Coffee & Criminals

32. The Interrogation

This is kind of a filler chapter but stick with me, it'll get better (no it won't). Fight me (ง'̀-'́)ง

"And when exactly did this....flirtation begin, Miss Remy?"

"For the last time, detective." I sighed, completely exhausted. "I told you, it wasn't a flirtation. We weren't dating. We were just acquaintances! It was a chance meeting, a very unfortunate one at that. It's not like I intentionally put myself in a position that would associate me with an international crime lord. I wouldn't do that."

"The capacity of what you, Miss Remy, would and would not do is based on your words. I don't know what you're capable of." Dark brown eyes bore into my own, wearing me down. "And the only insurance I have to justify the mentality of a teenage girl still comes down to your word, which at this point, doesn't amount to much. There are just too many factors that lead me to believe otherwise. Now, you seem like a nice and reasonable young lady, Miss Remy. Let's start in the beginning. When exactly did you fall into the company of Wolfe Sterling?"

I was beat and worn out and shivering. The harsh interrogation light above wasn't exactly helping and although the peak of the cold day provided enough illumination that the lights weren't necessary, it didn't make me feel any better. Nothing could, not as long as I was in here.

After several Marine officers all but dragged me out of the ocean, I was immediately taken into custody. The feeling of those cold metal handcuffs biting down on my wrists wasn't something I wanted to go through again. I was still soaked to the skin and completely numbed over. It took over an hour to finally get everything settled and for my parents to make the drive from Brooklyn. We were now at the Federal Bureau of Investigation Center in upper east side Manhattan, a sanction of the CIA headquarters stationed in Florida. FBI agents roamed outside the interrogation room, along with my parents and Clancy. I wasn't just an associate of the Crowns anymore, I was actually a suspect. The police had handed the case over to the Feds because taking Wolfe Sterling down had become a national priority.

But by far, facing my parents and Clancy was the worst part. I couldn't explain to them what happened. The cops did that. They wouldn't let me talk to anyone except the detective I was roomed with. Since they couldn't catch Wolfe (or at least, I don't think they did) they trained all their fury on me. The FBI, the NYPD, and even the CIA were now involved. Every letter of the goddamn alphabet.

Detective Rossen was cold, calculated, and smooth. He had greying hair and deep brown eyes with lots of wrinkles around them. He didn't blink often and talked fast, slipping in phrases and words at exactly the right time to make me trip. I had to listen very closely because one wrong answer could bring my world crashing down. I was told he was one of the best interrogators in the country. With such a high rate criminal, I suppose the government wasn't going to spare any expenses. The Crowns were, after all, the most dangerous Brooklyn mafia in all of the seven seas and the search for them spanned for several years. The authorities were tired of chasing after them and now they finally had a connection.

But I was sitting there, sweating and shivering in the uncomfortable metal chair, trying very hard not to cry. A million thoughts ran through my head. Detective Rossen obviously wanted a confession. To what? I did nothing wrong! I was the innocent one here. So why did I feel so scared? I had nothing to hide...right? Wolfe deserved to go to prison. I just couldn't find the right words to say. Under the intimidating glare of the detective, under the harsh light and the mirror on one of the walls where I knew my parents were watching and listening on the other side, I couldn't bring myself to talk. It was overwhelming.

The attorney my parents had hired resided in Minnesota. It would take her at least two days to get here, with traffic being so bad and all. But it didn't really make much of a difference, seeing as though a pending FBI investigation didn't include the power of lawyers or attorneys. The officials had a choice whether or not they could be present during questioning, not me. If this was a case for the police, then attorneys could be present. But law enforcement saw me and Wolfe as a threat to national security and the usual laws didn't apply because the case itself was given to a higher authority.