listed as a diabetic either.” Skinner stood up and loomed over me. “ I’m giving you a chance to tell the truth Girly. I suggest you do that.”
“Am I under arrest?” I asked.
“Not yet,” he said. He leaned into my ear and whispered, “I can come up with charges on anyone, if I watch them long enough.” Oh shit, I’m in very hot water and this guy is turning up the heat.
I had to think and think fast. “Are you trying to intimidate me?” I asked.
“Of course not, I just want the truth. I want to catch the person responsible ,” he said, benevolently.
Cornered, I decided to tell the truth. “I insisted on going out to look for Skye. My friend Jimmy didn’t want me to go to that area at night. He insisted on accompanying me.” I gave an innocent face. “When the officer stopped us a clean syringe fell out of my purse. I admit I lied to the officer about it. I had it left over from the Clean Needle program we have at Mary House. I forgot it was in there. I know, it’s illegal to have a needle, but he could see it was still in the package and wasn’t used.” I confessed everything.
“You could be arrested for that ,” Skinner said. A misdemeanor charge for paraphernalia on me seemed better than a murder charge for Jimmy.
“I know, that’s why I lied to the officer ,” I said.
“Do you look for all women who go missing from Mary House ?” he asked. “That seems beyond the scope of your employment.”
“Haven’t you had cases that bother you even off the clock?”
“No, I don’t bring my work home with me.”
“Doesn’t sound like a very committed officer ,” I jabbed.
“ I’m a very committed cop during my shift Girly. After hours, I do more than you know to contribute to the safety of the upstanding citizens of this City.” Skinner slapped the table. “Forgive me if I don’t go out looking for the wastes of society. I don’t help those who break the law, and I sure as hell don’t break the law to help them.” He snapped. “Clean Needle program…” Skinner glared with his beady little eyes. “You’re just enabling junkies!”
“You do what you do and I do what I do ,” I said, indignantly. I straightened defiantly. Skinner preferred to lock offenders up and throw away the key. Jail solved nothing. Overcrowding caused a revolving door system. Defendants go in and out with no training, no rehabilitation, and no skills. They had no options other than commit more crimes. Mary House gave women skills needed to have a chance at a better life. I had no shame for what I did.
“Why were you so concerned wit h this hooker?” Skinner asked. “When we spoke to you a week ago, you seemed sure we were there about this hooker , Skye.” He spat the word “hooker” like a fowl taste in his mouth.
“Skye had potential ,” I said. “It was only natural for me to assume you came regarding Skye. These women have only two outcomes if they aren’t rehabilitated, death or arrest. Correct me if I’m mistaken, but cops don’t make office visits about arrests. I assumed someone had died. I deduced it was Skye because she was the only resident unaccounted for.” I stood to leave.
“We aren’t finished ,” Skinner said. He gave me a sadistic smile.
I started for the door. “I’m finished talking to you,” I said. Skinner blocked my path. He looked menacing. He didn’t like women standing up to him. Making women cower made him feel powerful. I knew his type, and I wasn’t going to let him have power over me.
“Where is your friend?” He asked , malevolently. Skinner aimed for the heart with his comment. I could feel anger radiating from him. He wanted to hurt me.
“He’s away visiting family ,” I said. I refused to let Skinner intimidate me, no matter how scary he acted.
“Where?” he barked.
“I don’t know.”
“I’ve done some investigating , and something is fishy about Mr. Kim and Kim Investments.”
I leaned on the
“Am I under arrest?” I asked.
“Not yet,” he said. He leaned into my ear and whispered, “I can come up with charges on anyone, if I watch them long enough.” Oh shit, I’m in very hot water and this guy is turning up the heat.
I had to think and think fast. “Are you trying to intimidate me?” I asked.
“Of course not, I just want the truth. I want to catch the person responsible ,” he said, benevolently.
Cornered, I decided to tell the truth. “I insisted on going out to look for Skye. My friend Jimmy didn’t want me to go to that area at night. He insisted on accompanying me.” I gave an innocent face. “When the officer stopped us a clean syringe fell out of my purse. I admit I lied to the officer about it. I had it left over from the Clean Needle program we have at Mary House. I forgot it was in there. I know, it’s illegal to have a needle, but he could see it was still in the package and wasn’t used.” I confessed everything.
“You could be arrested for that ,” Skinner said. A misdemeanor charge for paraphernalia on me seemed better than a murder charge for Jimmy.
“I know, that’s why I lied to the officer ,” I said.
“Do you look for all women who go missing from Mary House ?” he asked. “That seems beyond the scope of your employment.”
“Haven’t you had cases that bother you even off the clock?”
“No, I don’t bring my work home with me.”
“Doesn’t sound like a very committed officer ,” I jabbed.
“ I’m a very committed cop during my shift Girly. After hours, I do more than you know to contribute to the safety of the upstanding citizens of this City.” Skinner slapped the table. “Forgive me if I don’t go out looking for the wastes of society. I don’t help those who break the law, and I sure as hell don’t break the law to help them.” He snapped. “Clean Needle program…” Skinner glared with his beady little eyes. “You’re just enabling junkies!”
“You do what you do and I do what I do ,” I said, indignantly. I straightened defiantly. Skinner preferred to lock offenders up and throw away the key. Jail solved nothing. Overcrowding caused a revolving door system. Defendants go in and out with no training, no rehabilitation, and no skills. They had no options other than commit more crimes. Mary House gave women skills needed to have a chance at a better life. I had no shame for what I did.
“Why were you so concerned wit h this hooker?” Skinner asked. “When we spoke to you a week ago, you seemed sure we were there about this hooker , Skye.” He spat the word “hooker” like a fowl taste in his mouth.
“Skye had potential ,” I said. “It was only natural for me to assume you came regarding Skye. These women have only two outcomes if they aren’t rehabilitated, death or arrest. Correct me if I’m mistaken, but cops don’t make office visits about arrests. I assumed someone had died. I deduced it was Skye because she was the only resident unaccounted for.” I stood to leave.
“We aren’t finished ,” Skinner said. He gave me a sadistic smile.
I started for the door. “I’m finished talking to you,” I said. Skinner blocked my path. He looked menacing. He didn’t like women standing up to him. Making women cower made him feel powerful. I knew his type, and I wasn’t going to let him have power over me.
“Where is your friend?” He asked , malevolently. Skinner aimed for the heart with his comment. I could feel anger radiating from him. He wanted to hurt me.
“He’s away visiting family ,” I said. I refused to let Skinner intimidate me, no matter how scary he acted.
“Where?” he barked.
“I don’t know.”
“I’ve done some investigating , and something is fishy about Mr. Kim and Kim Investments.”
I leaned on the
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