“Yes. I’ve been invited a few times by his mother and his daughter, Bella.”
The officer smiled back at me. “Okay, great. I just wanted to gain an understanding of the situation. Please tell me from the beginning what happened in the stable.”
I clasped and unclasped my hands. I took in a deep breath to stop myself from crying.
“Do you need some water? Please, take your time.”
“I was heading to the stable because when I knocked on the door to the main house, Colt wasn’t there, or I didn’t hear that he was there. I headed down to the stables, as I know that he loves his horses. That’s usually where you can find him.”
“Okay. And then what happened?”
“I saw that a man was pointing a gun at Colt, and his horse was crying out.” I saw the image in my mind as I said it. It caused me to break down and cry. The officer handed me a tissue.
“Here you go. It must have been traumatic for you to see that. What happened next?”
“I didn’t know what to do or what was happening. I saw Colt shoot the man in self-defense as the other guy raised his gun to him. He fell to the ground, holding his ankle.”
Again the officer nodded. “Okay. What did Colt say to you when you saw this?”
“He told me to call his father. That his number was on the fridge in the main house. I’d called you guys first.”
“Okay. Where is Bella currently?”
“She was at her grandmother’s house. She was due to come back to her father’s house tonight.”
The officer probed some more. “Do you know the man who shot Colt?”
“No, I do not.”
“Okay. And what happened with the horse? Did you see it being shot? Did you witness anything with the horse at all?”
I cried into my hand. “No. No. Just that it was distressed and trying to kick out of its stable.”
“Okay. Thank you, Amber. That’s enough questioning for now. As you probably know, don’t go anywhere or leave the country. We may need you to verify a few things, depending on the situation.”
“Okay. Can I see Colt?” I asked, knowing what the answer would be.
“Best that you don’t at this point. But once everything is cleared up, you will be able to resume contact.”
I liked the way the officer said that. I didn’t know if he believed me or not. I had no idea what my future with Colt looked like.
The next day, I went to work in a daze. I had no compass, no direction. I didn’t even know if I wanted the promotion that I’d been given. I looked deeply into the eyes of colleagues as I left my stall for lunch. Did they know? Did they hear what happened? The plan I had for Lucy in trying to make her a spokesperson at USP was on hold. I might need a spokesperson, depending on what Colt said. I closed my eyes at my desk, looking at all the positive quotes I had on my wall. I ripped them down in disgust, throwing them in the trash.
“Hey, girl, enjoying your new role?” Lucy came past with her usual spicy comments.
Today, I was full of rage and despair. I turned around and snarled, “Oh, fuck off, Lucy! I’m so tired of your shit. I don’t need any more of your backhanded comments.”
Lucy stopped in shock. She saw the black rings under my eyes from the sleepless night I’d had and my swollen cheeks. I looked like a trainwreck. I hadn’t even brushed my hair. To my surprise, she looked at me in amazement and pity.
“You look like a red-hot mess, Amber. I’ve never seen you like this. Why don’t you take a break with me, and I’ll buy you a coffee?”
I searched her face for a hint of betrayal or falseness. I didn’t see any there. “Okay. But if you start, I will finish it. I’m not in the mood for it, Lucy. I have bigger fish to fry right now.”
“I can see that,” she said plainly.
I picked up my purse to walk with her. “You won’t need it. I told you I’m buying.”
I surrendered and left my bag. I thought about leaving work early, but it would make no difference. I would just sit at home, cry, and wallow in the unfairness of it all.
