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Post by mel2 on Sept 26, 2011 9:38:07 GMT 10
Beau had never felt more exposed in the past three months than he did now.
He'd been in Capeside a total of ninety-two days, but this was his first time venturing anywhere beyond the marina in the broad daylight. And right now, he was in the most dangerous part of town for a wanted criminal. Right in front of the police station. And that meant cops weren't too far away. And neither was the jail.
Unfortunately, in the past few months, Beau had found that in order to get to the library, he had to pass through this metaphorical minefield. Seeing as it was practically next door, he really had no choice but to go close to his own personal vision of hell.
The ironic part was that in order to get to the library, he'd have to walk through flames, yet the library might be the only thing to save him from those very fires he feared. That might be confusing; it wasn't so much the books, or librarians Beau Hogan was searching out. No, in fact, it was the small plethora of computers that lay inside. It was Beau's only connection, and frail one, to the people that could prove his innocence. For the past couple of months, he'd been trying to get ahold of Jeremy Carter via cellphone. Jeremy had been one of the last people to talk to Daniel Hogan before he died-- and according to phone records, he talked to him after Beau did, which meant that Daniel had called Jeremy somewhere between Beau leaving and his death. That was a very small timeframe, and Beau knew that the information exchanged there was vital.
Problem was, every way he turned, Jeremy Carter was a dead end.
Any phone numbers he found, unearthed or discovered were all dead. Any addresses were vacant. Any leads, cold. For three months, Beau had called old family friends, his father's acquaintances and only the people he trusted most in an effort to snuff out Jeremy. Nothing came up, and with no where else to turn, he knew he'd have to do some digging of his own. And since he had no laptop, that left him with either the extremely active, bustling internet cafes that spotted town or the quiet, private library. He chose the latter. However, as his luck would have it, the police station now stood in his way.
As he took a fortifying breath, he began to walk forward. He was a wanted criminal up and down the coast; there was a good chance that any police officers that spotted him would know exactly who he was from police reports or descriptions. He kept his head low and walked quickly.
As it had been for the past couple of years, however, luck wasn't on his side. When he had almost cleared the police station, he collided with someone relatively large, and most definitely athletic. Looking up, his eyes went wide and he froze.
A cop? A detective? Whoever he was, he wasn't Beau friend, and that was all the incentive he needed to duck and run.
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Post by jacob on Sept 26, 2011 11:29:32 GMT 10
[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,300] MEL AS BEAU | THIS IS SO EXCITINGGG!  Jake had only stepped out for a bit of fresh air, to get out of the seemingly stuffy police station. It hadn't been long that he'd been out, when he was turning back and someone slammed right into him, almost knocking the wind out of him. “Whoa there, buddy, watch where you're going.” he chuckled, taking a step backward and freezing for a second as he saw the other man's face. That face.. it looked familiar somehow. The smile on his own lips died down a little as the younger looking blonde's eyes went wide and without even saying a word, he turned and made a run for it. Now, Jake wasn't a naturally suspicious person, but when someone so familiar looking (and Jake rarely forgot a face) took one glance at him and ran, he got a little worried. He was pretty sure he wasn't that bad to look at, after all. “Hey, hold up!” He called, taking off into a dead sprint after the boy.
He'd found that if someone was already running, there was less of a chance that they'd stop and be like, “oh, I'm sorry, you were talking to me?”, but Jake always gave a bit of a warning, benefit of the doubt, before he chased someone down. Jake's mile long legs usually gave him a bit of an advantage in a foot chase, but whoever this kid was had gotten a bit of a head start, and Jake hadn't been expecting to chase someone down about a foot from the police station.
He wasn't particularly one who enjoyed using a gun, but he only happened to have on on him. Maybe that was why the boy had run. But then again, he hadn't been looking at Jake's gun, he'd been looking at his face. So either he knew Jake and didn't want to, or Jake just smelled/looked like a cop. Which he had been, not so long ago, but, still. The kid had stamina, Jake'd give him that. But he obviously didn't know the territory as Jake. Jake would have probably recognized him fully and immediately if he'd lived here for the past few years. Jake had just about cornered him now, he'd chased him to a dead end, and by now he'd realize where he'd seen him before.
A police report. Name was Something-or-Other Hogan, if he remembered correctly. Jacob didn't know for certain what his name was or the report had been about, but the fact that Jake recognized him and that he'd run as soon as he'd seen Jacob, told him that it was probably something serious. As they turned into the dead end, Jacob reached down and whipped out his gun, pointing it at the other young man with a frown. “Listen, kid, I don't want to hurt you.”
Okay, so the gun probably said otherwise, but he didn't want to risk him trying to make a run for it anyway. When people had guns, the other people didn't tend to run quite so much, it seemed. “but, win someone takes one look at me and runs a marathon, I wanna know why. So, out with it.. please.” he asked in as polite a tone as he could manage since he was holding a gun and he was panting a little.
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Post by mel2 on Sept 26, 2011 11:44:19 GMT 10
Beau had a nasty habit of fleeing.
It had happened the first time the cops had stumbled upon him and every time since.
Thing was, though, he always got away. He was a cross country star and since he usually tried to keep to the forest and outskirts of towns, he could usually get away quick. Figures that the first time he decides to go into an actual town he'd get caught.
However stupid Beau's decision to sprint away, he was comforted by the fact that he was right. Upon glancing behind him, the larger man was dead on pinning him down. Definitely some kind of g-man or law enforcement type.
What was stupid was sticking to the back roads. The damn town was so small, it had no real hub of entertainment. No crowds Beau could slip into and blend with. No forests in waiting. Just a few people here and there, a few old buildings and a lot of houses. He was a walking target, and he hadn't the faintest idea of where he was going.
Despite the girth and athleticism of the cop, Beau had him with speed. Beau, being a little smaller (given, it wasn't by a very large amount) was slightly more agile and soon enough, as his beaten tennis shoes pounded the ground harder and harder, the larger man seemed to slowly begin to shrink back a little. That was when Beau made the turn into a back alley behind the theater. High walls blocked him on each side, and the cop blocked the only exit.
He was trapped.
The cop guy had his gun out, and Beau felt his heart racing in his chest. His stomach was doing barrel roles and his mind was flying in every which direction. Panting, all he say was, "I didn't do it," Again and again and again. The point of that gun was trained on him and the man, large and well-muscled didn't strike Beau as a greenhorn. "I don't like cops," He said between pants, his bright blue eyes jumping between the cop and his gun. "And they certainly don't like me. So if you're gonna arrest me," Only Beau's tell-tale swallow and the crease to his brow let on that he was nervous, "just do it."
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Post by jacob on Sept 26, 2011 12:37:45 GMT 10
| [atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,300] MEL AS BEAU | THIS IS SO EXCITINGGG! Jake didn't get it. The kid was just standing there, saying “I didn't do it,” over and over again. Confused, Jacob's weapon lowered slightly as he stared at the young man in front of him. And then he went on, telling Jake that he didn't like cops, and vice versa, and that if Jacob was going to arrest him to just do it now. Now, it was possibly because Jacob was such a huge teddy bear who wanted to believe everything everyone said, but something in him told him that this other man was really telling the truth. And thus, he slowly brought his gun down, weighing his options, and with a small sigh along with his own panting, put it back in the holster. “What exactly didn't you do?” He asked gently, crossing his arms against his chest as he watched the slightly nervous looking lad.
“Now, calm down, I won't arrest you, not without good cause, anyway. So tell me, what's going on?” He asked, raising his eyebrows. Jacob liked to think that he kept an objective open mind, but it was hard when they looked and sounded as innocent as this Hogan guy did. Beau, that was what the name on the report was. Beau Hogan. Now that he'd put the name to the face, all he had to remember was what the report had actually said. Beau didn't even sound like a hardened criminal's name. His frown only deepened as he brushed away the thought that he was probably just being naive, he tended to do that a lot.
Alexandria, his partner, would probably have the cuffs out already by now, if she saw him doing this she'd probably shoot Jake herself. But Jacob always thought you'd catch more flies with honey than vinegar. Beau, if that really was his name, was obviously not happy about this whole ordeal, and neither was Jacob. But Jacob still had the gun, the upper hand, he doubted Beau would run when he'd realized that. Jacob was a good shot, but he hadn't actually shot a lot of people. Of course, he would when he had to, but something told him that he wouldn't have to right now, the same something that told him that he was telling him the truth.
And of course, if he was wrong, he'd be very unhappy. Jake had a temper, you might not think it at first with the sweet, goofy personality he usually portrayed, but when he got angry, he was an entirely different person, and he hated that, but there was still a bigger chance of his beating someone up than shooting them. Not that that was any consolation, of course..
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Post by mel2 on Sept 26, 2011 13:27:48 GMT 10
Beau's eyes were trained on the gun.
Then the detective's face.
Back to the gun.
The longer Beau stared at the man, the more sure he was that he wasn't some regular cop. He didn't where the standard uniform, so he was either someone with a little more clout or someone Beau really didn't want to get to know.
I didn't do it.
I didn't do it.
I didn't do it.
The worlds just kept tumbling out of his mouth like some broken record. As his anxiety stretched and his silence ensued, he realized this guy didn't actually know who he was. Or, at least he didn't know what Beau had done. Or, more correctly, was framed for doing.
Beau felt lost-- relieved, but lost-- as the man's gun came down. "You... You don't know who I am?" He asked quietly, his eyes now solely trained on the man before him. The younger man felt at a loss for words. Damn, the detective didn't know after all. Had Beau just kept walking, he probably would've been in the clear. He could've made it to the library. he could be one step closer to going home.
Instead, he'd seen the forest and not the trees. He'd seen the cop, but not the knowledge or context of the situation. It wasn't like he was on the government's most wanted list. The detective, if he'd even heard of Beau, probably had forgotten about him.
Damn, damn, damn his impulses.
As his shoulders sagged, he tried to forgive himself. He was just a kid. He didn't know how to be a fugitive. There was no manual, no class he could take. All he had was fear and a name; Jeremy Carter.
Still, as he stood, he felt trapped. There was a chance he could weasel his way out of this. Just tell the guy some bull about stealing. Yeah, that'd work. But wouldn't he still take him in or something? Crap. Think, think, he told himself, think...
Standing a little straighter, he said, "I was up past curfew last night," Even though he was nineteen, Beau could still pass for a seventeen year old. "And some cop tried to get me, but I got away. I thought you were him." He tried to look as if he felt a little bashful, or embarrassed. It wasn't hard. "Honest mistake. Really, I promise I'll never stay out late again. Whoever that guy was, he scared the bejeezus outta me." Of course, his Tennessee roots were showing the more he talked. He had that lazy twang to his voice, but at the moment, he'd hardly thought to mimic a Capeside accent. All he could think of was run, run, run.
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Post by jacob on Sept 27, 2011 2:20:13 GMT 10
| [atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,300] MEL AS BEAU | THIS IS SO EXCITINGGG! Jake didn't even answer when the boy asked him if he knew who he was. He just stared at him, eyes narrowed, arms crossed, silent as a stone. He wanted to see if given the chance, he'd tell him the truth. But of course, he didn't. Didn't even try to hide his accent- which Jacob couldn't quite place, but certainly not from Capeside, he could tell you that.
Some bull about missing curfew, and Jake's frown only deepened further. “You know, Mr. Hogan, - or Beau, of course, if you prefer,” he drawled in his own Texan accent, taking one long step closer to the boy, “If there is anything I hate most in the world, it's a liar.” he was almost growling as he said the last three words, and his shoulders were tensed, almost rigid. “Kids who miss curfew's faces usually don't show up in police reports. So, shall we try again?” oh, this kid was so lucky he looked so innocent, if he'd been a few years older or looked more like a punk- he'd be on the ground by now.
But his eyes. Something about his eyes. He just looked like a scared little boy, honestly. Jacob had seen a lot of murderers and bad people, being a cop, and now as a homicide detective, and every single one of them had something in common. Something about their eyes. Something just a little off kilter, that told Jake something wasn't quite right. Something this kid didn't have. No, Jake wasn't psychic, he didn't have superpowers, he didn't even have the best people skills, he was just a normal guy, who recognized the bad people from the innocent.
And so, Jake wanted to believe him, honestly he did. But if he was just going to stand there and lie to him, he was going to have to take him in. He'd have reasonable doubt not to, but reasonable cause as well, having seen his face on a police report, even though he couldn't remember why he was there.
Criminals just seemed to be getting younger and younger every day. Now, Jake was only twenty four himself, young for a detective but a good one nonetheless, but this Beau kid, he didn't look like he could be older than twenty, at the very most. If Jacob hadn't recognized his face, he'd be free to roam as he pleased. Jake always wanted to believe in the best of people, but liars just really irked him, even if they had such a good reason to lie as this boy seemingly did.
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Post by mel2 on Sept 27, 2011 7:20:58 GMT 10
The detective knew his name.
He had known who Beau was-- he'd been testing him. And surprise, surprise, Beau had failed that test miserably.
One couldn't exactly blame him, seeing as he was a fugitive and there was a detective who was just going to take him in anyway. Those guys were trained not to believe whatever he said. Why, he could spill his guts right here and this man wouldn't believe a word of it.
Instead, he felt the weight of the past year fall in a heap on his shoulders. This was it. He was caught. No running away, no weaseling out. He tried to escape, all he'd get was a gun shot to any part of his body. But who knew, maybe death was preferable to life at this point.
He couldn't help but want to cry, in a way. Of course, he had steeled himself to that impulse a long time ago, but the urge was still there. All this work. All this effort. Now it was for nothing. No public defender would be able to prove him innocent, unless they were given all the information that Beau had. And though it might be stupid, Beau didn't trust his knowledge in anyone else's hands. The few family friends he'd turned to for help had been a stretch, and now, he'd figured he would just have to go it alone until he picked up Carter.
Wrong.
The detective was evidently not happy that Beau had lied. He looked ready to attack, and Beau had grown accustomed to people looking at him that way.
He felt his back hit the wall and he slunk down. "I'm wanted for the murder of Daniel Hogan," He said the words sadly, hatefully, "my father." Daniel Hogan was a coward. A weakling. A piss-poor excuse for a man. He was the man who should go to jail, not his son. But that anger, that loathing, would never be enough to provoke Beau to homicide. He hardly expected the g-man to believe him, though. "I know it probably makes no difference to you, but I didn't do it." He enunciated the words carefully, ignoring the pounding of his heart and the dread building in his chest. This man was his final judgement. The detective had all the power in his hands, and there was no way he was going to believe a wanted felon.
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Post by jacob on Sept 27, 2011 8:37:38 GMT 10
| [atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,300] MEL AS BEAU | THIS IS SO EXCITINGGG! The corners of Jake's mouth twitched down as he watched the boy's reaction to finding out Jake already knew who he was, and he backed up against the wall and slumped down. Poor kid. Jake really couldn't understand how anyone could take a look at him and say, “oh yeah, he's definitely a hardened criminal.”
Surprisingly, Jacob wasn't as mad as he usually would be right now, it was hard to be angry at someone who was crumpled up against an alley looking like he was about to cry. His eyes softened in compassion as Beau told him what he had been trying so hard to remember. Wanted for the murder of his own father. Now there was a soap opera worthy story. Jacob would probably get fired if it was found out that he let this kid go, but nothing could make him believe that he wasn't innocent. Jacob was rarely stubborn about things like this, he'd never let anyone just go before if they were wanted by the law.
But if you could just see him.
It was awful. Honestly. Jake let out a pathetic sigh and shook his head, bringing his arms down from his chest and down to his sides. “I have a feeling you're gonna get me fired, kid, but believe it or not, and don't ask me why, but I believe you. It just.. Doesn't feel right. Doesn't.. fit.” he frowned, not being able to express himself happened often and he hated that, but at least he knew what he was trig to say. Slowly, cautiously, he moved to the side, so that his exit was free. “But if I find one lick of evidence that tells me you lied to me, I will find you.” He growled warningly, narrowing his eyes again. “And trust me, you won't want that. Don't make me regret this.”
Jacob wasn't usually a scary guy. He might have come off as intimidating at first because he was so huge, but when you got to know him, he was just a giant, sometimes awkward, bad joke loving, cuddly teddy bear. Unless you managed to make him angry. Then he wasn't quite so cuddly, unfortunately. And so thus, his threat was not idle. He didn't like being scary, but he wanted to make sure that he was understood.
His eyes softened again as he looked back at the boy. “I really am an idiot.” he muttered under his breath, shaking his head.
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Post by mel2 on Sept 27, 2011 11:12:32 GMT 10
A part of Beau wondered if the detective had shot him and he was in heaven. The man stood aside, the exit wide open, and he'd even said that Beau could walk free.
But that couldn't be right.
Detectives weren't allowed to do that. And no one but a real idiot would let him go free.
"You're lying," Was Beau's immediate reaction. "Yeah, you'll let me leave. Then call your goon squad and tell them I got away and they can fire at me or something, right?" Cops, g-men, detectives, none of them played happy and friendly with the law. Beau was a wanted fugitive. Yes, he was innocent, but he no one but him truly knew that. There was no way that just after hearing him say he was innocent was this guy going to trust Beau. There was something more, there had to be. "I can't trust you people." He murmured, rubbing at his eyes. No tears had fallen and he wouldn't allow them to fall. He was done being the cushion that his father threw all of his problems on-- he'd cried before. When his mother died. When he'd first been chased out of Jasper. But now he was done with it. No more tears for a dead man, or for that same dead man's mistakes.
Taking a fortifying breath, he stood, but his eyes never left the detective. "Who are you, anyway?" Beau knew he was some kind of law enforcement, but not what level, or even what division. The guy could be FBI for all he knew, just looking to get Beau in range of the sniper who was on a nearby roof top. Beau wasn't some idiot, he wasn't going to be tricked.
Something in the other man's eyes gave Beau pause. The man didn't look any more a liar than Beau was, though, recently in the past few months, he'd done little but. The man seemed to be just and had solid morals. Definitely not insane-- his eyes were far too serious and concentrated for that. So what was his plan? Trick Beau? Or did he really mean to just let him walk free? As much as Beau wished the latter were true, his natural distrust of humankind interfered with that hope. This man had to want something to offer up freedom so easily to Beau. But what was it that he wanted?
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Post by jacob on Sept 27, 2011 12:05:57 GMT 10
| [atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,300] MEL AS BEAU | THIS IS SO EXCITINGGG! Jake's eyebrows raised as the boy's first reaction was that Jake was lying. The idea of Jake lying was actually really offensive, but he let it slide because he didn't know him well, he didn't know how against lying that Jake always had been. But, he had to admit, it still stung a little. “Sure, that's it. Ooh, or, instead, you can just sit here until you rot away all alone, if you'd prefer that to being shot down by 'my goon squad',” here he made sarcastic finger quotes, “That cool with you?” Jacob pursed his lips. He usually wasn't so sarcastic, but it seemed to be extremely fitting for this particular situation.
Kid had an imagination, though, that was undeniable. Of course, he'd probably never trust Jacob, but he understood that, he didn't have any reason to but he didn't have any reason not to, either, other than the fact that he was law enforcement, which apparently, were not cool with Beau. “'You people?' Gee, thanks so much for the distinction.” Jacob said dryly, sighed softly and shook his head as the other young man stood back up. “Jacob Griffiths. Homicide detective.” he enunciated clearly, crossing his arms again. “Pleasure to meet you.”
Another pointed look.
“So are we just gonna stand here and stare at each other, or what, cause I don't know about you but I'm getting hungry.” He leaned against the wall, his eyebrows still raised expectantly. Honestly, he didn't even know how he managed to get into this situation. He was going to be fired for sure, no doubt about it. But someone's innocence was a lot more important than his job, he'd like to think. Jake was actually one of the last remaining really truly and honestly decent people in the world, a dying breed, it seemed.
Unusual for Beau, it looked like, too, which seemed really quite sad for Jake. Being so young, running from the police already, when if they'd just look him in the eyes they should have been able to tell just as clear as the difference between day and night that he didn't do it. Of course, there was always that possibility that Jacob was wrong, but he'd already reassured him that if he was then he would hunt him down. So. He was glad they'd gotten that covered.
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Post by mel2 on Sept 28, 2011 11:22:20 GMT 10
The man did nothing but confused Beau. One minute, he was deadly serious, the next he was friendly, and then the next he was sarcastic. Beau didn't care to be jerked around, but the man's demeanor hardly seemed forced. Over the past year, Beau had tried to learn what he could about reading a person's body language. It was just one of those things he'd figured would have helped were he in a situation like this. Well, sure enough, here he was-- the only thing his knowledge of facial muscles now did was make him feel doubtful. This guy was a cop-- he could lie with the best of them.
Beau kept his back to the wall, his eyes trained on the detective. "What I'd like," He growled lowly, "Is my life back. My mom back. You'll have to forgive me if I don't trust you very much." Beau had pointedly left his father out of the equation. The man he'd once idolized had ruined everything. His mother had loved him and kept him safe. His father, in or out of the bottle, was just a spineless nobody.
Since the detective already knew who Beau was, all the younger man offered him was a terse nod in response. Jacob Griffiths? Homicide detective? So he wasn't police, not exactly. More like the guy who pointed his finger and told the police who to shoot. "I still don't trust you," Beau said warningly. These days, Beau's trust was harder to get than climbing a steep mountain, using only your toes and fingers.
Beau practically gaped. There was something wrong with this guy. He stood, relaxed at the mouth of the alley, sincerely looking like a man who wanted to leave and damn it all if Beau didn't just want to accept this as the lucky break it might very well be. Carefully, he approached Jacob. The man was taller, broader, but not by an overwhelming amount. Though he wasn't layered with muscle, Beau was still decently tall, and he was almost eye-level with the detective. "You leave first, then. I'll find my way back after you're gone." And just to be safe, he'd probably wait till it was dark. then he'd go back to his cave, pack up his meager belongings and find some podunk town to squat in while he tried to weasel out Jeremy Carter's location. The thought of it all lent a slightly defeated slump to his shoulders, but still, his focus never wavered from the man in front of him with the gun.
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Post by jacob on Sept 29, 2011 4:14:57 GMT 10
| [atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,300] MEL AS BEAU | THIS IS SO EXCITINGGG! Jacob was quiet as Beau responded. He felt a little bad now, he didn't know what it was like to be chased by the police, he could imagine it, but it probably wasn't anything he really could imagine. “I'm sorry.” He said quietly, but genuinely. Jake was never too full of himself or proud to apologize when it was necessary. People who refused apologizing just because they wouldn't admit they were wrong, he couldn't understand that. Though he knew he'd probably never gain the younger man's trust (though if he were to trust anyone it should probably be Jake, who'd never tried to cross anyone in his entire life) the least he could do was apologize, honestly.
“I don't blame you.” Were the next words that came out of his mouth, in response to Beau's telling him he still didn't trust him. “I probably wouldn't trust me either, if I were in your shoes.” He shrugged. “But I have pretty big feet, I don't know if I'd even fit in your shoes..” he trailed off, resisting the urge to chuckle at himself. Jake was always the person who made the dumbest jokes and he was usually the only one who thought they were funny.
Even though this was hardly a laughing matter, Jacob tended to make these awful jokes everywhere he went, at the most horrible times because if no one else, it always made him personally feel a lot better, he got smacked a lot for it though which he was really quite used to and really didn't mind anymore. He honestly had very little, if any at all, self control over these jokes that just came tumbling out of his mouth.
And then slowly, but surely, Beau came closer, standing tall, almost as tall as Jacob, even. Jacob had to admit, he was pretty impressed. Two minutes ago, the kid looked like he'd rather get shot than come closer, looked like they were making a little bit of progress here. He raised his eyebrows at his request and slowly, nodded his head. “All right. Fair enough.” he agreed, pushing off his wall and saluting halfheartedly. “Good luck, kid.” You're gonna need it. And then he turned and walked toward the exit, wondering vaguely if he'd ever see this kid again or if he was going to get himself fired for this. Probably a no to the first and a yes to the last, unfortunately.
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