Ruth-Anne

Ruth-Anne sat in the integration room. Her arms folded and pouting. She couldn't believe Bobby-Joe left her there. That fool jumped out of the bathroom window. They hadn't caught him when he evaded them . She got tired as he constantly came up with ideas and comes out the only one doing anything correctly.

Now she was sitting here alone in a integration room like a common criminal. It made her mad her brother just left her like that without a word or a warning that he was going to leave her holding the torch for him. She thought her brother was on her side since he left with her when she decided to leave town. Now she felt cornered and dejected .

Norma-Jean always took his side in their fights and Ruth-Anne aways on the punishment end. She didn't understand why it was always her to take a fall. Officer Winchester opened the door to let Mrs. Molusky in to interrogate her. The woman wore eight inch heels and a pencil skirt. The woman was flawless and Ruth-Anne smirked how this woman was her interrogator .

" Good evening Miss. Baker. I am Mrs. Molusky. Is there anything you need before we start? A coffee some food." She offered enacting the DNA collection progress.

" Do you have a cappuccino machine and scones ?" Asked Ruth-Anne like she was entitled to these items.

" If we don't have it here I can send someone out for it. " Mrs. Molusky said as she smiled that she was falling for her trap.

" Very well. Please send someone out for these items." Said Ruth-Anne in an entitled attitude." A vinté please with skim milk and I want fresh scones not day old scone that taste like the room it's been sitting in all day." Added Ruth -Anne as Mrs. Molusky thought she is a real peice of work .

Mrs. Molusky smirked and wrote down on the paper not the smartest tool in the shed. As they waited she watch as the woman picked at her nails and tried to clean out the dirt. She smiled at the simple stupidity of the woman before her. She can make this woman sing quickly.

Mrs. Molusky tapped on her text message to order the items . She looked at the trashcan to make sure it was empty to collect evidence and not to accidentally cross contaminate evidence samples . This was a method often used to collect samples involuntary from suspects through DNA and fingerprints left at the crime scene.

Madeline Molusky had been following the Barry case for over three years now and when ruth-anne Baker came up she was also a link to James in some way as he name came up from time to time along with Bobby -Joe Baker as Norma -jean Barry was formally Norma -jean Baker prior to marriage. She knew there was a connection and she was also going to use this to her advantage to help build the case against James Barry.

The items arrived as Mrs. Molusky opened Ruth-Anne Baker's file. This woman had a history of taking the fall for her brother.

" I see you have a history of shoplifting and did about two years in juvenile detention center that was closed on your eighteenth birthday. Do you care to tell me why?" She asked not looking up.she didn't want to explain her methods of unsealing those records as hoped Ruth -Anne wouldn't know they were sealed to ask questions .

" If it's not available than I'm not going to do your job for you." Said Ruth-Anne defiantly ." Besides I don't have to say a word if I don't want to. I want my one phone call of I am indeed arrested?" Complained Ruth -Anne.

" Do you have anyone to actually call?" Stated Mrs. Molusky in a curious manner as she was traveling with her brother when she got caught.

" Well no. But I still get a call right?" Continued Ruth -Anne as Madeline Molusky was confused about why she persisted on a phone call of she had no one to actually call.

Madeline Molusky nodded as she made a mental note as she saw the woman in front of her had some bark as she was quick to smart off in situations of offence . It was a clear sign of her hiding something with deflection and casting blame the other direction.

" Ruth-Anne I don't think your actually grasping the reality of the situation. You are in some deep mess and I'm trying to help you." Explained Mrs. Molusky. As she tried the gentle approach as she knew this woman was softer than she looked.

" Are you trying to help me. If you want to help me let me go and we will call it squared away." Negotiated Ruth -Anne. She had to try because she didn't like being held against her will .

" You think your clever don't you. If you are so clever how did you get caught and not your brother?" Smirked Mrs. Molusky.

" That is besides the point. Stop talking to me like I'm a complete idiot ." Cried Ruth -Anne looking for some fake sympathy.

" Fair point. Tell me about the arson charged that you were on the run from five years ago . It seems you still have a warrant out for that incident." She pointed out as Ruth-Anne's face twisted in her words.

" I was never actually found guilty for that." She pointed out her past.

" Because you never showed up for your arrangement . That's is also a no show citation skipping bail is a big no no in the court system." She dangled the information in front of Ruth-Anne.

" You tell me. You have the file in front of you." Sassed Ruth-Anne.

" You broke into your cheating boyfriends job. Destroyed his place of business. But was it really cheating considered he was married before he bought you that house. He was kinda playing house in two locations. It could be a thing he does. Who knows how many houses and how many pretend wives he had." She stated waiting for the snap.

" There was no one else other than me." Screamed Ruth-Anne feeling hurt and scorned.

" Except his actual wife of course." Reminded Mrs. Molusky.

" Yes I burned down the house I used as bail bond before I skipped town. I felt what I did was pay back for his lies. He cheats and I get charged for breaking and entering and destruction of public property. So yes I was going to burn down our love nest. If I couldn't keep the house no one can. He wasn't about to have another woman playing house with the house he gave me." She confessed.

" Mrs. Molusky smiled as she never mentioned there was an on record confession to the crimes she admitted too. Mrs. Molusky put the tape recorder on the table showing her now the device , but keeping the real recorder in her lap . This was a test.she needed matching fingerprints.

Ruth-Anne's eyes widened as she saw the device in front of her.

" I did not give you permission to record me. " She screamed as she took the decoy tape out and broke it in half pulling the tape out destroying it.

" That's distruction of police property. But I understand. I did not ask your permission ,but your in a precinct . So we can use what methods we please." She said making her feel like she got rid of the evidence against her. She smiled as she fell into her trap.

She pressed play on the device in her lap . Making sure she paused the entire part where she thought she was having her rights violated .

" So tell me how you and Bobby- Joe reunited?" She added keeping the integration moving.

" His wife left him because he was well difficult to be married to apparently . But I never like Tara . The righteous type. It was a little strange how it happened he wouldn't really talk about what went on between them two just that they were separated.He came to stay with me around the time I was dating Sam. When the house went up in flames well he followed me out of town." She said cocky like it was a simple fact.

" So did he help you burn down the house?" Mused Mrs. Molusky trying to make a pattern connect.

" No but he was big time mad it happened. I did it by setting flame to a few of the curtains as a last ditch effort to burn everything we shared together. I was heartbroken and He was only mooching off of me ." She explained.

" So how do you know Norma-Jean and James ?

" Norma-Jean is my older sister and James is my nephew. " She explained.

" So you can say you personally know the people who owned the complex. Well the people whom formally owned the complex you burned down.?" Mrs. Molusky reinerated the phrase.

" What do you mean used to own it?" Now asked Ruth-Anne catching onto the reference .

" You didn't know Norma-Jean sold the complex six months before she died. I'm sure by now you know who did it too." She said insinuations of the murder that took place .

" No. Look I want to make a bargain. " Ruth-Anne said as she realized that clause her father made wouldn't apply to them if the building was sold to another. She wasn't sure exactly what she would bargain but she had to try while she was here.

" Depends on the bargain. You participated in the crime. You already looking at breaking and entering. Trespassing on private property. Arson and four counts of murder. What can you possibly have that I want with your history of burning down residences. Now I know you know the victim . Well it isn't looking too good in your favor." Said Mrs. Molusky silently flipping the tape so she couldn't here the tape stop.

" If I testify against Bobby -Joe about it was his plan in it . Can I get reduced time since I'm still facing time on my other charges. In fact can I get reduced time for both cases?" She tried as she thought it would work.

" I can help on this case. I have nothing to do with the other case. But that's all I can say depending on the information you give me." Said Mrs. Molusky as she knew she would sing like a bird .

" Look I'm really going out on a limb her. I'm risking my feeding to turn on my only brother . You can throw me a bone here for the information you need that I have what you want. What do you say?" Negotiated Ruth -Anne as Mrs. Molusky smirked at the audacity of her request.

" I'm working this case only . " Mrs. Molusky said firmly not flinching as the two woman stared at each other daring the other to break.

" I understand I had to try at least. Can't fault a girl for trying ." Confessed Ruth-Anne shrugging her shoulders.

" But hold that thought. May I use the restroom first. " Asked Ruth-Anne as she started thinking about her escape .

" Sure. Put your trash in the trashcan and I'll ask an officer to walk you there. You know to make sure you don't get lost." Said Mrs. Molusky.

Ruth-Anne scrapped her trash in the trashcan and Mrs. Molusky banged on the door for an escort. Ruth-Anne thought how am I supposed to run with a female escorts. They be in the bathroom with me. Mrs. Molusky made sure female offices escorted her to make sure she wouldn't pull an escape. She looked down in the trash taking her gloves out of her pocket and grabbing the bag. She took it to the analyst to get samples from her coffee cup.

" She looked down at the tape in her hands as she put the used tape in her desk draw as he retrieved a new one and put it in as she slid the tape recorder back in he pocket. She waited for Ruth-Anne to return as she jotted down a few notes on her legal pad.

Ruth-Anne looked as the female officers walked her into the bathroom and stood in front of the stall for her to enter. The bathroom windows were barred off and she looked up in the ceiling panels all block with florescent lighting. Ruth-Anne was disappointed with her plan to escape soured by the precautions this precinct made. She had to get out of here. Bobby-Joe left her holding a mess in her hands and she knew it.

" Do you get a lot of escape attempts?" She asked pointing at the windows . There was iron bars with less than a wrist space between them that was reinforced with a screen screwed to the outside of the window . Ruth -Anne thought I sure hate to have to use a fire escape from the bathroom.

" Not that much. That's iron bars. It takes you a lot of time to get through those. Last time someone tried to escape they broke their legs from falling four stories well and their head too .it's not a graceful escape if you ask me . Unless your trying to escape life . Those are there to prevent jumping to your death ." Chucked an officer.

" Do you have to be here . Can't I handle my business in peace. Honestly I'm a big girl I've been thinking on my own for many years. I'm an expert tinkler .." Complained Ruth-Anne .

" Well we've also had a lot of overdoses . You know people smuggling in things in their nether regions . The bathroom is where they try to flush it out of their bodies before the body has a chemical reaction to it being up there too long. Bags burst and it can get really messy and next thing you know we have a corpse on our hands. I am here to make sure that does not happen." Explained the officer not moving.

" I don't do drugs orany type of a drug mule." Snapped Ruth-Anne.

" I've heard that one too. The fact you know the actual term make me question your statement. Just hurry up and pee and we can head back to the room. " Stated the officer knowing she was purposely getting on Ruth-Anne's nerves. She knew woman like this. The spoiled princess and entitled diva. Always fussing about privacy .

Ruth-Anne sat in the stall thinking. She really didn't have to pee at all. She looked up above her thinking she could crawl through the small ducts. The toilets had no covers on it as she tried to stand on it balancing her weight as she tried to reach the tile above the toilet. Ruth-Anne wasn't much for upper arm strength but she saw it done in movies and she would figure it out when it got to the point. She felt he foot slowly wiggle under a shiny surface on the toilet seat and prayed it was not some random persons urine.The officer watched her arm reach up above the top of the stall as she smirked .

An idiot born everyday. She thought as she watched hands try to push on the ceiling tile. She banged on the door to hear Ruth-Anne slip and her foot plunk in the toilet water. A small scream made by her. Ruth-Anne screamed as her foot submerged in the toilet water she hoped was clean. She cringed as she thought of all the bacteria and jerks just attached herself all over her foot and her favorite jimmy choo red bottoms heels.

" Everything okay in there. I was just checking on you. The toilets in there are sprayed down with crisco daily to prevent chapping." She said knowing what happened. She tried to hold back a laugh knowing she did it on purpose to see what would happen .

Ruth-Anne came out looking mad as her foot soaked and her limping out in the room. She glared at the officer with a small smile on her face. She cleared her throat to remind her she was behind her.

She took her foot as she rubbed hand soap all over the area as she explained " eww ewww ewww. That is just lovely my foot touched pee water. Do the toilets get cleaned on a regular basis? I'm just saying ."

Then she took her foot and standing on one leg balancing tried to wash her foot and shoe off hoping she didn't ruin her very expensive shoes. She grabbed and hand full paper towels to dry off her foot as she could feel the dampness in the soul of her shoes.ahr cursed herself in disbelief can't that she actually fell in the toilet.

" I don't know if they how often they clean the basins . But my question is if your supposed to be sitting down on the toilet seat how did your foot fall inside the toilet? Where you squatting over the toilet. Or was you standing up peeing . You do have a female parts or do you have both . I've heard of that being a possibility ." Said the officer that accompanied Ruth -Anne as she glared at her in aggravation about her comments of being a hermaphrodite. Like she was some sort of genetic freak .

" No. I very much have only female parts." Replied Ruth-anne sounding offended at the assumption of her gender.

" I'm just asking you never know sometimes . I'm trying to be supportive with your life choices . If you like it I love it ." Said the officer holding up her hands in surrender.

" i just had the worst day of my life . I got hauled off in here like a common criminal, my foot fell in pee water and ruined my favorite pair of Jimmy choos and now I'm being accused of have a boy parts when clearly I have girl parts. Just take me back to the room if all your going to do is ask me stupid questions." Demanded Ruth -Anne overwhelmed with this officer making fun of her.

Ruth-Anne came back to the interigating room pride hurt and limping with the sound of squishy noises accompanying the disappointed and discomfort as water squished between her toes every step. She would have removed her shoes if she didn't think she would catch something on the bare floor as she was sure it was as filthy as the bathroom. She sat down aggervated and irritated in the interegation room as Mrs. Molusky looked at her condition and the officer nodded in amusement. Mrs. Molusky nodded knowing how it happened now .

"You said you had information that you can use for a bargain. Pardon me are you alright? I noticed your limping . " Stated Mr. Molusky.

" Do I look alright?" Cried Ruth -Anne" I just ruined my last pair which is also my favorite pair of red bottom jimmy choos in the toilet." She wailed as she remembered the horrific ordeal.

" How did you manage to do that? Ok nevermind that I'm sorry that happened to you and I'm sure you learned a valuable lesson from it." Said Mrs. Molusky in a condescending tone.

Ruth-Anne glared at Mrs. Molusky at the rude way she made fun of her tragic fall from grace .

" Yes. It was more of a snide remark . Bobby-Joe is such a a stick and the mud and so damn literal.." as she rolled her eyes at the memory of the remark.

" A snide remark?" Questioned Mrs. Molusky.

" Yes. We went to Norma -jean funeral. The daughter kicked us out of it and I made a comment it be better to burn it down to get our daddy's money and get rid of the complex. It was Bobby -Joe who came up with the plan to use pest control services to get into the complex to douce it with gasoline." She explained.

" I see. How did you get the items to carry this out . She said pulling out the partially burned flyer in a sealed evidence bags. She layed it on the table for her to see it .

" Bobby -Joe got an interview as I distracted the guards. He stole two company uniforms and the paper with their letterhead on it. When we were done he went to a public library and printed off the flyer . He didn't tell me anything he was planning until we got back to our hotel room. He purchased the spray canisters at a local hardware store the morning of the complex burning. We waited for a day the woman we thought was her daughter leave for the trial of James . You see she was meant to testify about Norma -jeans murder. We put up flyers and waited for the tenants to leave. We didn't mean to hurt anyone. They were all supposed to be gone before we started." She said feeling a pinch of guilt in her eyes.

" Go on?" Urged Mrs. Molusky. As she wrote down all the information keeping her eyes glued to the paperwork she was jotting down.

" Bobby-Joe took the odd apartments and I took the even apartments. I tried to tell him I would gladly keep watch but he made me do it . Threatened to cut me off of any money I was owed." Mrs. Molusky nodded as she confirmed the thought the apartments that the people died was on the ones Ruth-Anne did. She made a note of it as she put the evidence bags back in the file as she motioned for her to move on .

" So you can say the arson was premeditated?" Confirmed Mrs. Molusky.

" I suppose it was. " Admitted Ruth-Anne realizing it was to late to deny she messed that one up.

" And the stolen jewelry?" She inquired .

" Severance pay for my work I had to do." She concluded.

" So let me get this straight. You broke in a complex and burned it down to the ground. Then thought you deserved severance pay for committing a crime. You do realize you in some deep shit here. Then what happened ?" She said shaking her head in disturbed amazement.

" He forced me to go to this nasty pawn shop with a man that kept licking his lips at me he made me feel all violated. Then he made me pawn all the things I took." Ruth-Anne sniffled a small cry out loud and continued " and he wouldn't even let me keep one item. And he held onto all of the money. Didn't even give me a damn dime." Complained Ruth-Anne.

" It must be a crying shame he did that to you. You were truly deserving of your collected severance pay for a job well done. Despite the fact four people died in the process. Burning alive is a terrible way to die." Said Mrs. Molusky in a sarcastic manor.

" We didn't mean to hurt them. It was an accident" She protested.

" Accidents are running over a trashcan backing out of a driveway not careless behavior that resulted in four people's premature deaths. Did you know a new baby died in there laying next to its mother?" Guilt tripped Mrs . Molusky.

Ruth-Anne burst out in remorseful tears at this news and her eyes filled up in regret. Tears flowing out as she tried to wipe her face from what she was told.

Mrs. Molusky turned off the tape recorder in her pocket and closed the file as she stood up. She went to bang on the door to remove the detainee. Ruth-Anne stared in bewilderment.

" That's it? " She huffed and tried to speak clearly."What about my bargain?" She yelled still upset.

" I said I would help you if you gave me anything I could use. Not what I already have written in my file. If I wanted that information I could have read it off your file. Tell me where your brother is and maybe it be worth my time." Snapped back Mrs. Molusky.

" I don't know where he is. He jumped out the hotel bathroom window." She said desperately now.

" That's all good in a theory but it don't help me now. Guards I'm done with her. Call me when you have something worth my time." Said Mrs. Molusky as she left the room and the offices took a hold of Ruth-Anne.

Meanwhile Bobby -Joe sat in the dumpster that he jumped in to avoid the streaming bullets on the night. He looked around as he had to lay flat on his back his face inches from the lid. He climbed in the side door when cops ran down the street towards him. He thought things I do for my freedom.

He saw light peek through the alley as the crack of the lid on the dumpster was warped to see out. Then he heard a beeping sound as he felt the dumpster move. He popped open the top as a garbage truck lifted the bin above to dump. He banked on the truck as it stopped and twoen stepped out of the truck.

" Let me down." Yelled Bobby -Joe.

" Ohoy there look at that someone threw away an entire person. Well at least this one is stll alive. I've come across a few of the dead ones nasty business I say.." Laughed the men.

" No one threw me away. I jumped in." Complained Bobby- Joe.

" That makes it all the better mate. He did this to himself on purpose. Hey there mate are You dumpster diving for a meal. Not much in there. You need to look at the restaurant dumpsters. They have that good gourmet shit those rich louts just toss away sometimes you find entires means if you come early enough" Laughed another man .

" Spoken like a true homeless person ." Sassed Bobby -Joe as he angered the man accusing him of being a bum.

Bobby-Joe tried to climb out as the men played with him bouncing the dumpster up and down laughing trying to teach him a lesson for his rude comment. When Bobby- Joe got close to the ground he jumped out springing his ankle and rolled out of the way. He limped away as the men cried their disappointment from the morning entertainment.

" Hey you come back here . We didn't mean to evict you from your home."yelled the men as the reversed trying to follow him down the alley as Bobby-Joe limped as fast as he could away from the dump truck that was following him. Bobby-Joe turned into the street as the dump truck could turn fast enough to follow. Bobby-Joe heard curses as he made his escape.