Shocking Memories

Chapter 19

The station was a large, four story, building tucked away in an area I wasn't familiar with, but not altogether far from the industrial district we had been in. The building itself was positioned next to other, larger buildings, but its imposing form covered in windows was still impressive. I figured this station was only one of many for a city this size, but that didn't take away from my amazement. I also found it ironic that I was now trying to find safety in the very place I had been avoiding since waking in the hospital. I knew I had to still be on guard, the station, under normal circumstances, would be a comforting place to holed up in, but the addition of crooked cops made this a far more treacherous experience.

Emile parked and guided me up into the main building itself. We breezed past inquisitive officers and allowed an elevator to whisk us up to the fourth floor. Emile mentioned this was where homicide had been stationed, though I never got to see the bullpen as I was taken right around to a corridor of interrogation rooms, which was where Emile stuck me.

"Hang out here, I'll be back with some refreshments." he said, then went right back out the door.

I was going to suggest my personal favorite pizza place, but Emile was already gone, leaving me alone in the room I had always been hoping to avoid. It wasn't such a bad room, it had a thin light blue carpet, and glass walls so I could see out into the hallway. On the opposite wall was a large window, not as large as the one in my apartment, but it was enough to see outside and onto the road stretching in front of the building. I checked the window to see if there was any way to get out without throwing myself through it, but I didn't find a latch, and had zero interest in throwing myself out any more windows. Instead, I looked to the center of the room, which had a metal table bolted to the floor, and two metal chairs. The table was strange looking, with two closed loops at the center, I'd come to learn it was for restraining suspects. I also noticed a mirror on one of the walls, facing toward the table, a false mirror that allowed officers to look into the room without being observed themselves. I learned this all from watching some cop shows.

I had to wonder, what were the odds that there was an officer behind that mirror? Was it possible that's where Emile went?

I took a seat in one of the chairs, finding that they too were bolted to the floor, making it hard for me to get comfortable. I waited there twenty to thirty minutes, the room dead quiet except for a low hum being emitted from the air conditioning vents. I tried closing my eyes and focusing on radio waves, seeing if there was a conversation I could pick up on, but the air around the station was too noisy to be able to pick any one signal out.

Frustrated, I laid out on the ground and looked up at the bland ceiling. I understood then why officers will leave suspects in these rooms for extended periods of time. I felt like confessing out of utter boredom and I hadn't even done anything wrong. There was a knock on the glass door, and I looked up to see Tomblin. He was holding a small red box, and a cup of coffee. I nodded, indicating he could enter, at which point he made his way over to the table, sat down, ans placed the cup of coffee on the other side of the table, the side facing the mirror. I figured this was the suspect's seat, and thought it was funny he'd have me take that chair; must have been an old cop habit.

"Have a seat," he offered in a polite and gentle tone.

I got up, and took the other seat, watching as he opened the small red box and pulled out a set of playing cards, "What's this?" I asked, watching as he dealt two hands.

"Company. You ever play poker?"

"I don't remember how to play any card games."

"Then we will start off simple. Go Fish." he finished dealing then took the rest of the cards and made them into a messy pile. "I ask if you have a card, and if you do I take it and set it off to the side. If you don't, then I have to draw a card from the pile."