Crashing Waves

34

"Miss Walker?" A man in a suit opened the door, making me shoot up to my feet as a dizzying feeling enveloped me. "You've been called by the defence." I nodded, unable to speak. My own father was going to put everything he knew against me, all to get Alan out of prison. I couldn't let him, and with what went on with Alec, I honestly don't know what state they had the jury in right now.

"Miss Walker. We will not be reciting your oath under your officer rank since you were discharged of duty for this case." I nodded, thanking someone above for that. It meant that nothing would appear on my career stamp; if I even had one after this. If Alan got out, then...

"Miss Walker." I snapped out of my inner thoughts, searching around the room until Alec caught my eye, his face scrunched up like he had something to say. "Are you in a relationship with Alec Hardy?"

"What kind of question is that?" I answered, suddenly looking to my fathers lawyer.

"Miss Walker, answer the question please." I looked to the judge and sighed, knowing that he would only ask me the question if he wanted to catch me out. But I couldn't lie, not on the stand.

"I... I don't know. I guess I am, if that's what you'd call it."

"Yes or no?" The lawyer pressed.

"Yes. It's not an exclusive relationship, but we are together." I said, my hands holding the end of the stand tightly as I nervously fiddled with something in attempt to calm myself down.

"So you and DI Hardy have been a couple for a number of weeks?"

"I don't see what this has to do with anything." I said, looking over to Lucy who objected.

"Miss Walker is right, Mr Parker. Move on from this irrelevance." He nodded, turning over some of his notes as his hand left some others in front of him.

"How long had you known Mr. Sutton before you started dating him, Miss Walker?" He asked, and it took a moment to recall.

"Err, I'd say a few days or so? It moved quite fast." Fast wasn't a strong enough word. I had moved in within a month of dating and then discovered shortly after what he was really like.

"So for those few days, you what, met up, dated and then?"

"I moved in with him, yes. It was fast but at the time he-" I stopped myself, looking over at Alec as tears began to well in my eyes, flashbacks of Alan suddenly on top of me coming to my mind.

"Miss Walker." I realised that I had zoned out, Alec standing up like he was ready to come and get me.

"Are you alright to continue?" The judge asked, noticing my distressed expression. I was struggling to keep balance.

"Yes. Err, I moved in, and then when he first hit me I thought it was because we had an argument."

"So you provoked him?" He asked, and I raised my eyebrow.

"Provocation or not, there is no reason on this Earth as to justify physical abuse on someone." I said, feeling Alan's eye on me. I gripped the side of the stand, feeling my knuckles turn white. The panic was rising in my chest and I could feel it.

"But you chose to stay, and therefore giving Mr. Sutton your permission for every event after-"

"No. I didn't consent to the things he did to me." My anger flooded out, the panic right at the back of my throat as I proceeded to let loose on this pathetic excuse of a man.
"He raped me over and over again until I bled sometimes, others he would punch my stomach until I couldn't stand. He always said he wouldn't touch my face or arms because people would ask questions. I didn't leave until months down the line because I couldn't. He would've killed me."