Amanda squinted her eyes in pain. She hadn't seen bright fluorescent lights in what seemed like years. Once her eyes adjusted, she saw that it was Matthews who was guiding her by the wrist.
Immediately a feeling of pain sunk in as she recognized her surroundings. His nails were digging into the depths of her smooth skin. She struggled unsuccessfully as he lead her through a series of brightly lit corridors. She writhed left and right, but Matthews's grip stood the test of time.
Instead of protesting, Amanda kept her mouth shut. Maybe I can wriggle away without a sound…she thought defiantly. The odds of her getting away were slim, but as she knew, anything is possible.
Amanda jerked her hands backwards with all the force her small frame could muster. However, this time Matthews noticed Amanda's effort. He turned around and stopped in his tracks. Amanda was still unconsciously walking, and wound up bumping right into him. She could feel his breath on her neck. It was hot and sticky, like a bright summer day.
She cringed in disgust at her close proximity to him, and stepped away. She did not want to raise her head, she was afraid he would have a menacing look on his face. Amanda bit her lip in anticipation of incoming physical pain. However, this time Matthews just sloughed off her attempt and kept on moving. Shocked at his mercy, she finally exhaled.
Amanda gradually picked up her head and studied the rooms she was passing. She noticed a woman with a very slight figure was following both Matthews and Amanda. She had a strikingly attractive face, arched eyebrows, and dark green eyes. Her intensively curly hair rested just below the shoulder.
She ran her fingers through her kinky locks as she walked; 5-6 manila folders cradled in her right arm. Facing forward, Amanda then realized that she was reaching a dead end. Matthews lead her into a white room, with a mirror on the left wall. A table and two chairs were located inside. Matthews pulled out the chair on the wall opposite the mirror, and gestured to Amanda to sit down.
Amanda settled herself in the spot, as Matthews left the room. The woman who had been closely following them before had now made a re-appearance in the interrogation room. The woman watched Matthews casually stroll out the door into the hall in admiration.
Puzzled, Amanda played with the chains of cuffs she wore, shaking them up and down to observe the sound they made. Among the sounds of metal chains clinking together, Amanda heard the sounds of footsteps, she looked up to find the woman approaching the door.
Amanda squirmed in her seat as she watched the woman close it, leaving them alone. "Okay Amanda..." the woman muttered contemplatively as she studied the various folders she held in front of her eyes. She approached the table, pulled out the unoccupied chair, and took a seat. A glint caught Amanda's eye. She looked down at the woman's suit jacket pocket. Upon it was a police ID, it detailed that the woman was refered to as Detective Kerry. Her eye color, hair color, ID number and ethnicity were also listed on the laminated tag.
"So Amanda, when did the deal go down."
Kerry said to her, half attentive, half still thinking of Eric Matthews. Amanda's eyes widened in shock at Kerry's question. Frantically, she thought of what to say.
Anything, just say anything...the longer you are quiet, the more she will be suspicious!
Kerry tapped her nails on the table in anticipation of an answer. Make a damn sound already, I don't have all day... Then Kerry felt relief as she saw Amanda start to speak.
"It...didn't...happen."
In response to Amanda's statement; Detective Kerry furrowed her eyebrow and looked over Amanda's file yet again. "Well, it says right here that Detective Matthews pulled a clear sample off of the syringe found in your drawer...So it must have been you." Kerry said with a slight frown. Amanda's gaze fell to the floor, as she pondered her next response.
"I could never do that--after all Brian has been through." she trailed off. Kerry shot her a concerned look. Before Amanda knew it, she fell victim to her emotions and began weeping. Amanda wiped the excess tears on her sleeve and propped up her elbows on the table. She placed her handcuffed hands in front of her face in an effort to conceal her overwrought feelings.
Kerry was no fool however; she could tell that Amanda was hysterical with grief. "Oh Amanda...its okay...just tell me the truth." Kerry said soothingly as she lifted a hand onto Amanda's shoulder. She looked up at Kerry and observed the compassionate look in her eyes. Amanda then tried to chase away the tears.
"Tell me everything."
At that command, Amanda pulled her shoulder away from Kerry's reach and once again dropped her gaze to the floor. "No." Amanda said stubbornly like a small child. Abruptly, a banging sound was heard coming from the other side of the mirror. Both Kerry and Amanda jarred in their seats in response to the unexpected noise. Two consecutive slamming noises were heard following the opening of the door to the room both Kerry and Amanda resided in. Detective Matthews entered in a furor; his teeth gritting and fists clenching. Kerry sat still as he approached the both of them.
"What the hell is going on here Kerry? Just get the information out of her already!"
Matthews spoke feverishly, growing more impatient by the second. Amanda's left eyebrow rose to the top of her forehead in sheer confusion. Detective Matthews ran his fingers through his hair as he repeatedly told himself to calm down. It appeared as something had gone unsaid. Matthews was trying to control his anger, unlike before. Maybe Rigg had told him a thing or two... Amanda thought. Kerry observed that Amanda was experiencing some deep thinking, and tried to interrupt her. Kerry saw how Amanda's stubborn behavior was negatively affecting him, so she tried once more to squeeze something out of Amanda.
"Look, we don't have much time. Just tell me what happened with the drugs."
Amanda looked intently at Kerry once she finished talking, and stood up from the table placing her palms on its surface. Kerry jolted backward in her chair as a reflex to Amanda's quick motion. Amanda directed her gaze right at Detective Matthews, who was watching the event from the corner of the room.
"I didn't do ANY drugs, this is all some kind of mistake!"
Amanda wailed as she spoke, her voice shaking with every word. Matthews could feel the anger boiling in his veins like hot water. Detective Matthews rolled up his sleeves, and lunged for Amanda. Before they knew it, his hands were tightly wrapped around Amanda's neck.
Kerry cringed at Matthews's sick behavior, as Amanda tried to claw him out of her way. Kerry looked on in fear as Amanda struggled to breathe. Several seconds passed before Matthews uttered a word.
"Tell her now, or you'll die."
Matthews intensified his grip on her neck for emphasis. Amanda let out a small sound, and Matthews released his grip. Detective Matthews angrily thrust out the vacant chair from underneath the table, and Amanda sat herself down.
Great, now as long as I want to stay alive, I have to pretend I'm really a junkie.
Amanda sighed as she began to fabricate a story. "It was one of Brian's Dad's buddies." Amanda lied. With that sentence the entire room fell silent.
"He came over one night, pulled out his stash and let me try a bit of it. He told me that if I tried it once no harm would be done. However what actually went on after I tried Heroin for the first time wasn't as he had said. I was on withdrawl, waking up in the middle of the night coated in a layer of cold sweat, shaking as if I had just seen something awful. I needed my fix. So I called up the guy and made the deal with him...Thats how it went." Amanda detailed.
Kerry nodded in acknowledgement, and picked through a manila folder that lie in her lap. She brought out 5 Polaroid style pictures of five different people. "Do you recognize any of these individuals as your dealer?" questioned Kerry. Amanda looked at the set of pictures placed before her.
Oh just perfect, now I have to get someone else involved in this mess.
With that tought, looked up and put her finger down on a random picture. She heard Kerry taking the rest of the pictures and shoving them back into the manila folder. When Amanda looked down to see who she had chosen, it was a Latino man seemingly in his early 30s. He was extremely physically fit, and he had a dominative, menacing air to him. A very serious expression was painted across his face; and he had thick black eyebrows with a shaved head.
"I'd recognize him anywhere."
Amanda embellished the story reluctantly, all while trying to make it sound more convincing. Detective Matthews came over to the table, picked up the picture staring at it for several seconds. "Rigg, get over here." said Matthews. Within seconds, Officer Rigg appeared in the doorway, his gaze asphyxiated on Matthews. Matthews looked to Rigg and addressed him.
"Rigg we need to remember this face. He is the next guy we have to go after."
Amanda began to cry again; not because she was sad, but because she realized that she had just sealed the fate of an individual like her--one that was wrongfully accused. She felt as if she had now played the part of Detective Matthews in framing that man to be the dealer. She felt ashamed of her behavior it was unexplainable. It was as if she had just been sucked into a black hole. Nobody was standing up for her...and all she could do was sit still, play nice, and try to stay unconscious of what was going on to ease the pain.
Amanda then heard a screeching noise, which brought her back to the notion of where she was. Kerry got up from her chair and slid it back, making the same screeching noise Amanda has heard previous. Matthews and Rigg were out of the line of sight, probably trying to catch the man that she had identified. Amanda looked around for a sign as to where she was going next.
All she saw was Detective Kerry staring at her chocolate brown eyes. "Lets go." Kerry stated. She approached Amanda and pulled out her chair half lifting Amanda out of her seat. Amanda was very diminuitive compared to Kerry. Kerry was both physically and mentally strong, a complete opposite to Amanda's unstability. Before she knew it, Amanda was back out into the hall, mindlessly following Kerry's countless footsteps. As they were walking, Kerry's facial expression showed contemplation. Once Kerry was done with her thought, she addressed Amanda.
"Amanda, we are bringing you to the county jail."
Kerry spoke softly, informing Amanda of where she would be residing. Amanda felt the tears welling up in her eyes, but tried her best to hold them back. Crying wouldn't save her now. "But...why jail so soon?" Amanda remarked. Instantly after Amanda's question, the detective slowed her pace.
Eventually, Kerry stopped in her tracks, and turned around to face Amanda. "Since you can't post bail, you are going to have to stay in jail until your trial." She responded. Amanda's heart instantly sank, and then there was a brief pause of complete silence. Amanda's gaze fell to the floor yet again, and Kerry took it as a sign that Amanda was ready to progress.
The 2 person train continued all the way to the front double doors of the precinct, where Amanda was placed inside the back of Kerry's cop car. Kerry drove out of the city and onto the highway, eventually to the jail house. The entire ride was completely silent, except for a few murmurs from Kerry and some quiet moans of painful grief coming from Amanda. It took hours for the pair to reach the main gates of the jail.
As Kerry pulled in, Amanda watched in horror as she saw the tall black barred gates coming towards her. Her whole body shook in nervousness as Kerry put down the window.
All of a sudden, Amanda felt a burst of energy and a rush of adreniline. Without thinking she used all her force and pried on the doorhandle of the old cop car. Kerry twisted around in the drivers seat and tried to stop her; but she couldn't. Amanda was free.
A/N: Sorry this chapter is a little short, schools started and I've become busy again. I've had a lot of projects and homework to do lately, so this chapter was a little delayed. I might have a little more time to work on it now though. As always, comments and criticism are welcome with open arms. I'd always like to know there is enough intrest in this story for me to feel motivated to write another chapter.