"Automatic" 3 of 3

Marcus had a terrible dream. In it he was pulling Angelo from underneath his car while Lonnie watched while holding hands with Officer Perez. They were drinking from huge glasses of wine. Whenever he pulled at Angelo he removed a body part. First his arms then his legs. Finally his head. Angelo's head smiled and winked at him. He woke up shouting. Looking around the room he noticed that Lonnie was not in bed. He wiped his face and rose from the bed.

He entered the bathroom and closed the door. Angelo stood in the shower writing all over the tiles. Marcus closed his eyes hard wishing him away. When he opened them the entire room was covered in bloody letters. Angelo was standing next to him smiling.

"What do you think, dad?' Angelo asked. "I got bored." Angelo walked around to the mirror and looked at his reflection. His lips had a blue tint to them. He was no longer bloody but looked as he had at the morgue. "I look weird, huh?"

"Why are you doing this, Angelo?" Marcus asked.

"Mom always said you were funny!" Angelo laughed. It was not Angelo's normal childlike life. This laugh was full of a hatred that was made through years of pain. "What else am I supposed to do? Just disappear? Nah, I think I'll stick around for a while and see what happens."

"I didn't mean to hurt you" Marcus whimpered.

"You didn't hurt me, dad" Angelo said as the color began to rush back into his face. "You killed me. Big difference, dad." As the color returned so did the original wounds and scars. "This looks way better! I wonder what mom'll do when she finds out what you did."

"She wont find out!" Marcus hissed. "I loved you, son. But I will not rot in prison for the rest of my life over an accident." Marcus used the restroom as Angelo smiled at him. After flushing Marcus walked into the kitchen. Angelo followed close behind. "Lonnie!" Marcus shouted. "Where are you?"

"Maybe she was so overcome with grief she killed herself" Angelo giggled.

"Shut up" Marcus said. "Lonnie!" Marcus walked around the house. He checked the living room, guest room, and even looked outside. He looked at Angelo who stood there smiling. Phantom blood dripped all over the floors.

"You know where she is, dad" Angelo said as he ran to his room. Marcus followed and swung the door open. Lonnie lay in Angelo's bed curled up with his favorite jacket.

"Honey, what are you doing?" Marcus asked.

"I miss him" Lonnie replied. "I always wished he would leave me alone when he was alive. Now that he's gone all I can do is think about how much I wish he'd run into the house looking for something to eat."

"I miss him, too" Marcus asked. Angelo jumped on his bed. His phantom limbs going through Lonnie. Marcus tried not to see Angelo who smiled gleefully as he stuck his thumbs in his ears and his tongue out of his mouth. "Let's go in the room. I can make breakfast."

"I'm not hungry" Lonnie said.

"Honey, you cant become one of those mothers that go crazy and just stop eating when something bad happens" Marcus said. Angelo's jumping around and laughing was making Marcus' patience run short.

"'Something bad happens'?" Lonnie asked. "Our son was murdered yesterday! His body is still warm!"

"No, it isn't!" Angelo shouted as he laughed and continued jumping around his bed.

"He wasn't murdered" Marcus said.

"What are you talking about?" Lonnie asked. "What would you call it?"

"Maybe it was an accident" Marcus muttered. Lonnie eyed him suspiciously.

"Marcus, what aren't you telling me?" Lonnie asked as she slowly sat up.

"You're gonna get it now, dad!" Angelo said. He jumped from the bed and stood next to Marcus.

"Nothing" Marcus said as he began licking his lips. "Its just that we shouldn't jump to conclusions yet."

"Sometimes I don't know about you, Marcus" Lonnie said. The phone rang from the hallway. Marcus walked over to it and answered.

"Hello?" he said.

"Good morning, Mr. Reynolds. This is Chief Riggs from the station." It was Chief Riggs covering for Perez. "I have some news that you may find very good."

"Okay…" Marcus said hesitantly.

"We believe we have found the man who killed your child" Riggs said proudly.

"Really?" Marcus asked. Panic and relief washed over him in equal waves.

"Yes" Riggs said. "If you wouldn't mind coming down to the station soon and checking the guy out we would appreciate it."

"Sure" Marcus said. "I'll be down."

"Thank you so much, sir" Riggs said. "And sorry for your loss." The line went dead.

"Who was it?" Lonnie asked.

"They found the guy that killed Angelo" Marcus said. Lonnie jumped from the bed and hugged Marcus as tears ran down her cheeks.

"Thank God!" Lonnie said. "I knew they would!"

"Yeah…" Marcus said as he watched Angelo standing on his bed and baring his teeth. "They found him."

Officer Perez sat at his kitchen table looking at a photo of his son that sat above the sink. His wife had already left for work. He wished he could do the same. Chief Riggs had suspended him with pay for a week after his outburst. As he turned on the radio his phone rang. He picked it up.

"Come to work" Riggs said.

"Are you serious?" Perez asked. "You miss me already?"

"Just your ass" Riggs said.

"I knew it!" Perez said. "But seriously, why so fast?"

"I spoke to the Reynolds this morning" Riggs said.

"And?" Perez asked.

"Like you said, there is something strange about that father" Riggs said. "He sounded more scared or relieved than happy."

"Happy about what?" Perez asked.

"Oh, damn it" Riggs said. "I forgot. I believe we found the asshole that hit the Reynolds kid."

"That fast?" Perez asked. He was genuinely surprised. "That's great! I guess that takes the father off the list of suspects."

"Hmph" Riggs grunted.

"No?" Perez asked.

"I don't know" Riggs said. "There is still something up with this Reynolds fella. I don't want to let him off the hook too fast."

"I understand" Perez said. "I'll be in about half an hour from now."

"Wear your civvies" Riggs said.

"Sure" Perez said. "And thank you, Chief."

"Not even a full day and already you're getting soft" Riggs said. "See ya soon."

Perez ran to his closet and threw on a pair of blue jeans and a black t-shirt. He could not find his boots so he put on a pair of black and white Converse All Stars. After grabbing his black sweater from the back of the front door he headed to the station.

Back at the station Riggs sat at his desk looking at the mug shot of the guy they arrested. A young Latino male named Ernesto Garcia. After an APB was sent out in regards to a hit and run an officer spotted a brown Monte Carlo with a large dent on the front bumper and partially on the hood. There was also some blood.

"I didn't hit anybody!" Garcia screamed as they finger printed him and placed him in a holding cell. It did not help his case that he had been arrested two previous times for driving under the influence. He had also been in and out of juvenile centers since he was 11. His last arrest was in 2005 for felony evading and drug possession. This would be his third strike.

Riggs felt bad for the guy for the fact that when he was convicted he would be in prison for the rest of his life without the possibility of parole. The he saw the photos of Angelo Reynolds and any remorse or pity he felt was replaced with anger. They used a little extra "force" when arresting Garcia. The story of Angelo's hit and run had spread quickly. The news had already run a story about it. They showed a picture of Angelo from his last class picture day. He was so full of life. Riggs placed the photos into a file and threw them in a drawer.

Another officer walked over and told him that the Reynolds has arrived. Riggs wiped his face with a napkin and went to meet with them. He was very curious to meet Mr. Reynolds in particular. At the end of the hallway he saw them. They both looked fine enough. He shook each of their hands and led them into another room. It was a small office with three chairs, two on one side and one on the other. He motioned for them to sit down.

Another door opened and two officers led Ernesto Garcia into the room. His hands and feet were shackled. He wore a dark blue jumpsuit. Just above his collar various tattoos were visible. He sat down and nodded to the Reynolds. Lonnie just stared at him. Marcus could not bring himself to look at him.

"Hey" Garcia said to them.

"You monster!" Lonnie shouted as she jumped up and dove over the table. She slapped Garcia across the face and scratched his eyes. He placed his head on the table to protect himself. The two officers pulled Lonnie away. Riggs watched as Marcus kept his eyes on the table. "I will fucking kill you!" Lonnie screamed as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"I didn't do anything!" Garcia shouted. "I feel bad that your kid is dead but I didn't do it!"

"Look at you!" Lonnie hissed. "You look like a criminal. You disgust me" she said as she spit in his face.

"Get him outta here" Riggs said as the officers pulled Garcia to his feet and dragged him from the room.

"I didn't do anything!" Garcia continued to shout as he was pulled down the hallway. "Why wont anybody listen to me?!"

"I am sorry about that" Riggs said. "It usually gives family a sense of closure to confront the one who did them wrong." He sat in the chair that was previously occupied by Garcia.

"Are you okay, sir?" he asked Marcus.

"Yeah" Marcus lied as he licked his eyes and blinked so hard it hurt Riggs' eyes. "Just had a bad nights sleep."

"I understand" Riggs said. "I too have lost a child."

"Sorry" Marcus said.

"I can't wait until they get around to arresting you" Angelo said to Marcus. He sat in the middle of the table. "You're gonna let an innocent guy go to jail for you?" Marcus sighed and buried his hands in his face.

"Do you mind if I use the restroom?" Lonnie asked.

"Not at all" Riggs said. "Down the hall, third door on the left." Lonnie left and closed the door behind. "You like fables, Mr. Reynolds?"

"Sure" Marcus replied.

"There's this old Japanese story about some guys that get put in a cell together. Some farmer said that a guy stole one of his animals. The two guys keep saying that they're innocent, you know?" Riggs said. "So the guards put them in a cell together."

"Okay" Marcus said while licking his lips.

"But before they locked the guys up they covered the walls with charcoal. Then the night before they went to sleep they told the guys that this gargoyle statue in the middle of the room would find whoever had actually stole the farmer's animal." Riggs smiled at Marcus.

"That's crazy" Marcus said nervously.

"Yeah" Riggs said. "So the next morning they arrest one of the guys and kill him."

"Wait" Marcus said. "How'd they know which one of them did it?"

"The innocent guy wouldn't have anything to fear from the gargoyle so he slept peacefully in his innocence. The other guy, terrified by the gargoyle sat against the wall all night afraid. The next morning all the guards had to do was check for the one with the charcoal all over his back." Riggs scratched his chin and leaned forward.

"Crazy story" Marcus said. "I'm going to find my wife now. Thank you for everything" Marcus said as he exited the room quickly, almost tripping on his chair. Just as he left Perez arrived.

"How'd it go?" he asked Riggs.

"That guy's back is covered in charcoal" Riggs said.

Perez watched as Marcus grabbed his wife and ran out of the station. Perez had to fight his way through the front entrance on account of all the media that were stationed outside. Riggs motioned for him to have a seat. He sat down and slid a cup of coffee over.

"Thanks" Riggs said.

"So how'd it go?" Perez asked.

"Kinda how I was expecting it to" Riggs said a moment before taking a sip of the coffee. He sat back and rubbed the back of his neck.

"And?" Perez asked while raising his eyebrows.

"And exactly like I hoped it wouldn't" Riggs said. "That fucking guy knows something he isn't telling."

"Told you" Perez said. "So what do we do? We don't have any evidence against him other than strange behavior. And if we arrested people based off of that Hollywood Blvd. would be empty."

"I know, I know" Riggs said. "You shoulda seen the guy! He couldn't even look that Garcia fella in the eye! His wife, well, she was the one that did all the talking. She even attacked him!"

"No shit?" Perez asked. He did not take Mrs. Reynolds as they "attacking" type. "What did the husband do then?"

"Absolutely nothing!" Riggs said. "He just sat there with his head down. At one point he was staring at me, but not really staring at me, you know?"

"Actually, I do" Perez said. "He did it in the viewing room. He just stared off in the corner like he was looking at someone. Or listening to them."

"Every bone in my body is telling me to drag his ass back in here and beat a confession out of him!" Riggs said. "I want you to take a field trip."

"Where to?" Perez said.

"First I want you to head on over to forensics pathology. Find out how far along they are on the blood sample they got from Garcia's car. That could damn well be squirrel blood for all we know. In all the excitement of thinking we got the guy we all lost it, you know?"

"No, I understand you, Chief" Perez said. "If I were here I'm sure I would have been right there with you looking for needle for a lethal injection."

"That's another thing I am worried about" Riggs said. "The media is turning this into some sorta racial issue. 'Poor Latino gang member kills young Black child.' Makes me sick. The community will want to see blood. It being election time and all. We have to nip this in the bud before we have a damned riot on our hands."

"I didn't even look at it that way" Perez said. "Jesus."

"After you find out about the blood come back here" Riggs said. "I will get you a warrant to search the Reynolds' house. Especially their cars. I want to be 100% sure we do this right."

"Will do, sir" Perez said as he ran out of the room. Riggs finished the rest of the coffee in one long gulp. He went to the front entrance and watched as Perez fought his way through microphones, boom mics, and notepads.

"Disgusting" Riggs said as he noticed a few officers surrounding a television. He walked over and turned the volume up. "What are the vultures saying today?" On the screen he could see Perez trapped in between reporters. Two of them finally had him stuck with microphones in his face.

"Hello, officer!" a blond with horn rimmed glasses you don't see anymore except on chubby gothic girls or people who don't know better was practically shouting in Perez's face. "How long before Ernesto Garcia is arraigned in court?" More questions came from all around.

"How does it feel to be on such a potentially explosive case?"

"How is the family holding up?"

"Does this give you some form of closure seeing as how your son was killed by a reckless driver?"

"How does it feel to arrest one of your own people?"

"Is the Latino community supporting you?"

Perez fought his way through the horde and jumped into his car and sped off. He looked in his rear view and saw reporters chasing him with their microphones aimed at his car. He wiped sweat from his brow and as he phoned forensics. They answered on the third ring.

"Hey, this is Officer Perez" he said.

"Good news or bad news?" someone on the other end asked.

"Excuse me?" Perez asked.

"We were just about to call you and Chief Riggs when we saw you doing your best impersonation of Carl Lewis on the news!" the voice said.

"Bad news first" Perez said. He listened for a few moments. "Jesus." He stopped at a red light and switched the phone to his other ear. "And the good news?" He listened again and slammed his fist on the steering wheel. "Fucking shit!" he shouted as he made a u-turn in traffic almost hitting two cars.

On their way home Marcus and Lonnie sat in silence and holding hands. They passed a memorial that had been set up in honor of Angelo. Lonnie motioned for Marcus to slow down. As they passed more and more people were arriving and placing flowers on a small photo someone had gotten of Angelo. Lonnie began to climb out of the car when suddenly three reporters appeared in front of their car screaming questions at them.

"How do you feel?"

"What do you want to happen to the killer?"

"Can you sleep at night?"

"Do you miss young Angelo?"

"Does the Black community support you?"

Lonnie slammed the door as Marcus drove off leaving them behind. Lonnie turned in her seat and watched as the reporters became smaller and smaller. Marcus kept his eyes straight ahead and licked his lips until they were dry.

"I know what I want to happen to the killer" Angelo said from the backseat. "I want him to turn this car around and drive back to the police station. Then I want him to tell them that he killed his own son." Angelo began to climb into the front seat in between Marcus and Lonnie. "Then I want him to die." Angelo smiled as blood ran down his face and onto Marcus' lap.

"Slow down, honey" Lonnie said. Marcus drove through a stop sign and hit a dip in the road sending the car flying and crashing down hard. He screeched to a halt breathing hard. "What's wrong with you?" Lonnie asked. "You've been acting crazy since we left that police station.

"Oh, nothing" Angelo said. "He just killed me and is doing a bad job of covering it up is all." Marcus climbed out of the car and looked at the front bumper. "Bet you forgot about that" Angelo said as Marcus looked at the dent. "You hit me that hard."

"What is it?" Lonnie asked.

"I dented the car…" Marcus said. "When I hit…that dip."

"Oh, that's a good one!" Angelo said as he began to clap obnoxiously in Marcus' ear. "But what about the blood?"

"There's no blood" Marcus said aloud.

"No blood where?" Lonnie asked.

"On the bumper" Marcus said. "I thought I hit a cat or something."

"I didn't see anything" Lonnie said. "Lets get home. I think we both need to rest." Marcus nodded and climbed back into the car.

"Hey, dad" Angelo said. "Am I going to Heaven?" Angelo smiled as he slowly began to transform into his bluish self from the morgue. Suddenly he was in front of the car running and stopping just as they car passed through him. Next he was riding his bike next to Marcus' window and waving.

"Sleep sounds good" Marcus said as he rolled up his window.

Officer Perez sped through traffic as he headed back towards the police station. Since he was in his personal car he could not just blare the sirens and clear traffic. He weaved in and out of traffic barely missing cars. He quickly dialed the station.

"Put the chief on the phone!" Perez shouted. "Come on, come on" he repeated as he was on hold.

"Yeah" Chief Riggs said.

"This is Perez" he said as he honked his horn.

"What you got?" Riggs asked.

"Pathology just told me that the blood doesn't even belong to a human!" Perez said. "You gotta let the news people know!"

"Slow down, there" Riggs said. "They are on the other line" Riggs said as he put Perez on hold. Perez tapped the steering wheel as he waited at a stoplight. "Fuck."

"What?" Perez said.

"It's dog blood" Riggs said. "Fucking dogs blood. Where are you at?"

"Heading back to the station" Perez said.

"Don't" Riggs said. "I am gonna send a warrant to the midtown station. I'll fax it and I'll have them hand it to you in your car."

"Okay" Perez said. "I'm on my way."

"I want you to bring the two of them in" Riggs said. "Especially the father. Bring them in round the back to avoid the media out front. Also, some protesters are arriving."

"Already?" Perez said. "Jesus Christ."

"Yeah, this is getting really ugly really fast" Riggs said. "I'll send some backup for you when you let me know you've got the warrant."

"Thanks" Perez said as he closed his cell phone. "You son of a bitch!" Perez said as he headed towards the midtown station. "Your own son."

Lonnie sat in Angelo's bedroom holding his favorite jacket. The phone continued to ring in the living room. Marcus sat in the bedroom watching Angelo walking back and forth in front of him and laughing. Marcus gave up on closing his eyes and covering his ears to block out the laughter.

"When are you going to leave me alone?" Marcus asked.

"I'm not sure yet" Angelo said. "Not like I've been dead for that long."

"I'm not turning myself in" Marcus said. "I don't care what you say or do."

"Who are you talking to?" Lonnie asked. She was standing at the doorway still holding Angelo's jacket. "Turn yourself in? What are you talking about?"

"Nothing" Marcus said as he licked his lips.

"What are you hiding?" Lonnie asked. "You've been licking your lips ever since that cop showed up yesterday."

"I haven't been licking my lips" Marcus lied as he licked his lips once again.

"You just did!" Lonnie shouted. "What's going on?" Lonnie sat down next to Marcus and put her hand in his. "Talk to me." Marcus stood and leaned on the dresser. "Marcus?"

"Tell her, dad" Angelo said.

"Shut up" Marcus muttered.

"What?" Lonnie said.

"I wasn't talking to you!" Marcus shouted. Lonnie looked around the bedroom.

"Marcus, I am the only one here" Lonnie said.

"You're losing it, dad" Angelo taunted. Suddenly Marcus and Lonnie looked towards the living room as tires screeched to a halt in front of their house. "Uh-oh…"

"Marcus?" Lonnie asked. "What's going on?"

There was pounding at the door that made Marcus jump. He ran into the living room and peaked through the curtain. More pounding at the door made him jump again. Lonnie was watching him from the hallways.

"This is the LAPD! Open the door!" Officer Perez shouted through the door. As Riggs had promised the warrant was ready by the time he reached the midtown station. He did not even have to stop his car to receive it. His backup waited near Marcus' house well before Perez had arrived at the station.

"Marcus, what the hell is going on?" Lonnie asked as she headed towards the door to open it. Marcus stepped in front of her.

"Open the door!" Perez shouted.

"Don't believe anything they say!" Marcus said to Lonnie as he held her by the shoulders and looked her in the eyes. Lonnie's eyes began to fill with tears.

"You…" Lonnie said as she broke free from Marcus' grip. "I knew something was wrong" she said as she backed away from Marcus. "Tell me you didn't do…"

"No!" Marcus said. "You don't think I…" he said as he licked his lips. "Lonnie." Marcus took a step towards her and she took one back. Lonnie held her hands up.

"Don't come near me" Lonnie said just as the door exploded. A dozen officers rushed into the house and tackled Marcus to the ground. He smashed his head against the coffee table as he went down. Two other officers handcuffed Lonnie as they read her rights. Lonnie continued to stare at Marcus as he began to struggle.

Neighbors watched in the street as Marcus and Lonnie were lead out of their house and shoved into police cruisers. Media began to trickle in as the cars pulled off. Marcus sat in the back of a cruiser with Perez sitting in the back with him. Marcus sobbed silently.

"I didn't do it" Marcus said. "You have to believe me."

"You have the right to remain silent" Perez said while looking out of the window. "I suggest you use it."

"You've gotta believe me!" Marcus said as he licked his lips.

"Your own son" Perez said. "How did you even sleep last night?" Perez asked.

"You are so screwed" Angelo said. He was sitting in the front passenger seat with his fingers laced between the steel grids that separated the driver from the arrested.

"What are you looking at?" Perez asked.

"Nothing" Marcus said.

"Liar" Perez spat. "Its your son, isn't? Its Angelo." Marcus bowed his head and began to cry again. "The same thing happened to me after my son was killed. I saw him everywhere I looked. When I heard a kid laughing down the street I would run towards him thinking he was my boy." Perez pulled out his wallet and held a photo of his son up for Marcus to see.

"He looks like you" Marcus said between sniffles.

"He looked like me" Perez said. "After he was killed, he didn't look human." Perez placed the photo back into his pocket. "Does your wife know?"

"I didn't do it" Marcus said.

"Deny it till the end, huh?" Perez said. "It doesn't matter, Reynolds. Turns out the blood on your car will be more than enough evidence."

"There's no blood on my car" Marcus said.

"That's not what pathology says" Perez said as he smiled at Marcus.

"Impossible" Marcus said. "I washed it afterwards…" Marcus said as he quickly shut his mouth.

"Oops!" Angelo said as he began to laugh.

"I can't wait to see you go down" Perez said. "I know I'm not supposed to take this personally, but I can't help it. I wanna see you go down hard. Have you been watching the news? This case was gonna damn near start a riot? You were gonna let the city possibly burn just to keep out of jail? You were gonna let an innocent man die just to keep out of prison?"

"No" Marcus whispered.

"You make me sick" Perez said as the cruiser neared the station. The cruiser with Lonnie had already arrived and was having trouble getting through the crowd of protesters and media gathered. They beat the cruiser and shouted at Lonnie. Marcus closed his eyes as the cruiser rocked with the amount of people hitting it. The back window shattered as a brick flew through sending shards, hitting Perez in the back of the head. Officers were on the man who threw it immediately.

"Hurry the fuck up!" Perez said as he ducked pulling Marcus down with him. "Drive, drive, drive!" The cruiser sped up and pulled into the back entrance. Perez pulled Marcus from the cruiser and dragged him into the station. Riggs was waiting for them and slammed the door shut.

"Shit!" Riggs said as he saw the blood running down Perez's neck. "What the hell happened?"

"Someone threw a damned brick at me!" Perez said. "Get this asshole in a cell!" Two officers led Marcus away. In the holding area someone spit in Marcus' face as he passed. He looked up and saw whom it was.

"You son of a bitch" Lonnie hissed at Marcus. "You killed Angelo."

"No, I didn't" Marcus did.

"Marcus…" Lonnie said as she sat back down in her cell. "You're going to rot in Hell."

"I didn't do it" Marcus said. He was thrown into a cell and landed hard on his back. He looked up and saw Angelo sitting in a corner.

"I think I'll stick around for a while" Angelo said as he walked over to Marcus and placed his hand on his shoulder. Marcus shivered. Perez stood in front of the cell shaking his head.

"Tell Angelo I said hello" Perez said.