by Silent Draco
I felt for my cell phone and dialed 911 by touch. “Three-six-nine, Corporal Jill Jones, intruder down, one being covered. Ambulance and coroner needed. Roll a unit to …” gave her address, “… front door is kicked open. Contact Lieutenant Jackson by land-line, no radio, and have him respond also.” Then hearing a groan, “… don’t even. Up, hands up against the closet door and spread your legs, and don’t move, Grandma,” I said with an ice-cold tone.
EMS stuttered and then transferred me to police dispatch. “Corporal Jones?” “Yes, Dispatch, I really need my department head, Lieutenant Jackson, on site immediately. Also a a couple units, now, before reaction shock sets in. Code One. First on site need to call through the door, I am holding a suspect, duty weapon is out.” In the distance, I heard a siren change from continuous to whoop-whoop to get through traffic.
“Johnson outside. Corporal Jones? Please reply now, ma’am. One coming in, weapon out. Stand away and place your weapon down, on three, two, one … now.” Officer Johnson (what a hunk!) moved in as I put my pistol down on an end table, showing empty hands. His partner came in and secured the suspect. Johnson told me to stand away, and looked through the ground floor. I heard cursing from the kitchen, then “Dispatch, Homicide supervisor, narc and HAZMAT team needed at this address.” Johnson came out and looked at me, waiting. “I’m not starting a statement, yet, patrolman, wait for the precinct. The w-woman and the one on the floor were working together. One d-down, one in custody,” I said, and then started to shake.
“Dispatch, Johnson. Police woman needed on site.” Then he said: “Where were you? … Sit down, please. Jerry, take the suspect back to the precinct. Send the next unit in for orders.” Three minutes later he said: ”Frank, bring in a couple bottles of water for the corporal, here, and a blanket. She’s about to go shocky. The house is a crime scene, can’t get her anything.”
Uncle Rick came through the door carefully, and he was the second-most welcome sight in the world. “Jonesy? What happened, here of all places?” He looked thunderstruck, and I began to break down. Between sobs, I answered “W-w-e-e n-need H-h-homici – OhI’msosorry!!!” He looked up. “Patrolman, thank you, please bring the policewoman and Homicide in. Johnson, isn’t it? Wait over by the door, please. I’m touching nothing, but in a moment I-“ and that fast I threw myself into his shoulder, bawling like the day my dad died. From outside, later, I heard “Klausner, Lieutenant. Homicide. Processing in, policewoman also. Narc team and cleaners are right behind me.”
I heard a funny clomp as he came in. “Jackson … yeah, expected you here. How bad did you speed? Jones, I’m really sorry about all this. We need to get your weapon and statement, and I’ll need IA there. Patrolman Johnson, thank you, good work. Is her weapon …? Good. Glove up, safe and bag everything for evidence. Corporal, precinct or my office?” “Y-your office? And can I change first? I feel … ohmyGod, I’ll need police woman for evidence and chain …” “Settle, Jones, got that in train. We need to go, the world is ready to come in.” “First … Johnson, please bag this up? Evidence?” I said, holding up a pocketful of broken cookies.
Ugh, it was more invasive than a gyn exam, maybe not quite as cold. Internal Affairs was just what I’d expected and that was the cold part. Felt like I was being prosecuted right there. I had to tell the full story twice, after writing it all down. After IA settled down in the corner, it was Homicide’s turn. Lieutenant Klausner said “Jill, for the record and so IA gets it straight, your dad was a good friend of mine, and I know you and the family pretty well. So I’m going to ask questions, and this will be family and not-family, and there’s no way around it. From your timeline, you heard the door crash open and were already responding for a home invasion. Intruder shouted, brandishing a weapon, and you responded by firing. Good shot placement, by the way. Why didn’t you identify yourself as police?” “Um, Lieutenant? This happened fast, and I could draw and protect or spend two seconds first. I knew my life was in danger.”
Klausner continued, and Uncle Ri – Lieutenant Jackson looked intently. “You knew your life was in danger. How and why?” “The suspect who went down? I’d seen him in Fair Ridge Park about 30-40 minutes earlier. He accosted me to try making a sale, then backed away and slunk off when I brought out pepper spray. He might have followed me there, but maybe not.” Jackson asked the next question, carefully. “Jones, what occurred before the incident? Did something put you on alert, and what was it?” It was really hard not to start crying again. “It was the cookies,” I whispered. “Grandma was surprised to see me, and brought out tea and cookies. She knew those were one of my favorites. But the first nibble tasted kind of metallic, sort of coppery – like that report about Riddenhood. And she knew those were wildflowers, and sorry about picking them.” Jackson continued, patiently. “You glided quietly to the kitchen door. What made you do that?” This left me a bit uncomfortable. “Ummm, sir, out of school and a while back … you know how I always got beers for you at poker nights, just in time?” Jackson jumped a little, and the IA guy looked puzzled.
Lieutenant Krasner just waved me down, “OK, for the record: you are really quiet when you move?” “Yes sir. Uh … I slipped over, heard a couple people in her kitchen, talking low. One man talking low and quiet: ‘Hey, she on her way here. Finsh up, I gotsta go!’ Then, ‘Quiet. She’s a cop, smart and nosy, and here. Soo … five minutes. Go ‘round front, door is closed over. I know she’ll filch from the plate, so I put extras on and dosed them with Riddenhood. Works slower that way, but she’ll be out soon. Then … she’s all yours, Lobo, just somewhere away from the lab.” “Heh. Lil’ Red an’ Riddenhood! Ridin’ jus’ fine…” Jackson then asked, “so when he blew the door in and huffed and puffed, you were ready for the Big Bad Lobo? OK. But what about Grandma?” I sniffed again, and couldn’t stop the tears. “She went bad somehow, and I don’t know why … oh, Daddy!” I wailed.
Jackson came and sat next to me, holding my shoulders. The tears wouldn’t stop. “Daddy, he always watched … she never really liked me, dad’s side … an’ he had that stroke Uncle Rick, and maybenotastrokemaybe … no, no, hated me couple years, jus’ too sweet …” Krasner turned to the IA guy while I broke down and said formally, “I’ll permit the discussion and tape to continue, but note for the record that Corporal Jones is having a severe post-incident bout of mental trauma. I’ll regard everything until she regains composure as hearsay only,” with a protective glare. Jackson just said quietly, “Jillybean, honey, I know, I miss him. Just let it all out, and get your breath again. I’m here. You’re safe.” The next while just blurred out.
Finally I could sit up and breathe again, with IA in the corner and two apex hunters watching me with grave concern. I blew my nose once more and went on. “Um, sirs, it’s hard. Lieutenant, I’m sorry for soaking through your jacket.” Jackson rolled his eyes and replied, “Oh, honey … ah. Corporal, what went through your mind when you heard that conversation?” This is where I took my time. “The red wrapper and Riddenhood? The tox report said it was most effective if inhaled, but could be ingested. Slower pickup through the mouth, but effective. The cookie tasted wrong, with kind of a hint of the smell from the wrapper I found. I put that one and another in my pocket, just to show I was acting normal and nibbled first, then slouched some. Plus … she knew I had wildflowers from the park meadow, something I wouldn’t normally do. You haven’t seen, Uncle – Uh, Uncle Rick.” They simply rolled their eyes.
“She’s really not liked me, the last 3-4 years when I came on the force, and was pretty cool to me after Daddy died.” “I guess she felt threatened by a late bloomer,” grinned Jackson, and he reminded IA, “Don’t even think of it. She’s my goddaughter, grew up calling me Uncle Rick, and that’s not the first clothing she soaked through – all right, not in a bunch of years, Jillybean.” I fought through a blush that seemed to start at my toes, and added, “and that’s the other thing. I really surprised her, and she didn’t use any of the meaner things she used, like ‘Jugin’ Jilly’. It was like I caught her at something.” Jackson growled “and I’ve heard what you didn’t say, either. She was your grandfather’s second wife, right? I remember that Laura’s mom died of a sudden illness, then … oooh, how long? And she worked for a pharmacist for ten years or so. Not sure I want to dig. Honey, I’m retiring in seven, se-ven, months, and I expect you to leave the force about the same time. My chief sergeant and likely successor can handle this one; we’re both disqualified. You’re on admin leave for 30 days, starting now.” Oh! And Johnson is strong, mighty sure of himself, on the next promotion list … hmm. “Got that?” Jackson called to the corner.
The IA guy stood up, said “This concludes the post-incident interview, Corporal Jill Jones, 2:18 pm, office of Lieutenant Krasner, Homicide, April twenty, …” Click. “We’re done, and thank you for your cooperation. Off the record, really far off …” he looked at both lieutenants, “I’m asking my supervisor to assign someone else. You just handed me a tale of a wicked stepmother, Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood, and the Big Bad Wolf. I need to go home and have a couple drinks of Old Goats.”
fin
Little Red Riding Hood. Well done.
Can you elaborate on use the landline not the radio?
A rewrite into first person would give the story more punch. This is a good start. Bravo.