long!” Donnella paced outside in the waiting area of the precinct where she and Harold had followed the police cars. “All I want to do is explain what happened.” She went up to the window again, just as one of the arresting officers came out from the back offices. “Finally! Listen, this is all my fault. See I was talking to Samuel, and he grabbed me!”
“It’s true officer.” Harold came to her side, his tablet in his hand, showing the officers a video. “As you can see, Mister Mayfield was attempting to stop Mister Sinclair from further assaulting my boss, Miss Donnella Stone.”
The officer looked to her, then the video once more. “Can I borrow this a moment?”
Harold handed it over.
“So you are Donnella Stone?”
She nodded, her face was flushed and her makeup smeared from crying. “I know I look like a two dollar hooker at the moment, but I assure you I am, Donnella Stone.” The cop handed her a handkerchief from his pocket and she wiped at her face. “Thank you. Officer ?”
“O’Riley, Ben, O’Riley. That Samuel guy has one wild tale he’s shellin’, about you payin’ him to... Well I’m a gentleman, so I ain’t repeating what he’s been sayin’ but ya know where I’m goin’ with this?”
“He’s trying to get out of the fact that he sexually molested me, well you got it right there in color!” She countered. “Now please will you release Matthew Mayfield?”
“Will you be filing charges against Mister Sinclair? For the assault Miss Stone?” Ben asked, taking off his hat and fixing his hair.
“No, but you can hold him for the night if you’d like.”
He nodded with a smile. “We can do that, he did cause a ruckus at the Ball.”
Twenty minutes later and Matthew was being escorted out of the back by Officer O’Riley, who handed Harold the tablet and a card. “He’s all yours. If you ever need anything, here’s my card, for Miss Stone.” Harold nodded taking the card.
Donnella flew to Matthew, wrapping her arms around him, he let out an honest laugh mixed with the twinge of pain. “I thought they weren’t gonna let you out.” She mumbled into his chest, squeezing him hard.
“It’s okay, I’m right here, a little worse for the ware, and I’m not gonna be able to work very well for about six weeks, but I’m okay.”
“What?” She pulled away, seeing that he was wearing a sling and that his right hand was in a cast. “How?”
“Guys got a head like a rock, apparently. But I managed to knock out three of his permanent teeth, so I think that with you pressing charges you should be square.”
“I’m not pressing charges.”
“What?”
“We should take this away…” Harold insisted, grabbing them both by the elbows.
***
“How are you not pressing charges?” Back in the car Matthew was livid as he stared across the gulf of space between them.
“Because aside from putting his hands on me, he was right. I had been avoiding him to be with you.”
“I didn’t ask you to do that.”
“Don’t you think I know that?” She huffed, then turned in her spot. “You knew about him? Since when?”
“Night one. Harold told me.”
Her eyes turned to Harold.
“He asked buttercup.”
“So you just told him?”
“Seemed like something he had a right to know. So there weren’t any misconceptions about his place in line on the totem pole.”
“Alright fine. Whatever. I’m still not pressing charges. But I can use this to void the arrangement. Walk away clean. No penalties for either side. If he wants to come calling we have the video to keep him away.”
“I’ve already sent it to the backup.” Harold smiled. “If you two could drop me home first, that would be great since I missed my ride at the Gov’s.”
“We can do that.” Donnella answered knocking on the glass. The partition dropped. “We’re taking Harold home first.”
Cordell nodded and the car slowed, turning around to head back to mid-town.
***
“Are you mad at me?”
“It’s true officer.” Harold came to her side, his tablet in his hand, showing the officers a video. “As you can see, Mister Mayfield was attempting to stop Mister Sinclair from further assaulting my boss, Miss Donnella Stone.”
The officer looked to her, then the video once more. “Can I borrow this a moment?”
Harold handed it over.
“So you are Donnella Stone?”
She nodded, her face was flushed and her makeup smeared from crying. “I know I look like a two dollar hooker at the moment, but I assure you I am, Donnella Stone.” The cop handed her a handkerchief from his pocket and she wiped at her face. “Thank you. Officer ?”
“O’Riley, Ben, O’Riley. That Samuel guy has one wild tale he’s shellin’, about you payin’ him to... Well I’m a gentleman, so I ain’t repeating what he’s been sayin’ but ya know where I’m goin’ with this?”
“He’s trying to get out of the fact that he sexually molested me, well you got it right there in color!” She countered. “Now please will you release Matthew Mayfield?”
“Will you be filing charges against Mister Sinclair? For the assault Miss Stone?” Ben asked, taking off his hat and fixing his hair.
“No, but you can hold him for the night if you’d like.”
He nodded with a smile. “We can do that, he did cause a ruckus at the Ball.”
Twenty minutes later and Matthew was being escorted out of the back by Officer O’Riley, who handed Harold the tablet and a card. “He’s all yours. If you ever need anything, here’s my card, for Miss Stone.” Harold nodded taking the card.
Donnella flew to Matthew, wrapping her arms around him, he let out an honest laugh mixed with the twinge of pain. “I thought they weren’t gonna let you out.” She mumbled into his chest, squeezing him hard.
“It’s okay, I’m right here, a little worse for the ware, and I’m not gonna be able to work very well for about six weeks, but I’m okay.”
“What?” She pulled away, seeing that he was wearing a sling and that his right hand was in a cast. “How?”
“Guys got a head like a rock, apparently. But I managed to knock out three of his permanent teeth, so I think that with you pressing charges you should be square.”
“I’m not pressing charges.”
“What?”
“We should take this away…” Harold insisted, grabbing them both by the elbows.
***
“How are you not pressing charges?” Back in the car Matthew was livid as he stared across the gulf of space between them.
“Because aside from putting his hands on me, he was right. I had been avoiding him to be with you.”
“I didn’t ask you to do that.”
“Don’t you think I know that?” She huffed, then turned in her spot. “You knew about him? Since when?”
“Night one. Harold told me.”
Her eyes turned to Harold.
“He asked buttercup.”
“So you just told him?”
“Seemed like something he had a right to know. So there weren’t any misconceptions about his place in line on the totem pole.”
“Alright fine. Whatever. I’m still not pressing charges. But I can use this to void the arrangement. Walk away clean. No penalties for either side. If he wants to come calling we have the video to keep him away.”
“I’ve already sent it to the backup.” Harold smiled. “If you two could drop me home first, that would be great since I missed my ride at the Gov’s.”
“We can do that.” Donnella answered knocking on the glass. The partition dropped. “We’re taking Harold home first.”
Cordell nodded and the car slowed, turning around to head back to mid-town.
***
“Are you mad at me?”
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