Page 93 of All That Glitters

“That would be great, thank you.”

“No problem. I’ll let the officers know. They’ll be there in about twenty minutes.”

“Okay, see you then.”

I hang up in shock. “They went to my apartment.” I swallow. “They’ve taken someone in for questioning.”

“Shit, really? Oh fuck!”

“What?”

She looks uncomfortable but reluctantly answers anyway. “If you hadn’t come back with me…” she lets her voice trail off, but I don’t need her to finish.

“I’d have been there when they returned, perhaps to finish the job.”

I’m off the sofa and running to the bathroom before it’s even a conscious thought, emptying my stomach once more. Dammit. I’ve hardly kept anything down today. This can’t be good for the baby. Del follows behind me and pulls my hair out of the way before handing me a washcloth.

“Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it. Let’s get you cleaned up.”

She helps me to my feet and takes the cloth from me, rinsing it under the warm water before wiping my face with it.

“You’re safe now.”

“I know. I do. It’s just a lot.”

“Of course it is.”

I blow out a steadying breath. “The police are coming to pick me up to see if I can ID the suspect.”

“I didn’t realize police did pick-ups. But maybe they’re trying to make up for their shitty behavior earlier.”

“Maybe.”

“Want me to come with you?”

I think about it for a minute before shaking my head. “No, I don’t know how long I’ll be, and you’ve gotta open the diner early. I promise I’ll call if I need you, though.”

“You better.”

I offer her a wobbly smile before I brush my teeth and pull my hair back into a ponytail. I head back to my bedroom, slip an oversized hoodie on over my sweatpants and T-shirt, and slide my feet into a pair of sneakers. I grab my bag and throw in my phone, wallet, and a bottle of water before returning to the couch to wait.

It doesn’t take long before I hear a knock on the door. Del answers and asks to see their ID before waving me over. “Call me if you need me.”

“I will.”

“Miss Burton?” the officer asks. I nod as he indicates for me to follow. I walk down the steps to the police car and wait for him to open the back door before I slide in. Can’t say I’m a big fan of sitting behind the cage like this, and god only knows what kind of action these seats have seen. I try not to think about it as my stomach is still unsettled. Instead, I lean my head against the cool glass and prepare myself for what’s to come.

When we arrive at the precinct, I’m shown into a small room with a large mirror that I suspect is two-way glass. I could be wrong, of course, but I’ve watched enough movies to be suspicious.

“Can I get you anything to drink while you wait?” the woman who showed me in asks.

“I’m fine, thank you. I have a bottle of water in my bag.” She hesitates, her eyes moving to my bag. “The officer who brought me in checked my bag, but you’re welcome to look, too.”

“Sorry, I will take a quick look if you don’t mind. I don’t want to risk my job.”

“I get it.” I hand my bag over and let her go through it. It doesn’t take long—inside are only my phone, wallet, and water bottle.