“You panicked?”
Her eyes drifted closed as if embarrassed. Or annoyed, I wasn’t totally sure which.
“Okay, we’ll call it panic. Well, Miss Harper, are you going to panic and attempt to flee and kick my ass again right now?”
“No.”
“I’m sorry?”
“No.”She said, louder.
“Fantastic.” I pulled the keys from my pocket, unlocked her cuffs and tossed them across the room, sending them clattering against the chipped tile.
She didn’t flinch.
I turned my back to her and walked to the chair on the opposite end of the conference table.
“Would you like some coffee?” I settled into the chair. “Water? Cigarette?”
A quick shake of her head told me no, so I hit the call button on the phone and asked for two waters, two coffees, and a pack of cigarettes.
Her eyelids fluttered in the closest thing to an eye roll without actually being an eye roll. I let the minute linger like lead weight while we waited for the drinks and pack of COPD. The door opened. I kept my eyes on her as Officer Darby set two coffees, a pack of Virginia Slims—Virginia Slims—followed by two waters on the table. Based on the way mine tumbled to the floor, the rookie also had his eyes only on hers.
This woman.
“Whoops. Sorry.” He grabbed the water from the floor and set it in front of me. “Uh, you know you can’t smoke in?—”
“Thanks.”
“… Anything else?”
“Get some ibuprofen from Tanya.”
“Okay.”
Sunny lifted her hands onto the table. Composed, controlled. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from her. I watched every flicker of her eye, every move of muscle as we sat silently in the room.
The door clicked open again and a small bottle was placed on the table—carefully this time.
“Anything else?” Darby asked.
“Go get that donut Colson just heated up.”
He retreated.
I leaned forward on my elbows, closing a few of the inches between us. Sunny looked away and began rubbing her thumb over her clasped hands as we waited for Darby to return. It was a tick. Sunny didn’t like people in her space. Good to know, and it was a weakness I could definitely exploit.
The door opened and a glistening, pink iced donut with rainbow sprinkles was placed at the center of thetable. I made a mental note to chastise Colson on the way out.
“That it?” Darby asked.
“Yep.”
I waited until the door clicked closed, then picked up the bottle of pills, shook out two, and pushed them in front of her.
“Take the ibuprofen.”
“No. Thank you.” The last two words an obvious effort.
