Odd One

Ch 15

Jordan showed up on Wednesday to the station again to learn that Davis had been arrested first, and Zack was just being brought in, put in the cell with Davis. Toby had been seen at work today, seemingly unafraid of consequences. So far there was nothing they could charge him with, so maybe he wasn't as stupid as everyone had always thought.

Jordan had cautioned Constable Parker not to look through the photos, but he'd needed to know. She could tell that having proof and confirmation of his daughter's traumatic experience had angered and upset him, but he didn't show Zack any particularly brutal treatment when bringing him in.

Zack paced in front of the bars.

"You can't keep me in here! My father is on his way here, and then you'll have to deal with him. He'll have the charges dropped in minutes," he warned.

"Son, I have dreamed of nothing but putting you away since last year when my little girl told me what you did to her. As far as I'm concerned, you're a spoiled little fuck who's never been told "no" before. That's going to end right here, right now. You see this?"

Alex pulled a weapon off of his utility belt. Zack squinted in the dimness. "What is that?" he asked warily. Jordan had a look at it too, from where she was standing. He's not going to use that on him, is he? She wondered.

"This is a taser, son. In some places if you rape a cop's daughter you get caught, and they give you a shot of electricity to the balls to see if they suck up into your body. What else do I got here? I've got a handgun, mace, there's a baton at my desk..." he listed off. Zack lost his confidence, backing away from the bars. "Most importantly, I have a badge. How many cops that beat up arrested people get fired for that? Not many. My point is, you're damn lucky I'm not one of those cops. I'm not going to abuse my honor and privilege to uphold the law."

"Lucky me," Zack muttered.

In the next cell, Jason spoke. "You know what prison is going to amount to, Zack? A waste of your life. That's time you can't get back, barely living."

"Yeah? You've been in here for maybe three days," he retorted.

"Four, actually. All of which I could have been making money at my job, loving my woman, snuggling my cat, or visiting my mom. Instead I'm sitting here with you."

"Fuck you, Jason," Zack snapped, going quiet. Jason just sighed.

There's no reasoning with this stubborn person, Jordan thought, coming forward to see her man and kiss him through the bars.

"How are you holding up?" she asked with concern.

"Ah, well being in jail has really changed me. Hardened criminal now. Got some gang tattoos, shanked a guy, you know how it is," he joked casually, getting another kiss from her. "I'm okay Jordan. I just miss you," he admitted.

"I told Mr Dykes what happened and he wanted me to tell you that you still have a job when you're done. He's counting it as all those sick days and vacation days you never took off last year," she informed him softly.

"And the other guys?"

"Yeah, he did mention them. He said it depends on how long they're gone for. Too long and he has to find other people to fill those spots. They're allowed back to work, but he's implementing a no tolerance policy on workplace harassment, and if they cross it they're fired," she said with a shrug, taking a couple steps to peer into the other cell. "You guys got that?"

"Yeah, we heard it," Davis replied.

Jason handed her a piece of paper through the bars, and she looked at it curiously. "Those are feeding instructions for my boa. She shouldn't need a rat for a few days. I had a sticky note on the cage. If you ask the pet shop about frozen rats and they don't have them, ask for live, but don't put it in the cage live," he cautioned.