Perfect Night (Mason Creek)

As it stood, I deserved an award for not going all bad cop on him when I saw his hands on her. He fought me arresting him, and he didn’t disappoint by fighting me into the station. It was déjà vu all over again. Billy 2.0.

“I want my lawyer,” he hollered as I put him into one of the cells. “And I’m going to sue your ass.”

The door closed and I sighed. As much as I wanted to beat the crap out of him, I couldn’t. That wasn’t my job.

I went to the front to tell Bess I’d brought in the guy causing the disturbance.

After leaving Emma, I’d almost made it back to the station when Bess radioed in that Ms. Watson, Emma’s neighbor had called about trouble in front of Emma’s house. I turned on my lights and sirens which wasn’t necessary most of the time here in Mason Creek and high-tailed it over there.

Emma wasn’t a weeping willow of a woman. She hadn’t been as a girl either. How she’d handled Billy was proof of that. To see the fear in her eyes when I rolled up had stirred something primal in me. I wanted to get out of the car, guns blazing. Evan was the kind of guy to exploit that. I’d done my job by the book. I didn’t smash his head in the ground even when I wanted to.

I balled my hands in fists wishing for the time of gunslinger punishment or even a good fight.

Wyatt wasn’t in, so I found Sam. “I need you to handle the asshole in the cell back there.”

Evan was the only prisoner at the moment. So, I didn’t need to give further information about who.

“Let him call his lawyer in,” I checked my watch, “two hours. If he puts up too much of a stink, then an hour. I don’t want him out tonight.” I wanted to be with Emma when he got out.

“What are we charging him with?” Sam asked.

“Assault, assaulting an officer, resisting arrest. That should do it for now.”

Sam nodded and left while I did the paperwork. Evan ranted the entire time. I wondered if he would have a voice by the time his lawyer showed up.

I’d wanted to talk to Darcy, but that would have to wait. I didn’t want to leave Sam to deal with the asshole. He wasn’t used to his type. I’d worked in LA, and I knew guys like him all too well. A guy who thinks his self-importance was tied to their bank account and used bullying to get what they wanted. He couldn’t intimidate me. So, I stayed.

Hours later, a man in a crisp suit walked in. It was late and Bess was gone. I heard the bell and greeted the man.

“Can I help you?” I asked.

“I’m here to pay whatever bail to get Evan Daily out of jail.”

I made a show of checking my watch. “That will have to wait until the morning. Everyone is gone for the evening.”

“I’d like to talk to my client,” he said.

I showed him to the back where the cells were and grabbed him a chair in case he wanted to sit in front of the bars. Then, I left them.

Twenty minutes later, I heard a knock on the cell area door, and I went to open it.

“Can we talk?” the lawyer said.

I took him to my cramped office as there weren’t many places to have private conversations at the station. We didn’t have the crime that warranted conference rooms and multiple interrogation rooms. We did have one of the later, but it was smaller than my office and didn’t seem appropriate for this meeting.

After he sat, I did. He didn’t wait for me to speak.

“It seems my client’s rights were violated when he was arrested. I think the best thing for you to do is to release him and I’ll get him not to sue the department.”

I put my hands behind my head and leaned back. “Really? You probably think a small department like this doesn’t have updated technology, but we do. We have video cameras on our cars and body cameras.” I sat up and pulled mine from the drawer. Not everyone in the department used it. But it was here, and I was used to using it in LA. “I can show you the footage of your client holding a woman against her will. I had to ask him twice to release her. When he did, he shoved her to the ground. While arresting him, he fought me. And you know what else? I’ve found out this isn’t the first time your client has assaulted someone.”

“That was dismissed,” the lawyer said.

I arched a brow. “Only because it was settled out of court. Maybe if you let him pay for his crimes, he wouldn’t be an asshole.”