Chapter 11 - Interrogation
There was a knock at Mark's door. In strode two police officers.
"Doctor Sloan? We wondered if you would be up to be answering a few questions for us. All strictly routine, of course."
"Of course."
"Is there anywhere the children can go? They're not yours, I presume."
"No officer. There is nowhere else the children can go, and to be frank, I don't much appreciate your tone. You've not even identified yourselves to me yet." Attitude is certainly not a thing to try on with Mark Sloan. He will always invariably get the better of you.
The woman responded with a recalcitrance that would have been typical for a child of four, not for a young woman of twenty-four. Her looks were stormy, not dissimilar to her attitude. Her unruly pony-tailed raven hair went in all directions, her green eyes glinted. Mark fancied that he didn't like the look of his - or anyone else's - chances, should they happen to meet her down a dark alley.
"This is Officer Forbes and I'm Officer Henson - Clint. I apologise for Mel's attitude, I mean, I'd like to say that she is not normally like that, but." His eyes twinkled as he left the suggestion open.
He was the complete antithesis of his partner, as her hair was dark, his was light. It possessed a natural wave, which along with the sparkling blue eyes and the cheeky grin added to the boy next door look. He was well built - 6ft4 whilst his partner seemed more to be 4ft6. In all honesty, I exaggerate, in actual fact she did just reach 5ft3. She was very slight - to look at her one would think that a strong gust of wind would sweep her off her feet and blow her away. Her partner on the other hand was solidly built, obviously enjoys going to the gym a lot. Mark thought, as he saw the biceps bulging out of the officer's uniform. Where as her looks and tenacious attitude might earn her the title of a witch, he was what could be perceived as a good wholesome boy next door, with whom you wouldn't mind your daughter spending time. You really did have to laugh at the pairing - never before was a 'match' so 'missed'!
"You were driving the car, were you not, Dr. Sloan?" Clint began.
"I was, yes. Though it's not my car you understand. It was a hire car." Clint nodded and scribbled notes, it appeared that he had been nominated as the scribe, but saying that, he probably didn't dare cross his partner.
"Where d'ya hire it?"
"Well, Officer Forbes, I believe that they came from a company called 'Express Motors', and it wasn't me that hired them, I was simply a guarantor, as was my son, Steve."
"Well who the heck hired them then?" she snapped.
"That would have been our friend, Jesse Travis."
"Did he have any reason why he'd wanna kill ya?"
"No!" Mark was astounded that she had the audacity to even suggest such a thing. This certainly seems to be a game of good cop, bad cop, concluded Mark, and it certainly wasn't very hard to tell which one was which.
"Can you think of anyone who would want to kill you then, Sir."
"Not at all." Mark lied. There was no way that he was letting the two stooges know where they were going and why, not that he really knew that himself, if he was honest.
"Where is Travis?" Forbes barked as she made a display of flicking through her notebook to find the accident scene notes that she had evidently made.
"He's in another room somewhere. You seem to forget that he was in the accident, too."
"We completely understand, Dr. Sloan. We'll go and see. Thank you for your time, Dr Sloan."
"We'll need a cell number or something. Just in case you have ant ideas about skipping the country." Mark smiled at her Mel courteously.
Mark wrote the number down for them and the two of them left, Clint shutting the door quietly behind them.
* * * * *
Amanda and Steve sat and waited in the hallway whist the doctor finished checking Jesse over. When she was done, the doctor came our to where the two friends were waiting to tell them her findings.
"Ah, hello. Are you here with Dr. Travis?" the Doctor asked Steve. She recognised Amanda from when t gurney was brought in and nodded her acknowledgement. Steve, however, was a stranger to her.
"Yeah, Lieutenant Steve Sloan. LAPD." She nodded.
"Well, I'm doctor Samantha Davys. I've examined Dr. Travis. He inhaled a lot of smoke, for which he is being oxygen. He also appears to be coming through the shock nicely now. The main thing is the concussion. It's a complex concussion that was caused by the blow he received to the back of his head, that'll make him feel lousy for the next week or so. At the minute, though, the amalgamation of all these things have left him feeling very disoriented, most probably nauseous, giddiness, drowsiness and confusion."
"Well, that'll be nothing new for Jesse."
"I'm sorry?. er, Stewart?"
"Close; Steve. I mean that Jesse usually doesn't have a clue what's going on the best of times."
"That's not true, Steve." Amanda scolded. "Well, he's not that bad." She conceded. "Can we go see him?"
"Yeah, but take it easy. Any problems then just hit the buzzer and I'll be straight along."
"Thank you, Dr. Davys." Samantha Davys smiled at the pair of them and left them to it. Amanda started for the room in which Jesse had been settled. "you coming, Steve?"
"Er."
"Come on." Amanda took her friends arm and led him into Jesse's room.
Jesse fidgeted in the bed, trying to sit up to greet his visitors. This was, however, fruitless as he was still very weak. His shirt was off, revealing all the cuts and bruises on his chest. He, like Mark, was wearing an oxygen mask.
"Hey you. Stay still." Amanda admonished.
"Amanda, what are you doing?"
"Coming to see you. We were worried. I take it you were told what's wrong with you?"
"Uhuh. Smoke inhalation. Shock. Concussion. Pretty normal, really. Have to stay in until tomorrow, at least."
"You feeling OK?"
"About as well as any doctor would expect."
"Lousy?"
"That pretty much covers it, yeah." Jesse's eyes fluttered. He forced himself to keep them open. "You OK Steve? You've not said a word."
"Oh, is that the time? I really ought to relieve Mark from looking after the boys." Amanda took the opportunity to discreetly slip out, giving the two boys the space they needed to talk.
"Steve, how's your dad?"
"He's OK. They're keeping him in till the morning, just for observation; smoke inhalation."
"That's good." Jesse was determined that despite the strong urge to do so, that he was not going to fall asleep.
"You look tired, Jess."
"Hmm?"
"Straight up Jess. How are you?"
"Nauseous, tired, disoriented, dizzy, my head is throbbing."
"OK, I get it." A pause. "Jess, are you mad with me?"
"Mad with you? Why?"
"Do you remember much about the crash and what happened straight after?"
"Smoke, noise, heat, light." The young doctor squirmed in his bed again.
"I left you to die Jess."
"What? Steve, that's not funny. Don't be silly."
"This isn't a joke, Jesse." Steve took hold of his friend wrist firmly, forcing the younger man to look him in the eye. "I left you to die, understand? The choice was between standing with my father at a safe distance and saving you. I chose my father without any thought. You could have died out there, because of me."
"Oh." Jesse was forced to silence. This silence was broken by the entry with the entry of Forbes and Henson. They introduced themselves and without delay, Forbes dived into action.
"Why'd you wanna kill Mark Sloan?"
"What?"
"Answer the question."
"Well. I didn't. the car crashed."
"Why'd you tamper with the brakes?"
"What? I didn't!" Steve just stood there, watching the scene unfold.
"Someone did."
"Well it wasn't me."
"Then who was it?"
"I don't know."
"But it was you that hired the cars, wasn't it?"
"Well, yeah."
"Why'd you do it?"
"Do what?"
"You know."
"I don't know. You keep saying that I know, but I don't know."
"You know."
"I do not know!" Jesse snapped. Officer Henson decided to intervene.
"Dr. Travis, what do you remember about the incident?"
"Well not a whole lot to be honest." Steve watched as Jesse began to grow agitated and uncomfortable.
"Come on Dr. Travis. Something useful please." Forbes snapped.
"I don't know!" Steve watched. "Oh dear, I don't feel well." Jesse turned pail as the room began to spin.
"I think that it would be best if you left." The voice was strong and sure. Steve stepped forward in the defence of his friend.
"And you would be?"
"Lieutenant Sloan. LAPD homicide."
"Hey Lieutenant Sloan. Great to meet you." Chimed Clint.
"Do you have to be so disgustingly nice to everyone?"
"Yes, Melanie. I do."
"Do you mind? I think Dr. Travis needs to rest. So, I suggest that this interrogation is stopped until Dr. Travis has had some time to rest and then conducted in a manner that is more appropriate."
"We'll be back in half an hour to finish this. Don't try any stupid, like running."
"I can't run," Jesse added feebly, "the grounds moving too fast, I'd never be able to keep up."
"It's O.K. Jess. They're going, NOW!" with that the cops left the room, but not without stating emphatically that they would be back in precisely thirty minutes.
"You OK buddy?" Steve's tone mellowed. It had taken a gentle tone, such a contrast to the tone that he directed at the two officers.
"Yeah. Just a little bit. I don't know."
"Your head hurting you?"
"Oh yeah, feels like someone clubbed me over the head with a lump hammer."
"That bad, huh?"
"Worse." A pause. "Steve. Thanks for that." Another pause. "Did you really leave me out there?"
"Yeah. You're really mad, I know. I understand."
"No, Steve. I'm not. Not really. I understand why you did it at least."
"You do?"
"Sure. I mean Mark's your Dad. Dunno if I'd do the same for my dad, though."
"Yeah, sure you would."
"No, I don't think so. You're dad I'd make sure was OK, I'd go to the ends of the earth to do that. But my dad.!"
"What would you have done had you been in my position and Dad and Amanda had been stuck in the car? What would you do?"
"Steve, I don't think that I could answer that. I just don't know." Jesse conceded to the urge and closed his eyes, resting for a while until the return on his inquisitors. Steve stayed by his bedside, comforted and content in the knowledge that Jesse did not blame him for anything that had happened.
* * * * *
True to their word Henson and Forbes were back in precisely thirty minutes.
It was established that the brake cabled had been tampered with. They had not been severed, instead, they had been weakened, and their usage throughout the journey led to them snapping cleanly into two. The brake pedal becoming disconnected led to the failure of the brakes, which thus resulted in the crashing of the car. Sabotage.
This didn't fail to shock the friends.
"Who would do something like that?" asked Mark of Amanda.
"I don't know, Mark, I just don't know."
"You know, they asked me if I thought Jesse might want to kill me."
"Jesse? Why, he would never do anything like that to anyone!"
"I know. That's what I said. I mean the whole idea is absolutely ridiculous."
"Then who?"
"I'm not sure, but I think that it may have some connection to the murder of Daniel Robinson."
There was a knock at Mark's door. In strode two police officers.
"Doctor Sloan? We wondered if you would be up to be answering a few questions for us. All strictly routine, of course."
"Of course."
"Is there anywhere the children can go? They're not yours, I presume."
"No officer. There is nowhere else the children can go, and to be frank, I don't much appreciate your tone. You've not even identified yourselves to me yet." Attitude is certainly not a thing to try on with Mark Sloan. He will always invariably get the better of you.
The woman responded with a recalcitrance that would have been typical for a child of four, not for a young woman of twenty-four. Her looks were stormy, not dissimilar to her attitude. Her unruly pony-tailed raven hair went in all directions, her green eyes glinted. Mark fancied that he didn't like the look of his - or anyone else's - chances, should they happen to meet her down a dark alley.
"This is Officer Forbes and I'm Officer Henson - Clint. I apologise for Mel's attitude, I mean, I'd like to say that she is not normally like that, but." His eyes twinkled as he left the suggestion open.
He was the complete antithesis of his partner, as her hair was dark, his was light. It possessed a natural wave, which along with the sparkling blue eyes and the cheeky grin added to the boy next door look. He was well built - 6ft4 whilst his partner seemed more to be 4ft6. In all honesty, I exaggerate, in actual fact she did just reach 5ft3. She was very slight - to look at her one would think that a strong gust of wind would sweep her off her feet and blow her away. Her partner on the other hand was solidly built, obviously enjoys going to the gym a lot. Mark thought, as he saw the biceps bulging out of the officer's uniform. Where as her looks and tenacious attitude might earn her the title of a witch, he was what could be perceived as a good wholesome boy next door, with whom you wouldn't mind your daughter spending time. You really did have to laugh at the pairing - never before was a 'match' so 'missed'!
"You were driving the car, were you not, Dr. Sloan?" Clint began.
"I was, yes. Though it's not my car you understand. It was a hire car." Clint nodded and scribbled notes, it appeared that he had been nominated as the scribe, but saying that, he probably didn't dare cross his partner.
"Where d'ya hire it?"
"Well, Officer Forbes, I believe that they came from a company called 'Express Motors', and it wasn't me that hired them, I was simply a guarantor, as was my son, Steve."
"Well who the heck hired them then?" she snapped.
"That would have been our friend, Jesse Travis."
"Did he have any reason why he'd wanna kill ya?"
"No!" Mark was astounded that she had the audacity to even suggest such a thing. This certainly seems to be a game of good cop, bad cop, concluded Mark, and it certainly wasn't very hard to tell which one was which.
"Can you think of anyone who would want to kill you then, Sir."
"Not at all." Mark lied. There was no way that he was letting the two stooges know where they were going and why, not that he really knew that himself, if he was honest.
"Where is Travis?" Forbes barked as she made a display of flicking through her notebook to find the accident scene notes that she had evidently made.
"He's in another room somewhere. You seem to forget that he was in the accident, too."
"We completely understand, Dr. Sloan. We'll go and see. Thank you for your time, Dr Sloan."
"We'll need a cell number or something. Just in case you have ant ideas about skipping the country." Mark smiled at her Mel courteously.
Mark wrote the number down for them and the two of them left, Clint shutting the door quietly behind them.
* * * * *
Amanda and Steve sat and waited in the hallway whist the doctor finished checking Jesse over. When she was done, the doctor came our to where the two friends were waiting to tell them her findings.
"Ah, hello. Are you here with Dr. Travis?" the Doctor asked Steve. She recognised Amanda from when t gurney was brought in and nodded her acknowledgement. Steve, however, was a stranger to her.
"Yeah, Lieutenant Steve Sloan. LAPD." She nodded.
"Well, I'm doctor Samantha Davys. I've examined Dr. Travis. He inhaled a lot of smoke, for which he is being oxygen. He also appears to be coming through the shock nicely now. The main thing is the concussion. It's a complex concussion that was caused by the blow he received to the back of his head, that'll make him feel lousy for the next week or so. At the minute, though, the amalgamation of all these things have left him feeling very disoriented, most probably nauseous, giddiness, drowsiness and confusion."
"Well, that'll be nothing new for Jesse."
"I'm sorry?. er, Stewart?"
"Close; Steve. I mean that Jesse usually doesn't have a clue what's going on the best of times."
"That's not true, Steve." Amanda scolded. "Well, he's not that bad." She conceded. "Can we go see him?"
"Yeah, but take it easy. Any problems then just hit the buzzer and I'll be straight along."
"Thank you, Dr. Davys." Samantha Davys smiled at the pair of them and left them to it. Amanda started for the room in which Jesse had been settled. "you coming, Steve?"
"Er."
"Come on." Amanda took her friends arm and led him into Jesse's room.
Jesse fidgeted in the bed, trying to sit up to greet his visitors. This was, however, fruitless as he was still very weak. His shirt was off, revealing all the cuts and bruises on his chest. He, like Mark, was wearing an oxygen mask.
"Hey you. Stay still." Amanda admonished.
"Amanda, what are you doing?"
"Coming to see you. We were worried. I take it you were told what's wrong with you?"
"Uhuh. Smoke inhalation. Shock. Concussion. Pretty normal, really. Have to stay in until tomorrow, at least."
"You feeling OK?"
"About as well as any doctor would expect."
"Lousy?"
"That pretty much covers it, yeah." Jesse's eyes fluttered. He forced himself to keep them open. "You OK Steve? You've not said a word."
"Oh, is that the time? I really ought to relieve Mark from looking after the boys." Amanda took the opportunity to discreetly slip out, giving the two boys the space they needed to talk.
"Steve, how's your dad?"
"He's OK. They're keeping him in till the morning, just for observation; smoke inhalation."
"That's good." Jesse was determined that despite the strong urge to do so, that he was not going to fall asleep.
"You look tired, Jess."
"Hmm?"
"Straight up Jess. How are you?"
"Nauseous, tired, disoriented, dizzy, my head is throbbing."
"OK, I get it." A pause. "Jess, are you mad with me?"
"Mad with you? Why?"
"Do you remember much about the crash and what happened straight after?"
"Smoke, noise, heat, light." The young doctor squirmed in his bed again.
"I left you to die Jess."
"What? Steve, that's not funny. Don't be silly."
"This isn't a joke, Jesse." Steve took hold of his friend wrist firmly, forcing the younger man to look him in the eye. "I left you to die, understand? The choice was between standing with my father at a safe distance and saving you. I chose my father without any thought. You could have died out there, because of me."
"Oh." Jesse was forced to silence. This silence was broken by the entry with the entry of Forbes and Henson. They introduced themselves and without delay, Forbes dived into action.
"Why'd you wanna kill Mark Sloan?"
"What?"
"Answer the question."
"Well. I didn't. the car crashed."
"Why'd you tamper with the brakes?"
"What? I didn't!" Steve just stood there, watching the scene unfold.
"Someone did."
"Well it wasn't me."
"Then who was it?"
"I don't know."
"But it was you that hired the cars, wasn't it?"
"Well, yeah."
"Why'd you do it?"
"Do what?"
"You know."
"I don't know. You keep saying that I know, but I don't know."
"You know."
"I do not know!" Jesse snapped. Officer Henson decided to intervene.
"Dr. Travis, what do you remember about the incident?"
"Well not a whole lot to be honest." Steve watched as Jesse began to grow agitated and uncomfortable.
"Come on Dr. Travis. Something useful please." Forbes snapped.
"I don't know!" Steve watched. "Oh dear, I don't feel well." Jesse turned pail as the room began to spin.
"I think that it would be best if you left." The voice was strong and sure. Steve stepped forward in the defence of his friend.
"And you would be?"
"Lieutenant Sloan. LAPD homicide."
"Hey Lieutenant Sloan. Great to meet you." Chimed Clint.
"Do you have to be so disgustingly nice to everyone?"
"Yes, Melanie. I do."
"Do you mind? I think Dr. Travis needs to rest. So, I suggest that this interrogation is stopped until Dr. Travis has had some time to rest and then conducted in a manner that is more appropriate."
"We'll be back in half an hour to finish this. Don't try any stupid, like running."
"I can't run," Jesse added feebly, "the grounds moving too fast, I'd never be able to keep up."
"It's O.K. Jess. They're going, NOW!" with that the cops left the room, but not without stating emphatically that they would be back in precisely thirty minutes.
"You OK buddy?" Steve's tone mellowed. It had taken a gentle tone, such a contrast to the tone that he directed at the two officers.
"Yeah. Just a little bit. I don't know."
"Your head hurting you?"
"Oh yeah, feels like someone clubbed me over the head with a lump hammer."
"That bad, huh?"
"Worse." A pause. "Steve. Thanks for that." Another pause. "Did you really leave me out there?"
"Yeah. You're really mad, I know. I understand."
"No, Steve. I'm not. Not really. I understand why you did it at least."
"You do?"
"Sure. I mean Mark's your Dad. Dunno if I'd do the same for my dad, though."
"Yeah, sure you would."
"No, I don't think so. You're dad I'd make sure was OK, I'd go to the ends of the earth to do that. But my dad.!"
"What would you have done had you been in my position and Dad and Amanda had been stuck in the car? What would you do?"
"Steve, I don't think that I could answer that. I just don't know." Jesse conceded to the urge and closed his eyes, resting for a while until the return on his inquisitors. Steve stayed by his bedside, comforted and content in the knowledge that Jesse did not blame him for anything that had happened.
* * * * *
True to their word Henson and Forbes were back in precisely thirty minutes.
It was established that the brake cabled had been tampered with. They had not been severed, instead, they had been weakened, and their usage throughout the journey led to them snapping cleanly into two. The brake pedal becoming disconnected led to the failure of the brakes, which thus resulted in the crashing of the car. Sabotage.
This didn't fail to shock the friends.
"Who would do something like that?" asked Mark of Amanda.
"I don't know, Mark, I just don't know."
"You know, they asked me if I thought Jesse might want to kill me."
"Jesse? Why, he would never do anything like that to anyone!"
"I know. That's what I said. I mean the whole idea is absolutely ridiculous."
"Then who?"
"I'm not sure, but I think that it may have some connection to the murder of Daniel Robinson."