The Mobster's Girl

Chapter Forty-One

Chapter Forty-One

Stella had spent what felt like a lifetime sitting in a questioning room, waiting for someone to come and speak with her. They'd deposited her in the room as soon as they arrived at the station, and said nothing as they left the room.

It didn't matter that she was both thirsty and needed to use the bathroom; they clearly had better things to attend to.

She also didn't know where Jack or Kate and Hazel were taken, and couldn't help but worry about Jack's wellbeing, considering how poorly the police had treated him when they had arrested him.

She stared at her reflection in the mirror across the room and glared into it, just in case people were behind the glass watching her. She sighed dramatically, hoping that it was heard. She continued to sigh every few minutes, and eventually got up and started pacing around the room, mostly to get her mind off of the fact that her bladder was full.

After a few minutes of pacing, the door opened, and Detective Rosenthal stepped into the room, a file in his hands.

"I'm glad that we're finally able to chat together, Mrs. Moretti. My apologies for referring to you as Miss Erickson before. I just recently learned from your husband that you are now married."

He sat down at the table in the room and motioned for Stella to sit across from him, but she stayed standing.

"Suit yourself. We'll be here a while."

Stella glared at him. "You think I could use the bathroom before you question me for hours?"

Rosenthal agreed and personally escorted her to the bathroom and waited outside the door, as if he was making sure that she wouldn't escape. On the way back from the bathroom, Stella was discretely looking around, trying to see if she could find her friends, but they were nowhere to be found.

When they were back to the room, he once again sat in the same spot at the table, and Stella reluctantly sat across from him.

"So," he began as he opened the file again. He examined his notes that he had taken, and even spread out some of the pictures of what looked to be a crime scene.

Upon closer examination, Stella realized that it was a picture of O'Leary's body, with the bullet hole through his eye. She quickly looked away, which Rosenthal noticed.

"Your husband told me everything."

He paused and waited for Stella to respond. She stayed quiet, and simply raised an eyebrow.

"We've got enough here to lock you away too. Maybe not as long as Jack will be locked up, but you'll certainly do some time."

Stella simply laughed through her nose. They had nothing on her. And even if she was guilty of something, Jack would have taken all the blame. He never would have told the police anything.

"I don't believe this is a laughing matter, ma'am. You need to be taking this more serious."

Stella smirked. "How about you tell me the evidence you claim to have against me, and I'll tell you whether it's true or not."

Rosenthal looked at her in disbelief, astounded by her attitude, but he quickly masked his emotions and stared across the table at her, his expression blank. He paused for a moment and continued to make eye contact with her.

Stella was feeling uncomfortable, but willed herself to stare back at him so she wasn't the first to break eye contact.

"For starters," Rosenthal finally said as he looked down at the crime scene photos and notes. "We know that you are a dancer, or were a dancer at one of Mr. Moretti's speakeasies. So it's very apparent that you knew that your husband was a mobster and a bootlegger." Rosenthal was silent as he stared across the table at Stella, waiting for her to lie deny the facts.