"Can I ask you something before we start?" Emma said, rubbing the tiredness from her eyes. "I had a really rough couple of days with almost no sleep. Is it possible for you to get me some hot coffee?"
Regina half smiled, "Is this how I should bargain with you in the future? Coffee and clothes for information?"
However, the mention of clothes reminded Emma of her current state of undress. She snuggled more into her blanket and nodded, "Hell, I think we can both agree I'm in a pretty bad position right now. Count yourself lucky Ms Mills. I'm not normally this cheap."
"Neither am I. You'll find that out when you see my fees."
Fees? Fuck. Alarm bells rang in Emma's head so loud that Regina picked it up, "Oh don't worry Miss Swan. We'll cross that bridge when we get there."
She stood up and went to the doors, opened them and said something to Nolan who was standing just outside. As she came back to her seat and pulled out a pen and some paper from her bag on the floor, Emma took a breath.
"So, where do you want me to start? The beginning?"
Regina just waved a go ahead.
"He wasn't my boyfriend."
"What?"
"The victim. Gold keeps calling him my boyfriend. He wasn't my boyfriend. He was my mark."
"You were working. Bail bondsperson." At Emma's raised eyebrow, Regina just shrugged, "Yes, I have that on you. I work fast."
Emma continued, "Exactly. I'm a bail bondsperson for an agency called Booth and Bail. Because I have, well, a set of skills required for finding people and re-apprehension of defendants who skip, I work mostly on the go. Boss e-mails me my marks, I get them."
"Seems like a risky career," Regina quietly commented.
"Well, yes… sometimes. But I've learned a long time ago how to deal with high stress high risk environment, and I'm good at this, so… it works, until it doesn't, no?" Emma looked at her hands, lightly rubbing the red marks on her wrists. "I actually wanted to be a detective. Can you imagine that?"
"Yes, actually I can."
Emma just shrugged of what sounded like a compliment, while Regina stored the little snippet of self-depreciation in her mind's file on Miss Swan.
"I got this new mark on Thursday. Well-of criminal scumbag named Killian Jones. He is running some sort of small-scale drug operation, got busted with some dirty money. On the surface file looked fine, seemed it would be a waltz, nothing to indicate violence," Emma lightly chuckled, "but now, the more I think about it, the more I am doubting..." she trailed off.
"Who sent you the mark?"
"It came from the agency's e-mail. Nothing unusual."
"Can I talk to your supervisor?"
"I guess. I don't know. Never met the guy."
"You never personally talked to your boss?"
"No. You know Ms Mills, this is 2016. It's a new economy. It's a wonder that the agency deals with us through e-mail. Soon, bounty hunting will just be a matter of installing an app on your phone," Emma remarked.
"Never mind, let's not digress."
"Anyway, I've found out that Mr Jones is a man of certain taste, which notably includes hiring blond escorts for some hard-core party time on his boat. We are talking all sorts of kinks, but nothing particularly special. Assuming an identity of an escort is quite easy. One fake website and a couple of calls later, and I got myself a gig at Jones's boat anchored just a mile or so off the coast."
"Wait, I'm sorry. I seem to recall you telling me two minutes ago you are not an idiot. How did you think that assuming a false identity of a prostitute and going on a boat full of criminals is going to end well?" Regina practically barked not believing the recklessness of her client, while Emma just looked at her exasperated.
"I wouldn't do it again, if that is what you want to know."
Regina pressed her hand to her forehead and leaned back over the desk, "What happened next?"
"I was transferred to a boat with two other girls. Once there, I tried to locate Jones. I couldn't see where he was and his men weren't very talkative. The boat is an 11 foot yacht and I counted at least 12 other people on board, but it was difficult to get an accurate overview. With what I've been told when I was hired, those men were not supposed to be present. So I was hanging there, pretending to drink cocktails in the afternoon sun, waiting. Girls got really drunk in a Jacuzzi with some of the guys, evening passed by and the party was slowly dying. I think it was probably around 11 pm when a guy came to me and told me Mr Jones is now interested in an after-party. By that time I already thought I'm not going to see this person at all and my little operation was a bust."
At that moment Nolan came in carrying two cups of coffee and placed them on the table.
"I got it from the vending machine, so I can't guarantee that it will be any good." He looked at Emma and smiled, while the woman just stared back not amused. Regina interrupted before it gets awkward.
"Thank you Nolan, this is very charming of you. Now go away and stay outside. We don't want anyone listening in."
He shuffled around and left.
Emma grabbed the warm drink with both her hands taking a deep breath of coffee, "He is behaving like I should be grateful to him and his puppy-dog eyes, yet he said nothing while his boss was monologueing and depriving me of basic rights in a futile attempt to get my confession."
"You haven't said anything to the detective about what happened, haven't you?" Regina asked while Emma sipped her coffee.
Emma just looked at her like she was insane, "I might have made some stupid decisions in my life, but I know how the system works. I said nothing. My plan was to wait it out for the 72 hours until he cannot hold me anymore without charges and take it from there. Try to find who is behind this. Presuming the body stays at the bottom of the bay."
"Let's go back to the boat. You were asked to come into his cabin?"
"Yes. I came in. He was there, sitting on a reclining chair ogling me like a fucking sleazeball. I tried to chat him up at first and stall for time. I had a plan. Get him a drink, lock him up and call the coast guard. I could hear the boys leaving the yacht on the speedboats, probably with the girls. The problem being is that without being there, I cannot really tell you who was left on board. Jones, he became… impatient. He liked what he saw", she made a small gesture pointing at herself, "and wanted to get laid. Badly. I was trying to talk, prepare more drinks, stall, until I get a good opportunity to surprise him and leave, but he wasn't having it. Things turned nasty once he grabbed my arm and pushed me on the floor."
Regina felt her heart picking up as she asked what she badly wanted not to be true, "Emma, he didn't... force himself on you?"
"Oh no. He tried, but I got violent. You don't go around finding bad guys without some serious skills in the self-defense department."
Emma looked at Regina and felt a bit of… pride? Yes, definitely, a little bit of pride. Regina passed her her own coffee cup after she noticed the blonde has finished hers.
"He managed a couple of good punches though, and I'm pretty sure I have a mark on my back where his stupid hook got me." Her blue shoulder and a split lip already stood as evidence. Then she turned around, lowered her blanket a bit and yes, down her back there was a long cut that was obviously bleeding at some point.
It took Regina a second to understand what kind of a hook Emma was mentioning, "He had a bloody hook for a hand? Like some 17th century pirate?"
"Yes, but I also left quite a scratch on his face, drawing quite a lot of blood," she said showing of acrylic nails. "Part of my costume," she explained the tacky design before moving on.
"I then managed to grab my martini glass from the table, hit him in the head and get out of the cabin. I locked the doors. He kept pounding at them very much alive and then suddenly, he stopped."
45 hours earlier
"Kilian?" Emma asked through the door. She touched her lip. Fuck, bleeding. She hit her head lightly at the door thinking how stupid she was and how her entire task spiraled out of hand. She lost her focus and made simple beginner's mistakes. And well, now she has this mess. But, what the fuck is going on with the creepster?
"Jones?" she called.
No sound. She opened the door slightly… no sign.
"Hey one-hand?"
She covered her mouth in silent terror as her eyes caught the shiny object on the floor. It was the hook… attached to an arm… attached to nothing.
Shakily she looked away fighting the nausea at the unexpected image. The blood was soaking through the carpet, stain slowly spreading where she tried to get a better look at the arm without losing her stomach content. Something very sharp and strong was used, as the arm seemed to be cut right off. How did he not scream? She hadn't heard a shot fired. Perhaps they attacked with a strangling wire… perhaps... well, no use in guessing now.
The cabin was not completely lit but as far as she could tell, there were no other people present. Open window. Two open windows. Fuck. Fuck she is screwed. Like, seriously and 'I'm going to die here' screwed. She turned around towards the door, and as quietly as she could stepped toward the corridor that led to the big living room. The plush carpet was soft against her feet, and she tried to focus on the sensation and stop her accelerated breathing.
Ok, Emma, calm down. There is at least one more person here. That person just severed the hand of a known criminal. That person knows you are here too.
The living room was bright with lights and massive windows. She didn't want to risk to be seen so she turned left into another bedroom. She slowly walked to the windows, careful not to hit anything in the dark. After a minute she could see two figures that appeared to be men dressed in black, standing on the stern of the yacht. They bent over, picked up what was very obviously a dead body of Killian Jones and unceremoniously tossed him over.
Emma stood completely still while she watched the two figures move back inside. Of course, the speed boats have already left, so for them the only way to the land is taking the yacht for the ride. So, she needs to escape.
Think Emma, think. You are not going to die here in the hands of some ghouls like an idiot. Keep moving, that will give you the upper hand. Focus.
She walked lightly back to the main corridor and went around the corner. She heard the front door closing.
Next room, kitchen. Perfect! Knives and forks… perhaps she can find an axe is she is lucky. As quietly and as quickly as she could she went through the kitchen. Bingo. An axe on the wall next to a small kitchen size fire extinguisher. She grabbed it just as she heard sounds coming closer.
"Oh lassie, come out," it was a rather loud unknown male voice taunting her with sing songs like in a cheap slasher film, "there is no point in hiding because you are outnumbered and, I'm sorry to say, outgunned."
She rolled her eyes. Great, how is she going to stand up to firearms with an axe? She can't. If they catch her, she probably dies. She hoped the water is not that bad and she'll manage to swim to the shore. Theoretically she should. She could. She will.
She stood next to the doors waiting for the baddie number one to walk inside. The handle moved and the doors slowly opened. As the person turned around she fired a cloud of foam straight into the face and ran out as fast as she could. He hear him scream followed by gun shots in her general direction. She moved, running through the corridor towards outside. Once the fresh air hit her face she checked where the other person was. Another shot. Ok, no time for that.
She looked at the water, saw a shadow moving in her direction and decided. Now or never. She jumped into the dark sea, leaving the axe to sink. She dived closer to the boat and took a breath of air. This she learned from the films. Never go straight out, for they might see you. Keep close to the boat for a few minutes, and they never think to check underneath the fenders. Damn it was cold. She will have to start swimming fast, otherwise she'll just turn into Jack fucking Dawson.
45 hours later
"Miss Swan, that is very dramatic and all, but when Titanic sank the sea temperature was below 30 degrees, hardly the same as Boston in September", Regina remarked, her way of supporting the humorous side of Emma's storytelling.
"Well, yes, it certainly felt really bad. It takes me normally 40-45 minutes to swim a mile. I swear it was double the time in the open waters."
"But what happened with the boat? Wasn't there an explosion?"
"Yes. While I was waiting for them to go back inside, I've heard one of them saying 'Cover everything really nicely, this baby needs to burn' or something in that sense. I panicked and started swimming to create some distance between myself and the yacht. When it went off I swear, that was where I came closest to dying. The bits and pieces landed all around me, come of them still burning. The noise…"
Emma was interrupted by a noise outside of the door.
"Move Nolan or you are history."
"Don't say a word Miss Swan, I have this", Regina said quickly.
A second later a man walked in, with a familiar limp and a scowl on his face.
"Oh Regina darling, you came to help the needy? How noble."
"Detective Gold," Regina announced darkly while standing up, "someone needs to check why you are depriving my client of her basic rights. I am sure it was just a big mistake and you are letting Emma Swan go home."
"Unlikely, as she is a murder suspect."
"What murder Gold? No body, no murder, no jail time. How much longer do you plan on keeping her here for nothing?! I am warning you, if you think about breaking the 72 hour limit, I'll have you buried underneath a mountain of legal problems before Leroy can finish a doughnut. Am I clear?"
"Perfectly. Except you see, I just finished a call with the district attorney and we are pressing charges."
Emma looked at Regina in alarm.
"For what?"
"Your little client here is a working girl and is a flight risk."
"She is not a prostitute. She works as a bail bondsperson."
"Tell that to the judge dearie."
"Detective, with all due respect, could you leave? I have some time left with my client. I'll talk to you later," Regina said indicating the doors. As he made no moves to leave, she opened the door for him, "There's no time like right now detective," her firm voice barely hid the annoyance as she made a show out of checking her watch for time.
"Regina, I think these hopeless cases are beneath you. Why don't you go home and I here will take care of our Miss Swan," at Regina's not amused look, he just mumbled, "You are lucky I also want to go home for some well deserved rest."
"Oh yes, I'm sure you worked really hard today on finding some new circumstantial or bogus evidence against my client." As they walked out Regina saw Nolan pointing to a pixie blonde standing by the reception. She motioned to Emma she'll be right back and walked with Gold.
"You know you'll have to tell me why are you so hung up on Emma Swan detective Gold."
"Oh the suspension Regina! Perhaps I simply dislike… the murderous attitude."
"Aha, sure. We have more urgent matters at hand," Regina said crossing her arms in a no-nonsense attitude. "My priority now is to get her a somewhat good night of sleep. So, I want her in her own cell, no drunk homeless people or prostitutes to gang up on her. I am sure you haven't planned on her having a proper legal counsel when you put her through this torture, but I tell you now Gold, she better have some sleep and not a hair misplaced when I come and see her tomorrow." She let that sink in a bit. "You don't want to put your department through even more trouble than it inevitably awaits you all after this appalling misconduct."
Gold looked at her for a moment and then went on like he has zero fucks to give. "Of course, dearie! Now, I don't know what you are talking about, Miss Swan was perfectly fine and didn't complain at all."
"That is because she hasn't said anything at all to you or your army of trolls."
"No need to get nasty, you will get what you ask," he said as if she was the one talking nonsense and paraded off to his lair. Regina turned to Tink. "You have everything?"
"Yes, I think she'll be fine for now. I got her also some toiletries and extra warm pair of comfy slacks and shirts to spend the night, sneakers and socks." Tink picked up the bag and handed it to Regina. "Is she alright?" Regina just nodded.
"Thanks Tink. You can go, it's almost 1 am. I'll give her this, make sure she is fine, and leave as well. Let's have a meeting in the office at 9:30 tomorrow. I'll bring Henry to school first so I'll be a bit late to the office"
"No problem, boss. Taxi is waiting for me outside. See you in the morning."
As Regina went back to see Emma, she saw Leroy had a big fresh box from Dunkin' Donuts at his desk. With a smile she took a napkin and grabbed one.
"Miss Swan?" Emma was hunched over with her head on the desk. "Miss Swan?" She wasn't moving, so Regina laid her hand gently on Emma's shoulder. "Miss Swaaan. Come on."
Emma roused from sleep with a jerk and looked at Regina panicky, "Oh my God, sorry Ms. Mills, I think I…"
"That is alright. Here, have a doughnut before going to bed. Nolan will lead you to a cell where you'll be by yourself and can sleep a bit more relaxed. Here's some clothes for you to change."
"Bed? Thank you Regina, I'm so tired."
"I know, I know." Regina picked up her pen and paper from the desk and said, "Before you go, write me your address. I'll go and pick up a couple of things for you to change if needed. And here is my card. In case you need me, just call. I'll come back tomorrow."
"Thank you Regina… I... "
"I know, you're tired. You are repeating yourself Miss Swan." Regina said and took the paper from Emma to put in her bag. "Wait here."
"Nolan!" Regina called, "We are ready."
Officer came in and just to be sure, Regina issued some threats and orders, while watching him lead Emma out of the room. The tall blonde really was beautiful. As Regina watched them leave down the corridor, Emma turned around for a second. Their eyes met, and Regina's heart skipped for just one, almost unnoticeable, beat. It's because, Regina has decided, this Emma Swan is innocent and she will get her out of this mess.