For his benefit, I force out a small smile.
I hate this.
That I’ve inadvertently caused my parents more grief.
“Ms. Russo,” the officer begins. “Would you mind answering a few questions?”
“Sure,” I tell him, tucking my legs beneath me.
“Would you prefer to go somewhere more private?—”
“She’s fine speaking here,” my dad interjects. There’s a knock on the door and my mom rushes to answer it. “And she won’t be answering any questions until her counsel has arrived.”
Mom ushers a man into the room. He’s vaguely familiar. Tall, mid-forties. His tan skin contracts nicely against his well-cut navy-blue suit.
I’ve met him before. Though only briefly. He works for Dad. I’ve seen him around on the campaign trail. “Cecilia, this is Mr. Ayala.” To him, Mom adds, “Thank you so much for coming on such short notice.”
My manners and the expectant looks on my parents' faces force me to stand up and shake Mr. Ayala’s hand before he moves on to shake the hand of the officer, handing him one of his business cards.
“Where are we?” Mr. Ayala asks, taking the last available seat.
The officer clears his throat. “There seems to be a misunderstanding,” he says. “Ms. Russo isn’t under arrest. I’m just here to ask her a few questions. A lawyer isn’t needed for this conversation.”
“Officer—?” Mr. Ayala starts to interject.
“Koch,” the officer supplies.
“Ah, yes. Officer Koch,” Mr. Ayala acknowledges. “While I’m aware Ms. Russo isn’t under arrest, it would be prudent that she has adequate representation.” He turns to me, his expression softening. “Cecilia, it’s just a precaution. Your parents want to make sure you're protected and that your rights are respected throughout this process.”
That’s uh, nice.
Officer Koch doesn’t agree, judging by his sigh. “Very well,” he says. “Is anyone else joining us today?”
“This is everyone,” Dad says.
He nods. “Alright then, we’ll begin.”
Taking a deep breath, I steel myself for what I know will be a difficult conversation.
“In your own words, can you explain the events of yesterday afternoon, starting with the moment you arrived at the PacNorth campus pool?”
Opening my mouth, I answer his questions, doing my best to block out the tear-stained expression on my mother’s face as she processes my words. I try to keep my emotions in a box as I recount yesterday’s events.
How Austin grabbed me by the hair and held me underwater when tried to come up for air. That I hadn’t even known he was there until it was too late.
I mentioned Gregory Chambers and Parker Benson. How I saw them during the brief moments I was able to get some air. I stick close to the facts, leaving out what I was feeling. The terrified thoughts that’d run through my head.
And then I get to the moment help arrived. I tell him about being pulled out of the pool. About the guys saving me. I gloss over Gabriel beating Austin to a pulp, telling the officer I was too focused on catching my breath after being rescued to know what was going on around me. Gabriel and the others will have their own questions to answer. I won’t let my words contradict their story in any way.
“And what reason would Mr. Holt have for attacking you the way he did?”
I shake my head. “I don't know.”
“Is it possible that you may have inadvertently provoked?—”
“I’d like to remind you, Officer Koch, that my client, Ms. Russo, was attacked. She is the victim here, not the aggressor. To suggest otherwise, that she provoked her attacker in some way, is inappropriate and beyond uncalled for.”
“I didn’t mean—” Officer Koch clears his throat. “My apologies. I was only asking if there was something else thatoccurred prior to the assault that might help to explain why Austin Holt attacked you? We’re trying to uncover the young man’s motive for the assault and are experiencing some … difficulty.”
