Enigmatic Affairs

CHAPTER TWO

ANNIE
NOW

The room felt smaller than before, the grey walls closing in around me. The wooded table too close, the metal chair was too cold, and the Chief's stare was too hard on me. The file - the one that held everything about my dad's case - sat between us inches away. The file. That file was the key, and I wasn't leaving without at least a glimpse.

The Chief broke his gaze first, glancing at his list of questions. His arm brushed against the file. Before I could do anything, I had to get his guard down.

"Has your father ever been abusive or... inappropriate?" he asked, his voice steady, professional.

I tilted my head slightly, giving him a small, incredulous smile. "No, Chief. He's ever been like that."

His eyes flickered, but he kept reading. "Has he ever drank heavily or done drugs?"

"Not as far as I know," I said, leaning back just a little. I crossed my arm slightly, not in defense, but in thought. I wanted him to think I was comfortable, and I didn't see him as a threat.

He didn't look at me this time, focused more on the paper in front of him. "Has he ever talked about other girls your age? Or an age?"

I let a slight chuckle escape my mouth, feigning disbelief, like the idea was almost too ridiculous to take seriously. "No. Chief, come one." I said, unimpressed.

I watched him closely, saw the way his eyes stayed on the paper, his mind already moving on to the next question. But I had to make him see me differently - distracted, cooperative, anything that would shift his focus. "I thought you knew better than this," I said softly, my voice low enough to draw him in but not enough to sound confrontational. Almost vulnerable. "Do you really think I would sit back if my dad was capable of something like this?"

The Chief and I have had plenty of run-ins. Whether it was underage drinking, petty theft out of boredom, or fighting some jackass, we've developed a begrudging understanding. He hates me, and I don't exactly like him either. But still, we get each other.

His old eyes lifted briefly to meet mine, and there it was, Game on.

I leaned in closer, my elbows resting on the sad table, keeping my posture casual but attentive. "We've been through a lot, you and me," I said, my voice lighter, teasing almost "You've seen me screw up enough times to know I'm not good at keeping secrets." the tension between us loosed. Good. I needed him off his balance, less guarded.

"Are you hiding something, Annie?" He asked, more out of suspicion than routine.

I shook my head, "No, Chief. I want the truth as much as you do. If I'm right that my dad didn't do this, if there's still a bad person out there, they need to pay for what they've done." My eyes looking down at the file then back at him again.

His gaze hardened again, the lines on his face deepening. "Even if that bad person is your father?"

I held his stare for a long moment, making my answer believable, before I answered, "Yes," I said finally, my voice steady. If I was being honest, I didn't know if I would.

He studied me for a little longer, and I could tell he was weighing in my words, deciding whether to push harder. He wasn't stupid, but I can't let him regain control. Time to switch tactics.