AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The phone ringing in the lounge was not an expected event. Alex dragged herself out of bed and lifted the receiver, mumbling, “Yes.”
“Ms Montgomery, this is the hotel manager, Gareth. We have some gentlemen down in the lobby who would like to speak to you.”
“What? Who?” Alex rubbed her face. It wasn’t even 8 a.m. yet.
The voice on the phone went quiet as he whispered, “Ms Montgomery, it’s the police, they want to speak to you following last night's…incident.”
“Okay, send them up.” She was about to put the phone down when she heard him speak again.
“I’m sorry, I did offer that, but they insist that you come down.” He sounded awfully apologetic. “Also, they asked if Dr Kelly would come down too.”
“They will have to wait. I’m not dressed yet.”
“I’ll let them know and ask them to wait in the bar area.”
“Thank you, Gareth.” She put the phone down and didn’t move.
From behind her, she heard, “Everything alright?”
Twisting quickly, she tried a smile. “Yes, the police are downstairs. They want to speak to me and you about last night.No doubt finally they’re going to arrest Laurel and put an end to this behaviour of hers.
“Good. Are they coming up? We should get dressed.”
“No, we have to go downstairs. I don’t know why.”
“Alexandra Katerina Montgomery, I am arresting you on suspicion of common assault. You do not have to say anything…” The officer’s words disappeared into the frenzy of other things being shouted.
“You are kidding me,” Francine said as she watched the video that was now all over social media. A video that showed a bikini-clad Sasha, stalking around the pool to berate Laurel who was, to the rest of the world, minding her own business on a lounger, before the argument kicked up a gear and Alex pushed Laurel twice, the second time resulting in her being pushed into the pool. She turned it off and made a call.
“Phillip, we have a problem.”
“You can’t arrest her. She hasn’t done anything wrong,” Morgan was saying before another officer stepped up to her and said, “Dr Morgan Kelly, I am arresting you also on suspicion of common assault. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence.” She was turned around, and handcuffs were produced and slapped around her wrists.
“Is that really necessary?” Francine complained once both of them were detained.
“Just doing our job, Ms?”
“Carlson, Francine Carlson, and I’ll be taking this up with someone more senior. Where are you taking them?”
“Local nick, they’ll be interviewed and then released or charged. Feel free to arrange a brief, otherwise one can be arranged for them,” the first officer said before moving forward and taking Alex, followed by Morgan, out through the lobby of the hotel.
Guests gawped; some took photos on their phones, others just videoed the entire thing. Outside on the street, the press were already waiting. They’d had a tip-off, clearly. Cameras flashed, and questions were shouted out in the melee to get answers and a headline. Paparazzi grabbed shots of the pair of them being escorted out of the hotel and into a waiting police van.
It was less than two minutes before Francine’s phone alerted her to the first uploads on social media.
“Shit,” she mumbled and followed, Mack in tow. “This is your fault,” she bellowed at him. “Get in the car.”
In the back of the van, Morgan sat beside Alex on an uncomfortable bench surrounded by white metal grated doors. It was dark inside and noisy as the vehicle sped away, bumpy roads tossing them around.
“Don’t say anything. Francine will get Philip, and he will sort this all out,” Alex said. “Try not to worry.”
“Worry? Alex, we’ve been arrested.”
“But we haven’t done anything wrong; self-defence isn’t a crime.”
Morgan turned her head and gave her the side eye.
“Are we going to be put into a cell?” Morgan asked, acutely aware of the seriousness of it all.
