"No funny stuff."
"Nothing funny. Want me to take a sip first?"
"Yeah. Yeah."
Quaid took a sip and moved closer to hand the cup to Riley. The other man took it, thanking him.
"Most polite jumper I ever saw," Hunter murmured.
"Talk to me, Riley. What's up?" Quaid stayed about three feet away, leaning on the railing. His arms and legs were casually crossed, but Eilene could see him ready to jump if he had to. He positioned himself on the side with the dead man's switch.
"Kid's got balls of steel," Hunter commented as he watched.
Riley was talking, pointing to the car, waving his arms. He almost fell.
"Riley, we can't talk if you splatter yourself on the river." Quaid glanced over his shoulder, shaking his head. "Yeah. That's gonna hurt."
"What? I fall in and drown!"
"No, man. You hit the water from this height, it's like concrete. You hit that wrong, splat. But you know what you're doing. Just, before you go, let me take the switch."
"What? Why?"
"Cause if your car blows up, that's a big blast. Colossal. And this is a new suit."
"Guy's got a strange negotiating style," Eilene heard Harvey's voice over the headset. "f**king genius."
"I want to kill myself, and you're worried about your suit?" Riley yelled. "This is my life!" He banged on his chest with the switch in his hand.
"It's an expensive suit. My fiancee is graduating with her Nurse Practitioner today. I bought it special. Only I'm up here, freezing balls, running late. You know I hate to run late. You hate it, too. You're my on-time guy. I can always count on you to be prompt."
"That's right. You always say that."
Quaid looked at his watch. "But I'm late now, and Faydra's gonna be pissed. You know her, she's gonna give me an earful. So, if you're gonna jump, go for it. It's cold and I need to leave." Shrugging into this coat collar, he rubbed his hands together.
"What the f**k? You want me to jump?"
Quaid edged slightly closer to Riley, who didn't seem to notice.
"I want you to do what makes you happy. But I have to be honest, you could live through it. And coming back from that...." He sucked air through his teeth. "Gonna hurt like f**k. Oh, and speaking of f**k—you won't ever do it again. That kind of fall, you're quadriplegic. No sex, dude. Never. Do what you want, though. Be my guest. But move it along. I'm almost an hour late."
"You smug bastard! Why, I ought ta...!" He scrambled down and rushed Quaid.
The police tensed, but the psychologist caught the hand with the switch, holding it while the officers moved in to subdue Riley. One officer took the switch, holding it carefully. Two others stood by as Quaid embraced Riley.
"You damn fool," he chided. "What were you thinking? You get this desperate, you call me. What am I always telling you?"
"To call," the other man sobbed. "I got mad, broke my phone. It was too much!"
"Is there really a bomb in the car?"
"No."
"Truth."
"No. No, I swear. It's the garage remote. I'd never hurt my family. I just didn't want the cops to stop me."
"Treat him gently," Quaid instructed the officers. "Riley, be good, okay? I'll meet you at the hospital. These nice officers have to take you in for emergency evaluation."
"Okay, Dr. Quaid. Okay."
The police led him slowly to a squad car. Others rushed up to the family, opening the doors. When Riley was gone, Quaid turned his head over the railing and vomited. Eilene trotted over with a towel and a bottle of water.
"That was pretty impressive," she complimented.
Quaid nodded, sipping some water. "Jesus!" Rinsing his mouth, he spit it over the railing, too.
"Done that a lot?"
"No. Second time. Only the first time it worked, though."
"I'm so sorry. You did great. Not the standard approach."
"Can't take that approach with Riley. He had a traumatic brain injury in the riot. Hasn't been the same since."
"He a cop?"
"No. He owned a small grocery store. It got burned down, when they torched the soup kitchen next door."
"That's Riley Cooper?" She knew him well, but hadn't recognized him. Once robust and muscular, he was now pale and thin. "My folks owned the soup kitchen."
"I'm so sorry. Riley tried to help them. He was beaten by the crowd, and left for dead."
"Poor man."
©2021 Dellani Oakes
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