“Yeah.”
“I’ve been expecting you,” she said warmly, which actually went a long way toward calming me down. “First, I need you to hire me.”
“What, like, pay a retainer or something? I’m sorry, but I’m injail. I don’t exactly have access to my bank at the moment.”
“Okay, there is no need to snap at me. I just mean I need you to verbally secure my representation.”
“Oh,” I said, cheeks heating in shame. “Well, in that case, I’m officially retaining you as my attorney.”
“Great,” Berkley replied, sounding like she was smiling. “Now, have you been formally charged?”
“No.” Johns had informed me I’m being heldon suspicion, which was bullshit because he and everyone else seemed convinced I’d done this.
“Do you know when you will be?”
“Hold on.” I moved the phone away from my ear and covered the mouthpiece with my hand. “Hey, Johns. Do you know when I’ll be formally charged?”
“Monday,” he replied flatly. “Addie is filing the official complaint in Boise since that’s where the incident occurred. It’ll take the weekend to get that squared away.”
I relayed that information to Berkley.
“Okay,” she said, and I could hear the clacking of laptop keys in the background. “I’ll visit you on Monday in Boise. I know spending the weekend in a holding cell isn’t ideal, but try to remain calm. I promise, we’ll get this whole mess sorted out.”
“You’re not going to ask me if I did it?”
“The first rule of criminal defense is youneverask your client that question and give them the opportunity to lie to you. But I don’t think you did it, so I don’t need to ask.”
“How can you be sure?”
“Because your boyfriend is adamant you didn’t, and I’m inclined to believe him.”
Your boyfriend.
I almost snorted but bit it back. Berkley didn’t need to be dragged into my relationship drama. That was a problem for me to deal with once I was freed.
“Well, I appreciate you taking on my case.”
“No problem. You’re basically family, right?”
“Right.”
“So sit tight, and we’ll get this squared away next week.”
“I’ll be here.”
Berkley chuckled and disconnected.
With that task completed, Johns led me to the desk, where we went through an uncomfortable series of removing anything from my body that could be considered a weapon—namely my bra, shoes, and jewelry. I was issued a sports bra that had probably been white once but was now greyed with age, and thick socks, then directed into the holding cell.
It was tucked in the corner, two walls made up of the cinderblocks of the building, two thick sheets of plexiglass held together with steel supports and a complicated-looking locking mechanism. Positioned perpendicular to each other and bolted the exterior walls were two cots, each with a single flat pillow and scratchy wool blanket atop them.
I’d expected it to be cold, but it was surprisingly warm.
Once he removed the handcuffs and the door was secured behind me, Johns walked away, and with nothing else to do but wait, I crawled onto one of the bunks, drew my knees to my chest, and settled in for a long weekend.
Jail was a lonely place,even with having spent the entire weekend locked up with Missy fucking Plano, who had yet again been arrested for solicitation and public indecency.
No matter how hard I ignored her, no matter how many times I glared at her when she tried speaking to me, she refused to shut up, carrying on an endless conversation with herself.
