Shattered to Pieces |Percabeth Story |

21

Susan Walker

I arrive back at the station, relieved to know I only have an hour until my shift ends and I can finally go home. I walk to my office and take a seat behind my desk. I let out a loud sigh as my eyes fall on the large amount of files strewn across the wooden surface and I push them all to one side to clear some room.

I take the recording device from my briefcase and rest it on the desk, pressing a button that makes the conversation I had with Rachel Dare play back. I rest my head in my hands as I listen to our voices coming from the device.

I listen to the interview over and over. Was Rachel lying about what she said? Does she know anything? My thoughts swirl around my mind and, after fifteen minutes, I decide I've had enough for one day. I pack my things back into my briefcase and get ready to go home.

A knock on the door makes me halt.

"Come in," I call out and the door opens. In walks Lisa, one of the police stations medical examiners.

"Hi. Sorry to disturb you. I bet you've had a long day," Lisa says.

"I have. I'm exhausted but don't worry about that. How can I help you?" I ask.

"Well, Detective Dennis asked me to examine Annabeth Chase and... Well, it wasn't a pretty sight," Lisa replies as she walks closer to me. I notice she's holding something in her hands and it's not until she's standing beside me do I realise she is carrying pictures.

She continues, "Take a look," and hands me the pictures. I take them from her hands and I hold them up so I can see them clearly. My breath catches at what I see. I've seen some bad things in my life, which is common in this line of work. I've seen dead bodies, rape victims... and some things have been worse than this. But still, the sight makes me feel sick to my stomach.

The skin of Annabeth's back is covered in angry red welts that look sore and infected. I'm no doctor, but even I know it isn't a good idea not to go to the hospital with wounds like this. She must have really been scared when she ran away with Percy if she didn't even think to get her wounds checked out.

"Oh, wow." I swallow hard and look up to meet Lisa's sad eyes. "Can you help her? Or do we need to take her to the hospital?"

"I have the equipment to help her. The wounds are infected but I have medication that should help. I'll have to apply it a couple of times a day. I've also given her pain relief, even though she said she's used to the pain."

"I have a feeling this girl has lived a life of pain," is all I can think to say.

A Few Days Later

Percy

This cell is all I have seen in what feels like forever. After Detective Walker dropped me off at the police station, two other officers interrogated me to touch up on any details I may have missed, and then I was led to this cell.

There are no windows in my cell, so I don't even know if it is morning or night. I can hear noises coming from the cells opposite and beside mine; high-pitched laughter, a cough, a yell. The noise never seems to end. My life feels like an endless headache. I wish all my problems would disappear into thin air.

I sigh and turn onto my side, the hard mattress I am laying on making my back hurt. I wonder if Annabeth is in a similar cell to mine. I wonder if she is sitting in one near my own. She could be in the cell beside me right this second and I wouldn't even know. I hope she is okay.

Shame hits me like a punch in the face. Here I am pitying myself when Annabeth must be feeling much worse than I am right now. I wish I could see her - even if it was only for a few seconds.

I sit up and bury my face in my hands. At that moment, I hear footsteps and the jingle of keys before my cell door opens and an officer in uniform holds up handcuffs. "Come on, kid," he says.

I stand and allow him to cuff me, knowing it is no use if I argue. He leads me out of the cell and through several corridors before he leaves me in a room similar to the one I was interrogated in a while ago.

I sit alone in the room until Detective Susan Walker comes in and takes the seat opposite me. "Hello, Perseus."

"It's Percy," I correct her. "And hi."

She smirks and then shakes her head. "Okay. I'm going to get straight to the point. You and Annabeth will be going to court and I assume you are going to want a lawyer. You will both be on trial together. I want to warn you that you will be asked personal questions and people will put words in your mouth. I can't say if I am on your side or not, I don't know the truth myself. But this story has been all over the news and everyone is waiting for the verdict. The court date is sooner than any of us expected - in one months time."

She pauses and watches me for my reaction. I am taken aback. I wasn't expecting this when I was led away from my cell. I thought I was just going to be interrogated again.

"Now," she continues. "You are going to have to stay here until then, as will Annabeth, and you will not be able to have any contact with each other for obvious reasons. You just need to be honest with the lawyer working with you. I've contacted a lawyer for you and another for Annabeth-"

I cut the Detective off. "Why can't we have the same lawyer?" I question.

"Well, if what you tell the lawyer doesn't match up to Annabeth's side of the story then it will make the job harder for him. It is easier and less suspicious if you have separate lawyers. We have agreed to allow you a phone call to your mom or whoever once a day."

"When will I talk to a lawyer?" I ask.

"Soon. He is on his way over now. Tell him everything you know, anything that will prove you are innocent," Susan says.

"Have you searched Mr. Dare's house yet?" I ask.

The Detective looks back at me curiously. "Why?"

"I think he's hiding evidence."

"I see. We were denied a search warrant," she replies.

"Oh."

She smiles sadly at me. "Percy, is there anyone you want me to get hold of to use as a witness in court?"

"My mom, of course. She heard everything that went on next door. Rachel Dare, maybe. Annabeth will want her to be a witness."

The Detective nods. "I'll see what I can do. Your lawyer will be here in a little while so just stay here and we'll bring him in."

"Okay. Thank you," I reply, watching as she leaves the room.

Rachel

I can't stop thinking about the questioning I had with the Detective a few days ago. The more I think about it, the guiltier I feel about lying. But what can I do? My father said if I tell he will kill me - his own daughter.

I try to do everything I can to stay in my father's good books but it never seems to be enough. Ever since I was young, I'd lie about the bruises. It was easier to hide when I was young - little kids always have bruises from playing around. It gets harder and harder as I get older. That's why I wear makeup - to cover the bruises.

I planned on being a 'nobody' when I started high school, but before I knew it I was 'Miss Popular'. I didn't expect it but I loved having friends. I'd never really had friends before and I ate up the attention.

Before I knew it, I started hearing rumours about Annabeth and I suddenly became terrified. What if someone suspected what went on at my house and spread it around. My father would kill me - or at least give me a great beating.

I panicked. I didn't know what to do. So, I called Annabeth a liar and my popularity made people agree with me. They said that stuff like that didn't go on around here.

If only they knew...