Hotel Ambrose

Chapter 9.3

When we got to the police station they took my bag off me and I was taken to the office of Sergeant Mark. I asked him was Mark his first name? and he said no it was his last name, but it sounded like his first name didn't it? And so on.

"This is Joe, Sarge," Annie said. Then she crouched down and said to me, "I've gotta go now. Try to answer as best you can."

"Where're you going?"

"To catch some robbers."

"Oh. Be careful."

"I will." And she left.

"Hi Joe," said Sergeant Mark.

I didn't say anything. I wanted Constable Annie to come back.

"Would you like a black cat?" he said.

"No."

"Come on mate, they're not poison." He opened the jar and popped a black cat in his mouth. "See?"

So I had a black cat. They were pretty good actually.

Sergeant Mark began to ask me questions. I started off lying to him, but every time I lied he'd look hurt, or cross his arms and sigh. So he ended up getting the truth out of me, most of it anyway.

When he'd finished asking questions he told me to sit tight, and gave me a colouring book and pencils, and went away. It was a colouring book of animals, like elephants and stuff. But I was so nervous I couldn't colour anything – not even an elephant.

When he came back he gave me my bag back.

"Everything's there," he said when I opened it and peered inside. The only thing in there had been the toy dog I'd bought for Fred. My shopping list and the hundred and fifty bucks Bill had given me was still in the pocket of my jeans.

Sergeant Mark asked me some more questions. He knew about Sophie and Fred already. He asked where we slept.

"In this - place."

"Where is it?"

"Depends."

"Is it in the city?"

"Yeh."

"Could you take us there?"

"No."

He sat down on the edge of his desk and his gun holster creaked. "Look Benny, you seem like a smart young fella, so I'm going to be straight with you."

"My name's Joe."

"Okay, Joe then. Whatever. Fact is, you don't have a choice. Do you think I like doing this?"

"I dunno."

"Well I don't. If I thought you'd be safer somewhere else I'd let you go straight away."

"How do you know how safe it is?" I said. "You've never even been there."

"I know you didn't like the home. I know those places aren't the greatest."

"You don't know anything."

He put his hand on my shoulder. I tried to shrug it off but it was too heavy. "Listen mate," he said, "We can do this the easy way or we can do it the hard way. Choice is yours."

"Well I don't have a choice, do I? I have to take you there whether I want to or not."

"Now we understand each other," he said. "Black cat?"

"Stick your black cat up your black arse."

Sergeant Mark was laughing then. He had a big, booming, infectious laugh, and I couldn't help grinning. He was okay, really. I began to wonder if maybe there was a way.

"We'll have to walk," I said.

"Walk?"

"You'll never find it in a car."

"Why?"

"Cos you won't be able to hear it."

He looked like he was about to argue, but then he just shrugged and said: "One for the road?" holding out the jar of black cats.

I took one for the road.