Madison v.s The Horse Thief

Chapter Twenty-Four: Here We Go Again

"So, describe the car to me."

I glance back up from my twitching thumbs. The officer is a larger woman with her hair pulled back firmly. Creases are starting to form around her eyes as she squints at me. 

"Umm."

I glance up at the clock. 9:15. The questioning has been going on for ten minutes. But it feels like I've been glued to this chair for ten hours. I look back at the officer.

"It was black, with tinted windows. Very muddy. Oh, the license plate was white and maroon but I don't remember any of it," I finish.

The officer just nods with her lips pressed together. She has been writing down every word I say.

"Could be from Queensland," she tells herself.

Even though she isn't talking to me I nod in agreement. I glance back up at the clock. 9:16.

Gosh, how much longer?

I was the last out of every key witness of the theft to be questioned. The claustrophobia I feel, stuck in Antonio's office alone with this woman being questioned about my every move today. Was breathing in here always this hard? 

It is like I've been sucked back in time to three years ago. The rain pouring down, a police officer trying to question me. Being completely frozen and scared.

"Now Maddie," the officer starts, startling me a little. "Do you have any idea what might have happened?"

Do I think it was Justin? Yes.

Is it the right time to say that? Maybe.

Do I have enough evidence to prove it? No

I quietly shake my head. My gut is telling me to stay silent.

"You sure?"

I sigh. "Definitely an inside job."

The police detective raises her eyebrows at me. "Really?"

"How do you think they took a horse from here undetected? They had someone at the show snooping on us, how did they know we were there? How did they enter SEC late at night without the keys?"

The officer purses her lips together and nods her head side to side. "You make a point. Well, thank you, Madison for your co-operation."

She shuts her little notebook with a smile before outstretching a hand. I look at her bright pink nails and with a sigh, I push back the sleeves of Alex's hoodie and shake her hand. Immediately I leave the office.

I have to get some fresh air and just escape the feeling of being trapped with no escape. 

I shut the door behind me and finally take a deep breath. The containment I felt starts to melt away. The questioning has made my stomach flip and saliva starts to build in my mouth.

"Maddie!" calls Alex's voice from behind me.

Oh, please do not throw up on him, I will myself.

I can hear his footsteps coming up from behind me. It's like something in me clicks at this moment and I start to run away from him. I can't see him right now, not like this. I want to punch myself right in the mouth when I hear him call out for me again.

There is nothing more I want to do than just go up to him and bury myself in a hug with him and just forget this ever happened. But this has happened. It is still happening. I just am so done with the world I can't see him until everything makes sense.

"I'll see you at the meeting," I call over my stomach, feeling very ashamed of myself. 

I dash down the stable aisle until I hit the admin room. Antonio called us all for a meeting once all the interviews with the police were over. I open the door and am hit with a wave of unbearable silence.