New Year's Angel (R5 Fan Fiction -Rydellington)

Could this be it?

April 21st 2014

Riker

                “Yes! Riker we have it!” I had been so lost in thought that Ross bursting through my door had nearly knocked me off my chair. “Whoa! What the hell Ross! Could you not have knocked before giving me a bloody heart attack? And no offence but what the hell is he doing in here?” I quickly covered my work as Ratliff walked in behind Ross. Ross looked from Ratliff to me and said “Sorry Riker, we just really have something that we need to show you! Ratliff and I were looking at your research from yesterday and...” “WAIT WHAT?” I shouted. “WHAT DO YOU MEAN RESEARCH FROM YESTERDAY? Have you been stealing my research Ross?” Ross’s smile faded for a moment before he quietly said “Not really stealing it. I have been taking pictures so that Ellington and I could be a part of the work. You guys have been treating him like shit Riker and he needs to know the answer just as badly as you do if not more.” I couldn’t really disagree with him on that one. I had never planned on treating him terribly but how was I supposed to face him properly when every time I saw him I thought of Rydel.

So instead of arguing with Ross, who was clearly right I moved on. “Alright point taken, what is it that you are so desperate to show me?” Ross’s smile returned as he handed me a photograph. “Okay, so Ellington and I were looking at yesterday’s evidence and well here, I’ll let Ellington tell you what he found.” Ross moved out of the way to let Ratliff come forward. Ratliff seemed really nervous to talk to me but he took a deep breath and began. “Uhm, well, okay so you have looked at this picture a lot and since Ross has been taking the pictures so have we. It is the picture of the car after the accident on the passenger side.” I pushed the picture back at him, “You’re right I have seen it a lot, and I don’t want to see it anymore.” Ellington shoved it back at me, “Riker just look at it please. What do you notice about the head support on her seat?” Looking down at the photograph that I had stared at for at least a month, I almost missed it again. There on the head rest of what would have been Rydel’s seat, were prints.

“Are those hand prints?” I asked faintly. “Yes they are!” Ellington said excitedly. “And look at the direction of the hands! They are coming from behind the seat!” I couldn’t do anything but stare at the photo. How did I miss this? “Oh my god, so what you’re saying is that this picture proves that there was someone else in the car with you guys!” I could hear the excitement in my voice. They had actually found something that would help us figure this out. Ross exclaimed “YES! And look at how the fingers are. Rydel’s head was not there! Remember how the police officer had mentioned that the back door was open? And look at this picture here. The seat was not properly up! I think Rydel was ripped out of that car right before the accident!”

 I stand up looking back at Ross and Ratliff with a smile. “I have the photograph to prove it!” As I turn back to my pile of evidence on my desk I can feel a ray of hope in the pit of my stomach. Were we finally getting answers? I grab a photo out of the box on my desk and hand it to Ross. “This is a picture of the road behind the car accident. It was probably about 2 feet behind the actual accident. If you look closely you can see what appear to be beads. What was Rydel wearing during the party?” Ellington begins to understand where I was going and quickly chimes in. “She had a Happy New Year’s beaded necklace on!” We were definitely on to something now, “Exactly!” I shout. “This photo hasn’t made any sense up until this moment. Rydel’s necklace could not have broken way back there if she had been in that accident. Your evidence proves that the necklace is there because she was as well. She must have been pulled out of the car by someone who probably broke her necklace. Thus proving Rydel was not in the car at the time of the accident!”

          So we had proof that Rydel had not been in the car. Great! As the three of us stood in my room smiling the tension between us slowing began to dissipate. Ratliff was not at fault here. However, as one answer was discovered about ten more questions arose. Had we missed something that evening leading up to this? Was there an explanation for why this had happened? Was Rydel alive? The most important question of course was this. If Rydel had not been in that car, where had she gone?