Perfection

Chapter 14 - The one with the badge

The atmosphere in the police station seemed to change as couple Young came walking through the entrance; Melanie between two officers and Nicholas walking freely behind them. Her bright red lips were slightly pursed, and she gave off the vibe that she didn't wish to be talked to or approached  in any way. Yet one daring officer stepped forth.

“Mrs Young..” He held up the earring which she had worn to court.

“We found this.. It belongs to you, doesn't it?”

She nodded. The officer reached it over to Nicholas and she could see it sparkle in the corner of her eye. First now did it hit her and she wasn't sure why she hadn't noticed it earlier when it was so obvious. She had seen this earring before she had even entered couple Young's bedroom. She had seen it's lost sibling on a wet bathroom floor, just as lonely and just as expensive. The only expensive thing carried by the woman whose bag Melanie had helped with; the woman who had brought her to Tony.

“I wish to talk to Tony Moore.” She exclaimed, out of the blue.

“You're not allowed to talk to him.” Joseph said, but another officer nudged him.

“Why do you wish to speak to him?” The other officer seemed intrigued by her request.

“I want an end to this as much as you do. And if I am not allowed to ask him a few questions, fully under your surveillance of course, we may not ever find the truth.” Melanie chose her words wisely.

Soon enough, Melanie found herself sitting in the same room as Tony, with only a table and a recorder between them. Two other officers watched them closely and another one guarded the door.

Tony, who resembled a bulldog just as much as before, seemed very tired after the few days that he had spent in jail; knowing that there were many more to come. He grunted every now and then, waiting for Melanie to speak. She stretched her back out and kept her voice steady as she spoke;

“Why is everything turned against me? Every single piece of evidence?”

Tony didn't raise his head but kept his half closed eyes on the floor and his arms crossed over his big stomach.

“Maybe you're just an easy target.” He closed his eyes to rest them.

“The woman who works for you, why is she carrying my earring?” Melanie continued.

Tony moved a little in his chair.

“Maybe it's easy to steal from you.”

Melanie swallowed.

“Are you protecting her? Are you protecting someone else?”

“That woman is my daughter." Tony revealed.

"Good or bad, everyone has someone they would like to protect. I'm sorry you don't.”

“What do you mean by that?” She asked.

Tony took a deep, slow, breath before he stretched his back out and relaxed his arms. He opened his eyes and gazed back at her.

“No matter what I say now, I'm still going back to jail. No matter how much I lied in court, the police still didn't believe it. So here's the truth for you; No, you didn't come to me through your own will. Yes, you were kidnapped and yes, we did ask for a ransom.” He leant his elbows against the table.

“Your husband was willing to pay the sum, but guess what, my lady?” He smirked.

“He said he would pay.. For us to kill you.”

Melanie was in loss of words. She disliked Nicholas for being a stuck up celebrity who had changed her into someone she wasn't, but she had never thought of him as someone who would have wished for her to die.