Free When She Falls by Jez Strider Page B

heartbeat.
     
    Officer Kershaw was the first to arrive at the scene of the shooting. He’d been sipping his coffee, trying to wake up as he watched traffic from a parking lot. It had been too early to actively pursue speeders. Only a couple of cars had been driving more than five miles per hour over the speed limit, anyway.
    “ Attention all units. Shooting reported at the mall. Suspect committed suicide. Unknown if there may be accomplices.”
    Kershaw did a double take and let out a hacking cough as coffee sucked down the wrong pipe. “Not in my town. This cannot be happening here.” He turned on his sirens and hit the gas.
    He gave instructions when he entered the building. “Everyone, calm down. Let me, through.” The people that hadn’t fled were mostly formed in two circles. “I want everyone to back off and line up along the walls. Just sit down and wait.”
    Nearly everyone in town knew Kershaw. He’d been in Christmas parades, at football games, and even thrown a few of the people in the drunk tank at the jail. The townsfolk respected and trusted him the most among the police force.
    As the crowd parted, he saw the murderer, the young terrorist who’d changed everyone’s life in a hail of bullets. He’d heard hushed voices mention the name Carson, but it was difficult to identify the boy with the self-inflicted gunshot wound. Then, Kershaw saw Candice a short distance away clinging to what appeared to be a dead body. He’d known her parents. It had been during his first year on the force that he’d shown up at the scene of the fire. Unfortunately, he’d also arrested her sister several times.
    “Candice.” He called out softly as he stepped closer. The paramedics were right behind him. His arms wrapped around her waist and he attempted to move her away from Logan. “Let the men see if they can do anything. Come on now.” The amount of blood left him with no hope, but he had to get her away. She had started screaming again, fighting to get back to Logan. “It’s me, Jay Kershaw.” He told her, trying to get her to stop wailing.
    “Help him, Officer Kershaw. Make them do something.” Candice said as she spun around to face him.
    Over her shoulder, he looked at the paramedics who simply gave a shake of their head. “I’m going to take you home, okay? There’s nothing they can do. I am so sorry.”
    Slowly, her head bowed forward. Kershaw wrapped an arm around her shoulders when he saw her wobble unsteadily on her feet. “Logan can take me home.” She said softly. “We rode together.”
    Jay Kershaw had seen his fair amount of grief during his time as a police officer. He’d broken horrible news to worried mothers, been to more funerals than he cared to count, and even shot down a man who had held up a convenience store. Even he was struggling with the aftermath of the shooting. His confidence in humanity was shaken.
    “Lots of officers are here to help. I want to make sure you will be okay.”
    “I… don’t have anyone else to take me home except Logan.” Her voice was monotone, as if she weren’t even really there.
    “I know. It’s fine. Maybe you can tell me a little about what happened in the car.” He informed one of the other officers that had begun interviews where he was going before leading Candice to the squad car.
    He’d started several times to ask questions as they drove to the address she’d told him. Bringing himself to actually voice them was another matter. She was the one who began speaking.
    “Why would that boy do that?” The depth of her despair made her speak with the most sorrow laden voice Kershaw had ever heard.
    “A chemical imbalance? Maybe some other things were going on in his life. I… don’t think we will ever know.”
    “Logan saved me, protected me. He said he always would, but now he’s….” Her voice trailed off and silence enveloped them once more.
    Officer Kershaw helped Candice out of the car and led her to the front door. Several