On the other side of the line, Richie's boss grinned with satisfaction. "Good. I'm gonna get started on all that, then."
"Wait," Richie called out quickly, getting his boss' attention before he hung up on him.
"What now? You're going to rank that hospital's phone bill up its ass."
Richie ignored his boss' ridiculous comment, considering they weren't even paying any fees to talk to each other. "Isn't what we're going to do... wrong? Aren't we supposed to be upholding the law, not going around it?"
"I told you not to hesitate, dimwit."
"I'm not, I'm just... I'll feel guilty." He didn't want Denzil to end up in jail for a crime anyone could've committed. If Eunice had been alone, maybe she would've turned on those farmers, too. If Richie himself had been a small child, alone in the whole world, sold to those farmers by his parents, he probably would've done the same. Still, anyone knew that basing their reason for murder on emotions wasn't an excuse. You couldn't start killing everyone because you hated all of them.
"You do what you feel you have to do, Richie. If you're positive this kid isn't a heartless killer, then we'll make it happen. The law is a structure to keep society from falling apart, and from turning into madness and chaos. Like everything, the law is flawed, Richie. Would you prefer that the kid didn't kill those farmers, and instead still be stuck with those abusive dipshits?"
"I... Of course not."
"Exactly. You're saying he's gentle, and you haven't lost your marbles yet, to my knowledge. I trust you can judge his character well enough. I may be a jackass, Richie, but I stand by the side of justice. What happened is unfortunate, and I sure don't condone murder, but anyone can get a gun and pull the trigger. That kid was abused like fuck, and that shithead threatened to kill him off. I'll go with your gut feeling and say that if the kid hadn't been involved into all those circumstances, nothing would've happened."
"I'm... I'm grateful. Thank you. I don't want that unfortunate boy to suffer anymore," Richie replied gratefully, feeling a little better. In a way, this whole thing was like an unfortunate turn of events, a bit like someone being used as a scapegoat. Knowing his boss was with him on falsifying the file — despite it being illegal at its core — made the officer feel better about his choice. A choice that, he knew, would pay off in the future.
"You're such a sissy," his boss said, literally just destroying whatever atmosphere they'd had going. "By the way, you didn't answer my question earlier. You gonna adopt the kids, or what?"
"Wait," Richie called out quickly, getting his boss' attention before he hung up on him.
"What now? You're going to rank that hospital's phone bill up its ass."
Richie ignored his boss' ridiculous comment, considering they weren't even paying any fees to talk to each other. "Isn't what we're going to do... wrong? Aren't we supposed to be upholding the law, not going around it?"
"I told you not to hesitate, dimwit."
"I'm not, I'm just... I'll feel guilty." He didn't want Denzil to end up in jail for a crime anyone could've committed. If Eunice had been alone, maybe she would've turned on those farmers, too. If Richie himself had been a small child, alone in the whole world, sold to those farmers by his parents, he probably would've done the same. Still, anyone knew that basing their reason for murder on emotions wasn't an excuse. You couldn't start killing everyone because you hated all of them.
"You do what you feel you have to do, Richie. If you're positive this kid isn't a heartless killer, then we'll make it happen. The law is a structure to keep society from falling apart, and from turning into madness and chaos. Like everything, the law is flawed, Richie. Would you prefer that the kid didn't kill those farmers, and instead still be stuck with those abusive dipshits?"
"I... Of course not."
"Exactly. You're saying he's gentle, and you haven't lost your marbles yet, to my knowledge. I trust you can judge his character well enough. I may be a jackass, Richie, but I stand by the side of justice. What happened is unfortunate, and I sure don't condone murder, but anyone can get a gun and pull the trigger. That kid was abused like fuck, and that shithead threatened to kill him off. I'll go with your gut feeling and say that if the kid hadn't been involved into all those circumstances, nothing would've happened."
"I'm... I'm grateful. Thank you. I don't want that unfortunate boy to suffer anymore," Richie replied gratefully, feeling a little better. In a way, this whole thing was like an unfortunate turn of events, a bit like someone being used as a scapegoat. Knowing his boss was with him on falsifying the file — despite it being illegal at its core — made the officer feel better about his choice. A choice that, he knew, would pay off in the future.
"You're such a sissy," his boss said, literally just destroying whatever atmosphere they'd had going. "By the way, you didn't answer my question earlier. You gonna adopt the kids, or what?"