Tainted Love | ✓

Chapter Twenty-Three

a leopard doesn't change its spots

.・゜-: ✧ :-　　-: ✧ :-゜・．

"HE'S DENYING EVERYTHING AT THE MOMENT."

My eyes slammed shut at the words of Inspector Nathaniel. There, I was sat in his dark office, him with a solemn expression. This morning, I had received a call from the police station for me to come down and prepare myself to give an official statement. However, what they didn't tell me before I came was that Tyler was in one of the other rooms, denying absolutely everything.

Inspector Nathaniel continued when I didn't speak, "There's no need to worry however -"

"No need to worry?" I echoed, "What do you mean? What happens if he walks free? How am I supposed to feel safe if he's out there, roaming around the streets?"

"We're going to build you a strong case Miss Ryan," he assured me with a firm nod, "I know it might seem scary right now, but we all have a lot of experience with cases like this and I'm confident we can help you."

I gnawed on my bottom lip, not convinced, and Inspector Nathaniel sighed.

"If you want, we can apply for a restraining order for the time being. This is most likely going to end up going to court, so until then, this might offer you a little bit of reassurance. We don't have a date or any of the interviews conducted yet, so this could take a while, Miss Ryan."

"So. . . I'm just supposed to be okay with the fact that he's going to walk free until whenever we go to court? Or even after that?" I asked in disbelief, "What good is a piece of paper going to do for me?"

"I'm sorry, but there isn't anything more I can do at the moment. I can assure you, if there was, I would be doing it." he murmured, "We're going to be keeping him under strict surveillance until the case is settled, however."

"I'm just scared," I admitted with a quiet sniffle, and Inspector Nathaniel's face melted into one of concern and sadness.

"I understand that. We're going to be doing our very best to make sure he can't come near you or harass you in any way. We'll be keeping you up to date with everything, don't worry," he smiled in that fatherly kind of way, before standing up, "Now, if you could follow me down to the interview room, we're just going to be asking you a few more questions."

"Okay," I breathed, standing up to follow him out the narrow hallway. My knees were shaking, threatening to give way the entire walk, but I somehow managed to force myself to keep upright without falling over. While I wanted to walk with confidence, I was slouched over with my shoulders drooping in both fear and anxiousness.

The room I was brought to was suffocatingly small - with only a square table and two chairs. No windows, or anything else was present and the room was engulfed in a near darkness. Inspector Nathaniel pulled out a seat for me, gesturing for me to sit down, while he sat opposite from me. Offering him a polite smile, I slid into the chair, staring at the blank white wall in front of me while I tried to review everything I had planned on saying in my mind. The tension and anxiety built up in me; my head full of emptiness.

Inspector Nathaniel pulled out a small, black recorder and laid it down on the table, pushing a single button before he began speaking in a monotonous tone.

"This is an official statement by Naomi Ryan, for the reported case of sexual assault. This evidence piece is to be used against the defendant, Tyler Jones. Interview is being carried out by Inspector Nathaniel Williams, with Deputy Victor as a witness."

I smoothed down the wrinkles in my top, trying to distract my mind from what was actually happening. My stomach shifted in unease and I noticed that my hands that I was hugging myself with were pinching into my skin. I released my hands but then I didn't know what to do with them, so instead I clasped and unclasped them from each other as if in constant need of touch and reassurance.