Part 20 (2/2)

Stood there with my mouth open a good twenty seconds trying to think it through.

”I'll take that as a 'You're an idiot.' f.u.c.k, I'm smarter than whatever you're trying to figure out, so...eh?”

”No, I didn't. Maybe I said you smoked it. Instead of drinking. Maybe she smelled it in the room that night. But I'm not going around telling people about-”

She shushed me. My voice had been rising unconsciously. I swallowed the rest of what I was going to say, which was that maybe Alice, still working for the man Octavia had recently humiliated, might be the more likely suspect. If I knew Octavia, though, that was certainly on the front burner in that dark brain of hers, and she was keeping mum for a reason.

Alice slapped at a mosquito on her leg. The cop watching us twitched. Very jumpy. Was that some sort of signal?

Octavia said, ”Let's calm down. They'll be out of here soon, and we can discuss our options.”

I could tell Jennings wanted to say what was obvious here, but he couldn't. Neither could I. Did she really not understand that she was going to be arrested? There was no doubt about it, not with the way the cops were handling this. Lots of witnesses, lots of photos, a cop with a video camera, all of them showing restraint and quite a bit of attention to detail. Yes, she was sunk. I'm sure she had the money to wage a legal battle that would cut her a break, and there would be an incredibly hefty fine and probation, but the biggest damage would be her business connections she had fought hard to forge. It would be much easier for them to slight Octavia, who they had never liked much but were forced to respect due to her influence, than someone convicted of much worse but with whom they all enjoyed a few drinks.

We were still deciding if she was delusional or if she actually had the power to stay out of jail when the lead cop finally stepped over to us.

”Excuse me, Miss VanderPlatts?”

”Miss? Like, really?”

”We're now going to place you under arrest for felony possession and intent to distribute-”

”Wait a minute! Distribute? I've never...not once...this is my personal garden!”

I cringed and wanted to shout, Remember, they use that against you.

And soon enough, the lead cop, accompanied by a uniformed policewoman, began reading Octavia her rights while pulling out their cuffs. That's when the panic set in. Her face drained, and I was looking into the eyes of my friend from college, emotionally cracking from a bad relations.h.i.+p, coming to me for advice although she had already severely damaged the bond we'd shared. The girl inside the woman was still worried about what people thought of her weight. It was the handcuffs that did it, because there was no way one pair would be enough. And maybe not two.

”There's no need for handcuffs. You think I'm dangerous? You think I can outrun you?”

The lead cop held onto her arm, gripped it tighter. ”Please, it's procedure. We have to.”

”Ridiculous. Look at this house. You know what I can do. You know good and d.a.m.ned well.”

The lead cop said, ”Please, Miss.”

The uniformed cop said, ”Please, ma'am.”

Octavia's face was turning purple-so angry, so powerless. There was nothing she could say to prevent this from happening. She could go change clothes, call Pamela, call the governor, stall all she wanted, but those cuffs were going on regardless.

I decided to help.

”Excuse me? Officers? Perhaps we can compromise here. As you can see, Ms. VanderPlatts is in no condition-”

”You want to be next?” The female cop started towards me, hand over the pepper spray bottle on her belt. ”Did we ask you?”

I didn't finish my thought.

The lead cop cuffed one of Octavia's wrists. ”Let's not make this hard on anyone.”

He tried to pull her other arm back, too, but as feared, it wouldn't reach. As it was already, Octavia was wincing, seething through her teeth. The cop let out a deep sigh and motioned to the other cop for her cuffs. Two was all it took, but it was clearly uncomfortable and unnecessary. We all tried to look away, but we couldn't. Our eyes were drawn to Octavia, who couldn't bear to look at us at all.

She said, ”Jennings, go inside and call Pamela now. If any pigs try to stop you, get their badge numbers. Mick, please get Alice home.”

”Um...” I'd been alone with Alice before. We had unresolved issues, let's say. ”Can't she just hang out here?”

”A favor for me, Mick. See that she makes it home all right. Oh, and Jennings? Almost forgot. Call Harriet and tell her she can have the day off.”

Protesting again would be useless. I glanced over at Alice, who seemed so interested in what the cops in the greenhouse were doing that she didn't hear a word of what Octavia had said. Then I turned back to Octavia. Beyond her, coming down from the house, were even more cops. Two guys in white s.h.i.+rts and ties, badges on their belts, and two uniformed officers right behind them. One of the ties was holding another warrant.

Our eager beaver lead cop got a little agitated at this.

”Jesus, Marvin, we have it under control already. It's my case anyway.”

The one called Marvin, kind of doughy with one of those half-a.s.sed military haircuts-no sideburns, still some left on top, pointed at Octavia. ”Who's this?”

”She owns the place. She's the one growing the pot.”

”What pot?”

Lead cop waved a wild hand back at the greenhouse just as another flurry of flashbulbs went off. ”That! All that! You see it?”

Marvin looked down at his warrant again, cleared his throat. ”I don't know how to tell you this, Freddy, but I'm not here for that.”

Freddy shook his head. ”How the h.e.l.l...we've been planning this for a week. Who got their cables crossed?”

Octavia turned to me, mouthed, A week?

Marvin shrugged, then looked at all of us, the rising sun having brightened our misery, making the silly decision to march outside in our pjs and undies ever more embarra.s.sing. Plus, I still had to p.i.s.s. Really bad.

Marvin said, ”Mick Thooft?”

s.h.i.+t.

I thought for a second he might be a process server, here to shove papers in my face about the divorce or the house or some claim the Provost had cooked up in order to exact some revenge. But wait, these were actual police. It had to be worse than that.

Leave it to my friends to point me out, Alice and Jennings both motioning towards me, saying, ”Right here, detective.”

I raised my hand like I was in grade school.

The uniforms they brought along, both young and both with faces like steel-no idea what they were thinking-stepped through our chummy circle and flanked me, then one slid behind me, cuffs at the ready. He took my wrist, clanked the iron on, and then the other. I didn't resist. I was light as a feather.

It was strange. Even though I could not imagine why they were cuffing me, it felt like the most natural thing in the world. I could be cajoled into confessing to anything they wanted. Serial rapist? You bet. Bank robber? Sure, sure, but I spent it already. War criminal? Just following orders. My mouth went dry and I couldn't get it wet enough to simply ask, ”Why?”

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