The 10

47

The reporters remain on Kate's block for several more days, even though the yellow tape, officers, and bystanders have long disappeared. Kate watches them from her bedroom window. She diverts her attention to her right as she sees Detective Sherman standing with yet another new reporter. Her mother calls for her downstairs.

"Mom, I can't leave the house."
"You have to go to school." Laura bites.
"Mom," Kate projects. "They will literally eat me alive out there. I mean, forget how school goes. But if I go out there, I won't make it to school."
Laura scoffs. "Stop being such a baby."
Kate huffs and grabs her bag. Hesitating by her front door, she takes a deep breath before gripping her keys tightly and opening the door.
The reporters immediately flock towards her, attacking her with cameras flashing and question after question being screamed at her and microphones practically hitting her in the face. Trying desperately to push her way through, Kate's arm is grabbed, and ready to defend herself, she finds Detective Sherman.
"Let's go," Sherman screams at the reporters. "Move out of the way!"
Sherman sees Kate safely through to her car before heading to his own and going the opposite direction to the station.
                                                                                                 ❥

Kate parks her car before leaning her head on the wheel. Just pulling into the parking lot alone caused Kate more looks and whispers than her entire life. Taking a deep breath, she cuts the engine and exits her car. Looking around, she watches the eyes and mouths move before biting her lip and scoffing.

"Today's going to be a great day," she mutters to herself.
Through her first four classes of the day, Kate groans at her phone for the eighth time that day.
"Isabella, me again," she sighs. "Where the hell are you? I could've really needed you today. Just call me, okay?" she hangs up her phone and runs a hand through her hair.

Isabella rolls over and stretches her arm, hitting something. Groaning slightly, she opens her eyes, blinking a few times, before realizing she's not in her bed and a man's back is facing her.
"Oh my God," Isabella whispers. "Oh. My. God."
Scurrying out of bed, Isabella scatters for her clothes and freezes when she hears a voice.
"Sneaking out on me?" he chuckles.
Isabella turns. "Michael?"
Michael eyes himself. "In the flesh."
"Oh, my God." Isabella sits, placing a hand on her forehead.
"Yeah, I thought you'd have that reaction."
"What the hell? How did I- How did we- How- "
"Are you going to finish any of those questions?"
"Answers," she demands.
"Alright," he sits up, running a hand through his hair. "I was here, doing some reports, and then you showed up."
"Why would I come here?"
"You asked about the case." Isabella's brow raises. "You kept worrying about your friend Kate."
"Why?"
"You told me that she had done a bad thing." Michael watches for Isabella's reaction. "You told me that she and Christopher had seen each other a couple of times. Days after his escape, to be precise."
Isabella's jaw drops. "No," she whispers. "No, there's no way I said that."
"Look, calm down," Michael laughs. "I'm not going to say anything about it."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm going to keep it out of the report. This room is officially Vegas. What happened in here, what was said in here, stays in here."
"You're really going to do that? Keep it to yourself?"
"Yeah, I am."
Isabella breathes a sigh of relief before rising and getting dressed, making her way out of Michael's home.

                                                                                          ❥

Kate walks through her front door. Dropping her bag, she waves to her mom on the couch.

"Thank God the reporters are gone." Kate sighs, sinking into the cushion.
"Yeah, Detective Sherman came back and brought a warrant to keep them away."
Kate nods. "Cool."
The screen flashes "Breaking News!"
"God," Laura sighs. "Not this again. They better be announcing that this guy was caught."
"Good afternoon. We're sorry to interrupt you're scheduled program. I'm Anne Burk with Channel Five News. Amid the escape of inmate Christopher Samuels, the Bringman Police Department had only one suspect- a young girl by the name of Kate Winters." a photo of Kate appears on the screen. "Winters, seventeen, had been interviewing Samuels days before for a school project. Correctional Officer of Bushmount Prison, Brian Hawkins, spoke with me earlier today about Ms. Winters. We've also recently found out about a new relationship between Ms. Winters and the leading detective of the case, Detective Sherman.
"Here's what CO Brian Hawkins had to say to this reporter."
The screen flashes to Brian, with Watson in the background, recalling, "Detective Sherman has investigated the young woman three times, and she is one hundred percent innocent in all of this."
Anne Burk returns, pausing, "That statement and this new photo," a photo of Sherman helping Kate to her car this morning appears to the top left of the screen. "Would lead this reporter to believe that something inappropriate occurs between leading detective Detective Sherman and prime suspect Kate Winters. Brad, anything you'd like to add?"
The camera pans to a young man seated next to Anne. "Thank you, Anne." he smiles at the screen. "I've dug into Detective Sherman's research on the case. It appears he's made several trips to the Winters' home, assigned several deputies outside of the home for "protection," and, as we all know, was outside of the Winters' home in the middle of the night when Detective Sherman "claims" he saw Christopher Samuels."
"It sounds like quite the coincidence." Anne remarks. "Thank you for watching. We'll provide more information when it becomes available. Also, always remember that the Bringman PD hotline is always available. Call in if you have any knowledge that could lead to the capture and arrest of Christopher Samuels. I'm Anne Burk,"
"And I'm Brad Skyler."
"And thank you for watching Channel Five News," she smiles. "We now take you back to your scheduled program."
    Kate and Laura have their eyes locked, mouths agape, as they sit in silence.
"Is that a fucking joke?!" Kate screams, standing.
"Honey, calm down. We all know it's not true."
"Do we, mom?" Kate cries. "You have no idea what today was like for me. I got hounded by those animals that call themselves reporters this morning outside my own God damn front door! Then at school, forget about it. They wouldn't stop looking at me and whispering about me under their breath. Hell, the teachers were even doing it!" Kate's eyes well with tears. "I feel like I'm drowning in all of this. I can't do this anymore."
"There's nothing we can do about this, though," Laura says, hugging her daughter tightly. "We just have to wait until Christopher is caught, and everything will get cleared up."
Kate shoves out of her mother's hug. "I am so sick of hearing that!" Kate shouts. "What if he's never caught? What if I have to go for the rest of my life like this? I can't, mom, I can't." Kate collapses to her knees on the floor and sobs. "I can't, and I won't, mom."
Laura lowers to her daughter. "I know, but we have no other choice. It's not like we know where he is and can catch him ourselves." she soothes. "We just have to let the police do their job."

"No, we do have a choice," Kate ponders.