“Interesting,” I said slowly, still not sure whether I fully believed him. I looked around the room. Rows of shelves containing files lined the walls. A desk and a few chairs were in the middle of the floor, and the rest of it was covered in overflowing boxes. “You really want me to stay in this room?” I turned and looked at him after my visual inspection.
“Well, you are officially under arrest,” he said. “And I have nowhere else to put you.”
“And what am I being charged with?”
“Trespassing. Breaking and entering. Possible eco-terrorism. Take your pick.”
“Don’t I get a phone call? Don’t I get to call my lawyer?” I asked.
“Do you have a lawyer?”
“No. But I could call one.”
“Sure. Go ahead,” he said. “But, I must warn you, we only have one lawyer in town, and he’s busy.” Mike walked over to the desk and opened the drawers.
“What are you doing?” I asked, as he took all the paper clips out and slipped them into his pockets.
“You could pick the lock with these.”
I burst out laughing. “You think I can pick a lock? Newsflash: I’m not some career criminal who goes around picking locks. I’ve never been in jail before.”
“I found you trespassing on private property today, and yesterday you were climbing a fence, not to mention lurking suspiciously in a graveyard.”
“I told you, I like graveyards,” I said. “Besides, if youreallythought I was a dangerous criminal, you wouldn’t have almost had sex with me last night, seeing as you are the law around here.” That was a good argument. Didn’t need a lawyer for that one! And I seemed to have got him, because he was looking at me blankly now, as if he didn’t have a rebuttal.
“There’s a chair there, and there are even some magazines you can read.”
“Wait—what if I need the toilet?” I asked. I was feeling a little panicked now. This was starting to feel a bit real.Maybe too real.
“Do you?” he asked.
“Not now. But I might need it soon.”
He looked at me and shook his head again. This man was a head shaker, for sure. He looked torn, as if something in him didn’t want to lock me in this room. And I wanted to believe that. Ineededto believe that the man I’d shared an intimate moment with last night was having some trouble locking me away like this, like an animal in the zoo.
“You can call me when you need to go, and I’ll take you to the office toilet.” He started moving towards the door.
“You’ll take me to the toilet?” I asked.
“Well, I won’t go inside with you, if that’s what you’re thinking.” He looked somewhat uncomfortable, now, as he edged his way towards the door.
Suddenly, I panicked. “Wait!” I jumped forward. “You can’t seriously be locking me up?”
“What do you want me to do with you?”
“I don’t know—release me, turn a blind eye to it. It’s not like I killed anyone, for God’s sake.”
“Honestly, I wish I could, but you just pissed off the eco crowd, and those guys don’t let up. You couldn’t have messed with a more uptight crowd if you’d tried.”
“What if I’m bored and get scared in here by myself, or there’s an emergency?” My voice was high-pitched and shaky.
“What kind of emergency?” he asked.
“I don’t know.” I looked around the room. “What if I’m allergic to old files and dust, and go into anaphylactic shock and need a stab with an EpiPen?” I asked.
“Are you? Allergic to dust?”
I shook my head. “But I could be. I’m slightly allergic to cats.”
For the first time since seeing me tonight, he smiled. It was small. It barely tickled the corners of his lips. He shook his head again, as if caught somewhere between amusement and irritation. “You really are a writer,” he said.
“I am,” I replied softly. Although I wasn’t so sure if this statement was entirely accurate, these days.
He looked at me for the longest time, and then, slowly, he took his walkie-talkie out of his pocket and passed it over to me. “Only use this if there’s an emergency.”
I took the walkie-talkie and he showed me how to use it. And then he turned and started walking away. This time, he didn’t stop. He walked straight out the door and closed it behind him, and I . . . Oh shit, I was officially under arrest.
