Chapter Thirty-One
Once Devon told Chloehow he felt, everything seemed to move much more quickly. With them as a family in mind, he began looking for a house to purchase. He spent more and more time with Chloe in the afternoons when she was off work and then went home to have dinner with his parents and Hailey. On the nights Chloe was off, the three of them spent time together.
Ideas about how to propose had begun to cram his head. There were so many choices, he couldn't decide which one to do. Chloe was practical, but she loved romantic gestures. He knew it needed to be when she wasn’t expecting it, so he was careful not to speak of it. He looked forward to the time when she would agree to spend the rest of her life with him.
The one thing he wasn't looking forward to, but was coming whether or not he liked it, was Vince’s trial. He and Lori decided they would stop by the station to ask Anna about her part in Vince’s actions. She had never admitted to being complicit, but Devon and Lori both knew better. If Vince was up to something, there wasn't a chance Anna didn’t know, but the only thing she’d admitted was being scared for her own safety, and that of her baby.
They were holding her in jail until her trial. She’d pled not guilty, unsurprisingly, but Devon wanted to ask John what she’d been charged with specifically. While Vince was charged with hit and run, kidnapping, attempted murder, concealing evidence, and obstruction of justice, they weren't quite sure where Anna fit into that.
On a warm spring day, Lori and Devon walked into the station together. John greeted them in the reception area, and they followed him down the wood-paneled halls to the scent of stale coffee.
“How are you two doing?” John asked as they all took seats in his office. Several manila files covered his desk, and the phone behind him rang a few times before it stopped.
Lori flipped her hair over her shoulder and settled her purse in her lap. “Well, I’m not feeling too friendly today, but I’m looking forward to speaking with Anna.”
Devon nodded. “I’m eager to hear what she has to say for herself.”
“Not much at this point, so don’t let her frustrate you, yeah? We won’t tape your conversation in the hopes she’ll open up enough for you to gain closure. Nothing she says will come back to bite her.”
“We appreciate that, John.”
“No problem, Devon.” He shuffled through some papers on his desk and picked one up. “I know you’ve wondered what the DA officially accused Mrs. Buckley of; Chief Hemsworth said she was charged as an accessory.”
“That means there’s proof she could have spoken up and chose not to, right?” Lori asked.
“Essentially. It has to be proven in court, but from what we can see, Mr. Buckley was never violent. There’s no proof he ever assaulted her, there were never any domestic violence calls to their home, nothing of that sort. However, Mrs. Buckley maintains the defense that her husband would have harmed her and, subsequently, the unborn fetus.”
“That’s such a load of crap.”
Devon looked at Lori. “It’s all she’s got left. She must know she’s in the wrong, but her back’s against the wall at this point.”
“Then her lawyer is a slimeball. She should just accept her guilt and plead for probation or something.”
“That isn’t looking very likely,” John spoke up. “She is trying to speed up her trial because she’s closing in on her due date. She waived a jury trial.”
Lori and Devon exchanged looks, but neither said anything. Devon couldn't decide how he felt about Anna remaining in custody during and after childbirth. Sure, she’d brought it on herself, but the baby didn’t deserve that.
Devon shifted in his seat and focused back on Sergeant Hurley. “Do you know if her parents will take custody of the baby?”
“I don’t have the answer to that question, no. Are you ready to see her?” At their nods, John stood and motioned for them to follow him.
The three of them went down the hall to a door at the back of the station, which John unlocked and led them through to another section of the building. Cells lined a narrow beige aisle which John led them down until they reached a room with a windowless door.
“Here you are.”
After unlocking it, John remained outside the door while Lori and Devon stepped inside. Anna sat at a table, her hands cuffed in front of her. Her chair was pushed back, her swollen belly confirming she was nearing her due date. She wore a gray jumpsuit, dark circles underscoring her apparent exhaustion, and her expression was one of defiance.
Lori immediately sat down across from her and leaned over the table. “So.”
Anna raised an eyebrow. “So.”
Devon wasn't sure if he wanted to begin asking questions right off the bat or if he would ease into the situation. Once upon a time, he was practically this woman’s brother-in-law, and now he felt nothing but disgust for her.
“Do you have anything to say for yourself?” Lori spat.
Anna spread her palms. “Such as what?” The smirk on her face was ugly, matching what he’d come to learn was her spirit.
It surprised Devon that Anna was acting so belligerent. “You don’t think you owe us an explanation?”
