Chapter 43: Police Interview
- DEX -
Walking down the hallway after leaving Raya’s room, I notice two police officers in uniform coming the opposite way. Shit. It must be about the accident. I doubt it’s about what happened at her apartment.
"Excuse me, officers. Are you on your way to see Auraya Gray?" I ask before they have a chance to walk past me.
They both have those typical impassive expressions that must be taught at the academy or something. It’s like they are evaluating whether answering my question about an investigation is appropriate or not, which is understandable. I get it. They’re just doing their jobs.
"I witnessed the car accident she was in that was on Larkin Street and Hayes in which an old woman was also hit. I’m the owner’s son of Mobius Media right there on the corner."
"You witnessed the accident?" The taller one asks, turning a knob on his radio when it starts making static. "May we ask you some questions?"
"Of course. That’s no problem at all."
We find a small waiting room that is empty at the moment and sit down. A small television mounted on the wall is on low volume with what appears to be the night’s news.
"I’m Officer Sheeran and this is Officer Betts," the tall one says. "Where were you when the accident occurred Thursday afternoon?"
"I was in my office that faces that intersection. I happened to be looking out the window and saw the vehicle approaching the crosswalk without braking."
After giving them the play-by-play of what I saw when the black SUV hit the old woman and managing to bring every one of those disturbing details back to mind in vivid detail, I tell them about finding Raya and bringing her to the hospital.
"Why didn’t you wait for an ambulance?" Officer Betts asks.
"I was there immediately, and my truck was parked on the street. It was faster," I shrug.
"Are you dating Ms. Gray?" Officer Sheeran asks, glancing up from his notes.
"What does that have to do with anything?" I frown. "No. I’m her boss. Aren’t you here about the horrific accident that left an innocent old woman dead and another woman seriously injured? Or am I mistaken?"
"That’s correct." Sheeran nods says, appearing mildly annoyed. "We are just getting as much information as we can, and if there is any reason you would feel the need to exaggerate the events..."
"That is exactly how it happened. That is exactly what I saw. No exaggeration." I wave a hand, dismissing the suggestion that I would exaggerate. As if that accident needed any exaggeration. It was like it was out of a movie. Or a nightmare.
"We came to interview Ms. Gray when she was in surgery, but she is apparently awake and available for questioning now?" Officer Betts asks.
"Yes."
I regret so much that Raya will have to recount what happened, but it’s necessary. If the driver is going to be prosecuted and forced to pay for bills and damages, then she needs to be interviewed.
My phone pings with a text message, and I pull it out of my pocket. It’s from Raya.
"Well, you are a busy man. If we need more information, we will contact you," Sheeran says.
"Anything you need," I assure them, glancing back up. My patience for this interview is very much spent, and I’m sure they can tell.
They both fold their notebooks and stand to make their way to Raya’s room. Will should still be there with her, which is good. It will be traumatic for her to relive all of that in such excruciating detail.
I click on the notification of Raya’s text message, wondering if she needs something else.
’I forgot to thank you for the flowers. They’re beautiful. And thank you for everything else. I hope you enjoyed your first strawberry croissant. :)’
A grin sprouts on my face, and I have to rub my chin to try to make it go away. But I think this grin is staying.
’It was delicious. You’re right. I’ll never be the same.’
When I send it and reread the bubble, that same ache in my chest roars back to life. I have a feeling—in fact, I am certain—that those last words are true. But it’s not the dessert that we shared that is the cause of it.
’Heads-up,’ I start typing again. ’Two officers are headed to your room about the car accident. I just answered some questions for them, too.’
’Okay, thank you.’
I stare at the text, imagining the dread that she is likely feeling. What an insane set of circumstances to all happen so quickly. There is no way that anyone would blame me for offering her a place to stay. Despite the feelings that have sprung up so suddenly for Raya, what I said before remains true. I would do the same for anyone else.
If it were Jay who had been the one in the accident and had a peeping Tom in his apartment—as funny as that thought strikes me—I would offer him the guest house, too. It’s just that I would probably not be looking forward to it as much as I am in this case, if I’m being honest with myself. And I also wouldn’t be trying to figure out how to keep it from my father and brother.
’Can you give Moira an ear rub for me and tell her I’ll see her soon?’ She sends back.
I send a gif of the real Moria Rose character winking her reassurance in reply. But yikes, now I have to deal with the cat. It may not be a big deal if she scratches the hell out of my truck, but the furniture in my dad’s guest house might be a different story. Maybe there is one room in that house that will work, and I can close the door to keep her in there. Or maybe I should just keep her in my room to avoid any problems until Raya is out of the hospital.
