The Dark is Always Waiting by T.J. Brearton

Author:T.J. Brearton [BREARTON, T.J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-05-08T16:00:00+00:00

28

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8

Water beading off his back, Alex balanced on one leg while trying to keep his wounded, bandaged leg out of the shower. He was already tired when he pulled on his pants and got a strong coffee from the hotel dining room, along with a breakfast he barely touched. When a state trooper showed up to escort them, the brisk chill in the air shrank his skin and tightened his throat. The drive was short; he mostly looked out the window at pine trees and farms.

They pulled in to the Department of Public Safety, comprised of the state police barracks, the sheriff’s office, and the county jail, sectioned off by a high fence topped with cyclone wire.

The trooper’s eyes shone in the rearview mirror. “Everything okay, sir?”

“I’m good.”

Alex went for the door handle, but there was none. The trooper came around and popped it open, helped him to his feet. With Alex balanced on his crutches, the trooper let Chet out the other side. The rising sun tinged the clouded sky silver. Alex followed the state trooper toward the entrance, his hard-soled shoes slipping in the snow. Chet grabbed him when he almost fell, and then they followed the trooper in through the front doors.

Inside, Investigators Roth and Banger awaited. They stood up from a seating area and approached. “Thanks for coming,” Roth said. The front door opened and Louise Cantrell came in next, followed by a man in a baggy suit and a young woman in black cargo pants holding a large camera bag.

“Good to see you again,” Cantrell said to Alex over a quick handshake. The man was Todd Miggs, a forensic videographer, the woman his assistant. They went over it: Sheffield wasn’t going to answer any questions about the shooting. He would only talk about crimes he knew about, had committed, or planned on – or some combination thereof. Nobody could be sure which. They would give it as long as it takes, but Cantrell advised that it run no longer than half an hour. “If he’s not giving something up by then, I’ll pull the plug.”

She made a concession: Alex could, of course, end it any time he wanted.

“It’s a bit of an elaborate process getting through security,” Banger said when the briefing ended. “Follow me, please.”

The seven of them turned out their pockets into plastic tubs. There were no cell phones allowed in the room. No pens or pencils. After a jail officer feathered a wand over each of them, Alex, Chet, and the video team were directed to sign some forms on a chest-high desk. Another officer guided them through a second metal detector, finally gathering everyone as a single group to go through the air lock.

They funneled into a room where, Alex was told, lawyers met with their clients. The camera operator started setting up. Even amid all the procedure was an atmosphere of nervous excitement.

After Cantrell and Banger left the room, Miggs looked Alex up and down. “Mr. Baines, can you take your seat, there?”

Alex eased himself into a chair at the large table.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.