself. Bobby's back was to me when I lifted my gun, but he must have turned as I fired and my shots cut across his belly and into Tony. I killed Tony, my best friend, my partner, my lover, and the future father to my children." Rita buried her face into Ollie's chest and started sobbing. She cried until there was nothing left. She felt like an empty shell, feeling nothing at all.

Ollie waited until Rita had stopped crying before carrying her to the bedroom. He laid Rita softly on the bed and covered her with the fleece blanket with the chicks and ducks. Rita didn't move. She didn't open her eyes or say a word. Her breathing was slow, and although Ollie knew she wasn't sleeping, she was not awake either. He shut the lights off and climbed in next to her.

Ollie wrapped his arms around Rita and held hertightly feeling a warmth he had only felt one other time in his life. He wasnot sure if it was a good thing.