In Your Custody

•FORTY-TWO•

Vera stared at the water stains on the ceiling, turning the paint grey and brown, like a spilled coffee spot. She much preferred to imagine the building crumbling beneath the large number of people that now occupied the third floor and her apartment, instead of the mess inside.

She didn't want to move and she especially did not want to go back into her apartment or answer any questions. Her tears were now dry after nearly two hours of sobbing and she almost couldn't remember the feeling of sadness that had swamped her heart.

Now, all she felt was numb

"She's in shock," Anna whispered to Axel who was looking over at the scared girl on the hallway floor.

As soon as he heard the address, he wasted no time in arriving. It angered him he wasn't the first officer on the scene, but he was here now and he was not leaving her side.

She was so shaken up and afraid when he saw her, Clive holding her hand trying to comfort her the best that he could. Their eyes locked when he had reached the top of the stairs and his heart snapped in two.

She had cried out and grabbed onto him like a child and if he could have, he would have sat there with her in his arms for as long as she needed him. He kissed her head and stroked her hair, cooing at her softly, promising it was all going to be okay.

But how could it?

"We need to ask her some questions." Mason Burnns said, removing his gloves as he approached them, ducking under the caution tape in the doorway.

"Not right now." Anna shook her head and stuck out her arm, blocking his path, "She needs time."

"The more time that passes the less she will be able to remember!" He argued, his nose scrunching up in annoyance.

"All the evidence we need is inside. Her statement will only cause her pain." Anna tried to explain. Yes, they actually did need a statement, but she couldn't bring herself to force the poor thing to think anymore about it today.

Axel hadn't looked away from his pet, but he had been listening, "Would you let me try?" He asked the chief, "She will be more comfortable with me."

"We can't allow your personal relationship with her to interfere with this case!" Mason argued.

Axel's gaze tore away from where it had been rooted and glared at the detective, "And you suppose your mistreatment of her wouldn't?" He barked back, taking a daunting step closer.

Burnns was taken aback, "What are you saying?"

"Don't play dumb. We both know what you did. You got an underage girl, drunk." His voice was low, practically hissing like a snake, warning its enemy of his poisonous venom, "Against her will, might I add." Drunk was an exaggeration but his point still stood.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He said through bared teeth, "Perhaps you shouldn't leave her unsupervised if you can't trust her!"

"It's not her I don't trust." Axel seethed, poking Mason in the center of his chest, his finger bending at the amount of pressure, "It's you."

"Stop it." Anna said sharply, slapping Axel's hand away, "Not here and not now."

Both men glared at the other, not wanting to back down from the fight. If not for the already tense situation they were in, they would have been rolling on the floor knocking each other's teeth out.

Burnns tore his murderous gaze away first and focused on the chief, "We need a statement." He insisted.

She pulled her short blonde hair back into a half ponytail, which was all that could reach, and scowled at him, "I will deal with you later." She said, "You go be a detective and poke around that fucking cat until you find something. Until then, I don't want to see you. Am I clear?"