"Deputy…you know me…you've known me…I didn't do this… Lucy pleaded. Abshire was sympathetic, but he lead her to the interrogation room none the less, "I know…but he's made the claims and we have to see it through…" he said, pulling out the chair for her.
Lucy took a seat, "I have to get home to my baby…she won't eat or sleep without me…" she said desperately.
"I know…" Abshire replied but he left the room all the same, shutting the door behind him.
Lucy took a deep breath. She looked around. No windows, one door. The brick was a faded yellow; the table was a simple dark wood as was her chair and the one opposite. There was a lamp on the table, along with a glass ashtray. There was a clock on the wall that ticked loudly, making the minutes that passed by seem even longer.
Finally, the door clicked open and Charley Rakes strutted in; a hand in his suit pocket.
Lucy glared at him but it didn't faze the slick man. He smirked and his eyes glistened with victory, "This is going to be very simple, Mrs. Bondurant," he said, his Chicago accent thick. "You tell me where the still is…where Forrest keeps the money and where the stock is…all of this is brought down to a simple misunderstanding," he took a seat across from her, he began to flick a lighter open and closed.
Lucy crossed her arms over her chest, "You lyin' bastard…" she began, "I will not tell you anything. If you want information you should try doin' your job…"
Charley continued to smile, "This is my job, Mrs. Bondurant," he replied, "Now I will ask you again: the still. The money. The stock." He said, his eyes watching her carefully.
Lucy pursed her lips.
"Playing hard to get, are we? That may work on Forrest Bondurant, but I have far less patience you see," he continued. He pulled a cigarette from his pocket, lit it with his lighter and took a drag. "If we have to do this the hard way I will destroy your family…from Forrest to your little girl…. Now Mrs. Bondurant; the still, the money, the stock: where are they?
Lucy leaned across the table, "You can say that all you want but I won't tell you anything," she said. "Those boys are innocent."
Charley frowned, he reached across the table and took ahold of her forearm, "Innocent?" he laughed his shrill laugh then he took the cigarette and pressed the burning end into her skin.
Lucy shrieked, pulling at her arm, desperate to take it back, "What are you doing?!" she exclaimed. He finally let go, "I am not here to play games," he said.
Lucy looked at him incredulous before she stood up and ran for the door.
Charley got up and followed her, taking ahold of her hair he pulled her from the doorknob, "Tell me and you walk out of here…" he seethed before throwing her to the ground.
Lucy pushed herself up from the ground but he landed a kick to her abdomen, causing her to cough and coil. "Stop…" she weezed.
He knelt down to her left, he took a fistful of her hair and pulled her face to look at his, "The still?" he asked. When she didn't answer, he beat her head against the ground. He stood up again. "The money?"
She didn't answer. It took a lot of energy to lift her head again. The room was spinning and it felt like her head was filled with rocks. Blood trickled down from her head.
He kicked her lower back twice. She screamed out, trying to crawl away from him, "You can't do this! Abshire! Someone help!" she cried out.
He laughed again, "Not as tough as we think, are we Mrs. Bondurant?" he was on a power trip. When she looked up at him, tears streaming down her face she pleaded, "Please don't do this…"
He backhanded her across the face with a deafening 'smack'. "The stock?" he asked lowly, readjusting his gloves.
"You can beat me all you want…it w-won't change anything…but the boys will k-kill you for this…" she backed herself to the wall for support.
"The boys?" he repeated. He leaned down to her level and took her throat into his gloved hand and squeezed, "I don't see them anywhere…" he said as she struggled for breath, "You life is in my hands now, don't you see? I'm a bad enemy to have…"
She squirmed and struggled for air. Finally, she was able to angle a knee up and hit Rakes in the stomach. He recoiled and she was able to take a deep breath, trying to regain her senses.
"You bitch!" he exclaimed, winding his arm back he punched her across the face. Blood dripped down from her nose and her lip split open on the next one he landed across her jaw. Lucy sobbed on the ground. He walked away from her, giving her a moments peace. He lit up another cigarette and took a couple drags. He calmed himself down before returning to her, "Why protect them?" he asked, "We just want to end the moonshining business…" he lied but sounded convincing.
"I protect them because they'd never hit a woman…" she replied with her voice raspy, "You piece of shit…"
He put the cigarette out on her arm not once but twice, adding two more burns. She screeched in pain. When she looked down she saw the blood staining her dress. Her body ached. "Please stop…" she pleaded.
"This all stops when I have what I need…" he said. His hand traced the side of her face, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. After the moment of tenderness he landed another punch to her gut. She screamed out again.
Then the door opened, Abshire entered, "Mr. Rakes!" he exclaimed, rushing forward. Rakes stood up. He began, finger by finger, to take his gloves off. Abshire leaned down to Lucy to check her wounds.
"Put her in a cell overnight," Rakes commanded. He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and began to wipe the blood and sweat from his hands and face.
"But…Rakes…we can't leave this poor woman in a cell overnight…it's indecent," Abshire responded. He helped Lucy from the floor but remained next to her for support. Blood still dripped from her nose to the floor. Abshire took his own handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her.
"Do as I say, Abshire, you know who's in charge here…this is what we need…to break the Bondurant boys…" Rakes replied. He looked over Lucy, seeming proud of himself, "Then we will have all of Franklin County…"
"Look, if I know anything about those boys, they'll be here any minute for her," Abshire followed Rakes from the room, still supporting Lucy as they walked. The girl cried but neither man offered a comfort.
"This is a police station, is it not? You can keep three men out of here until morning, yes? Or are you completely incompetent?" Rakes rounded on Abshire.
"Well, no sir, but-" Abshire continued.
"But, nothing," Rakes was annoyed. "Ah, yes, here we are. You," he pointed to an office, "Open this cell…" he ordered. The young deputy fished for the keys and swung the iron door open, it creaked loudly.
"No, Mr. Abshire…" Rakes eerily smiled, motioned with the bloody hankerchief to the cell.
Lucy cried, "Please…Henry please…" she begged. Her whole body ached and she just wanted to see Forrest again and hold her baby close.
"I'm so sorry, Lucy," he whispered, but he lead her into the cell, helped her sit on the bed and then left. Rakes shut the door with a satisfying click. He looked at her through the bars, "I always win, Mrs. Bondurant, only you can choose the path it takes…" he then walked away.
Lucy curled up. Her boys would come for her, she knew they would. She wondered if she needed a doctor. Her head still felt as though it weighed more than the rest of her body, and her ears filled with cotton. Her arm burned and her back was stiff with pain. Her nose had begun to clot but blood stained her skin and her close. Her lip was swollen and her hair was matted down with sweat and blood.
She cried into the rough pillow. The young deputy who opened the cell looked at her pitifully. He wanted to do something but Rakes was not a man to be crossed…even they saw how crazy he was.
A few hours later, the young deputy slipped her a glass of water and slice of bread, though she was too weak to get up from the bed to retrieve it.