My fingers curl into fists under the table. “That’s absurd.”
“Is it? You’ve admitted you’re attracted to Ms. Campbell. You made repeated visits to her workplace. You exchanged personal contact information. Isn’t it possible that your feelings for her influenced your judgment?”
I keep my voice level. “My feelings for Ms. Campbell had nothing to do with the evidence I found or the arrest I made. I was doing my job.”
“Let’s talk about that arrest. You’ve stated that you arrived at Ms. Campbell’s home on your lunch break.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I wanted to check on her after finding the tracker that morning.”
“And you found Mr. Carlston assaulting her?”
“Yes. He had her by the wrist and shoved her hard enough to knock her into a bookshelf.”
“Did you call for backup?”
“No. The situation required immediate intervention.”
“So you made the decision to arrest Mr. Carlston without witnesses.”
“I witnessed the assault myself.”
Detective Morrison flips through several pages. The rustle of paper is too loud in the quiet room. “Mr. Carlston's family claims you used excessive force during the arrest.”
“I used appropriate force to subdue a suspect who was resisting arrest.”
“Ms. Campbell witnessed the entire arrest.”
“Who you were romantically involved with.”
“She was the victim of the assault I witnessed myself.”
And who will have to sit through this same interrogation. Who'll have to relive it all again.
They keep circling back to my feelings for Alice like that somehow invalidates what I saw with my own eyes. Like it changes how Lance treated Alice that day. Like it changes the fact that Lance assaulted her. And who knows if it was even the first time.
It takes everything I have not to slam my hand on the table. To tell them they're more interested in my dating life than actual justice.
The detective sets down her pen and looks at me directly. The room goes quiet except for the buzz of the fluorescent lights. “Officer Edwards, I’m going to ask you a direct question, and I want a direct answer. Did your personal feelings for Alice Campbell influence any aspect of your professional conduct regarding Lance Carlston?”
I meet her stare without flinching. “No.”
“You’re certain?”
“Absolutely. My feelings for Alice made me care about her safety. But Lance Carlston's actions—the stalking, the break-in, the assault—those were real. I would have made the same arrest if she'd been a complete stranger.”
“Even though those feelings led to a romantic relationship?”
“My relationship with Alice began after Lance’s arrest. And it has no bearing on the validity of the evidence or the legitimacy of the charges.”
Detective Morrison makes a final note and closes her file. “We’ll be reviewing your body camera footage, the physical evidence, and conducting our own interviews. Is there anything else you’d like to add to your statement?”
“Lance Carlston stalked Alice Campbell for months. He placed an illegal tracking device on her vehicle. He broke into her home and physically assaulted her. I arrested him because he committed multiple crimes in my presence. The evidence will confirm everything I’ve stated here today.”
Morrison's expression doesn't change, but one of the other investigators shifts in his seat.
