“Mmm. No.”
“Is she being charged, or are you just trying to push a couple buttons tonight?” she asks.
The far door swings open, and the cop who used my face as a door stopper walks in.
When Officer Murphy follows closely on his heels, I clench my fists, the stress of my night creeping into my muscles.
Decker sighs loudly, the sound echoing off the dank walls. “Jesus, Murphy. Justhadto go running to daddy.”
Murphy shrugs, looking sheepish.
The other man shoots Decker a glare. “You and I are gonna have some words.”
“And you are?” Triss asks, raising an eyebrow.
He gives her a once over and sneers. “Detective Sergeant Remy Allen. Donovan really sent a woman to handle his business?”
She breaks into a stiff smile. “My client, Sergeant Allen. I’d like her released.”
“You can have her once we process her.”
“The charges?”
“Assault of a peace officer.”
I grit my teeth. “You hit first, asshole.”
Triss’s eyes snap to me. “Grace. Don’t speak.” She moves her attention back to Allen. “And this… officer she assaulted?”
He jerks his head to Decker. “He’s lucky he doesn’t have a concussion.”
Triss huffs. “And OPP cares about Officer Decker’s face, because?”
“I’m told it’s a really nice face,” Decker says.
“And my client?” She holds a hand out, gesturing to me. “What aboutherface?”
Allen shrugs, looking smug. “We attempted to restrain her. She resisted. Must have happened during the shuffle.”
“I think what happened here, Sergeant Allen, is that twomalepolice officers got a little rough with a woman on a back road in the middle of the night, and when she defended herself, one of you got your feelings hurt and took it out on her face. You’ve got, what? Almost a foot on her?” She eyes Decker, then assesses me. “You expect me to believe she got the drop on you? Girl her size? Where’syourbruise?”
“Guess Grace doesn’t hit all that hard,” he says, a little humour lacing his tone.
I scoff. “Why don’t you take that badge off, and we can go throw down in the parking lot? I’ll show you how hard I can hit.”
A slow smile curves up his face. “Oh, I would like that very much.”
Triss throws me another warning look, and I bite down on my tongue.
“We’re done here,” she says. “Release her, or I will drag you both, by name, all over the six-o’clock news. I can see the headline now. ‘Asshole Cops Under Investigation after Assault on Woman.’” She pulls out her phone and taps the screen. “Should I get a picture of the three of you together? Let’s see that bruise, Grace.”
“We’re not scared of some lawyer bitch,” Allen says.
“You should be,” she responds seriously. “You can’t rough up a young woman just because of her last name without facingconsequences. And I don’t fight with my fists, Sergeant; I fight with the law. From what I can tell, you’re looking pretty good for assault. Which Iwillproceed with.”
Allen scoffs, though a hint of uncertainty flashes in his eyes. “It’s our word against hers. That shit will never stick.”
“You ask Decker how many of his fellow officers have been put on temporary administrative leave because of myshit.Does South Bay PD really need more bad press?”
