Suspended (part 7)

“Hello, I’m Detective Warner, and this is my partner, Detective Tillman. We’d like to ask you a few questions if that’s alright.” Detective Warner greeted Hayley warmly, a kind but serious look on his face. He was tall, probably around 6’3”, but very slender. He had an angular face and light red hair that had been cut very short. He seemed like a nice man, but his partner made her feel a little uneasy. He was only a few inches shorter, but he had the build of a wrestler. Big shoulders and chest, trim waist, and a steady stance. His eyes were a pale blue, and she couldn’t help but compare them to ice, he gazed at her so seriously.

“Hello, detectives.” Hayley spoke, attempting to sound respectful. “What would you like to know?”

“Did you know either of the two men from that hotel room?” Tillman started off the questioning.

“And the other man?” Tillman spoke again. It seemed he was going to be asking the questions, at least for now.

“Well…it’s complicated.” Hayley silently cursed herself for saying that. Now they would ask even more questions. She should have lied.

“Why?”

“Because.” Hayley faltered on her words again, unsure whether to tell the truth or a lie. If she only knew what Brennan had said, then she could simply corroborate the same story. “My car broke down, and he offered me a ride. Because I didn’t have a lot of money, he offered to put me up in a hotel for the night.”

“That’s very generous of him.”

“Yes. He’s a very…generous guy.” Hayley didn’t know what else to say. She wanted to say that he was more than generous. He was sweet, and refreshingly spontaneous. He showed he cared for her in ways no man had ever done before.

“Now, in the register it says that you and Mr. Notch listed yourselves as married, but you said so yourself you just met him a few days ago.”

“I did. We just did that for fun.”

“I see.” Tillman paused to write something down in a small black notebook he held in his left hand.

Warner asked the next question, his voice one of calm inquiry instead of hostile questioning. “I know you’ve had a rough couple of days, but could you please tell us when and where you first met Mr. Notch and what happened during the several days you two spent together?”

Hayley looked at him, her mind racing. “Ok. As I said earlier, my car broke down, and he offered me a ride. I wasn’t sure about him at first, but I didn’t have much of a choice since it was getting cold. He asked me where I was going and I said a few states over, not wanting to be too specific. He indicated that he was headed in the same direction and offered to drive me to my destination. I said sure, and told him I was on my way to Billings. We drove for awhile and stopped in Buffalo last night. We ate at the diner by the Flying J, and then booked a room at the Budget Inn. And that’s when the night manager came by, and…well you know what happened after that.”

Tillman exchanged a look with Warner that showed some skepticism on their parts, but apparently let it go, because Tillman continued the questioning. “Could you tell us everything that happened from the time the night manager came by until you passed out?”

“Yeah. Um, the manager knocked on the door, and I answered it because B—Mr. Notch was in the bathroom. He started asking me pointed questions, and then pushed himself into the room. He shoved me on the bed and jammed the bathroom door shut, locking Mr. Notch inside. I tried to escape, but he grabbed me and threw me back on the bed. Then he started…” Hayley paused as the memories came rushing back. She took a breath before continuing. “…well you know. Mr. Notch broke the bathroom door open and rushed him. They fought and I screamed, afraid because the manager had a knife. Then the police showed up and started shooting, and I passed out.”

“Where did the gun come in?” Asked Tillman, catching the fact that she left that detail out.

Hayley said the first thing that came to her mind. “Well, I’m not sure, but I think it was the manager’s.”

“Did you know that gun was actually registered to the police officer that was found at the gas station shooting in Wilmer that same day?”

“Wow. That’s weird. Do you think the manager killed over there and then came to our hotel and tried to shoot us too?” Hayley asked, trying to get them away from the truth.

“We’re just trying to piece things together right now. One thing’s for sure. These two cases are connected.” This came from Warner. He didn’t seem to talk much.

Hayley thought of the cop from the gas station, and wondered silently if he had died. He was only trying to do his job. She decided to risk a question. “So the cop died then?”

“No. He suffered from severe blood loss, and some mild brain damage, but he was able to pull through.”

Hayley breathed a sigh of relief. She didn’t want the cop’s death on her conscience. “That’s good.” Then she realized the cop would know what she and Brennan looked like. He would be able to tie them both to the case. She felt her pulse quicken. “Has he said anything about his attacker?”

“No. He just got out of ICU this morning, and the doctors wanted to let him have some time to recover first.”

“Oh. Ok.”

“Yes.” Tillman paused to write something down in his notebook again, and asked her another question. “Now please don’t be offended by this question, but did you and Mr. Notch have any sort of sexual agreement preceding the altercation with the manager?”

Hayley blinked, the question was so ridiculous. Were they asking her if she was a hooker? “Do you mean like a prostitute? No.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure. I mean there wasn’t any money involved.” Hayley’s face began to flush with embarrassment.

“So you and Mr. Notch did have a sexual agreement?”

“I told you, it wasn’t for money.”

“Then why were there large amounts of cash on hand in the room?”

“I don’t know!” Hayley yelled, exasperated. “Why don’t you ask someone else?”

“Now, please, ma’am, calm down.” Warner spoke, placing a hand on Hayley’s. “So there was nothing involving sexual favors for money.”

Hayley took a breath and spoke. “Right.”

“Okay.” Glancing at his partner while he did so, Warner continued to speak. “I think we’ve taken up enough of your time for now. We’ll let you know if we need to speak with you further. Thank you for your time.”

“Okay. No problem.” Hayley tried to add some lightheartedness to her voice, but it came out more angry than happy.

“Good day.” Said Tillman as both him and Warner exited the room.

Hayley sighed. That didn’t go as well as she’d hoped. She was probably going to end up in prison now. Maybe her dream was true after all; she was going to lose her baby. Not to death, but to the system.