Learn To Love Again

Chapter 15

Inside the station was dimly lit and smelled like fresh coffee. The rain had stopped some time ago and the clock on the wall opposite the cell read 8:02.

I was in a cell. An actual prison cell. All my life I had never imagined this would've happened to me.

I paced the floor, on the verge of freaking out, and tried not to touch anything– not that there was anything to touch except for the walls and the bars.

I wanted desperately to get out of there– I needed to get out of there.

I forced myself to stay calm. This would be over soon. Detective Sterling would return, I'd be allowed to make my phone call, then someone would come and get me out of this place.

Inside the cell was small and hot,– very hot– and I tried not to think of all the criminals that had been there before me.

The room itself was very small and the cell took up almost half of it.

The officer that had been left to guard the cell was sitting at an old desk a few feet away, going through a file. He'd been doing that ever since I was left there hours ago.

I couldn't believe this was happening. I had read that copy of Twilight a billion and one times and there certainly had never been a gold necklace in it. There hadn't been any strangers in my house since the last time I read it a week or two ago – not that I knew of anyway.

Who could've put it there? And why?

My thoughts were silenced by the sound of approaching footsteps. I looked toward the door as it was opened and detective Sterling stepped inside. He said something to the officer behind the desk and he nodded and left the room.

"You can make your phone call but there's someone here to see you," he said as he approached the cell.

"Who?" I asked, surprised. I didn't think anyone knew I was there.

"Your lawyer."

"Lawyer?" I was confused. I didn't have a lawyer.

"Would you like me to ask him to wait until after you've made your phone call, or would you like to see him now?"

"Now," I said, a bit curious to know who it was.

He nodded. "Okay, I'll send him in."

He left the room and a few minutes later someone else stood in the doorway, holding a briefcase.

It was Malcolm.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, trying to hide my astonishment.

"I heard about what happened. I'm here to represent you."

"Thanks, but I don't need a lawyer."

"Of course you do," he said, setting his briefcase on the desk. "You could get locked up for years for something like this."

"Not if I didn't do it?."

"They have strong proof that you did. All you have to do is let me help you and I can make all this disappear. As in no charges, no jail time, and this does not go on your criminal record."

I considered this for a while. "How do you plan on doing that?" I asked.

He sighed. "The necklace you were accused of stealing belongs to a museum," he began. "That museum is owned by my cousin. All I'd have to do is convince her not to press charges. I'll have her say that she loaned you the necklace and forgot or something. You'd be out of here in an hour or two." He paused. "And all you'll have to do is agree to go to dinner with me tonight. And maybe a few other nights," he added.

I gave him a disbelieving look, my anger rising. "Okay, first of all: I don't need you to convince your 'cousin' of anything because I didn't do anything. Second of all: I can't believe you're actually using this to blackmail me into going out to dinner with you. That is just low."

I paused as I once again heard approaching footsteps. Soon detective Sterling appeared in the doorway.

"Anna, just give me a chance," Malcolm said softly, obviously not aware of detective Sterling standing behind him. "If you would just let me, I could prove to you that I can be all you want and more. Please give me a–"

He stopped abruptly, looking a bit startled, and turned around when detective Sterling cleared his throat.

I shifted uncomfortably on my feet, feeling very awkward.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I have something to tell you, Mrs. Saunders."

Malcolm picked up his briefcase. "I'll see you," he said. "Think about what I said, okay?"

"I already gave you my answer."

He sighed, then nodded and turned to leave, but not before I spotted the look of anger on his face.

When he was out of the room, detective Sterling turned his attention to me.

"I have some good news," he said. "I talked to the judge and I managed to get bail at $25,000."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "That's your 'good news'?" I asked. "I'm not paying $25,000 for something I didn't do!"

Surprisingly, he smiled. "I thought you might say that. Fortunately for you, I don't believe you did it either."

I met his eyes. "You don't?" Somehow that was somewhat kind of comforting coming from him. "Then why am I in here?"

"I was–"

"Just doing your job," I finished for him with an eye roll.

"Since I'm in charge of the case I'm going to let you out and give you a week to pay bail."

"You can do that?" I asked.

"No. But I'm going to do it anyways."

He took a ring of keys from his front pocket, choose a rusty-looking one, and used it to unlock the cell.

"You're free to go," he said, stepping aside and pulling open the door.

"I'm still not paying the money," I said as I stepped out of the cell.

He smiled. "You won't have to. By then I will know who actually did it. Would you like a ride home?" He asked.

I thought about it for a while. "Yeah, sure. Thanks."

I started to walk out of the room, then thought of something and turned back toward detective Sterling.

"I think I know who did it.”

________________________________________________________________________

A/N:

I'm so sorry it took me so long to update. Hope you guys enjoyed this chap. Please let me know what you think.

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