Disclaimer – I own Annabel Brown but nothing else.
Sorry if its in bold - see previous chapter for full reasons why.
Annabel Brown opened her eyes and stared up at the roof of her cell. She stretched out and then sat up before shivering a little. She could feel the shakes starting but she tried to control them. Millie would be back for her today and it would not be a good idea to for her to see just how much she needed the drugs now. Wanted, she corrected herself, I want them, I don't need them. She wondered what time it was. After Max Carter – she was secretly glad she'd hit him now, served him right for getting Millie kidnapped – had deposited her back in her cell she'd fallen asleep only to be woken a couple of hours later by drunken giggles and yells. After that had all quietened down a while later, the only sounds she'd been able to hear was the PC on the desk drumming his pens on the desk and humming to himself. It had surprised her how quite it had been – she'd thought police stations would be bursting with all sorts at night.
The door on her cell opened and she looked up into the eyes of Max. He was still wearing his jacket and she wondered if he'd come straight to see her – that seemed sweet of him which didn't match what information she'd been able to coax out of Mille. Unless he was coming to tell her he was pressing charges.
"Miss Brown. It's been decided that you can leave with a small fine for personal use."
"How much?" She only had 21p in her purse and she didn't much fancy having to call her parents and ask them to come all the way down here to lend her money.
"PC Brown – I should say Millie – has already paid the amount in full. Your free to leave."
"And what about...um..." she trailed off trying to think of a way to phrase it. " Are you not pressing charges then? About me smacking you in the face I mean?"
"No." He gave her a cold look and walked away, hearing her get to her feet. Glancing around the office he frowned. Millie had been there only moments ago, but now the only person in the office was PC Nate Roberts who had taken over from Ben on the front desk for the morning shift.
"Where's PC Brown?" Nate looked up and his eyes drifted to the women walking a little behind Max. She was quite good looking and as their eyes met he gave her a charming smile. She looked at him the corners of her turning upwards.
"PC Brown went to ask Stone if she could take the morning off work. Family troubles or something."
"Yeah that would be me. I'm the Brown family trouble." The woman sat down on one of the chairs and closed her eyes as Max went to find the belongings she'd had with her last night. Nate still watching her, noticed the slight shake of her shoulders and the way her arms were clamped around herself as if trying to hold her body still.
Millie came back through the office doors and grinned as she saw her sister waiting there.
"Annie, come on you need to check to make sure you get all your things back."
"Millie!" Annie ran at her and felt her whole body relax.
"Come on, let's get your things and then you can come back to mine alright? I've cleared it with mum and she's agreed you can stay a few weeks." Annie nodded and trudged over to the desk where her broken bag, brown shawl, pink purse, mobile phone, 21p and an old photo of her and Millie were handed back over. She grinned in the direction of Nate and noticed Max disappear back upstairs.
Millie saw his go as well. This morning when she'd arrived to take Annie home, she hadn't been surprised to see him already there. The bruising under his eye was already purple and she'd noticed it had made him stop frowning. Turing her attention back to her sister she smiled as she saw her engaged in a conversation with Nate. Knowing that he had an eye for the ladies she stepped in.
"Hey, I thought you wanted to go home? Come on then, say bye to Nate and lets get going." Annie picked up her things, winked at Nate and waltzed to her sisters side. They walked out of the station together over to Millie's car. No one noticed the figure of Max standing at the window looking down at them.