Chapter 31

I heard a knock at the door, a loud one. It wasn’t to the bedroom door. Maybe the front door of the house.

I remembered both where I was and what I had been doing all night. I sat bolt upright, with only a comforter covering my naked body. I looked around, ready to wake up my Kelly and Alyssa, but found that I was alone. The body I thought I was curled up with was actually a full-body pillow. While warm, soft, and comfortable, it wasn’t the same as a real body – especially a woman’s body. Even if anyone assumed I slept alone, in the master bedroom, it wouldn’t excuse the fact that my clothes were all upstairs in my bedroom.

I spotted my pajamas on the dresser. I threw back the covers, grabbed them, and went for the bathroom. I closed the door behind me and leaned against it, feeling a bit more secure. Then Mother Nature made her wishes known. I left my pajamas on the sink counter and relieved myself.

I went back to the mirror, not sure what to do. First thing’s first, I thought, I need to get dressed, so I pulled on my pajama pants. Then I stared at myself in the mirror. My hair was a mess. I needed to shave, and my mouth tasted like someone had lined it with some sort of flavorless paste. I found mouthwash in the cabinet and started gargling.

A moment later, the bathroom door edged open and Kelly slipped inside. She was already dressed in a tight black top, black leggings, and tan leather knee-high boots. “The police are here.”

I frowned, spit out the mouthwash, and asked, “Why?”

“They want to talk to you.”

I swished some water and spit it out. “Invite them in and I’ll go get dressed.”

“They don’t want to talk here.”

I sighed. “Get me some clothes. Then find my coat and my phone. I’ll need to call my lawyer.”

She nodded and left.

There wasn’t much else I could do while waiting except try to brush out my hair. Of course, Jordan and Chloe had been teaching me domestic spells to take care of such things as brushing my teeth and shaving when I was in a hurry. Now seemed like a good time for it, so I recalled the spells and cast them. In an instant, I looked perfectly shaved and my mouth tasted even better than after the mouthwash. Then I turned my thoughts to the various possible reasons the police wanted to take me to town to talk. None of those reasons seemed likely. Something told me I was about to be railroaded.

Mom returned with my clothes. She laid them on the counter, looked me over, leaned in for a quick kiss, and then left.

A moment later, Alyssa came in with my phone and coat. She was fully dressed too in a multi-colored sweater with a turtleneck, a black skirt, black tights, and a pair of fur-lined boots. She leaned against the closed bathroom door and watched me while I got dressed. “Do you really believe you’ll need a lawyer?”

“I would rather not take the chance,” I said. “I can’t think of any reason they want to talk to me other than to try to pin something on me. Having my lawyer will help make sure that doesn’t happen.”

Once dressed, I reached for my phone. Alyssa held it behind her back, forcing me to move closer to her. She kissed me, but it wasn’t the quick peck Kelly offered. I understood why. The bond between us made us want the other in ways even Kelly didn’t understand. Fortunately, I was already accustomed to the pull and could resist it. Sadly, Alyssa didn’t have the benefit of my experience and pouted when I took my phone and stepped away from her.

I looked at her. She looked ready to argue, but I said, “If the police weren’t waiting for me...”

She understood that and calmed down.

I focused on my phone and pulled up the same number I dialed the day before. “Please inform Mr. Van Dusen that Seth Connors is in need of counsel at the Newton Grove Police Department, where officers wish to question me on an unknown topic.” I left my phone number this time and then ended the call.

Feeling as ready as I could be, I slipped on Dad’s work jacket and left the master suite.

Sergeant Rawlings stood in the doorway and Officer Jenkins stood behind him. “Mr. Connors,” Rawlings said. “We need to talk to you down at the station.”

“What about?” I asked.

The Sergeant glanced at my mom and sister. “It’s an ongoing investigation. We can’t disclose any information.” Which meant he didn’t want them to know.

I watched the officers. “You do understand that I’ll end up telling them anyway, right?”

Jenkins glared at me. “Let’s go, Mr. Connors.”

I met Jenkins’ glare with my own. “Lead the way.”

Rawlings turned but had to wait for Jenkins to move so he could. I followed them out, but had to put up with Jenkins waiting and then walking behind me. Guess he didn’t believe I would follow along willingly.

The trip to town was quiet. I didn’t say anything and they didn’t ask. When we arrived at the station, they led me to the same little room they kept me on Saturday. Jenkins stood guard and Rawlings sat with me. Unlike the first time, however, I wasn’t going to be treated the same way. If they wanted to arrest me, they should not only offer proof, but also explain it to me in plain English.

I sat down on the same chair I used on Saturday, only this time, I wasn’t handcuffed. I crossed my legs, and tried to be as comfortable as I could. I also kept a few spells in mind that would allow me to restrain the Sergeant if it really came down to that. I didn’t like it, but something about this situation screamed setup.

The Sergeant set a folder and notebook down on the desk and sat in the other chair. He pulled out a pen, opened the notebook and set it aside for notes, and then opened the folder. He looked over the notes in the folder and said, “I need to know where you were on Saturday morning between eight a.m. and nine a.m.”

I shook my head. “Sorry, my lawyer isn’t here. We can’t start yet.”

He studied me for a few seconds. “I only have three simple questions. You don’t need your lawyer for that.”

I shook my head. “Nothing is simple when it comes to answering questions for the police. You don’t want to say what this is about, and I can’t answer questions unless my lawyer is present and suggests I do.”

Rawlings glanced at the doorway and then leaned forward. “If you don’t answer my questions, I will arrest you for obstruction.”

I frowned and studied the Sergeant’s expression. He looked angry. He hadn’t raised his voice or done anything else to suggest it, but he looked like he was ready to blow his lid. “Why don’t we wait until my lawyer gets here,” I said with a calm, even tone. “And see what he says?”

He sat back, shaking his head. “You’re not giving me a choice.”

“And you’re trying to take away my rights,” I said. “I can’t let that happen.”

He stood up and waved at me. “Stand up. You’re under arrest.”

I stood up and held out my hands in front of me. Fighting him, especially with Jenkins right outside the door, seemed a bad idea. So long as Rawlings remained calm, I felt I could control the situation. “You do understand that my lawyer will have me out of here before you start any paperwork, right? He could even have you investigated for this. You do understand, correct? You could be fired.”

His head snapped up with a raptor’s gaze as his eyes met mine. “Are you threatening me?”

His anger felt wrong. I hadn’t done anything other than speak in a calm, rational voice. “No, I’m offering you the opportunity to do the right thing. All you have to do is wait. I’m sure my lawyer will let you ask your questions, but it seems to me you don’t want my lawyer here, and that is something I cannot allow.”

“Turn around,” he said through gritted teeth.

I kicked my chair aside and backed up to the wall. I shook my head. “Don’t do this, Sergeant.”

“I don’t have a choice,” he said as he came at me with his handcuffs.

I ended up with my face pressed to the wall while he pulled my arms behind me to handcuff me. I thought up a spell to slip the cuffs from me to him. After he got them into place, and I cast it. The spell spun both of us around, swapping positions. Then I turned him around to face me. He opened his mouth to call for help, and I clamped my hand over it. I dove into his recent memories.

Rawlings strolled in from his cruiser to find Anna Begley and Olivia Rooney waiting for him.

“Sergeant Rawlings, good morning,” Anna said while sitting in his chair, behind his desk.

“Good Morning,” Rawlings said, hesitantly. “How can I help you?” He took in the details of the two women. Both appeared to be dressed normally for the cold weather outside, but he didn’t understand why they were here or why they were waiting for him.

He watched Ms. Begley stand up, casually stroll around his desk, and then step up close to him, invading his personal space. He refused to back up for her. This was his office. He worked hard to earn it and he wasn’t about to let one of the city council members push him out of it.

Anna stopped, just shy of touching him. She smiled politely and said, “I have new information regarding the firebombs. It would appear that Seth Connors has been seen at each location shortly before each bombing occurred. You will want to talk to him, and if he offers any resistance, you should arrest him.”

Anna’s words sounded reasonable, and the Sergeant felt the overwhelming desire to do exactly what she said. Yes, he would have to talk to Seth Connors about his whereabouts for each firebomb. However, why should the boy be arrested just because he didn’t answer those questions? He had an expensive attorney, who would easily have him released the instant he found out that there was no evidence of the boy’s direct involvement.

Rawlings shook his head and took a step back to put some distance between himself and Anna. He turned to walk around to sit at his desk, but Anna moved to block his path.

“Sergeant,” she said, staring up into his eyes, “You MUST speak with Mr. Connors. He cannot be allowed to escape justice. He will want to call his lawyer. Let him, but do not wait for the lawyer to show up to ask your questions. If Seth refuses to answer, arrest him for obstruction of justice. Either way, he will be punished for his actions.”

Rawlings stared at her. All thoughts contrary to her instructions were swept out of his mind. “Of course. He must be punished. I understand.”

Anna smiled and stepped past him for the exit. “Come along, Olivia.” Rawlings watched them leave.

Olivia jumped up and ran after the smaller woman. “But Anna, we don’t know that Seth Connors really caused the firebombs.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Anna said, and they got ready for the cold outside. “He escaped punishment for what he did before. He won’t escape this time.” Then she pushed the back door open. The two of them braced against the frigid wind and left.

Rawlings sat behind his desk with only one course of action on his mind. He picked up his phone and punched the shortcut button for the front desk. “Jenkins? Good morning. Get your coat. We’re going to pick up the Connors boy for questioning on the firebombs.”

I stepped away from the Sergeant. My own anger made me sweat. Anna had gone too far. She was trying to blame me for something I didn’t do. I had a reasonable idea on who caused them and why, but I had no proof. Worse, I couldn’t say anything to Rawlings or anyone else in town because that would be a breach of the Laws of Secrecy. Instead, for the moment, I had to act ignorant. I looked at the Sergeant. “What are these firebombs?”