flow.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“Susan Raines?”
I lifted my head from the table. My mouth felt dry. I had gone to sleep with my head on my arm. I was stunned. How could I sleep when Darby was being charged with murder? I looked around the room; nothing had changed. My stomach churned, and I had to go to the bathroom. I looked at my watch. It was 10:30. I couldn’t believe I had been in the room for two hours. It felt like two minutes. Maybe I was dreaming, and Chris De Floss and his zombies would come through the door any minute now, and I would wake up.
“Yes,” I said to the officer.
“Detective Malloy will be a while yet before he can get here to talk with you,” he said. “Can I get you anything?”
“I need to use the restroom,” I said. “And some water, too, please.”
“Sure,” he said. “Just wait a few more minutes, and I’ll send someone to take you.” He left and closed the door behind him.
I sat numb in my chair. No one was here to help us, and I wasn’t sure what to do. They hadn’t arrested me, and I needed to find a lawyer for Darby. A public defender for a murder charge wasn’t a good idea.
A few minutes later, a female officer came into the room and escorted me down the hall to the restroom. “What’s taking Detective Malloy so long to come talk to me?” I asked.
“He’s at another precinct with Mr. Tapley,” she said. “Processing takes time, and questioning can involve several people. He shouldn’t be much longer.”
Her demeanor was kind, and she was polite, but I also knew that was the end of the conversation. When she escorted me back to the waiting room, there were two bottles of water on the table. I drank one right away.
It was 10:45, and I couldn’t sit in the chair any longer. I started pacing the room. My brain started whirring. What was going to happen tonight? How would I get back to the hotel to get the car? But Darby had the keys, so I wouldn’t be able to get the car. Would I be able to go back to the condo, or would they hold me here until morning?
It was 11:50 when Detective Malloy finally came into the room. He sat down at the table and said, “Sorry to keep you waiting so long, Mrs. Raines.”
Mrs. Raines. Things were getting very formal now. This couldn’t be good. I sat down across from him at the table. My mouth was suddenly dry again, and I was grateful for the extra bottle of water.
“Do you know why Mr. Tapley was arrested this evening?” he asked.
I took a drink from my bottle before saying, “You said he was arrested for murdering Mrs. Fisher.” I raised my voice, “And you know full well he didn’t kill her. There wasn’t any time at all for him to murder her.”
“Actually, Mrs. Raines, there was,” he said. “The time of death coincides perfectly with the time of your arrival and your subsequent entering of Jack Tapley’s condo.”
“That isn’t grounds to charge someone with murder,” I said.
“Were you with him at all times after arriving?” he asked.
“Yes,” I said.
“Every single minute? You never took your eyes off of him for a second?” he asked.
“Yes,” I said with a firm nod of my head.
“Did you go into a bedroom to change your clothes?” he asked. “Did you use the bathroom? Did you go into another room to make a phone call?”
“No. Maybe,” I said. “I think I went to the bathroom while Darby was checking out the kitchen.”
“How long were you in the bathroom?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” I said. “The normal amount of time to go to the bathroom, and I washed my face and hands.” My heart sank as I said, “I brushed my hair and touched up my makeup.”
“So, it was at least five minutes and could have even been ten minutes?” he asked.
I lowered my eyes and said softly, “Yes.”
“That’s all I wanted to know, Mrs. Raines,” he said as he stood from his chair. “You’re free to go.”
“Where am I supposed to go?” I asked. I felt lost and confused. I
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“Susan Raines?”
I lifted my head from the table. My mouth felt dry. I had gone to sleep with my head on my arm. I was stunned. How could I sleep when Darby was being charged with murder? I looked around the room; nothing had changed. My stomach churned, and I had to go to the bathroom. I looked at my watch. It was 10:30. I couldn’t believe I had been in the room for two hours. It felt like two minutes. Maybe I was dreaming, and Chris De Floss and his zombies would come through the door any minute now, and I would wake up.
“Yes,” I said to the officer.
“Detective Malloy will be a while yet before he can get here to talk with you,” he said. “Can I get you anything?”
“I need to use the restroom,” I said. “And some water, too, please.”
“Sure,” he said. “Just wait a few more minutes, and I’ll send someone to take you.” He left and closed the door behind him.
I sat numb in my chair. No one was here to help us, and I wasn’t sure what to do. They hadn’t arrested me, and I needed to find a lawyer for Darby. A public defender for a murder charge wasn’t a good idea.
A few minutes later, a female officer came into the room and escorted me down the hall to the restroom. “What’s taking Detective Malloy so long to come talk to me?” I asked.
“He’s at another precinct with Mr. Tapley,” she said. “Processing takes time, and questioning can involve several people. He shouldn’t be much longer.”
Her demeanor was kind, and she was polite, but I also knew that was the end of the conversation. When she escorted me back to the waiting room, there were two bottles of water on the table. I drank one right away.
It was 10:45, and I couldn’t sit in the chair any longer. I started pacing the room. My brain started whirring. What was going to happen tonight? How would I get back to the hotel to get the car? But Darby had the keys, so I wouldn’t be able to get the car. Would I be able to go back to the condo, or would they hold me here until morning?
It was 11:50 when Detective Malloy finally came into the room. He sat down at the table and said, “Sorry to keep you waiting so long, Mrs. Raines.”
Mrs. Raines. Things were getting very formal now. This couldn’t be good. I sat down across from him at the table. My mouth was suddenly dry again, and I was grateful for the extra bottle of water.
“Do you know why Mr. Tapley was arrested this evening?” he asked.
I took a drink from my bottle before saying, “You said he was arrested for murdering Mrs. Fisher.” I raised my voice, “And you know full well he didn’t kill her. There wasn’t any time at all for him to murder her.”
“Actually, Mrs. Raines, there was,” he said. “The time of death coincides perfectly with the time of your arrival and your subsequent entering of Jack Tapley’s condo.”
“That isn’t grounds to charge someone with murder,” I said.
“Were you with him at all times after arriving?” he asked.
“Yes,” I said.
“Every single minute? You never took your eyes off of him for a second?” he asked.
“Yes,” I said with a firm nod of my head.
“Did you go into a bedroom to change your clothes?” he asked. “Did you use the bathroom? Did you go into another room to make a phone call?”
“No. Maybe,” I said. “I think I went to the bathroom while Darby was checking out the kitchen.”
“How long were you in the bathroom?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” I said. “The normal amount of time to go to the bathroom, and I washed my face and hands.” My heart sank as I said, “I brushed my hair and touched up my makeup.”
“So, it was at least five minutes and could have even been ten minutes?” he asked.
I lowered my eyes and said softly, “Yes.”
“That’s all I wanted to know, Mrs. Raines,” he said as he stood from his chair. “You’re free to go.”
“Where am I supposed to go?” I asked. I felt lost and confused. I
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