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ASHE

R ed sat quietly in the observation room watching Ashe settling into the interview room with the assigned officers.

After setting up the necessary information for the recording and going over Miranda rights the younger officer started off, “Can you tell us what happened?”

“I walked into my apartment. The door busted open behind me,” Ashe’s voice was quiet and raw. “I was on the ground, getting kicked. I got yanked up, stripped down, tied up, thrown against the kitchen island. Everything was so fast I couldn’t do anything; I couldn’t process anything. I was on the island, I heard him say he was fucked so, I knew what was coming and I was dead either way. I scrambled against how I was tied up, found a knife in the drawer, and stabbed him as he came down over me.” Ashe’s eyes closed, her face contorted in disgust as the image hit her of him leaning over her, his dick in his hand.

“What happened after that?”

“I rolled him off me, slipped on the counter and fell onto him. I had to get away, I squirmed away until I must have passed out. Next thing I remember, Police and EMS were there.”

“You have no idea why he targeted you?”

“No,” Ashe shook her head, looking at the table.

“You’re sure?”

Ashe looked up at the Officer, “I’d never seen the guy before.”

“Would it surprise you that he was linked to a drug cartel?” the Officers watched for her reaction.

Everything about her reaction said don’t know, don’t care. Her eyes widened, eyebrows lifted, shoulders shrugged. “Ok. Seems like a ‘you’ problem.”

“It doesn’t help make sense of anything?”

“I don’t do drugs. I don’t sell drugs. I treat people on drugs, but by then it’s already bought and paid for. So no,” her voice lifted as if ending in a question.

One of the Officers looked down at his notes. “A few months ago, you were involved in a bank robbery.”

After a pregnant pause Ashe questioned, “Do you think it’s connected?”

“Do you?”

“I’m not an investigator.” The room stayed quiet. “I was stuck in that bank like everyone else. It was an opportunity stop, not planned, not routine.”

“Any changes in your life between these two events?”

“I haven’t been working much, trying to recover.”

“Have you been staying at your place much?” The younger Officer was trying to lead the conversation, she hadn’t taken the bait yet.

Ashe’s eyes looked at the two men. “No, my—you think Sean has something to do with this?”

“Who’s Sean?”

“You know who he is.” Now she was starting to get irritated. She looked at the older Officer, “I’m so silly. I thought you needed to investigate a crime that took place.” She looked at both Officers, “My apartment was broken into, I was beaten, nearly raped. By luck, the guy that did these things is dead. By some miracle that knife hit his liver when it went in, that’s the only way I could explain the amount of blood and result. I don’t suppose I’d be able to reproduce that result in a thousand attempts if all the same things were in place again.” Ashe was shaking as she stood, pushing her chair under the table, “As far as I could tell, it was him or me. I’m glad it was him.” Goosebumps had broken out on her arms as she settled her hands on the back of the chair. “If that guy has something to do with Sean, I don’t think that’s in your jurisdiction.” Using a hitchhiker thumb, Ashe pointed toward the door. “I’m gonna go now, if you have any more questions you can visit.”

Red wasn’t sure how she made it to the door without stumbling, having watched the whole thing, but he was waiting for her when she came through it. He immediately started to wrap his arms around her. Her hand came up instinctively settling on his lower chest, warning him, he got one arm around her and headed toward the exit.