Gathering Twigs by Charles Tabb

Author:Charles Tabb [Tabb, Charles]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2022-06-30T00:00:00+00:00

29

When an officer pulled her from the car she had been driving, she panicked. She started screaming and trying to pull away, even attempting to kick the officer who had her by the arm. Another officer joined the fray, and moments later, Brandy was handcuffed and seated in the back of a police cruiser.

I’m being arrested, Brandy thought as she sat waiting to be taken to the police station. She’d seen reality TV shows that showed what happened when someone was brought in for questioning. She’d be stuck in a windowless room for hours answering questions she’d prefer to forget the answers to.

She didn’t know what came over her when she swerved to run over Travis. All she could remember was thinking she would never be free of him. She would never see her family again. She would never be happy again. The thoughts had taken over her conscious mind. For days it was all she’d thought about. Travis would continue to do whatever he wanted with her, or even with someone else while she slept on a sofa being forced to listen as he satisfied himself with the other girl. The precedent had been set, and she’d done nothing to stop him.

She was with him, but she was alone. A prisoner in what passed for a home. He had forced her into a life of crime. Okay, maybe it had started as some kind of romantic adventure, but she’d never seen herself participating. He’d said he would steal cars and sell them to chop shops. He didn’t need her for that.

The door opened and the female officer who’d patted her down after she’d calmed enough to be put in the cruiser sat beside her. She looked sympathetic, as if she fully understood Brandy’s situation before hearing a word. Brandy thought about the shows she’d seen, where one cop would pretend to understand while the other would browbeat the person being interrogated. The woman’s look of sympathy and understanding put Brandy on the defensive. Her name badge said “Blake.”

“Before you say anything else, I need to read you your rights,” the officer said and proceeded to inform her about her right to remain silent and to have an attorney present, ending with, “Do you understand your rights as I have explained them to you?”

“Yes.”

“Wanna tell me what happened?”

“I ran over him.”

“Why?”

Instead of answering, Brandy shrugged as if she didn’t know the answer.

“Did you know him?”

Shrug.

“Was he your boyfriend?”

Shrug.

“You know, if you talk to me, you’ll feel better.”

“I doubt that.”

“A witness said you veered into him on purpose.”

Shrug.

“Okay, let’s start with basic stuff. What’s your name? You said when we got here that you don’t have a driver’s license or any other identification. We’d like to be able to notify your parents.”

“My dad’s gone.” Brandy chastised herself for answering.

“Okay, your mother then. I’m sure she’s worried about you.”

Shrug.

“Okay, how about a first name, so I know what to call you.”

Brandy didn’t figure that would hurt, so she answered. She didn’t want them referring to her as Jane Doe.

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