Ryan Wiley - Disappearance

Deputy Vogul continues, “It’s not for Abby. It’s for you.”

She reaches from her side and pulls out a gun, aiming it right at me.

“Deputy Vogul, what are you doing? I thought you were on my side!”

“I was. I really was, Andrew. Things change, though. Circumstances come up and you have to play the cards you’re dealt.” She walks over to me and sits up against a nearby tree, making sure to keep a safe distance away. “When I shot Abby, I would have been more than happy to say you did it, give you the heroic story you deserve. Problem is, Abby drugged you and I couldn’t think of a story where that doesn’t fall back on me. The best I could come up with involved Abby drugging you then, in your last desperate attempts to survive, you shot her. I’ve been in the police force for a long time to know this story is too risky, though. No signs of a struggle, the entry of the bullet — all of that they’ll be able to figure out when they look at her body on your kitchen table. Also, quite frankly, for you to find out you’re drugged and shoot her in that short a time invokes skepticism. It all leads dangerously close to my involvement.

“Compare it with this next story, the one the police report is going to say tomorrow. I used your gun to kill Abby, so whenever they find her on your kitchen table the reports will come back making you a very strong suspect — even more so when you’ve mysteriously gone missing. This is where the beauty of the story comes in; are you ready for this?” She gives off a short laugh then continues. “I’ll volunteer for the case to go looking for you, which I’ll get because I’m closely tied with the case already. I’ll still have the black car man case but it will be a lower priority, even lower after a couple years when there aren’t any more murder victims. During that time, I’ll be searching day and night for you. Making up a few leads here and there as I go along. Andrew, you’ve bought me another five years of detective work trying to find you. Somewhere along the way I might say you’ve gone to California. I’ve always wanted to go there. Maybe Hawaii or overseas to Paris, too.” she snorts with laughter. “It all works out so perfectly!”

I don’t know what to say. I’m almost speechless. “That story’s not going to work,” I belt out.

Deputy Vogul pauses then asks, “Oh really? Why not?”

I rack my brain, trying to think of a loophole in her plan. What can I say now that doesn’t involve my impending death? I know enough psychology to know I need to make up a story that works out well for both of us. With the gun pointed at me I need to say something now, “Why can’t you just say I killed her? I found out she was a murderer, so I shot her. We can say I sat around the house for however long I’ve been unconscious then I’ll call the police and confess to the crime.”

Deputy Vogul shakes her head, “Doesn’t work, Andrew. Before you get locked up they’ll run some tests on you and see you were drugged and that you’re lying out of your ass. That’s all assuming you keep your mouth shut about me, which I highly doubt. Andrew, there may be a good story in there we could have used to keep you alive, but all of that’s too late now. No matter what story we come up with, I can’t trust you anymore. You’re not a good liar and during the interrogations you’ll fess up about me.” Deputy Vogul gets up, pointing the gun back at me. “I’m sorry for doing this, Andrew.”

Right before she’s about to pull the trigger, the light bulb goes off. “Wait, why can’t you just tell the truth? Abby drugged me and you came in to save the day. You’re a hero; I stay alive. We all win.”

She smiles, “You know, it took me awhile to run that scenario through my mind. It was the last thing I could think of too. With all these lies I’ve been telling over the years, the truth can sometimes be the last thing I think of. That story almost works, except why would I use your gun? I would have told the truth if the bullet could be traced to my pistol but any scenario where I get your gun and use it is too far-fetched. Again, they’re going to see there wasn’t a struggle, start asking me questions, and there’s nothing I can say that doesn’t make me look like a dirty cop.”

This time there’s no laughter. Deputy Vogul sheds a tear. “I hate this, Andrew. I really do. It should be me that has to go down, not you. You seem like a good person, but I have to look after myself and there’s no way I can do that while you’re still alive.”

Deputy Vogul takes a couple steps toward me, the gun aimed right at my face. “This story has to end with your disappearance.” Then she pulls the trigger and I see no more.

But wait, there’s more…

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Copyright © 2013 by Ryan Wiley

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

First Printing, 2013

Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

Ryan Wiley

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