Sparks and Gasoline Chapter 26
Reid insisted they take his car this time, so that a repeat of last time did not happen again.
They were in the car for about five minutes when Reid broke the silence.
“So, why are dressed up, Luke?”
“What are you talking about? I’m not dressed up.”
Luke couldn’t help but blush and hate that he had been called out.
“Luke, compared to what you normally wear, you are dressed up.”
“Why does it matter? Is this your backhanded way of complimenting me on my appearance?”
“Hardly. If I wanted to compliment you, I wouldn’t be sneaky about it.”
Luke sat back in his seat. He knew it was going to be a long night.
They rode in silence the rest of the way.
When they arrived, Luke could not wait to get out of the small confines of Reid’s car. He hated being that close to Reid, knowing that Reid couldn’t stand him.
When he walked near the evidence locker, he recognized the officer on duty as the same on that had been there before.
Before Reid walked in he told him he only needed a few minutes to get in and out and get the evidence he needed, ten minutes at most.
Reid nodded and walked in.
As Luke snuck by he saw Reid and the officer flirting and joking. He suddenly felt irrationally jealous of the sight.
He quickly hurried into the locker area, straight to the evidence, and took a sample of the coffee grounds that was used to poison Chris.
He placed the small bag in his back pocket and headed back outside.
He rounded the corner to see Reid practically trying to crawl on top of the officer. This time they were making out and basically simulating full-blown sex against the wall.
He suddenly saw a blinding white light and felt a surge of hot rage boiling in the pit of his stomach. Before he even realized what he was doing he had walked up to them, pulled them apart and punched the officer in the eye.
The next thing he was fully aware of was being on the ground with his arms behind his back, being read his Miranda rights, and being arrested.
He looked up to see Reid staring at him with shock and surprise.
The officer finally dragged Luke up and said,
“Reid, can you tell me what is going on here?”
“I have no idea, Patrick.”
Patrick? What are they on first name basis now?
This only further served to add fuel to the fire. Luke was humiliated and angry and did the only thing he could even think of in the moment.
“Oh, you don’t know why I could possibly be angry “honey”? Luke practically spat the words at Reid.
“Maybe I’m angry because you were using this poor man to steal evidence out of the locker.”
Reid reeled back as if he had just been punched. His face went from shock to anger.
Patrick stepped forward then.
“Is this true, Reid?”
“Patrick, I swear it’s not like that.”
“Not like what? Are you saying he’s accurate with some things?”
“Yes. Yes, the first time we kissed I was using you, but it’s gone further than that.”
Luke was shocked. Had he just heard correctly? Reid had moved on with a new man? He felt as if all the air had just been sucked out of his lungs.
“So you are admitting to me, a police officer, that you helped this man steal evidence from the police locker?”
“Hey, now. Luke is the one to actually steal the evidence.”
“Like, I am the only to blame here, Reid. You are just as much at fault as I am. You were the one to insist to come with me the first time.”
“I have no choice but to arrest you, as well, Reid.”
Patrick read Reid his rights, and then called for backup to escort them to the police station for processing.
Reid stared rays of hate at Luke the entire time they were being processed.
Luke remembered the bag of evidence he had in his back pocket.
By some clever maneuvering Luke was able to get the back out of his pocket. He dropped it and kicked the bag back until it was against the wall sandwiched between a large potted ficus and a trash bin.
Bail was set, and they each got their phone call. Reid called Katie to come get him. Katie insisted maybe it was a good thing he was forced to spend a night with Luke with no interruptions. He called her a bitch.
Luke couldn’t help but grin at his misfortune.
Then Luke called Lucinda, and she had the exact same reaction.
“So, looks like we’re stuck in jail overnight, thanks to your incredible stupidity, Luke. Seriously, thanks for this new experience.”
“Are you seriously trying to tell me that in your entire life you have never been arrested before? I find that hard to believe.”
“Bite me, Luke.”
Luke refused to engage.
Just then Parker and Jack entered the interrogation room.
“Luke Snyder, what in the heck did you do to get thrown in jail?”
“I may have punched a police officer in the face after stealing evidence from the locker.”
“Why in the world would you do something like that?”
“I was looking for evidence for a story I’m working on.”
“So you punched a police an officer?”
“I lost my temper. I’m human you know.”
Luke made sure Reid knew he was addressing him with that statement.
“So, why didn’t you come to me or Parker about helping?”
“I was more concerned with Margo finding out and flipping.”
“Margo has been retired for over two years now. She has no say in how I run my police department.”
“Really? Is that why she threatened to come out of retirement to kick your ass when you helped Casey beat an indecent exposure charge?”
“Yeah, that lady has a weird obsession with sending her son to jail, but Luke seriously, come to me next time you need help. If there is a case here, I want to get to the bottom of it.”
“Thanks, Jack.”
With that Jack and Parker ushered them to the cells.
“Hey, Jack. Can I ask you a favor?”
“Depends on what it is Dr. Oliver.”
“Could you put us in different cells? I cannot spend an entire night in jail with Mr. Snyder without wanting to murder him.”
“Dr. Oliver, normally I could do that but we have another guest tonight. So you’ll have to share the last cell. You’ll just have to do your best to control your murderous urges for one night.”
“I’ll try my best, but I Can’t promise anything.”
“Well, that’s all anyone can ask.”
Parker threw them two pillows and a few blankets.
“Courtesy of one Ms. Lucinda Walsh.”
“Can’t these be used as weapons?”
“Anything can be used as a weapon, but you should get comfortable. You will be here until at least 10 a.m. tomorrow.”
“Oh, well that’s just even better!” Luke could tell that Reid was upset.
“I’m sure the hospital board would love to know that their chief of staff will not be showing up for work tomorrow, because HE’S IN JAIL!!!!”
Reid stared at Luke then with all the venom and contempt he could.
“Not to worry, Dr. Oliver. Lucinda has informed them that you are taking a personal day tomorrow and won’t be in at all. Your assistant has rearranged your schedule, so that all appointments and surgeries have been scheduled for different days.”
“Really? What about the extra rounds I have to make because we are now down three doctors?”
“Dr. Hughes is helping out tomorrow.”
Reid looked a little calmer after the mention.
“Well, it’s good to know that your grandmother is committing fraud on my behalf. Any reason she would do that, Luke?”
“How the hell should I know? In case you failed to notice I was with you the entire evening. Did you hear me say once to her to help you out? No.”
“Yeah, speaking of which, now that I think of it, you should be helping me out. I mean really the least you could do is pay my bail, seeing as you are the reason I’m stuck here.”
“Fine. I’ll have Lucinda pay your bail tomorrow.”
Luke flung himself on one of the cots.
Just then they heard a commotion in the other cell.
“JACKY!!!!!”
“If you’ll excuse me, I need to go sober our other guest up. My name is not Jacky, Craig.”
“Jacky, where is our girl?”
“Who?”
“CARLY!”
“First of all, Carly is not our girl. Secondly, you are drunk.”
“I need to pee.”
“Then use the bathroom.”
“It’s filthy.”
“Maybe you should have considered that before you stumbled down the middle of Old Towne singing Beatles songs while drunk and throwing glass beer bottles at people.”
Craig started mumbling then, and Jack and Parker stopped at Luke and Reid’s cell.
“Alright, boys. We’re headed back upstairs. We’ll be back later.”
It got quiet after Jack and Parker left them.
Luke lay looking at the ceiling and counting seconds.
The silence was broken after ten minutes when Craig started singing Beatles tunes again.
Luke and Reid looked at each other and couldn’t help but laugh.
“How long do you think this will go on?”
“Knowing Craig? Probably all night.”
“Wonderful.”
“Well look at it this way, we get entertainment and we get a pillow and a blanket.”
“Right.”
Silence fell again, only this time not as uncomfortable.
Luke drifted off to sleep, and was suddenly awoken by a very large squeal.
“ROSANNA!!!!!”
Luke sat straight up and hit his head on the top bunk.
“Damn. That hurt.”
Reid was sitting on the bench watching him.
Luke walked over to see Rosanna Cabot talking to Craig.
“Come on Craig. It’s time for you to sober up.”
“You came to get me?”
“Yes. Jack said you needed someone.”
“I really do, Rosanna.”
Jack swung the door open and let Craig out.
He leaned against Rosanna as she helped him out.
She stopped on her way through to address Luke.
“Sorry, Luke. I offered to spring you and Dr. Oliver as well, but I was informed by your mother that you needed to spend the night in here “thinking about things.”
“Oh, well thanks for the thought.”
“Good luck, Luke.”
With that, all was quiet again, this time with no one as a buffer.