Page 7 of Reckless Abandon
“Yes, there are procedural steps when a perp…I mean, an individual who is booked and charged for this kind of violent crime. And he won’t be able to step in front of the judge until tomorrow morning’s bail hearing.”
My dad spoke up, saying what we’re all thinking. “Will they release him then?”
Geoff cleared his throat again, taking a sip of his coffee on the table next to his stack of papers. “I honestly don’t know. Typically, with any crime of this magnitude, there will be a review of his criminal history, his flight risk, the nature and circumstances around the crime, and any history of violence.”
London stared at me, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, the make-up she’d worn for prom now smeared and smudged. Her head snapped suddenly back to the attorney.
“He’s only eighteen and has no criminal history. Will that matter?”
“I wish I could give you the answer you want, but the truth is, he will be tried as an adult. Now, if he pleads Not Guilty at the arraignment hearing, it’ll be months before anything moves forward. I just want to prepare you all, that if the judge denies bail tomorrow, which could be likely as a man was murdered tonight, Sage will be looking at spending the length of that time incarcerated in the county jail.”
“Oh my God!” London wailed, her head shaking back and forth in frantic denial.
“Fuck No!” I said at the same time.
My dad slapped a hand on my shoulder, trying to reassure me with his physical presence. But it didn’t work. I was sick to my stomach thinking that Sage could be stuck in that place – with all its horrific noises and musty, urine-scented hallways.
And I thought his living conditions at home with his dad had been bad. This was a thousand times worse.
“Son…London,” my dad interjected. “Do not get caught up in the what-if’s right now. Let’s get through tomorrow and we’ll do everything we can to ensure we are there for your friend.”
I noticed my dad doesn’t use Sage’s name. It made me angry and that frustration, already brewing on simmer, bubbled up from the pit of my stomach. I wanted to hit something. Destroy anything in my path that was separating us from Sage.
This night couldn’t be happening. It was supposed to be such an amazing night to remember but turned into a nightmare. A horror movie of epic proportions. And it had to be a thousand, if not a million times worse for Sage.
The attorney interjected. “Okay, let’s turn our focus on how you can help Sage. I need to get some information as to the last time you saw him, spoke with him or heard from him. What his state of mind was during that time leading up to tonight’s events. Can you both do that for me?”
London and I nodded our heads in unison and we begin regurgitating everything we remembered as it related to Sage over the last 24-hour period.
Everything except for the reason the three of us were planning to meet up at the hotel.
That might not have gone over so well in the grand scheme of things.
Chapter 5
Present Day
London and I sit outside a while longer, reminiscing and talking as the sun begins to beat down, reflecting off the water and heating us up with its hot rays. I can feel the prickle of sweat beading in between my shoulder blades and at the base of my neck.
Or maybe that’s just from the burn I feel under my skin anytime I’m around London.
Fuck, I screwed my life up so bad.
Why did I ever think it would be a good idea to leave London?
It was because I was a coward. I was scared of my feelings that had developed toward Sage and what happened between us. London was just in the cross-hairs and a collateral victim.
“Hey, what’s going on in that head of yours, Mr. Lucas.” London taps me on the temple with her finger. “You’ve always been the thinker amongst…”
She stops herself before saying any more, but I know what she was going to say. She was alluding to the way the three of us were together. Me, Sage and London.
“I know what you mean. You don’t have to say it. Honestly, that was partially what I was ruminating over. All my past mistakes. The direction my life took. Yours. Sage’s.”
I blink and look away, suddenly uneasy about where the topic of Sage might lead to. Things were already difficult for me with Lisa and Taylor, now my sister’s death and staying with my mom while she sorts things out. It’s just all a lot to process.
My dad died five years ago. Heart attack. I was stationed in Italy at the time, but when it happened I was on a mission in Afghanistan and couldn’t get leave to return home. In fact, it was three days after my father’s death that I’d actually received word. It fucked me up in the head and that’s when I concluded that I wasn’t cut out to remain in the military. Another one of my regrets in life, but something I had absolutely no control over and couldn’t take back.
Thankfully, my mother knew the score, as she’d lived it with my dad, who had retired just right after my fourth birthday and they returned to their hometown to raise their family.
