Fractured (Josie) novel Chapter 2

Chapter 2

For the next few hours, I watch the clock in the small room they have me locked in. I’d drank my small paper cup of water hours ago and I've counted every tiny crack I can find in the plastered walls at least ten times. Just when I'm at the point of driving myself completely insane by mentally replaying what happened with Jenna over and over again, the door opens. The male officer that I'd seen in my dorm room earlier walks in and takes the seat opposite me at the table.

“Sorry to keep you waiting Miss Banks,” he says, laying a paper folder out on the table. He opens it and begins to read through it in silence. The seconds tick by and I start to get fidgety in my seat at the uncomfortable silence. Just as I open my mouth to break the silence the door opens again and a tall man wearing an expensive-looking suit walks in holding a briefcase. The man looks down at me in an assessing way. He is extremely good-looking and exudes dominance in a way that makes him hard to look at.

“Is this her?” he says in an almost snort, jerking his chin in my direction.

“Yes, Sir,” the police officer nods, motioning for the newcomer to sit next to him. He takes his seat and reads through the paperwork the officer hands to him. I study his face as he reads. He's one of those ageless guys. His serious, no-bullshit demeanour makes him seem like he's much older, but his face is young. My guess is he could be anywhere between twenty and forty. He must feel me looking at him as his eyes flick up to mine over the paper and he holds my gaze. Everything in me screams at me to look away, to break the eye contact, but I don't. I won't be bullied by some stuck-up detective. His eyes grow intense and then I swear I see the flash of a smirk before he slams his hand down on the table, making me jump back in fright.

“Are you trying to challenge me Miss Banks?” he asks in a deeper voice than he'd used with the other officer.

“Challenge you?” I snort and raise an eyebrow, trying to use my attitude to mask how much he had scared me.

“I suggest you learn to submit, and quickly, because at the place you are going, the people won't be as tolerant as I am,” he says, closing the folder and putting it into his briefcase before turning to the officer and nodding. My heart pounds in my chest and panic grips me as I watch the two men shake hands. “I’ll take her from here,” the stuck-up detective tells the officer.

“No,” I manage to rasp out. “Please, I didn't mean to hurt her. I can't go to prison. I can't!… Don't I get a solicitor?… A phone call?” I plead with the officer as he leaves the room. I turn my attention back to the suited man. “Please sir, it was an accident,” I sob.