AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’m kind of scared,” Carrie whispers.
“I got you, baby,” I take her by the hand and lead her into the observation room. “He can’t see you. It's a one-way glass. Just breathe and take your time. If you need to have one of them move forward or turn to the side, let me know. Take your time. There’s no rush.”
Four men wearing paper numbers on their chests appear on the other side of the glass. They’re all about my size and wearing prison-issued jumpsuits. Carrie closes her eyes and takes a deep breath then opens them and scans the four faces.
I’ve never met Simpson so I have no idea what number he’s wearing. Carrie moves closer to the window and stares at the man wearing the number two. Her eyes fill up with tears, and she raises her hand and points at him.
“That’s him. Number two,” she whispers.
“Are you sure? They’ll be told to step forward one at a time. Do you want to wait before you make up your mind?”
“No, I don’t want to keep looking at him. That’s him. He killed her. Remember? I told you about the scar,” she replies.
I peer through the glass at the man she’s chosen. I see the long, red scar down the side of his face and remember what she told me when I asked her if she could identify the three men from the party. I want to bust through the wall and beat him to death with my bare hands.
The thought that this piece of shit standing just a few feet from me tried to have my girl killed is like blades tearing away at my heart. Carrie takes my balled-up fist in her hand, and my heart rate drops. I have to keep my temper. We’re doing this by the book. All that’s left now is to find out if the man she picked is Officer Simpson.
I wave the Chief over and tell him, “She’s picked someone.”
“Which number?” he asks her.
“Number two,” she answers.
He nods at me to let me know that she’s picked out Simpson.
“Lucky he has a scar or she might not have been able to ID him,” I tell him.
“Yeah, unlucky for him. He took a knife from an armed robber not too long before the co-ed murder. Guess karma really is a bitch, huh?” the Chief replies.
“It’s over, baby. That’s the one,” I hug her and she breaks down in my arms.
“Take a moment to compose yourself then come to my office. I’m going to need you to make a statement,” the Chief tells her and we all walk out of the room.
I take Carrie out into the hall and get her a glass of water.
“What happens now?” she asks me.
“Well, he’ll have an arraignment and his lawyer will try to set bond, but I don’t think they’re gonna let him out. A cop who deals drugs and rapes and murders co-eds is not going to be given any sympathy by the court system or a jury. He’ll sit in jail until he goes to trial and then probably spend the rest of his life in prison. The other two will be tried here as well. It’s gonna take some time, but I promise you, they’re off the streets and you’re safe. You’ll never have to worry about them again.”
“And what about us? What happens to us?” she asks me hesitantly.
“What do you mean?”
“I need to try to get back to school so I have to leave the cabin. What happens to us, then?”
“Did you think that our relationship was going to end when the case got closed?” I ask, unsure of where her concerns are coming from.
“I guess I just didn’t think about what happens when I move back into the dorm and you go back to your place,” she explains.
“Listen to me, you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I’m not going anywhere. I’ll help you get your scholarship reinstated and get you back in school. There’s no way they can deny you after they hear about the danger you had to face. As for us, we see each other every day. I told you, you’re mine. I’m not going anywhere.”
She hugs me again and I hold her tightly to my chest. I hate the idea of her going back to the dorm, too. I’ve grown used to sleeping beside her in my bed in the cabin. It’s going to be hard to sleep without her.
“Let’s go get your statement written. Then, we’ll go have a nice dinner in an actual restaurant. No more takeout or my terrible cooking,” I tell her.
“I like your cooking,” she grins.
We wrap up her statement and leave the station. I take her to my favorite Italian restaurant in my neighborhood. It’s the first time I’ve been able to show her my life outside the cabin, and though being with her in the cabin was like living a fairytale, I still enjoy introducing her to my real life.
