Page 11 of The Final Say

The door closed behind him before she addressed me. “There have been other reports against Bryan for actions unbecoming of an officer in the service of his duties. They were filed away never to be seen from again. I admire the strength it takes to go after a cop. You have my full support and the support of the District Attorney’s Office,” She directed without making any introductions.

“I’m afraid you have me at a disadvantage. You know me but I have no idea who you are and why I should trust you to do the right thing,” I replied in kind, not one to believe the glad-hand reaching across the table.

“I’ve been an advocate for battered women since the early part of my career. I struggled to be noticed in a male-dominated profession. I’m one of the few women that rose to the rank of Capt. before I turned 30. Detective Riley doesn’t speak for this department. He came from a different department. I will give you three guesses where he was stationed and the first two don’t count,” She hinted that their affiliation was born from a professional and mutual respect for one another.

“I’m through caring about what other people think. They don’t know him like I do. You can already tell it’s going to be an uphill battle in court,” I instructed.

My insights were quite extensive, and I was using everything I had learned about him against him. I just needed somebody on my side within the department. This woman wasn’t going to be swayed by his past actions. No longer was he going to hide behind the old boys club in blue.

“I might be able to get him to confess wanting to kill you. That is a far cry from actually doing it. He will claim that he just wanted to scare you. That might be enough to get him to take a plea deal. He’ll spend a few months behind bars, but his career will be over. Are you sure you want to do this?” She inquired with her eyes narrowed, watching to see how I was going to respond.

“I think you should be able to do better than a few months. I have evidence against him. He’s not the squeaky-clean choirboy you think he is. I was reluctant to use this but I’m through giving him the benefit of the doubt,” I said with a deep breath before reaching under my blouse to the cross around my neck.

I laid it on the table with her sitting there scrutinizing it wondering what it meant. A hidden switch revealed a flash drive within the cross.

“This will put him behind bars for years without the possibility of parole. It proves he manufactured evidence and skimmed off the top of everything he confiscated, especially money. That shows his real financials and how much money he has accumulated over the years. There are also names of those paying him extremely well to look the other way on behalf of their clients. This isn’t going to get him a slap on the wrist and a few months in a country club setting,” I fumed with my hand pushing the evidence until it was in front of her.

“I could be playing you. What’s stopping me from destroying all of this evidence?”

“I’m not an idiot. That isn’t the only copy. I don’t trust very many people. He has friends looking out for him including those in the department. You sound on the level, but I’m not about to take any chances. Don’t let him out on bail during the arraignment. You’ll notice that his contacts are somewhat shady, making him a flight risk to someplace that doesn’t have an extradition treaty,” I pointed out the facts.

“I like the way you think. I have influence with the district attorney. This will find its way into his hands. He really did make the mistake of crossing you and your friend. He’s telling a similar story in the other room. With your statements and this evidence, I see no reason why we can’t throw the book at him.” She held onto the cross and tapped it against the table with this smug look of satisfaction on her face.

“It’s a pleasure doing business with you--” I hesitated, giving her a chance to fill in the blank where her name would be.

“Captain Overton. You have a lot of courage, but I wouldn’t expect anything less. He pushed you too far to the edge. It wasn’t enough to run away from him. That would’ve been tantamount to slapping him across the face. He should’ve let you go but that would’ve gone against everything he believed in. You will have to testify in court unless the district attorney can make a deal with him. That is out of my hands, but I will advise against it.” She proceeded to explain the process.

“I wish I could see his face when you tell him the news. I appreciate everything you have done for me. This is a load off of my mind. No longer will I have to have one eye open when I sleep at night. Every little noise made me jump, thinking he had found me. This was a game to get me back under his thumb. He has only himself to blame for making me strong enough to resist him,” I spoke with a fire in my belly.

She escorted me from the room, and I came face-to-face with Cameron.

“You look like the way I feel, but at least, it’s over. We can finally make a life with each other if that is what you want. I will understand if you want to take a step back and re-evaluate. Nobody can fault you after everything you have been through,” he said.

“I forgive you…I truly do…but I’m not sure where we go from here,” I replied with my hand touching his chest.

“I know this isn’t the time or place, but I can’t wait any longer. I hope you will find this charming. It’s the only thing I could find on such short notice,” he said, getting down on one knee.

He produced a cheesy looking kids’ toy from the vending machine downstairs. It was fluorescent green and fit easily on my finger. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my life.

“Would you do me the honor of being my bride?” he popped the question.

“Yes…yes…I will,” I responded, staring at the ring.

There was a mixed reaction from the bullpen. Some cheered and others turned their backs. It didn’t matter.

My handyman had fixed more than my house. He had fixed my broken heart with his declaration of love.