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Chapter 51. The police station

Alexander's p.o.v.
"I'll kill him! I don't care what she says. Dad you have to know someone who can clean up this mess for us."
"Even if I did, I wouldn't allow this. Son, taking a man's life is not the way to resolve this. Let the police handle it and I promise I will help you with the trial. You know I'm a powerful man and I can influence a lot of people. We would get a restraining order and of course she can use our lawyer."
"Thanks for nothing." I say hanging up the phone.
I get her breakfast and I hear her talking to Paul on the phone, telling him everything. I can't hide how upset I am to hear what happened like this, as I would expect she would speak with me first, but I am definitely not going to say anything as right now all that really matters, is that she is safe. I hear all those horrible things coming out of her trembling lips and it hurts me so much to see her hurting like this. I will kill that fucked up son of a bitch.
"Paul is on his way here. I want him to come along with us to the police station." She says looking calmer.
"So, I don't make you feel safe enough." The hurtful words come out as I can't control myself.
"Is that how you feel?" She says seeming hurt.
"No, I am sorry. I am obviously over sensitive about what happened and I can't trust anyone."
"Well, you can trust Paul. He makes me feel safe and he always knows all the right things to say."
"Fine. It's up to you anyway. He can have a ride with us as well."
She smiles and I immediately feel like an idiot for debating her in the first place. This Paul guy did seem honestly worried about her and he was the one to notify the police, explaining everything that happened just before everyone lost track of Claire, so I guess he did honestly care for her as well.
"Please Claire, eat something!"
"I can't. Not now, but I would like a cup of coffee and a cigarette.
"Let's go outside then."
He lights a cigarette and places it in my mouth, like he always does and then he lights another one for himself.
"We are quitting." He says firmly.
"Yeah I know, you already said that. We have to do this together."
"We will do everything together from now on. I won't leave you out of my side, until I know he is dead."
"Alex, enough! You are scaring me. I don't want him to die, as I once loved this man. He is mentally unstable and needs help, but he doesn't deserve dying, as he had neither control nor awareness of his actions."
"How can you be so kindhearted and understanding, as to find excuses for this monster's sickening actions? All I want to do is to shoot his brains out and send him directly to hell, from where he won't be able to reach you ever again."
I see her becoming extremely upset and I regret sharing these dark thoughts with her, as she already told me she didn't want this, when I previously mentioned it to her. How will I ever feel comfortable enough to leave her on her own, for as long as he exists, even if he is locked up in jail.
Not unless...
"I'll hire you a bodyguard for whenever you are not with me."
"You will do no such a thing!" She demands, crossing her hands in determination.
The building's security guard calls to ask if we are expecting a visit from a Paul Goldman, who is now on his way up. I open the door for him but he rudely passes by me rushing towards my girl, hugging her not caring if I might be offended.
"Are you ok?" He asks her while she is still in his arms, looking extremely comfortable while making me extremely uncomfortable at the same time.
"I think she already said she was ok like a thousand times today." I say awkwardly trying to interrupt their body contact.
"Alexander, nice to meet you" I say, giving him my hand for a shake, hopeful that this will get his hands away from my girl.
And he kisses her cheek before letting her go, which makes my hand to squeeze his a bit to much during the handshake.
"Take it easy there big guy, you'll break my hand." He says while smiling, only to give me away to Claire.
"Sorry I am still a little tensed from what happened." I defend myself.
He places his hand over her shoulder and at this point I really want to break it, so he'd finally stop touching her. It's not that I am jealous of him but at this point I don't like anybody even as much as being too close to her. Not even fucking Paul, who she seems to be fine with all this intimacy.
"Are you ready?" He asks her.
"Yes, I am as ready as I can be. I even want to talk to him as I feel the need to straighten things out, because he doesn't seem to understand that I will NEVER forgive him for what he did. He was delirious, saying he was a changed man, implying that the two of us could have a common future or even be together which only makes me sick, so If I don't clear things out, he won't be able to move on with his life, leaving me the hell alone." She determinedly says.
"I'll drive us all there if that's ok with you." I say to Paul.
"Sure, I could also drive us there if you like. My car is parked right outside."
"No thank you, I'll pass." I say in a demeaning way.
"Alexander, I think we should go with Paul's car, as he is already parked outside." She says in an obvious attempt to show me her displeasure, to my immature behavior.
I realize my mistake and step back. There isn't much I can do to avoid this, so I end up in the back of Paul's car, with Claire sitting in the front next to him, which is beyond annoying. Why did I even agree to this? For her... only for her, I think to myself.
The two of them are talking psychological shit about Michael, analyzing his behavior in medical terms I obviously don't understand and blah blah... Arghh...When did they become so close? I don't know why, but my gut hates this! I keep reminding myself that I am not the jealous type of person and this feeling I have is something I have to push away.
The moment she steps off the car I take her hand in mine, claiming her and letting him know she is my responsibility. He leads the way and we all go to the interrogation room, where the policeman who gave me his card back at the hotel, comes after a couple of minutes, pulls a chair and sits across from her.
"I am afraid you guys have to excuse us." He politely asks.
"No! I am not leaving her alone." I demand.
"I am sorry Mr. Anderson but you have to." He insists.
"It's ok. I'll be fine." Claire says.
"Are you sure?" I ask her, but before she replies Paul speaks.
"I am her psychologist. She has been deeply traumatized and has a right to have me present through this procedure." Paul says and to be honest, although it bothers me that he gets to be there with her when I can't, I do feel a lot better that she won't have to go through this on her own.
Almost an hour passes and I think I'll start punching people in the middle of the fucking police department, if they don't come out of that room any time soon. Suddenly I see Paul running towards me looking extremely worried.
"Call your lawyer. She is in trouble."
"What do you mean she is in trouble?"
"They don't believe her. They showed us the whole scene from their arrival, from the hotel's camera. She is on his hands, awake and perfectly cooperative, not fighting him or anything. They look like fucking newlyweds and if I didn't know her any better, it would be hard to see beyond of what my eyes saw. The image is completely misleading and they will set him free, as they don't have anything against him."
"No! Tell them to give us some time. I'll call my lawyer."
He leaves me, going back to that room and I immediately call Suzanne. She is our personal lawyer not the company's and I know she will help us, as she is a known feminist and an activist, so she will surely take this more personally.
I explain the whole situation, keeping it as short as possible and I ask her to come here ASAP.
"I am on my way. Put the investigator on the phone please."
I knock on that door and I managed to take a glimpse of Claire's wet face, when the policeman opened it to see what I wanted.
"Here, it's Claire's lawyer and she wants to speak to you." I give him the phone and I push the door open to go to her.
I lift her up from that chair and she is now sobbing in my arms.
"Enough, she's had enough! Let her out of here."
"Yes, sir of course." The other officer agrees.
We are all outside of the investigation room and the investigator approaches us, informing us they will keep Michael for another 24h as per our lawyer's request to present some new events. Then my phone rings.
"Meet me at my office. We need to get our story straight before she talks to them again."