The Morning After - Open Novella Contest 2019

Chapter 6

"Steal it," Marina said the words as emotionless as she could as if that would make the act of stealing police evidence any less immoral.

    "Good. Then what?"

    "I'll meet you at my apartment and work on the story."

    "Alright, I think you've got it. Are you ready to do this?" Emmett inquired excitedly.

    "As ready as I'll ever be." At least now she was starting to tell the truth.

***

    Emmett dropped Marina off a few blocks from the police station to avoid being recognized. In a strange twist of fate, being without Emmett made Marina feel vulnerable. Walking around alone with the knowledge she had made Marina feel all the more exposed. She tried to find some comfort in the repetitious plan she repeated in her head again.

    Get in.

    Steal the evidence.

    Get out.

    Write the story.

    Move on.

    A lump formed in Marina's throat now. Her anxious thoughts were refusing to be calmed by the repetition. She tried to push out her own paranoia as she went over the list one more time, except this time, the list twisted.

    Get lost.

    Lose the evidence.

    Get caught.

    Never write the story.

    Move home.

    "Or worse," She thought, "Go to jail." Was Emmett worth losing her freedom? What if he was lying and she was risking her entire reputation? What if something went horribly wrong and she took the fall for everything? Before she could worry herself into yet another anxiety attack, she reached the front doors of the station. Marina took a deep breath through her mouth because her nose was still too stopped up from crying to be clear enough for breathing. She threw herself with intention through the glass door.

    "Miss Davis?" She cringed at the name as a broad older man stepped into her view. He stood tall and foreboding across from Marina, as all police officers seemed to. He reached a calloused workman's hand toward Marina. "We were expecting you."

    "And you must be Chief Black. Nice to meet you." Marina nodded politely and shook Chief Black's hand in response.

    "One of our cadets insisted on giving you a tour of the evidence room. Normally, I would do this kind of thing myself, but I'm very busy today. We are working on a homicide case." Marina cringed again. She knew all too well what case he was referring to. "I hope you don't mind." He added.

    "No, not at all. I'm sure you all stay very busy." Marina gave him her best smile but feared it looked fake. She scaled the smile back, but had she reeled it back too much? She was definitely overthinking things now.

    "Miss Davis, this is Cadet Stephens. He will be showing you around." Marina wished she had convinced Emmett to allow her to use a fake name. Not only for secrecy sake, but so she wouldn't have to hear another soul refer to her as Miss Davis.

    "Please, call me Marina." Call her Mar. Call her Sue. Call her anything other than Miss Davis. At the very least, the annoyance over her name distracted her from the growing dread in her stomach, but it wasn't enough. It would never be enough.