IncuBUST

Madigan

"H-hi, I'm Officer Madigan. You wanted to report a crime?" she stammered. Sissy nodded and stood up handing the officer the clipboard.

"Yes, I'm Cecelia McManus and this is my brother Chase," Sissy said shaking the officer warmly by the hand. Officer Madigan, looking thoroughly overwhelmed, glanced anxiously at Barapha. Sissy frowned and waved her hand at him saying, "And this is my brother's..." She made a series of ugly faces and gestured emphatically finishing lamely, "Barapha." Barapha raised an eyebrow at Sissy and the officer laughed nervously.

"Um, p-please follow me and we'll get started on your report," Officer Madigan said and Sissy nodded stooping to grab the bag containing my bloody sweater causing her boobs to nearly fall out of her top. Officer Madigan swallowed hard and looked away.

"After you," Sissy said straightening up and shoving the bag into my arms. Officer Madigan nodded curtly and started off at a brisk pace leading us to an interrogation room.

"Um, don't most people report crimes at a desk or something?" I asked glancing at the smattering of half-cubicles she was leading us pass where officers paused in their work to stare. Officer Madigan cleared her throat uncomfortably and replied, "Usually, but since you are...since there are three of you, I thought it might be better if we had entire room."

"Nice backtrack," Barapha muttered, and she glanced at him snapping, "To be quite frank, sir, you're rather large and my desk isn't. You would be in the way." Barapha blinked in surprise and Sissy cackled aloud.

"Ooh, sassy! I like it," Sissy said as we stopped by the interrogation room so that Officer Madigan could unlock it. As Sissy stepped into the room, she looked the officer up and down adding, "That and you are quite easy on the eyes." The officer looked down at the floor to hide her blushing face as Barapha and I followed Sissy into the room.

Sissy and I sat down at the table in the middle of the room and Officer Madigan closed the door. She looked up at Barapha and grabbed the seat on her side of the table saying, "You can sit too if you like." Barapha came to a halt behind Sissy and I and replied, "If it's all the same to you, I think I'll stand."

"Very well," she said before taking a seat opposite Sissy and I and setting her notepad before her along with the paperwork Sissy had filled out. She looked at Sissy and I and clicked her pen saying, "Please, tell me what happened."

Sissy glanced at me and said, "Go on." I cleared my throat nervously and pushed my glasses up on the bridge of my nose. I heard Barapha shift behind me and felt his hands on my shoulders giving them a reassuring squeeze. I took a deep breath and looked at the officer saying, "Barapha and I were at the Sweetwater Iceplex this afternoon. When I was by my car--" I cut off and looked at Sissy, correcting, "Her car actually, she let me borrow it. Anyway, Barapha and I were standing by the car when something smashed into the windshield. At first, I thought it was a balloon filled with red paint, but then I could...I could smell it. It was blood."

On cue Sissy slid her phone across the table so that Madigan could see the pictures Thomasina's mechanic friend had taken of Sissy's vandalized windshield. Office Madigan scribbled a few things on her notepad and took out her own cell phone.

"Can you send these photos to me?" she asked, showing Sissy her number. Sissy nodded and with a series of notification noises the pictures appeared on Madigan's phone. She smiled at Sissy and said, "Thank you." Sissy smiled back and I saw the officer's neck redden around the collar of her uniform. I cleared my throat and Sissy glanced at me saying, "Sorry, go on."

I looked at Madigan and continued, "We turned to see where the balloon had come from and another one hit me..." I trailed off remembering the feeling of my sweater soaked with blood sticking to my skin...the smell of it. I felt bile rise in my throat. Barapha's grip tightened on my shoulders, and I exhaled shakily removing my sweater from the plastic bag. It was stiff and crunchy with dried blood. I set it on the table and swallowed hard.

Officer Madigan eyed it distastefully then looked up at me saying, "I'm very sorry that happened to you." I nodded and watched as she snapped a few pictures of my bloody sweater and wrote a few things down on her notepad. After a few moments she looked at Barapha and I and asked, "Did you happen to see who threw the balloons?"

Barapha scoffed and let go of my shoulders crossing his arms over his chest turning away. I looked at Madigan and removed my own phone from my pocket scrolling through my messages with Octavia until I found the yearbook photos she had sent me.

"These three on bikes," I said my heart thumping painfully in my chest. I pointed at the one with light brown hair and a cocksure smile and said, "This one threw the balloons." Office Madigan looked at the photos and then at me saying, "These kids threw blood filled balloons at you?" I nodded and she scribbled something onto her pad.

"How did you get these pictures?" she inquired, and I shifted uncomfortably replying, "My friend Octavia lives in their neighborhood. She heard them talking about it on her way home from school. Her cousins, who she lives with, go to school with them. She sent me their yearbook photos to ask if I recognized them." Officer Madigan wrote a few things down then asked, "Why would these boys assault you like this?"

"What kind of question is that?" Barapha snapped and the temperature dropped by several degrees, "They're a bunch of good-for-nothing punks with nothing better to do than defacing personal property and assaulting innocent Mythics!"

Officer Madigan suppressed a shiver and calmly said, "I just meant attacks like this aren't usually random. In my professional opinion it sounds like these boys were trying to send a message." Sissy, Barapha and I shared a look, and I bit down on the side of my tongue. Murderer. The word echoed in my head.

I opened my mouth to tell the officer about Octavia's dad, but before I could, Sissy said, "Until recently, our friend Octavia lived with us. My brother just helped her move in with her aunt and cousins last week. They live in Watermill, which as you probably know, isn't too tolerant of people like us. He didn't have a vehicle so instead of calling a cab like a smart person, he flew out of a human-only neighborhood. Those kids probably saw him. This is clearly their way of saying 'keep out' in the most disgusting and offensive way they could think of."

She reached out towards the officer and said, "Honestly, Officer Madigan, my little brother works at a vet's office. His idea of a good time is a hot cup of tea and a Harry Potter marathon." She leaned even closer and whispered, "He's over two-hundred years old and still sleeps with a stuffed animal--"

"Sis!" I shrieked and she rolled her eyes looking back towards Madigan saying, "Does he really seem like the type that deserves to be sent a message like this?" Officer Madigan glanced at me, and I sank in my seat feeling like the guilt was plain on my face. I knew I wouldn't get in trouble for killing Octavia's dad. I was well within my allowance, and it was technically self-defense, but there was no way I would gain any sympathy from Officer Madigan if I told the truth. I was a murderer. Somehow those boys found out and they wanted to punish me for it and make sure I never set foot in their neighborhood again.

Officer Madigan smiled sadly and said, "No, he doesn't." She finished her notes then asked if I could text her the pictures of the boys and bag my sweater back up so she could take it to evidence. I nodded and did so.

When all was said and done, she stood, got all her papers in order and held her hand out to each of us saying, "Thank you for your cooperation. Your report will be filed, and someone will get back to you within a week."

I shook her hand. Barapha didn't. Sissy didn't either, instead she paused by the door on her way out and murmured, "Since I have your number, do you mind if I shoot you a text in case I have any..." she licked her full, pink lips and continued, "Follow up questions?" Officer Madigan swallowed hard, and color rose in her cheeks as she replied, "I don't think I would mind that at all." Sissy smiled and said, "Great," before flouncing out of the interrogation room and through the station.