Silent Heroes: Wildcat

Chapter 10: Cops and Confessions

My whole house was swarming with cop cars.  Swirling red and blue lights flashed against the sidewalk.  Dozens of police officers were in my front yard, pacing back and forth, taking notes and snapping pictures of everything from the broken window to the drain-pipe.

The property was cordoned off with bright yellow tape.  I could see the little plastic triangles cops always placed at crime scenes in movies scattered all over the grass.  Several of my neighbors were crowded around, craning their necks to get a look inside the house.  A young looking cop kept ordering them to step away but, the moment his back was turned, the bystanders would move in again. 

I had stopped walking at some point and now stood frozen to the pavement, my mouth hanging open in horror.  I wanted to speak, but I couldn't.  I couldn't make a sound.

"Okay, this here could be a bit of a set-back," Deanna somehow sounded perfectly calm.

"A bit?"  I managed to squeak.  "A bit of a set back?"

"We'll help you smooth things over."

"And how do you plan on doing that, exactly?"

"Trust me, Eve.  We've dealt with situations like this before."

"Although, I don't think I've ever seen quite that many cop cars."

"Not helping, Shane."

"What?  De, she's hasn't even been gone twelve hours and it looks like they brought in the whole precinct."

"They've got a missing girl and evidence of a probable break-in.  I wouldn't call it an overreaction."

"You wouldn't?" I said breathlessly.  I felt like all the air had been sucked out of my lungs.

"Relax, Eve.  Everything's going to be fine.  Now, here's what I want you to do: go up there and let everyone know you're okay.  No one broke into the house.  You caused all the damage.  No one else was involved."

"That's it?  That's all you got?"

"It's the truth, isn't it?  You start blaming other people and the police will be here all day.  Asking you for details.  Descriptions. Bringing in sketch artists.  The works.  We don't want that.  We want these guys out of here as soon as possible.  Shane and I will keep an eye on you from back here, okay?"

"You mean I have to go in there by myself?"  My voice was getting so high-pitched I found it shocking they could understand me at all.

"if we go in with you, the police will just be around that much longer asking us questions.  If they feel like playing the blame-game they might even arrest us as suspects."

"And our kind don't do well behind bars," Shane added.

"We'll wait until the place clears out, then make our appearance."  Deanna put a hand on my shoulder and gave me a little push.  "Go on.  The longer you wait the harder it's going to be."

I staggered a bit and started walking.  I felt like I was in a dream.  The flashing lights and bright yellow tape appeared almost other-worldly as I approached.  My legs felt stiff and uncooperative, like they had forgotten how to bend properly.

I pushed my way mechanically through the crowd of onlookers and ducked under the yellow tape.  A cop saw me and approached with his hands in the air.

"Young lady, you are not permitted to be in here.  This a crime scene."

"This is my house," I said.  "What going-"

"Wait, you're Evelyn?"

"It's Eve," I said.  "Now do you mind telling me-"