Get Out Your Damn Umbrellas

Chapter 4

Phil had returned to his place in the bedside chair by the time the officers stepped into the room, though he was still holding Dan's hand like a lifeline. The boy watched warily from a downward angle as they entered the room and solemnly introduced themselves. One of them was a policewoman, Officer Delaney, who stood about a foot shorter than the stone-faced man beside her, Sergeant Braxton. Having already met them, Phil was a bit anxious about how this encounter would play out.

When they were interviewing Phil early that morning, Officer Delaney had been patient and considerate, allowing him to take his time and occasionally giving him a reassuring pat on the arm. She even offered to get him a cup of coffee, something he was in desperate need of after spending all night hunched in the corner of the waiting room sobbing his heart out. The sergeant, on the other hand, appeared to disapprove of her tendency to show compassion to the victim's loved ones and was only interested in getting as much information out of him as possible.

In Phil's opinion, Delaney's emotional intuition made her better at her job. For instance, she took notice of how Dan glanced nervously at the pair of handcuffs attached to the sergeant's utility belt and also how he flinched when Sergeant Braxton crossed his arms. Delaney turned to him and muttered, "If you want to go check up on forensics, sir, I believe I'm quite capable of handling this part on my own."

The sergeant probably wasn't in the habit of taking suggestions from his subordinates, but he seemed relieved to not have to sit through this. He nodded gruffly in agreement and left the room without a word.

With the atmosphere only slightly less tense than before, Officer Delaney pulled up a chair near the lower right corner of the bed and sat at an angle so she could communicate with both of them from a respectful distance. When she addressed Dan, her tone was warm and friendly, but not at all patronizing.

"As you're probably aware by now, my team and I are currently in the process of investigating the attack that occurred in your home. We've gathered plenty evidence from the crime scene, but the most vital part of this investigation is your statement." She reached into the front pocket of her uniform to take out a pen and a small notebook. "Is it okay if I ask you a few questions?"

Dan's fingers were beginning to feel numb from the strange position his right arm was lying in. He tried to adjust his shoulder in order to redirect circulation to his cold, deadened hand, but even that small movement made him whimper. Phil's hand tightened around his in response, and Dan gazed up at him. Three days, three days of being abused and tortured and dehumanized, was a long time, long enough to forget how it felt to have someone look at him like that, like he was that person's whole world. It shouldn't have hurt this much.

"Sure," Dan finally answered, the emotion constricting his throat causing the pain to worsen. "Go ahead."

"Alright, then," the policewoman said calmly, "Let's start from the beginning. According to Mr. Lester, he was returning from a trip to see his family in Manchester on Sunday morning, and the last time he was with you prior to that was Friday evening at Euston Station before he got on the train. Can you tell me what happened after you left the train station?"

"I...got on the bus... to go home." Dan's gaze was still locked on Phil as if they were the only two people in the room and this conversation was just between them. "When I got back...to the apartment...there were four men...standing in the kitchen."

Officer Delaney asked Dan to describe them, and Phil sensed him beginning to slip away. As the boy mechanically listed random features of the people who hurt him, those wide brown eyes became glassy and unfocused. It was a telltale sign that Dan was lost in in the darkest depths of his mind, and Phil didn't know how to pull him out.