50 Shades of Drake 5 and 6

More Life: Chapter Seventy-One

    The Metropolitan Police Department hosting the interviews allowed FBI Agent Darius's team and wards to borrow their briefing room. This was so that the average department visitor didn't get a good look at anyone in their party. In advance of their visit, the interviewing officers requested to book the nearest interrogation room. They wanted to interview each person separately, to determine if any details were remembered differently. They didn't want each potential witness's story details to taint the next interviewee. Fair enough.

    Destiny sat with Aubrey to her right and Carlos to her left. The Richards nervously held onto each other. Dennis remained standing near Sandi, just in case she needed him; but she was too busy worrying about their son to realize Dennis was even standing near her.

    Aubrey kept throwing her reassuring looks. 

    All of the FBI agents were interviewed first, since two agents were standing guard at the time the food delivery person approached the hotel suite. Those interviews took the longest, because in addition to having to give their account of events, they also had to provide information regarding their processing of the bit of evidence they took with them. During the agent interviews is when Darius received a call from the hotel advising that the surveillance footage was ready for them to pick up. 

    Darius tasked two of the agents who'd already finished interviewing to pick up the footage. "We don't have time to spare on this," he warned them. "We want to be the first ones to it. It seems like we're going to be here longer than anticipated. Call in a new vehicle to be delivered here. Prior to any of us leaving this station, we will have our cars checked for explosives. The local ATF field office has already been contacted. They'll send agents to us within the next few hours."

    "Few hours?" Dennis grumbled. His stomach rumbled in protest moments later. "I'm not going to last a few hours."

    "I'm sure we can have officers bring in magazines and some burgers," Darius said after muting his telephone car. He deftly unmuted and replied, "Yes, I'm still here."

    Time seemed to crawl and fly by at the same time. There was a lot of activity, although they were essentially sitting and waiting. Conversations would start and then trail off. Eventually, magazines and food were delivered to them, a random combination of meat and vegan options. Donuts were added almost as an afterthought - which was fine, because all females declined a pastry, citing a need to reduce their carbohydrate intake. 

    Aubrey squeezed Destiny's hand. "We're almost on the other side of this," he whispered to her. 

    "We still have the whole trial, and there's no telling how long that's going to drag out."

    "Between the two of us, I thought I was the pessimist," he said, kissing her temple. 

    "I just wish I could fast-forward time," she muttered, leaning into him.

    He wrapped an arm around her, his eyes shooting over to the analog clock on the wall. 

    "I have to go to the bathroom," she announced, standing.

    His arm fell away from her as she stood, but he joined her in standing. "I'll walk you."

    A pair of FBI agents were at her side at once, talking over each other.

    She raised both hands. "Hey...I just need to go to the bathroom."

    "We have to escort you," the agents said in unison.

    "I saw it on the way in, though..." She looked between the two of them. "Okay. It's probably for the best."

    "I can't go with you?" Aubrey asked them.