OBSESSED

68

Captain Linder shook her head. "I'm sorry to say that I just don't know yet. We've never had a case like this before." Her mouth purses. "I want to be honest with you, Leah, because you've been through a lot. Because you did confess to drugging Jarrod, I'm worried how that might affect a trial. You may have done it in self-defense, but you did assault him with a syringe and drugged him."

That was not what I needed to hear. I started to cry again but she grabbed my hand and squeezed it.

"We are talking about serious charges," she reiterated. "I would recommend calling your lawyer. There's a phone over there."

I followed her head nod to a desk parked in the corner of the privacy room. A house phone-like device sat on its receiver. I hadn't even noticed it until now.

"Okay," I whispered, swallowing back the anxiety and terror coursing through me.

"I'll be back to check on you soon. Holler if you need anything."

My head bobbed in understanding but it felt so robotic. How did I get into this mess? Better yet—how was I going to get out?

As soon as Captain Linder was gone, I took a moment to decompress. I tried unsuccessfully not to cry several times before I finally got up and went to the phone. I stared at the ancient receiver and tried to recall what I needed to do. Call a lawyer.

I picked up the receiver and discovered I had no idea what number to dial. I didn't just have lawyers and their phone numbers memorized. Another chill raced down my spine as I realized I had no choice but to call my mother.

"Hello?" she answered after a ring. Her voice was distant, distracted.

"Mom," I replied weakly, "it's me."

"Leah! Oh honey! Where have you been? I got a call from Isabelle because she said you'd disappeared. No one knew where you went. Are you okay?"

My throat tightened while more tears swam in my eyes. Clearing my throat, I tried to get the words out.

"Something happened," I told her, the words still coming out like a rake on gravel. "I'm at a police station outside of Chattanooga. I need . . . I need help, Mom." My voice crumbled at the end.

"Oh, Leah, what happened? Did somebody hurt you?"

"Mom, I was—I was taken." My tongue wouldn't produce anything more specific. I didn't want to believe it. "I'm trying to file a rep—"

"Taken? As in abducted? Are you okay? Are you safe? Oh my God, my poor baby. Who took you? Tell me where you are. I'm throwing clothes on now and I'll be out in the car in two seconds."

"No!" I yelped, startling even myself with the pitch of my broken voice. "No, I don't want you to come here. I don't want anyone else involved. Can you just tell me our lawyer's information? I need to call him."

"I'm coming to find you, Leah, and I'll bring the lawyer too. Now tell me where you are."

—(—)—

Several hours passed. I didn't see Captain Linder again for at least two hours. What other lies was that monster telling them? I would've never hurt Jarrod, not even after what he put me through, but I did drug him. That was fact. But I didn't do it because I was deranged or mentally unstable. I did it to protect myself! How could I prove that though?

"Leah?"

I jumped, my drowsy head flying up, as I took in Linder standing in the privacy room threshold.

"Jarrod has been arrested for aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, and rape."

"What?" I gasped. I must've misheard her.

She crossed over to the couch and sat down beside me, every moment calculated and cautious. "Jarrod's been arrested," she told me. "He's being processed right now and very soon he'll be behind bars."

Swallowing, I tried to clear the ball of emotion from my throat. "For how long? And what about me? I thought he was trying to get me for assault."

"We have a forensics team at the cabin looking for evidence now. There were signs of distress, which is good for your case," she said. "Between the evidence, self-defense, and Jarrod changing his story to look like a victim, I think your case is getting stronger. When is your lawyer going to be here?"

I blinked slowly, trying to comprehend everything. "I, um, called my mom. She said that she and the lawyer should be here soon."

"Good. We're going to push for an early hearing next week and see if we can get this started." Linder slowly reached out to touched my shoulder. Her sympathetic eyes studied me. "Everything will be okay, Leah. Justice will be served to him."

Justice. I could've laughed if I wasn't still in shock. As much as Captain Linder could assure me that Jarrod was behind bars, I couldn't imagine ever feeling a sense of justice. How could they ever punish him sufficiently for what he had done to me and God knew how many others? Worst of all, Jarrod didn't believe he had done anything wrong. I knew some sick and twisted part of him truly thought he was just protecting me and salvaging our relationship.

There could never be justice for someone like him.